釋淨土群疑論 1.43

1.43

問曰：淨佛國土離眾穢惡，一得往生超絕生死，永離三惡道，無復五燒苦，皆是正定之聚，悉是阿鞞跋致。《無量壽經》言「次如泥洹之道」。若爾者，不可著相凡夫具眾罪業心有所得而得往生。當須依諸大乘經文及《中》、《百》等論，廣學無所得法，方可往生淨土。今乃勸人依《觀經》等作十六觀寶樹池等及佛菩薩相好色身，或稱名號存心住相，豈非是有所得心住著諸相成於病也。既是有病，未免輪迴，如何得生西方淨佛土也？

Question: The pure Buddha lands are free from all defilements and evils. Once reborn there, one transcends birth and death, is forever free from the three evil destinies, has no more the suffering of the five burnings, is entirely among the group of the definitely assured, and is completely avaivartika. The Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra says, 'Next [in bliss] to the path of nirvāṇa.' If so, a pṛthagjana attached to marks, possessing all sinful karmas and whose mind clings to attainability, cannot attain rebirth there. One must rely on the texts of the Mahāyāna sūtras and treatises such as the Madhyamaka-śāstra and the Śata-śāstra, broadly studying the dharma of non-attainability (anupalambha), before one can attain rebirth in the pure land. Now you urge people to rely on the Guan jing and other texts to practice the sixteen visualizations of jeweled trees, ponds, and the like, as well as the marks and physical bodies of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, or to invoke the name, keeping the mind focused and dwelling on marks. Is this not a mind of attainability dwelling and attaching to marks, thereby becoming an illness? Since it is an illness and is not exempt from saṃsāra, how could one attain rebirth in the Western pure Buddha land?