[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [兩卷無量壽經宗要](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747) › 1.8 # 兩卷無量壽經宗要 1.8 兩卷無量壽經宗要 1.8 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1.8) 次明四種疑惑相者，謂如有一性非質直、邪聰我慢、薄道心人，不了四智而起四疑：一者疑成作事智所作之事，謂聞經說十念念佛得生彼國，由不了故，生疑而言：如佛經說善惡業道，罪福無朽，重者先牽，理數無差。如何一生無惡不造，但以十念能滅諸罪，便得生彼，入正定聚，永離三途，畢竟不退耶？又無始來起諸煩惱，繫屬三界而相纏縛。如何不斷二輪煩惱，直以十念出三界外耶？為治如是邪思惟疑，是故說名不思議智，欲顯佛智有大勢力故，能以近為遠、以遠為近，以重為輕、以輕為重，雖實有是事而非思量境，所以直應仰信。經說「不可以自淺識思惟。若欲生信，應以事況。譬如千年積薪，其高百里。豆許火燒，一日都盡。」可言千年之積薪，如何一日盡耶？又如躄者，自力勤行，要逕多日至一由旬。若寄他船，因風䑺勢，一日之間能至千里。可言躄者之身，云何一日至千里耶？世間船師之身，尚作如是絕慮之事。何況如來法王之勢，而不能作不思議事耶？是為對治第一疑也。第二疑者，謂疑妙觀察智所觀之境。如同經中歎佛智云「妙觀察諸法非有非無，遠離二邊而不著中。」由不了故，生疑而言：如今現見稱物之時，物重即低、物輕必舉。若言輕而不舉、重而不低，如是說者有言無義。因緣生法，當知亦爾。若實非無，便墮於有；如其非有，即當於無。若言非無而不得有、非有而不墮無，即同重而不低、輕而不舉。故知是說有言無實。如是稱量，即墮諸邊。或執依他實有不空，墮增益邊。或執緣生空無有，墮損減邊。或計俗有真空，雙負二邊，墮相違論。或計非有非無，著一中邊，墮愚癡論。如《釋論》云「非有非無，是愚癡論」故。為治此等邪稱量執，是故安立不可稱智。欲顯諸法甚深，離言絕慮，不可尋思稱量、如言取義。如《瑜伽》說「云何甚深難見法？謂一切法。何以故？第一甚深難見法者，所謂諸法自性，皆絕戲論、過言語道。然由言說為依止故，方乃可取可觀可覺，是故諸法甚深難見。」是為對治第二疑也。第三疑者，謂疑平等性智等齊度之意。如聞經說「一切眾生悉皆有心，凡有心者當得菩提。」由不了故，生疑而言：若如來眾生皆有佛性，悉度一切有情，令得無上菩提者。是即眾生雖多，必有終盡。其最後佛無利他德，所化無故，即無成佛，功德闕故。無化有功，不應道理；闕功成佛，亦無是處。作是邪計，誹謗大乘，不信平等廣度之意。為治如是狹少疑執，是故安立大乘廣智。欲明佛智無所不運、無所不載，一切皆入無餘，故言大乘。其所運載，無始無際，故名廣智。所以然者，虛空無邊故，眾生無數量；三世無際故，生死無始終。眾生既無始終，諸佛亦無始終。若使諸佛有始成者，其前無佛，即無聖教。無教無聞，無言無習而成佛者，即無因有果，但有言無實。由是道理，諸佛無始。雖實無始，而無一佛本不作凡。雖皆本作凡，而展轉無始。以是准知，眾生無終。雖實無終，而無一人後不作佛。雖悉後作佛，而展轉無終。是故應信平等性智無所不度，而非有限，所以安立大乘廣智。是為對治第三疑也。第四疑者，謂疑大圓鏡智遍照一切境義。云何生疑？謂作是言：虛空無邊故，世界亦無邊。世界無邊故，眾生亦無邊。眾生無邊故，心行差別、根欲性等皆是無邊際。云何於此能得盡知？為當漸漸修習而知？為當不修忽然頓照？若不修習而頓照者，一切凡夫皆應等照，等不修故、無異因故。若便漸修終漸得盡知者，即一切境非無邊際。無邊有盡，不應理故。如是進退皆不成立，云何得普照名一切種智？為治如是兩關疑難故，安立無等無倫最上勝智。欲明如是大圓鏡智，超過三智而無等類，二諦之外獨在無二，兩關二表迢然無關。只應仰信，不可比量，故名無等無倫最上勝智。云何於此起仰信者？譬如世界無邊，不出虛空之外。如是萬境無限，咸入一心之內。佛智離相，歸於心原，智與一心，渾同無二。以始覺者，即同本覺，故無一境出此智外。由是道理，無境不盡而非有限，以無限智照無邊境故。如《起信論》云「一切境界，本來一心，離於想念。以眾生妄見境界故，心有分齊。以妄起想念、不稱法性故，不能決了。諸佛如來離於見相，無所不遍，心真實故，即是諸法之性，自體顯照一切妄法，有大智用、無量方便，隨諸眾生所應得解，悉能開示一切法義，是故得名一切種智。」是為無等無倫最上勝智，無所見故無所不見。如是對治第四疑也。然若不得意，如言取義，有邊無邊皆不離過，依非有邊門假說無邊義耳。若人不決如是四疑，雖生彼國而在邊地。如其有人雖未明解如前所說四智之境，而能自謙，心眼未開，仰惟如來，一向伏信。如是等人，隨其行品往生彼土，不在邊地。生著邊者，別是一類，非九品攝，是故不應妄生疑惑也。 > Next, to explain the characteristics of the four kinds of doubts: suppose there is a person whose nature is not straightforward, who possesses crooked cleverness and self-conceit, and whose aspiration for the Way is shallow; failing to understand the four wisdoms, they give rise to four doubts. First is doubting the deeds performed by the wisdom of accomplishing deeds (kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna). Hearing the sūtra say that through ten recitations of the Buddha's name one attains birth in that land, they do not understand and so produce doubt, saying: "As the Buddha's sūtras state regarding the karmic paths of good and evil, offenses and blessings never decay, and the heavier karma leads the way first, with never an error in principle or reckoning. How could it be that one who has committed every evil throughout their whole life, merely through ten recitations, can extinguish all offenses, thereby attain rebirth there, enter the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi, permanently leave the three evil paths, and ultimately never regress? Moreover, since beginningless time they have given rise to various afflictions, being tied and bound to the three realms. How could they, without severing the two wheels of afflictions, directly transcend beyond the three realms merely through ten recitations?" To remedy such erroneous thinking and doubt, it is therefore called "inconceivable wisdom." This is intended to reveal that the Buddha's wisdom possesses immense power, being able to make the near far and the far near, the heavy light and the light heavy. Although such things truly exist, they are not an object of ordinary conceptualization; therefore, one should simply revere and believe it. A sūtra says: "You must not conceptualize this with your own shallow understanding. If you wish to give rise to faith, you should illustrate it with practical examples. For instance, consider a thousand-year accumulation of firewood, a hundred leagues high. If burned by a spark of fire no larger than a bean, in a single day it is completely consumed." Could one say, "How could a thousand years' accumulation of firewood be consumed in a single day?" Again, it is like a crippled person: if traveling diligently by their own strength, it would take many days to cover one yojana; but if they board another's boat, taking advantage of the wind and the sail's momentum, they can travel a thousand leagues in a single day. Could one say, "How could the body of a crippled person travel a thousand leagues in a single day?" Even the person of a worldly boatmaster can perform such unimaginable feats; how much more so with the power of the Tathāgata, the Dharma King—how could he not perform inconceivable deeds? This is the remedy for the first doubt. > > The second doubt is doubting the sphere observed by the wisdom of wondrous observation (pratyavekṣā-jñāna). As the same sūtra praises the Buddha's wisdom, saying: "Wondrously observing that all phenomena are neither existent nor non-existent, leaving far behind the two extremes without clinging to the middle." Failing to understand, they produce doubt and say: "As seen at present when weighing an object, when the object is heavy the balance must dip, and when the object is light it must rise. If one claims that it is light yet does not rise, or heavy yet does not dip, such a statement has words but no meaning. Phenomena born of causes and conditions should be understood in the same way: if they are truly not non-existent, they fall into existence; if they are not existent, they fall into non-existence. If one says that they are not non-existent yet cannot be existent, or not existent yet do not fall into non-existence, this is just like being heavy yet not dipping, or light yet not rising. Therefore we know that this statement has words but no reality." Such weighing and measuring immediately falls into the various extremes: either grasping dependent origination as substantially existent and not empty, falling into the extreme of superimposition; or grasping what is born of conditions as empty and non-existent, falling into the extreme of depreciation; or positing conventional existence and ultimate emptiness, thus bearing both extremes and falling into contradictory assertions; or positing neither existence nor non-existence, clinging to one middle extreme and falling into the assertion of foolishness. As the Commentary (\*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa\*) states: "'Neither existent nor non-existent' is the assertion of foolishness." To remedy such wrong measurements and attachments, the "inestimable wisdom" is established. This is intended to reveal that all phenomena are profound, transcending words and cutting off conceptualization, and cannot be investigated, weighed, or understood according to the literal words. As the \*Yogācārabhūmi\* states: "What are the profound and difficult-to-see phenomena? They refer to all phenomena. Why? The most profound and difficult-to-see phenomena refer to the intrinsic nature of all phenomena, which cuts off all conceptual proliferation and transcends the path of speech. Yet, relying on verbal expression as a basis, they can then be grasped, observed, and awakened to; therefore all phenomena are profound and difficult to see." This is the remedy for the second doubt. > > The third doubt is doubting the intention of the wisdom of equality to deliver all beings equally. Having heard the sūtra state: "All sentient beings possess a mind; all who possess a mind shall attain bodhi." Failing to understand, they produce doubt and say: "If the Tathāgata and sentient beings all possess the Buddha-nature and he delivers all sentient beings, causing them to attain unexcelled bodhi, then although sentient beings are numerous, they must eventually come to an end. The last Buddha would have no virtue of benefiting others, because there would be none to transform; thus he could not become a Buddha, since his merit would be deficient. For there to be merit without any beings to transform does not accord with principle; nor is there any possibility of becoming a Buddha with deficient merit." Producing such erroneous calculations, they slander the Mahāyāna and disbelieve the intention of universally delivering all equally. To remedy such narrow and trivial doubts and attachments, the "broad wisdom of the Great Vehicle" is established. This is intended to explain that the Buddha's wisdom transports everything and carries everything, gathering all into the remainderless without omission; hence it is called the "Great Vehicle." That which it transports has no beginning and no bounds; hence it is called "broad wisdom." Why is this so? Because empty space is boundless, sentient beings are limitless in number; because the three times are without limits, saṃsāra has no beginning and no end. Since sentient beings have neither beginning nor end, the Buddhas also have neither beginning nor end. If Buddhas had a first one to attain awakening, before that there would have been no Buddha, and thus there would have been no holy teaching. If one could become a Buddha without teaching, without hearing, without words, and without practice, this would mean having a fruit without a cause—having words with no reality. By this principle, the Buddhas have no beginning. Although they truly have no beginning, there is not a single Buddha who was not originally an ordinary person. Although all were originally ordinary people, this succession is beginningless. From this one can infer that sentient beings have no end. Although they truly have no end, there is not a single person who will not subsequently become a Buddha. Although all will subsequently become Buddhas, this succession is endless. Therefore one should believe that the wisdom of equality delivers all without exception, yet is not limited; for this reason the broad wisdom of the Great Vehicle is established. This is the remedy for the third doubt. > > The fourth doubt is doubting the meaning of the great round mirror-like wisdom universally illuminating all spheres of cognition. How does this doubt arise? They say: "Because empty space is boundless, the worlds are also boundless. Because the worlds are boundless, sentient beings are also boundless. Because sentient beings are boundless, the differences in mental behavior, faculties, desires, natures, and so forth are all without bounds. How could this all be completely known? Is it known through gradual cultivation? Or is it suddenly and completely illuminated without cultivation? If it is suddenly illuminated without cultivation, then all ordinary persons should equally illuminate it, because they equally do not cultivate and there is no differing cause. If it is through gradual cultivation that one eventually comes to know everything completely, then all spheres of cognition are not boundless, because it is unreasonable for the boundless to have an end." Being unable to establish either alternative, how could it universally illuminate and be called "all-inclusive wisdom" (sarvākārajñatā)? To remedy such a dilemma and doubt, the "unexcelled, peerless, most supreme, and wondrous wisdom" is established. This is intended to explain that such great round mirror-like wisdom surpasses the \[other\] three wisdoms and is without peer or category; outside the two truths, it alone exists without a second; far beyond both sides of the dilemma, it is completely unbound. One should simply revere and believe it, for it cannot be comprehended through inference; therefore it is named "unexcelled, peerless, most supreme, and wondrous wisdom." How does one give rise to reverent faith in this? Just as the boundless worlds do not go beyond empty space, so too the myriad limitless spheres of cognition all enter within the one mind. The Buddha's wisdom is free from characteristics and returns to the source of the mind; wisdom and the one mind are fused as one without duality. Because initial awakening is identical with original awakening, no sphere of cognition falls outside this wisdom. By this principle, there is no sphere of cognition that is not exhausted, yet it is not limited, because unlimited wisdom illuminates boundless spheres. As the \*Awakening of Faith\* states: "All spheres of cognition are originally the one mind, free from conceptual thoughts. Because sentient beings falsely perceive spheres of cognition, the mind has limitations. Because they falsely give rise to conceptual thoughts and do not accord with the Dharma-nature, they cannot clearly comprehend. The Buddhas, Tathāgatas, are free from the mark of perceiving and are all-pervading. Because the mind is real, it is the nature of all phenomena; its own essence manifest and illuminates all deluded phenomena, possessing great wisdom-functioning and immeasurable skillful means, and according to what sentient beings ought to understand, it can fully reveal all teachings of the Dharma. Therefore it attains the name 'all-inclusive wisdom.'" This is the unexcelled, peerless, most supreme, and wondrous wisdom: because it sees nothing, there is nothing it does not see. This is the remedy for the fourth doubt. > > However, if one misses the point and takes the meaning according to literal words, both being bounded and being boundless are not free from fault; the meaning of boundlessness is merely provisionally spoken relying on the approach of not having bounds. If a person does not resolve these four doubts, although born in that land, they will be in the borderland. If there is a person who, although not clearly understanding the spheres of the four wisdoms as explained above, can humble themselves, acknowledging that their mind's eye is not yet opened, and reverently contemplating the Tathāgata, single-mindedly submits in faith—such people, in accordance with the grade of their practice, attain rebirth in that land and are not in the borderland. Those born in the borderland are a distinct category, not included within the nine grades; therefore, one should not give rise to doubt falsely. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1.7) - [Next: 1.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1.9) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747~en-mt.1.8) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.80.32) — Classical Chinese - [大乘起信論義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.386) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1747.1.8) · Pramāṇa