[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) › 2.7 # 釋淨土群疑論 2.7 釋淨土群疑論 2.7 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.7) 釋曰：甚深實相平等妙理，法身如來本無生滅。以佛本願無限大悲接引眾生，從真起化十方世界。如來引接三輩九品，以化即真，不來不去，隨機應物有往有還。前經據化體即真，說無來去；《觀經》據從真流化，現有往還。又西方有釋言：實無有佛從彼西方而來至此授手迎接，亦無有佛引彼眾生往生淨土。但是如來慈悲本願功德種子增上緣力，令諸眾生與佛有緣，念佛修福作十六觀諸功德力以為因緣，自心變現阿彌陀佛來迎行者隨佛往。言彼佛遣來，不是實遣，但是功德種子與所化生時機正合，令見化佛來迎，故言彼遣而實不遣。阿彌陀佛悲願功德湛然常寂無去無來，眾生識心託佛本願功德勝力，自心變化有來有去迎接行人，見有往生，是自心相分，非關他也。故前經說不來不去，約佛功德說也；《觀經》說有來有去，約眾生心相說也。又有釋言：如來應機亦復變現，現作諸化身，十方迎接往生眾生。彼諸化佛從佛鏡智大悲流現，故言彼佛遣化來迎。然遣化迎，如摩尼天鼓無思成此事。然所現化有往來而言不往不來者，此或約真而作是說，前已釋竟。或約生滅念念不住，生已即滅、不可移動，當處生當處滅、異處生異處滅，相似相續假說往來。如火焰行非輪輪相，假說來往，實無來往也。故肇法師《物不遷論》言：旋嵐偃嶽而常靜，江海競注而不流，野馬飄鼓而不動，日月歷天而不周。此皆以生滅迅速，不可移動也。 > I explain: In the profound true mark and the wondrous principle of equality, the dharmakāya Tathāgata originally has no arising or ceasing. By means of the Buddha's original vow and boundless great compassion to receive and guide sentient beings, from the real he manifests emanations throughout the worlds of the ten directions. The Tathāgata guides and receives the three classes and nine grades; because the emanation is identical to the real, there is no coming and no going, yet according with capacities to respond to beings, there is going and returning. The earlier sūtras speak of no coming or going based on the emanation's essence being identical to the real; the Guan jing manifests going and returning based on emanations flowing forth from the real. Furthermore, there is an explanation from the West which says: in reality there is no Buddha who comes here from that western direction extending his hand to welcome, nor is there a Buddha who leads those sentient beings to be reborn in the pure land. It is merely that the overriding conditioning power of the seeds of the Tathāgata's compassionate original vow and merits causes sentient beings who have affinity with the Buddha—taking the causal conditions of the power of their various merits in practicing buddhānusmṛti, cultivating blessings, and performing the sixteen contemplations—to manifest from their own minds Amitābha Buddha coming to welcome the practitioner, who follows the Buddha and departs. When it is said that that Buddha sends \[an emanation\] to come, he does not truly send one; it is simply that when the seeds of merit precisely coincide with the capacity of the being to be transformed, they are caused to see an emanation Buddha coming to welcome them. Therefore it is said that he sends one, but in reality he does not send one. Amitābha Buddha's merits of compassionate vows are serene, clear, and constantly tranquil, having no going and no coming. Sentient beings' conscious minds rely on the superior power of the Buddha's original vow and merits, and from their own minds transformatively manifest coming and going to welcome the practitioner. Seeing that there is rebirth in the Pure Land is an objective aspect (nimittabhāga) of one's own mind, having nothing to do with another. Thus when the earlier sūtras speak of neither coming nor going, they speak with reference to the Buddha's merits; when the Guan jing speaks of coming and going, it speaks with reference to the mental marks of sentient beings. Furthermore, there is an explanation which says: The Tathāgata, responding to capacities, also transformatively manifests, appearing as various emanation bodies throughout the ten directions to welcome sentient beings \[attaining\] rebirth in the Pure Land. Those emanation Buddhas flow and manifest from the Buddha's ādarśajñāna and great compassion; therefore it is said that that Buddha sends emanations to come and welcome. However, sending emanations to welcome accomplishes this matter without conceptual thought, like a maṇi jewel or a heavenly drum. Yet, as for the manifested emanations having coming and going while it is said there is neither going nor coming: this may be spoken with reference to the real, as was already explained above. Or it may be spoken with reference to arising and ceasing that does not abide from thought-moment to thought-moment: having arisen, it immediately ceases and cannot be moved; it arises in that very place and ceases in that very place, it arises in a different place and ceases in a different place, and in resembling continuity, coming and going are nominally spoken of. Just as a moving flame is not the characteristic of a wheel, yet coming and going are nominally spoken of, while in reality there is no coming or going. Therefore, Dharma Master Zhao's Treatise on the Immutability of Things states: 'A whirlwind that fells mountains is constantly tranquil; rivers and seas that vie in rushing forth do not flow; shimmering mirages that flutter do not move; the sun and moon traversing the sky do not revolve.' These all refer to arising and ceasing being swift, incapable of being moved. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.6) - [Next: 2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.8) - [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.2.7) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.31.28) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1960.2.7) · Pramāṇa