Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
143. Advising us to Act with Virtue and Revealing the Benefits of Rebirth (continued)
The poor person who donates one cent to almsgiving, though deserving praise, cannot benefit many people. A rich man who gives a ton of gold to help many people needs no praise. It is similar to cultivation in the pure land and the defiled land.
Thus, if a person wishes to expedite his achievement of Buddhahood and deliver many sentient beings, he should aspire to be reborn in the pure land. If he stays in the defiled land, he cannot even deliver himself, how can he possibly deliver others?
So, by comparing the two lands, the Buddha advised disciples to practice virtues and, at the same time, revealed the fact that practicing in the Land of Saha is difficult. In contrast, Shakyamuni explained that cultivating virtues in the Pure Land is easy and relaxed, and advised us to aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss through Amitabha-recitation. Why is this so?
The Land of Saha is a predominantly evil world, where practicing is difficult; but, the Land of Bliss is pure and virtuous. Thus, real virtues are naturally produced, and accomplished without any effort. In this way, the Buddha advises us to renounce the impure Land of Saha, and admire the pure Land of Bliss. If he hadn’t explained it in this way, the teaching of the Infinite Life Sutra would be meaningless.
143 對比勸善,彰往生益 (續)
但是貧者布施一錢,雖值得稱美,卻難成眾事;富者施捨千金,雖無須讚歎,卻能成辦萬事。淨土與穢土修行,亦復如是。
所以若欲快速成佛以廣利眾生,應當發願往生淨土;若留五濁穢土,自己都不能得度,哪能救度他人呢?
故知佛陀在此比較二土,除勸其修善,同時也顯明娑婆之難修難行,以彰顯極樂為善之自在殊勝,勸發我們應當念佛往生極樂世界。何故?
娑婆是難修惡世之處,極樂是純善無惡、歷緣對境無非善根之處故。可謂不求而德至,不作而善成,故無纖毫非善之處。因此,佛陀勸導我們,厭濁惡之娑婆,欣純善之極樂。若非如此,佛說《無量壽經》就毫無意義了。
Namo Amituofo!
