[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [念佛鏡](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966) › 2.54 # 念佛鏡 2.54 念佛鏡 2.54 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.54) 問：「何故不念本師釋迦，但念阿彌陀佛？」答曰：「念彌陀者，本師教念，然始解修。猶如父、母生得子已，遂付師教，學問乃成，皆由師立。彌陀亦爾，本師說經，慇懃勸念阿彌陀佛，令生淨土，早證菩提。將念佛名，稱為難事，本師自說：『我行此念阿彌陀佛難事，得無上菩提。』本師釋迦自亦念佛。勸汝等一切眾生，若能稱念阿彌陀佛，定生淨土，早證菩提，是為甚難希有之事，本師遣念阿彌陀佛。又復念佛，猶如父、母多諸子息，當居儉處，將去遂豐，然始養得，不被餓死；本師亦爾，為娑婆濁惡不堪久住，恐畏沈淪墮於地獄，將諸眾生同歸淨土，受諸快樂，不被沈淪，是故偏令思念阿彌陀佛，不念本師。非但釋迦因念佛得成佛，十方三世諸佛皆因念佛三昧當得成佛。故《月燈三昧經》云：『十方三世一切過去、未來及現在佛，皆學念佛，速證無上菩提。』故知三世諸佛皆因念佛當得成佛。」 > Question: "Why not be mindful of our Fundamental Teacher Śākyamuni, but be mindful only of Amitābha Buddha?" Answer: "Being mindful of Amitābha is taught by our Fundamental Teacher; only then does one understand how to practice. It is just like a father and mother who, after bearing a child, entrust him to a teacher for instruction, so that his learning is accomplished; it all stems from the teacher. Amitābha is also like this: our Fundamental Teacher spoke the sūtras, earnestly urging mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha so that beings may be born in the pure land and quickly realize bodhi. Treating the invocation of the Buddha's name as a difficult matter, our Fundamental Teacher himself said: 'I practiced this difficult matter of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha, and attained unexcelled bodhi.' Our Fundamental Teacher Śākyamuni himself was also mindful of the Buddha. He urged all of you sentient beings: if you can recite the name of Amitābha Buddha, you will definitely be born in the pure land and quickly realize bodhi; this is an extremely difficult and rare matter. Our Fundamental Teacher dispatched us to be mindful of Amitābha Buddha. Furthermore, buddhānusmṛti is like parents with many children who reside in a place of famine; leading them to a place of plenty, only then can they be nourished and not starve to death. Our Fundamental Teacher is also like this: because the Sahā world is defiled and evil, unfit to dwell in for long, and fearing that beings will sink and fall into hell, he leads all sentient beings together to return to the pure land, to receive various pleasures and not sink down. For this reason he specifically had them be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, and not be mindful of our Fundamental Teacher. Not only did Śākyamuni attain buddhahood due to buddhānusmṛti, but all the buddhas of the ten directions and the three times will also attain buddhahood due to buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. Therefore the Candrapradīpa-samādhi-sūtra says: 'All the past, future, and present buddhas of the ten directions and the three times learn buddhānusmṛti and quickly realize unexcelled bodhi.' Hence we know that all buddhas of the three times will attain buddhahood due to buddhānusmṛti." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.53) - [Next: 2.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.55) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966~en-mt.2.54) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.54) · Pramāṇa