‹ Essence of the Annotation of the Infinite Life Sutra

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Episode 247 of 284

We definitely want to go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

極樂世界決定要去

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Lecture 79 · 1 h 55 min

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極樂世界決定要去 - 第247集

We definitely want to go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

阿彌陀佛究竟圓滿的證悟自性,諸佛如來稱讚他為,「光中極尊,佛中之王」,我們要想證得究竟的果報,應當追隨阿彌陀佛。普賢十願常隨佛學這一尊佛,肯定就是阿彌陀佛。

Amitabha Buddha had definitively and perfectly realized the true nature (i.e., Buddhahood). That’s why all buddhas praised him thus, “Amitabha Buddha’s radiance is the most respected radiance of all buddhas and he is the king among all buddhas.” So, if we wish to attain definitive realisation, we should follow Amitabha Buddha. We can thus infer that ‘the Buddha’ mentioned in the eighth vow of the Ten Great Vows (i.e., always following and learning from the Buddha) is definitely Amitabha Buddha.

為什麼?十大願王導歸極樂,極樂世界就是阿彌陀佛,所以這一願,就鎖定在極樂世界。到達極樂世界之後,你就看到阿彌陀佛永無間斷,化身無量無邊,沒有數字,無量無邊無數。化這麼多佛化身,幹什麼?

Why is that so? Because the Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva are reverted to the Land of Ultimate Bliss (i.e., Amitabha Buddha). That’s why this vow is locked in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. After you reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss, you will never stop seeing Amitabha Buddha because Amitabha Buddha manifests in immeasurable bodies. Why does Amitabha Buddha manifest in so many bodies?

到十方世界接引往生到極樂世界的人。我們可以說,每個時辰,現在講一分一秒,每一分、每一秒,十方諸佛剎土裡頭,念佛往生到極樂世界的人,人數太多了,我們沒辦法去計算。每個往生的人都見到阿彌陀佛去接引他,所以阿彌陀佛要分無量無邊身去接引他。

Because Amitabha Buddha has to go to the worlds of the ten directions to receive those who are to be reborn in his Pure Land. We can say that there are too many (i.e., uncountable) people from the Buddha Lands of the ten directions who practise Buddha Mindfulness and are reborn in the Pure Land every minute and every second. Everyone who is bound for the Pure Land will see Amitabha Buddha coming to receive them, so Amitabha Buddha has to manifest in innumerable and boundless bodies to go and receive them.

如果不去接引,極樂世界在哪裡,找不到。每個往生的人,包括現前往生的人,今天往生的人,到達極樂世界見佛之後,進入佛的講堂,就有能力像佛一樣,也能夠分無量無數無邊的身。幹什麼?不是接引眾生,是到十方一切諸佛剎土裡面去拜佛。

If Amitabha Buddha does not go to receive them, they will have no way to locate the Land of Ultimate Bliss on their own. Everyone who is reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, including those who are reborn there today, will have the same ability as Amitabha Buddha (i.e., they can also manifest in innumerable and boundless bodies) after they see Amitabha Buddha in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and enter his lecture hall. What do they do? They manifest in many bodies not to go to receive sentient beings, but to go to all the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to make obeisance to the buddhas.

這個法界無量無邊諸佛,去供養佛修福,聽經聞法修慧,極樂世界的學習是這麼個學習法。自己的本身在阿彌陀佛講堂聽佛講經,沒離開。

There are innumerable and boundless buddhas in this Dharma Realm, so they accumulate fortune by making offerings to the buddhas and cultivate wisdom by listening to the buddhas’ Dharma lectures. This is how the people in the Land of Ultimate Bliss learn and cultivate. They go to the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to accumulate fortune and cultivate wisdom whilst listening to Amitabha Buddha giving the Dharma lectures in the lecture hall.

阿彌陀佛也有個本事,在大講堂講經沒有中斷,接引眾生,化身出去,分身出去了,自己的真身、報身在極樂世界如如不動。我們到極樂世界也是一樣,我們的報身也是如如不動,坐在阿彌陀佛面前。但是我們也有能力分身,這就是到達極樂世界,你就有這個能力。能力從哪來的?

Amitabha Buddha also has an ability --- while his own reward-body gives the Dharma lectures without interruptions in the grand lecture hall of the Land of Ultimate Bliss, his transformation bodies go to receive sentient beings. Our reward-body will also remain unmoved when we reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss: we will be sitting in front of Amitabha Buddha but we also have the ability to manifest in many bodies. Where does this ability come from?

阿彌陀佛給你的,阿彌陀佛四十八願無量功德加持給你,你就有這個能力。這能力不是你修得的,是佛加持的。到什麼時候修得?明心見性就修得。所以到極樂世界明心見性快,不難。我們了解這個事實真相,極樂世界怎麼能不去?決定要去。

It is given by Amitabha Buddha who supports you with the infinite merits of his Forty-eight Vows. So, this ability is not obtained through your own cultivation but is supported by Amitabha Buddha. Till when do you have to cultivate to obtain this ability? You have to cultivate until you see into your mind and true nature (i.e., attain Supreme Enlightenment) to obtain it. That’s why you can quickly and easily attain Supreme Enlightenment in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Having understood this reality, how can we not go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss? We definitely want to go there.