..續本文上一頁orld. Wherever materialism has spread, Buddhism has come under criticism. There are places where temples and pagodas have been destroyed, sutras and commentaries burned, monks and nuns forcibly returned to lay life, and common citizens barred from practicing their faith. Even if Buddhism is revived later on, it will have under-gone changes and possibly lost some of its vitality… For this reason, we should fo low the Pure Land School, to ensure non-retrogression of the Bodhi Mind. Even if we fo lo w other schools we should, at the same time, practice Buddha Recitation seeking rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

　　This is the common exhortation of such eminent sages as Masters Lien Ch”ih, Ou I, Chien M i and Yin Kuang.

　　7) How to Perfect the Bodhi Mind

　　Having developed the Bodhi M ind and considering our own capacities and circumstances, what expedients should we adopt to perfect that Mind

　　 If we want both the self-centered and the altruistic aspects of the Bodhi Vow to be complete, there is no better way than to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. This is the third cardinal point that the practitioner should keep in mind.

　　A high-ranking monk of old, having expressed his determination to cultivate, penned the fo lowing verses:

　　I have pondered this world, and the world beyond, Whose name would one recite, if not Amitabha”s

　　Truthfully, after reading these verses, pondering, and comparing Dharma methods, people”s capacities and the current environment, this author is convinced that Pure Land is the safest and most complete path.

　　***

　　Some may say that having awakened the Bodhi Mind, we should remain in the Saha World, because in this world there are many sentient beings in need of help. Why seek rebirth in the Pure Land

　　Let me reverse the question: What are the conditions that would a low us to save sentient beings

　　 They are, of course, merit, virtue, wisdom, eloquence, spiritual power and auspicious features and bearing. (Do we have these qualities to any degree

　　) Particularly, severing afflictions and delusions and developing wisdom, so that we are not led astray by mundane things, is no easy matter! The ancients have said, “Severing Delusions of Views is as difficult as preventing water from running down a mountain forty miles high.” If it is so difficult to rid ourselves of Delusions of Views, how much more difficult it is to sever Delusions of Thought, Delusions of “Dust and Sand,” and ignorance.

　　Delusions of Views, simply put, are the afflictions connected with seeing and grasping at the coarse level. Delusions of Thought are afflictions at the subtle level. For countless eons, the infectious filth of greed, anger and delusion, as well as countless other erroneous views, have been instilled in our mind-consciousness. Can we really manage, in the short span of this life, to do away with them all

　　 Today”s cultivators, in general, have few blessings and sha low wisdom. Just reciting the words “Amitabha Buddha” in an accomplished manner is difficult enough. Why even mention such distant goals as saving sentient beings at will

　　For this reason, the immediate necessity is to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, first rescuing our-selves from the cycle of Birth and Death and then relying upon the auspicious environment of that Land to practice vigorously. We should wait until we have achieved Enlightenment and developed wisdom, eloquence, spiritual powers

　　and auspicious features before returning to the Saha World to rescue sentient beings. Only then will we have some freedom of action.

　　Nevertheless, considering the responsibility and the compassionate m ind of the cultivator, we should not completely reject all attempts to save sentient beings in our current life. In truth, however, our present altruistic attempts can only be…

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