觀無量壽佛經義疏 1.6

1.6

First, a general explanation of the emergence of the teachings of [the Buddha's] entire lifetime. The Great Awakened World-Honoured One, manifesting traces from the source, wished to open and demonstrate the Buddha's knowledge and vision to sentient beings and lead them to awaken and enter it; thereupon, seizing the time for beneficial manifestation, he acted with great efficacy. A sūtra says: 'All that is done is always for one matter alone: only to demonstrate the Buddha's knowledge and vision to lead sentient beings to awakening.' Thus we know that whether appearing in birth or displaying extinction, and though the half- and full-letter vocal teachings of his entire lifetime differ, none fail to cause all common worldlings to personally awaken to their own mind. Its fundamental nature is equal and without difference from that of the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the sentient beings of the Dharma realm. It is fully endowed with superior virtues limitless as the sands of the Ganges and embraces all mundane and supramundane dharmas. The pure, primordial, vast, and boundless dust-mote lands of the ten-direction Dharma realm, the great earth, mountains, and rivers, the primary and secondary rewards, cause and effect, are all things within the mind of our kind, just like a single bubble floating on the great sea, or a wisp of cloud dotting the great expanse of clear sky. This corresponds to what a subsequent passage of the sūtra says: 'This mind creates the Buddha, this mind is the Buddha. The ocean of correct and universal knowledge of all Buddhas arises from mental conception.' One should know that this mind is itself the originally pure essence of bodhi and nirvāṇa; it is itself the Mahāyāna realm of one reality and no other dharma. Therefore, the Zhancha jing says: 'As for the realm of one reality, it refers to the mind-essence of sentient beings, which from the beginningless past is unarising, unceasing, naturally pure, perfectly pervading the ten directions, and ultimately of one mark.' It is only through the conditioning causes of sentient beings' perfuming by the darkness of ignorance that objective realms are falsely manifested, causing them to generate clinging thoughts, grasp at self and what belongs to self, and drown in birth-and-death without being self-aware. Our Buddha, the Tathāgata, was first to awaken to this mind. Pitying those who were not yet awakened, through compassionate skillful means he expounded the various sūtras—suddenly revealing it in the Avataṃsaka, gradually guiding them in the Deer Park. The return to the source is not two, though the skillful means are many. A sūtra says: 'Those of small wisdom delight in small dharmas, not believing that they themselves can become Buddhas.' It also says: 'Though various paths are taught, in reality they are for the Buddha Vehicle.' Whether breaking delusion and realizing truth in this land by exercising self-power, for which reason the various Hinayāna and Mahāyāna sūtras were spoken; or going to another realm to hear the Dharma and awaken to the Path, relying necessarily on other-power, for which reason rebirth in the Pure Land was taught—though this and that differ, none are not skillful means to lead one to awaken to one's own mind and thoroughly penetrate all dharmas. Thereafter, one gives rise to the Mahāyāna aspiration, cultivates the path of bodhi, seeks above and transforms below, and ultimately attains Buddhahood. Because of wisdom, one does not abide in birth-and-death; because of compassion, one does not abide in nirvāṇa. Passing through dust-mote kṣetras, displaying birth, proclaiming extinction, and preaching the Dharma to deliver sentient beings—because sentient beings are endless, one's practices, vows, bodies, and lands are also endless. The Avataṃsaka says: 'I know that among all Buddhas of the ten directions, there are none who ultimately enter parinirvāṇa, except that they manifest it solely to subdue sentient beings.' The Laṅkāvatāra also says: 'There is no nirvāṇa of a Buddha, nor is there any Buddha in nirvāṇa.' This is called the great causal condition for appearing in the world. It is so throughout the ten directions; how could it be Śākyamuni alone? The arising of the teaching lies simply in this.