觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 1.3

1.3

此之疏題，佛等八字備舉經目，皆是所釋，唯疏一字是能釋也。今之五章，釋其八字，義稍委悉，入文自見。若欲預知，可陳梗概。經是通號，餘是別名。今且明別。「佛說」者，釋迦化主，四辯宣演也。「觀」者，總舉能觀，即十六觀也。「無量壽佛」者，舉所觀要攝十五境也。且置能說，略明所說。能觀皆是一心三觀，所觀皆是三諦一境。毘盧遮那遍一切處，一切諸法皆是佛法。所謂眾生，性德之佛，非自非他非因非果，即是圓常大覺之體。故《起信論》云「所言覺義者，謂心體離念。離念相者，等虛空界無所不遍。法界一相即是如來常住法身，依此法身說名本覺。」故知果佛圓明之體，是我凡夫本具性德。故一切教所談行法，無不為顯此之覺體，故四三昧通名念佛，但其觀法為門不同。如一行三昧，直觀三道顯本性佛；方等三昧，觀袒持顯；法華兼誦經，觀音兼數息，覺意歷三性。此等三昧，歷事雖異、念佛是同，俱為顯於大覺體故。雖俱念佛，而是通途，顯諸佛體。若此觀門及般舟三昧，託彼安養依正之境，用微妙觀，專就彌陀顯真佛體。雖託彼境，須知依正同居一心。心性遍周，無法不造、無法不具。若一毫法從心外生，則不名為大乘觀也。行者應知，據乎心性觀彼依正，依正可彰；託彼依正觀於心性，心性易發。所言心性具一切法造一切法者，實無能具所具、能造所造，即心是法、即法是心，能造因緣及所造法皆悉當處全是心性。是故今觀若依若正，乃法界心觀法界境，生於法界依正色心。是則名為唯依唯正、唯色唯心、唯觀唯境。故釋觀字，用一心三觀。釋無量壽，用一體三身。體宗力用義並從圓，判教屬頓。五重玄義本是經中所詮觀法，大師預取解釋經題，欲令行者用此視法入十六門而為修證，故於序文以主包眾、以正收依。觀佛既即三身，觀餘豈非三諦？寄語行者，觀雖深妙，本被初心。若能進功，何憂不就？縱未入品，為因亦強。生至彼邦，得預大會，所見依正微妙難思，速入聖階、度生亦廣，永異事善及小乘行。得往生者，如此土人宿圓修者，於諸座席見相殊常、聞法易悟。以此類彼，功在妙宗。但為戒福不精、無往生願，故在穢土聞法入真。須懼娑婆不常值佛，縱遇善友，色心不勝，難發我心，況塵境麁強，誠為險處。故須外加事懺、內勤理觀，正助雙行，加願要制，必於寶剎速證無生。今解觀門，其意在此。「疏」者，疎也、決也。疎通決擇上之義趣通而不壅，令其行者得意修之故也。次能說人號，備於別傳及諸章記，有未知者須尋彼文。

As for the title of this commentary, the eight characters from 'Buddha' onwards completely present the title of the sūtra, all of which are the object of explanation; only the single character 'Commentary' is that which explains. The five chapters at present explain those eight characters with some detail, which will become apparent as one enters the text. If one wishes to know in advance, an outline may be presented. 'Sūtra' is the general designation; the rest is the specific name. Now I shall first clarify the specific. 'Spoken by the Buddha': the teaching master Śākyamuni expounds it with the four kinds of eloquence. 'Contemplation': this generally brings forward that which contemplates, namely the sixteen contemplations. 'Amitāyus Buddha': this brings forward the essential object of contemplation, encompassing the fifteen objects. Setting aside for now that which is spoken, let us briefly clarify what is spoken. That which contemplates is entirely the threefold contemplation in a single mind; the object of contemplation is entirely the single object of the three truths. Vairocana pervades all places; all dharmas are none other than the Buddha-dharma. What are called sentient beings are buddhas of inherent virtue, neither self nor other, neither cause nor effect: they are the very substance of the complete, eternal, Great Awakening. Therefore the Awakening of Faith says: 'What is meant by the meaning of awakening is that the substance of the mind is free from thought. The mark of being free from thought is equal to the realm of empty space, pervading everywhere without exception. The single mark of the dharmadhātu is the Tathāgata's eternally abiding dharmakāya, and based upon this dharmakāya it is named original awakening.' Thus we know that the completely luminous substance of the fruition buddha is none other than the inherent virtue originally possessed by us ordinary beings. Hence among the practices discussed in all teachings, there are none that do not aim to reveal this awakened substance; therefore the four kinds of samādhi are all generally named buddhamanasikāra, differing only in the contemplation methods that serve as their gates. For instance, the Single Practice Samādhi directly contemplates the three paths to reveal the original nature-buddha; the Vaipulya Samādhi reveals it through contemplation, baring [the shoulder], and circumambulation; the Lotus Samādhi combines this with chanting the sūtra; the Avalokiteśvara Samādhi combines it with counting breaths; and the Samādhi of Awakening Mind traverses the three natures. Although these samādhis differ in the phenomena they engage, their buddhamanasikāra is identical, for all serve to reveal the substance of the Great Awakening. Although all are buddhamanasikāra, they are general avenues for revealing the substance of all buddhas. This contemplation gate and the pratyutpanna-samādhi, by contrast, rely on the environmental and primary realm of that Anyang, using the subtly wondrous contemplation to specifically reveal the true buddha-substance with respect to Amida. Although relying on that realm, one must know that the environmental and the primary reside together in a single mind. The mind-nature is all-pervading: there is no dharma it does not create, no dharma it does not possess. If even the slightest dharma were produced outside the mind, it could not be called a Mahāyāna contemplation. Practitioners should know that if one observes that environmental and primary [reward] based on the mind-nature, the environmental and primary will be clearly manifested; if one observes the mind-nature relying on that environmental and primary [reward], the mind-nature is easily aroused. When it is said that the mind-nature possesses all dharmas and creates all dharmas, there is in truth neither that which possesses nor that which is possessed, neither that which creates nor that which is created: the mind is the dharma, and the dharma is the mind; the producing causes and conditions and the produced dharmas are, right where they are, entirely and completely the mind-nature. Therefore, whether environmental or primary, the present contemplation is the mind of the dharmadhātu contemplating the realm of the dharmadhātu, arising in the physical and mental phenomena of the dharmadhātu's environmental and primary [rewards]. This, then, is called nothing-but-environment, nothing-but-primary, nothing-but-matter, nothing-but-mind, nothing-but-contemplation, and nothing-but-object. Therefore, in explaining the word 'contemplation', one uses the threefold contemplation in a single mind. In explaining 'Amitāyus', one uses the single substance and the three bodies. Its substance, lineage, power, and function all accord with the Perfect, and its doctrinal classification belongs to the Sudden. The fivefold profound meaning was originally the contemplation method expounded in the sūtra; the Great Master drew upon it in advance to explain the sūtra title, wishing to enable practitioners to use this contemplation method to enter the sixteen gates for cultivation and realization. Therefore, in the preface he used the host to encompass the retinue and the primary to gather the environmental. Since contemplating the Buddha is immediately the three bodies, how could contemplating the rest not be the three truths? Let a word be sent to practitioners: although the contemplation is profound and wondrous, it was originally meant to accommodate beginners. If you can advance in your practice, why worry that you will not succeed? Even if you have not yet attained the grades, the cause will still be powerful. Born into that land, you will be permitted to join the great assembly; the environmental and primary [rewards] you behold will be subtly wondrous and beyond conception, and you will swiftly enter the stages of the sages and broadly deliver sentient beings, ever distinct from phenomenal goods and Hīnayāna practices. Those who attain rebirth are like people in this land who previously cultivated the Perfect [Teaching]: upon various lecture seats, what they see is extraordinary, and hearing the Dharma, they easily awaken. Analogous to this, the merit lies in the wondrous doctrine. It is merely because their moral discipline and merit are not pure and they lack the vow for rebirth that they hear the Dharma and enter truth in this defiled land. One must fear that in the Sahā world one does not constantly encounter the Buddha; even if one meets good friends, one's body and mind are inferior and it is difficult to arouse one's mind, not to mention that defiling sense-objects are coarse and overpowering—truly it is a perilous place. Therefore one must externally add phenomenal repentance and internally apply oneself to noumenal contemplation, practicing both the primary and auxiliary in tandem, and adding the crucial restraint of vows: then one is certain to swiftly realize non-arising in the precious realm. The intent behind explaining the contemplation gate now lies right here. 'Commentary' (shu) means to unblock (shu) and to resolve (jue): it unblocks and resolves the above doctrinal purports so that they flow smoothly without blockage, enabling the practitioner to grasp their import and cultivate them. Next, the title of the speaker is fully detailed in separate biographies and various treatises and records; anyone who does not yet know it should consult those texts.