如何最自在圆满福慧双修
How To Perfectly Cultivate Both Blessings And Wisdom With The Greatest Ease
修福不修慧，
象身掛瓔珞。
修慧不修福，
罗汉应供薄。
— 佛教偈颂
Cultivating blessings and not cultivating wisdom, on the elephant’s body hangs necklaces. Cultivating wisdom and not cultivating blessings, the Arhat’s offerings are sparse.
— Buddhist Verse
修福
Cultivation Of Blessings
In the Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of The Great Vehicle’s Immeasurable Life’s Adornments《佛说大乘无量寿庄严经》, which is the Sòng Dynasty’s Translation (宋译) of the Immeasurable Life Sūtra《无量寿经》, Undertaking Dharma Bhikṣu (作法苾刍) (who is also known as Dharma Treasury Bhikṣu: 法藏比丘), who is now accomplished as Amitā[bha] Buddha (阿弥陀佛: Āmítuófó), before World At Ease King Thus Come One (世自在王如来), gave rise to great vows (大愿), including the below, on the easiness of making offerings to Buddhas.
【第二十愿】:「世尊，我得菩提，成正觉已，我居宝刹，所有菩萨，发大道心，欲以真珠璎珞，宝盖幢幡，衣服卧具，饮食汤药，香华伎乐，承事供养，他方世界，无量无边，诸佛世尊，而不能往。我于尔时，以宿愿力，令彼他方诸佛世尊，各舒手臂，至我刹中，受是供养，令彼速成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。」
[Twentieth Vow]: ‘World-Honoured One, when I attain Bodhi, accomplished with Right Awakening [of Buddhahood] already, in my dwelling treasure land, if all Bodhisattvas, giving rise to the great path’s mind [i.e. Bodhi Mind: 菩提心], desiring to, with pearls and necklaces, treasure canopies and hanging banners, clothing and bedding, drinks and food, decoctions of medicine, incense, flowers and music, to support, serve and make offerings, to other directions’ worlds’ immeasurable and boundless all Buddha World-Honoured Ones, yet are not able to approach, I, at that time, with past vows’ power, will enable those other directions’ all Buddha World-Honoured Ones, to each stretch their arms, to my land within, to receive these offerings, enabling those to quickly accomplish Anuttara Samyak Saṃbodhi [i.e. Buddhahood].‘
In summary, this vow enables all in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land (净土) to make all kinds of manifested offerings to all other Buddhas beyond his Pure Land, simply by willing to do so. Should there be Buddha lands which are not able to be approached, (which should not exist), those Buddhas will personally reach into Āmítuófó’s Pure Land to receive the offerings directly. With the making of such great and many offerings to so many Buddhas, thus accumulating much meritorious virtues (功德), (along with Perfection Of Wisdom), there will be the swiftest progress towards Buddhahood.
【第二十一愿】:「世尊，我得菩提，成正觉已，我居宝刹，所有菩萨，随自意乐，不离此界，欲以真珠璎珞，宝盖幢幡，衣服卧具，饮食汤药，香华伎乐，供养他方，无量诸佛。又复思惟，如佛展臂，至此受供，劬劳诸佛，令我无益。作是念时，我以神力，令此供具，自至他方诸佛面前，一一供养。尔时，菩萨，不久悉成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。」
[Twenty-First Vow]: ‘World-Honoured One, when I attain Bodhi, accomplished with Right Awakening already, in my dwelling treasure land, if all Bodhisattvas, according to their personal wishes joyfully, not leaving this world, desiring to, with pearls and necklaces, treasure canopies and hanging banners, clothing and bedding, drinks and food, decoctions of medicine, incense, flowers and music, to make offerings to other directions’ immeasurable all Buddhas. Furthermore, again contemplating, that with such Buddhas extending their arms, to arrive at this place to receive the offerings, exhausting and toiling all Buddhas, causes me to be without benefits. When having this thought, I, with supernormal powers, will enable these offering instruments, to naturally arrive at other directions’ all Buddhas, in front of them, with each and every one offered. At that time, Bodhisattvas will not long all accomplish Anuttara Samyak Saṃbodhi.’
In summary, this vow enables all in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land to make all kinds of manifested offerings to all other Buddhas beyond his Pure Land, without departing from it. Not that Buddhas can actually become exhausted (unless manifesting so), but if some in the Pure Land think so, their offerings will ‘automatically’ appear before all the Buddhas they are intended for. Again, with the making of such great and many offerings to so many Buddhas, thus accumulating much meritorious virtues, (along with Perfection Of Wisdom), there will be the swiftest progress towards Buddhahood.
These two vows highlight the incredibly meticulous and thus comprehensive nature of Āmítuófó’s vows in supporting us, to have blessings and wisdom both cultivated (福慧双修) with the greatest ease. It is when blessings and wisdom are completed and perfected (福慧圆满) that Buddhahood is attained.
One of the best practices for cultivating blessings is by making offerings to Buddhas in person, as they are the meritoriously virtuous ones most worthy of offerings. On making offerings through Āmítuófó’s Pure Land, the below was also taught in the Amitā[bha] Sūtra《阿弥陀经》.
「昼夜六时，雨天曼陀罗华。其土众生，常以清旦，各以衣祴，盛众妙华，供养他方十万亿佛。即以食时，还到本国… 」
‘Day and night, during the six periods, raining from the sky are Māndarāva flowers. That land’s sentient beings, constantly in early mornings, each with their clothes’ lapels, fill many wonderful flowers, to make offerings to other directions’ hundred thousand koṭis of Buddhas. Promptly by mealtime, they return to the original land…‘
In summary, there are always heavenly flowers available as default offerings, unless with other preferred offerings, which will manifest as willed. These can be personally offered to innumerable Buddhas most swiftly. Wisdom can be cultivated by listening to these Buddhas’ teachings before and/or after making offerings to them too.
修慧
Cultivation Of Wisdom
Amazingly, since Āmítuófó also represents all Buddhas, (with his name literally meaning ‘Immeasurable Buddha/s’: 无量佛), even if staying put in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land, making offerings to him alone also creates immeasurable meritorious virtues, while the wisdom of all Buddhas can be learnt and realised through the omnipresent Dharma in the land too. Even if wishing to hear other Buddhas teach without leaving the present land, this is possible according to the following vows in the Wèi Dynasty’s Translation (魏译) of the ‘Immeasurable Life Sūtra’《无量寿经》.
【第三十一：净国照见十方愿】:「设我得佛，国土清净，皆悉照见十方一切无量无数不可思议诸佛世界，犹如明镜，睹其面像。若不尔者，不取正觉。」
[Thirty-First Vow Of Pure Land With Illumination And Sight Of The Ten Directions]: ‘If I attain Buddhahood, my land will be pure, with all of it illuminating for seeing the ten directions’ all immeasurable, innumerable and inconceivable all Buddha worlds, similar to in a clear mirror, seeing their faces’ images. If it is not thus, I shall not obtain Right Awakening.’
【第四十：随意见诸佛国愿】:「设我得佛，国中菩萨，随意欲见十方无量严净佛土，应时如愿，于宝树中，皆悉照见，犹如明镜，睹其面像。若不尔者，不取正觉。」
[Fortieth Vow Of Seeing All Buddha Lands Accordingly As Wished]: ‘If I attain Buddhahood, of Bodhisattvas within my land, accordingly as wished, with desires to see the ten directions’ immeasurable majestic and pure Buddha lands, they will immediately as aspired, within the treasure trees, all be illuminated and seen, similar to in clear mirrors, seeing their faces’ images. If it is not thus, I shall not obtain Right Awakening.’
In summary, these two vows enable all in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land to immediately see all pure and defiled Buddha lands as wished, with the greatest of clarity. Of course, beyond sights, the sounds of these lands’ Buddhas’ teachings will be heard too.
With these four vows above actualised for us, they make Āmítuófó’s Pure Land the ultimate physical ‘unmoving place for realising the path’ (不动道场), for aligning to the spiritual ‘unmoving “place” for realising the path’, which is our constantly present Buddha-nature (佛性) within. Even without moving from his Pure Land, we can cultivate blessings and wisdom fully to attain Buddhahood. Such great ease is surely reason enough to reach this Pure Land!
虽修福与慧，
不知念阿弥，
未得阿罗汉，
轮回无了时。
— 佛教偈颂
Although cultivating blessings with wisdom, not knowing to be mindful of Āmítuófó, yet to attain as an Arhat, are rebirths without completion’s time.
— Buddhist Verse
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