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!
