兩卷無量壽經宗要 1.8

1.8

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.