The Spiritual Needle which stabilizes the Oceans

Part 2 The Unconditional rescue of Amitabha Buddha

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The teaching on the attainment of a rebirth in the lowest position of the inferior grade is very important as it is the main factor in our individual attainment of a rebirth, the accomplishment of Buddhahood by Amitabha Buddha and the establishment of the Pure Land Sect.

This Sutra passage has a great influence over our individual attainment of a rebirth, and also the attainment of Buddhahood by Amitabha Buddha. Here are the three descriptions to put forward the idea.

Firstly, it is the touchstone on the rescue of Amitabha Buddha

Secondly, it is the spiritual needle which stabilizes the oceans, ascertaining the attainment of a rebirth for all living beings.

Thirdly, it is the fundamental cornerstone in the establishment of the principles of the Pure Land Sect

If the Pure Land Sect is a big building, a hall, the Sutra passage on the lowest position in the inferior grade is the fundamental cornerstone as it is the most important teaching.

Firstly, why do I say it is the touchstone for the accomplishment of Buddhahood by Amitabha Buddha? Amitabha Buddha has accomplished Buddhahood to rescue living beings in the ten directions. Then, how do we measure his power in rescuing living beings? What is the limitation? What is the scope of rescue? We can measure from the attainment of rebirth in the lowest position of the inferior grade. There is no other way to measure this. From the teaching on the lowest position in the inferior grade, we can see the love of Amitabha Buddha is limitless, inexhaustible. The power of his Vows is limitless. So, it is the touchstone to witness the accomplishment of Buddhahood by Amitabha Buddha.

Secondly, why do I say the attainment of rebirth of living beings is the spiritual needle to stabilize the oceanic force? Do you know what is the spiritual needle which is able to stabilize the oceans?

When I was small, I have read the story on Sun Wu Kong who had created a havoc in the heavenly palace. How did he turn the heavenly palace upside down?  When he arrived at the dwelling of the King of Sea Dragon, he asked for a precious treasure. The King of Sea Dragons said, ‘You can take anything you like.’ He looked around and saw a great golden rod which emitted the golden shine. He said, ‘The King of Dragons, I want to take this rod. Others I do not want.’ ‘Oh, no, you cannot take this. This is the spiritual needle which could stabilize the oceans!’

What does this mean? When this needle is placed in the great ocean, the ocean will be calm, without the gigantic waves. The seas are calm with gentle breeze. There is no disaster. But as Sun Wu Kong has seen it, he will take it even if you try to stop him. This naughty monkey transformed it into a small needle, tucked it into his ear and left. From then onwards, the oceans are no longer calm.

Here the great ocean refers to the karmic seas of births and deaths for every one of us. Do we have the karmic seas of births and deaths? How about the waves in this karmic sea of births and deaths? How great is the waves? The waves are very big. As it is described, ‘Throughout the long kalpas, we are sunken in the oceans constantly, transmigrating continually.’ We are buried in the karmic seas of births and deaths. But if we place the Sutra Passage on the lowest position of the inferior grade in the karmic seas of births and deaths, the oceans will calm down. This is known as the ‘spiritual needle which could stabilize the oceans.’ Without this Sutra passage, our mind will be uneasy as we are unsure whether we can or cannot attain a rebirth. We are unsure. But if we can understand this passage, our mind will naturally calm down. The seas of afflictions of births and deaths, the seas of karmic hindrances of births and deaths are calm down. So, is this Sutra passage very important? Yes, it is very important.

下品下生对个人往生、阿弥陀佛成佛、净土宗建设至关重要

这段经文不仅对我们个人的往生非常重要，而且对阿弥陀佛的成佛也是至关重要的。

用三句话来说明：

第一，它是弥陀救度的试金石；   

第二，它是众生往生的定海神针；   

第三，它是净土宗教理建设的根本基石。

净土宗如果是一座大厦、一座殿堂，《观经》下品下生这段经文就是根本的基石，非常重要。

 第一，为什么说是阿弥陀佛成佛的试金石呢？阿弥陀佛成佛了，要救度十方众生，那么，用什么来测试他救度众生的力量到底如何、边限到底如何、范围到底如何？下品下生就能试得出来，别的还试不出来。下品下生能显示阿弥陀佛的爱心是无穷无尽的，愿力是没有边限的，所以是弥陀成佛的试金石。

第二，为什么说是我们众生往生的定海神针呢？定海神针大家知道吗？

我小时候看《孙悟空大闹天宫》，他怎么闹天宫呢？他到了海龙王那里，向海龙王要宝贝，海龙王说：“你随便拿。”他转来转去，看到有根大柱子金光灿灿的，他说：“龙王，我别的不要，就要这根柱子。”“那不行啊，这是我的定海神针哪！”

什么意思呢？这根针放在大海中，大海就波澜不惊、风平浪静，就不会有灾难。但是孙悟空看中了，不给他也要，这个泼猴一下把它变成一根小针，塞进耳朵带走了，从此大海就不平静了。

这里的大海，就代表我们每个人的生死业海。我们有没有生死业海啊？我们生死业海的风浪大不大？非常大，所谓“旷劫以来，常没常流转”，我们都埋在生死业海中。如果把下品下生经文往这个生死业海里一放，大海就平静了，这叫“定海神针”。如果没有这段经文，我们的心会动荡，我们到底能不能往生？我们没有底气。如果这段经文了解之后，我们的心就平静了，我们心中生死烦恼、生死业障的大海就会平复。这段经文重要不重要？特别重要。

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Thirdly, why do I say it is the fundamental cornerstone in the establishment of the Pure Land Sect? Of course, the Pure Land Sect is established based on the eighteenth Vow. But, how deep should the core foundation of the 18th Vow be hit into the earth for the establishment?

For example, if we want to build a high-rise building, three metres of the core foundation is considered too shallow. Even six metres are also not deep enough. It is also not enough if it goes down nine metres. We would hit down until the bottom. For the two -storey building, we dig down to the sand and earth layer until we reach the hard soil layer. If we want to build high rising tower, it is not enough if the foundation only reaches the hard soil layer. It needs to hit further down. It is still not deep enough if you reach the sandy rock layer. You should hit down further until you reach the rock layer. The foundation will be stable then. Reinforced concrete should hit down from here and the tower will be stable.

If you want the house to withstand the magnitude 8 earthquake or magnitude 9 earthquake, you should build the foundation at the rock layer. If the foundation is at the sandy earth layer, hard earth layer or sandy rock layer. Will the building be stable? No, it will not be.

If the high rising tower of the Principles of the Pure Land Sect is based on the superficial attainment of the top position in the Superior grade, there is no way to establish the Pure Land Sect.

If we take the thirteen Samadhi Contemplation as the foundation, we cannot establish the Pure Land Sect as it is on top of the surface.

If we take the Arahant as the foundation, there will be no Pure Land Sect. They are Arahants who are liberated from births and deaths.

So, to build up the Pure Land Sect, how deep should the foundation be built? It should hit to the stage with people who have committed the five rebellious acts, who have slandered the Dharma. If the Buddha is able to rescue those who have committed the five rebellious acts, who have slandered the Dharma, the foundation of the Pure Land Sect is very solid and stable. It means that all men can be saved.

So, this Sutra passage is the cornerstone in the establishment of the Pure Land Sect as a whole. This is the rock layer.

If the foundation is not at this layer, it means that you do not understand Pure Land Sect. If you learn the Dharma, learn the three Pure Land Sutras, but you do not thoroughly recognize the teaching on the lowest position in the inferior grade, that you cannot see its importance, you simply do not know what the Pure Land Sect is.

It is like building a house. You build it on the soft soil. With a slight vibration, the whole house will topple down. Many people study the Sutra, they only look at the top position of the Superior Grade, searching for a few sentences to see if they are qualified to be there. This type of learning is totally out.

So, if you cannot understand the lowest position of the inferior grade, your faith cannot be established.

If you set your position at the lowest position of the inferior grade, then it is confirmed as this is the spiritual needle that stabilizes the ocean. Once it is fixed, it is immovable. There will be no retreat as your spiritual needle could stabilize the ocean.

You should hold on to this spiritual needle tightly. You should understand this.

Of course, we are not Sun Wu Kong, not Amitabha Buddha, nor the Sea Dragon King.

It is unnecessary to fight for it as Amitabha Buddha has distributed to every one of us the six syllables Name. This six syllables Name is based on the lowest position of the inferior grade. So, this Sutra passage is especially important.

Once, a man asked, ‘Great Master Shandao has written the book to establish the Pure Land Sect. Why did he explain the Contemplation Sutra? Why did not he explain the Sutra of Immeasurable Lifespan? There are forty-eight Vows in the Sutra of Immeasurable Lifespan. This should be the root core of the Pure Land Sect. Of course, the former people have also given all kinds of answers. Just now when I was reading the lowest position of the Inferior grade, that reminds me there is the lowest position of the Inferior grade in the Contemplation Sutra.

(to be continued)

Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong’s teaching on the Unconditional Rescue of Amitabha Buddha

第三，怎么说是我们净土宗建立的根本基石呢？净土宗当然是依第十八愿建立的，但是，第十八愿的根基要打到什么地方？

譬如说要建很高的楼，三米的根基太浅，六米的也不够深，九米的还不够，一直要打到底。如果建两层小楼，从表面砂土层打，打到硬土层。如果建高楼大厦，硬土层还是不够的，要继续往下打，打到砂岩层还不够，再往下打，一直打到岩石层，这就稳定了。钢筋水泥就从这里打下去，盖的楼就稳定。

抗八级地震、九级地震，那一定要打到岩石层。如果打在砂土层、硬土层、砂岩层，这栋楼能稳定吗？就不稳定。

净土宗教理的这栋大厦，如果是以上品上生这样的浮表土为基础，那我们净土宗就立不起来。

如果以十三定观为基础，那更立不起来，更在表面上。

如果以阿罗汉为基础，那就没有净土宗了，他自己都成阿罗汉了，都解脱生死了。

所以，净土宗是往下打根基，一定要打到什么地方？打到五逆谤法的人。如果五逆谤法的人也能得救，净土宗就很牢靠，所有的人都可以得救了。

所以，这段经文就是整个净土宗建立的基石，就是岩石层。

如果不到这个层面，可以讲你不了解净土宗。学法，学净土三部经，对下品下生没有深切的认识，看不到它的重要性，那你根本就不知道什么叫净土宗。

就像建房子一样，你建在软土上，稍微一动荡，马上就塌了。很多人看经，眼睛总是盯着上品上生使劲看，在里面找一两句，看看自己能不能配得上，这样到后来都是一场空。

所以，如果不了解下品下生，信心就没法建立。

如果现在就把自己定位，定在下品下生，决定了，定海神针，定了！

定了就绝对不会动摇，绝对不会退转，因为这是你的定海神针。

这根神针一定要拿住，一定要了解。

当然，我们不是孙悟空，阿弥陀佛也不是海龙王，

我们不要抢，阿弥陀佛直接发给我们每个人，就是一句六字名号，这句六字名号是站在下品下生的立场上。

所以，这段经文特别重要。

曾经有人问，善导大师著书建立净土宗，他为什么解释《观经》，而不解释《无量寿经》呢？《无量寿经》有四十八愿，这是净土宗的立宗根本啊。

当然，前人也曾作种种回答。我刚才读下品下生的时候想到，就是因为《观经》有下品下生。

（待续）

——净宗法师《无条件的救度》