阿彌陀經要解 1.3

1.3

原夫諸佛憫念群迷隨機施化，雖歸元無二而方便多門，然於一切方便中求其至直捷至圓頓者，莫若念佛求生淨土。又於一切念佛法門之中，求其至簡易至穩當者，莫若信願專持名號，是故淨土三經並行於世，而古人獨以《阿彌陀經》別為日課，豈非有見於持名一法普被三根，攝事理以無遺、統宗教而無外，尤不可思議也哉！古來註疏代不乏人，世遠就湮所存無幾，雲棲和尚著為《疏鈔》，廣大精微；幽谿師伯述《圓中鈔》，高深洪博，蓋如日月中天有目皆覩，特以文富義繁邊涯莫測，或致初機淺識信願難階，故復弗揣庸愚再述要解，不敢與二翁競異，亦不敢與二翁強同。譬如側看成峯橫看成嶺，縱皆不盡廬山真境，要不失為各各親見廬山而已。將釋經文五重玄義。

Now, the Buddhas mindfully pity the host of deluded beings and bestow teachings according to capacity; although the return to the source is not twofold, the skillful means are manifold. Yet among all skillful means, if one seeks that which is most direct and most perfect and sudden, nothing equals buddhānusmṛti and seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. Moreover, among all Dharma-doors of buddhānusmṛti, if one seeks that which is most simple and most secure, nothing equals faith and aspiration and exclusively holding firmly to the name. For this reason, the three Pure Land sūtras circulate together in the world, yet the ancients especially took the Amitābha Sūtra alone as their daily recitation. How could this not be because they saw that this single Dharma of holding firmly to the name universally covers the three faculties, subsumes phenomena and noumenon without remainder, unifies doctrine and lineage without exclusion, and is particularly inconceivable! Since antiquity, commentators have not been lacking through the generations, yet through time and loss few survive. Master Yunqi composed the Shuchao, which is vast and subtle; Master Uncle Youxi compiled the Yuanzhong chao, which is lofty, deep, grand, and extensive. They are like the sun and moon in the midday sky, which all with eyes can behold. Only because the text is rich and the meanings intricate, their boundaries unfathomable, those of initial capacity and shallow knowledge may perhaps find faith and aspiration difficult to step into. Therefore, not considering my own ignorance, I compose anew this essential explanation, daring neither to vie in difference with the two venerable masters, nor to force agreement with them. Just as looking sideways gives a peak and looking across gives a ridge, even if neither exhausts the true scene of Mount Lu, it does not fail to be each one personally seeing Mount Lu. I shall now explain the text of the sūtra by way of the fivefold profound meaning.