Instilling a Peaceful Mind in the Pure Land Practice

To be humble and respectful shows that we believe, we are willing to learn.

A humble man would always stay low, giving ways to others.

A respectful man will bow low in honour. He is not self-satisfied nor complacent.

Staying low, giving ways to others means he will not contend with others in all circumstances.

To be humble and respectful is the most important practice in the Pure Land Sect to inculcate a peaceful mind. When we are humble, we will renounce self-effort. When we are respectful, we will rely totally on other’s power. This is the only explanation when we talk about the faith in potential and the faith in the Dharma.

A regretful and remorseful mind is corresponding to a respectful mind. Because of our faith in our potential, we are always regretful and remorseful. Because of our faith in the Dharma, we will recite Namo Amitabha Buddha sincerely with total respect.

Any contributions or sacrifices should be conducted without other’s knowledge. There is not a mundane man who can receive the rescue of the Buddha by doing the merits and virtues of wholesome deeds. This is because the merits and virtues of good deeds help us to realize our faults and sins.

Whatever that we want to do, do it wholeheartedly, just as though we are doing for the Buddha, not for other people. The Buddha will not judge us in the way a man gives his judgement. The Buddha will look at our mind, our intention. The Buddha wants us to be pure and sagely when we talk, when we are thinking, when we are on duties.

Travelling on the ship of Great Compassion and Great Vows, floating on the great oceans of bright illumination, a man with genuine virtues stays in calmness, in the silent breeze. All the disasters are recourse and dispersed.

We will lead a joyful life. When everything thing goes our way, we are most grateful. In difficult circumstances, we still live happily with a mind of regrets and repentance.

谦敬等者，示信受相。谦者卑退，敬者致恭、不自满。卑退之意，屈己下物。

谦敬者，净土安心最要处。谦虚和恭敬的心让我们安心。

谦故舍自力，敬故凭他力。

信机信法之释本乎此。
惭愧常与恭敬相应， 以信机故，惭愧常生，以信法故，恭敬愈至。

奉献应在暗中。凡夫没有一个因为善事功德能蒙佛救，因为善事功德本是叫人知罪。

无论做什麽事情，都要从心里做，像是给佛作的，不是给人做的。佛不像人看人，佛是看内心。
佛要我们圣洁，不管在言语、心思，或岗位上。
乘大悲愿船，浮光明广海，至德风静，众祸波转。过着顺境感谢、逆境忏悔之欢喜生活。

慧净上人简短法语汇集 （十）

Dharma Words of Great Master Shandao (7)

An extract from the Complete Compilation of Great Master Shandao’s Teaching-

the Five Sections and Nine Rolls-7 Exhortation to leave filth, to seek purity

五部九卷摘要-善导大师全集–七、劝厌秽欣净 （厌欣）

1

We should not be attached to the mundane birth and death greedily without despising them.

We should not look down on Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land and refuse to go. I

f we despise birth and death, we will forever be severed from the Saha world.

If we love the World of Ultimate Bliss, we will stay there always.

-Verses In praise of Pratyutpanna Samadhi

凡夫生死不可贪而不厌，

弥陀净土不可轻而不欣；

厌则娑婆永隔，欣则极乐常居。          

  —般 舟 赞—

2

If a man wants to leave the body of birth and death in the Saha world, to renounce the eight sufferings, the five sufferings, who on hearing the Dharma will bring forth the faith to practise it, we should quickly tell him the Dharma without a care of our life.

If we can bring one man to leave sufferings, to leave births and deaths, this is truly repaying the kindness of the Buddha.

Why do I say so?

All the Buddhas enter the world use all kinds of expedients to exhort living beings, to transform them.

They do not wish that living beings will only enjoy the bliss of men and devas by abstaining from evils and cultivating blessings.

The bliss of men and devas resemble the lightnings.

In just an instant, the enjoyment is over and they will enter the three evil paths to undergo unending sufferings.

Because of such causes and conditions, living beings are exhorted to seek a rebirth in the Pure Land, to aim for the Unsurpassed Bodhi.

That is why now we will exhort all who have affinities to seek a rebirth in the Pure Land.

This is in accord with the Original Vows and the intention of all Buddhas.

The meaning of the Wholesomeness of Samadhi

欲得舍此娑婆生死之身，八苦、五苦、三恶道苦等，闻即信行者，

不惜身命，急为说之。

若得一人，

舍苦出生死者，

是名真报佛恩。

何以故？

诸佛出世，种种方便，劝化众生者，不欲直令制恶修福受人天乐也；

人天之乐，犹如电光，须臾即舍，

还入三恶，长时受苦。

为此因缘，但劝即令求生净土，向无上菩提。

是故今时，有缘相劝，誓生净土 ，即称诸佛本愿意也。

 —定 善 义—

3

Having parents, wives and children by hundreds of thousand million in number, they are not the enhanced conditions on the Bodhi Path.

In every thought we think of one another and this is the bondage that brings us all into the evil paths.

After passing away everyone goes different ways to undergo the retributions.

We cannot even recognize each other.

We might be born into the forms of pigs, goats, in the domains of the six domestic animals, wearing fur and horns for many lives!

When will this come to an end?

Fortunately, we are born as humans now!

On top of that we are listening to the most important Dharma.

We should quickly leave the foreign lands, to return to our own country.

It is such a joy to see our father.

It is indeed great to meet the Bodhisattvas and Sravaka.

父母妻儿百千万，非是菩提增上缘，

念念相缠入恶道，分身受报不相知，

或在猪羊六畜内，披毛戴角何时了。

庆得人身闻要法，顿舍他乡归本国，

父子相见非常喜，菩萨声闻亦复然。

4

Father and son welcome each other, as they enter the Great Assembly.

Father asks us about the sufferings in the six paths.

Those who are attached to an attainment reap the rewards of man and devas.

Some are born into hunger, encountering all kinds of sufferings,

With sores and wounds covering the body.

At that time, on listening to the sufferings of the sons,

Amitabha Buddha and the Great Assembly feel greatly sorry.

They take pity on the sufferings of the sons.

Amitabha Buddha says to his sons, the Buddha disciples,

That they should not blame others,

As all the sufferings come upon us because of our misconduct.

Verses in praise of the Prayutpanna Samadhi

4 父子相迎入大会，即闻六道苦辛事，或有所得人天报，饥饿困苦体生疮。

  尔时弥陀及大众，闻子说苦皆伤叹；弥陀告言诸佛子，自作自受莫怨他。

  —般 舟 赞—

5

From the time of no beginning, I have been born repeatedly.

All these whiles I have committed the ten evils bringing harm to all living beings.

I am unfilial to my parents and I slander the Triple Gem.

I have committed the five rebellious acts and unwholesome karmas.

Because of the causes and conditions of these offences, I fall into the bondage of false thinking and inverted views.

I deserve to undergo the sufferings of immeasurable births and deaths.

With a regretful mind I make obeisance to the Buddha in repentance.

May my sins be put into extinction.

自从无始受身来，恒以十恶加众生；

不孝父母谤三宝，造作五逆不善业。

以是众罪因缘故，妄想颠倒生缠缚；

应受无量生死苦，顶礼忏悔愿灭除。

6

For many Kalpas I often harbour a mind of jealousy, arrogance and heedlessness out of delusion.

Constantly I got myself enveloped in the poisonous fire of hatred and anger which burns up all the good roots of kindness and wisdom.

Today only I realize my faults after pondering over my conduct.

I am resolute to bring forth a mind of great diligence, a mind of rejoice on other’s merits.

Verses of praise on bowing to attain a rebirth 

历劫以来怀嫉妒，我慢放逸由痴生，

恒以瞋恚毒害火，焚烧智慧慈善根。

 今日思惟始惺悟，发大精进随喜心。

  —往生礼赞—

7 

Even if we were to enjoy the five desires for a thousand years, these are the enhancing causes and conditions to prolong our sufferings in the hell. Greed, hatred and delusion, the ten evil karmas will come forth continually. They are not the causes of liberation, Nirvana. Living beings are not afraid of the three evil paths as they continue to commit the many offences. They destroy and put the Triple gems into extinction. Such people will sink deep into the seas of sufferings. When a man is unfilial to his parents, scolding his relatives and retinues, he will toil in the hell without respite. 

纵使千年受五欲，增长地狱苦因缘；

贪瞋十恶相续起，岂是解脱涅槃因。

不畏三涂造众罪，破灭三宝永沉沦；

不孝父母骂眷属，地狱安身无出期。

8

Unfilial to our parents, scolding the Triple Gems, we are welcomed by the hellish fire at our death bed.

Slandering and slighting our six relatives, transgressing the pure precepts, we will also fall into the hell.

Killing living beings for their meat, we will fall into the hell of burning fire directly.

不孝父母骂三宝，终时狱火自相迎；

毁辱六亲破净戒，亦堕如是泥犁中。

杀害众生食他肉，直入泥犁火聚中。

9

Stealing and robbing the belongings of Triple Gems and living beings, we also fall into the hell without a date of release. Stealing and robbing from our parents and the six relatives, we will also enter such hell.

劫盗三宝众生物，一堕泥犁无出期；

偷劫父母六亲物，亦入如是泥犁中。

10

Living being who insult and speak ill about the Triple Gems will enter the hell after passing away, without a date of release.

Committing the karma of foul mouth, double tongue speech in greed, hatred and arrogance, they are born pervasively in the eight million hell.

欺诳三宝众生类，死入泥犁无出期；

恶口两舌贪瞋慢，八万地狱皆周遍。

11 

At all times we should be remind of the hell and this enables us to bring forth the enhanced mind to seek a rebirth in the Pure Land.

We swear that we will not commit the karma of the three evil paths.

Even the enjoyment in the human and heavenly realms are not what we want.

Suddenly we remember the prolong session of sufferings in the hell, we dare not forget the Land of Serenity Bliss even for a short instant.

The Buddha Land of Serenity Bliss is the Noumena Land.

It is the best place for us to live ultimately.

一切时中忆地狱，发起增上往生心，

誓愿不作三涂业，人天乐报亦无心。 

忽忆地狱长时苦，不舍须臾忘安乐，

安乐佛国无为地，毕竟安身实是精。

12

Greed and anger are the karma of transmigration.

How can afflictions become the cause of No-Birth?

Witnessing the suffering of the burning fire of greed and hatred, we might as well go back to Amitabha Buddha’s Land.

贪瞋即是轮回业，烦恼岂是无生因，

验此贪瞋火烧苦，不如走入弥陀国。

13

When we only know the present enjoyment of wine and meat, we do not realize our names are already registered in the hell.

Once we enter the hell, the sufferings are unending.

Only then we remember the Good Knowing Advisers in the human realm.

The offender is down with acute illness at the death bed.

His consciousness is deluded and his mind is confusedly inverted.

He can only see the hell coming forth before him.

Cold sweat wells up from the pores and he tries to catch hold of something in vain.

At such a state of sufferings, who can really save him?

The only person who can save him is the very kind Amitabha Buddha

唯知目前贪酒肉，不觉地狱尽抄名，

一入地狱受长苦，始忆人中善知识。

罪人临终得重病，神识昏狂心倒乱，

地狱芬芬眼前现，白汗流出手把空。

如此困苦谁能救，会是知识弥陀恩。

14

The ferocious fire from the hell is burning towards the offender.

At that moment he encounters a Good Knowing Adviser who with Great Kindness and Compassion teaches him to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

The great fire from the hell is transformed into cold breeze, which blows down the whirling heavenly flowers. Transformation Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sitting on the flowers also come forth.

地狱猛火皆来逼，当时即值善知识，

发大慈悲教念佛，地狱猛火变风凉；

天华旋转随风落，化佛菩萨乘华上。

15

Pervasively I would like to exhort all the living beings in the realms of birth and death in the ten directions

To sever evils together.

All of you should come to my Land.

Once you have entered the Land of Nirvana which dwells permanently, there is nothing for you to worry from then onwards.

普劝十方生死界，同心断恶尽须来；

一入涅槃常住国，彻穷后际更何忧。

16

Be careful, do not be heedless in conducting your three karmas.

The karmic paths are clear and obvious.

No one can escape the retributions.

慎莫轻心纵三业，业道分明不可欺。

17

It is better to stay in the closed golden lotus for hundreds of thousands Kalpas than to fall into the hell just for an instant.

宁合金华百千劫，不能地狱须臾间。

18

A man who is born blind only follows his karmas.

In accord with the conditions, he falls into the deep pits.

Indulging in the fire of greed and hatred, he harms himself and others.

Sinking deep in the seas of ignorance, there is no way for him to encounter the wood.

-Verses in praise of Pratyutpanna Samadhi

生盲信业走，随缘堕深坑；

纵此贪瞋火，自损损他人；

长没无明海，遇木永无缘。

   —般 舟 赞—

19

Wandering in the triple realm, we enter the jail of womb because of love and delusion.

After we are born, we will get old and die, sinking deeply in the seas of sufferings.

Now, I am cultivating this blessing and the merits are transferred to attain a rebirth in the Land of Serenity Bliss.

流浪三界内，痴爱入胎狱；

生已归老死，沉没于苦海。

我今修此福，回生安乐国。

20

I wish to renounce the form of a womb.

I seek to be born in the Land of Serenity Bliss.

Swiftly I will see Amitabha Buddha with a body replete with limitless merits and virtues.

I will make offerings to all the Thus Come One and attend to them personally.

I will also see and make offerings to the Worthies and Sages.

I will be replete with the six spiritual power to rescue the suffering beings.

Reaching the end of the empty space in the Dharma realm, this is the same for my Vows. -Verses in praise of bowing to seek a rebirth

愿舍胎藏形，往生安乐国；

速见弥陀佛，无边功德身。

奉觐诸如来，贤圣亦复然；

获六神通力，救摄苦众生。

虚空法界尽，我愿亦如是。      

   —往生礼赞—