【八】：幼时尚不知念佛，见邻家一老妪每日课佛数千。
[Part 8]: When young, still not knowing [about] mindfulness [of] Buddha, [I] saw a neighbouring old woman, [who] every day chanted several thousand [times of] Buddha’s [name].
[Note 1: Daily discipline of practice committed to can be measured by number of chants or duration of chanting.]
问云：「为何如此？ 」
[I] asked, ‘Why [do you practise] in this way?’
彼云：「先夫往时念佛，去得甚好，故我如此念；先夫去时并无他病，只与人一请而别。」
She said, ‘When [my] former husband [was] reborn, [he practised] mindfulness [of] Buddha. [As he] attained departure [that went] extremely good, thus [am] I in this way chanting [too]. When [my] former husband departed, [he was] also without other sicknesses, only with people once greeted, then leaving.’
[Note 2: She was emulating the good example set by her late husband, who practised so well that he was able to depart with great ease and without sickness, thus inspiring her, the Great Master and others who know of his case. We too should emulate good examples by becoming good examples.]
出家人奈何不念佛？
[If so, of those who have] left [the] household [life], how [can they] not [be] mindful [of] Buddha [too]?
[Note 3: Not only for monastics, who should seek to be liberated from all worldly rebirths, since laypersons also wish to depart well for the best destination, all should learn and practise mindfulness of Buddha sincerely and diligently.]
净土宗八祖莲池大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 8th Patriarch Great Master Liánchí
《云栖净土汇语》：警众（八条）
(Collection [Of] Yúnqī’s Pure Land Sayings: Eight Articles [As] Warnings [For The] Masses)
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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转娑婆成净土与生天都不易
[7] Transforming This Sahā World To A Pure Land And Birth In Heaven Are Both Not Easy
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莲池大师「警众」八条文
Great Master Liánchí’s Eight Articles Of Warnings For The Masses
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