注維摩詰經 1.354

1.354

什曰：寶積問淨土之相，故以淨相答之。淨相即淨土因緣，淨土因緣有三事：一菩薩功德、二眾生、三眾生功德。三因既淨，則得淨土。今言眾生則是者，因中說果。下釋義中具三因緣也。肇曰：夫至人空洞無象，應物故形。形無常體，況國土之有恒乎。夫以群生萬端、業行不同，殊化異被致令報應不一，是以淨者應之以寶玉、穢者應之以沙礫。美惡自彼，於我無定，無定之土乃曰真土。然則土之淨穢繫于眾生，故曰眾生之類是菩薩佛土也。或謂土之淨穢繫于眾生者，則是眾生報應之土、非如來土。此蓋未喻報應之殊方耳。甞試論之。夫如來所修淨土，以無方為體，故令雜行眾生同視異見。異見故，淨穢所以生；無方故，真土所以形。若夫取其淨穢，眾生之報也；本其無方，佛土之真也。豈曰殊域異處凡聖二土然後辨其淨穢哉？生曰：淨土行者，行致淨土，非造之也。造於土者，眾生類矣。容以濫造，不得不先明造本以表致義，然後說行。

[Kumāra]jīva says: Ratnakūṭa asked about the marks of the pure land, so he answered him with the marks of purity. The marks of purity are the causes and conditions of the pure land, and the causes and conditions of the pure land have three matters: first, the bodhisattva's merits; second, sentient beings; third, the merits of sentient beings. When these three causes are pure, then the pure land is attained. Now saying 'sentient beings are it' is speaking of the fruit in terms of the cause. In the explanation of the meaning below, all three causes and conditions are present. [Seng]zhao says: The ultimate person is empty, vast, and formless; he manifests form in response to things. Form has no constant substance, how much less could a land have constancy? Because sentient beings are of myriad kinds and their karmic actions differ, diverse transformations are differently bestowed, causing retribution and response not to be uniform. Thus to the pure he responds with precious gems, and to the defiled he responds with sand and gravel. Excellence or foulness comes from them; on my part there is no fixed state. A land that has no fixed state is called the true land. Thus the purity or defilement of a land is tied to sentient beings; hence it is said, 'The categories of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's buddha-land.' Some say that if the purity or defilement of a land is tied to sentient beings, then it is the land of sentient beings' retribution and response, not the Tathāgata's land. This is merely not understanding the divergent directions of retribution and response. Let us try to discuss it: The pure land cultivated by the Tathāgata takes directionlessness as its essence, thereby causing sentient beings of mixed actions to look together yet see differently. Because they see differently, purity and defilement arise; because it is directionless, the true land is manifested. If one takes its purity or defilement, that is the retribution of sentient beings; if one traces its directionlessness to the root, that is the reality of the buddha-land. How could it be that one must distinguish ordinary and sagely two lands by disparate realms and different places before discerning their purity or defilement? [Dao]sheng says: As for the practitioner of the pure land, his practice brings about the pure land, it does not manufacture it. Those who manufacture the land are the classes of sentient beings. Since there might be false attribution of manufacturing, one cannot but first clarify the fundamental basis of manufacturing to demonstrate the meaning of bringing it about, and only then speak of the practice.