【Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels】- suffering and the wish to take refuge

Why do we recollect the Buddha? What is recollection of the Buddha? After you go for refuge you naturally will recollect. But why do you go for refuge? There are two reasons for refuge. Because you have suffering and you wish to be liberated. But to be liberated from suffering you can only rely on this. So this suffering is the primary reason for truly spurring you to go down this path. Therefore, the more suffering you have, the more earnest your refuge. Isn’t it so? At the time of death, it is precisely a time of suffering. Of course then your refuge is even more earnest! Thus once you truly understand this idea, then from the very first time you recite Buddha’s name, you will be like this (have such mentality). [Later], the greater the suffering, the more your recitation of Buddha will be in concordance. Thus, with small sufferings, you recollect the Buddha in a small amount. With great sufferings, you recollect the Buddha in a great amount. At the time of death, you are just in time to go [to Pure Land]. Isn’t it 100% [assurance]!

SOURCE 来源 :

44B 28’40” Vol 6 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P137 LL6
English Lamrim Vol 1 P186

日常师父法语📡44B 28’40”手抄稿第6册P137 LL6

皈依 : 苦与皈依的心

现在这里我们为什么要念佛啊？说念佛是什么？皈依了以后自然要去念。为什么皈依啊？皈依只有两个原因嘛，因为你苦要脱离，要想脱离苦唯一可以依靠的就这个。说这个苦正是策励你走到这条路上去的主要的原因，所以越是苦，这个皈依的心是越是切，对不对？到临终的时候，正是苦的时候，当然你的皈依的心更切嘛！所以你真的懂得了这个道理，开始第一声念佛的时候就这样，当苦越逼得厉害的话，这个佛号是越相应了。所以小苦念小佛，大苦念大佛，临终的时候正好去嘛，岂不是百分之百啊！