Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land School
淨土小常識
136. The real form of the Pure Land of Bliss
1. The literal meaning of the Land of Bliss
As far as the literal meaning of Land of Bliss is concerned, the Amitabha Sutra says, “If you travel westward from here, passing a hundred thousand kotis of Buddha-lands, you will come to the land called 'Utmost Bliss,' where there is a Buddha named 'Amitabha.' He is living there now, teaching the Dharma.”
The Sutra on Praising the Pure Land (another version) says, “As there is no physical or mental suffering and no afflictions, there is only infinite purity, joy and peace; so, it is called the Land of Bliss.”
This is said to contrast the forms in the deluded world filled with Four Sufferings and Eight Sufferings. Thus, it is called the Land of Bliss because of the absence of the various kinds of sufferings and the complete presence of all kinds of joy. The joy in the Land of Bliss is absolute, not relative. It is true joy that transcends both happiness and suffering. As it says in the Sutra, “Great joy is no-happiness and no-suffering, which is the nature of Nirvana. Thus, Nirvana is true joy.”
The literal meaning of Bliss in the relative sense is the departure from all kinds of suffering in the deluded world, and the enjoyment of various joys. However, in terms of the absolute, it is a real realm of Nirvana with true joy that transcends all kinds of suffering and joy in the deluded world.
One ought to know: this kind of absolute joy cannot be conceived of, understood, or explained by us.
(to be continued tomorrow)
136極樂淨土之真相
一、極樂之語義
就極樂語義而言:《阿彌陀經》說:「彼土何故名為極樂?其國眾生,無有眾苦,但受諸樂,故名極樂。」《稱讚淨土經》說:「無有一切身心憂苦,唯有無量清淨喜樂,是故名為極樂世界。」
經文是相對於迷妄世界四苦八苦之眾苦充滿之相狀,而說無有眾苦但受諸樂,故名極樂。然而,極樂世界之樂,據實而言,並非與苦相對之樂,是超越苦樂之真樂,如《大涅槃經》卷二一〈德王品〉說:「無苦無樂乃名大樂,涅槃之性無苦無樂,是故涅槃名為大樂。」
此極樂之語義,若以相對性解釋,是脫離迷妄世界所有之苦,但受諸樂之世界,故名極樂;若以絕對性解釋,是超越迷界之苦樂的大涅槃真樂境界,故名極樂。而且應知,此絕對性真樂非吾人所可想像,亦非吾人所能了解。
Namo Amituofo!
