Amitabha Sutra - Lecture 01：The Buddhist sutras circulated by all Buddhas
Amitabha Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha - Lecture 01:
The Buddhist sutras circulated by all Buddhas
《佛说阿弥陀经》第01讲：诸佛所流通之佛经
By Master Jingben
净本法师 主讲
Amitabha Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha is perhaps the most common sutra among our Buddhist schools. Many people have heard of it, and at the same time is the most important sutra. But some people tend to ignore the literals of the Amitabha Sutra because it seems so easy to them, and even once I heard someone say that the Amitabha Sutra was ‘useless’. This is too pejorative. Putting the Dharma aside, we are in this world, everything is useful, so how can we say that the Amitabha Sutra is useless? If it does not work, why does Buddha still talk about it? Even the Buddhas of the Ten Directions are circulating it.
《佛说阿弥陀经》可以说是我们佛门中最普遍的一部佛经。各位，您们都有听过阿弥陀经吧？一般人都有听过，所以是最普遍的一部佛经，同时也是最重要的佛经。但是有些人往往因为《阿弥陀经》的文字看起来好像很容易就忽略掉他，甚至上次我还听到有人说《阿弥陀经》没有用。这个就太武断了。先不讲佛法，我们在这个世界，任何东西都有用处，那怎么能说阿弥陀经没有用呢？如果没有用，为什么佛还跟我们说呢？甚至十方诸佛都在流通。
We can see that another translation of the Amitabha Sutra is called the ‘Sutra with all Buddhas’ mindful protection《一切诸佛所护念经》’, that is to say, this Amitabha Sutra is protected and circulated by all Buddhas, such as Shakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha and Vairocana Buddha. So, if it does not work, then why is every Buddha protecting and circulating it? If today there is an announcement from president or prime minister, dare we say that it is useless? Of course, the things that the president says and what he tells us is very important. The peerless perfect enlightenment in the Buddhist schools is the Buddha. Now not only did Shakyamuni Buddha speak in India three thousand years ago, but all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions are also introducing Amitabha Buddha. It is as if the leaders of every country in the world are now propagating. Then we can be sure that the ‘Namo Amituofo’ introduced in this Amitabha Sutra is inconceivable. We may not know why yet, but just seeing every Buddha is promoting it, which really makes us dare not loathe this Amitabha Sutra, isn't it? This is the ‘sutra protected by all Buddhas’; do we dare to go against it? Only people who do not have a Buddha in their hearts, or even those who think that they are ‘more superior’ than Buddhas, will look down on the Amitabha Sutra, because all the Buddhas in ten directions have certified that this phrase ‘Namo Amituofo’ is the most remarkable and even so these people still think that it is useless, in other words, then they do not have Buddha in their hearts, which means they believe in their own thoughts, not the Dharma.
我们看，阿弥陀经另外一个译本叫《一切诸佛所护念经》，就是说，这部阿弥陀经是一切诸佛，像释迦牟尼佛、药师佛、毗卢遮那佛都在护念和流通的。所以如果说没有用，那为什么每一尊佛都在护念和流通呢？如果今天是我们国家总理、总统、首相宣传的事情，我们敢说没有用吗？一个国家最高的总统先生讲的事情、交代给我们的事情当然就很重要。那佛门里面最高、最圆满的就是佛陀。现在不止释迦牟尼佛3千年前在印度讲了，而且所有十方诸佛都在介绍阿弥陀佛。这就好像现在世界各个国家的领袖都在宣传。那我们可以肯定的是，这部《阿弥陀经》所介绍的南无阿弥陀佛一定是不可思议的。我们可能现在还不知道为什么，但是就看到每一尊佛都在宣传，那真的就让我们不敢轻视这部《阿弥陀经》了。是不是？这是“一切诸佛所护念经”，请问您还敢轻视吗？只有心里没有佛的人，甚至认为自己比佛更高的人才会看不起《阿弥陀经》，因为十方诸佛都认证了这句“南无阿弥陀佛”是最有意义的了，结果他还认为一点用都没有，那肯定就是他心中是没有佛，一言九“顶”，顶嘴的“顶”。就只有自己的想法，没有佛法。
I remembered that there was one occasion that, my Master, Venerable Huijing went to the hospital to care for the patients. Some patients saw him being as a monk and immediately invited my Master over. As the saying goes, one only goes to the temple when one is in trouble (无事不登三宝殿). That is why we ordinary people, are in fact very stubborn and often only will turn to Buddha for help when things go awry. There are some people who believe that‘Buddhism’ is very steeped with superstition and useless, but eventually, when something bad happens or when they are seriously ill, they will then start to look for the Buddha. However, Amitabha Buddha is always compassionate, and whenever needed, Amitabha Buddha will save anyone unconditionally. The monks are often the teachers of the Dharma, and naturally, when Master arrived at the hospital, those sick patients would approach Master for help earnestly.
记得有一次，我的师父，慧净法师到医院去关怀病人。结果在医院里面，有些病人看到有出家法师，马上就把师父请过去。一般人说：“无事不登三宝殿”，就是说，我们众生都很固执，往往都是等到出事的时候才来找阿弥陀佛。平常讲佛教迷信啦，没有用啦，结果到最后出事了、生病了才来找佛。不过阿弥陀佛始终是慈悲的，不管什么时候需要，阿弥陀佛都会无条件救度。那出家人往往就是佛法的代表，自然的，师父到了医院，那些病人痛苦就来找师父了。
The first case was an elderly woman in her 70s. She was looking for Master because she said she had not slept for days as she did not dare go to sleep. Every night, as soon as she closed her eyes, she could see two figures with unclear faces, the peculiar thing was that when she opened her eyes, there was nothing, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she could see the two figures again. This was strange, because she only saw the two figures with her eyes closed, and she could not see them when she opened her eyes. She also said that as soon as she closed her eyes, she felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, which was very suffocating. As soon as she closed her eyes, the two figures appeared, as a result, she was so scared that she did not dare to shut her eyes. Although she was very tired, she still did not dare go to sleep, therefore she felt very agonizing and asked my Master for advice.
第一位是70多岁的老人家。这只是第一位而已。你看，出家人很忙的，在医院里面还有人排队等师父。世间人可能是排队买明星的演唱会门票，但是现在在医院是排队等师父了。这也是没有办法的，世间的事情就是没有办法让我们离苦得乐的。平常不管玩得怎么开心，苦难一来就倒下去了。那这第一位是70多岁的老人家，为什么找师父呢？因为她说，她已经好几天都没有睡觉了。为什么不睡？因为她不敢睡。每天晚上，她一闭上眼睛就会看到有两个人影，脸部虽然看不清楚，但是就是可以看到有两个人影。睁开眼睛的时候，什么都没有，但是一闭上眼睛就会看到。这可奇怪了，因为闭上眼睛应该是什么都看不到才对啊，但是她而是闭着眼睛才会看到，睁开眼睛看不到。而且她还说，一闭上眼睛，就感觉好像一座大山压住她，很辛苦。一闭眼睛就这样，所以吓得她不敢闭眼睡觉。虽然很累，但是还是不敢睡，所以她感到很痛苦，就问师父到底要怎么办。
For the second case, my Master met another elderly woman in the hospital. But one cannot say that she was an old woman because she was only 40 years old then. It was just that my Master said that she looked like a 60-year-old woman because this person spoke weakly and walked slowly like an old woman, her face was haggard and her eyes were circled with dark rings, the whole person looked lifeless so Master could not really see that she was a 40-year-old person. She said she had not been able to sleep properly for a week, but did not tell my Master the reason of her inability to fall asleep.
还有一次，在医院碰到另外一位老人家也是差不多。但是不能说她是老人家，因为她才40岁。只是师父说她看起来像60岁的老人。这个可不得了。还有40岁看起来像60岁的？因为这个人讲话有气无力的，走起路来慢慢的像老人家似的，黑眼圈也很重，脸色很憔悴，整个人看起来没有生命力，不讲真的看不出是40岁的人。她说，她其实已经一个星期没有办法好好睡觉了，但并没有说明原因。
Not only that, there was a nurse who was taking care of the patient, coincidentally saw Master and started listening to his conversation, she too shared that she had not been composed in the past few days. So many people were not free from suffering, whether they were sick or well. It was just that this nurse was a bit special, because she was not sick then, but she had dreamt of her deceased husband and ancestors for seven consecutive days. She said, “I dream about them when I go to bed at night, but I do not know what is going on.” She furthermore did not know much about Buddhism. Coincidentally she saw Master, she thought that Master might have a solution to her problem, so she walked towards him and asked for his advice.
不止这些，还有一位在旁边照顾病人的看护，她看到师父讲的时候，也顺便说了一下自己这几天的辛苦。所以呀！你们看，凡是人都有苦，不管是病人还是普通人都一样。只是这位看护比较特别，因为她是没有什么病，但是这个星期，她已经连续7天梦到自己过世的丈夫和祖先。晚上一睡觉就会梦到他们，但是又不知道是怎么回事。她也对佛法不了解。刚好看到师父，就觉得师父可能会有办法，就过来问问。
What can we do if such things happen? Who will we approach to solve such issues? One was that she could see a lot of things as soon as her eyes were closed; the second one was that she was not able to sleep for seven days; the last one was a loved one who dreamt every day about her deceased relatives. So, who should you call for guidance? Looking for the police? Looking for a lawyer? Find a medium to negotiate with a ‘ghost’? You could not say to the nurse, "You think too much!" She had been like this for several days in a row, and surely it was not caused by overthinking. Overthinking certainly will not cause a person to have insomnia for seven days, it was very unlikely. It is indeed bad karma that cannot be eradicated. Finding a doctor and taking medicine will not cure it too. You see, these patients were already in the hospital. Thus, these inextricable karmic obstacles were to be solved by Amitabha Buddha. Therefore, Master immediately advised them to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name and explained to them, “Amitabha Buddha has great mercy and great compassion to free us from all sufferings and reciting ‘Namo Amituofo’ has the greatest merit, so if you can recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, you will definitely be fine."
各位，如果遇到这种情况，我们能怎么办呢？请问这个问题要找谁呢？一个是眼睛一闭起来就看到很多东西；一个是7天不能睡；最后一位是天天梦到自己过世的亲人。所以现在应该找谁来办呢？找警察吗？找律师吗？找律师跟鬼谈判啊？总不能说：“你想太多了!”这种话我们遇到的时候肯定讲不出来,因为对方是连续好几天都这样，不可能是想太多。想太多想到7天不能睡。这个不大可能。那确实是遇到了自己解不开的业障了。找医生吃药也治不了。你看，这些病人当时还在医院，都还是这样。所以这些解不开的业障，就是要找阿弥陀佛来解决了。所以师父听到，一律马上劝他们念佛，就跟他们说 “阿弥陀佛是大慈大悲救苦救难，念南无阿弥陀佛的功德最大，所以能念佛的话肯定会没事的。”
However, these people were not used to reciting the Buddha’s name. The patients said, "Master, I haven't slept for days, and I don't even have the strength to speak, how can I chant?" The nurse also said, "Master, I'm very busy, I don't have time to chant." Let’s see, if one is sick and don't have the strength to chant but if one is healthy and still don't have time to chant. So, how do we solve the problem? Nevertheless, the Master was very compassionate, and initially said to the patients: "If you can't chant, you can chant it in your heart; if not, I will give you a chanting machine, and you can also put headphones on to listen to the ‘Namo Amituofo’ recitation, which will also be effective.” Master gave the chanting machines to the patients and asked them to put on the headphones and listened to the ‘Namo Amituofo’ recitation. Now that we have a mobile phone, we can directly hear the ‘Namo Amituofo’ recitation 24 hours a day online which is more convenient.
但是，这些人又不习惯念佛。那位病人说：“师父，我现在都好几天没有睡觉了，连讲话都没有力气讲，我怎么念佛呢？” 那个护士也说：“师父啊，我很忙，我没有时间念佛。” 我们看看，生病的就讲没有力气念佛，健康的就讲没有时间念佛。那到底要怎么样呢？但是师父很慈悲，先跟病人说：“不能念佛就心里念；再不行，我给您一个念佛机，插耳机戴在耳朵上听佛号也可以，这样也有效果。” 师父就给那些病人拿念佛机插耳机听佛号。现在我们有手机就更方便了，像我们的网站，用手机上网直接就可以24个小时听到佛号。
Thereafter my Master said to the nurse: "You are healthy, although you may be very busy, no matter how busy you are, you cannot be that busy to spare a minute or two, right?" I'm not asking you to recite for 24 hours, when you wake up in the morning, bow to Amitabha Buddha three times, and recite his name. A string of Buddhist beads will enable you to recite 108 times, and it only takes a few minutes. It takes more than five minutes to brew coffee, so how can there be no time to recite? You can do the chanting while waiting for the coffee to be brewed, and even after the chanting, the coffee is not ready yet. So, you surely can find time to chant.” Upon hearing Master’s explanation, the nurse thought that it made sense.
然后师父又跟护士说：“你现在健健康康的，虽然很忙，但是再忙也不会忙到连一两分钟的时间都没有吧？我又不是叫您出家24个小时念佛。你就先早上起床，给阿弥陀佛顶礼3拜以后，就念一串佛珠108声佛号就可以了。一串佛珠只是108声佛号，也不过几分钟。泡一个咖啡都不止5分钟，哪会没有时间念佛？煮杯咖啡去念佛，念完回来可能咖啡都还没有煮好。所以哪里会忙到这种地步。” 那位护士听了觉得也很有道理。全部讲完，那有没有效果，就看阿弥陀佛安排加持了。
Unexpectedly, the result was astonishing. After the recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name, the next day, the first old woman in her 70s slept soundly, she did not even wake up until she wet the bed. Wow, wasn’t this amazing? Before chanting, she was too scared to sleep; she dared not shut her eyes but as soon as she recited Amitabha Buddha’s name, she had no problem falling asleep. She rested well.
结果效果还真是意想不到的殊胜。怎么回事呢？因为第二天。那第一位的70多岁的老人家，今天睡到尿床了都还在睡。哇，没有念佛之前，眼睛一闭上就吓到不敢睡；但是一念佛就睡到不会醒，连尿床了都还不知道。各位，睡到不会醒不是死掉哦，是睡到太熟了，睡到不会醒。
The other 40-year-old young woman who looked like an old woman in her 60s was also very grateful to Master, because she disclosed that when she put on the headphones listening to the ‘Namo Amituofo’ recitation, she felt very peaceful and fell into a deep sleep before she knew it. She slept for a long time, which happened to be the best good quality sleep after a week of sleepless nights. As a result, she looked really refreshed the next day and she did not look old as before. After having this benefit, this lady went to bed every night with headphones on listening to the chanting of ‘Namo Amituofo’. Magically, it turned out to be a good sleep every day. Thereafter she regained her youthful appearance since she was able to rest and sleep well. After being discharged from the hospital, she immediately invited my Master to her house to enshrine a statue of Amitabha Buddha as she was going to start believing in Buddhism and reciting the Buddha’s name.
那另外一位看起来像老人的40岁年轻人也很感激师父，因为她说，昨天把念佛机戴在耳朵上听佛号，一听佛号就很摄受，不知不觉就睡着了。一睡就睡好久，这是这一个星期以来睡得最好的一次，所以今天看起来精神就非常地好，看起来没有像昨天这么苍老了。这位病人得到利益以后，天天晚上都是戴着耳机听佛号睡觉。结果还真的天天都睡得好。那她又那么年轻，休息、好了，身体就好得很快。很快就出院了。出院的时候，还祈请师父到她家安佛像，要开始信佛念佛了。
As for the last case, the nurse was in a similar situation as the previous lady. Master had encouraged her to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name 108 times before going to bed. Unexpectedly, she recited Amitabha Buddha’s name according to Master’s advice. This was probably the first time in her life that she had recited Amitabha Buddha’s name faithfully, although it was only 108 times. It powerfully instilled faith in her heart and she was starting to accept Amitabha Buddha. As a result, she did not dream about her deceased relatives on that night. Her daily bad dreams of deceased relatives ceased after reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name. Probably Amitabha Buddha had delivered her deceased relatives to his Pure Land. For that reason, she was very grateful to Master for his advice and guidance, and she presented a special gift to thank Master in gratitude.
最后一位，那位护士也是差不多。昨天师父鼓励她，睡觉之前先念佛108声。结果她就真的念。这大概也是她这辈子第一次这样固定念佛，虽然才108声，但是她有一种靠上阿弥陀佛的心态了，有靠阿弥陀佛自然就有办法。结果昨晚就没有梦到自己过世的亲人。本来是天天梦到，昨晚念了佛就没有梦到了。大概是被阿弥陀佛超度到净土了。所以她很感恩师父的开示引导，今天还特别送礼物给师父表示感谢。
So, what can we say when we see such realistic examples? Can we still say that recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name is ‘useless’? Then again, this depends on which aspect, if it is the typical life, food, clothing, housing and transportation, then we can probably solve them ourselves. But when encountering obstacles like these, it is useless to turn to anyone at such time. Only reciting of ‘Namo Amituofo’ is the most effective. Therefore, whether the Amitabha Sutra is useful depends on the circumstances: if some think that Amitabha-Recitation is not helpful to life at all, they have to change their mindset. The ancient said if you do not see far enough and are not prepared, you will definitely encounter obstacles sooner or later (人无远虑,必有近忧). There is another saying: eight or nine out of ten unsatisfactory things in life (人生不如意事十有八九), it is not always smooth sailing. So sometimes do not speak too fast. To directly deny the benefits of recitation of ‘Namo Amituofo’ is too hasty. What's more, the Amitabha Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha is promoted by all Buddhas, and it is strange if it does not work.
所以各位，当我们看到这样现实的例子，我们能怎么说呢？我们还能说念佛没有用吗？所以这个要看哪方面了，如果说是平时生活的衣食住行，那个我们大概都能自己解决。但是遇到像这样的障碍，这个时候找谁都没有用的，只有念“南无阿弥陀佛”才最有效。所以讲《阿弥陀经》有用没有用，就看是从哪方面来说：如果说，念南无阿弥陀佛完全对人生没有帮助，那真的很可怜，眼睛肯定是有问题了。古人说：人无远虑，必有近忧。看得不够远，没有预备好，肯定迟早会遇到障碍的。又有一句话说：人生不如意事十有八九，怎么可能一个人一生完全一帆风顺，所以有时候话不要讲得太快。直接就否定念佛的好处，这个话就讲得太快了。更何况《佛说阿弥陀佛经》是每一尊佛都在推广的，没有用就才奇怪。
There are many sutras in the Buddhist schools, and we generally say that there are twelve divisions of the Tripitaka. The twelve divisions of the Tripitaka are the categories. If we talk about number of sutras, there should be more than a thousand. Then we ordinary people, even monks, won’t be able to know all the texts. If we do not look them up, we sure will not know. Isn't it? Now who dare say that he knows all the Buddhist sutras. We don't even know how many sutras are available out there, let alone their names.
我们看，佛门里面其实有很多部经典，我们一般讲有三藏十二部。三藏十二部还是归纳起来的，若论经律论的话应该都有千多部这么多。那我们一般人，甚至是出家人都不可能知道全部经典的。我们不去查，根本就不知道。是不是？现在谁敢说自己对全部佛经都了解。您们认识所有的佛经吗？我们连有多少佛经、经名都不知道。
But this Amitabha Sutra is very special, especially it is so common that even those who do not study Buddhism are inseparable from the Amitabha Sutra. For instance, during the traditional morning and evening sessions in monasteries, the monks must include the reading of the Amitabha Sutra. There are many people who use the Amitabha Sutra as a Buddhist sutra for their daily session. Even if a person has not read it in his whole life, someone at funeral will chant it for him, right? During the Buddhist funeral, what kind of Buddhist scriptures are usually recited? Normally it is Amitabha Sutra as well as recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name. So, in terms of fate, the Amitabha Sutra is the most pertinent to us.
但是这部《阿弥陀经》就很特别，特别是在于特别的普遍，甚至不学佛的人跟《阿弥陀经》还是脱离不了关系的。譬如，传统的寺院早晚课肯定是有诵《阿弥陀经》。在家人也是，很多人都是把阿弥陀经当做日常读诵的佛经。就算一个人生前没有读过，过世以后可能会有人帮他诵。对不对？是啊。在过世的时候，如果是以佛教仪式来做，一般都是读诵什么佛经？都是诵《阿弥陀经》和念佛的。所以就缘分来说，《阿弥陀经》跟我们最有缘的。
Although some Buddhist classics are also very common, such as the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, etc, which are widely circulated and seem to have a karmic connection with us, the karmic connection is not as strong as the Amitabha Sutra. Why? Because the teachings of other Buddhist sutras are too complex, we cannot understand them, and we also cannot practise them.
虽然说有些经典也是很普遍，譬如心经、金刚经等等，也是流通很广，看起来跟我们有缘，但是缘分不像《阿弥陀经》这么深厚。为什么？因为其他佛经的道理讲得太深，我们理解不来，也做不到啊。
Master Yinguang once said, "Not even one can try or dream to achieve liberation in this lifetime if we study other sutras”. It simply means that it is impossible to achieve this goal in this lifetime. Why? Take the Heart Sutra for example, if we read the Heart Sutra today, can we become Avalokitesvara Bodhisvattva? Similarly, if we chant the Diamond Sutra today, can we become Shakyamuni Buddha? The answer is a big NO. These sutras will not enable us to attain immediate Buddhahood merely just because we read and chant them. These sutras are Buddhist sutras that are meant to guide sentient beings to achieve Buddhahood based on self-power.
印光大师曾经就说，“研究其他经论，欲现生了生脱死，恐梦也梦不着。”印光大师说，今天研究净土经典以外的那些大经大论，这一生想要做到了生死，恐怕连梦都梦不到。大师是说，不要讲做到，我们现在连做梦都不会梦到那种境界。为什么？譬如说，今天讲心经，我们今天读了心经，我们能成为观自在菩萨吗？我们今天诵了金刚经，能成为释迦牟尼佛吗？还是不行啊。心经、金刚经等这些其他经论，不是要单单会读就可以的。这些其他的经论都是要引导众生靠自己修行成就的佛经。
It is like saying we should achieve a level of ‘emptiness’, and hence that there is no birth, old age, illness and death, and that we are completely at ease. Only in this way can we get rid of the shackles of birth, old age, illness, death, and gain great freedom. This is what the Heart Sutra tell us. But can we achieve this level? How do we feel when the child is disobedient, parents are sick, our work is not going smoothly or during these few years of covid outbreak? Worried right? So how do we achieve the emptiness state as mentioned in the Heart Sutra? If we realized the state of the Heart Sutra, we would fly directly through the wall: you were at home, and without taking a car, you came over in a flash.
像讲要照见五蕴皆空，空有不二，没有生老病死，完全得到大自在。心经就是告诉我们这样的修行。但是我们凡夫众生就是做不到嘛。心经说，要照见五蕴皆空，但是我们凡夫偏偏就是空不了；要没有挂碍，但是我们偏偏有挂碍：孩子不听话，挂碍了；父母生病，挂碍了；工作不顺利，也挂碍了。这次疫情很严重，我们也挂碍。所以我们是做不到心经那种自在的境界的。各位，你们今天出门还是要靠坐汽车，那就是已经证明我们做不到心经的境界。为什么这么说？因为如果证悟到心经的那种境界，你们就可以直接穿墙遁地飞过来了：刚才还在家里，咻一下就过来了，不用坐车的。
Like in India in ancient times, although Shakyamuni Buddha was spreading the Dharma step by step, this was only a manifestation of the Buddha, and he could not demonstrate his supernatural power casually. But it does not mean that the Buddha does not have such powers. When necessary, the Buddha will still show his supernatural powers. For example, as stated in ‘Contemplation in Buddha of Infinite Life Sutra’, when a queen, Vidishi was imprisoned by her son, she asked Shakyamuni Buddha for help. Shakyamuni Buddha could sense it on the top of the mountain at that time, he disappeared immediately, and appeared in the prison of the palace instantly. This is the realm of true enlightenment of the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. But what about us ordinary people? Don't talk about supernatural powers, sometimes we can't find anyone after calling for the entire day.
像当时在印度，虽然释迦牟尼佛是一步一个脚印地弘法，但是这只是佛的一种示现，不能随便表现神通。但是这并不表示佛就没有神通，有需要的时候，佛还是会显现神通的。像当时有一位皇后韦提希夫人被儿子关在监牢，她就向释迦佛求救。释迦佛在山上感应到，马上就消失不见，当下就出现在皇宫的监牢。神通道力就一瞬间显现。这种就是心经、金刚经真正证悟到的境界。但是我们凡夫呢？不要讲神通，现在有时候打电话、打了大半天都还找不到人。
Therefore, today, no matter how familiar we are with the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra, it is never a state that we can realize, and what we learn is still the “things” of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, not our own. For example, bank tellers have to count the amount of money daily, but are these their own money? Definitely not, those money belong to other people. Learning other great sutras is similar to this, realizing that in the end everything still belongs to Buddha and Bodhisattva, because “we cannot do it and we cannot get it”. No matter how much we study other great sutras, we will never become a Buddha or Bodhisattva. Who dares to say that after reciting the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra for a lifetime, he will become Shakyamuni Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva? Surely no one dares to say so. That's why Master Yinguang said: "not even one can dream to achieve liberation in this lifetime if we study other sutras," This is really honest.
所以今天对心经、金刚经再熟悉也好，始终都不是自己能证悟到的境界，学来学去还是佛菩萨的东西，不是自己的东西。像在银行工作的人，每天都帮别人数钱，但是请问这是自己的钱吗？各位，银行工作人员在银行数钱是数谁的钱？都是别人的钱，哪里是自己的。学其他大经大论就是这样，学到最后都是佛菩萨的东西，都是要还给佛菩萨的，因为我们自己是做不到、得不到的；我们学其他大经大论学得再多，也始终成不了佛菩萨。是吧？谁敢说自己诵了一辈子的心经、金刚经就成为释迦牟尼佛、观世音菩萨呢？真的不敢说。所以真的是做不到嘛。所以印光大师才说：“研究其他经论，欲现生了生脱死，恐梦也梦不着。”这个真的是老实话。
However, the Amitabha Sutra is different, because it is supported by all the Buddhas. Even if we recite Amitabha Buddha and not knowing anything, Amitabha Buddha and all Buddhas in all directions will come to protect us. It is like if a small child is born disabled, unable to walk and unable to look after himself, he will still be taken care of by his parents. Yes, Amitabha’s name recitation is a very special practice that emphasizes abandoning self-power and embracing the Buddha’s power. This dharma school depends on the power of Buddha, which is different from other sutras that rely on self-power. Great Master of Pure Land Buddhism, Master Tanluan said, if a handicapped person steps on a donkey and cannot ride it, but if he takes a ride on the vehicle of Cakravartī-rāja (Cakravartī-rāja is a sovereign ruler, whose chariot wheels roll everywhere without hindrance), he can ride the void and travel everywhere without any obstacles, that is so-called ‘other’s power’ (如劣夫，跨驴不上. 从转轮王行，便乘虚空，游四天下，无所障碍，如是等名为『他力』). That is the meaning of relying on Buddha’s power.
但是，《阿弥陀经》就不同。因为《阿弥陀经》是一切诸佛所护念经。就是念南无阿弥陀佛，就算自己什么都不会也好，都有阿弥陀佛带着十方诸佛来护念我们。好像一个小孩子，如果生下来就是残疾的，不能走路、不能照顾自己也好，还是有爸爸妈妈在照顾。这就是护念，“保护”加“想念”。这就是靠佛力的法门，跟其他经论靠自己修行是不一样的。昙鸾祖师在解释念佛法门是靠佛力就有说到，“如劣夫，跨驴不上。从转轮王行，便乘虚空，游四天下，无所障碍。如是等名为『他力』。”就是这个道理。
This is a special feature of the Amitabha Sutra.
这是阿弥陀经的特别殊胜之处。
Different schools of Buddhism have different methods and requirements. As for others, that's a different approach. Other schools’ method generally requires "faith, understanding, practice, and enlightenment": Faith refers to belief in and respect for the Dharma, understanding refers to the comprehension of the Dharma, practice refers to application of the Dharma, and enlightenment refers to the realization and attainment. If we talk about the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra today, the first step is to first learn to read and understand the Dharma. If you do not understand the scriptures, it will not work out. In fact, even if we can read it, we can't practise it, as what I mentioned earlier on, even if we recite the Heart Sutra for a lifetime, we still can't become a Buddha or Bodhisattva.
那讲到做法也不同。其他法门一般都要“信、解、行、证”：今天如果讲到心经、金刚经，第一步是要先会读诵。不会读诵、不明白当中的道理，那肯定是做不到的。其实就算现在会读诵也是做不到的，像刚才讲的，我们诵了一辈子的心经，也是成不了佛菩萨一样。
But the Amitabha Sutra is different, even if we cannot understand Amitabha Sutra, or cannot read a single word of the sutra, as long as we can recite ‘Namo Amituofo’, that’s sufficient. Some people may ask, is it that simple, just need to recite Amitabha’s name? Yes, it is that easy, just recite his name. The Buddha mentioned in the Amitabha Sutra that exclusive name-recitation (执持名号) is the only requirement.
但是《阿弥陀经》就不一样，因为就算我们看不懂《阿弥陀经》里面的一个字；就算《阿弥陀经》里面的道理，我们也不懂，但是只要我们会念南无阿弥陀佛就及格了。有人说，念佛就及格了吗？是啊，念佛就及格了。佛在阿弥陀经就说“执持名号”就是这样。执持名号就是念佛，就只要念佛就行。
It's like a child, even if he can't do anything, but as long as he calls daddy every day, dad will be happy and will take care of him for the rest of his life, right? In the same way, as long as we have Amitabha Buddha in our hearts and recognize him as our father. Amitabha Buddha will bless us, and the Buddhas of the Ten Directions will come to protect us. It's that simple.
就好像小孩子，就算什么都不会也好，但是只要他有天天叫爸爸，爸爸就高兴了，就会照顾她一辈子了，是不是？相同的，我们只要有念南无阿弥陀佛，认阿弥陀佛是我们的父亲，那阿弥陀佛就会加持我们，十方诸佛更是会来护持我们了。就是这么简单，仅此而已。
Those three above mentioned cases just recited Amitabha’s name and immediately reaped the benefits. If Amitabha-name-recitation alone is not enough, how could those people receive the benefits? Did those patients do anything? One who was sick to the point of panic, one who had difficulty in falling asleep, and the other one who had nightmare, all of whom had no faith in Amitabha Buddha before. And at that time, if they had contact with other dharma schools, they would not be able to overcome it as they were already sick since these other dharma schools’ practices were complicated. But Amitabha’s name recitation is different, if one cannot chant, listening counts as well, and the result is really remarkable. It's really like the Amitabha Sutra says, buddha-name recitation is the only requirement.
所以刚才那些病人，就这样一念佛就得到了利益，就是这个道理。如果单单念佛还不行的话？刚才那些病人又怎么会得到利益呢？我们看，刚才那些病人有做了什么事情吗？他们都是没有信仰的。一个是病到惊慌，一个是病到失眠，一个是噩梦，之前都是没有信仰的。而且这个时候，如果还要给他们修什么法门，他们也修不起了，都病倒了，还怎么修？但是念佛就不一样，不能念的，听也算数，结果还真的都得到了利益。真的就像《阿弥陀经》所讲的，执持名号的道理。
Therefore, in comparison, other Dharma scriptures are so difficult, but the Amitabha Sutra says that chanting of the Buddha’s name is so easy, that is why the great Master Ouyi said that ‘the Amitabha Sutra is the core heart essence of all Buddhas and the most fundamental guide for all Bodhisattvas’. ‘Namo Amituofo’ is the root essence of Buddhas and root guidance of Bodhisattvas. ‘Namo Amituofo’ is all inclusive of Buddhism.
所以就比较来说，其他法门经典这么难，但是阿弥陀经讲的念佛又这么容易，所以古大德蕅益大师就说，阿弥陀经是“一切诸佛之心要，菩萨万行之司南”。心要就是最核心、最精华、最重要的佛法，也是所有菩萨的指南；佛陀最核心的心要，菩萨最根本的指南，就是这句南无阿弥陀佛。一句南无阿弥陀佛就足够涵盖全部佛法了。
No matter how unfathomable other sutras are it is not as profound as the recitation of ‘Namo Amituofo’. Simply because chanting the Buddha’s name is too easy and wonderful. Not only is it easy to recite, the effect of this simple recitation is the assurance that everyone can achieve full deliverance. Bodhisattvas can attain deliverance, sentient beings also can obtain deliverance, so do those hellish beings. As mentioned earlier on the hospital cases, those sick patients also gained the benefits.
再深奥，也不如这句南无阿弥陀佛深奥。就因为念佛太殊胜、太容易。不止容易念，而且容易念的效果还是最殊胜的，因为能够保证所有人都圆满得度。菩萨可以得度，凡夫可以得度，连地狱众生都可以得度。刚才讲的医院的例子，那还是病央央的病人都能得到好处。
Think about it, for example, for a mother, what is the most troublesome thing for mothers to deal with every day? From what I've seen, one of the most vexing tasks for mothers is preparing meals for the family. Everyone in the family has different preferences, and there are three meals a day, so mothers spend the entire day worrying about this. However, if there is a food today that could satisfy everyone's taste – a kind of food that could please grandparents, parents, siblings, and even younger siblings – do you think mothers would be happy? Of course, she would be delighted. With just one food item, it could cater to the appetites of the whole family, and naturally, she'd be happy not to be bothered anymore.
各位想想看，譬如说今天当妈妈的。请问妈妈每天最头痛的事情是什么？我看了这么多，当妈妈每天最头痛的东西，大概就是要准备食物给家人吃了。因为家里每一个人的要求都不一样，而且还是一日三餐，所以妈妈整天就头痛想这些。但是，如果今天有一个食物，可以满足所有人的口味，就是有一种食物，可以让公公婆婆、爸爸妈妈、哥哥姐姐、弟弟妹妹都可以得到满足的，请问妈妈是不是会很高兴呢？当然高兴了。因为一个食物就可以解决全家人的胃口，当然就高兴不用再烦了。
The same is true of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas because all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas aspire to deliver all sentient beings. Now that ‘Namo Amituofo’ recitation is so easy and remarkable that everyone can attain liberation, when it comes to core essence of Buddhism, one will definitely choose and spread the recitation of ‘Namo Amituofo’s name to benefit oneself and others instead.
所有诸佛菩萨也是差不多这样。因为现在既然念佛这么容易殊胜，人人都可以得度，那讲到自利利他肯定就会选择念佛了。
Other dharma schools usually target at only one type of level of beings but chanting the ‘Namo Amituofo’ includes all types of levels of beings (Normally there are three levels of beings in learning Buddhism in summary: upper, middle and lower. Usually in other dharma schools, only high level will succeed, while in Pure Land schools all levels of beings will be delivered by Amitabha Buddha.). Therefore, in Pure Land school, they do not emphasize on the levels of beings since all beings will be delivered regardless of their level. That's why it is said that Amitabha Sutra is ‘the essence of all Buddhas and the guidance of all Bodhisattvas’ practices’.
其他法门通常只是针对一种根机，但是念佛法门是三根普度的。所以在念佛法门从来都不讲根机的，什么根机的众生都行。所以才说是“一切诸佛之心要，菩萨万行之司南”。
* "level of beings 根机" is a Buddhist term that refers to the ability of sentient beings to accept and act on the Dharma, which varies from person to person and from time to time.”
This shows the importance of the Amitabha Sutra, and this is why it is so popular, because it is so simple and amazing, so the Buddhas of the ten directions are propagating it. Other sutras may not have been spoken in other worlds, but the Amitabha Sutra certainly does. What the Buddhas of the Ten Directions have introduced in all Worlds is this Amitabha Sutra, which is protected and supported by all the Buddhas.
这就显示《阿弥陀经》的重要性，这也是为什么他会这么普遍的原因，就是因为太简单殊胜了，所以十方诸佛都流通宣讲。其他佛经在其他世界可能不会讲，但是阿弥陀经肯定会介绍。十方诸佛共同在十方世界介绍的就是这部《阿弥陀经》，一切诸佛所护念经。
Summary 总结
This is the first lecture based on the introduction of the universality and significance of the Amitabha Sutra. The Amitabha Sutra can be said to be the most common Buddhist sutra in the Buddha schools. Fundamentally many Buddha disciples have seen it, after all, this is the Buddhist sutra circulated by the Buddhas in the ten directions, so it can be said to be the most important Buddhist sutra, because if it is not important, why do the Buddhas of the Ten Directions promote it?
今天是先介绍阿弥陀经的普遍性和重要性。阿弥陀经可以说在佛门里面最普遍的佛经，基本上很多佛弟子都是有看过的，毕竟这是十方诸佛流通的佛经，所以可以说也是最重要的佛经。因为如果不重要，十方诸佛为什么要流通呢？
The most significant thing on reciting ‘Namo Amituofo’ is the guarantee that those sentient beings that encounter it will obtain deliverance, regardless of the level of oneself. As the saying goes by ancient great master: Equal deliverance to all levels of beings, regardless of whether he or she is intelligent or dull.
讲最重要，主要是因为念佛法门是保证人人都能得度的，所谓三根普度，利钝全收。
In short, there is such a method that not only great practitioners such as enlightened Bodhisattvas can be included, but also sentient beings in the Avici hell, and that is the recitation of ‘Namo Amituofo’. Do think about it, which other Buddhist sutras and other methods have such characteristics? Other Mahayana scriptures require potential root level of Bodhisattvas, and Theravada scriptures require the potential root level of an arhat. These standards are very high, but only chanting ‘Namo Amituofo’ can save even the sentient beings of the Avici hell.
有一个法门，不止能度等觉菩萨等大修行人，连阿鼻地狱的众生也涵盖的，那就是念佛法门了。想想看，其他佛经、其他法门还有哪一种有这样特色的呢？其他大乘经典是要求菩萨的根机，小乘经典是要求阿罗汉的根机，标准都很高，但是唯有念佛法门是连阿鼻地狱的众生都能救度。
Thus, this is about the importance of Amitabha Sutra in Buddhism to attain deliverance of all beings. So today this lesson is about the emphasis on the characteristics of the universality and importance of the Amitabha Sutra. Namo Amituofo.
所以这就是显明《阿弥陀经》的重要性，因为真正是达到普度众生了。今天就先讲到阿弥陀经的普遍性和重要性的特色，下一次再继续。南无阿弥陀佛。
(Translated and edited by the Singapore & Malaysia Pure Land School Translation Team)
