觀無量壽佛經義疏 2.64

2.64

"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.