觀念阿彌陀佛相海三昧功德法門 1.72

1.72

又問：若佛滅後，一切善惡凡夫發菩提心願生彌陀佛國者，日夜計心，畢此一生，稱觀禮讚、香華供養阿彌陀佛及觀音聖眾淨土莊嚴，念念觀想，三昧或成未成者，現生得何功德？具引佛經以為明證，欲令修學行人歡喜愛樂信受奉行。答曰：快問斯義。即是閉絕六道生死之因行，永開常樂淨土之要門也。非直彌陀稱願，亦乃諸佛普皆同慶。今依經具答者，即如《般舟三昧經》說，佛告跋陀和菩薩：「於是念佛三昧中，有四事供養，飲食、衣服、臥具、湯藥，助其歡喜。過去諸佛持是念阿彌陀佛三昧，四事助歡喜，皆得成佛。現在十方諸佛亦持是念佛三昧，四事助歡喜，皆得作佛。未來諸佛亦持是念佛三昧，四事助歡喜，皆得作佛。」佛告跋陀和：「是念阿彌陀佛三昧，四事助歡喜，我於是三昧中說其少喻比校念佛功德。譬如人壽百歲，亦生即能行走、至老過於疾風，有人能計其道里以不？」跋陀和言：「無能計者。」佛言：「我故語汝及諸菩薩等，若善男子女人取是人行處著滿中珍寶，以用布施，所得功德，不如有人聞是念阿彌陀佛三昧，四事供養助歡喜功德，過上布施者千萬億倍，亦非比校。」佛言：「乃往久遠不可計阿僧祇劫有佛，號曰私訶提，國名跋陀和。有轉輪王，名曰斯笒，往至佛所。佛知王意，即為說是念佛三昧，四事助歡喜。王聞歡喜，即持種種珍寶以散佛上。王自願言：『持是功德，令十方人天皆得安穩。』」佛言：「其王終後，還自生其家作太子也，名梵摩達。時有比丘，名曰珍寶，常為四部弟子說是念佛三昧。時王聞之，四事助歡喜，即以寶物散比丘上，又持衣服以供養之。王與千人於比丘所出家，求學是念佛三昧，常與千人共承事其師。經八千歲，日夜無懈，唯得一度聞是念佛三昧，即入高明智。却後更見六萬八千諸佛，於一一佛所皆聞是念佛三昧，得成佛果。」佛言：「若人百里千里四千里欲聞是念佛三昧，必往求之，何況近而不求學者。」又白諸往生人等，上來所引佛教以為明證者，一一具如〈四事供養功德品〉中說。

Again it is asked: After the Buddha's passing, if any good or evil pṛthagjana generates the bodhicitta and aspires to be reborn in Amitābha Buddha's land, focusing their mind day and night to the end of this single life, invoking, contemplating, venerating, praising, and offering incense and flowers to Amitābha Buddha, Avalokiteśvara, the sacred assembly, and the Pure Land's adornments, visualising them thought after thought, whether the samādhi is accomplished or not yet accomplished, what merits do they obtain in the present life? Extensively cite the Buddha's sūtras to serve as clear proof, in order to cause practicing cultivators to rejoice, cherish [the teaching], faithfully accept it, and practice it accordingly. Answer: A splendid question on this meaning! This is precisely the practice that cuts off the causes of birth-and-death in the six paths, and forever opens the essential gate to the Pure Land of constant bliss. Not only is it in accordance with Amitābha's vows, but all Buddhas everywhere equally celebrate it together. Now, answering fully according to the sūtra: as stated in the Pratyutpanna-buddha-saṃmukhāvasthita-samādhi-sūtra, the Buddha addressed Bhadrapāla Bodhisattva: “In this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, there are four requisites of offering—food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine—to aid its joy. Past Buddhas upheld this samādhi of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha, assisted their joy with the four requisites, and all attained Buddhahood. Present Buddhas of the ten directions also uphold this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, assist their joy with the four requisites, and all attain Buddhahood. Future Buddhas will also uphold this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, assist their joy with the four requisites, and all will attain Buddhahood.” The Buddha addressed Bhadrapāla: “Regarding this samādhi of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha and assisting its joy with the four requisites, I shall state a brief analogy in this samādhi to compare the merits of mindfulness of the Buddha. Suppose a person lives for a hundred years, and from birth is able to run, running faster than a swift wind until old age. Could anyone calculate the distance he travelled?” Bhadrapāla said: “No one could calculate it.” The Buddha said: “Therefore I tell you and all the bodhisattvas: if a good man or woman were to take the ground trodden by this person and fill it completely with precious jewels to give in charity, the merit obtained would not equal that of a person who hears this samādhi of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha and assists its joy with the four requisites of offering—the merit exceeds that of the previous giver by thousands of myriads of koṭis of times; they cannot even be compared.” The Buddha said: “Long ago, incalculable asaṃkhyeya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Sihadeva (私訶提), whose country was named Bhadrapāla (跋陀和). There was a wheel-turning king named Sikiñca (斯笒) who went to that Buddha's presence. The Buddha knew the king's intention and immediately preached for him this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi and assisting its joy with the four requisites. Hearing it, the king was filled with joy, and immediately took various precious jewels and scattered them over the Buddha. The king made his own vow, saying: ‘By means of this merit, may all humans and devas of the ten directions attain peace and security.’ ” The Buddha said: “After that king's life ended, he returned and was born into his own family as a crown prince named Brahmadatta (梵摩達). At that time, there was a monk named Ratna (珍寶) who constantly preached this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi for the fourfold assembly of disciples. When the king heard it, he assisted its joy with the four requisites, immediately scattered precious items over the monk, and also took garments to make offerings to him. The king, together with a thousand people, went forth as monks under that monk to seek and study this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, constantly attending to their teacher together with the thousand people. Passing through eight thousand years, day and night without negligence, by hearing this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi only a single time, he entered into lofty, luminous wisdom. Thereafter, he saw a further sixty-eight thousand Buddhas, heard this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi at the feet of each and every Buddha, and attained the fruit of Buddhahood.” The Buddha said: “If a person is a hundred li, a thousand li, or four thousand li away and wishes to hear this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, they must certainly go to seek it; how much more so should those who are near not fail to seek and study it!” Furthermore, I address all those aspiring to rebirth: the Buddha's teachings cited above as clear proof are each and every one fully as stated in the ‘Chapter on the Merit of the Four Requisites of Offering’.”