淨名玄論 8.20

8.20

Question: The earlier text states: 'It is like building a mansion on empty ground, which is accomplished unobstructed at will; if one tries to build in empty space, it can never be accomplished.' What meaning does this text intend to clarify? Answer: It intends to clarify that in taking a pure land, one must possess both wisdoms. If one only undertakes practices to take a pure land for the sake of beings, then one has upāya but lacks real wisdom, falling into the stage of ordinary beings, because ordinary humans and devas also seek pure and wonderful places. If one only cultivates the contemplation of emptiness, one cannot take a land for the sake of beings, falling into the stage of the two vehicles. Now, possessing the meaning of taking a land through real wisdom and upāya, one takes a land for the sake of beings by means of real wisdom and upāya. With upāya and real wisdom, the land is fundamentally empty and sentient beings are not real ordinary beings, so there is no defilement or attachment. Being free from defilement and attachment, one is not like an ordinary being; taking a land for the sake of beings, one is distinct from the practice of the two vehicles. Therefore, both wisdoms are required, which is why it is said: 'A world cannot be brought about by a single cause and condition.' The mansion is the Buddha-land. The emptiness is real wisdom. The ground is sentient beings. Thus, relying upon the ground of sentient beings with the bodhisattva's empty mind, one subsequently generates the causes of the pure land and attains the fruit of the pure land; therefore it is called 'building a mansion.'