为什么我们平时要念佛呢？平时念佛，就是为临终时作一个准备。为什么不等到临终时才念呢？因为习惯是日积月累而成的。你平时没有念佛的习惯，等到临命终时，就想不起来要念佛，或根本不知道要念佛。所以平时要学着念佛，修净土法门，等到临命终时才不会惊慌失措，而得以平安往生极乐世界。

Why do we recite the Buddha’s name in ordinary times? Reciting in ordinary times prepares us for our final hour. Why don’t we wait until the last hour to recite? Because habits are formed by gradually through the days and months. If you’re not in the habit of reciting at ordinary times, at your last moment you won’t remember to recite, or won’t even know what to recite. So it’s important to practice reciting the Buddha’s name and cultivate the Pure Land Dharma-door on a regular basis. Then you won’t panic at the time of death, and you’ll be able to attain peaceful rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

为什么要往生西方极乐世界？因为阿弥陀佛在因地，为法藏比丘时，曾发四十八大愿，其中说，我成佛之后，十方所有的众生，若有称念我名号者，我一定接引他到我的世界来，将来成佛。在我的世界里，众生都是由莲华化生，故身体清净无染。因为阿弥陀佛发这种大愿，所以一切众生都应该修念佛法门，这是很对机，很容易修的一个法门。

在经上又说：

末法人修行，一亿人修行，
罕一得道，唯以念佛得度。

Why do we want to get reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss? Because when Amitabha Buddha was the Bhikshu Fazang (Dharma Treasury) in a past life, he made forty-eight great vows. In one of these vows he said, “After I have become a Buddha, if there are living beings in the ten directions who recite my name, I will receive them and bring them to my land, and they will become Buddhas in the future. In my land, all living beings are born transformationally from lotus flowers, so their bodies will be pure and have no defilement.” Because of these great vows made by Amitabha Buddha, all living beings should cultivate the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha’s name. This is a very appropriate and easy Dharma-door to cultivate. The Sutras also say,

“In the Dharma-ending Age, it will be rare even for one out of a hundred million cultivators to attain the Way. Only by reciting the Buddha’s name can living beings be saved.”

这就是说一亿人修行，一个得道的都没有，只有念佛才能往生极乐世界而得度。尤其现在末法时代，念佛正与一般人的根机相应。

Only those who recite the Buddha’s name can be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Reciting the Buddha’s name is especially appropriate for people in the present Dharma-ending Age.

但在西方，现在不是末法时代，可以说是正法时代。为什么说是正法时代？因为佛法刚刚传到西方国家来，正当兴旺。所以现在美国有很多人欢喜参禅打坐，这也是正法的表现。在正法时期也可修念佛法门，末法时期也可以修念佛法门，什么时代都可以修行，如果有人对其他法门，功夫用不上，可以修念佛法门。

However, in the West, it’s not the Dharma-ending Age right now. It’s the Proper Dharma Age, because the Buddhadharma has just been transmitted to the West, and it has just started to flourish. Therefore, many Americans like to sit in meditation and investigate Chan. This is an indication of the Proper Dharma Age. During the Proper Dharma Age, people can also cultivate the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha’s name, as can people in the Dharma-ending Age. In fact, people of all ages can cultivate this Dharma-door. If people have difficulty developing their skills in other Dharma-doors, they can cultivate the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha’s name.

永明寿大师说：“有禅有净土，犹如带角虎；现世为人师，将来作佛祖。”又参禅又念佛，好像老虎有犄角似的；现世可以为人的师表，将来可以成佛作祖。

Great Master Yong Mingshou said, “With Chan and with Pure Land, one is like a tiger wearing horns－In this life a teacher of people, in the future a patriarch and a Buddha.”

所以真正参禅的人，就是真正念佛；真正念佛的人，也就是真正参禅。再深一层地说，真正持戒的人，也就是真正参禅；真正参禅的人，也就是真正持戒。那么真正讲经说法的人，他是为讲经而讲经，也就是真正参禅。

《永嘉大师证道歌》上说：

宗亦通，说亦通，
定慧圆明不滞空。

One who truly investigates Chan is really reciting the Buddha’s name, and one who really recites is truly investigating Chan. Let me explain further: one who truly upholds the precepts is really investigating Chan, and one who really investigates Chan is truly upholding the precepts. A true Sutra lecturer who speaks Sutras for the sake of speaking Sutras is also truly investigating Chan. The “Song of Enlightenment” by Great Master Yongjia says:

The (Chan) school penetrated and the doctrines
     penetrated.
Samadhi and wisdom are completely clear;
I do not stagnate in emptiness.

又会参禅，又会讲经，这是宗说兼通。再进一层说，真正持咒的人，真正修密宗的人，也就是真正参禅。

One who is capable of investigating Chan and explaining Sutras has mastered both the practice of Chan and the doctrines. Further, one who truly recites mantras, a true cultivator of the esoteric school, is also truly investigating Chan.

禅、教、净、律、密，虽说五种，归根究底说的都是一个，没有两个。其实再深一层说，连一个也没有，怎么会有五个呢？真正学佛法的人，在这一点上应该明白。所以有的人有门户之见，认为念佛法门最高，参禅不对；或者有人说参禅最高，念佛错误，这都是没有明白佛法的人。应知一切皆是佛法，皆不可得，既无法可得，何必又在头上安头呢？何必无事找事做呢？你若真明白法了，无法可得。可是对一些不明白法的人，你对他说“根本什么也没有。”他就会失望。所以佛说“权法”，就是为了说“实法”；说“权智”，为的是“实智”。实智是什么呢？实智是一个“归无所得”。实相无相，无所不相，这才是真实的智慧。

Although there are the five schools－Chan, Doctrines, Vinaya [Ethics], Esoteric, and Pure Land－fundamentally there is only one. Actually, if we take it one step further, there isn’t even one, so how could there be five? A person who is truly studying Buddhism should be very clear about this. People with sectarian prejudices may think that the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha’s name is the best and investigating Chan isn’t right, or others may say investigating Chan is the best and reciting the Buddha’s name is a mistake. These people haven’t understood the Buddhadharma yet. We should be aware that it’s all Buddhadharma, all equally unattainable. Since there is no dharma to be attained, why add a head on top of a head? Why look for something to do when there’s nothing to be done? If you truly understand the Dharma, there isn’t a dharma to be attained. However, if you tell people who don’t understand the Dharma that there is nothing, they will be very disappointed. So the Buddha used provisional Dharma in order to speak the actual Dharma; he spoke expedient wisdom for the sake of real wisdom. What is real wisdom? Real wisdom is “returning to attaining nothing.” Absolute reality has no characteristics, and yet it characterizes everything. This is true and real wisdom.