March 30, 2025

Mar. 30, 2025

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about the Grace of Deliverance

慧淨法師之救恩法語(一)之愛的心語

The root of compassion is "sorrow."

There is no greater kindness than "forgiveness."

One must forgive others seventy times seven times.

I am someone who lives by the grace of others' tolerance.

If people did not tolerate and forgive me,

My very being would be torn apart piece by piece.

慈之根源是「悲」。善莫大於「恕」。要原諒人七十個七次。

我是承蒙大家包容我而活著的人。

若人家不包容、原諒我,我此身將被片片切割。

Namo Amituofo!

March 31, 2025

Mar. 31, 2025

Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation

Part Three - Assisted-Recitation near the End-of-Life

第三部分 有關臨終助念

Question 38: What is the most fundamental principle regarding assisted recitation for the deceased?

Answer:

Eliminate all obstacles and wholeheartedly focus on reciting Namo Amituofo!

38問:助念者最要把握的根本是什麼?

答:排除一切障緣,專念一句阿彌陀佛!

Namo Amituofo!

March 29, 2025

Mar. 29, 2025

Short Dharma Teaching about the Grace of Deliverance

無常法語

The vast Three Realms are filled with endless suffering and no peace;

The restless Four Forms of life endure only distress without joy.

Like the wind, life is hard to preserve;

Like the dew, the body easily fades away.

悠悠三界,專苦無安;擾擾四生,

唯患無樂,風命難保,露體易消。

Namo Amituofo!

March 28, 2025

Mar. 28, 2025

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

Metaphor 29: Amitabha’s Deliverance is All-Encompassing (Like the Void)

Amitabha’s deliverance is like the void, which doesn’t differentiate one thing from another. The Surangama Sutra says, “The [Buddha’s] mind is vast like the void, encompassing all realms, as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges River.” The Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land depicts the Buddha’s mind in this way, “ It is as vast and boundless as space.”

Why is the Buddha mind so broad? Because it is selfless. With selflessness, the mind has no limits. In contrast, sentient beings like us are egoistic. Accordingly, we are narrow-minded.

Although selfless, the Buddha always has sentient beings on his mind, taking on their circumstances as his own. This means that the Buddha always cares about sentient beings. He dwells within them, where he can eradicate their sufferings, and bring them benefits and happiness.

29. 如空廣涵喻

彌陀救度如同虛空,虛空沒有分別心。《楞嚴經》說:「心包太虛,量周沙界。」《往生論》說「究竟如虛空,廣大無邊際」。佛心之所以這樣廣大,是因為佛心是無心,無心才能廣大無邊,而我們眾生都是有心,因為有心,所以就狹窄。

雖然佛心無心,卻是以眾生心為心,以眾生境為境,也就是時刻以眾生為念,只要能給眾生帶來利益、為眾生拔苦與樂的,佛就會在他身上,與他同在。

Namo Amituofo!

March 27 , 2025

Mar. 27 , 2025

Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

150 - The Meaning of the Gatha of Merit-Dedication (continued)

"And to be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy." (往生安樂國)

The Land of Peace and Joy (安樂國) is also called the Land of Bliss (極樂世界), which is Amitabha’s Pure Land.

To aspire for rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land means that one is assured of rebirth there, where one will swiftly attain Buddhahood. Upon reaching the Pure Land, one will naturally embody Amitabha’s infinite light and infinite life, and like him, universally and unconditionally deliver all beings throughout the ten directions.

For this reason, Pure Land practitioners—through exclusively reciting Amitabha’s Name (念佛)—transmit his boundless compassion, and egalitarian salvation to all beings, whether they are holy or ordinary, good or evil.

They wholeheartedly aspire for all sentient beings to "hear of and accept Amitabha’s salvation, and wish for rebirth in his Pure Land." Those who do so will undoubtedly be embraced by Amitabha’s boundless light and never forsaken.

They will certainly be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy, where they will fully realize the Bodhi Mind, and accomplish the Bodhisattva Path.

150 「迴向偈」之意 (續)

「往生安樂國」,安樂國是極樂世界的異稱,亦即是彌陀淨土。「願生彌陀淨土」,則必定往生彌陀淨土,必定速成佛道,必定如彌陀光壽無量、平等無條件的「廣度十方眾生」。

是故念佛人轉傳彌陀慈悲平等救度的功德於一切聖凡善惡諸眾生,普願一切眾生,皆「信受彌陀救度、願生彌陀淨土」,則必蒙彌陀光明攝取不捨,「往生安樂國」以圓滿菩提心與菩薩道。

Namo Amituofo!

March 26, 2025

Mar 26, 2025

Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

L

150 The Meaning of the Gatha of Merit-Dedication (continued)

“May all of us aspire to attain perfect enlightenment," (同發菩提心)

This refers to the "Unsurpassed Bodhi Mind", which is the abbreviated form of "Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi Mind" (無上正等正覺心). The term "Bodhi" is a Sanskrit word that means "awakening", which signifies attaining Buddhahood. To arouse the Bodhi Mind means to generate the aspiration to become a Buddha. This entails the commitment to seeking supreme enlightenment for oneself and for delivering all sentient beings.

Master Tanluan (曇鸞), in his Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth (往生論註), states:

"This unsurpassed Bodhi Mind is precisely the mind that aspires to become a Buddha. The mind that aspires to become a Buddha is the mind that vows to save all sentient beings."

Thus, the Bodhi Mind serves as the stimulus for both attaining Buddhahood and delivering beings, making it the very essence of Mahayana Buddhism. There are two Types of Bodhi Mind: The Path of Sacred Practice and the Path of the Pure Land

1. The Bodhi Mind of the Path of Sacred Practice (聖道門菩提心) - This refers to generating the Bodhi Mind within the Saha world by making the Four Great Vows, practicing the Six Pāramitās, and progressing unwaveringly through countless rebirths.

Over the course of three great asaṁkhyeya kalpas, one perfects both merit and wisdom and eventually attains Buddhahood.

This is known as the self-powered Bodhi Mind (自力菩提心) and belongs to the difficult path (難行道), which is beyond the capability of most sentient beings.

2. The Bodhi Mind of the Pure Land Path (淨土門菩提心) This is the mind that "aspires for rebirth" (願生心), specifically in Amitabha’s Pure Land.

This aspiration, coupled with the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha, and faith in Amitabha’s 18th Vow, are the causes of rebirth in the Pure Land. With this combination of single-minded aspiration, exclusive recitation, and faith in Amitabha’s 18th Vow, one is assured of rebirth in the Pure Land.

Upon rebirth in the Pure Land their afflictions are swiftly eliminated, they attain Buddhahood, and universally deliver sentient beings.

This is called the other-powered Bodhi Mind (他力菩提心) and belongs to the easy path (易行道), which is accessible to all beings.

The Bodhi Mind is fundamentally the mind that aspires to Buddhahood, and rebirth in the Pure Land leads directly to Buddhahood. Therefore, aspiring for rebirth in the Pure Land is itself the Bodhi Mind of the Pure Land Path.

Practitioners of the Pure Land Path do not need to separately cultivate the Bodhi Mind. Instead, hearing about and believing in Amitabha’s salvation, turning one's heart toward him, and aspiring for rebirth in the Pure Land already constitute the Bodhi Mind of Pure Land practitioners.

(to be continued tomorrow)

150 「迴向偈」之意 (續)

「同發菩提心」,此菩提心是「無上菩提心」,即是「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」(無上正等正覺心)的簡稱,「菩提」二字是古印度梵語,漢文之意為「覺」,即是成佛之意。發菩提心,就是發成佛之心,也就是發「上求佛道、下化眾生」之心。曇鸞大師《往生論註》說:「此無上菩提心,即是願作佛心,願作佛心,即是度眾生心。故發菩提心為成佛與度生之因,是大乘佛法的精髓。

菩提心有二,聖道門菩提心與淨土門菩提心。

聖道門菩提心,即是於娑婆世界,發四弘誓願,修六度萬行,生生不退,歷經三大阿僧祇劫,福慧圓滿而成佛。此亦名自力菩提心,屬難行道,眾生不堪。

淨土門菩提心,即是「願生心」,也就是「願生彌陀淨土」之心,此心是往生彌陀淨土之因,有此心必定往生彌陀淨土,一旦往生彌陀淨土,必定斷煩惱證佛果,而「廣度十方眾生」。此亦名他力菩提心,屬易行道,眾生所堪。

「菩提心」就是成佛的心,而往生就能成佛,所以,願往生淨土的心,就是淨土法門的菩提心。淨土法門不必另外再去發菩提心,聞信彌陀救度、迴心轉意願往生,這種心就是念佛人的菩提心。

Namo Amituofo!

March 25, 2025

Mar. 25, 2025

Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

150 The Meaning of the Gatha of Merit-Dedication (continued)

A brief explanation of each line is as follows:

"May the resulting merits" (願以此功德)

The words "願" (wish/vow) here refer to Amitabha Buddha’s great vow. "此功德" (these merits) refers to the vast merits that Amitabha has accumulated over countless eons. Amitabha wishes to share these merits equally with all sentient beings, enabling everyone—whether they are part of the Three Benevolent Stages, Ten Sacred Levels, or those who have committed the Five Gravest Offenses and the Ten Evils—to generate the aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land and together attain Buddhahood.

"Be distributed to all sentient beings without discrimination. " (平等施一切)

Amitabha Buddha, with boundless and unconditional great compassion, offers his merits indiscriminately to all beings, whether they are holy or ordinary, virtuous or sinful, across the ten directions.

(to be continued tomorrow)

150 「迴向偈」之意 (續)

逐句略釋如下:

「願以此功德」,此「願」即是彌陀之願,「此功德」即是指彌陀兆載永劫所積聚之功德。彌陀「願以此功德」,平等迴施一切眾生,使一切眾生,不論三賢十聖或五逆十惡,都平等無別地發願生心,往生安樂國以共成佛道。

「平等施一切」,阿彌陀佛以無緣大慈、同體大悲,平等無條件惠施予十方一切聖凡善惡諸眾生。

Namo Amituofo!

March 24, 2025

Mar. 24, 2025

Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

150 - The Meaning of the Gatha of Merit-Dedication

May the resulting merit

Be distributed to all sentient beings without discrimination.

May all of us aspire to attain perfect enlightenment,

And to be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy.

This "Gatha of Merit-Dedication" was written by Master Shandao, and all dedications in the Pure Land school follow this verse. It clearly reveals that Amitabha Buddha, through his merits of attaining Buddhahood, proactively, equally, unconditionally, and without any barriers, dedicates these merits to all sentient beings—whether sacred or ordinary, good or evil—throughout the ten directions. This dedication inspires all beings to give rise to the aspiration for rebirth in the Land of Peace and Joy, swiftly attain Buddhahood, and widely deliver sentient beings.

Therefore, practitioners of the Pure Land school recite this Gatha of Merit-Dedication daily—after morning and evening practice, after chanting Amitabha Buddha’s Name, or after performing rituals for the deceased. They do so with the heart of "learning about the great compassion of the Buddha, believing in Amitabha, teaching others to believe, and truly repaying the Buddha’s grace." By doing this, they transfer the inconceivable compassionate power and merits of Amitabha’s deliverance to all beings; so, all may be reborn in the Pure Land, and together attain Buddhahood.

150 「迴向偈」之意

願以此功德,平等施一切,同發菩提心,往生安樂國。

此「迴向偈」是善導大師所寫,淨土宗之迴向,皆依此偈。此偈顯明阿彌陀佛將成佛之功德,主動、積極、平等、無差別、無條件、沒有門檻的迴施於十方一切聖凡善惡諸眾生,使諸眾生皆同發願生心,往生安樂國,以速成佛道,廣度諸眾生。

故淨土宗念佛人,皆以「學佛大悲心,自信教人信,真成報佛恩」之心,每日早晚課之後,或者念佛或者超薦之後,皆念此迴向偈,轉傳彌陀悲救眾生之不可思議威神功德於一切眾生,同生淨土,同成佛道。

Namo Amituofo!