龍舒增廣淨土文 4.50

4.50

Providing meals for monks and making offerings to the Buddha, burning incense and presenting flowers, hanging banners and building stūpas, reciting the Buddha's name and performing repentance rituals—all such diverse forms of venerating the Three Jewels—and dedicating this merit with the vow to be born in the West, is also acceptable. Or doing all kinds of worldly beneficial, expedient, and good deeds: if as a child one is filial and supports one's parents, as an elder brother one is affectionate to one's younger brothers, as a younger brother one is respectful and compliant toward one's elder brother, so that within the inner chambers nothing is not thoroughly good, and among the clan there is nothing but harmony; if with neighbors, villages, and relatives by marriage one interacts with propriety and treats one another with benevolence; and even when serving the ruler one is wholehearted for the state, when serving as an official one is humane and benefits the people, as a superior one uses goodness to put the multitude at peace, as an inferior one is diligent in serving superiors; or guiding the foolish and deluded, aiding the orphaned and weak, relieving emergencies, helping the poor and needy, repairing bridges and building wells, distributing medicine and dispensing food, reducing one's own livelihood to benefit others, being generous to others when facing wealth to practice self-restraint, encouraging people with goodness, or praising good and halting evil—performing all worldly goods according to one's ability and circumstances, and dedicating this with the vow to be born in the West, is also acceptable. Or performing any benefit for the world, regardless of whether it is large or small, much or little—even if one merely gives a single coin to another, or gives a single cup of water to another, down to a good deed as small as the tip of a hair—one must also give rise to the thought: 'With this good affinity, I dedicate the merit and vow to be born in the West.' Constantly keep this single thought uninterrupted, with thought after thought placed there, and one will certainly attain rebirth in the highest grade.