English
English version: Having obtained a human body, one often experiences suffering (Chang Sheng**), and for hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, one is not free. For hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, one does not hear the names of the Three Jewels (Sanbao). Because of slandering this sutra, one suffers in this way. Therefore, do not speak of this sutra among those without wisdom. Only speak to those who have right view and right mindfulness. If they do not respect this sutra, they will fall into hell. If they respect each other, they will attain true liberation and be reborn in the land of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha. Now, this sutra is used as proof, so know that the Buddha's prediction regarding the merits and demerits of those who slander or respect this sutra is not false. Know that the previous question has been fully answered. Furthermore, someone asks: If, after the Buddha's Parinirvana, all ordinary beings, whether good or evil, generate Bodhicitta and wish to be reborn in the land of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha, diligently day and night, dedicating their entire lives to reciting, contemplating, bowing, praising, and offering incense and flowers to Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha and the holy assembly of Avalokitesvara (Avalokitesvara), contemplating the adornments of the Pure Land, with every thought focused, whether Samadhi is achieved or not, what merits will they gain in this life? Please cite Buddhist scriptures as clear evidence to encourage practitioners to rejoice, love, believe, and practice. The answer is: This is an excellent question! It is precisely closing the cause of birth and death in the six realms of Samsara and forever opening the essential gate to the Pure Land of constant joy! It is not only Amitabha (Amitabha) who fulfills their wishes, but all Buddhas universally rejoice. Now, based on the scriptures, I will answer in detail: As the Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra says, the Buddha told the Bodhisattva Bhadra (Bhadra), in this Samadhi of Buddha Recitation, there are four offerings: food, clothing, bedding, and medicine, to help them rejoice. Past Buddhas held this Samadhi of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha Recitation, using the four offerings to help them rejoice, and all attained Buddhahood. Present Buddhas in the ten directions also hold this Samadhi of Buddha Recitation, using the four offerings to help them rejoice, and all become Buddhas. Future Buddhas will also hold this Samadhi of Buddha Recitation, using the four offerings to help them rejoice, and all will become Buddhas. The Buddha told Bhadra (Bhadra), in this Samadhi of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha Recitation, using the four offerings to help them rejoice, I will use a few metaphors to compare the merits of Buddha Recitation. For example, if a person lives to be a hundred years old and can walk from birth until old age, faster than the wind, can anyone calculate the distance they have traveled? Bhadra (Bhadra) said: No one can calculate it. The Buddha said: I tell you and all the Bodhisattvas, if a good man or good woman takes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
是人行处着满中珍宝。以用布施。所得功德不如有人闻是念阿弥陀佛三昧四事供养助欢喜功德。过上布施者。千万亿倍。亦非比校。佛言。乃往久远不可计阿僧祇劫有佛。号曰私诃提。国名跋陀和。有转轮王。名曰斯笒。往至佛所。佛知王意。即为说是念佛三昧四事助欢喜。王闻欢喜。即持种种珍宝以散佛上。王自愿言。持是功德。令十方人天皆得安稳。佛言。其王终后。还自生其家作太子也。名梵摩达。时有比丘。名曰珍宝。常为四部弟子说是念佛三昧。时王闻之。四事助欢喜。即以宝物散比丘上。又持衣服以供养之。王与千人于比丘所出家。求学是念佛三昧。常与千人共承事其师。经八千岁。日夜无懈。唯得一度闻是念佛三昧。即入高明智。却后更见六万八千诸佛。于一一佛所。皆闻是念佛三昧。得成佛果。佛言。若人百里千里四千里。欲闻是念佛三昧。必往求之。何况近而不求学者。又白诸往生人等。上来所引佛教以为明证者。一一具如四事供养功德品中说。 问曰。准依佛教。精勤苦行。日夜六时礼念行道。观想转诵。斋戒一心。厌患生死。畏三涂苦。毕此一形。誓生净土弥陀佛国者。又恐残殃不尽。现与十恶相应。觉有斯障者。云何除灭。具引佛经示其方法。答曰。依佛经答者。即如观佛三昧海经说 现代汉语译本：如果有人在行人经过的地方堆满珍宝，用来布施，所得的功德不如有人听闻念阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）三昧（Samadhi，一种精神集中状态）并以四事供养（四种供养方式）助长欢喜心所获得的功德。后者的功德超过前者千万亿倍，无法相比。佛说：‘在很久远不可计量的阿僧祇劫（Asankhya kalpa，极长的时间单位）之前，有一尊佛，名号叫做私诃提（Sihārtha）。国名叫跋陀和（Bhadravati）。有一位转轮王（Chakravartin，理想的统治者），名叫斯笒（Sīmanta）。他前往佛的住所。佛知道国王的心意，就为他说念佛三昧和四事助欢喜。国王听了非常欢喜，就用各种珍宝撒在佛的身上。国王自己发愿说：‘以此功德，令十方人天都得到安稳。’佛说：‘这位国王死后，又转生到自己家中做太子，名叫梵摩达（Brahmadatta）。当时有一位比丘（Bhikshu，佛教僧侣），名叫珍宝（Ratna），经常为四部弟子（比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷）宣说念佛三昧。当时的国王听闻后，以四事助欢喜，就用宝物撒在比丘身上，又用衣服供养他。国王与一千人在比丘那里出家，求学念佛三昧。他们经常与一千人一起侍奉他们的老师，经过八千年，日夜没有懈怠，只得到一次听闻念佛三昧的机会，就进入了高明智慧。之后又见到了六万八千尊佛，在每一尊佛那里，都听闻了念佛三昧，最终成就了佛果。’佛说：‘如果有人为了听闻念佛三昧，即使远在百里、千里、四千里，也一定要去寻求，何况是近在咫尺而不去学习的人呢？’又告诉那些往生净土的人，以上所引用的佛教经典，都可以作为明确的证据，这些都详细地记载在四事供养功德品中。 问：如果有人依照佛教的教导，精勤苦行，日夜六时礼念行道，观想转诵，斋戒一心，厌患生死，畏惧三涂（地狱、饿鬼、畜生）的痛苦，决心用这一生的努力，发誓往生净土弥陀佛国。但是又恐怕过去的罪业没有完全消除，现在还与十恶（十种恶行）相应，感觉到有这样的障碍，应该如何消除？请详细引用佛经，说明方法。答：依照佛经回答，就像《观佛三昧海经》所说的那样。
English
English version: If a person were to fill a place where people walk with treasures and use them for almsgiving, the merit obtained would not be as great as the merit obtained by someone who hears the Samadhi (a state of mental concentration) of reciting Amitabha (Amitābha) Buddha's name and supports the joy with the four requisites (four ways of making offerings). The latter's merit exceeds the former by trillions of times and cannot be compared. The Buddha said, 'In the distant, immeasurable Asankhya kalpas (an extremely long unit of time) of the past, there was a Buddha named Sihārtha. The country was called Bhadravati. There was a Chakravartin (ideal ruler) named Sīmanta. He went to the Buddha's residence. The Buddha knew the king's intention and spoke to him about the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name and supporting joy with the four requisites. The king was very happy to hear this and scattered various treasures on the Buddha. The king himself made a vow, saying, 'With this merit, may all beings in the ten directions attain peace and stability.' The Buddha said, 'After this king died, he was reborn into his own family as a prince named Brahmadatta. At that time, there was a Bhikshu (Buddhist monk) named Ratna, who often preached the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name to the fourfold assembly (Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas). When the king heard this, he supported the joy with the four requisites, scattering treasures on the Bhikshu and offering him clothes. The king and a thousand people renounced their homes with the Bhikshu, seeking to learn the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name. They often served their teacher together with a thousand people, and after eight thousand years, without懈怠day and night, they only had one opportunity to hear the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name, and they entered into high and clear wisdom. Later, they saw sixty-eight thousand Buddhas, and at each Buddha's place, they heard the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name, and finally attained Buddhahood.' The Buddha said, 'If someone, even if they are hundreds, thousands, or four thousand miles away, wants to hear the Samadhi of reciting the Buddha's name, they must seek it out. How much more so should those who are nearby seek to learn it?' Furthermore, he told those who are reborn in the Pure Land that the Buddhist scriptures quoted above can be used as clear evidence, and these are recorded in detail in the chapter on the merits of offering the four requisites. Question: If someone, according to the teachings of Buddhism, diligently practices asceticism, performing rituals, reciting, practicing the Way, contemplating, chanting, observing precepts, and focusing their mind six times a day and night, detesting birth and death, fearing the suffering of the three evil realms (hell, hungry ghosts, animals), and resolving to use this lifetime's efforts to vow to be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha's country. However, they are also afraid that past sins have not been completely eliminated, and they are still associated with the ten evils (ten evil deeds), feeling that there are such obstacles, how should they be eliminated? Please quote Buddhist scriptures in detail to explain the method. Answer: According to the Buddhist scriptures, as the Contemplation on the Buddha Samadhi Sea Sutra says. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。佛为父王及诸大众说。过去有佛。名曰空王。像法住世时有四比丘。破戒犯重。时空王佛于夜空中。出声告四比丘言。汝之所犯名不可救。欲灭罪者。可入我塔中观我形像至心忏悔。可灭此罪。时四比丘万事俱舍。一心奉教。入塔于佛像前自扑忏悔。如大山崩。婉转于地。号哭向佛。日夜相续。至死为期。舍命已后得生空王佛国。今以此经证。行者等欲忏悔时。亦依此教法门。佛言。若我灭后佛诸弟子。舍离诸恶。乐少语法。日夜六时。能于一时分为少时。少分之中于须臾间。念佛白毫者。若不见。如是等人除却九十六亿那由他恒河沙微尘劫生死之罪。若复有人。闻是白毫。心不惊疑。欢喜信受。此人亦除八十亿劫生死之罪。若诸比丘比丘尼若男女人。犯四根本十恶等罪五逆罪及谤大乘。如是诸人若能忏悔。日夜六时。身心不息。五体投地。如大山崩。号泣雨泪。合掌向佛。念佛眉间白毫相光。一日至七日。前四种罪可得轻微。观白毫闇不见者。应入塔中观眉间白毫。一日至三日。合掌啼泣。又暂闻亦除三劫之罪。佛告父王。及敕阿难。吾今为汝悉现身相光明。若有不善心者。若毁佛禁戒者。见佛各不同。时五百释子见佛色身犹如灰人。比丘千人见佛由如赤土。十六居士二十四女人见佛纯黑。诸比丘尼见佛如银色。 现代汉语译本：佛陀为父王和所有大众说法。过去有一尊佛，名为空王（Kong Wang，意为空王）。在像法时期住世时，有四位比丘（Biqiu，意为和尚）破戒犯了重罪。当时空王佛在夜空中发出声音，告诉这四位比丘说：‘你们所犯的罪过名为不可救药。想要灭除罪过的人，可以进入我的塔中观看我的形像，至诚忏悔，就可以灭除此罪。’当时这四位比丘放下一切事务，一心奉行教诲，进入塔中在佛像前自我扑打忏悔，如同大山崩塌一般，在地上翻滚，号哭着向佛忏悔，日夜相续，直到死去为止。舍弃生命之后，得以转生到空王佛国。现在用这部经来证明，修行者等想要忏悔时，也应依照此教法门。 佛陀说：‘如果我灭度后，我的弟子们能够舍弃各种恶行，喜爱少量的经文和法则，日夜六时，能够在一时中分出少许时间，在少许时间中的须臾之间，念诵佛陀的白毫相（Baihao Xiang，意为眉间白毫），如果看不见，这样的人可以消除九十六亿那由他恒河沙微尘劫的生死之罪。如果又有人，听闻这白毫相，心中不惊慌怀疑，欢喜信受，这个人也可以消除八十亿劫的生死之罪。如果各位比丘、比丘尼，或者男人女人，犯了四根本罪、十恶等罪、五逆罪以及诽谤大乘佛法，这样的人如果能够忏悔，日夜六时，身心不停止，五体投地，如同大山崩塌一般，号哭流泪，合掌向佛，念诵佛陀眉间白毫相的光明，一日到七日，前面四种罪过可以得到减轻。观看白毫相却昏暗看不见的人，应该进入塔中观看眉间白毫相，一日到三日，合掌啼哭，即使只是暂时听闻，也可以消除三劫的罪过。’ 佛陀告诉父王，并且告诫阿难（Anan，意为阿难）：‘我现在为你们全部显现身相光明。如果有不善心的人，或者毁坏佛陀禁戒的人，所见到的佛陀形象各不相同。’当时五百位释迦族子弟见到佛陀的色身犹如灰人，一千位比丘见到佛陀犹如赤土，十六位居士和二十四位女人见到佛陀纯黑，各位比丘尼见到佛陀如银色。