When carving a Buddha out of a piece of wood, you would not find someone exclaiming, "That's a Buddha!" until the image clearly appears in the sculpture. The Buddhahood of sentient beings is like a log which is being carved by the light of Amitabha Buddha's name. We would not be able to recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha" until we were about to attain enlightenment. The image of the Buddha can generally be discerned in embryo in a person who utters his first "Namo Amitabha Buddha". Those who recite Amitabha's name single-mindedly and unceasingly have the sculpture of the Buddha firmly carved out in them. They will attain Buddhahood soon.
The patriarchal lineage of the Pure Land Teaching and their major works are: The Chapter on the Easy Path by Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, the Treatise on Rebirth by Vasubandhu Bodhisattva, the Collection on Peace and Joy by Master Daochuo, and the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra by Master Shandao. Though these five patriarchs were born in different places at different times, they commonly expound the doctrinal teachings of Pure Land, based on the Three Pure Land Sutras, and especially the 18th Vow – Vow on Rebirth through Amitabha-recitation. All of their works, whether in expounding, explaining, or summarizing, are based on the 18th Vow. Namo Amituofo!
Death always awaits us. So, it doesn’t matter if we know nothing about the afterlife; but, it matters if we cannot be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss. Above all, rebirth should be our top priority. Namo Amituofo!
We all have a yardstick in our mind which we use constantly to measure if things are good or bad, right or wrong, advantageous or disadvantageous. However, no matter how the measurement is taken, the results that are good, right and beneficial are always in our favor while the bad, wrong and detrimental ones are always someone else’s responsibility. Like a roly-poly toy which always returns to its original position no matter what angle it is pushed at, this yardstick of ours always tells us that we are good and right regardless of how things are measured. Why am I right? Because you are wrong. Why are you wrong? Because I am right. Ha! This is the logic and secret to my always being right! As times and circumstances change and we grow in knowledge and experience, the yardstick in our minds is constantly updating itself. Something that was acceptable to us in the past may now become unacceptable and a former friend may now turn into an enemy. But none of these should cause us any inconvenience. In fact, we find the yardstick very handy because we are rest assured by its “roly-poly toy” effect: it always rights itself. After becoming Dharma-learners, some people’s yardsticks are invariably adjusted. Now, the benchmark also incorporates an element of Buddhist discipline and code of conduct. Although the benchmark has changed, the essential nature of the yardstick remains the same: the “right” side of a case always faces the self, while the “wrong” side faces the other – “I am always right and you are always wrong.” Shakyamuni Buddha has a measuring device which also has two sides to it. One side is labeled, “all sentient beings have Buddha-nature,” and the other side reads “all beings with Buddha-nature will eventually become Buddhas.” Shakyamuni gauges the present and future of all sentient beings with these two sides of his device. What a compassionate measurement it is! Amitabha Buddha has a two-sided measuring device as well. One side of the device is for sentient beings of the ten directions, and the other side for himself. The side for sentient beings is labeled “reciting my name, even ten times,” while his side reads “should they fail to be reborn in the Pure Land, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.” Amitabha vows that if sentient beings in the ten directions who recite his name should fail to be reborn in his Pure Land, he would not become a Buddha. This truly compassionate measurement brings inexhaustible benefits to all beings. May I wish that all people will use the measuring method employed by Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha to judge and benefit ourselves and other sentient beings. Namo Amitabha Buddha!