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人人能念 個個可行 - 第264集
Everyone can chant Amitabha Buddha’s name and practise Buddha Mindfulness.
在佛陀教學當中，最不可思議的就是淨宗法門，淨宗法門就這一句佛號，「下手最易，無分男女老少，不論智愚閑忙，人人能念，個個可行」。這個法門傳到中國來，東晉慧遠大師首創專依《無量壽經》。一部經、一句佛號，不是我創始的，慧遠大師創始的，這個要知道。
Among all the Buddha’s teachings, Pure Land Buddhism is the most inconceivable teaching. The annotation states, “Pure Land Buddhism (i.e., Amitabha Buddha’s name) is the easiest to practise; everyone can chant this name and practise this method regardless of their gender, age, cognition and free time.” When Pure Land Buddhism was spread to China, Great Master Hui Yuan of the Eastern Jin dynasty had already focused on reciting the Infinite Life Sutra. So, I’m not the pioneer who concentrated on reciting one sutra and one Amitabha Buddha’s name. We must know that Great Master Hui Yuan was the first person who started it.
慧遠大師那個時代，淨土經典只有《無量壽經》翻成中文，《彌陀經》、《觀經》都沒有翻出來。所以那時候依靠的，一部經、一句佛號。遠公大師在世的時候，四次見到極樂世界，他從來沒有告訴過人。
During the Great Master’s era, the Infinite Life Sutra was the only Pure Land sutra that had been translated into Chinese because neither the Amitabha Sutra nor the Contemplation Sutra had been translated. That’s why at that time, the Great Master and his fellow practitioners only relied on one sutra and one single phrase of Amitabha Buddha’s name. When the Great Master was alive, he had seen the Land of Ultimate Bliss four times but he never told anyone.
第四次是阿彌陀佛接他去往生，他才告訴大眾，阿彌陀佛跟蓮社比他早往生的蓮友，都在阿彌陀佛的身邊，他一個個的名字都可以叫得出來。別人問他，極樂世界像什麼樣子？跟《無量壽經》上講的一模一樣。證明是真的不是假的。
The fourth time was Amitabha Buddha coming to receive him to the Pure Land. Only then did he tell everyone that the Lotus Society practitioners who were reborn in the Pure Land before him were all by the side of Amitabha Buddha. He could even call out all their names. Someone asked him what does the Land of Ultimate Bliss look like, and he said that it is exactly the same as what the Infinite Life Sutra illustrated. It proves that the sutra depiction of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is true and not false.
遠公蓮社一百二十多個人個個往生，叫大圓滿。禪宗裡頭最殊勝的成就就是六祖惠能，他會下成就也不過四十幾個人，跟遠公不能相比。那四十個人真是上上根人，中下沒分；這個法門，下根人有分，上中下統統有分，男女老少。
Since all the one-hundred-twenty fellow practitioners of the Lotus Society (established by Great Master Hui Yuan) had been reborn in the Pure Land, it is called ‘utmost perfection.’ Great Master Hui Neng had the most remarkable achievement in the Zen school, but with only forty over practitioners under him attaining enlightenment, his achievement cannot be compared with that of Great Master Hui Yuan. These forty people were really practitioners of superior capacity because those of modest and low capacities had no chance to become enlightened. However, for Pure Land Buddhism, everyone regardless of their capacity, gender and age, can become enlightened.