为何应当相续念佛？
Why Have Continuous Mindfulness Of Buddha?
庐山东林寺方丈大安法师2024年五一佛七现场答疑
Lúshān Dōnglín Monastery’s Abbot Dharma Master Dà’ān’s Live Question And Answer During 2024’s May Day’s Seven-Day Mindfulness Of Buddha Retreat
(10:10 min onwards: https://youtu.be/ZpMKt78QmLg?si=qRYOvkRDLuRqp2i2&t=609)
《无量寿经》云：「诸有众生，闻其名号，信心欢喜，乃至一念至心回向，愿生彼国，即得往生，住不退转。唯除五逆，诽谤正法。」
The Immeasurable Life Sūtra says, ‘All sentient beings, who hear his name [i.e. Āmítuófó], with the faithful mind joyful, and even with one thought, with the sincere mind dedicate, aspire to be born in that [Pure] land, will immediately attain rebirth there, and abide in non-retrogression. Only excluded are those with the Five Heinous Transgressions, who slandered the Right Dharma.’
问：信心欢喜，一念回向，即可获得往生的资格… 那为何还要尽形寿，相续念佛呢？
Question: With the faithful mind joyful, and with one thought, with the sincere mind dedicating, immediately can obtain rebirth’s criteria… Then why is there still need to practise mindfulness of Buddha to the end of this lifespan with continuous succession?
答：这个经文是透过阿弥陀佛第十八愿的一个注解。
Answer: This sūtra text is an annotation on Āmítuófó’s 18th vow.
【「设我得佛，十方众生，至心信乐，欲生我国，乃至十念，若不生者，不取正觉。唯除五逆，诽谤正法。」】
[‘If I attain Buddhahood, of the ten directions’ sentient beings, with the sincere mind of joyful faith, desiring birth in my land, and even with ten thoughts, if there are those not born there, I shall not obtain Right Awakening. Only excluded are those with the Five Heinous Transgressions, who slandered the Right Dharma.’]
前面《卷上》有第十八愿，然后到了《卷下》，这谈第十八愿，它在果地上所成就的功德。… 确实诸有众生… 闻到阿弥陀佛的名号，能生起清净的信心，大欢喜心，以这样的信心欢喜，乃至一念，这个功德都不得了。你把这一念信心欢喜回向，愿生彼国，都能够往生西方极乐世界，住不退转[于阿耨多罗三藐三菩提]。…
Earlier taught in the Higher Scroll was the 18th vow, and later reaching the Lower Scroll, this discusses the 18th Vow’s meritorious virtues accomplished on the fruition ground… Indeed, all existing sentient beings… having heard Āmítuófó’s name, who are able to give rise to pure faith, with the great joyful mind, with this kind of faithful mind joyful, and even with one thought, these meritorious virtues are all exceedingly great. If you, with this one thought of faithful mind joyfully dedicate, aspire to be born in that land, all are able to be reborn in the Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss, to abide in non-retrogression [towards Anuttara Samyak Saṃbodhi]…
但是你要注意这个信心欢喜。你自己问问，你真的有信心欢喜吗？这是极难信之法呀！你闻到阿弥陀佛的名号，当下就能生起纯净的信心… 大欢喜之心，这没有多生多劫甚深的净土善根，是不可能的。众生都是怀疑心很强的。他是贪嗔痴漫疑。怀疑都是他很厚重的烦恼。他遇到世间的什么事情，都马上怀疑是真的还是假的。…
However, you must take note this ‘faithful mind joyful.’ You should ask yourself, do you truly have the faithful mind joyful? This is an extremely difficult to believe Dharma teaching! You, having heard Āmítuófó’s name, immediately able to give rise to the faithful mind with pure faith… with the mind of great joy, if without many lives of many kalpas’ extremely deep Pure Land good roots, this is impossible. Sentient beings all have very strong doubtful minds. They are with greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance and doubt. Doubts are their thick and heavy afflictions. When encountering whatever matters in the world, all will immediately doubt, wondering if they are true or false…
对出世间这样的，这圆顿中至极圆顿的一个法门，哪能就能够[容易]生起很大的信心呢？《金刚经》讲「清净信心，则生实相」。你这个信心，没有一点怀疑的信心，就是实相的心啊！
Regarding this kind of world-transcending Dharma teaching, this utmost extremely complete and sudden within complete and sudden Dharma Doors, how is one able to give rise to the great faithful mind [easily]? The Vajra (Diamond) Sūtra said, ‘With the faithful mind pure, then giving rise to true form.’ This faithful mind, that does not have one bit of doubt, is true form’s mind!
所以，这个不容易。但是你真的有这么一个清净的信心，这一念的回向，一定是当下感通阿弥陀佛的慈悲愿力，当下被阿弥陀佛的愿力光明摄受。临命终时，阿弥陀佛一定会来接引。…
Therefore, this is not easy to attain. However, if you truly have such a pure faithful mind, with this one thought’s dedication, this definitely immediately connects through to Āmítuófó’s compassionate vows’ power, to immediately be gathered and received by his vows’ power’s bright light. When approaching life’s end, Āmítuófó will definitely come to receive and guide you…
正因为信心欢喜一念不容易获得，一旦获得，一定得到往生的保证。正因为不容易得到，我们要「都摄六根，净念相继」地念佛。这个名号当中有弥陀的光明愿力的加持。它能够在我们的内心遣除我们种种的怀疑，最终获得那种信心欢喜。
Exactly because with the faithful mind joyful, this one thought, is not easy to obtain, once obtained, there will definitely be attainment of rebirth’s guarantee. Exactly because it is not easy to attain, we must ‘gather all six roots, with pure mindfulness in continuous succession’ with mindfulness of Buddha. Within this name is Āmítuófó’s bright light’s vows’ power’s empowerment. It is able to, within our minds, eliminate our all kinds of doubts, to finally obtain that kind of faithful mind joyful.
哪怕你有信心欢喜，一念感通，得到了往生的资格，也应该要尽形寿，相续念佛。… 你念的越多，你往生的品位越高。所以，蕅益大师说，「得生与否，全由信愿之有无；品位高下，全由持名之深浅。」
Even if you have the faithful mind joyful, with one thought connecting through, having attained rebirth’s criteria, you also should practise to the end of this lifespan with continuous succession, with mindfulness of Buddha… The more you recite, the higher your grade of rebirth will be. [There will also be more meritorious virtues created, that be dedicated to benefit more beings.] Therefore, Great Master Ǒuyì said, ‘Attaining birth [in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land] or not, is all due to Faith and Aspiration being present or absent; the grade of birth being high or low, is all due to the [Practice of] upholding the name [of Āmítuófó] being deep or shallow.’
所以，信心是我们一定要强调的，也一定要把它升值。信根产生信力。对净土法门，阿弥陀佛愿力，不有丝毫的怀疑。虽然口头上不有丝毫的怀疑，但我们内心还是[可能]有很多怀疑的。…
Therefore, we definitely must emphasise on Faith, and also must cause it to increase in value. With Faith’s Root give rise to Faith’s Power. Regarding Āmítuófó’s vows’ power, not having a very small amount of doubt. Athough verbally saying not having a very small amount of doubt, but within our minds, we [might] still have many doubts…
蕅益大师说，念佛法门唯佛与佛方能究尽。九法界众生靠自己的力量没有办法产生信心，没有办法得到理解。(「唯佛与佛能究尽，非九界自力所能信解也。」) 所以我们的信心欢喜的获得仍然要一心靠倒阿弥陀佛。诵经念佛，熏习净土的经论，获得这个一念的信心欢喜。
Great Master Ǒuyì said the Dharma Door Of Mindfulness Of Buddha is that ‘only Buddhas with Buddhas are able to understand completely, not that the nine realms’ beings with their Self-Power are able to have Faith and understanding [of by themselves].’ Therefore our obtaining of the faithful mind joyful still must wholeheartedly depend and lean on Āmítuófó. With reciting of sūtras and mindfulness of Buddha, permeating with the Pure Land sūtras and commentaries, to obtain this one thought of the faithful mind joyful.
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
