文／蓮生活佛 盧勝彥
佛教宗派很多，當然各宗派見仁見智見淺見深，各隨修學者的夙世因緣及根器之大小而異。
我個人的見解，對於「禪宗」、「淨土宗」、「密教」，有以下如此的看法：
禪宗是不立文字，教外別傳，直指人心，見性成佛。這裏面就是淨智妙明，體自空寂。
而淨土宗，念佛往生者，為由阿彌陀佛大悲願力之迴向，信心持名，入於念佛三昧，以一生造業的凡夫身，亦直接往生於極樂世界，九品蓮華化生。
至於密教，由金剛阿闍梨傳授加持灌頂，立壇持咒修法，結印修觀，攝召本尊，最後，真如即我身，佛法即吾體。重重深妙，密密祕奧。
由此說來：
禪宗—自力。
淨土宗—他力。
密教—自力、他力、上師力。
我說明如下，禪宗即思維修，直參究人心，徹見心之本源而成佛也，全仗「自力」見性成佛。
淨土宗是蒙佛接引，全仗「他力」。持名念佛，淨念相繼，全心稱彌陀名號，滅八十億劫生死重罪，往生佛國。
至於密教，原來得自於三力，首先是根本上師加持力，到本尊相應時，就有了本尊力（他力），最後是開發了自己行者本身的佛性（自力），佛心顯發，即身成佛矣！
我覺得禪宗最難，淨土宗最易，而密教最重次第，也是最具有甚深意義！
Elucidation on the Three Powers
Written by Lian-shen Linving Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Foundation Translation Team
There exist many Buddhist schools with a diversity of views and thoughts, separated by the way in which each responds to the karmic affinity and natural capacity of the cultivator.
My personal views on how I see Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism are as follows:
Zen is established on a premise outside of words and beyond the doctrines of Buddhism. It directly reveals the mind and the attainment of buddhahood upon seeing the True Nature. It therefore encompasses the pure wisdom of enlightenment, as its body of essence is emptiness itself.
Pure Land Buddhism teaches that any individual who wants rebirth through reciting the Buddha name, and who responds to the dedication of Amitabha’s power of great compassionate vows with great faith in his chanting, shall enter into the Samadhi of the recitation of the Buddha name and be delivered directly to Sukhavati in the karmic body of a common mortal. He shall be reborn at any of the nine levels of lotus emanation.
In the case of Tantric Buddhism, it relies on the Vajra Master to transmit the teachings, give blessings and empowerment. It also requires the establishment of a mandala, the recitation of mantra and the cultivation of practices, during which one forms mudras, practices visualization, and magnetizes the principal deity to reveal its presence. Eventually, one becomes the True Reality, and becomes the Buddhadharma itself. It encompasses multi-levels of embedded profound secrets that are simply wonderful and mysterious.
In other words, Zen Buddhism relies on personal power.
The Pure Land School relies on external power.
Tantric Buddhism hinges on personal power, external power and the Guru’s power.
Let me explain this. Zen is the cultivation of thoughts, penetrating directly into the mind to reveal its very source so that one may attain buddhahood. It relies solely on personal power to attain enlightenment.
Pure Land Buddhism relies on the deliverance from the Buddha, and thus it is all about external power. With the recitation of the Buddha name, maintaining a constant flow of pure thoughts, and complete devotion to the chanting of Amitabha’s epithet, the heavy karma of eight billion kalpas of birth-and-death is eliminated. Hence, one is reborn in the buddhaland.
In Tantric Buddhism, it hinges on three powers. First is the blessing power of the Root Guru. When one achieves union with the principal deity, one receives the deity’s power, which is external power. Finally, when the practitioner develops to the level that reveals his or her Buddha Nature, it is considered personal power. With the revelation of the buddha mind, one attains buddhahood in this very body.
I feel that Zen is most difficult to practice, whereas Pure Land Buddhism is the easiest. Tantric Buddhism places great emphasis on the stages of cultivation, and holds the most profound of meanings.
