安樂集 2.70

2.70

第十二大門中有一番，就《十往生經》為證勸往生也。如佛說生阿彌陀佛國，為諸大眾說觀身，正念解脫。《十往生經》云：「阿難白佛言：『世尊！一切眾生觀身之法，其事云何？唯願說之。』佛告阿難：『夫觀身之法者，不觀東西、不觀南北，不觀四維、上下，不觀虛空，不觀外緣、不觀內緣，不觀身色，不觀色聲、不觀色像，唯觀無緣，是為正真觀身之法。除是觀身，十方諦求，在在處處更無別法而得解脫。』佛復告阿難：『但自觀身，善力自然，正念自然，解脫自然。何以故？譬如有人，精進直心，得正解脫。如是之人，不求解脫，解脫自至。』阿難復白佛言：『世尊！世間眾生，若有如是正念解脫，應無一切地獄、餓鬼、畜生三惡道也。』佛告阿難：『世間眾生不得解脫。何以故？一切眾生皆由多虛少實，無一正念。以是因緣，地獄者多，解脫者少。譬如有人，於自父、母及以師僧，外現孝順，內懷不孝，外現精進，內懷不實，如是惡人報雖未至，三塗不遠。無有正念，不得解脫。』阿難復白佛言：『若如是者，更修何善根，得正解脫？』佛告阿難：『汝今善聽！吾今為汝說。有十往生法，可得解脫。云何為十？一者、觀身正念，常懷歡喜，以飲食、衣服施佛及僧，往生阿彌陀佛國；二者、正念以甘妙良藥施一病比丘及一切眾生，往生阿彌陀佛國；三者、正念不害一生命，慈悲於一切，往生阿彌陀佛國；四者、正念從師所受戒，淨慧修梵行，心常懷歡喜，往生阿彌陀佛國；五者、正念孝順於父母，敬奉於師長，不起憍慢心，往生阿彌陀佛國；六者、正念往詣於僧房，恭敬於塔寺，聞法解一義，往生阿彌陀佛國；七者、正念一日一夜中，受持八戒齋不破一，往生阿彌陀佛國；八者、正念若能齋月、齋日中遠離於房舍，常詣於善師，往生阿彌陀佛國；九者、正念常能持淨戒，勤修於禪定，護法不惡口，若能如是行，往生阿彌陀佛國；十者、正念若於無上道不起誹謗心，精進持淨戒，復教無智者流布是經法，教化無量眾生，如是諸人等悉皆得往生。』爾時會中有一菩薩，名山海慧，白佛言：『世尊！彼阿彌陀國有何妙樂勝事，一切眾生皆願往生？』彼佛告山海慧菩薩：『汝今應當起立、合掌，正身向西，正念觀阿彌陀佛國，願見阿彌陀佛。』爾時一切大眾亦皆起立、合掌，共觀阿彌陀佛。爾時阿彌陀佛現大神通，放大光明照山海慧菩薩身。爾時山海慧菩薩等即見阿彌陀佛國土，所有莊嚴妙好之事，皆悉七寶，七寶山、七寶國土，水鳥、樹林常吐法音。彼國日日常轉法輪，彼國人民不習外事，正習內事，口說方等語，耳聽方等聲，心解方等義。爾時山海慧菩薩白佛言：『世尊！我等今者覩見彼國，勝妙利益不可思議。我今願一切眾生悉皆往生，然後我等亦願生彼國。』佛記之曰：『正觀、正念、得正解脫，皆悉生彼。若有善男子、善女人，正信是經，愛樂是經，勸導眾生，說者、聽者，悉皆往生阿彌陀佛國。若有如是等人，我從今日常使二十五菩薩護持是人，常令是人無病、無惱，若人、若非人不得其便，行、住、坐、臥，無問晝、夜常得安穩。』山海慧菩薩白佛言：『世尊，我今頂受尊教，不敢有疑。然世有眾生，多有誹謗，不信是經，如是之人於後云何？』佛告山海慧菩薩：『於後閻浮提或有比丘、比丘尼，見有讀誦是經者，或相瞋恚，心懷誹謗。由是謗正法故，是人現身之中，來致諸惡重病，身根不具，聾、盲、瘖、瘂，水腫鬼魅，坐、臥不安，求生不得，求死不得。或乃致死，墮於地獄，八萬劫中受大苦惱，百千萬世未曾聞水食之名；久後得出，在牛、馬、猪、羊為人所殺，受大極苦；後得為人，常生下處，百千萬世不得自在，永不聞三寶名字。是故無智、無信人中，莫說是經也。』」

Within the twelfth major section, there is one part that takes the Shiwangsheng jing as proof to encourage rebirth. As the Buddha taught, to be born in the land of Amitābha Buddha, he explained to the great assembly the contemplation of the body, correct mindfulness, and liberation. The Shiwangsheng jing says: “Ānanda addressed the Buddha: ‘Bhagavat! What is the method by which all sentient beings contemplate the body? We pray you will explain it.’ The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘Now, the method of contemplating the body is not to contemplate east or west, not to contemplate south or north, not to contemplate the four intermediate directions, above or below; not to contemplate empty space; not to contemplate external conditions, not to contemplate internal conditions; not to contemplate bodily forms; not to contemplate visible forms and sounds, not to contemplate visible marks; only to contemplate the conditionless—this is the truly correct method of contemplating the body. Setting aside this contemplation of the body, though one should seek truly throughout the ten directions, nowhere in any place is there any other method by which one may attain liberation.’ The Buddha further told Ānanda: ‘Simply contemplate the body oneself, and good power will come naturally, correct mindfulness will come naturally, and liberation will come naturally. Why is this? For example, if there is a person who is energetic and upright in mind, he attains correct liberation. For such a person, though he does not seek liberation, liberation arrives of itself.’ Ānanda again addressed the Buddha: ‘Bhagavat! If sentient beings in the world have such correct mindfulness and liberation, there should be none of the three evil destinies—hells, hungry ghosts, or animals.’ The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘Sentient beings in the world do not attain liberation. Why is this? All sentient beings are mostly false and seldom truthful, lacking even a single instance of correct mindfulness. Due to these causes and conditions, those who enter the hells are many, and those who attain liberation are few. For example, if there is a person who, toward his own father, mother, and teachers and monks, outwardly shows filial obedience but inwardly harbors unfilial thoughts, outwardly shows diligence but inwardly harbors deceit; though the retribution for such an evil person has not yet arrived, the three paths are not far off. Lacking correct mindfulness, he does not attain liberation.’ Ānanda again addressed the Buddha: ‘If it is so, what further roots of good should one cultivate to attain correct liberation?’ The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘Listen closely now! I shall now explain it to you. There are ten methods of rebirth through which liberation can be attained. What are the ten? First, contemplating the body with correct mindfulness, always harboring joy, and offering food, drink, and clothing to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Second, with correct mindfulness offering sweet, wondrous, and good medicine to a sick monk and to all sentient beings, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Third, with correct mindfulness not harming a single living being, and having loving-kindness and compassion toward all, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Fourth, with correct mindfulness receiving the precepts from a master, cultivating the brahma-conduct with pure wisdom, and constantly harboring joy in one’s mind, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Fifth, with correct mindfulness being filial and obedient to parents, reverently serving teachers and elders, and not giving rise to arrogance, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Sixth, with correct mindfulness going to monks’ quarters, paying reverence at stūpas and monasteries, and hearing the Dharma and understanding a single meaning, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Seventh, with correct mindfulness receiving and upholding the eight-precept fast for one day and one night without breaking a single one, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Eighth, with correct mindfulness, if on fast months and fast days one departs from worldly dwellings and constantly visits good masters, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Ninth, with correct mindfulness always being able to uphold pure precepts, diligently cultivating dhyāna-meditation, protecting the Dharma, and not speaking coarsely—if one can practice like this, one is reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. Tenth, with correct mindfulness, if one does not give rise to a slanderous mind toward the unsurpassed Path, diligently upholds pure precepts, and furthermore teaches those without wisdom to circulate this sūtra and Dharma, transforming immeasurable sentient beings—all such persons will attain rebirth.’ At that time in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Mountain and Sea Wisdom, who addressed the Buddha: ‘Bhagavat! What wondrous pleasures and supreme matters are there in that land of Amitābha that all sentient beings wish to be reborn there?’ That Buddha told the Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom: ‘You should now stand up, join your palms, face directly toward the west, contemplate the land of Amitābha Buddha with correct mindfulness, and vow to see Amitābha Buddha.’ At that time the entire great assembly also stood up, joined their palms, and together contemplated Amitābha Buddha. At that time Amitābha Buddha manifested great supernatural powers and emitted a great light that illuminated the body of Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom. At that time Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom and the others immediately saw Amitābha Buddha’s land: all its adornments and wondrously good features were entirely made of the seven treasures—mountains of seven treasures, a land of seven treasures—and the water birds and grove of trees constantly sounded the voice of the Dharma. In that land, day after day the wheel of the Dharma is turned. The people of that land do not practice external affairs, but precisely practice internal affairs; their mouths speak the words of the Vaipulya, their ears hear the sounds of the Vaipulya, and their minds understand the meaning of the Vaipulya. At that time Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom addressed the Buddha: ‘Bhagavat! We now behold that land; its supreme and wondrous benefits are inconceivable. We now vow that all sentient beings shall all be reborn there, and after that we too wish to be born in that land.’ The Buddha prophesied for them, saying: ‘Those with correct contemplation and correct mindfulness who attain correct liberation shall all be born there. If there are good men or good women who have correct faith in this sūtra, love and delight in this sūtra, and encourage and guide sentient beings, both those who expound it and those who hear it shall all be reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s land. If there are such persons, from this day forth I will constantly dispatch twenty-five bodhisattvas to protect and maintain these persons, constantly causing these persons to be free from illness and distress, so that whether human or non-human, none can take advantage of them; whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, whether by day or by night, they will always attain peace and stability.’ Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom addressed the Buddha: ‘Bhagavat, I now receive your venerable teaching on the crown of my head and dare not harbor any doubt. However, there are beings in the world who slander extensively and do not believe in this sūtra; what will happen to such persons hereafter?’ The Buddha told Bodhisattva Mountain and Sea Wisdom: ‘Hereafter in Jambudvīpa there may be monks or nuns who, seeing those who read and recite this sūtra, may become angry with them and harbor slander in their minds. Because of slandering the true Dharma, such persons in their present lifetime will bring upon themselves various severe and grave illnesses: their physical sense faculties will become incomplete, they will be deaf, blind, mute, and dumb, afflictions of dropsy and demonic spirits will arise, they will find no peace in sitting or lying down, seeking life they cannot obtain it, seeking death they cannot obtain it. Or it may even bring about death, whereupon they fall into the hells, where for eighty thousand kalpas they undergo great suffering and distress, and for hundreds of thousands of myriad lifetimes never hear the names of water or food; emerging after a long time, they are born as cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep to be slaughtered by humans, undergoing ultimate suffering; afterward attaining human form, they are constantly born in lowly places, for hundreds of thousands of myriad lifetimes unable to be free, never hearing the names of the Three Jewels. Therefore, among persons who lack wisdom and lack faith, do not speak this sūtra.’”},
{