第88集 — 自己有信心佛照顧我

「是故念佛人有四十里光明燭身，魔不能犯」，真正念佛人。我們就能想到，像來佛寺這個小廟，有這麼三位真正念佛人，來佛寺的周邊四十里有佛光注照。這個地區不會有災難，不會有惡鬼惡神，不敢進去。《十往生經》裡頭說，二十五位菩薩長住在這個地方保佑，是真的不是假的。

“That’s why Pure Land practitioners have lights emitting within a forty-mile radius from their body, so demons cannot disturb them.” We can infer that there are buddhas’ lights illuminating within a forty-mile radius from Lai Fo Si owing to the presence of three practitioners who truly practised Buddha-name chanting in this small temple. This area is free from disasters as well as evil spirits and evil gods who dare not enter this region. According to the Buddha Speaks the Sutra on the Ten Attainments of Rebirth in the Pure Land, there are twenty-five bodhisattvas living here permanently to protect this area. This is true and not false.

這個世界上有很多地方都有真正念佛人，菩薩能照顧得來嗎？能，菩薩能分無量無邊身，他的分身管用，不是不管用。要知道我們念佛的人，憶佛念佛，現前當來必定見佛，特別是現前，現前所見的佛全是佛的化身。這些諸佛、這些大菩薩都是法身大士，都有能力分無量無邊身，我們無法想像。

There are practitioners who truly practise Buddha-name chanting in many places in this world. Can the bodhisattvas take care of them all? Yes, they can, because these bodhisattvas can manifest in innumerable forms and their transformation bodies really work. We Pure Land practitioners must know that by chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name mentally and orally, we will certainly see Amitabha Buddha now and in the future, especially now. All the Amitabha Buddha that we see now are his transformation bodies. These buddhas and great bodhisattvas are Dharma-body Bodhisattvas [i.e., the higher-level bodhisattvas] who have the ability to transform into innumerable bodies beyond our imagination.

我念佛，二十五位菩薩我看到了，你念佛，二十五位菩薩你也看到了，誰念佛誰都看到，他們這些人神通廣大。千萬不要疑惑，疑惑，我們就上當了。為什麼？信心不堅固，魔來擾亂。心不清淨，心有懷疑，把魔招來了，佛菩薩不能現前。為什麼念佛人會有魔障，冤親債主很多？

Now that I am chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name, I can see the twenty-five bodhisattvas, so will you if you do so. Whoever chants Amitabha Buddha’s name would see these bodhisattvas who have extensive spiritual power (supernatural abilities). Never be doubtful about this or else we would be deceived. Why is that so? Because if our belief is not strong, demons would come to disturb us. If our mind is not pure (i.e., we have doubts), we would be inviting demons to come, causing buddhas and bodhisattvas to be unable to appear. Why do Pure Land practitioners have demonic obstacles and many karmic creditors?

主要就是信心不足，常常懷疑。怎麼治這個病？經教能治這個病。還有懷疑的人，多聽經、多讀經，這個經念上一千遍、念上一萬遍，我常講，註解看三十遍，經讀上一萬遍，你的疑惑就沒有了。為什麼？明白了，真搞清楚了，功夫就得力，自己有信心，決定得生。沒有生之前，自己有信心，佛照顧我。

Mainly because their confidence is lacking (i.e., they often harbour doubts). How to cure this doubt? The sutra teachings can cure it. People who still have doubts should listen to the Dharma lectures and recite the sutras more. By reciting this sutra a thousand or ten thousand times, and as I often mentioned, reading this annotation thirty times, all your doubts will be dispelled. What is the reason? Because by understanding and figuring out the reasoning, your effort of practice would be effective. You have confidence in yourself that you will surely be reborn in the Pure Land. Prior to being born in the Pure Land, you have confidence that all buddhas are looking after you.