阿彌陀經要解 1.116

1.116

答：「一稱佛名便為成佛種子，猶如金剛終不可壞。故佛世有一老人欲求出家，五百聖眾以道眼觀，皆謂從無善根，不肯剃度。後至佛所，佛即度之。弟子問佛因緣，佛言：『此人於無量劫前，入山採薪為虎所逼，上樹避之，虎復繞樹跑哮，以怖急故失聲稱南無佛。今此善根成熟，值我得道，非諸二乘道眼所能知也。』由此觀之，《法華．方便品》中所明，若於過去佛所，散亂稱名皆已成佛。豈不信哉！伏願若緇若素、若智若愚，於此簡易直捷無上圓頓法門，勿視為難而輒生退諉，勿視為易而漫不策勤，勿視為淺而妄致藐輕，勿視為深而弗敢承任。蓋所持之名號真實不可思議，能持之心性亦真實不可思議，持一聲則一聲不可思議，持十聲百聲乃至無量無數等聲，則聲聲皆悉不可思議故也。」

Answer: "A single recitation of the Buddha's name becomes a seed for Buddhahood, which, like a diamond, can never be destroyed. Thus, in the Buddha's time, there was an old man who sought to leave the household life. The five hundred holy ones looked with their spiritual eyes, and all said he had never had roots of goodness, refusing to shave his head. Later he came to the Buddha's place, and the Buddha immediately liberated him. The disciples asked the Buddha about the causes and conditions, and the Buddha said: 'Innumerable kalpas ago, this man went into the mountains to gather firewood and was chased by a tiger. He climbed a tree to escape it, and the tiger circled the tree, roaring. In his terrified distress, he cried out, "Namo Buddha!" Now this root of goodness has matured, and meeting me he has attained the Way; this is not something the spiritual eyes of the two vehicles could know.' Viewed from this, what is clarified in the 'Expedient Means' chapter of the Lotus Sūtra—that if in the presence of past buddhas one recited the name with a distracted mind, all have already attained Buddhahood—how could it not be believed! I humbly pray that monastics or laypeople, wise or foolish, regarding this simple, direct, supreme, perfect, and sudden Dharma gate, do not see it as difficult and casually retreat and decline; do not see it as easy and negligently fail to exert diligence; do not see it as shallow and foolishly hold it in contempt; and do not see it as deep and dare not take responsibility for it. For the name held is truly inconceivable, and the nature of the mind capable of holding it is also truly inconceivable; holding one utterance, that one utterance is inconceivable; holding ten utterances, a hundred utterances, even immeasurable and countless utterances, then utterance after utterance is entirely inconceivable."