[506] 为什么说念佛利益比诵经拜忏做水陆大多了？
[506] Why Say Reciting [Āmítuó]fó[‘s Name’s] Benefits, Compared [With] Reciting [Of] Sūtras, Prostrating [With] Repentance [Prayers, And] Conducting [Of The] Water [And] Land [Dharma Assembly], [Are] Much More?
◎ 诵经拜忏做水陆往往会成有名无实。念佛则无一人不能念者。即懒坯不肯念，而大家一口同音念，彼不塞其耳，则一句佛号，固已历历明明灌于心中。虽不念，与念亦无异也。如染香人，身有香气，非特欲香，有不期然而然者。为亲眷保安荐亡者，皆不可不知。
◎ [Summary]: Reciting [of] sūtras, prostrating [with] repentance [prayers, and] conducting [of the] Water [And] Land [Dharma Assembly (水陆法会)] often will become [that] existing [in] name [only], without true [benefits. With] reciting [of Āmítuó]fó[‘s name (阿弥陀佛)], thus [is it] without one person who [is] not able [to] recite [it]. Even if [those who are] lazy [are] not willing [to] recite, yet [with] everyone’s one voice together reciting, those [who do] not block their ears, [will] thus [have the] one line [of the] Buddha’s name, definitely then, distinctly [and] clearly, irrigating into [their] mind [fields (心田)] within. Although not reciting, with reciting, [these are] also without differences. Like persons perfumed [by] incense, [whose] bodies have fragrance. Not specially desiring [to have the] fragrance, having those not expecting thus, yet [having] thus. For relatives, [to] ensure peace [and to] deliver those deceased, all must not not know [this].
至于保病荐亡，今人率以诵经拜忏做水陆为事。光与知友言，皆令念佛。
As for protecting [the] sick [and] delivering [the] deceased, people nowadays lead with reciting [of] sūtras, prostrating [with] repentance [prayers, and] conducting [of the] Water [And] Land [Dharma Assembly (水陆法会)] as practices. [Yìn]guāng for close friends say, [that] all [should be] enabled [to have] reciting [of Āmítuó]fó[‘s name (阿弥陀佛)].
[Note 1: The Water And Land Dharma Assembly (水陆法会) is the most elaborate, lengthy and costly Dharma assembly in the Chinese Mahāyāna (大乘) tradition, which includes the recitation of many long sūtras. Although they include the Pure Land sūtras and mindfulness of the Buddha’s name (念佛), these, especially the latter, is not the Main Practice (正行), not with the most time and efforts focused upon. Although chanting of many sūtras creates much meritorious virtues (功德), without the Main Practice, the Buddha’s Pure Land (净土) cannot be reached.]
[Note 2: With mindfulness of the Buddha’s name, if there is already understanding of its purpose with guidance (开示) offered for both the living (i.e. the dying and support-chanters) and the deceased, all can easily practise it, mentally and/or verbally. Although this seems simple, the Buddha’s name is the Ten Thousand Virtues’ Great Name (万德洪名), which already encompass all meritorious virtues, for swift healing and the best rebirth in his Pure Land, when it is recited with the Three Provisions (三资粮) of Faith, Aspiration and Practice (信愿行): https://purelanders.com/2018/02/08/the-three-provisions.]
以念佛利益，多于诵经拜忏做水陆多多矣。何以故，诵经则不识字者不能诵。即识字而快如流水，稍钝之口舌，亦不能诵。懒坯虽能，亦不肯诵，则成有名无实矣。拜忏做水陆，亦可例推。
With mindfulness [of Āmítuó]fó[‘s name’s] benefits, [they are] more than [those from] reciting [of] sūtras, prostrating [with] repentance [prayers, and] conducting [of the] Water [And] Land [Dharma Assembly by] very much. Why is [this] thus? [With] reciting [of] sūtras, thus [are there] those [who do] not recognise [the] words, [who are] not able [to] recite [them]. Even if [they] recognise [the] words, yet [some recite as] quickly as flowing water, [while others with] slightly slower mouths [and] tongues, [are] also not able [to] recite [together. Those who are] lazy, although able [to recite, are] also not willing [to] recite, thus [with the reciting] becoming [that] existing [in] name [only], without true [benefits. For] prostrating [with] repentance [prayers and conducting [of the] Water [And] Land [Dharma Assembly, they can] also [with the above] examples [be similarly] inferred.
[Note 3: Many participants who wish to (or are obliged to) participate in reciting of sūtras do not recognise many words in them, what more to understand and recite them well, to create actual meritorious virtues. There might be misunderstanding and wrong chanting instead, which is surely not good. With only vague recognising and understanding of that recited, it is difficult to have wholehearted recitation to create meritorious virtues properly. While the learned and experienced can recite quickly, others not so will be distracted and disturbed to some extent.]
念佛则无一人不能念者。即懒坯不肯念，而大家一口同音念，彼不塞其耳，则一句佛号，固已历历明明灌于心中。虽不念，与念亦无异也。如染香人，身有香气，非特欲香，有不期然而然者。为亲眷保安荐亡者，皆不可不知。
[With] reciting [of Āmítuó]fó[‘s name], thus [is it] without one person who [is] not able [to] recite [it]. Even if [those who are] lazy [are] not willing [to] recite, yet [with] everyone’s one voice together reciting, those [who do] not block their ears, [will] thus [have the] one line [of the] Buddha’s name, definitely then, distinctly [and] clearly, irrigating into [their] mind [fields (心田)] within. Although not reciting, with reciting, [these are] also without differences. Like persons perfumed [by] incense, [whose] bodies have fragrance. Not specially desiring [to have the] fragrance, having those not expecting thus, yet [having] thus. For relatives, [to] ensure peace [and to] deliver those deceased, all must not not know [this].
《复黄涵之居士书一》
First Reply Letter [To] Layperson Huáng Hánzhī
净土宗十三祖印光大师
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
释宗柱法师审阅
[By] Dharma Master Shì Zōngzhù Reviewed
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
