觀無量壽佛經義疏 1.8

1.8

Second, the scope of the subsumed teaching has three parts: first, clarifying the pure versus mixed nature of the teachings established in the two lands; second, distinguishing between the Great and Lesser [Vehicles] and the gradual and sudden; third, distinguishing between definitive and provisional meaning. / First, clarifying the pure versus mixed nature of the teachings established in the two lands has two parts: first, the teachings and contemplations for entering the Path in Sahā; second, the teachings and contemplations for rebirth in the Pure Land. / First, the teachings and contemplations for entering the Path in Sahā. In the Sahā [world] of the five turbidities, afflictions and karmas are heavy or light, and the capacities of faculties are varied. Since the capacities of beings are mixed, the teaching is also not pure; hence there are different categories of Great and Lesser [Vehicles], and differing penetration of the partial and the complete. Lineage masters of the sūtras and treatises, past and present, in classifying the teachings have differed with one another, alternating in superseding and establishing them; these are broadly set forth in other writings and cannot be fully recounted here. / Second, the teachings and contemplations for rebirth in the Pure Land. The Pure Land of Sukhāvatī is purely of the Great Vehicle, with pure and virtuous companions. Although the sentient beings who are born there are divided into nine grades, there are none who do not resolve upon the supreme mind of the Path; arriving there and advancing in cultivation, all attain the wondrous fruit of non-retrogression in bodhi. Therefore the Wang sheng lun states: "Those of the two vehicles' lineage are not born there." Even if there are śrāvaka disciples, all are those who initially generated the great aspiration, temporarily traversed the provisional vehicle, and do not abide in the lesser fruit. From this it is known that the establishment of teachings in the two lands differs in purity and mixedness; thus for the various Pure Land sūtras, one need not labor to classify and judge them. / Second, the Great and Lesser, gradual and sudden. Tiantai's commentary, in classifying the characteristics of the teaching, simply states: "This is subsumed under the Mahāyāna Vaipulya teachings; in the doctrinal meaning of the two repositories, it is gathered under the Bodhisattva Repository; in gradual or sudden awakening and entry, this is the sudden teaching." Master [Hui]yuan's commentary also states: "This sūtra is the wheel of the Dharma of the sudden teaching. Vaidehī and the others were all ordinary beings, yet they immediately realized non-arising without entering through the small; hence we know it is sudden." Following this, we know that all the teachings and contemplations of Amitāyus across [the Buddha's] lifetime are the Dharma of the round and sudden One Buddha Vehicle, and there is no other path. Dharma Master Ciyun says: "If one examines all the palm-leaf manuscripts in the Hīnayāna canon, there is never a single word saying there is a Pure Land, much less encouraging rebirth [there]. Moreover, other Buddhas are not discussed in the Hīnayāna, nor is there a single word stating there is Amitāyus." Thus, once the Pure Land and Amitāyus pass through the ear, the seed of Buddhahood in the Great Vehicle is planted; not to hear and not to believe—is that not a great loss? / Third, distinguishing between definitive and provisional meaning. Ciyun says: "The Buddha Dharma has two [kinds]: first, the provisional-meaning Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle; second, the definitive-meaning Dharma of the Great Vehicle. The Great Vehicle again has provisional and definitive meanings. Now, in discussing the Pure Land, it is solely the definitive meaning within the definitive meaning of the Great Vehicle. The sūtra says: 'Seeking throughout the ten directions, there are no other vehicles, only the One Buddha Vehicle.' This is what it refers to." / Speaking of "definitive meaning": to clearly comprehend that the Pure Land is none other than one's own mind, and not another region; to thoroughly penetrate that Amitāyus is none other than one's own nature, and not another Buddha. In this way, directing one's spirit to billions of lands is truly being born within one's own mind; conceiving one's substance within the nine lotuses—how could that escape the boundary of a single kṣaṇa? Therefore the sūtra says, "This mind creates the Buddha, this mind is the Buddha"; this is precisely opening and showing the Buddha's knowledge and vision to sentient beings. How could the definitive meaning of the Great Vehicle surpass this? The Śūraṅgama [Sūtra]'s [chapter on] "Mahāsthāmaprāpta's Perfect Penetration" states: "If the mind of a sentient being remembers the Buddha and is mindful of the Buddha, now or in the future they will certainly see the Buddha, not far from the Buddha (meaning that becoming a Buddha will not take long)." As for the wondrous scripture of the Lotus [Sūtra], the Tathāgata personally prophesied rebirth [there] (the chapter on the "Medicine King" says, "One who upholds this sūtra will immediately be reborn in the world of Sukhāvatī," etc.). The Huayan's ultimate discourse has Samantabhadra personally declare the dedication of merit (the ten great vows of Samantabhadra conclude by saying: "When approaching the end of life, in a single kṣaṇa, one will immediately attain rebirth in the world of Sukhāvatī," etc.). From this one knows that pure and defiled bodies and lands are all sentient beings' own mind. It is solely because the substance of the mind is open and fusing that rebirth is unobstructed; it is solely because the nature of the mind encompasses and pervades that accepting and rejecting are unhindered. / Alas, today's immature students do not understand mind-only, but merely recognize a spark of spiritual awareness and take it to be the Pure Land, claiming of themselves that 'when the mind is pure, the land is pure, without needing to seek elsewhere,' and 'the Buddha is my mind; why must one search outside?' They designate Amitāyus as an external object and disparage Sukhāvatī as a foreign land. / Therefore Ciyun says: "Someone might ask: 'The Pure Land is in the mind; why seek outside? When the mind is pure, the land is pure; why labor to seek rebirth in a distant Pure Land in another region?' The explanation is: 'You do not understand the meaning of mind and land, and assume that our mind is confined within the square inch [of the heart], thereby seeing the West as far beyond the border. If one clearly comprehends that a single thought of the mind is all-pervading, and a single dust mote is also all-pervading, then a hundred thousand million lands are but a footstep away; how could they be outside the mind? If worldly people speak of the principle of emptiness, they dismiss cause and effect; if they speak of mind-only, they do not believe there are external dharmas. Not only do they slander the Dharma, they also slander their own mind, bringing calamity upon themselves for ten thousand kalpas—how truly lamentable! Falsely fabricating right and wrong and obstructing others from the Pure Land, they are truly evil spiritual friends' (the above is all his text)." The ancients spoke bitter truths out of deep compassion for beings; if one pays attention and investigates thoroughly, one will surely attain transcendent awakening by this means.