安樂集 1.27

1.27

答曰：「凡夫智淺，多依相求，決得往生。然以相善力微，但生相土，唯覩報、化佛也。是故《觀佛三昧經．菩薩本行品》云：『文殊師利白佛言：「當知我念過去無量劫數為凡夫時，彼世有佛，名寶威德上王如來。彼佛出時，與今無異。彼佛亦長丈六，身紫金色，說三乘法，如釋迦文。爾時彼國有大長者，名一切施。長者有子，名曰戒護。子在母胎時，母以敬信故，預為其子受三歸依。子既生已，年至八歲，父母請佛於家供養。童子見佛，為佛作禮，敬佛心重，目不暫捨，一見佛故，即得除却百萬億那由他劫生死之罪。從是以後常生淨土，即得值遇百億那由他恒河沙佛，是諸世尊亦以相好度脫眾生。爾時童子一一親侍，間無空缺，禮拜、供養、合掌觀佛，以因緣力故，復得值遇百萬阿僧祇佛，彼諸佛等亦以色身相好化度眾生。從是以後即得百千億念佛三昧門，復得阿僧祇陀羅尼門。既得此已，諸佛現前，乃為說無相法，須臾之間得首楞嚴三昧。時彼童子但受三歸，一禮佛故，諦觀佛身，心無疲厭。由此因緣，值無數佛。何況繫念，具足思惟觀佛色身。時彼童子豈異人乎？是我身也。」爾時世尊讚文殊言：「善哉，善哉！汝以一禮佛故，得值無數諸佛。何況未來我諸弟子懃觀佛者、懃念佛者？」佛勅阿難：「汝持文殊師利語，遍告大眾及未來世眾生，若能禮佛者、若能念佛者、若能觀佛者，當知此人與文殊師利等無有異，捨身他世，文殊師利等諸菩薩為其和上。」』以此文證，故知淨土該通相土，往生不謬。

The answer is: Ordinary beings have shallow wisdom and mostly seek by relying on marks; they definitely attain rebirth. However, because the power of goodness with marks is slight, they are only reborn in a land with marks and only behold reward and transformation buddhas. Therefore the Guanfo sanmei jing, 'Chapter on the Bodhisattva's Original Practices,' says: 'Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha: "You should know that I remember in the past, immeasurable kalpas ago when I was an ordinary being, in that world there was a buddha named Jewel Dignity Superior King Tathāgata (Ratnaprabhāva-uttamarāja). When that buddha appeared, he was no different from today: that buddha was also sixteen feet tall, of purple-golden color, and expounded the Dharma of the three vehicles just like Śākyamuni. At that time in that country there was a great elder named Sarvadāna. The elder had a son named Śīlarakṣita. When the son was in the mother's womb, the mother, out of reverent faith, took the three refuges on behalf of her son beforehand. After the son was born and reached eight years of age, the parents invited the Buddha to their home to make offerings. The boy saw the Buddha, bowed in homage to the Buddha, and because his heart of reverence for the Buddha was profound, his eyes did not turn away for an instant. Merely by seeing the Buddha once, he was able to eradicate the sins of saṃsāra of a million kotis of nayutas of kalpas. From then on, he was always reborn in pure lands and met a hundred kotis of nayutas of Ganges sands of buddhas; these Bhagavats also liberated sentient beings by means of their marks and characteristics. At that time the boy attended upon each one personally without interruption, paying homage, making offerings, joining his palms, and contemplating the buddhas. By the power of causes and conditions, he again met a million asaṃkhyeyas of buddhas, and those buddhas also transformed and liberated sentient beings by means of physical forms and marks. From then on, he attained a hundred thousand kotis of doors to buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, and further attained asaṃkhyeya doors of dhāraṇī. Having attained these, buddhas appeared before him and expounded the markless Dharma, and in an instant he attained the Śūraṅgama-samādhi. At that time, that boy had merely received the three refuges, and by paying homage to the Buddha once, closely contemplated the Buddha's body without wearying in mind. Through these causes and conditions, he met countless buddhas. How much more so for one who focuses their mindfulness and fully contemplates the Buddha's physical body! Could that boy at that time have been someone else? It was my own person." At that time the Bhagavat praised Mañjuśrī, saying: "Excellent, excellent! Because of paying homage to the Buddha once, you met countless buddhas. How much more so for my disciples in the future who diligently contemplate the Buddha and diligently practice buddhānusmṛti?" The Buddha commanded Ānanda: "Take Mañjuśrī's words and proclaim them everywhere to the great assembly and to sentient beings of future ages: if there are those who can pay homage to the Buddha, those who can practice buddhānusmṛti, and those who can contemplate the Buddha, know that such people are equal and no different from Mañjuśrī; upon relinquishing their bodies in another life, Mañjuśrī and other bodhisattvas will be their preceptors (upādhyāyas)."' With this text as proof, we therefore know that the pure land encompasses lands with marks, and rebirth is not mistaken.