Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
140. Ten Kalpas and a Long Time Ago (continued)
In the Lotus Sutra, it says, “There are 16 Sramanera, who have attained samyaksaṃbodhi. There are two Buddhas in the West, one is Amitabha , and the sixteenth one is me, Shakyamuni Buddha.”
It means that a long time ago, there was a Buddha called Great Penetrative Wisdom and Splendor. Before he became a monk he led 16 princes. After he attained perfect Enlightenment, all the 16 princes became Buddhas too. Among them, there was a western Buddha called Amitabha.
Thus, Master Yuanchao said in his Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra, “According to the Lotus Sutra, during the era of Great Penetrative Wisdom and Splendor, Amitabha was one of the 16 princes. Shakayamuni became a Buddha a long time ago, why didn’t Amitabha?
Moreover, in the Shurangama Sutra, the Buddha says, “I remember, a long time ago, a Buddha called Infinite Light appeared in the world. Thereafter, twelve Tathagatas appeared in every consecutive kalpa, the last one being the Buddha of Light Transcending the Sun and Moon.”
Comparing the names of the twelve Tathagatas in the Infinite Life Sutra, the Buddha mentioned in the Shurangama Sutra is Amitabha. This is evidence that Amitabha Buddha was an ancient Buddha that really existed a very long time ago.
(to be continued tomorrow)
140 十劫久遠 (續)
《法華經‧化城喻品》中說:「彼佛弟子十六沙彌,今皆得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提,......西方二佛,一名阿彌陀,......第十六我釋迦牟尼佛。」
意思是:往昔三千塵點劫時,有位「大通智勝佛」。此佛還沒出家前,有十六位王子。成道之後,十六位王子也統統得道成佛。其中有一位在西方成佛,即阿彌陀佛。
所以宋朝元照律師在《彌陀經疏》中說道:「依《法華經》大通智勝佛之時,彌陀即是十六王子之一數也。釋迦既經塵劫,彌陀豈得不然耶。」
此外,《楞嚴經卷五‧勢至章》也說:「我憶往昔,恆河沙劫,有佛出世,名無量光;十二如來,相繼一劫,其最後佛,名超日月光。」
以此文與《大經》的十二光佛比較,可知所說的就是阿彌陀佛。依此等經文之證據,確定阿彌陀佛是「久遠實成」之古佛。
(待續)
Namo Amituofo!
