一起教大綱
Outline of the Joint Teaching
經言。從是西方過十萬億佛土。有世界名曰極樂。七寶莊嚴。無三惡道。亦無女人。衣食自然。壽命無量。其佛號阿彌陀。放大光明。接引一切念佛眾生。往生彼國。蓮華化生。不由胎藏。若人能一心歸命阿彌陀佛。每日合掌向西。專稱佛號。或數萬聲。或一萬聲。或千百聲。乃至臨終十念。俱得往生。見佛聞法。永不退轉。其知書識字者。每日誦小阿彌陀經一卷。或三卷。或隨力隨分。兼誦無量壽經。觀經。華嚴。法華。圓覺。金剛。楞嚴。維摩等經。及起信。唯識等論。俱係上品資糧。平居又須受持三歸五戒。集諸功德。回向西方。得效更穩。
或以釋迦文佛降生之處。謂為西方淨土者。謬也。釋迦降生天竺。與此震旦同在南贍部洲。舉足可到。合四大部洲為一四天下。如此百億四天下。名為一佛土。從是而西。過十萬億佛土。乃至極樂世界。以此例彼。其相去豈直天淵而已耶。
如來為一大事因緣出現於世。無非教人識自本心。明見佛性。是心是佛。離心無佛。於斯薦得。不歷程途。直趨寶所。是名念自性佛。亦名念實相佛。然此眾生根器不齊。猝難證入。即或依教生信。自肯承當。而無明未破。業種宛然。入胎出胎。迷失正念。無可奈何。所以復開往生淨土一門。教令念阿彌陀佛。回向西方極樂。由阿彌陀佛往昔因中。發四十八願。徧攝羣品。無論若智若愚。或善或惡。十念功成。橫截生死。故謂諸方便中最勝方便。欲入此門。先須知苦。既知苦已。須求出苦。一切眾生以苦為樂。不思此身自無量劫來。暫在人天。驚同閃電。俄而銅柱鐵牀。魂遊地獄。俄而毛羣羽族。血染刀砧。皆由業識所牽。如牛拽磨。輪轉無窮。即今暫得此生。老病死衰。疾於呼吸。惡露不淨。無異臭屍。是非發決定心。起精進行。何由出離。更念人在世間。實賴天地父母生成之力。然天地父母。能賦我官駭。𢌿我衣食。而不能脫我苦輪。開我正覺。唯有阿彌陀佛大慈大悲。能救拔我。能攝受我。承斯恩力。如虎負山。如龍得水。心心不捨。步步不離。三昧成時。現前見佛。自利利他。同登彼岸。豈不快哉。
The Tathagata appears in this world for one great purpose: to teach beings to recognize their own original mind and clearly see their Buddha-nature. This very mind is Buddha—apart from mind, there is no Buddha. If one can realize this, there is no need to traverse long paths; one directly arrives at the treasure land. This is called "reciting the Buddha of one's own nature," also known as "reciting the Buddha of true reality."
However, the capacities of beings are not equal, and it is difficult for them to awaken suddenly. Even if they develop faith through the teachings and willingly accept this truth, their ignorance remains unbroken, and their karmic seeds persist. Entering and leaving the womb, they lose their right mindfulness, with no way to avoid it. Therefore, the gate of rebirth in the Pure Land is opened, teaching beings to recite Amitabha Buddha's name and dedicate their merits to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
In his past causal stage, Amitabha Buddha made forty-eight great vows to universally gather all beings. Regardless of wisdom or foolishness, goodness or evil, even ten recitations can succeed, cutting across the cycle of life and death. Thus, this is called the most supreme among all expedient means.
To enter this gate, one must first understand suffering. Once suffering is understood, one must seek liberation from it. All beings mistake suffering for happiness, unaware that this body, since countless eons, has only briefly appeared in the human or heavenly realms—fleeting as a flash of lightning. In an instant, one may face the copper pillars and iron beds of hell; in another, become a beast or bird, blood staining the butcher's knife. All this is driven by karmic consciousness, like an ox pulling a millstone, turning endlessly in samsara.
Even this present life is temporary—aging, sickness, and death approach faster than a breath. This impure body, filled with foulness, is no different from a rotting corpse. If one does not develop a resolute mind and diligent practice, how can liberation be attained?
Furthermore, consider that in this world, we rely on the nurturing power of heaven, earth, and our parents. Yet while heaven, earth, and parents can give us a body and provide us with food and clothing, they cannot free us from the wheel of suffering or open our true awakening. Only Amitabha Buddha, with his great compassion, can save and embrace us.
Relying on his compassionate power is like a tiger carrying a mountain or a dragon entering water—unstoppable and natural. With mind never parting and step never straying, samadhi is attained, and the Buddha appears before us. Benefiting oneself and others, we reach the other shore together. Is this not the greatest joy?