釋淨土群疑論 3.17

3.17

釋曰：大聖世尊出興於世，一音說法各隨類解，聞法悟道眾若塵沙，或得四道果、或獲無生法忍、或離三惡趣、或生人天淨土，或益及一時、或遐沾遠代。眾生宿有聞法善根，逢佛真教，受持讀誦咸得利益。眾生薄福、感化緣絕，所有聖教皆隱龍宮，所有法衣不受染色，布薩羯磨說戒受戒悉皆不成。甚深大乘真如實相平等妙理，非彼所知，故先隱沒不行於世。唯有念佛易修易學，淺識凡愚猶能修習，拔濟苦難、利益弘深，尚有此機堪行斯法，大聖悲愍特留百年。以此經文准知，佛法漸滅、眾生福薄，唯茲淨教特益此時。故以法驗時，誠是當根佛法。故《觀經》數處皆言「為未來世一切眾生說是教法」。請諸道俗尋此聖教，驗彼當根，無得信於人語不依佛語也。

I explain: When the Great Sage, the World-Honoured One, appeared in the world, he expounded the Dharma with a single voice and beings understood according to their kind; those who heard the Dharma and awakened to the path were as numerous as sands of dust, some obtaining the four fruits of the path, some acquiring the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, some escaping the three evil destinies, and some being born in human, heavenly, or pure lands—with benefits extending to a single era or reaching far into distant ages. When sentient beings have past good roots of hearing the Dharma, meeting the Buddha's true teaching and receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting it, they all attain benefit. But when sentient beings' merit is meager and the conditions for transforming them are severed, all the noble teachings disappear into the dragon palace, all Dharma robes refuse to take dye, and the poṣadha, karmavācanā, reciting the precepts, and receiving the precepts all fail to be accomplished. The profound Mahāyāna, tathatā, the true mark, and the wondrous principle of equality are not known by them, and therefore disappear first, no longer circulating in the world. Only buddhānusmṛti is easy to cultivate and easy to learn; even shallow-minded commoners and fools can cultivate it, rescuing them from hardships and suffering with vast and profound benefit. Since there is still this capacity capable of practicing this teaching, the Great Sage, out of compassion, specially retains it for one hundred years. By this scriptural passage, one knows that as the Buddha-dharma gradually extinguishes and sentient beings' merit becomes meager, only this pure teaching uniquely benefits this time. Therefore, verifying the time by the teaching, it is truly the Buddha-dharma suited to the capacity. Thus the *Guan jing* states in several places: 'For the sake of all sentient beings of future ages, I expound this teaching.' I request all monastics and laypeople to examine this noble teaching and verify that capacity, and not believe in human words while failing to rely on the Buddha's words.