English
English version: Question: Agreed. However, Amitābha (Amitābha - Infinite Light/Life) also has many names, all recorded in the scriptures. Is it permissible to choose any one of them to recite? According to the Smaller Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, it is translated as Immeasurable Life and Immeasurable Light. But the Contemplation Sutra (Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra) only mentions Immeasurable Life. Could it be that the wisdom of contemplation and the light contemplated are the same as light? Among the Buddhas of the six directions, there is also an Immeasurable Life Buddha in the West. Is this the Buddha praising himself? Answer: The Tathāgata's (Tathāgata - 'Thus Gone One', an epithet of the Buddha) names are indeed numerous. It is simply a matter of choosing the one most familiar to the ears of sentient beings, and there is actually no difference among them. Only the name Amitābha is universal in the ten directions, so that those who recite it all return to the same point. Moreover, 'Immeasurable Life' is the Chinese translation, while 'Amitābha' is the Sanskrit term. And the measure of life is like empty space, and the light naturally pervades the universe. The whole encompasses the function, so it is sufficient to simply say 'Immeasurable Life'. As for the Buddhas of the ten directions, upon verification, there are those with the same names. The honorable title of Śākyamuni (Śākyamuni - the sage of the Shakya clan, referring to the historical Buddha) is so numerous as to be uncountable. Why can't the lord of the Land of Bliss be the same? It is not the Buddha praising himself, there is no doubt about that. Nowadays, some people insist on reciting Śākyamuni and not Amitābha, thinking they are right, opposing the masses and elevating themselves. Alas! Śākyamuni told you to take Amitābha as your teacher, but you do not follow the teaching, like a son disobeying his father's orders and not seeking a wise teacher. Even if he calls out to his father every day, how can it not be said to be disobedience? Question: When Avalokiteśvara (Avalokiteśvara - the Bodhisattva of Compassion) succeeds to the Buddha's position, in that world, it is of course known that they must recite the name of that Buddha. I wonder what Buddha's name Dharmākara (Dharmākara - the monk who became Amitabha Buddha) recited at that time to achieve the Pure Land. If he was not to recite anything, one should not force others to do what one does not do oneself. If he recited all the Buddhas, one should especially not make people exclusively hold one name and favor himself alone. Moreover, the opening of this Dharma gate began with Amitābha, so why do all the Buddhas only know to praise it, and close their own gates, not opening them for sentient beings at all? Answer: The ancient Buddhas appeared in the world countless times, so who can count and know the later Buddhas reciting the earlier Buddhas? But the Dharma gate opened by the teaching master of the time must come from the mouth of one Buddha, just as rites, music, and military expeditions come from the Son of Heaven. It is not that the feudal lords do not recite the Buddha. Moreover, the sea of Dharma is boundless, it is not said to only --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
念佛。而更无诸教。化门不执。岂必行诸己。而然后教人。就使弥陀不念古佛。令众生念已何妨。譬孔子学无常师。为万代宗师奚碍但当专念焉用多疑。 问。彼佛寿命。所谓河沙劫石。浩浩渺渺。非二乘能知者也。若曰复有观音绍统。是无量而有量矣。佛厌众生耶。众生厌佛耶。佛厌众生。则非佛。众生厌佛。如法华所云。则观音之开普门久矣。似非喜新者之所乐从也。将弥陀涅槃之后。亦有正法。像法。末法。而观音之补位。同弥勒之降生乎。 答。无量有二。一为无量之无量。法性等于虚空是也。二为有量之无量。虽有绍继。而人天莫数。是也。疑者谓释迦诱迷邦诸子。故现无常。弥陀统净土诸贤。正宜永寿。其涅槃也。似厌众生。然而净土众生。已能悟佛身之常住。非比娑婆凡品。率皆认迹灭为真亡。无去无来。非新非旧。生彼国者。尚不明此义乎。是则子克家而父退休。臣有德而君禅位。繇众生不疑无佛。故佛身权示舍生。纵入涅槃。奚得称厌。若夫位有补处。则仿佛龙华。法无正末。则迥异娑婆矣。 问。极乐之乐。从情识生。三禅而上。已不耽乐。九品之内。顾复求乐。何也。若云寂灭为乐之乐。岂必缘衣食自然。无有众苦。而得名乎。若云净土唯心。心体常乐。何为又言观佛心者 现代汉语译本 专心念诵阿弥陀佛，不要再执着于其他的教法和门径。难道一定要自己先做到，然后才能教导别人吗？就算阿弥陀佛没有念诵过去的佛，让众生念诵祂又有什么妨碍呢？好比孔子学习没有固定的老师，成为万代的宗师又有什么妨碍呢？只要专心念佛就好，何必多生疑惑。 问：阿弥陀佛的寿命，如同恒河沙数般的劫数，浩瀚无边，不是二乘（声闻乘和缘觉乘）所能了解的。如果说还有观世音菩萨来继承统领，那就是无量变成了有量了。是佛厌弃众生呢？还是众生厌弃佛呢？佛如果厌弃众生，那就不是佛了。众生如果厌弃佛，就像《法华经》所说的，那么观世音菩萨开启普门已经很久了，似乎不是喜好新事物的人所乐于追随的。难道阿弥陀佛涅槃之后，也会有正法时期、像法时期、末法时期，而观世音菩萨的补位，如同弥勒菩萨的降生吗？ 答：无量有两种。一种是无量的无量，法性等于虚空，就是这种情况。另一种是有量的无量，虽然有继承，但人数众多，人天都无法数清，就是这种情况。疑惑的人认为释迦牟尼佛是为了诱导边远地区的愚昧之人，所以示现无常。阿弥陀佛统领净土的贤圣，正应该永远长寿。祂的涅槃，好像是厌弃众生。然而净土的众生，已经能够领悟佛身的常住不变，不像娑婆世界的凡夫俗子，大多认为佛的示现灭度就是真正的死亡。没有去也没有来，不是新的也不是旧的。往生到极乐世界的人，难道还不明白这个道理吗？这就好比儿子能继承家业而父亲退休，臣子有德行而君王禅让。因为众生不怀疑没有佛，所以佛才权且示现舍弃生命。即使进入涅槃，怎么能说是厌弃众生呢？至于菩萨补位，则仿佛弥勒菩萨在龙华树下成佛。佛法没有正法、像法、末法时期之分，则与娑婆世界截然不同。 问：极乐世界的快乐，是从情识产生的。三禅天以上，已经不贪恋快乐了。九品往生的人，还要求快乐，这是为什么呢？如果说是寂灭为乐的快乐，难道一定要依靠衣食自然，没有各种痛苦，才能得名吗？如果说净土唯心，心体本来就是快乐的，为什么又要说观佛心呢？
English
English version Single-mindedly recite Amitabha Buddha's name, and do not cling to other teachings or paths. Must one necessarily achieve something oneself before teaching others? Even if Amitabha Buddha did not recite the names of past Buddhas, what harm is there in having sentient beings recite His name? It is like Confucius learning from no fixed teacher, what obstacle is there to becoming a master for ten thousand generations? Just focus on reciting the Buddha's name, why harbor so many doubts? Question: The lifespan of Amitabha Buddha, described as countless kalpas like the sands of the Ganges River, vast and boundless, is beyond the comprehension of the Two Vehicles (Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna). If it is said that Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) Bodhisattva will succeed in leadership, then the immeasurable becomes measurable. Does the Buddha厌弃(dislike) sentient beings, or do sentient beings厌弃(dislike) the Buddha? If the Buddha厌弃(dislike) sentient beings, then He is not a Buddha. If sentient beings厌弃(dislike) the Buddha, as stated in the Lotus Sutra, then Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's opening of the Universal Gate has been long ago, and it does not seem to be something that those who like new things would be happy to follow. After Amitabha Buddha's Nirvana, will there also be a Correct Dharma period, a Semblance Dharma period, and a Degenerate Dharma period, and will Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's succession be like Maitreya (Mile) Bodhisattva's descent? Answer: There are two kinds of immeasurable. One is the immeasurable of the immeasurable, where the Dharma-nature is equal to emptiness. The other is the immeasurable of the measurable, where although there is succession, the number of people and devas is countless. Those who doubt believe that Śākyamuni (Shijia Muni) Buddha appeared impermanent in order to guide the ignorant people of remote lands. Amitabha (Mituo) Buddha, who leads the sages of the Pure Land, should rightfully have eternal life. His Nirvana seems like He is厌弃(disliking) sentient beings. However, the sentient beings of the Pure Land are already able to realize the permanence of the Buddha's body, unlike the ordinary beings of the Saha world, who mostly mistake the apparent cessation of the Buddha's activities as true death. There is no going and no coming, neither new nor old. Those who are born in that land, do they not yet understand this meaning? It is like a son inheriting the family business while the father retires, or a minister having virtue while the ruler abdicates. Because sentient beings do not doubt the absence of the Buddha, the Buddha expediently shows the abandonment of life. Even if He enters Nirvana, how can it be called厌弃(disliking)? As for the bodhisattva succeeding to the position, it resembles Maitreya (Mile) Bodhisattva's enlightenment under the Dragon Flower Tree. The Dharma has no distinction of Correct, Semblance, or Degenerate periods, which is completely different from the Saha world. Question: The happiness of the Pure Land arises from emotions and consciousness. Above the Third Dhyana Heaven, there is no longer any attachment to happiness. Those who are reborn in the Nine Grades still seek happiness, why is that? If it is said that the happiness of Nirvana is the happiness, must it rely on natural food and clothing, without any suffering, to be named as such? If it is said that the Pure Land is only mind, and the nature of the mind is always happy, why is it also said to contemplate the Buddha's mind? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 。大慈悲是。
Chinese
答。极乐虽接凡情。其实有二。一者对苦说乐。无有众苦。故名极乐。二者称性说乐。无苦无乐。故名极乐。此之真乐。岂情识之拟耶。又声闻以寂灭为乐。大圣以慈悲为乐。则大慈悲心。非即常乐乎。而世人以戚戚言悲。抑末矣。 问。诸秽者。善权之必资也。昔宣师持律甚严。化佛数以秽破之。窃意净刹中人。皆繇精戒而生。佛于此人。正宜遍示秽相。破其执情。柰何更示净相。将非以水济水乎。若曰此人定业应尔。则所谓欲令法音宣流。变化所作者。何人欲。何人变也。 答。诸佛善权。合宜则用。有宜逆破者。有宜顺成者。各随其机而已。娑婆苦界。先以苦而折摧。安养乐邦。合用净而摄受。要使故习永离。善根纯熟。何得遽以秽破。遂令鄙吝复萌。水鸟树林。咸宣妙法。盖为此也。直俟忍力坚强。然后回入染乡。利生接物耳。今粗心比丘。未成一德。先试诸艰。触涅而缁。良繇自取矣。 问。一人作佛事。诸佛应尽知。十方佛来迎。是人何所向。诸佛本同。迹同。种种皆同。念佛者。合是十方诸佛同来接引。此独一方三圣往迎。必其念时。所见偏浅。 答。诸佛虽能遍知。而赴机不乱。一佛既勤专念。而感应自符。修净土者。就使诸佛齐彰。亦必有主有伴。 现代汉语译本 大慈悲是什么？ 回答：极乐世界虽然接引凡夫的情感，但实际上有两层含义。一是针对苦难而言的快乐，因为没有各种痛苦，所以称为极乐。二是顺应本性而言的快乐，没有痛苦也没有快乐，所以称为极乐。这种真正的快乐，岂是情识所能比拟的呢？而且，声闻乘以寂灭为乐，大圣则以慈悲为乐，那么大慈悲心，不就是永恒的快乐吗？而世人动不动就悲伤，真是舍本逐末了。 提问：各种不净之物，是善巧方便所必须借助的。过去宣律师持戒非常严格，化佛多次用不净之物来破除他的执着。我私下认为，净土中的人，都是因为精进持戒而生的。佛对于这些人，正应该普遍地显示不净之相，破除他们的执着之情。为什么反而显示清净之相，难道不是以水济水吗？如果说这些人是命中注定应该这样，那么所谓‘想要让佛法之音宣扬流布，变化所作’，是谁想要？谁在变化呢？ 回答：诸佛的善巧方便，适合什么情况就用什么。有的适合用逆向破除，有的适合用顺势成就，各自根据不同的根机而已。娑婆世界是苦难的世界，先用苦来折服摧毁。安养乐邦（指西方极乐世界）适合用清净来摄受。要使过去的习气永远断除，善根完全成熟。怎么能立刻用不净之物来破除，反而使鄙陋吝啬之心再次萌生呢？水鸟树林，都宣扬微妙的佛法，就是为了这个缘故。只有等到忍耐的力量坚强了，然后才能回到染污的世间，利益众生。现在有些粗心的比丘，还没有成就任何德行，就先尝试各种艰难困苦，沾染污垢，这实在是自找的。 提问：一个人做佛事，诸佛应该全部知晓。十方诸佛都来迎接，这个人应该朝向哪个方向呢？诸佛的本体相同，示现的迹象相同，种种都相同。念佛的人，应该是十方诸佛一同前来接引。现在只有西方三圣前来迎接，一定是这个人念佛的时候，所见的境界偏颇浅薄。 回答：诸佛虽然能够普遍知晓，但是应机不会错乱。一位佛既然勤奋专心念佛，那么感应自然相符。修习净土的人，就算诸佛同时显现，也一定有主有伴。