略論安樂淨土義 1.34

1.34

「大乘廣智者，言佛無法不知，無煩惱不斷，無善不備，無眾生不度。所以有三世、十方者，有五義：一者、若便無第二佛，乃至無阿僧祇恒沙諸佛者，佛便不能度一切眾生。以實能度一切眾生故，則有十方無量諸佛，無量諸佛即是前佛所度眾生。二者、若一佛度一切眾生盡者，復亦不應後有佛。何以故？無覺他義故，復依何義，說有三世佛乎？依覺他義故，說佛佛皆度一切眾生。三者、後佛能度，猶是前佛之能。何以故？由前佛有後佛故。譬如帝王之甲，得相紹襲，後王即是前王之能故。四者、佛力雖能度一切眾生，要須有因緣，若眾生與前佛無因緣，復須後佛。如是無緣眾生，動逕百千萬佛，不聞、不見，非佛力劣也。譬如日、月周四天下，破諸闇冥，而盲者不見，非日不明也；雷震裂耳，而聾者不聞，非聲不勵也。覺諸緣理，號之曰佛。若情強違緣理，非正覺也。是故眾生無量，佛亦無量。徵佛莫問有緣、無緣，何不盡度一切眾生者，非理言也。五、眾生若盡，世間即墮有邊。以是義故，則有無量佛，度一切眾生。

"As for 'vast Mahāyāna wisdom,' it means that there is no phenomenon the Buddha does not know, no affliction he does not sever, no goodness he does not possess in full, and no sentient being he does not deliver. That there are [Buddhas of] the three times and ten directions has five meanings: First, if there were no second Buddha, nor even asaṃkhyeya-kalpas of Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, then the Buddha would be incapable of delivering all sentient beings. Because he is truly able to deliver all sentient beings, there are immeasurable Buddhas in the ten directions; these immeasurable Buddhas are none other than the sentient beings delivered by previous Buddhas. Second, if a single Buddha were to deliver all sentient beings completely, there should never be subsequent Buddhas. Why? Because there would be no meaning to 'awakening others'; upon what meaning, then, could one speak of Buddhas of the three times? It is based on the meaning of 'awakening others' that one says every Buddha delivers all sentient beings. Third, that subsequent Buddhas are able to deliver is still the capability of previous Buddhas. Why? Because subsequent Buddhas exist on account of previous Buddhas. For example, the lineage of emperors succeeds one another; the subsequent king is indeed the capability of the previous king. Fourth, although the Buddha's power can deliver all sentient beings, there must be causes and conditions. If sentient beings lack causes and conditions with a previous Buddha, they require a subsequent Buddha. In this way, sentient beings lacking conditions may pass through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas without hearing or seeing [them], yet this is not because the Buddha's power is weak. For example, the sun and moon circle the four continents, destroying all darkness, yet the blind do not see them; this is not because the sun is not bright. Thunder claps and splits the ears, yet the deaf do not hear it; this is not because the sound is not loud. Awakening to the principles of all conditions is why he is called 'Buddha.' If one forcibly violates the principles of conditions based on human sentiment, that is not correct awakening. Therefore, just as sentient beings are immeasurable, Buddhas are also immeasurable. To demand of the Buddha, without asking whether there are conditions or not, 'Why do you not deliver all sentient beings completely?' is an unreasonable statement. Fifth, if sentient beings were exhausted, the world would fall into having an end. For these reasons, there are immeasurable Buddhas delivering all sentient beings.