【中英专栏】那么多的佛号和功德，到底念哪个最合适？

念一声佛号，功德无法估量

Reciting the Buddha’s name even once incurs immeasurable merit

对有些根基的人来说，念一个“阿弥陀佛”足以让自己成就，

To people with suitable capacity, the name Amitabha Buddha is the only name one needs to recite to achieve liberation.

但即便如此，也不能一概否认其他佛号的功德。

Even so, the effectiveness of other Buddha names should not be categorically negated.

毕竟众生的根基、喜好千差万别，

After all, the ability and propensity of sentient beings vary greatly.

有些人念一个“阿弥陀佛”即可得以度化，别的人则要依靠其他佛号度化，

To some, simply reciting “Buddha Amitabha” works well enough, while for others, it is the name of another Buddha.

甚至还有一些人需要念很多佛号……
Still, a few people may have to recite a whole collection of Buddha names.

各种各样的情况都有。所以，凡事不能千篇一律，

Therefore, a rigid pattern cannot be applied to all situations.

否则，昔日佛陀也不会针对不同的众生，广开八万四千法门了。

Otherwise, Buddha Shakyamuni wouldn’t have had to teach 84,000 ways to suit beings of all kinds of acumen.

《地藏菩萨本愿经》中也讲过：“但念得一佛名号，功德无量，何况多名？”

In the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows it says, “Even re­citing just one Buddha name incurs boundless merit; what need be said about reciting many Buddhas’ names?”

这段话就说明了，念佛不是只能念“一佛名号”，

This explains that “reciting the Buddha’s name” is not restricted to one Buddha name only.

而是可以念“多名”。

Instead, reciting multiple Buddhas’ names is encouraged.

比如，有些人害怕出现地震、雪灾、海啸、瘟疫等灾难，

For instance, people who fear earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, epidemics, and so on,

可以大量念“南无龙自在王如来”。

may recite many times “Homage to Tathagata the Sovereign King of Nagas.”

有些人特别怕魔、怕鬼，晚上不敢一个人上厕所，

Some people are especially fearful of demons and ghosts, and if they find themselves alone in a dark and eerie place in the middle of the night,*

此时就念“南无日月灯如来”。

they should recite “Homage to the Tathagata Lamp of Sun and Moon.”

还有人特别爱漂亮，渴望相貌端严，

Still others wish to look beautiful or to have a serene and dignified appear­ance.

那可以长期念“南无步莲如来”。

A long-term recitation of “Homage to Tathagata Lotus Steps” would be helpful.

总之，不同的佛号有不同的功德，

In summation, different Buddha names are endowed with different merits;

就像这个世间上，不同的药可以治疗不同的病一样。

just as in this world, each medicine has its own curative effect against a specific disease.

但不管念哪一尊佛的名号，功德都无法估量。

The merit of reciting the Buddha’s name, regardless of which particular one is invoked, is always limitless.

在《涅槃经》中，佛陀曾告诉大国王：“你打开国库，一个月中把金银财宝布施给所有人，这个功德虽然不可思议，

In the Nirvana Sutra the Buddha told a king, “If you open up your state treasure chamber and offer its gold, silver, and jewels to everyone for a whole month, you’ll accrue unimaginable merit.

但远不如有人称念一声佛号的功德大。”

However, such merit falls far behind that of someone who recites the Buddha’s name just once.”

甚至，即使你不说“佛”，只说“南无”两字，也有极大利益。

Moreover, even if you skip saying “the Buddha” and just utter “Namo” (homage to), you’ll also be rewarded amply.

《阿含经》中记载：提婆达多曾与佛陀作对，

The following account is found in the Agama Sutra:† Devadatta, the nemesis of the Buddha Shakyamuni,

造过三个无间罪，命终堕地狱时特别害怕。

had committed three of the crimes with immediate retribution and experienced excruciating horror when he was plunged into hell at life’s end.

当时有人劝他念“南无佛”，但他对佛陀的嫉妒心非常强，

At that time, someone advised him to recite “Namo to the Buddha,” but as he had been overcome with obstinate jealousy against Buddha Shakyamuni,

一直不肯说“佛”，只说“南无”。

he refused to say the word “Buddha” and could only manage to repeat “Namo.”

以此功德，佛陀授记他将来成为南无辟支佛。

Because of this utterance, Buddha Shakyamuni prophesied that Devadatta would one day become the Pratyekabuddha Namo.

其实，念佛号的话，不管老年人也好、年轻人也好，有地位也好、有钱财也好，黄种人也好、白种人也好，什么样的人都能得到利益。

In reality, as far as reciting the Buddha’s name is concerned, whoever does the practice—whether an old man, a young woman, a high officer, a rich per­son, an Asian or a Caucasian—will derive benefit from it.

哪怕是动物，正在挣扎着死去时，

This applies even to an animal at the brink of death;

你在它耳边念一声“南无宝髻如来”，它也能得到巨大的助益。

your single recitation of “Homage to the Tathagata Jewel Crest” next to its ear will bring benefit to it.

我曾翻译过麦彭仁波切的《诸佛菩萨名号集》，里面就收录了诸佛菩萨的名号，并详述了各自的相应功德，

Mipham Rinpoche has compiled A Collection of Buddha and Bodhisattva Names,^‡  which contains a rich source of many Buddhas’ names, as well as de­tailed accounts of their respective accomplishments. I have rendered a Chinese translation of this work,

大家有时间可以经常念。

and I encourage all of you to find the time to recite this compilation regularly.

假如有些老人年纪大了，实在念不了那么多，

For people of advanced age, reciting too many of Buddha names may be challenging.

那么念其中的一个佛号也行，两个佛号也行，三个佛号也行……

If that’s the case, reciting merely one, two or three names will be equally fine.

自己可以尽力而为。

Just do your best.

今生能遇到这些佛号，不管是用眼睛看、用嘴巴念，还是别人念时自己在听，都是十分有福报的。

To have encountered the Buddha’s name in our present life—whether by reading, chanting, or hearing—indicates that we are very fortunate beings in­deed!

* In the original text, the situation mentioned is “to be fearful of going to the toilet alone at night.” In some remote areas of China, people have to share public toilets that are usually located at rather out-of-the-way and dimly lit places. Going to the toilet at night can make one quite uneasy. Thus, there is a sentiment of “being fear­ful of going to the toilet alone at night.”

† Agama Sutra: a collection of early Buddhist discourses.

‡ A teaching on it can be found at: 

http://www.khenposodargye.org/2013/03/the-merit-of-buddha-recitation/.   

（此链接是“念佛功德”《The Merit of Buddha Recitation》英文版）

‡ 《诸佛菩萨名号集》之“念佛功德”中文版链接地址：http://www.zhibeifw.com/ssks/qa_list.php?id=794

‡ 《诸佛菩萨名号集》之“念佛法会仪轨”中文版链接地址：http://www.zhibeifw.com/xxgx/fhbm.php