Episode 16 — 什麼是諸佛所行的境界

As Great Master Ou Yi ^[1] said in the Commentary of the Amitabha Sutra, “Chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name was the method used by our original teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha to attain Anuttara-Samyak-Saṃbodhi (supreme, perfect enlightenment) in the evil world of five turbidities.” What does this mean? It tells us the method Sakyamuni Buddha practised to attain Buddhahood (Anuttara-Samyak-Saṃbodhi) in the evil world of five turbidities. Our original teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha attained supreme bodhi in the evil world of five turbidities by chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name. The commentary states, “Today, I (Sakyamuni Buddha) impart this realisation of enlightenment (i.e., Amitabha Buddha’s name) to sentient beings in the evil world of five turbidities.” Today, we are sentient beings in the evil world of five turbidities, and Sakyamuni Buddha taught us the Buddha-name chanting method that he practised to attain Buddhahood. That’s why this Pure Land method is practised by all buddhas. “Only buddhas can fully comprehend this reasoning. Sentient beings of the Nine Dharma Realms (i.e., bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, śrāvakas, heavenly beings, human beings, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts and hells) can neither believe nor understand it with their own intellectual ability.” Sentient beings of the Nine Dharma Realms do not have such great wisdom, so they cannot understand the marvellousness of Pure Land Buddhism. Great Master Yin Guang ^[2]expressed profound admiration for Great Master Ou Yi’s words. What is the reason? Because the past patriarchs and great masters had never mentioned this before, but Great Master Ou Yi said it. It is also stated in the commentary, “Amitabha Buddha’s Dharma body and his Pure Land are everywhere throughout the empty space of the Dharma realms, so is Amitabha Buddha’s name. Hence, Amitabha Buddha’s name is sentient beings’ innate enlightenment and original nature.” No one has ever said this before either. This Amitabha Buddha’s name is our own true nature, which is the intrinsically good nature taught by our ancestors. What is our intrinsic good nature? It is this Amitabha Buddha’s name. “Evidently, this sutra is the most perfect doctrine that corresponds exactly with the intrinsic nature of the Tathagatas.” Upasaka Huang’s last paragraph here clearly explains why the past great masters described the Infinite Life Sutra as the most perfect doctrine that corresponds with the intrinsic nature of the Tathagatas. Great Master Ou Yi’s words can serve as an illustration. This is true and not false.