‹ Essence of the Annotation of the Infinite Life Sutra

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Episode 270 of 284

Pure Land practitioners have a very close relationship with all buddhas.

修淨土的人跟諸佛的關係非常密切

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Lecture 82 · 1 h 56 min

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修淨土的人跟諸佛的關係非常密切 - 第270集

Pure Land practitioners have a very close relationship with all buddhas.

「彭際清居士曰:行權方便,入佛法藏,究竟彼岸。三句義中,全攝淨土法門」。彭居士是佛門的大德,他是清朝乾隆年間人,通宗通教,顯密圓融。黃念祖老居士告訴我,我沒有去查證,他告訴我,彭際清是高幹子弟,這是現代的話。

The annotation states, “Upasaka Peng Ji-qing said, ‘The bodhisattvas teach sentient beings very skilfully and according to their different capacities so that they can thoroughly understand all the Dharmas innate to the true nature and will ultimately reach the other shore (i.e., achieve definitive and perfect realisation of Buddhahood). The connotation of this phrase is fully reflected in Pure Land Buddhism.’” Mr. Peng was an eminent lay Buddhist practitioner during Emperor Qianlong’s era in the Qing dynasty who had mastered Zen Buddhism as well as Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism. Upasaka Huang told me that Mr. Peng was the son of a high-ranking official but I did not verify it.

他的父親是乾隆皇帝時代的兵部尚書。兵部尚書什麼地位?相當於現在的國防部長,所以說他是高幹子弟。人非常聰明,家庭環境好,童子,未成年,二十歲成年,十九歲還是童子,大概十八、九歲就考中了進士。

His father was a minister in the imperial Chinese Ministry of War during Emperor Qianlong’s era. What position is this? It is equivalent to the current Minister of National Defence. That’s why Mr. Peng was known as the son of a high-ranking official. Coming from a well-off family background, he was a boy of great intelligence for he passed jìnshì (Chinese: 進士) at the age of about eighteen to nineteen.

一生沒做官,全部的精神都投在佛法上,著作很豐富,有《無量壽經》註解,叫《無量壽經起信論》,他作的,這個人通宗通教,顯密圓融。他說的這些話多半是在他所寫的《起信論》裡頭,《無量壽經起信論》。

Despite that, he never became an official throughout his life. Instead, he put all his energy into learning Buddhism. He had written a good number of remarkable works, including the annotation of the Infinite Life Sutra called ‘the Treatise of Awakening of Faith of the Infinite Life Sutra.’ This person had mastered Zen Buddhism as well as Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism. Most of his words here were quoted from the Treatise of Awakening of Faith written by him.

這說得好,全攝淨土法門。「菩薩一切所行,不離方便。以方便故,取於淨土,得常見佛」。這是真的,修淨土的人跟佛的關係非常密切。一切諸佛讚歎彌陀為,「光中極尊,佛中之王」。

He put it aptly that the connotation of the above phrase is fully reflected in Pure Land Buddhism. Mr. Peng added, “Everything bodhisattvas do does not depart from skilful means. Owing to the bodhisattvas’ skilful means, sentient beings will practise Pure Land Buddhism and can see all buddhas always.” This is true; Pure Land practitioners have a very close relationship with all buddhas because these buddhas praise Amitabha Buddha thus, “Amitabha Buddha’s radiance is the most respected radiance of all buddhas and he is the king among all buddhas.”

阿彌陀佛的弟子沾光,阿彌陀佛的弟子到任何佛國土去見佛,都特別優待。為什麼?佛一看到這阿彌陀佛弟子來了,要好好招待,沾阿彌陀佛的光。諸佛如來特別照顧你,這是他們對阿彌陀佛的恭敬。所以「光中極尊,佛中之王」,讚歎不是虛的,是實實在在。

Riding on the glory of Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha’s students are given special treatment whenever they go to see the buddhas in any Buddha Land. Why is that so? Because as soon as these buddhas see Amitabha Buddha’s students coming, they feel obligated to treat his students very well. So, Amitabha Buddha’s students are riding on the glory of their teacher. Out of respect for Amitabha Buddha, all buddhas take special care of his students. That’s why all buddhas’ praise for Amitabha Buddha is true and not false: Amitabha Buddha’s radiance is the most respected radiance of all buddhas and he is the king among all buddhas.

在極樂世界,阿彌陀佛也鼓勵大家到十方諸佛國土去看看,像我們現在講的去參學,現在的話叫觀光、考察,能提升自己。何況到諸佛剎土供養修福,聽經聞法修慧,這種遊步十方,福慧雙修。

In the Land of Ultimate Bliss, Amitabha Buddha also encourages everyone to go to all the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to study (so-called ‘sight-seeing’ now) so that they can improve themselves. Moreover, when they go to all the Buddha Lands, they can accumulate fortune by making offerings to the buddhas and cultivate wisdom by listening to the buddhas’ Dharma lectures. That’s why such an exploration enables them to cultivate fortune and wisdom simultaneously.

不是一尊佛,無量無邊佛同時去,同時化無量無邊身,所以在一時圓滿成就。這就是以方便故,取於淨土,得常見佛。「以見佛故,聞法修行,入佛法藏,圓滿覺心,究竟彼岸」。他成佛了,快!

Since they make offerings to not only one buddha, but to innumerable and boundless buddhas at the same time (by manifesting in innumerable forms concurrently), they can fully accomplish fortune and wisdom in an instant. This is “owing to the bodhisattvas’ skilful means, sentient beings will practise Pure Land Buddhism and can see all buddhas always.” The next phrase states, “Because of being able to see all buddhas, they can listen to their Dharma lectures and practise accordingly. Hence, they can thoroughly understand all the Dharmas innate to the true nature and will ultimately reach the other shore” --- they can attain Buddhahood very quickly.

Notes

Since a person is only regarded as an adult when he reaches twenty, Mr. Peng was still a child when he passed the Metropolitan Exam.

The highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. The recipients are sometimes referred to in English-language sources as Imperial Scholars.