學生：老師，我想請教一個問題。我一直在琢磨，就是末法時期的眾生，唯一一條路，就是先到極樂世界。後來我一直在想，就是到極樂世界，假如我們去，就是習氣還是有嘛，一個念頭跟極樂世界不相應，不是又要掉下來了嗎？

清涼月老師：首先來講，你想怎麼去，通過哪種方法去？

學生：相應。

清涼月老師：怎樣相應？

學生：進如來藏一樣的，跟這個相應。

清涼月老師：你知道怎樣進入如來藏？那跟這個根本不是一回事。你現在想到極樂世界你用的方法是什麼方法？不同的方法不同的層次。

Student: Teacher, I'd like to ask a question. I've been pondering that during the Dharma-ending age, the only path for sentient beings is to first reach the Pure Land. I've been thinking, if we were to go to the Pure Land, wouldn't our habitual tendencies still exist? If a single thought doesn't align with the Pure Land, wouldn't we fall back down?

Master Qingliang Yue: First of all, how do you want to go, and through which method?

Student: By corresponding.

Master Qingliang Yue: How do you correspond?

Student: Corresponding like entering the Tathagatagarbha, aligning with that.

Master Qingliang Yue: Do you know how to enter the Tathagatagarbha? That's fundamentally different. What method are you using now to think of going to the Pure Land? Different methods lead to different levels.

學生：說真的，我不想去的，我是說心裏話。

清涼月老師：那是因為你沒看到，你看到了，你自然想去啦。

學生：進入如來藏的狀態會比極樂世界高一些嗎？

清涼月老師：不能這樣說。

學生：那人死了之後，超度的念那個經。那個死人的神識，他聽到這些經文，他融入到那一種狀態，會不會進入極樂世界？

清涼月老師：經是有很多經的，不是引導他去極樂世界的經也不行，佛陀說的經有很多的。

學生：哪個經是進入極樂世界的經？

清涼月老師：佛說阿彌陀經。

學生：假如證到如來藏，進任何世界都方便嗎？

清涼月老師：對。一點沒錯的，想去就去。

學生：老師前天說，我們都是在膠捲裏面，學佛就是要跳出來，要進哪個世

界就進哪個世界，要什麼身體就有什麼身體，來去自由。

Student: Honestly, I don't want to go; that's what I'm saying deep down.

Master Qingliang Yue: That's because you haven't seen it. Once you see it, you'll naturally want to go.

Student: Would entering the state of the Tathagatagarbha be higher than entering the Pure Land?

Master Qingliang Yue: It can't be said like that.

Student: After a person dies, people conduct transcendence prayers, reciting scriptures. If the consciousness of the deceased hears these scriptures and merges into that state, will they be able to enter the Pure Land?

Master Qingliang Yue: There are many scriptures and not every scripture guiding them to the Pure Land will work; the Buddha spoke many scriptures.

Student: Which scripture leads to entering the Pure Land.

Master Qingliang Yue: The Buddha spoke the Amitabha Sutra.

Student: If one realizes the Tathagatagarbha, are they able to enter any realm?

Master Qingliang Yue: Yes. Absolutely, if you want to go, you can go.

Student: Teacher said the day before yesterday that we are all in a coil; learning Buddhism is to break free, to enter whichever world we want, to have whatever body we want, to come and go freely.

學生：其實去極樂世界就是從一個房間到另一個房間，就是換了個地方，換了個世界，其實還是沒什麼用。

清涼月老師：肯定不一樣的。那是一個定景。那些所有的境界全部都是產生定力的。

學生：定境那也是天道啊，也是要退回來的呀。

清涼月老師：1.去極樂世界的一種方法，就是平時人搞的念佛方法，平時隨便念念佛，拜拜佛，初一十五在一起聚會一下，吃吃齋，等等。這個還有個另外的名字叫做齋教，表面是佛教，實際是齋教。齋教在佛教界定名叫做附佛外道。就是散亂心，然後死後他是昏沉的，但因為大家經常在一起念佛，死後都是生活在記憶中，所以周圍圍繞的還是這些人，你們在一起還是照樣念念佛，誤認為這是極樂世界。這是大家設定的這個境界，因想而成像，想什麼見什麼，想蓮花見蓮花，你想著蓮花開，這蓮花照樣開，就是這樣。

2.然後再一個，就是真正的佛教寺院，淨土宗寺院，極樂世界很多觀法，通過這些觀法達到定境，一心不亂的定境。至少是達到與定心相應，然後直接開天目，就證。這是其中一種方法。但這種方法只見境，一般是不見諸佛報身，因諸佛報身對初地以上談的。

3.再有一種方法是《六祖壇經》上談的，就是直接證入無念，然後開悟，開悟之後立刻見彌陀。三種路，就是看你走哪一條

Student: Actually, going to the Pure Land is like moving from one room to another, just changing the place, changing the world, but it's actually not very useful.

Master Qingliang Yue: It's definitely different. This is a Samadhi realm. All these realms are generated by the concentration of consciousness.

Student: But even the Samadhi realm is part of the celestial realm, and it's somewhere one has to return from, right?

Master Qingliang Yue: 1. One method to go to the Pure Land is the repetitive and mindful chanting method practiced by ordinary people; just freely chanting Buddha's name, bowing to the Buddha, gathering on the first and fifteenth of the month to eat vegetarian meals, and so on. This also has another name called "vegetarianism religion." It seems like Buddhism but it's actually not. For Buddhists, it's defined as an attachment to the Buddha's external path. It exists in the scattered mind, and after death, one remains in a state of grogginess. However, because everyone often gathers to chant Buddha's name after death, they continue to live in this memory. Around them are still people, chanting the Buddha's name together, and they mistakenly think it's the Pure Land. This is a realm created by people’s thought; seeing what you want to see. If you think of lotus flowers, you see lotus flowers. If you think of lotus flowers blooming, they bloom just like that.

2.Then another method is in the true Buddhist temples, Pure Land sect temples. There are many contemplation methods in the Pure Land world. Through these methods, one reaches a state of Samadhi, a state of undisturbed concentration. At the least, it reaches a state of corresponding with the concentrated mind, and then directly opens the celestial eye, achieving realization. This is one of the methods. However, this method only sees the scenery; generally, it does not see the Buddha's Sambhogakaya because the Buddha's Sambhogakaya is only visible to those beyond the first ground.

3.Another method is discussed in “The Altar Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch”. It's directly realizing no-thought, then becoming enlightened, and immediately seeing Amitabha Buddha. These are the three paths; it depends on which one you choose.

學生：開悟之後再入定，再進入高級的定中，才見彌陀的嗎？

清涼月老師：證入如來藏當時就是完全一種心境，就是當時的心、當時的思想境界。在之後的定，所有的佛土全部都是為散亂心的人設置一個境界，讓他達到這裏不散亂，不退轉的。就這樣。但是對諸佛來說，不存在淨與穢的，因為這些定境是為眾生設置的，不是為佛設置的。佛不需要這些境界，因為地獄照樣是佛土。

學生：阿彌陀佛48願，他用願力……

清涼月老師：對，不錯，願力也是相應才行。就像你在那裏在玩耍，家長在喊你回來回來，你聽不見，你光顧著玩呢。就像念佛一樣，你一邊念佛，一邊跟別人聊天。邊織毛衣邊跟別人聊天的。所以表面在念佛，心不相應的。他就是發再大的願也毫無意義的，這些願必須是通過內因起作用的。在咱們這個世界你開悟，證入如來藏，你首先見到的是釋迦牟尼佛，然後你有願進入極樂世界的話，你見到的是阿彌陀佛和輔助的極樂菩薩。

（輯錄自微信公眾號《汝是》2023年5月9日發佈的文章）

Student: After enlightenment, is it necessary to enter a state of Samadhi and then enter a higher state of Samadhi to see Amitabha?

Master Qingliang Yue: When one realizes the Tathagatagarbha, it's completely a state of mind; the state of mind and thought at that time. In further Samadhi states, all Buddha lands are set up for people with scattered minds to reach a realm where their mind is not scattered, where they don't regress. That's it. But for the Buddhas, there's no concept of pure or impure because these Samadhi states are set up for sentient beings, not for Buddhas. Buddhas don't need these realms because even hell is still a Buddha land.

Student: Amitabha Buddha made 48 vows, he uses vow power………

Master Qingliang Yue: Yes, that's right, vow power is also necessary. It's like when you're playing somewhere, and your parents are calling you to come back, but you don't hear them because you're engrossed in playing. It's like reciting Buddha's name; you're reciting Buddha's name while chatting with others. It's like chatting with others while knitting. So, although you're reciting Buddha's name outwardly, inwardly your mind isn't corresponding. Even if you make great vows, they are meaningless unless they are activated by inner causes. In our world, when you become enlightened and realize the Tathagatagarbha, the first Buddha you see is Shakyamuni Buddha. Then, if you have the vow to enter the Pure Land, you see Amitabha Buddha and the assisting Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land.

( Excerpted from an article published on a WeChat public account called "You Are" on May 9, 2023 )