Three Blessings of Pure Karma 净业三福
The Three Blessings of Pure Karma are practices which should be observed and practised by all Pure Land practitioners. It comes from the Visualization Sutra which the Buddha told Queen Vaidehi. For beings who wish to attain birth in the Pure Land, one should practice the Three Blessings of Pure Karma. Although even if one does not practice the pure karma (acts) and only practices Nianfo with faith and vow, one can still attain birth in the Pure Land. However, by practicing the Three Blessings of Pure Karma it will guarantee the practitioners to attain a higher grade of rebirth.
Three Blessings of Pure Karma (净业三福）
(from the Visualization Sutra， 观经)
尔时世尊告韦提希：“汝今知不？阿弥陀佛，去此不远。汝当系念，谛观彼国净业成者。我今为汝广说众譬，亦令未来世一切凡夫，欲修净业者，得生西方极乐国土。欲生彼国者，当修三福：一者、孝养父母，奉事师长，慈心不杀，修十善业。二者、受持三归，具足众戒，不犯威仪。三者、发菩提心，深信因果，读诵大乘， 劝进行者。如此三事，名为净业。佛告韦提希：汝今知不？此三种业，乃是过去未来现在，三世诸佛，净业正因。
At that time, the World-honoured One said to Vaidehi, “Do you know that Amitabha Buddha is not far away from here? You should contemplate continuously and visualise the beings who accomplish pure karma in that Buddha-land. I shall now describe to you with various examples, so that all ordinary people in the future who wish to practise pure karma can also be born in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Whoever wishes to be born there should cultivate the three blessings:
first, having filial piety towards one’s parents, attending to one’s teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing, and cultivating the ten good deeds; second, taking the Three Refuges, observing the various precepts, and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct; and third, generating Bodhicitta, believing deeply in the law of karma, reciting the Mahayana sutras, and encouraging people to follow the teachings. These three are called pure karma.”
The Buddha further said to Vaidehi, “Do you know that these three kinds of karma are practised by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future as the right cause of pure karma?”
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