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淨土教是頓中之頓 - 第233集
The Pure Land teaching is the immediate of the immediate path towards enlightenment.
這說，「明未斷惑凡夫，直出過三界者，偏是此教」。沒有斷煩惱的凡夫，六道凡夫，直捷超出，超出什麼？三界，三界就是六道輪迴。
It is stated in the Interpretation of the Great Sutra (大經釋), “This teaching (i.e., Pure Land Buddhism) enables ordinary beings who have not yet severed delusions to transcend the Three Realms of Samsara directly.” What can ordinary beings of the Six Realms, who have not yet severed afflictions, transcend directly? They can transcend the Three Realms of Samsara (i.e., the Six Realms of reincarnation) directly.
你看小乘出六道輪迴多難！小乘證得須陀洹初果，他還要繼續努力修行，天上人間七次往來。人間壽命短，天上壽命長。在六道裡面不能出六道，人間壽命到了他生到天上繼續修，天上壽命到了又到人間來。
You see how difficult it is for practitioners of the lesser vehicle (Theravadins) to transcend transmigration within the Six Realms! After attaining the first realisation of a stream-enterer (srotāpanna), they still have to continue to practise hard throughout their seven rebirths between the celestial and human realms. Humans’ lifespan is short but heavenly beings’ lifespan is long. They cannot escape from the Six Realms during this period. When their life in the human realm ends, they will ascend to heaven to continue with their practice and vice versa.
他不會墮三惡道，保證不墮三惡道，天上人間只有七次，他就超越六道輪迴了。他會經歷三界，欲界六層天，色界十八層天，根利的阿羅漢在四禪天就超越了，根鈍的還要通過四空天才能出去。所以我們想想，這個時間多長。
They definitely will not degenerate into the Three Evil Realms. After these seven rebirths, they will be liberated from the Six Realms. Prior to that, they will undergo the Three Realms of Samsara, namely, the Six Heavens of the Desire Realm and the Eighteen Heavens of the Form Realm as well as the Formless Heavens. Arhats, who have superior faculties, will transcend transmigration in the Four Meditation Heavens (of the Form Realm) while those with inferior faculties have to pass through the Four Formless Heavens before they are liberated. So, let’s think about how long this will take!
出了六道輪迴還沒見性，往生到十法界裡頭的聲聞法界，再向上提升緣覺法界、菩薩法界、佛法界。在佛法界裡面破一品無明，證一分法身，超越十法界，往生到實報莊嚴土。
Despite having transcended the Six Realms of reincarnation, they have yet to see into their mind and true nature. They will further ascend to the realms of śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva and buddha in the Ten Dharma Realms. Once they have extirpated one part of nescience (ignorance) and obtained one-part Dharma body in the realm of buddha, they will transcend the Ten Dharma Realms and be reborn in the Adorned Land of Real Reward.
凡是走這條路的，釋迦牟尼佛娑婆世界的實報莊嚴土，就是華藏世界，要多長的時間？論劫算！這個我們一定要知道，這是漸教。沒有斷惑的凡夫，直捷超過三界，偏是此教，「故此教為頓中之頓」。
How long is the time taken for anyone who goes through this path (i.e., being reborn in the Adorned Land of Real Reward of Sakyamuni Buddha’s Saha World (i.e., the Lotus Store World))? The period is calculated in kalpas. We must know that this is a gradual path towards enlightenment. “This teaching (i.e., Pure Land Buddhism) enables ordinary beings who have not yet severed delusions, to transcend the Three Realms of Samsara directly. Hence, this teaching is the immediate of the immediate path towards enlightenment.”
這個教，我們在《往生傳》裡面看到的，《淨土聖賢錄》裡面看到的，三年。三年不能往生的，你對這個世間有留戀，你不肯去；如果對這個世間毫無留戀，決定得生。
We can see in the Biographical Accounts of Rebirth in the Pure Land and Records of the Pure Land Saints and Sages that the practitioners attained rebirth in the Pure Land after reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name for three years. People who fail to be reborn in the Pure Land within three years are emotionally attached to this world, so they are unwilling to leave for the Pure Land. If you have not the least attachment to this world, you will certainly be reborn in the Pure Land.