安樂集 1.115

1.115

自下第四引聖教證成，勸信求生者。依《觀佛三昧經》云：「爾時會中有財首菩薩白佛言：『世尊！我念過去無量劫時，有佛出世，亦名釋迦牟尼佛。彼佛滅後有一王子，名曰金幢，憍慢邪見，不信正法。有知識比丘，名定自在，告王子言：「世有佛像，極為可愛，可暫入塔，觀佛形像。」時彼王子從善友語，入塔觀像，見像相好，白言：「比丘！佛像端嚴猶尚如此，況佛真身？」比丘告言：「王子！今見佛像不能禮者，當稱南無佛。」還宮繫念，念塔中像，即於後夜夢見佛像，心大歡喜，捨離邪見，歸依三寶。隨壽命終，由前入塔稱佛功德，即得值遇九百億那由他佛。於諸佛所，常勤精進，恒得甚深念佛三昧。念佛三昧力故，諸佛現前皆與授記，從是以來百萬阿僧祇劫不墮惡道，乃至今日獲得首楞嚴三昧。爾時王子者，今我財首是也。』爾時會中即有十方諸大菩薩，其數無量，各說本緣，皆依念佛得。佛告阿難：『此觀佛三昧是一切眾生犯罪者藥，破戒者護，失道者導，盲冥者眼，愚癡者慧，黑闇者燈，煩惱賊中大勇猛將，諸佛世尊之所遊戲，首楞嚴等諸大三昧始出生處。』佛告阿難：『汝今善持，慎勿忘失。過去、未來、現在三世諸佛，皆說如是念佛三昧。我與十方諸佛及賢劫千佛，從初發心皆因念佛三昧力故，得一切種智。』」又如《目連所問經》：「佛告目連：『譬如萬川長流，有浮草木，前不顧後，後不顧前，都會大海。世間亦爾，雖有豪貴，富樂自在，悉不得免生、老、病、死。只由不信佛經，後世為人，更甚困劇，不能得生千佛國土。是故我說，無量壽佛國，易往、易取，而人不能修行往生，反事九十五種邪道，我說是人名無眼人，名無耳人。』經教既爾，何不捨難，依易行道矣？」

Below, the fourth [section] cites the sacred teachings as proof and encouragement to have faith and seek rebirth. According to the Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Contemplation of the Buddha: "At that time, in the assembly, there was the Bodhisattva Caityacūḍa (Cai Shou) who addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Bhagavat! I recall that incalculable kalpas ago in the past, a Buddha appeared in the world, also named Śākyamuni Buddha. After that Buddha's parinirvāṇa, there was a prince named Jinzhuang (Golden Banner), arrogant, holding wrong views, and not believing in the true Dharma. There was an instructive monk named Dingtizizai, who told the prince: "In the world there is a Buddha statue that is exceedingly lovely; you may briefly enter the stūpa and look at the Buddha's image." The prince then followed his good friend's advice and entered the stūpa to gaze upon the image. Seeing its marks and characteristics, he said: "Monk! The Buddha's statue is so dignified and upright as this; how much more so the Buddha's true body!" The monk told him: "Prince! Since you see the Buddha statue now and cannot make prostrations, you should recite: 'Homage to the Buddha.'" Returning to the palace, he fastened his mindfulness and thought on the statue in the stūpa; then in the latter part of the night he dreamed of the Buddha statue, his heart greatly rejoiced, he abandoned wrong views, and took refuge in the Three Jewels. When his life ended, because of the merit of having previously entered the stūpa and recited the Buddha's name, he immediately encountered nine hundred billion nayutas of Buddhas. In the presence of those Buddhas he was constantly diligent and energetic, always obtaining the profound buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. Due to the power of the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, the Buddhas appeared before him and all bestowed vyākaraṇa upon him. From then on, for a million asaṃkhyeya-kalpas, he did not fall into the evil destinies, and up to this day he attained the śūraṅgama-samādhi. The prince of that time was none other than myself, Caityacūḍa.' At that time, there were in the assembly immeasurable great bodhisattvas of the ten directions, each recounting their past affinities, all attained by relying upon buddhānusmṛti. The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'This samādhi of the contemplation of the Buddha is medicine for all beings who have committed transgressions, protection for those who break the precepts, a guide for those who have lost the way, eyes for the blind, wisdom for the foolish, a lamp in the dark, a great valiant general among the thieves of defilement, the sporting ground of the Buddhas and Bhagavats, and the place from which great samādhis such as the śūraṅgama first arise.' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Hold this firmly now and be careful not to forget it! The Buddhas of the three times—past, future, and present—all teach this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. Together with the Buddhas of the ten directions and the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa, from the first arousal of the aspiration, it is all due to the power of the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi that we attain the knowledge of all modes (sarvākārajñatā).'" Also, as in the Sūtra of Maudgalyāyana's Questions: "The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'For example, in the long flow of myriad streams, there are floating grasses and trees: those ahead do not look back at those behind, and those behind do not look forward to those ahead, yet all converge in the great ocean. The world is also like this: although there are nobles and the wealthy enjoying comfort and freedom, none can escape birth, old age, sickness, and death. Merely because of not believing in the Buddha's sūtras, when reborn as humans in future lives they become even more distressed and afflicted, unable to be reborn in the Buddha lands of the thousand Buddhas. Therefore, I say that the land of Amitābha Buddha is easy to go to and easy to attain; yet people are unable to practice and be reborn there, and instead serve ninety-five kinds of deviant paths. I say that such people are called those without eyes, called those without ears.' Since the canonical teachings are like this, why not abandon the difficult and rely on the easy path?"