觀無量壽佛經疏 3.87

3.87

答曰：「若望眾生惑障動念，徒自疲勞，仰憑聖力遙加，致使所觀皆見。云何作法住心而令得見也？欲作法者，諸行者等先於佛像前至心懺悔，發露所造之罪，極生慚愧悲泣流淚。悔過既竟，又心口請釋迦佛、十方恒沙等佛。又念彼彌陀本願言：『弟子某甲等，生盲罪重，障隔處深，願佛慈悲攝受護念，指授開悟所觀之境，願得成就。今頓捨身命，仰屬彌陀，見以不見，皆是佛恩力。』噵此語已，更復至心懺悔竟已。即向靜處，面向西方，正坐跏趺，一同前法。既住心已，徐徐轉心想彼寶地雜色分明。初想不得亂想多境，即難得定，唯觀方寸一尺等。或一日、二日、三日，或四、五、六、七日，或一月、一年、二、三年等。無問日夜，行住坐臥身口意業常與定合。唯萬事俱捨，由如失意聾盲癡人者，此定必即易得。若不如是，三業隨緣轉，定想逐波飛，縱盡千年壽，法眼未曾開。若心得定時，或先有明相現，或可先見寶地等種種分明不思議者。有二種見。一者想見，猶有知覺故，雖見淨境，未多明了。二者若內外覺滅，即入正受三昧，所見淨境即非想見，得為比校也。」

Answer: "If one looks from the perspective of sentient beings whose afflictive hindrances stir their thoughts, they exhaust themselves in vain. Yet by reverently relying on the remote assistance of holy power, whatever is contemplated is brought to sight. How is the practice to be performed and the mind stabilized so that one is enabled to see? For those who wish to perform the practice, all practitioners should first make sincere repentance before an image of the Buddha, confessing the sins they have committed, giving rise to supreme shame, weeping, and shedding tears. Once the repentance of faults is finished, they should further request with mind and mouth Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas of the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Moreover, they should be mindful of Amitābha's fundamental vow, saying: 'This disciple, so-and-so, is born blind with heavy sins, deeply separated by hindrances. We pray that the Buddha in his compassion will gather, protect, and be mindful of us, instructing and awakening us to the realm to be contemplated, and granting that it be accomplished. Now we abandon body and life all at once, reverently submitting to Amitābha; whether seeing or not seeing, all is the Buddha's gracious power.' Having spoken these words, they once again repent sincerely. Then, going to a quiet place, facing the west, they sit upright in the lotus posture, completely following the previous method. Once the mind is stabilized, they gradually turn the mind to visualize that jeweled ground with its mixed colors distinctly. At the beginning of visualization, one must not randomly visualize many realms, for then it is difficult to attain samādhi; one only contemplates [an area of] a square inch, a foot, or the like. [Do so for] one day, two days, three days, or four, five, six, or seven days, or one month, one year, two or three years, and so on. Without distinguishing between day and night, in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, the bodily, verbal, and mental karmas should constantly accord with samādhi. Only if one renounces all myriad affairs, like a distracted, deaf, blind, and foolish person, will this samādhi be easily attained. If not so, the three karmas will turn along with conditions, the thoughts of samādhi will fly away following the waves, and though one's lifespan of a thousand years be exhausted, the Dharma eye will never have opened. When the mind attains samādhi, either bright signs will first manifest, or one may first see the jeweled ground and so forth, diverse, distinct, and inconceivable. There are two kinds of seeing. First is visualization-seeing: because there is still sensory awareness, although one sees the pure realm, it is not very distinct. Second, if internal and external sensory awareness are extinguished, one enters samāpatti-samādhi; the pure realm seen is then not visualization-seeing, and cannot be compared."