[为何念阿弥陀佛而不念本师？]
[Why Be Mindful Of Āmítuófó Instead Of Our Fundamental Teacher?]
为何不念本师释迦牟尼佛？
Why Not Be Mindful Of Our Fundamental Teacher Śākyamuni Buddha?
问：怎么不念本师释迦牟尼佛？
Question: Why not be mindful of our fundamental teacher Śākyamuni Buddha’s [name for our Main Practice (正行), beyond expressing homage and refuge]?
【东林寺方丈】大安法师答：本师释迦牟尼佛在千经万论中都劝我们念‘南无阿弥陀佛’，没有劝我们念‘南无本师释迦牟尼佛’。所以学佛，要听话。释迦佛让我们念什么，我们就念什么。
[Dōnglín Monastery’s Abbot] Dharma Master Dà’ān’s Answer: Our fundamental teacher Śākyamuni Buddha, in thousands of sūtras, and in ten thousand commentaries within, all encouraged us to be mindful of ‘Námó Āmítuófó’ (Homage to and refuge for life in Amitā[bha] Buddha), and did not encourage us to be mindful of ‘Námó Běnshī Shìjiāmóunífó’ (Homage to and refuge for life in our fundamental teacher Śākyamuni Buddha) [as our Main Practice]. Therefore, learning Buddhism, we must listen to his words. What Śākyamuni Buddha asked us to be mindful of, is what we should be mindful of.
释迦牟尼佛亲证到法界当中有一尊‘光中极尊、佛中之王’的阿弥陀佛。他代表着十方三世诸佛的大悲心、大威神愿力、大智慧善巧，能够最大限度的利益九法界众生。
Śākyamuni Buddha personally witnessed that the Dharma realm (i.e. universe) within has the honoured Āmítuófó, who is ‘With utmost honoured light within, the King of Buddhas’. He represents the ten directions’ and three periods’ all Buddhas’ great compassionate minds, great majestic and glorious vows’ power, great wisdom and skilful means, and is able, to the greatest limit and capacity, benefit the nine Dharma realms’ sentient beings [who are not (fully) enlightened].
所以一切诸佛也都以无我的空性，把阿弥陀佛推到前台，自己隐在后面，劝一切众生念阿弥陀佛，往生到西方极乐世界。这是度化众生法尔自然的一桩事情。
Therefore, all Buddhas also, all with non-self’s empty nature, ‘push’ Āmítuófó to the foreground, with themselves concealed behind, encouraging all sentient beings to be mindful of Āmítuófó, to be reborn in his Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss. [This means his name should be used for support-chanting (助念) of oneself and others too.] This one matter for delivering and transforming sentient beings, is aligned with the Dharma and thus natural.
所以释迦牟尼佛让我们念阿弥陀佛，我们就听话。甚至还有一种荒谬的见解说, ‘念“南无[本师]释迦牟尼佛”这个法更高，中下根机的人才念“南无阿弥陀佛”。’ 这就更荒唐了。难道他能超过佛吗？我们都要有辨别的眼光，不要去听世间一些凡夫的知见。
Therefore, Śākyamuni Buddha asked us to be mindful of Āmítuófó, and we should listen to his words. There is even also a kind of ridiculous view saying that, ‘With mindfulness of Námó [Běnshī] Shìjiāmóunífó’ Śākyamuni Buddha”, this Dharma is even “higher”, while people of middle and low roots and capacities are only mindful of “Āmítuófó”.’ This is immediately even more absurd [as mindfulness of Āmítuófó is with ‘the three roots universally covered’ (三根普被)]. How can it be that these people [saying so] are able to surpass the Buddha [in understanding and teaching]? We all must have the vision to differentiate [the true from the false], and must not just listen to some of the world’s ordinary beings’ ‘knowledge and views’.
问：念佛是念佛的什么？
Question: Mindfulness of the Buddha is mindfulness of what about the Buddha?
答：佛有无量的功德，我们可以念佛的光明、念佛的神通、念佛的智慧、念佛的福德、念佛的善巧、念佛的相好等等很多。而净土宗特别强调的是念佛的名号。这个名号作为一个形而下的音声符号，它里面蕴藏着阿弥陀佛形而上的法身、报身的功德，蕴藏着佛救度一切众生的四十八大愿的力量和光明。
Answer: As the Buddha has immeasurable meritorious virtues, we can be mindful of the Buddha’s bright light, mindful of the Buddha’s supernormal powers, mindful of the Buddha’s wisdom, mindful of the Buddha’s blessed virtues, mindful of the Buddha’s skilful means, mindful of the Buddha’s forms’ excellences and so on, with much more. Yet, what the Pure Land Tradition specially emphasises is mindfulness of the Buddha’s name. This name, as a truly definitive form with sounds and symbols, it stores within, Āmítuófó’s metaphysical and formless Dharma Body’s and Reward Body’s meritorious virtues, storing the Buddha’s forty-eight great vows’ power and bright light for saving and delivering all sentient beings.
阿弥陀佛又是法界藏身，一佛等于一切佛，所以‘[南无]阿弥陀佛’名号蕴藏着阿弥陀佛的功德，也就等于蕴藏着十方三世一切诸佛的功德，所以念这句名号就等于念到了一切诸佛所有的一切，所以这就叫万德洪名。
Āmítuófó is also the Dharma Realm’s Treasury Body [i.e. Dharmakāya, that pervades all space and time], with this one Buddha equal to all Buddhas. Therefore, ‘(Námó) Āmítuófó’s name stores Āmítuófó’s meritorious virtues, and is also equal to that storing the ten directions’ and three periods’ all Buddhas’ meritorious virtues. Therefore, being mindful of this line of his name is equal to being mindful of all Buddhas’ all virtues. Therefore, it is called the ‘Great Name Of Ten Thousand Virtues’.
万德洪名就是无量的功德凝聚的一个名号。这个名号跟我们的心是互动的，灵明不昧的。当我们念名号的时候，名号的功德就现前了，这就叫名召万德。这个名号跟我们众生是同体的，召唤出来功德就能够转化为我们凡夫众生的功德，全摄佛功德为自功德。
The ‘Great Name Of Ten Thousand Virtues’ is precisely the name that condenses and collects (i.e. concentrates) immeasurable meritorious virtues. This name, with our minds interact, and is with spiritual brightness that is never dark. When we are mindful of this name, the name’s meritorious virtues manifests in the present. This is called, with the name summoning ten thousand virtues. This name with us sentient beings, is of the same body, with summoned meritorious virtues right away able to be transformed as our ordinary beings’ meritorious virtues, completely gathering the Buddhas’ meritorious virtues as personal meritorious virtues.
所以这句名号是沟通凡夫和佛之间的一个中介、一个媒体，是我们通向实相智慧之海的一个桥梁、一个通道，所以这是很不可思议的。这个名号的光明功德连接着凡夫的法界和佛的法界，所以我们要好好地念这句名号。
Therefore, this line of his name is for communicating between ordinary beings and Buddhas, as an intermediary, a medium. It is a bridge for leading us towards the ocean of true form’s (i.e. reality’s) wisdom. Therefore, this is very inconceivable. His name’s bright light’s meritorious virtues connect ordinary beings’ dharma realm with the Buddhas’ Dharma realm. Therefore, we must be mindful of this line of his name well.
相关教理
Related Teachings:
十大以弥陀圣号助念的原因
[6] Top Ten Reasons For Using Āmítuófó’s Name When Support-Chanting
https://purelanders.com/2023/02/15/6-top-ten-reasons-for-using-amituofos-name-when-support-chanting
三资粮
The Three Provisions
https://purelanders.com/2018/02/08/the-three-provisions
佛中之王，光中极尊
King Of Buddhas Within, With Utmost Honoured Light Within
https://purelanders.com/2021/04/14/king-of-buddhas-within-with-utmost-honoured-light-within
为何专念 一佛？
Why Focus Upon Mindfulness Of One Buddha?
https://purelanders.com/2019/08/21/why-focus-upon-mindfulness-of-one-buddha
