九品蓮花（一套九本） – 可摺蓮花的《心經》手描本 24.5*24.5 cm

什麼叫九品蓮 What is called the lotus in nine grades ? （文：星雲大師）

蓮花有九個等級 A lotus in the pureland has nine grades.

這個意思就是說 What I mean is,

我們人 生到世間上來 we arrived in the world

是由父母把我們生下來的 after our parents gave birth to us.

假如我們能可以到西方極樂世界 Suppose we are able to be born in the Western pureland,

我們的父母是誰 who would be our parents?

他不是由人來生我們 Probably there won’t be any human parents as we would be

蓮花化生 transformationally born in a lotus. 由蓮花 In a lotus

這個蓮花化生 we are transformationally born.

它有上品、中品、下品 There are the superior grade, the middling grade, and the inferior grade lotuses.

上品有上品上生 The superior grade can be of three sub-grades: the upper superior grade,

上品中生 the middle superior grade, 上品下生 and the lower superior grade.

中品也有中品上生 The middling grade is of the upper middling grade,

中品中生 the middle middling grade, 中品下生 and the lower middling grade.

下品也有下品上生 The inferior grade is of the upper inferior grade,

下品中生 the middle inferior grade, 下品下生 and the lower inferior grade.

這合起來叫九品 All the above are collectively called the nine grades

九品的蓮花 of a lotus. 意思就是說 What I mean is,

我們念佛 if we do name-chanting

念到有成功了、成熟了 to the extent that we succeed in reaching a mature stage,

念到可以生到西方極樂世界 we will be reborn in the Western pureland.

如果是上品上生的話 If what you got is a upper superior grade,

那個都是阿彌陀佛親自來迎接你 then the Amitabha Buddha will receive you in person.

如果是中品 If it’s a middling grade,

可能就是化身的阿彌陀佛 it’ll be the transformation body of the Amitabha Buddha

菩薩來迎接你 or a bodhisattva who will come and receive you.

如果是下品的話 If it’s an inferior grade,

就只有菩薩來迎接你 only a bodhisattva will come and receive you.

同時到了西方極樂世界 Even when you get to the Western pureland,

蓮花也不是一下就把你生出來 you won’t be born out of a lotus right away.

在我們人間 In the human world,

這所謂母親懷胎 a mother carries a baby to term

還要十月懷胎才會生養你 for ten months before delivery.

到西方極樂世界 In the Western pureland, the duration of

也要看你的念佛的功夫 pregnancy depends on the efforts you put in name-chanting.

有的在蓮花裡面還需好多的時間才能出生 Some will stay in a lotus for a long time before being born.

下品在蓮花裡面 If it’s an inferior grade lotus,

等於住胎時間比較久 that means the expecting time will be longer.

中品就時間比較短 If it’s a middling grade, the time will be shorter.

上品上生 If it’s an upper superior grade,

這可能一到西方極樂世界 maybe when one gets to the Western pureland,

就能可以就誕生了 he will be born straightaway,

就等於成為一個 becoming a member

西方極樂世界的淨土的人 of the Western pureland,

就諸上善人了 and a part of the great wholesome echelon.

所以西方極樂世界 So the Western pureland

它也像另外一個世界 is like our world

它裡面也有等級 which also adopts the grading system.

但是無論什麼等級 Yet, no matter what grade one got,

九品蓮 the lotus in nine grades

蓮是清淨的 is pure,

蓮花是芬芳的 fragrant,

蓮花是不受汙染的 and remains unpolluted.

所以到了西方極樂世界 So after arrival in the Western pureland,

每一個人 everyone

在淨土 who stays

大家都在那個清淨的地方 in the pureland

思想也清淨的 will also become pure in mind.

心裡的念頭也是清淨的 Their thoughts will also become pure.

人也蓮花化生 As their bodies are transformationally born in a lotus,

也是芬芳馨香 hence they’re also fragrant 也清淨的 and pure.

所以淨土裡面的這許多淨人 So in the pureland there are many pure men,

清淨的人 or men of purity.

這因為是九品蓮誕生的 This is because they’re born in a lotus in nine grades.

希望我們學佛的人 It is hoped that, though we Buddhist learners

你也不一定念阿彌陀佛 do not necessarily need to chant Amituofo

可以往生 in order to get reborn in the pureland,

你也念釋迦牟尼佛 we can also chant the name of Sakyamuni Buddha

念藥師佛 or the name of the Medicine Buddha

一樣的可以往生的 and still be able to be reborn in a pureland

到了一個佛國淨土 or buddhaland.

九品蓮誕生 A birth in the lotus in nine grades

那是人生的幸福 is the bliss of life,

真是平安吉祥 and is really peaceful and auspicious.

※資訊來源：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9oVcmwJ4Y※