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曼殊室利。是為彼世尊藥師琉璃光如來。應正等覺。行菩薩道時。所發十二微妙上願。
釋迦牟尼佛叫一聲說「曼殊室利」：這曼殊室利翻譯成中文，叫妙吉祥，也就是文殊師利。這一位菩薩，他是智慧最大的，他所住居的道場，是在中國山西五臺山。五臺山上終年積雪，那個地方非常地冷，大約是文殊師利菩薩他歡喜冷的地方，也歡喜修道的人在冷的地方修行，所以他選擇這個五臺山做為他的道場。中國五臺山，在這《華嚴經》
上，也讀到過。
現在這《藥師經》，因為藥師琉璃光如來這種大的願力，不是一般人所能瞭解的，必須要具足大智慧，然後才能瞭解藥師如來的願力和他這種智慧。那麼釋迦牟尼佛就直呼其名，說：「文殊師利！」「是為彼世尊」：彼就是藥師琉璃光如來；世尊就是佛的十號之一。他的名號呢？就叫「藥師琉璃光如來」：這是這位佛的名號。「應正等覺」：這也是佛的十號之一。
「行菩薩道時，所發十二微妙上願」：這位佛在因地行菩薩道的時候，所發的這十二種微妙上願，雖然是不多，可是一切眾生的問題，都包括在內了。無論你是苦、樂、智、愚，都包括在這願力裹邊，皆得度脫，所以這叫上願。上是沒有比這個再更重要的，所以是很重要的大願。
復次。曼殊室利。彼世尊藥師琉璃光如來。行菩薩道時。所發大願。及彼佛土。功德莊嚴。我若一劫。若一劫餘。說不能盡。
「復次，曼殊室利」：釋迦牟尼佛又叫一聲文殊師利，說：文殊師利啊！我再給你往詳細來說一遍。「彼世尊藥師琉璃光如來」：說是這位藥師琉璃光如來，他在沒成佛之前，「行菩薩道時」：他正在修道的期間。「所發大願」：他所發的這種大願。「及彼佛土」：和東方這個琉璃世界。「功德莊嚴」：藥師琉璃光如來他的功德和他這個國土的莊嚴。「我若一劫」：我假設用一劫的時間來講說。「若一劫餘」：或者再比一個大劫還多，那麼長的時間。「說不能盡」：我沒有法子把它說完了。
然彼佛土。一向清淨。無有女人。亦無惡趣。及苦音聲。琉璃為地。金繩界道。城闕宮閣。軒窗羅網。皆七寶成。亦如西方極樂世界。功德莊嚴。等無差別。
一般人念這個「差別」都念差（插音）別，這個字不讀差（插音），應該讀差（疵音）。差別，也就是當分別講。
「然彼佛土」：然，就是說一說前邊那個意思；前邊藥師琉璃光如來發的十二大願。地的國土是那麼樣莊嚴妙好；可是這個佛土，「一向清淨」：從來是清淨的，沒有染污的，猶如琉璃那麼光明透徹的。「無有女人」：在琉璃世界那兒也沒有女人，現在這個 women's liberation（婦女解放）提倡女權的，就反對阿彌陀佛極樂世界，說：「那兒沒有女人！那麼他是不是看不起女人啊？是不是男女不平等啊？是不是重男輕女呢？」
這完全不是的，因為娑婆世界是叫五濁惡世。這五濁惡世，就是我們人住這個時候，是不清淨的，這叫劫濁。我們眼睛所看見的不清淨，這叫見濁。我們每一個人都是煩惱多得不得了，這叫煩惱濁。我們眾生都是情欲所生的；由情欲所生就有男有女，這叫眾生濁。
不但人類是這樣子，一切有血有氣的，都是由色欲而生、色欲而死；就算那個細菌，也是在那個微細處，它有這一種欲，才生出來這種的東西。那麼有欲，就是很不清淨的，所以這叫眾生濁。
命濁，我們每一類的生命，每一類的眾生，生來就是在這個很不乾淨的地方生出來。好像天上，都沒有塵土；西方極樂世界是黃金為地，也沒有塵土；東方琉璃世界是琉璃為地，也沒有塵土，也沒有染污。只有我們娑婆世界，才有這麼多麻煩：眼睛所看的，耳朵所聽的，鼻子所聞的，舌頭所嚐的，身所接觸的，心裏所想像的，都是不乾淨的東西，所以叫五濁惡世。
那麼極樂世界的人都沒有欲，他是由阿彌陀佛的願力而化生的。這個琉璃世界呢？這都是藥師琉璃光如來他的願力所化成的世界，所以也沒有女人。這並不是說男女不平等，重男輕女，沒有這個意思；不過我們人，生為女身應該知道，這個娑婆世界是萬苦交煎的，是萬惡充滿的，沒有什麼值得我們愛惜的，沒有什麼值得我們留戀的，這一切一切都是不乾淨的。所以極樂世界和琉璃世界，都沒有女人。
「亦無惡趣」：這個琉璃世界也沒有三惡道，沒有地獄道，沒有餓鬼道，沒有畜生道，亦無惡趣。「及苦音聲」：不但惡趣沒有，這痛苦的音聲也沒有。沒有種種聽了令人心裏都要哭起來，這種悲哀痛苦的聲音，沒有的。
「琉璃為地」：這個東方琉璃世界，怎麼叫琉璃世界呢？就因為它是琉璃為地。「金繩界道」：用金子做成的繩來做欄杆，把這道路和不是道路的地方分開，這是金繩界道。
「城闕宮閣」：城是所有的城池；闕就是城上邊有那個垛口，或者門樓子；宮閣，這宮殿上邊又有兩重的樓房，這叫閣。「軒窗羅網」：軒，就是一間房，一間房；窗，窗明几淨，這都是很乾淨的；羅網，有這一種七重行樹，七重羅網。「皆七寶成」：都是用金、銀、琉璃、玻璃、硨磲、赤珠、瑪瑙，來莊嚴所成的。
「亦如西方極樂世界」：也好像西方極樂世界那樣子。「功德莊嚴」：他的功德和莊嚴。「等無差別」：一點分別都沒有，是一樣的，和極樂世界阿彌陀佛那個國土是一樣的。琉璃世界和極樂世界的莊嚴、功德，都是一樣的，所以「東阿閦，西彌陀」，東方是阿閦佛，就是藥師琉璃光如來，阿閦佛他是管著金剛部，在〈楞嚴咒〉裏，阿閦佛是屬於金剛部。那麼阿彌陀佛呢？他是蓮花部，西方極樂世界是阿彌陀佛為教主，藥師琉璃光如來是東方琉璃世界的教主。
待續
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Sutra:
"Manjusri, these are the twelve sublime and wonderful vows that the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, made while cultivating the Bodhisattva Way."
Commentary:
Sakyamuni Buddha calls out to the wisest of Bodhisattvas,
Manjusri, whose name means "Wonderfully Auspicious." His Bodhimanda is on China's Mount Wutai, which is snow-covered all year round and is extremely cold. He probably chose Mount Wutai because he likes to cultivate in cold places. Mount Wutai was also mentioned with regard to the
Flower Adornment Sutra.
Sakyamuni Buddha addresses this wise Bodhisattva, Manjusri, because only a very wise person can understand the great vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata; his vows are beyond the understanding of most ordinary people.
These are the twelve sublime and wonderful vows that the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, made while cultivating the Bodhisattva Way. "World Honored One" and "One of Proper and Equal Enlightenment" are two of the ten titles of Buddhas. Although twelve vows are not very many, these vows can solve the problems of all living beings, whether they are suffering or happy, wise or ignorant. The vows are called "sublime" because they are extremely important and can rescue all beings.
Sutra:
"Moreover, Manjusri, if I were to speak for an eon or more about the great vows made by the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, when he practiced the Bodhisattva Way, and about the merit, virtue, and adornments of his Buddhaland, I could not finish."
Commentary:
"Moreover, Manjusri," Sakyamuni Buddha continues.
"If I were to speak for an eon or more about the great vows made by the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, when he practiced the Bodhisattva Way and about the merit, virtue, and adornments of his Buddhaland, the Vaidurya Land in the East,
I could not finish. Even if I spoke continuously for a great eon or more, I still could not finish in that long a time."
Sutra:
"That Buddhaland is completely pure; there are no women, no evil destinies, and no sounds of suffering. The ground is made of vaidurya, with golden cords lining the roads. The city walls, towers, palace pavilions, studios, windows, and latticework are all made of the seven treasures. The merit, virtue, and adornments of this land are identical to those of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."
Commentary:
That Buddhaland is completely pure. It is always clean, pure, and undefiled, as bright and clear as lapis lazuli.
There are no women in the Vaidurya Land. Some women's rights activists object to Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss, saying, "Why are there no women in that land? Does Amitabha Buddha look down on women? Does he favor men over women?" Not at all. We should realize that the Saha world, in which men and women engage in lust, is filled with all kinds of evil and suffering. There is nothing worthwhile here. Everything is unclean.
The Saha world is known as the World of the Five Turbidities. Our time is very impure—that's the
turbidity of the eon. The things we see with our eyes are also unclean—that's the
turbidity of views. We all have incredibly many afflictions—that's the
turbidity of afflictions. Living beings are all born from emotional desire, and they are differentiated into males and females—that's the
turbidity of living beings. Not only human beings, but all beings with blood and breath are this way—born from sexual desire and dying from sexual desire. Even germs are imperceptibly brought into existence by this kind of desire. As long as there is desire, one is impure. The
turbidity of life comes about because beings in the Saha world live in an extremely unclean environment. The things we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and think about are all unclean. Thus, this is known as the Evil World of the Five Turbidities.
In contrast to our dusty, defiled world, there is no dirt in the heavens; nor in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, where the ground is paved with gold; nor in the Eastern Vaidurya Land, which has ground made of
vaidurya.
The people in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are born transformationally as a result of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, and they are free of desire. The Vaidurya Land is created from the vows of Medicine Master Buddha. Because these Buddha lands are completely free of desire and birth occurs by transformation, not by sexual reproduction, there are no women in these lands.
No evil destinies and no sounds of suffering. The hells, hungry ghosts, and animals do not exist in the Vaidurya Land. There aren't any heart-breaking sounds of pain, sorrow, or distress.
The ground is made of vaidurya, with golden cords lining the roads. The Vaidurya Land is so named because it has
vaidurya for soil. Ropes and railings made of gold are used to mark the sides of the roads.
The city walls overlook the moat of the city.
Towers are lookout towers above the city gate, or openings in the city wall.
Palace pavilions refers to two-story buildings inside the palace.
Studios refer to individual rooms. The
windows are clear, and everything is very clean.
And latticework. There are seven rows of trees and seven layers of netting. They
are all made of the seven treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother of pearl, red pearls, and agate.
The merit, virtue, and adornments of this land are identical to those of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. They are exactly the same. As the saying goes, "Aksobhya in the East, Amitabha in the West." Aksobhya (Medicine Master) Buddha, the teaching host of the Vaidurya Land, leads the Vajra Division. Amitabha Buddha, the host of the Land of Ultimate Bliss, leads the Lotus Division.
To be continued
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