[35] Why Is Amitā Buddha’s (Āmítuófó) Name Thus? 何故号阿弥陀佛？

何故号阿弥陀佛？
[35] Why Is Amitā Buddha’s (Āmítuófó) Name Thus?

丙二、正报妙
C2: Direct Rewards’ Wonders

分二：初、征释名号，二、别释主伴。
Divided [In] Two [Parts]: First, Inquiry [And] Explanation [Of] Name, Second, Separate Explanation [Of] Teacher [And] Companions.

丁初、征释名号
D1: Inquiry [And] Explanation [Of] Name

中二：初、征，二、释。
Within [In] Two [Parts]: First, Inquiry, Second, Explanation.

戊初、征
E1: Inquiry

【经】: 舍利弗，于汝意云何？彼佛何故号阿弥陀？

[Sūtra]: Śāriputra, what [do] you think of [this]? That Buddha, [for] what reason, [is] named Amitā?

[解]：此经的示持名妙行，故特征释名号，欲人深信万德洪名不可思议，一心执持，无复疑贰也。

[Explanation]: [As] this sūtra really teaches upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name’s wonderful practice, therefore specially [with] inquiry [and] explanation [of the] name, desiring people [to have] profound Faith [in the] ten thousand virtues’ great name’s inconceivability, [so as to] wholeheartedly [and] firmly uphold [it], without again [having] doubts [and] second [thoughts].

「阿弥陀」，正翻无量，本不可说。本师以光、寿二义，收尽一切无量。

‘Amitā’ [or ‘Āmítuó’], [is] mainly translated [as] ‘Immeasurable’, [which] originally cannot [be] spoken [of. Our] Fundamental Teacher [i.e. Śākyamuni Buddha], with ‘light’ [and] ‘life’ [as] two [of its] meanings, gathered completely all [that is] immeasurable.

光则横遍十方，寿则竖穷三际。横竖交彻，即法界体。

[His] light then horizontally pervades [the] ten directions [i.e. East, West, South, North, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest, above and below], [and his] life then vertically exhausts [the] three times [i.e. past, present and future]. Horizontally [and] vertically interpenetrating [i.e. all space and time], thus [as the] Dharma Realm’s [essence].

举此体作弥陀身土，亦即举此体作弥陀名号。

[With] all [of] this essence becoming [Ā]mítuó[fó’s] body [and] land, likewise thus [with] all [of] this essence becoming [Ā]mítuó[fó’s] name.

是故弥陀名号，即众生本觉理性。

Therefore, [Ā]mítuó[fó]’s name, [is] thus sentient beings’ original awakening’s principle nature.

持名，即始觉合本。

Upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name, [is] thus [with] actualised awakening joining original [awakening].

始本不二，生佛不二。

[The] actualised [and] original [are] not two. [Sentient] beings [and] Buddha[s are] not two.

[Note 1: In essence, both have the same Buddha-nature (佛性) (i.e. potential to be Buddhas), with the first yet to fully realise it, and the latter having fully realised it].

故一念相应一念佛，念念相应念念佛也。

Therefore, [with] one thought corresponding [i.e. with sincere mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name], [is with] one thought [aligned to the] Buddha. [With] thought to thought corresponding, [is with] thought to thought [aligned to the] Buddha.

【经】：舍利弗，彼佛光明无量，照十方国，无所障碍，是故号为阿弥陀。

[Sūtra]: Śāriputra, [as] that Buddha’s bright light [is] immeasurable, [and] illuminates [the] ten directions’ lands without that obstructing, therefore [is he] named as Amitā[bha: Immeasurable Light].

[解]：此心性寂而常照，故为光明。

[Explanation]: [With] this Mind-nature still yet constantly illuminating [i.e. with awareness], therefore as bright light.

今彻证心性无量之体，故光明无量也。

Now [having] penetrated [to] realise [the] essence of [his] Mind-nature’s immeasurability, therefore [is his] bright light immeasurable.

诸佛皆彻性体，皆照十方，皆可名「无量光」。

[As] all Buddhas [have] all penetrated [their Mind-]nature’s essence, [with] all illuminating [the] ten directions, [they] all can [be] named [as] ‘Immeasurable Light’.

而因中愿力不同，随因缘立别名。

Yet, [with] vows’ powers within [their] causal [grounds] [因地] not [the] same, according [to their] causes [and] conditions, [they] establish different names.

弥陀为法藏比丘，发四十八愿，有光明恒照十方之愿，今果成如愿也。

[Ā]mítuó[fó] as Dharma Treasury [i.e. Dharmākara] Bhikṣu, gave rise [to] forty-eight vows, [that] has [the] vow of [his] bright light constantly illuminating [the] ten directions, now [has this] fruit accomplished as vowed.

法身光明无分际，报身光明称真性，此则佛佛道同。

[The] Dharma Body’s [i.e. all Buddhas’ one collective Dharmakāya] bright light [is] without dividing boundaries, [with its] Reward Bodies’ [i.e. Saṃbhogakāyas] bright lights matching True Nature [i.e. Buddha-nature]. This then [is with] every Buddha’s path [being the] same.

应身光明有照一由旬者，十百千由旬者，一世界十百千世界者。

Manifestation Bodies’ [i.e. Nirmāṇakāyas] bright lights have those illuminating one yojana [i.e. about 12 kilometres], ten, hundred, thousand yojanas, one world-system, ten, hundred, [and] thousand world-systems.

唯阿弥普照，故别名「无量光」。

[As] only Āmí[tuófó] universally illuminates [i.e. everywhere all the time], therefore [is his] other name ‘Immeasurable Light’.

然三身不一不异，为令众生得四益故，作此分别耳。

However, [the] Three Bodies [i.e. Trikāya] [are] not one [and] not different, for enabling sentient beings [to] attain [the] four benefits [i.e. of the Four Siddhāntas (四悉檀)] thus, creating these differences only.

[Note 2:

Three Bodies (Trikāya: 三身):

(1) Manifestation Bodies (Nirmāṇakāya: 化身)
(2) Reward Body (Saṃbhogakāya: 报身)
(3) Dharma Body (Dharmakāya: 法身)

Four Siddhāntas’ (四悉檀) Four Benefits (四益):

The Siddhāntas are the Buddha’s teaching methods, from the simple to the profound, for giving the Dharma to all sentient beings according to their capacities.

(1) Worldly Siddhānta (世界悉檀) for Joy’s Benefit (欢喜益)
(2) Individual Siddhānta (各各为人悉檀) for Giving Rise To Goodnesses’ Benefit (生善益)
(3) Curative Siddhānta (对治悉檀) for Elimination Of Evils’ Benefit (灭恶益)
(4) Supreme Truth’s Siddhānta (第一义悉檀) for Entering Of Principles’ Benefit (入理益)]

当知无障碍，约人民言。

[It] should [be] known [that it is] without obstructions, restricted [by] people[‘s conditions], speaking.

由众生与佛缘深，故佛光到处，一切世间无不圆见也。

Due to sentient beings with [the] Buddha’s conditions [i.e. karmic affinities] [being] deep, therefore [at] places [where the] Buddha’s light reaches, all [in the] world [are] without [those] not completely seeing [it].

【经】：又舍利弗，彼佛寿命，及其人民，无量无边阿僧祇劫，故名阿弥陀。

[Sūtra]: Moreover, Śāriputra, [as] that Buddha’s lifespan, and that [of his] people, [are] immeasurable [and] boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas, therefore [is he] named [as] Amitā[yus: Immeasurable Life].

[解]：心性照而常寂，故为寿命。

[Explanation]: [With] Mind-nature illuminating yet constantly still, therefore as lifespan.

今彻证心性无量之体，故寿命无量也。

Now [having] penetrated [to] realise [the] essence of [his] Mind-Nature’s immeasurability, therefore [is his] lifespan immeasurable.

法身寿命无始无终，报身寿命有始无终。

[The] Dharma Body’s lifespan [is] without beginning [and] without end. [The] Reward Body’s lifespan [is] with beginning [and] without end.

此亦佛佛道同，皆可名「无量寿」。

[As] this [is] likewise [with] every Buddha’s path [the] same, [they] all can [be] named [as] ‘Immeasurable Life’.

应身随愿随机，延促不等。

[As] Manifestation Bodies accord [with] vows [and] accord [with] capacities, [they have] long [and] short [lifespans, that are] not equal.

法藏愿王，有佛及人寿命皆无量之愿，今果成如愿，别名「无量寿」也。

[As] Dharma Treasury [Bodhisattva, the] Vows King, has [the] vow of [the] Buddha and [his] people’s lifespans all [being] immeasurable, now [has this] fruit accomplished as vowed, [his] other name [is] ‘Immeasurable Life’.

「阿僧祇」、「无边」、「无量」，皆算数名，实有量之无量。

‘Asaṃkhyeya’, ‘boundless’ [and] ‘immeasurable’, [are] all counting [of] numbers’ names, [that] truly have [the] immeasurable of [the] measurable.

然三身不一不异，应身亦可即是无量之无量矣。

However, [as the] Three Bodies [are] not one [and] not different, Manifestation Bodies likewise can thus be [the] immeasurable of [the] immeasurable.

「及」者，并也。

That ‘and’, [means] ‘furthermore’.

「人民」，指等觉以还。

[The] ‘people’, refer [to] Equal Awakening [Bodhisattvas] with [those] below.

谓佛寿命并其人民寿命，皆无量等也。

Speaking [of the] Buddha’s lifespan, together [with] his people’s lifespans, all [are] immeasurable equally.

当知光寿名号，皆本众生建立。

[It] should [be] known [that his] Light [and] Life’s name, [is] all originally based [on] sentient beings‘ [Buddha-nature] [佛性] established.

以生佛平等，能令持名者，光明寿命同佛无异也。

With [sentient] beings [and] Buddhas equal [i.e. in essence], [this is] able [to] enable those upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name, [to have] bright light [and] lifespan [that are the] same [as the] Buddha’s, without difference.

复次由无量光义，故众生生极乐即生十方，见阿弥陀佛即见十方诸佛，能自度即普利一切。

Furthermore, due to Immeasurable Light’s meaning, therefore [are] sentient beings born [in the Land Of] Ultimate Bliss, thus born [in the] ten directions [too, with] seeing [of] Amitā Buddha, thus seeing [the] ten directions’ all Buddhas [too], able [to] self-deliver, [and] thus universally all.

由无量寿义，故极乐人民，即是一生补处，皆定此生成佛，不至异生。

Due to Immeasurable Life’s meaning, therefore [the Land Of] Ultimate Bliss’ people, are thus [in] One Life [To] Replacement’s Position, all definitely [in] this life accomplishing Buddhahood, not until [in a] different life.

当知离却现前一念无量光寿之心，何处有阿弥陀佛名号？

[This] should [be] known. Departing [from the] mind of [this] presently manifested one thought’s immeasurable light [and] life, what place has Amitā Buddha’s name [i.e. Āmítuófó]?

而离却阿弥陀佛名号，何由彻证现前一念无量光寿之心？

Yet, departing [from] Amitā Buddha’s name, what cause [is there for] penetrating [to] realise [the] mind of [this] presently manifested one thought’s immeasurable light [and] life?

愿深思之，愿深思之。

May [all] deeply contemplate this, may [all] deeply contemplate this.

– 净土宗九祖蕅益大师
《佛说阿弥陀经要解》

– Pure Land Tradition’s 9th Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì
(Essential Explanation [Of The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitā[bha] Buddha)

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