釋淨土群疑論 1.3

1.3

虛空無際，天地生其中；墟宇既形，品庶滋其內。於是群生競起、眾識齊奔，沈浮愛欲之河、驅馳生死之躅，因報紛糺，非累墨之能分；緣對循環，豈積塵之可計。前佛後佛、報身化身，各返行迷、咸祛溺喪，敞三明以濟俗、臨八苦已宣慈。皇矣彌陀！聿采淨國，發弘誓願，現大光明，既疏方便之門，又闡感通之路。十念云就，俄引伏於金地；九輩往生，遽偕遊於銀國。理浮敻劫、事驗無邊，道安幽贊於秦中、慧遠始通於晉末，爰茲已降，同贊前聲，其有克任紹隆、遙膺付囑，思成就於往法、將究竟於來今，疏奧旨於貫華、讚微言於貝葉者，其唯懷感法師乎。法師以本無今有、既生則逝，信力堅正、戒品清嚴，妬路之文既弘宣而走譽、毘尼之旨乃演暢以馳聲，雖善說而不窮，恐有言之為累，思練神以息際，佇依定而保光，捨義學共遺蹤，遂誠求而取證。霜懷特發、氷踐孤超，功由理諧、機與神會，斂容赴寂，乃覲安養。法師則意歸真，即是阿鞞聖侶，雖念存有相而情體無著，眾所知識、俗共歸仰。勝幢雖建，魔壘尚高，未悟聖力所牽，多以常途致惑，青眼以之鶚視、赤髭由其蝟張，始則干非、後遂淩讟，請戰之曹踵武、設伏之黨肩隨。法師先據不竭之貲，次命無前之語，洪鐘纔振，短兵已北，燒須之渠折角、鍱腹之侶流腸，領屈者拔旗以祈生、吞負之者與櫬而歸西，安養之師告捷、般舟之旅載寧。式詮詶問之機，遂有釋疑之論。當其詰朝相見，任氣爭前。問既直錐以起心，詶亦推鋒而陷腦，故有疑必問，客無問而不深；有問必詶，主無詶不當。因權告實，語為四部所宗；即生宣常，理為五眾攸報。信往生之逸路，乃淨域之亭衢。撰次未修，門成乃化，遺編累復。有懷惲法師惲與感師，并為導公神足，四禪俱寂、十勝齊高，契悟之深，詎止同遊七淨；緣習之重，寧唯共趣一乘。𨳿歲易掩，長年先逝，三門徒然、七眾同悲。惲以昌言之書既成之於舊友，釋疑之論敢行之故人，以平昌孟銑早修淨業，憑為序引，資以播揚，輒課蕪旨，式旌寶昌，言之為七卷，宣之為一部。云爾。

Empty space is boundless, and heaven and earth are born within it; once the ruins and the universe took form, the myriad beings multiplied within them. Thereupon the multitude of sentient beings vied to arise, their consciousnesses racing together, sinking and floating in the river of craving and desire, galloping along the tracks of birth and death. Causes and retributions are so tangled that piled-up ink cannot distinguish them; the cycle of conditions and retaliations is such that accumulated dust cannot count it. The Buddhas of the past and the Buddhas of the future, reward bodies and transformation bodies, have each turned back those straying on their course, and all have rescued those sinking and perishing, opening the three clarities to deliver the common run, approaching the eight sufferings to proclaim compassion. Grand indeed is Amitābha! Early on he gathered a pure land, brought forth vast vows, and manifested great bright light; having laid open the gate of expedient means, he further unfolded the path of resonant communion. Once the ten recitations are accomplished, one is instantly drawn down upon the golden ground; when the nine classes attain rebirth in the Pure Land, they abruptly roam together in the silver realm. The principle transcends distant kalpas, and the facts are verified boundlessly: Dao'an profoundly praised it in Qin, and Huiyuan first disseminated it at the end of the Jin. From then on down to the present, all have praised that earlier voice. But as for one who could shoulder the succession and exaltation, distantly receive the entrustment, contemplate fulfilling the past Dharma, and bring about ultimate completion for future times—unfolding the profound tenets from the string of flowers and praising the subtle words from the palm leaves—was that not Master Huaigan alone? The Master, [realising that] what originally did not exist now exists, and once born one must pass away, had firm and upright power of faith and pure and strict grades of precepts. When the texts of the *Dhūta* were proclaimed, his reputation spread; when the tenets of the vinaya were expounded, his fame raced forth. Although his eloquent explanation was inexhaustible, he feared that spoken words would become an encumbrance; he contemplated refining his spirit to cease outer limits, waiting upon concentration to preserve his light. Abandoning the lingering tracks of doctrinal study, he then sincerely sought [the truth] and attained realization. His frosted resolution specially burst forth, his stride on ice transcended alone; his achievement accorded with principle, and his capacity converged with the spirit. Composing his countenance and proceeding to tranquility, he then had an audience with Anyang. As the Master's intention returned to the true, he was indeed a holy companion of avaivartikas; although his contemplation preserved signs, his feeling and essence were without attachment, recognized by the multitude and revered by the world. Although the victory banner had been erected, the fortress of Māra was still high; failing to awaken to the draw of holy power, many were confounded by common tracks: blue eyes glared like ospreys at it, and red beards bristled like hedgehogs over it. At first they attacked it as wrong, and subsequently they insulted and slandered it; those who challenged to battle followed in each other's tracks, and the faction laying ambushes stood shoulder to shoulder. The Master first relied on inexhaustible wealth, and next commanded unprecedented words; no sooner had the great bell vibrated than the short weapons were already routed: the leader who burned his beard broke his horns, and the companions with belly plates shed their bowels. Those whose collars were bent pulled down their flags to plead for life; those who swallowed defeat offered their coffins and returned to the West. The army of Anyang announced victory; the troops of pratyutpanna were at peace once more. To give form to the dynamics of these questions and answers, he thereupon produced this treatise resolving doubts. When they met at dawn, they gave free rein to their passions and vied to advance. The questions, being straight as awls, aroused the mind; the answers, also advancing like spearpoints, pierced the skull. Thus where there was doubt, there had to be a question, and no question from the guests was not deep; where there was a question, there had to be an answer, and no answer from the host was not apt. Relying on the provisional to proclaim the real, his words were venerated by the four assemblies; accessing birth to declare the constant, the principle was recompensed by the five orders. Truly, this is the easy path of rebirth in the Pure Land, the pavilion-highway to the pure realm. Before the arrangement of the text was completed, the Master was transformed as soon as the work was achieved, leaving behind repeated compilations. There was Master Huaiyun: Huaiyun and Master Huaigan were both foot-disciples of Master Dao. In the four dhyānas they were both tranquil, and in the ten victor-stages they were equally exalted; the depth of their accord and realization—how could it stop at roaming together in the seven purifications? The weight of their conditioning and practice—how could it merely be advancing together toward the One Vehicle? Dim years are easily hidden; the senior passed away first. The three gates were left in vain, and the seven assemblies shared the grief. Huaiyun, having completed this book of noble words from his old friend, dared to circulate this treatise resolving doubts left by his departed companion. Taking Meng Xian of Pingchang as one who early on cultivated pure karma, he relied on him to write a preface, serving to propagate it widely. I have ventured to put together these unpolished lines to make known this precious treasure, stated as seven fascicles and proclaimed as a single work. So it is said.