[68] 如何认识自力了生死与仗佛力了生死的区别？
[68] How To Recognise [The] Differences Of Self-Power [For] Liberating [From The Cycle Of] Birth [And] Death, And Relying On [The] Buddha’s Power [For] Liberating [From The Cycle Of] Birth [And] Death?
◎ 仗自力了生死，皆须功深，断惑证真，见思烦恼丝毫无余。仗佛力，至诚恳切，心与佛合，心与道合，临命终时，自能蒙佛接引，带业往生。
◎ [Summary]: Relying on self-power [for] liberation [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, all must [be with] self-power’s skills profound, [to] sever confusions [and] realise [the] true, [with mistaken] views, thoughts [and] afflictions not [in the] slightest remaining. Relying on [the] Buddha’s power, [with] utmost sincerity [and] earnestness, [with the] mind and [the] Buddha united, [with the] mind and [the] path united, when approaching [life’s] end, [one is] naturally able [to] receive [the] Buddha’s reception [and] guidance.
一切法门，皆须自力功深，断惑证真，见思烦恼丝毫无余，方了生死。
All Dharma Doors, all must [be with] self-power’s skills profound, [to] sever confusions [and] realise [the] true, [with mistaken] views, thoughts [and] afflictions not [in the] slightest remaining, [to] then liberate [from the cycle of] birth [and] death.
断见惑已，即证初果，预圣流，名须陀洹，尚须七生天上，七返人间，而断思惑，渐证四果罗汉之位，生死方了。
Severing views’ confusions already, immediately realising [the] First Fruit, [as an] Enterer [Of The] Noble Stream, named [as a] Srotaāpanna, [there] still must [be] seven lives [in the] heavens above, [and] seven returns [to the] human world, then severing thoughts’ confusions, gradually realising [the] position of [the] Fourth Fruit [of] Arhathood, [from the cycle of] birth [and] death then liberated.
[Note 1: See Note 1 at https://purelanders.com/2019/10/12/amitabha-sutras-function-use-the-fourth-layer-of-profound-meaning-four-non-retrogressions on meanings of these confusions (惑).]
念佛法门则不然。只要至诚恳切，心与佛合，心与道合，临命终时，自能蒙佛接引。
[The] Dharma Door [Of] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha [is] then not thus. Only needing utmost sincerity [and] earnestness, [with the] mind and [the] Buddha united, [with the] mind and [the] path united, when approaching [life’s] end, [one is] naturally able [to] receive [the] Buddha’s reception [and] guidance.
品位高下由修持之深浅定之。极乐四土，虽生同居，位亦不退，即能顿超十住、十行、十回向、十地。
[The] grades [and] positions high [and] low [are] due [to the] depth [and] shallowness of practice determining them. [Of the Land Of] Ultimate Bliss’ Four Lands, although born [in the] Together Dwelling [Land, it is with its] position also not retrogressing, immediately able [to] suddenly transcend [the] Ten Abodes, Ten Practices, Ten Dedications [and] Ten Grounds.
带恶业却能往生净土之理
[The] Principle [Of] Carrying Karmas, Yet [Being] Able [To Be] Reborn [In] Pure Land
带业往生，全仗佛力，喻如有大石百千万个，欲过海者，装于大火轮中，即可不沉而运于他处。
Carrying karmas [to be] reborn [in his Pure Land, with] complete reliance on [the] Buddha’s power, [is] analogous to those having large boulders, [a] thousand million ones, desiring [to] cross [the] ocean, filling [them] within [a] big steamship. Then can [they] not sink, and [be] transported to another place.
[Note 2: Some Self-power (自力) is needed to connect to the Buddha’s Other-power (他力), with which the Buddha’s power (佛力) can ‘take over’ completely.
This Self-power is expressed with the accumulated Three Provisions (三资粮), of profound Faith (深信), sincere Aspiration (切愿) and true Practice (实行) of mindfulness of Buddha (念佛).]
[Note 3: There has to be a sense of sincere repentance, be it expressed formally (via recitation of the Repentance Verse《忏悔偈》) or not, for the Three Provisions to be able to arise.]
[Note 4: The evil karmas that are disabled for birth in Pure Land, thus carried to Pure Land will never ripen again there as there are no supportive conditions (助缘) for the ripening of evil karmas there.
Even upon re-entry into this world for delivering beings, with knowlege of one’s all past karmas created due to the supernormal power of remembering all past lives (宿命通), there can be avoidance of all past evil karmas’ supportive conditions, thus with none ripening.]
否则，撮土之沙，亦即下沉。
Otherwise, those sands gathered [from the] earth, [will] also immediately sink downwards.
[Note 5: If there are more evil karmas (恶业) than good karmas (善业), especially on the deathbed, without connection to the Buddha’s power, there will be falling into the three evil paths (三恶道). If there are more good karmas than evil karmas, there will be rising to the three good paths (三善道).
However, all these are still in terms of ‘sinking downwards’, to still be trapped in the cycle of birth and death, to attain neither birth in Pure Land nor liberation. It is with connection to the Buddha with the Three Provisions that there will be pure karma (净业) created for reaching Pure Land.]
自力欲了生死，犹如舍舟过海，除非有羽能飞，否则，未有不堕溺者。
[With] self-power desiring [to be] liberated [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, [is] similar to abandoning [the] ship [for] crossing [the] ocean. Unless [there] are wings able [to] fly, otherwise, [there is] yet [to] be those not falling [and] drowning.
仗佛力了生死，犹如稳坐船中，片刻即到彼岸。
Relying on [the] Buddha’s power [to be] liberated [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, [is] similar to securely sitting within [a] ship, [in] a moment then reaching [the] other shore.
《世界佛教居士林观音成道日开示法语》
Dharma Words [Of] Teachings [On] Contemplator [Of The World’s] Sounds [Bodhisattva’s] Day [Of] Accomplishing [The] Path [At The] World Buddhist Lay Association
净土宗十三祖印光大师著
Written [By] Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《印光法师答念佛600问》
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Answers [For] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha’s 600 Questions
传印法师鉴定
Evaluated [By] Dharma Master Chuányìn
Námó Āmítuófó : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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