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釋迦牟尼佛為了我們眾生這個生死的問題，出現在這個娑婆世界。他生在皇帝的家庭裏頭，把全國的財富都捨棄了，出家修行，在菩提樹下成就佛果。成就佛果後，他觀察娑婆世界眾生的因緣，和哪一位佛因緣最深？他一觀察，知道我們娑婆世界，和兩位佛因緣最深。這兩位佛就是東方的藥師琉璃光如來和西方阿彌陀如來。
東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來，能令我們增福延壽，消災免難；西方極樂世界阿彌陀如來能令我們眾生，帶業往生極樂世界，花開見佛，悟無生忍。
所以在〈二佛咒〉上說：「二佛演化在娑婆。」雖然阿門佛和阿彌陀佛，一位是在琉璃世界，一位是在極樂世界，可是他們這兩位佛，教化眾生的機緣，都是在娑婆世界。所以說：「二佛演化在娑婆，東阿門，西彌陀。」東方就是阿門佛，西方就是阿彌陀佛，這二位如來和我們每一個眾生都有深深的因緣。所以，消災延壽藥師佛就是藥師琉璃光如來，那麼無量壽佛、無量光佛就是阿彌陀如來。
你誰若能念消災延壽藥師佛，他就令你災消病散，罪滅福生，能以遂心滿願，來幫助眾生，這是延生的，是消災延壽藥師佛。那麼阿彌陀佛呢？就是往生的，你誰願意求生西方極樂世界，就念阿彌陀佛的名字，就會生到極樂世界。你若願意生在琉璃世界——藥師琉璃光如來那個世界也可以的，你就念藥師琉璃光如來的名號。
在生的時候，你消災延壽，報盡捨壽的時候，就能生在西方極樂世界，他是往生極樂世界。所以在佛教裏頭，有延生的牌位，紅的牌位，是消災延壽藥師佛，佛光注照你這個本命元辰。那麼我們再生，不願意生在藥師琉璃光如來的世界，願意生在極樂世界，就念「南無阿彌陀佛」，我們臨命終的時候，就往生西方極樂世界。所以這兩位佛對我們每一個眾生的這個因緣都是分不開的。
這兩位佛，我們也不認識，也不知道，那麼想念呢，連佛的名字也不知道，於是乎釋迦牟尼佛就介紹給我們眾生，知道這兩位佛的名號和他的願力和功德。所以這一部經就叫《藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經》。
待續 |
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Shakyamuni Buddha came to the Saha world in order to help living beings resolve the problem of birth and death. He was born into a royal family, but he renounced the wealth of the kingdom and left his home in order to pursue the Truth. After he attained Buddhahood beneath the Bodhi Tree, he contemplated the living beings in the Saha world and discovered that we have the deepest affinities with two Buddhas--Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata in the East and Amitabha Tathagata in the West.
Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata is the Buddha of the Land of Vaidurya Light in the East. This Buddha bestows blessings and long life on people and helps them in times of disaster and difficulty. Amitabha Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the West made a vow that whoever recites his name single-mindedly will be able to take their karma along and be reborn from a lotus in his Buddhaland, and that when their lotus opens they will see the Buddha and awaken to the patience of nonproduction.
The "Mantra of the Two Buddhas" says,Two Buddhas proclaim and transform in the Saha world--Akshobya in the East, Amitabha in the West.Although Akshobya (Medicine Master) Buddha is in the Vaidurya Land and Amitabha Buddha is in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, both of these Buddhas teach and transform the living beings of the Saha world. They have deep affinities with each and every one of us. Medicine Master Tathagata is also known as "Medicine Master Buddha Who Quells Disasters and Lengthens Life"; Amitabha Tathagata is known as both the "Buddha of Limitless Life" and the "Buddha of Limitless Light."
If you are mindful of Medicine Master Buddha, he will bestow blessings and long life upon you and save you from disasters, illnesses, and offenses. He fulfills the wishes of all living beings. Amitabha Buddha enables beings to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you wish to be reborn in that land, simply recite Amitabha Buddha's name. If you wish to be born in the Vaidurya Land, then recite the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
In life, people would like to avert disasters and live to a ripe old age. At death, they hope to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, in Buddhism, there are red plaques for extending life associated with Medicine Master Buddha Who Quells Disasters and Lengthens Life. This Buddha's light shines upon your life-source. If you wish to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss when you die, then you can recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha." As you can see, we are basically inseparable from these two Buddhas.
Yet we don't recognize or know very much about these two Buddhas. We might want to be mindful of them, but we don't even know their names. That's why Shakyamuni Buddha introduced them to us, telling us about their names, their vows, and their merit and virtue. Hence the name of this Sutra is the Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
To be continued |
