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極樂世界跟華藏世界有什麼關係 - 第269集
What is the relationship between the Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Lotus Store World?
「究竟」這兩個意思，是「至極之義」。到極處，再沒有了。究竟圓滿是什麼意思？幫助我們脫離六道輪迴，這叫離究竟苦。只要在六道，雖然生到天上，他化自在天樂，但是他有壽命，壽命很長，很長也有到的時候。
‘Definitiveness’ means extremeness, so there is nothing higher or greater than it. What does ‘definitive and perfect’ mean?” Helping us to be liberated from the Six Realms of reincarnation is called ‘ending extreme sufferings.’ As long as we revolve in the Six Realms, our lifespan will eventually come to an end even if we are reborn in the Heaven of Enjoying the Pleasures of Other Heavens (paranirmita-vaśavartin) where our lifespan is extremely long.
到的時候怎麼辦？往下墮落。為什麼？福報享完了，阿賴耶裡面還有不善的業因，那要到三途受苦報。不免輪迴，所以不究竟。
What happens when our lifespan ends? We will degenerate into the lower realms. What is the reason? Because we have exhausted all our fortune in heaven, and since we still have unwholesome karmic causes in our alaya, we are bound to undergo the karmic retribution of suffering in the Three Evil Realms. That’s why the happiness in heavens is not definitive because we cannot avoid transmigration within the Six Realms.
脫離六道，脫離十法界，叫離究竟苦，往生西方極樂世界得究竟樂。天不究竟，人間富貴不究竟。要得究竟樂，離究竟苦，這淨宗，這是阿彌陀佛。世尊跟阿彌陀佛，一個在此地給我們做報告、做介紹，阿彌陀佛在極樂世界來接引。
Being liberated from the Six Realms and the Ten Dharma Realms is called ‘ending extreme sufferings’ while reborning in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is called ‘attaining perfect happiness.’ The happiness in heavens is not definitive, and so is the wealth in the human realm. If we want to attain perfect happiness and end extreme sufferings, we must chant Amitabha Buddha’s name. Sakyamuni Buddha gave us a report and introduction of the Land of Ultimate Bliss here, while Amitabha Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss will come to receive us.
「彼岸」，究竟彼岸，「《智度論》云：波羅，秦言」，姚秦時代翻譯的，所以稱為秦言，「彼岸」，就是中國說彼岸。又說：「以生死為此岸，涅槃為彼岸」。
To define 「彼岸」 (bǐ àn; ― the other shore), “The Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra states, ‘According to the translation in the Later Qin dynasty, （波羅） (bō luó) is translated as 「彼岸」 (bǐ àn; ― the other shore) in Chinese.’” It is also stated, “This shore refers to birth and death, while the other shore refers to nirvana.”
六道十法界都有生死，這此岸；證得菩提涅槃，永遠離開生滅法，生到諸佛如來實報土，那個地方不生不滅，那叫彼岸。釋迦佛的實報土叫華藏世界，《華嚴經》上所說。換句話說，修其他的法門，八萬四千法門，無量法門，修成之後生到哪裡？
The Six Realms and the Ten Dharma Realms have birth and death, so these realms are called ‘this shore.’ Attaining enlightenment (bodhi) and nirvana is having left birth and death forever because one has been reborn in the Adorned Land of Real Reward of all buddhas where there is neither arising nor ceasing. That place is called ‘the other shore.’ According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha’s Adorned Land of Real Reward is called ‘the Lotus Store World’. In other words, where will those who have succeeded in practising other Dharma methods (i.e., the 84,000 Dharma methods) be reborn to?
生到華藏世界。修不成功？修不成功還搞六道輪迴。脫離六道輪迴，向一真法界走，這當中還有十法界，聲聞、緣覺、菩薩、佛。是釋迦牟尼佛的方便有餘土，要通過這個一層一層提升上去，都要很長的時間，目標華藏世界。
They will be reborn in the Lotus Store World. How about those who did not succeed? They still have to continue to transmigrate within the Six Realms. Those who have transcended the Six Realms will move on to the One True Dharma Realm but prior to that, they have to pass through the realms of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas and buddhas in the Ten Dharma Realms (i.e., Sakyamuni Buddha’s Land of Skilful Means with Remainder). They have to take an extremely long period of time to ascend these realms one by one before they can reach their goal, which is the Lotus Store World.
有人問我，極樂世界跟華藏世界有什麼關係？那個時候我在新加坡講《華嚴經》，有同學問我。我舉了個比喻，我說華藏世界好比是新加坡，極樂世界是新加坡的烏節路。新加坡烏節路是新加坡最繁華的一條街道，最好的街道。我說你就知道了，往生到極樂世界，是生在新加坡最好的地區，人人都嚮往的，生到極樂世界就生到華藏世界了，而且是華藏世界精華的地區。這個不能不知道。
When I was lecturing on the Avatamsaka Sutra in Singapore, a practitioner asked me what is the relationship between the Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Lotus Store World? I used a metaphor, saying that the Lotus Store World is like Singapore, while the Land of Ultimate Bliss is like the Orchard Road, which is the busiest and best street in Singapore. I told him that reborning in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is being born in the best area of Singapore which everyone yearns for. We must know that reborning in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is reborning in the best area of the Lotus Store World.