觀無量壽佛經義疏 2.64

2.64

「佛告韋提希：『汝及眾生應當專心繫念一處，想於西方。』」淨土觀門要在專一，故須指定一方以為投心之處，故放光現土厥意在茲。故《十疑論》中名為一相三昧，《文殊般若》亦名一行三昧。比諸觀法，有三不同：餘觀不定方隅，今此定須西向；餘觀收神歸念，今此送想彼方；餘觀遍歷自他，今此定緣聖境。義門備揀，心境歷然，乖此別修，終名邪觀。二、別列十六觀法。自古章疏多廣懸談，及至觀文例多簡略。今謂觀文正當心要，義須委細科釋文言，聽習之徒切宜留心。今先總分，後方別解。就十六觀，大分為二：初一種先觀此方落日指定向方，後十五種正觀彼土依正二報。初觀是總，該下十五；下皆為別，各不相收。就後十五復分為二：前五先觀彼土依報莊嚴，後十觀彼正報殊勝。就前五中又分為二：前二觀彼所依境界，觀水成氷、見氷為地，後三觀彼莊嚴之相。國土莊嚴不出三種：樹即觀彼林蔭、池即觀彼流泉、樓即觀臺閣。地觀為總，攝餘三故；樹等為別，皆依地故。就後十中復分為四：前三觀佛，第七觀佛坐處、第八觀像表真、第九正觀佛相；十與十一觀佛侍者左右分殊；十二十三總觀三聖普雜不同；十四五六觀佛徒眾三輩差降。若此分對，一經大要晈如指掌。逐觀別分，廣更如後。第一、日觀，三：初、所觀境；二、能觀想；三、結示。初、所觀境。

"The Buddha told Vaidehī: 'You and sentient beings should single-mindedly focus your thoughts on one place and visualize the western direction.'" The gate of contemplation of the Pure Land essentially consists in single-minded focus; hence one must designate a single direction as the place to direct the mind. Emitting light and manifesting the land had this as its intention. Therefore, in the Shiyi lun, it is called the samādhi of one mark; in the Mañjuśrī Prajñā[-pāramitā Sūtra], it is also called the one-practice samādhi. Compared to other methods of contemplation, there are three differences: other contemplations do not fix a direction, whereas this one must face the west; other contemplations gather the spirit and return to mindful awareness, whereas this one sends thought to that other direction; other contemplations range generally through self and other, whereas this one definitively focuses on the sacred realm. The doctrinal approaches are thoroughly distinguished, and mind and object are distinct; deviating from this to cultivate differently will ultimately be called incorrect contemplation. Second, individually listing the sixteen contemplation methods. From antiquity, commentators' treatises have mostly offered extensive general expositions, but when arriving at the text of the contemplations, they have generally been brief. I maintain that the text of the contemplations is precisely the essential core; its meaning requires detailed structural analysis and explanation of the textual phrasing, and those who study and practice it should pay close attention. Now I will first divide it generally, and later explain each part separately. Regarding the sixteen contemplations, they are broadly divided into two: the first one initially contemplates the setting sun in this world to fix the direction; the latter fifteen properly contemplate the two retributions of that land, primary and environmental. The first contemplation is general and encompasses the subsequent fifteen; the subsequent ones are all specific and do not subsume one another. The latter fifteen are again divided into two: the first five initially contemplate the wondrous adornments of the environmental retribution of that land; the latter ten contemplate the superior excellence of its primary retribution. Among the first five, they are again divided into two: the first two contemplate the realm on which it rests—contemplating water turning to ice, and seeing ice as ground; the latter three contemplate the characteristics of its adornments. The adornments of the land do not exceed three kinds: the trees mean contemplating its groves and shade; the ponds mean contemplating its flowing springs; the towers mean contemplating the pavilions. The contemplation of the ground is general, because it gathers the other three; the trees and so forth are specific, because they all rest upon the ground. Among the latter ten, they are again divided into four: the first three contemplate the Buddha—the seventh contemplates the Buddha's seat, the eighth contemplates the image representing the real, and the ninth properly contemplates the Buddha's bodily marks; the tenth and eleventh contemplate the Buddha's attendants, differentiated into left and right; the twelfth and thirteenth generally contemplate the three holy beings, distinguishing the universal and the mixed; the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth contemplate the Buddha's assemblies, distinguished into the three grades. If classified and matched in this way, the grand essentials of the entire sūtra become as clear as pointing to the palm of one's hand. The specific division of each contemplation will be detailed further below. The first contemplation, the contemplation of the sun, has three parts: first, the object contemplated; second, the mental contemplation that can contemplate it; third, the concluding instruction. First, the object contemplated.