Q&A Quotes

Can Mindfulness Of Buddha Be Repentance & Aspiration Practice? 能以念佛忏悔发愿吗? Nianfo Eradicates Afflictions & Karmic Obstacles 念佛能除烦脑消业障

念佛能除烦脑消业障

   若有皈依佛世尊者、
   若称名者,
   除百千劫烦恼重障,
   何況正心修念佛定?

释迦牟尼佛
《佛说观佛三昧海经》  

Mindfulness Of Buddha Eradicates
Afflictions & Karmic Obstacles

If there are those who take refuge in Buddha World-Honoured Ones, if they recite their names, this eradicates hundreds of thousands of kalpas of afflictions and heavy obstacles, what more with the upright mind cultivating concentration from mindfulness of Buddha?

Śākyamuni Buddha
(The Sûtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of
The Ocean-like Samādhi From Contemplation Of Buddha)

*

问:听说一人开始念佛后,孩子死去。应当如何看待?

Question: I heard about one, whom after practising mindfulness of Buddha, his child died. How should we see this?

答:他若没念佛,儿子会更早死。因为念佛消业障,与念佛者有共业者,一定重业轻报。

Answer: If he did not practise at all, the death would had come sooner. As mindfulness of Buddha eradicates karmic obstacles, those with close collective karma with the practitioner will have their heavy negative karma lighten in effect.

当然,亲属也有各自的别业,不可能以一人有限的念佛,而全家永远不老病死。这毕竟是轮回众生的性质。

Of course, as relatives also have their own distinct karma, it is not possible that one person’s limited practice enables the whole family to never age, get sick or die, as this is the nature of beings still trapped in rebirth after all.

问:他后来临终时,觉得难专心念佛,而另外修忏悔与发愿,希望能因此除烦恼,消业障。既然有了念佛的正行,还须要这些助行吗?

Question: When he was dying later, as he felt that he could not focus his mind on mindfulness of Buddha, he also did separate practices for repentance and giving rise of aspiration, hoping to eradicate afflictions and karmic obstacles. Since already with mindfulness of Buddha as the Main Practice, are these Supportive Practices still needed?

答:他应当注重以至诚恳心念佛,不是注重专心。请看最后文钞: https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-pk,也看至心感佛,自得专心的道理: https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-1Ov 如以上经句所言,念佛已足够直接消除烦恼业障。错误想象念佛不足,可能是因为对佛缺乏信心,而阻碍与佛的感应。

Answer: He should had paid attention on having the utmost sincere mind when mindful of Buddha, not the focused mind. See the last letter at https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-pk on this. See too, on how the sincere mind connects to Buddha, to naturally attain the focused mind at https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-1Ov As the line in the sûtra above says, mindfulness of Buddha is already adequate for directly eradicating afflictions and karmic obstacles. To falsely imagine mindfulness of Buddha is not enough might be due to lack of Faith in Buddha, which obstructs connection with Buddha.

一些众生已经执着自己恶业深重,也执着要以更多方式忏悔发愿。因为有强烈的分别心,他们把念佛与忏悔和发愿完全分为不同的修法。

Some are already attached to their negative karma being heavy, also attached to the idea that they have to do more, to express repentance and aspiration. Due to having a strong sense of differentiation, they see the practice of mindfulness of Buddha to be totally separate from practices for repentance and giving rise of aspiration.

其实,念佛的至心已经能包括忏悔心与发愿心。

The truth is, the sincere mind when mindful of Buddha already is able to include the mind of repentance and giving rise of aspiration.

《净土圣贤录》的张善和,张钟馗,二位极重恶业的屠夫是很好至心念佛,而得生净土的例子: https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-Kd 专修念佛为正行已经足够忏悔罪业,发愿往生。

In the ‘Record Of Pure Land Sages’ are the cases of two butchers, Zhāng Shànhé and Zhāng Zhōngkuí, who are very good examples of those who had extremely heavy negative karma, who practised mindfulness of Buddha with the sincere mind and reached Pure Land: https://wp.me/p5Bdbv-Kd Focused cultivation of mindfulness of Buddha as the Main Practice is already adequate for repentance of transgressions, and expression of aspiration to be reborn.

临终时,为了尽快安抚有分别心的临终者,最多劝念四句《忏悔文》,好让放下罪过,后开示提醒,要至心念佛,直到见佛,而跟佛往生。用此心态的每一念,即是忏悔发愿求生的心。

When approaching the end of life, to swiftly put the minds of the dying at peace, who still feel that they have to do separate practices, at most encourage them to chant the four-lined Verse For Repentance, so as to let go of their transgressions, followed by guidance to remind them to use the sincere mind to be mindful of Buddha, until the Buddha is seen, to follow the Buddha, to be reborn in his Pure Land. Using this attitude, every chant already is with the mind of repentance, and aspiration to seek birth.

忏悔文

往昔所造诸恶业,
皆由无始贪瞋痴,
从身语意之所生,
一切我今皆忏悔。

Verse For Repentance

Of all my past created evil karma,
all by beginningless greed, anger and delusion,
from my body, speech and mind as arisen,
for all I now express repentance.

其实,我们‘尽虚空不能容受’的恶业难在这一生忏尽。所以须要念佛,得他力加持,以佛的大威神力消业障,才能得生净土。

The truth is, our negative karma is so much, that ‘exhausting empty space, it cannot be contained’. As such, it is difficult to be completely repented in one lifetime. Thus is there need to be mindful of Buddha, to attain his Other-power’s blessings, with his great awe-inspiring power, eradicate our karmic obstacles, to then be able to attain birth in his Pure Land.

一些修忏悔者比较注重自力,而至心念佛已经是完全运用自他二力的圆满忏悔法,能消除极多业障。在此总结…

Some who cultivate repentance practices focus more on Self-power, while mindfulness of Buddha with the sincere mind is already the perfect repentance method that completely utilises both Self and Other-power, to eradicate extremely many karmic obstacles. To conclude here…

忏愿偈

以至诚心,
信愿念佛,
能表忏悔,
已表发愿。

Verse On Repentance & Aspiration

With the utmost sincere mind,
of Faith and Aspiration mindful
of [Amitā(bha)] Buddha’s name: [Āmítuófó],
this is able to express repentance,
and already expresses giving rise
to the Aspiration [to reach his Pure Land].

偏自偈

过重自力,
轻视他力,
未皈命佛,
未真念佛。

Verse On Self Inclination

Overly-emphasising on Self-power,
slighting Other-Power,
is yet to take refuge for life in Buddha,
yet to truly be mindful of Buddha.

偏凡偈

过重凡识,
轻视佛识,
未真认识,
念佛知识。

Verse On Ordinary Inclination

Overly-emphasising on one’s ordinary mind,
slighting the Buddha’s enlightened mind,
is yet to truly understand,
knowledge on mindfulness of Buddha.

Related Articles:

Recommended Pure Land Practices
https://purelanders.com/2019/01/16/recommended-pure-land-practices
张钟馗往生记
Record Of Zhāng Zhōngkuí’s Rebirth
https://purelanders.com/2019/03/20/record-of-zhang-zhongkuis-rebirth-in-pure-land
张善和往生记
Record Of Zhāng Shànhé’s Rebirth
https://purelanders.com/2019/03/20/record-of-zhang-shanhes-rebirth

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