龍舒增廣淨土文 2.6

2.6

The Great Amitābha-sūtra says: 'One day Śākyamuni Buddha's countenance was extraordinary. His attendant Ānanda, wondering at it, asked him about it. The Buddha said: "Splendid! What you ask surpasses making offerings to the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas of an entire world, and giving alms to the gods, humans, and even tiny flying and wriggling creatures throughout repeated kalpas by hundreds of thousands of millions of times, such that it cannot be equaled. Why is this? Because the devas, kings, and humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, will all obtain the path of deliverance by reason of what you have asked."' Looking at it from this perspective, when Śākyamuni Buddha first wished to speak of Amitābha Buddha, that which was retained in his mind and manifested in his countenance was already different from ordinary days; then how Amitābha Buddha moved the Buddhas was indeed extraordinary—how much more so how he moves all sentient beings! When Ānanda asked and he told him, he said that the devas, kings, humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, would all obtain the path of deliverance by reason of what he asked. From the devas above down to wriggling creatures below, all are together within the three realms and therefore do not escape the cycle of rebirth; this is why they had not yet obtained deliverance. Amitābha Buddha's great vows and great power leave nothing undelivered, and therefore he delivers them all. Looking at his verse when he first made his vows, it says: 'When I attain Buddhahood, / my fame will surpass the ten directions; / humans and devas will rejoice to hear it, / and all come to be born in my land. / Those in hells, ghosts, and beasts / will also be born in my land.' From this, it can be known that among all those within the cycle of the three realms and six destinies, there is none who is not delivered. Therefore this sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha is now in the Western World of Sukhāvatī, and also in the worlds of the ten directions instructs and transforms countless devas, humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, none of whom fails to cross over and attain liberation.' 'Flying creatures' refers to tiny flying insects; 'wriggling creatures' refers to tiny crawling worms. If the Buddha still transforms and delivers such as these, how much more so humans! This is the reason why his vast deliverance of sentient beings has no end. And when a person takes refuge with a single thought, they are immediately born in that land—there is no need for doubt.