[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [釋淨土群疑論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960) › 2.33 # 釋淨土群疑論 2.33 釋淨土群疑論 2.33 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.33) 釋曰：此兩經意各據一義，亦不相違。據實而論，一切諸佛悉具一切殊勝妙願，無有增減。若有一願不圓、一行不滿，即不得道成正覺，名一切智人，諸佛功德有不平等過。《維摩經》言「諸佛如來功德悉皆平等」，而《藥師經》說十二願、《無量壽經》說四十八願者，此對所化之機說也。諸佛教化眾生，皆約有緣接引；眾生共佛有緣，必依如來本願。如來化導群品，皆乘弘願化生。諸佛本發菩提之心，即住廣大之心，所有眾生之界，我皆令入無餘涅槃而滅度之。然眾生界無邊數，菩薩始於發心、終於成佛，阿僧祇劫有初有末，於中行菩薩行、成等正覺，不可遍共一切眾生皆悉見菩薩修行供養，菩薩不可遍眾生界教化利益。眾生界未盡，菩薩已成佛，心雖廣大事即難周。然於因地，眾生於藥師瑠璃光佛所發十二大願至誠慇重，其願今熟，於阿彌陀佛本發四十八弘誓願，至誠慇重，其願又熟。雖彼此兩佛皆具塵沙諸願，對所化機偏明別願。眾生於藥師佛十二大願根熟，藥師佛雖有四十八弘誓願，其機未熟，故佛偏舉十二願。阿彌陀佛四十八願，其機偏熟，雖有十二願等佛亦不說。譬如醫王藥庫之中，雖具一切藥草，對所病者患冷患熱吐痢不同，處方合藥不同，一切藥草偏取當病之者三五等味，擣篩和合，或丸與病者服，不可用藥數少不信醫王藥庫之中具一切藥，不可為有一切諸藥與一病，況合和湯藥具用一切冷熱諸藥也。佛亦如是，如《華嚴經》實具諸願，悉皆平等，同彼醫王藥庫藥。或說彼佛十二願、或說此佛四十八願，如對病者合藥和湯處分，故此兩經不相違也。 > I explain: The intentions of these two texts each rely on a different meaning, and do not contradict each other. In point of fact, all Buddhas completely possess all superior and wondrous vows without increase or decrease. If a single vow were not perfected or a single practice were not fulfilled, one could not attain the Way and achieve correct awakening, being called an omniscient person; and there would be the fault that the merits of the Buddhas are unequal. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra states: 'The merits of the Buddha-Tathāgatas are all completely equal.' Yet the Bhaiṣajyaguru Sūtra speaks of twelve vows and the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra speaks of forty-eight vows because this is spoken in response to the capacities to be converted. The Buddhas' teaching and transforming of sentient beings is always conducted by drawing them in according to affinities; and sentient beings having an affinity with a Buddha necessarily depends on the Tathāgata's original vows. When the Tathāgata guides the various classes of beings, he always relies on his vast vows to transform beings. When the Buddhas originally generate the bodhicitta, they dwell in a vast mind: 'In all realms of sentient beings, I will cause them all to enter nirvāṇa without remainder and be saved.' However, the realms of sentient beings are boundless in number; and from the bodhisattva's first generation of the mind up to the attainment of buddhahood across asaṃkhyeya kalpas, there is a beginning and an end. In the midst of practicing the bodhisattva conduct and achieving equal and correct awakening, it is impossible for all sentient beings everywhere to see the bodhisattva's cultivation of practice and make offerings; nor can the bodhisattva teach and benefit the realm of sentient beings universally. Before the realm of sentient beings is exhausted, the bodhisattva has already achieved buddhahood; though the mind is vast, the actual work is difficult to encompass comprehensively. However, while on the causal ground, when sentient beings directed utmost sincerity and earnestness toward the twelve great vows made by Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabha Buddha, those vows have now matured; when they directed utmost sincerity and earnestness toward the forty-eight vast vows originally made by Amitābha Buddha, those vows have also matured. Although both Buddhas completely possess vows as numerous as dust motes and sands, in response to the capacities to be converted they specifically illuminate particular vows. For sentient beings whose faculties have matured through the twelve great vows of Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha, although Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha possesses forty-eight vast vows, because their capacity has not matured, the Buddha specifically brings up the twelve vows. With Amitābha Buddha's forty-eight vows, the capacity is specifically matured; although he possesses twelve vows and so on, the Buddha does not speak of them. This is like the medicine storehouse of a king of physicians: although it completely contains all medicinal herbs, when treating patients who suffer from differing conditions of cold, heat, vomiting, or diarrhea, the prescriptions and compounding of medicines are different. From all the medicinal herbs, he specifically takes three or five flavors appropriate to the particular illness, pounds, sifts, and compounds them, or makes them into pills to give to the patient to take. One cannot, because the number of medicines used is small, disbelieve that the physician king's medicine storehouse contains all medicines; nor can one, because all medicines exist, give them all to a single patient, much less compound a medicinal decoction using all cold and hot medicines together. The Buddhas are also like this: as in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, they actually possess all vows and are all entirely equal, just like the medicines in that physician king's medicine storehouse. Whether speaking of that Buddha's twelve vows or this Buddha's forty-eight vows, it is like dispensing and compounding medicines and decoctions according to the patient; therefore these two sūtras do not contradict each other. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.32) - [Next: 2.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.34) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960~en-mt.2.33) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.33) · Pramāṇa