..續本文上一頁birth in the Pure Land. In the Sutra Rebirth According to One”s Vows, Buddha Sakyamuni was asked by a Bodhisattva, “Honored One! There are Pure Lands in all ten directions. Why do you especially extol the Western Pure Land and urge sentient beings to focus continuously on Amitabha Buddha, seeking rebirth in His Land
”
專念阿彌陀佛。即是一相叁昧。以心專至。得生彼國。如隨願往生經雲。普廣菩薩問佛。十方悉有淨土。世尊何故偏贊西方彌陀淨土。專念往生。
The Buddha replied, “Sentient beings in this Saha World generally have polluted, scattered minds. Therefore, I only extol one Pure Land in the West, focusing their Minds on a single realm. If they meditate on all Buddhas, the scope of attention will be too broad, their Minds will be lost and scattered and they will find samadhi difficult to attain. Thus, they will fail to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.
佛告普廣。閻浮提衆生。心多濁亂。爲此偏贊西方。一佛淨土。使諸衆生。專心一境。即易得往生。若總念一切佛者。念佛境寬。則心散漫。叁昧難成。故不得往生。
“Furthermore, seeking the virtues of one Buddha is the same as seeking the virtues of all Buddhas – as all Buddhas have one common Dharma Nature. That is why to focus on Amitabha Buddha is to focus on all Buddhas, to be born in the Western Pure Land is to be born in all Pure Lands.”
又求一佛功德。與一切佛功德無異。以同一佛法性故。爲此念阿彌陀佛。即念一切佛。生一淨土。即生一切淨土。
Thus, the Avatamsaka Sutra states: “The bodies of all the Buddhas / are the body of any one Buddha. / They have the same Mind and the same wisdom. / They are also equal in power and
fearlessness.”
故華嚴經雲。一切諸佛身。即是一佛身。一心一智慧。力無畏亦然。
The Avatamsaka Sutra further states: “It is like the full moon, round and bright, its image reflected in all rivers and ponds. Although the reflection is everywhere, there is but a single moon. So it is with ... (the Buddhas). Although they appear in all realms, their bodies are non-dual.”
又雲。譬如淨滿月。普應一切水。影像雖無量。本月未曾二。如是無礙智。成就等正覺。應現一切刹。佛身無有二。
In summary, based on these examples, the wise will understand the truth that “one is all, all is one”. When this truth is grasped, concentrating on one Buddha is precisely concentrating on all Buddhas.
智者以譬喻得解。智者若能達一切月影即一月影。一月影即一切月影。月影無二故。一佛即一切佛。一切佛即一佛。法身無二故。熾然念一佛時。即是念一切佛也。
Question 4 第四疑
There are many Buddhas and Pure Lands in all the ten directions. Even if sentient beings in this world have polluted, scattered minds and dispositions, so that focusing on many Buddhas makes it difficult for them to attain samadhi, why should they not recite the name of any Buddha, as they wish, and seek rebirth in any Pure Land, in accordance with their vows
Why concentrate specifically on Amitabha Buddha and seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss
問。等是念求生一佛淨土。何不十方佛土中。隨念一佛淨土。隨得往生。何須偏念彌陀佛耶
Answer
Common people lacking in wisdom should follow the teaching of the Buddha rather than acting arbitrarily on their own. This is why, from time immemorial, Pure Land practitioners have all diligently recited Amitabha Buddha”s name.
答。凡夫無智。不敢自專。專用佛語。故能偏念阿彌陀佛。
What does it mean to follow the Buddha”s teaching
During his entire preaching career, Buddha Sakyamuni constantly enjoined sentient beings to focus on Amitabha Buddha and seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is mentioned in such sutras as the Longer Amitabha Sutra, the Meditation Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra ... In numerous sutras, the Buddha constantly urged us to seek rebirth in the Western Land. This is not only true of the sutras; in their commentaries, the Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs unanimously advise us to seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
雲何用佛語。釋迦大師一代說法。處處聖教。唯勸衆生。專心偏念阿彌陀佛。求生西方極樂世界。如無量壽經觀經往生論等。數十余部經論文等。殷勤指授。勸生西方。故偏念也。
Moreover, Amitabha Buddha possesses the power of His forty-eight compassionate vows to rescue sentient beings. The Meditation Sutra states: “Amitabha Buddha possesses 84,000 signs of perfection, each sign has 84,000 minor marks of excellence and from each mino…
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