觀無量壽佛經疏 4.154

4.154

敬白一切有緣知識等，余既是生死凡夫，智慧淺短。然佛教幽微，不敢輒生異解，遂即標心結願，請求靈驗，方可造心。「南無歸命盡虛空遍法界一切三寶，釋迦牟尼佛，阿彌陀佛，觀音勢至，彼土諸菩薩大海眾，及一切莊嚴相等。某今欲出此《觀經》要義，楷定古今，若稱三世諸佛、釋迦佛、阿彌陀佛等大悲願意者，願於夢中得見如上所願一切境界諸相。」於佛像前結願已，日別誦阿彌陀經三遍，念阿彌陀佛三萬遍，至心發願。即於當夜見西方空中如上諸相境界悉皆顯現，雜色寶山百重千重，種種光明下照於地，地如金色。中有諸佛菩薩，或坐或立，或語或默，或動身手，或住不動者。既見此相，合掌立觀，量久乃覺。覺已不勝欣喜，於即條錄義門。自此已後，每夜夢中常有一僧而來指授玄義科文，既了更不復見。後時脫本竟已，復更至心要期七日，日別誦阿彌陀經十遍，念阿彌陀佛三萬遍。初夜後夜觀想彼佛國土莊嚴等相，誠心歸命一如上法。當夜即見三具磑輪道邊獨轉，忽有一人乘白駱駝來前見勸：「師當努力，決定往生，莫作退轉。此界穢惡多苦，不勞貪樂。」答言：「大蒙賢者好心視誨，某畢命為期，不敢生於懈慢之心（云云）。」第二夜見阿彌陀佛身真金色，在七寶樹下金蓮華上坐，十僧圍遶亦各坐一寶樹下，佛樹上乃有天衣挂繞，正面向西合掌坐觀。第三夜見兩幢杆極大高顯，幢懸五色，道路縱橫人觀無礙。既得此相已，即便休止不至七日。上來所有靈相者，本心為物，不為己身，既蒙此相，不敢隱藏，謹以申呈義後，被聞於末代，願使含靈聞之生信，有識覩者西歸。以此功德迴施眾生，悉發菩提心，慈心相向，佛眼相看，菩提眷屬作真善知識，同歸淨國，共成佛道。此義已請證定竟，一句一字不可加減，欲寫者一如經法。應知。

I respectfully address all good spiritual friends who share this karmic connection: I am but a pṛthagjana of birth and death, with shallow and limited wisdom. The Buddha's teaching, however, is profound and subtle; I dared not rashly give rise to divergent interpretations, and so I set my mind and made a vow, seeking a spiritual response before I would set my mind to writing: "Namo, I take refuge with all the Three Jewels throughout empty space and the entire dharmadhātu, Śākyamuni Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the great ocean-like assembly of bodhisattvas of that land, and all marks of adornment. I now wish to bring forth the essential meaning of this Dhyāna Sūtra to rectify past and present [interpretations]. If this accords with the intent of the great compassionate vows of all the Buddhas of the three times, Śākyamuni Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, and the others, may I see in a dream all the states and marks as vowed above." Having made this vow before the Buddha's image, I recited the Amitābha Sūtra three times and recited Amitābha Buddha's name thirty thousand times each day, making vows with the utmost sincerity. That very night, I saw in the western sky all the aforementioned marks and states fully appear: multicolored jeweled mountains, in hundreds and thousands of layers, with diverse radiances shining down upon the ground, which was golden in color. Amidst them were Buddhas and bodhisattvas, some seated, some standing, some speaking, some silent, some moving their bodies and hands, and some remaining still. Having seen these marks, I stood with palms joined and contemplated them, awakening only after a long time. Having awakened, I was overjoyed beyond measure, and thereupon itemized and recorded the doctrinal headings. From then on, every night in my dreams a monk would regularly come to instruct me in the profound meaning and structural division of the text; once finished, he appeared no more. Later, when the draft was completed, I again made a firm resolve with the utmost sincerity for a seven-day period, reciting the Amitābha Sūtra ten times and reciting Amitābha Buddha's name thirty thousand times each day. In the first and last parts of the night, I contemplated the marks of adornment and so forth of that Buddha-land, taking refuge with a sincere heart just as in the previous method. That very night, I saw three millstones turning by themselves beside the road. Suddenly a person riding a white camel came forward and exhorted me, saying: "Master, you must exert effort; you will certainly attain rebirth, so do not regress. This realm is defiled, evil, and full of suffering; do not bother craving its pleasures." I replied, saying: "I am deeply grateful to you, worthy one, for your kind instruction. I take the end of this life as my term and dare not give rise to laxity or negligence (and so forth)." On the second night, I saw Amitābha Buddha's body of pure golden color, sitting upon a golden lotus flower beneath a seven-jeweled tree, with ten monks surrounding him, each also seated beneath a jeweled tree. Above the Buddha's tree hung heavenly robes draped around, and facing directly west with joined palms, I sat and contemplated. On the third night, I saw two banner poles exceedingly large, tall, and prominent, with banners of five colors suspended from them, and roads running vertically and horizontally, where people could look without obstruction. Having obtained these signs, I then ceased and did not continue to the seventh day. As for all the spiritual signs [recounted] above, my original intention was for the sake of sentient beings, not for myself; having received these signs, I dare not conceal them. I respectfully present them after the commentary to make them heard by later generations, wishing that sentient beings who hear them will give rise to faith, and that those with consciousness who behold them will return to the west. With this merit, I make transference to sentient beings: may all generate bodhicitta, face one another with compassionate hearts, regard one another with the Buddha's eye, be Bodhi companions and act as true good spiritual friends, together returning to the Pure Land and jointly realizing the Buddha path. This meaning has already been requested, verified, and established; not a single sentence or word may be added or subtracted. Those who wish to copy it must do so strictly according to the sūtra's rules. One should know this.