釋淨土群疑論 4.11

4.11

釋曰：以有邪三毒，依經修行念佛三昧，得見阿彌陀佛及命終時聖眾來迎悉是神鬼魔者，即應一切凡夫皆悉具邪三毒，縱不得念佛三昧及修西方業，應一切時處常應見佛，臨命終時。皆見阿彌陀佛持花來迎。若言不見不迎，應無有邪三毒。又至心稱念阿彌陀佛、作西方淨業、修持齋戒等，為是邪三毒因？為非邪三毒因耶？若是邪三毒因者，何因念佛修善反起邪三毒耶？即應世尊不勸眾生念佛等，而修善念佛乃招神鬼及魔，破齋破戒乃無魔鬼等相也。若非邪三毒因者，此是能滅邪三毒法。我修能滅之法，止見神鬼魔；汝本不作滅因，何為不曾見佛？若以此文為證定判是魔，即應無邪三毒人不為眾魔所嬈。若然者，何為阿難心生迷惑，不請如來住世；優波毱多在定，魔以華鬘冠首耶？故知未必一切邪三毒皆感神鬼魔、一切無惑人皆無魔所嬈，豈關命終見佛皆是神鬼魔也？又有邪三毒感於神鬼魔，何必唯變佛身方成所感魔相？《涅槃經》言「未來世中，魔或變身作比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷身及與佛身來惑行者。」佛教弟子辨其魔說及與佛說，令其覺知。眾生墜陷入魔境界，多緣言教被惑，豈皆形相錯亂也。故《觀經》中作十六觀，所見淨境不辨邪正。若於觀中聞說妙法，佛遣出定憶持不忘，令與修多羅合，以辨邪正。若如汝所解，即汝所見四眾皆應是魔，為汝身有邪毒故。又見佛身縱是魔者，為由我法真正能出魔境，現佛身來惑亂耶？為由我法非真佛法，長邪毒法感魔現來耶？若由法真正故能出魔境、魔來現身者，縱使是魔，更須勤心念佛，以是出魔真正法故。若法不真正、能長三毒、感彼眾魔現佛形者，即屠兒魁膾旃荼羅等悉長邪三毒，應言常見十方諸佛，命終之時身心安樂，眼見諸佛持花來迎。若爾者，《觀經》所說九品往生聖眾來迎，此教應是邪三毒法，此諸聖眾應並是魔。即應此經非佛經法，是魔法也。又有邪三毒能感魔鬼，何必要須見佛方是魔來、願生西方始感神鬼？但阿彌陀佛四十八願，接引一切罪惡眾生悉得往生，聖教明說，古今已來有諸傳記咸陳嘉瑞，清樂神香善相皎然，豈虛構也。汝須聞此妙法見眾善相，理須發菩提心專心修學。而乃不尋聖教、靡信佛經，見有修行反生誹謗。此是汝邪三毒感神鬼魔，令汝顛倒亂心謗諸佛教，自毀正信壞他深心。須覺其魔事、正信念佛三昧，此即是魔來惑亂壞汝善心，何須要為現形作諸佛相方名神鬼三毒感耶？且佛將般涅槃，告阿難曰：「我善修四神足，能住世一劫。」阿難默然，不請佛住。般涅槃後，迦葉結集，以六突吉羅呵責阿難：「何因不請世尊久住於世？」阿難言：「魔惑我心，忘請佛住。佛滅度後惡魔離心，方生覺察，慚愧悔過。」故知魔來惑亂，未必唯為現形，但令汝心邪錯，即為魔得便。又魔來顯惑，易覺易除；魔來隱惑，難知難遣。只如阿難，在娑羅林外十二由旬，為六萬諸魔之所惑亂，一切咸知。佛遣文殊師利，持呪往救。乃至垂欲滅度，魔乃密蔽其心，阿難不覺知，滅度之後方生悔過。此豈非顯魔易覺、隱魔難知？爾只謗他念佛之人，言見佛皆是魔鬼；曾不自覺不信聖教所說，魔已惑亂汝心耶？又薩陀波倫菩薩，為往曇無竭菩薩所學般若波羅蜜，不應空見大師，遂即賣身市肆。惡魔知菩薩心生決定，不能迷惑其心，遂蔽眾人之耳，令不聞菩薩賣身之聲。有長者女在高樓上，宿有善因，魔不能蔽，遂聞菩薩賣身之聲。如是（云云）具如經說。以此經准知，不聞聲者，為魔蔽耳根；聞其聲者，魔不能障聞聲也。我亦如是，聞說西方淨土教法，阿彌陀佛四十八願接引娑婆眾生，十方恒沙諸佛世尊出廣長舌證勸往生，信向專修淨業、願生淨土。此是我出魔境界，魔不能惑。如長者女在高樓上，有勝善因魔不能蔽，得聞菩薩賣身之聲；我亦如是。故《稱讚淨土經》言「於此雜染娑訶世界五濁盛時，若有淨信諸善男子或善女人，得聞如是阿彌陀佛不可思議功德名號、極樂世界清淨莊嚴，聞已生信，當知此人無量佛所曾種善根，如說修行，一切定生無量壽國」等。故知修西方業者，皆是無量佛所曾種善根，惡魔不能蔽心，遂能深生信解信知。汝等見聖言，無信向心，魔蔽其心，反生誹謗，不覺為魔所惑，翻乃咲我有魔。願細尋思，早生覺察，無得自誤及誤於人。又依經文，精進持戒、修行三福、作十六觀，未知此業為是為非、為邪為正、為是魔法為是佛法？若是佛法，是真是正，見佛見魔此法恒正。縱使見魔，以魔為佛，但令依教修行，斯有何苦？若其此法是於魔法非真非正，縱見真佛，以佛為魔，行非佛法，斯有何益？如諸外道等，佛在世日亦見世尊也。子今定此《觀經》等教所說三福十六觀是正是邪？若是正者，依教修行，見佛何錯，而汝謗耶？若非正者，爾是闡提謗正法者，深可悲愍，為魔得便。又《維摩經》天魔波旬從萬二千天女，狀如帝釋，惑亂持世菩薩。維摩大士從魔索女，教令發心。魔從淨名復更索女，維摩還女。女即白言：「我等云何止於魔宮？」維摩詰言：「有法門名無盡燈，汝等當學。」魔女得法，隨魔還宮，至彼天中化諸魔輩，皆令捨諸魔業發菩提心。故知得真正法，縱在魔宮，知魔是魔，法恒真正。此義亦爾，但使念佛三昧是真佛法，縱使魔化佛來，以魔為佛，歸向之心轉盛、菩提之意不渝，亦何所畏？優波毱多遣魔作佛，五體歸誠，以似於佛，想佛禮拜。此豈是錯？假令同汝邪解，所見皆魔；以魔為佛，豈損於正見也？又《維摩經》言「十方世界中作魔王者，皆是住不可思議解脫菩薩，以方便力教化眾生現作魔王。」縱使是魔，還是菩薩，何所畏也強誹謗乎？只如信行彈師作生盲觀，不別前境是聖是凡，總為聖解、普敬設要。汝既不別是佛是魔，亦須總敬作真佛想。又魔作非魔業、非魔作魔業、魔作魔業、非魔作非魔業。魔作非魔業者，如彌勒下生時，魔於夜半覺諸眾生，令捨睡眠勤修出世。非魔作魔業者，如今眾生雖非是魔，勸人造惡即是魔業。魔作魔業者，如有諸魔等常惑行人，令退菩提耽著五欲。非魔作非魔業者，如諸佛菩薩及善知識，勸人發菩提心修眾善品等是。何必汝語不當非魔作魔業、魔作魔業耶？經言「如人覺賊，賊不能為也。」又如薩陀波倫菩薩，精誠勇猛懃心行道，唯念何時曇無竭菩薩從三昧出，為我說般若波羅蜜。是時惡魔雨土砂礫石枯骨木枝，惑亂菩薩。菩薩爾時更增勇猛，刺血灑地，莊嚴道場。魔雖惑亂，更增菩薩精進之意。我今念佛得見聖容，縱使是魔，我將作佛想，更增勇猛，何所畏也。上來廣引眾多聖教開悟爾心，勿生謗也。若爾所引經教，若為會通？答：有邪三毒，不能覺察，作身語意諸麁惡業，毀壞正見，事鬼事神。此名內有邪三毒，外感神鬼魔也。雖有邪三毒，能親近善知識，依三藏聖教諸了義經，發菩提心、修諸善品，正信正見而無神鬼魔也。縱有眾魔亦不得便，諸佛護念為其勝緣、自菩提心為其正因，何有魔鬼而來惑也？

I explain: If, because one has the defiled three poisons, practicing the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi in accordance with the sūtras, seeing Amitābha Buddha, and having the assembly of noble ones come to welcome one at the end of life were all entirely spirits, ghosts, and demons, then all ordinary worldlings without exception are endowed with the defiled three poisons. Even without attaining the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi and cultivating the karma for the Western [Direction], at all times and in all places they ought constantly to see the Buddha, and at the end of life all ought to see Amitābha Buddha holding a flower coming to welcome them. If you say they neither see him nor are welcomed, then they ought to have no defiled three poisons. Furthermore, is reciting Amitābha Buddha with utmost sincerity, performing the pure karma for the Western [Direction], cultivating and upholding the purificatory observances and precepts, and so forth, a cause of the defiled three poisons, or is it not a cause of the defiled three poisons? If it is a cause of the defiled three poisons, by what cause would practicing buddhānusmṛti and cultivating good deeds conversely give rise to the defiled three poisons? Then the World-Honoured One ought not to have exhorted sentient beings to practice buddhānusmṛti and so forth, so that cultivating good and practicing buddhānusmṛti would instead attract spirits, ghosts, and demons, while breaking the purificatory observances and breaking the precepts would instead result in the absence of demonic and ghostly appearances! If it is not a cause of the defiled three poisons, then this is a teaching capable of eradicating the defiled three poisons. When I cultivate a teaching capable of eradicating them, [you say] I only see spirits, ghosts, and demons; why then have you, who originally do not create the cause of eradicating them, never seen a Buddha? If one relies on this text as proof and definitively judges it to be a demon, then those without the defiled three poisons ought not to be harassed by the demons. If so, why did confusion arise in Ānanda's mind so that he did not request the Tathāgata to remain in the world; and why, when Upagupta was in concentration, did Māra crown his head with a garland of flowers? Therefore, know that it is not necessarily the case that all defiled three poisons attract spirits, ghosts, and demons, nor that all unconfused persons are free from harassment by demons; how could it possibly be that seeing the Buddha at the end of life is entirely spirits, ghosts, and demons? Furthermore, even if there are defiled three poisons that attract spirits, ghosts, and demons, why must they transform only into the Buddha's body for it to constitute the demonic manifestation so attracted? The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'In future ages, Māra may transform his body to take the form of a monk (bhikṣu), a nun, a layman, a laywoman, or the Buddha's body to come and confuse practitioners.' The Buddha taught his disciples to distinguish demonic speech from the Buddha's speech and to cause them to be aware of it. Sentient beings fall into the realm of Māra mostly because they are deceived by teachings and doctrines; how could it be only that their bodily forms are erroneous? Therefore, in the Guan jing, wherein sixteen contemplations are performed, the pure realms seen do not [in themselves] distinguish the false from the true. If, during contemplation, one hears the wondrous Dharma expounded, the Buddha commands that upon emerging from concentration one remember and maintain it without forgetting, causing it to accord with the sūtras in order to distinguish the false from the true. If it were according to your understanding, then the fourfold assembly seen by you ought to all be demons, because you have defiled poisons in your own person. Furthermore, even if the Buddha's body seen were a demon, would it be because my teaching is genuine and able to escape the demonic realm that he manifests the Buddha's body to come and bewilder me, or would it be because my teaching is not the true Buddha Dharma, but a teaching that nurtures defiled poisons, that attracts the demon to appear? If it is because the teaching is genuine and therefore able to escape the demonic realm that the demon comes to manifest his body, then even if it is a demon, one must all the more diligently practice buddhānusmṛti, because it is the genuine teaching for escaping the demons. If the teaching is not genuine, can nurture the three poisons, and attracts those demons to manifest the Buddha's form, then butchers, executioners, caṇḍālas, and the like all nurture the defiled three poisons; one ought to say that they constantly see the Buddhas of the ten directions, that at the time of death their bodies and minds are peaceful and happy, and that with their own eyes they see the Buddhas holding flowers coming to welcome them. If so, then the welcoming by the assembly of noble ones for the nine grades of rebirth spoken of in the Guan jing—this teaching ought to be a teaching of the defiled three poisons, and these assemblies of noble ones ought all to be demons! Then this sūtra would not be a Buddha's sūtra-teaching, but a demonic teaching! Furthermore, if having the defiled three poisons can attract demons and ghosts, why must it be only upon seeing a Buddha that it is a demon coming, and only upon vowing to be reborn in the West that one attracts spirits and ghosts? But Amitābha Buddha has forty-eight vows to receive and lead all sinful sentient beings so that they all attain rebirth; the noble teachings clearly state this, and biographies from ancient times to the present all set forth auspicious omens—pure music, divine fragrance, and good signs clearly evident; how could they be fabrications? When you hear this wondrous Dharma and see these many good signs, in principle you ought to generate the bodhicitta and focus your mind on cultivating and learning it. Yet you do not investigate the noble teachings, have no faith in the Buddha's sūtras, and seeing that others are cultivating, you conversely give rise to slander. It is your own defiled three poisons that have attracted spirits, ghosts, and demons, causing you to have an inverted, disordered mind that slanders the Buddha's various teachings, destroying your own right faith and undermining the profound mind of others. You must recognize these demonic activities and rightly believe in the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi; it is precisely this demon coming to bewilder you and destroy your good mind! Why must it be that only manifesting a form and displaying the various appearances of a Buddha is called being attracted by the spirits, ghosts, and the three poisons? Moreover, when the Buddha was about to enter parinirvāṇa, he told Ānanda: 'I have well cultivated the four bases of spiritual power and can remain in the world for an eon.' Ānanda remained silent and did not request the Buddha to stay. After parinirvāṇa, when Kāśyapa held the council, he reproached Ānanda for six duṣkṛtas: 'For what reason did you not request the World-Honoured One to remain long in the world?' Ānanda said: 'Māra bewildered my mind, so that I forgot to request the Buddha to stay. After the Buddha passed into extinction, the evil Māra left my mind; only then did awareness arise, and I felt shame and repented my fault.' Therefore, know that when Māra comes to bewilder, it is not necessarily only by manifesting a form; as long as he causes your mind to be deviant and erroneous, Māra has found his opportunity. Furthermore, when Māra comes with overt bewilderment, it is easy to become aware of and easy to eliminate; when Māra comes with covert bewilderment, it is difficult to know and difficult to dispel. Just as with Ānanda, who was twelve yojanas outside the śāla grove, bewildered by sixty thousand demons, and everyone knew it. The Buddha dispatched Mañjuśrī to hold a dhāraṇī and go rescue him. Yet when [the Buddha] was about to pass into extinction, Māra secretly veiled Ānanda's mind, so that Ānanda was not aware of it, and only after the extinction did he give rise to repentance. Is this not a case of overt demons being easy to recognize, and covert demons being difficult to detect? You merely slander those other people who practice buddhānusmṛti, saying that all their visions of the Buddha are demons and ghosts; have you ever noticed yourself that by disbelieving what the noble teachings say, Māra has already bewildered your mind? Furthermore, when the Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, in order to go to the Bodhisattva Dharmodgata to study the Prajñāpāramitā, considered that he should not see the Great Master empty-handed, he thereupon sold his own body in the marketplace. The evil Māra, knowing that the Bodhisattva's mind was firmly resolved and that he could not bewilder his mind, thereupon obstructed the ears of the crowd so that they did not hear the Bodhisattva's voice selling his body. There was an elder's daughter in a high tower who had good causes from previous lives; Māra could not obstruct her, and she thereupon heard the Bodhisattva's voice selling his body. This and so on (and so forth) are fully as expounded in the sūtra. By taking this sūtra as a standard, we know: those who did not hear the voice had their faculty of hearing obstructed by Māra; as for the one who heard his voice, Māra could not obstruct her hearing the sound. I am also like this: hearing the doctrine of the Western Pure Land expounded, how Amitābha Buddha's forty-eight vows receive and lead the sentient beings of the Sahā world, and how the World-Honoured Buddhas numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions extend their broad and long tongues to bear witness and exhort rebirth, I believe in, turn toward, and exclusively cultivate the pure karma, vowing to be reborn in the Pure Land. This is my escaping the realm of Māra, so that Māra cannot bewilder me. Just as the elder's daughter in the high tower had superior good causes so that Māra could not obstruct her, and she was able to hear the Bodhisattva's voice selling his body; I am also like this. Therefore, the Sūtra Praising the Pure Land says: 'In this defiled Sahā world, when the five corruptions are flourishing, if there are good men or good women of pure faith who hear such inconceivable meritorious names of Amitābha Buddha and the pure adornments of the Sukhāvatī world, and having heard them give rise to faith, one should know that these persons have previously planted roots of goodness under immeasurable Buddhas; cultivating according to the teachings, they will all definitely be born in the Land of Immeasurable Life,' and so forth. Therefore, know that those who cultivate the karma for the Western [Direction] have all planted roots of goodness under immeasurable Buddhas; the evil Māra cannot obstruct their minds, and consequently they are able to give rise to profound faith and understanding, believing and knowing. When you and others see the noble words, you have no mind of faith and devotion; Māra obstructs your minds, and you conversely give rise to slander; unaware that you are bewildered by Māra, you on the contrary laugh at me for having demons. I hope you will reflect carefully and soon give rise to awareness, so as not to mislead yourself and mislead others. Furthermore, relying on the sūtra texts, one vigorously upholds the precepts, cultivates the three blessings, and performs the sixteen contemplations; I wonder whether this practice is right or wrong, deviant or correct, demonic teaching or Buddha Dharma? If it is Buddha Dharma, it is genuine and correct; whether one sees the Buddha or sees a demon, this teaching is ever correct. Even if one sees a demon and takes the demon to be a Buddha, as long as one is made to cultivate according to the teaching, what harm is there in this? If this teaching were a demonic teaching, neither genuine nor correct, even if one saw the true Buddha and took the Buddha to be a demon, practicing what is not Buddha Dharma, what benefit would there be in this? Just as with the various non-Buddhists and others, during the days when the Buddha was in the world, they also saw the World-Honoured One. Sir, determine now whether the three blessings and sixteen contemplations expounded in these teachings such as the Guan jing are correct or deviant? If they are correct, when one cultivates according to the teaching, what error is there in seeing the Buddha, that you slander it? If they are not correct, you are an icchantika who slanders the true Dharma, deeply to be pitied, giving Māra his opportunity. Furthermore, in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra, the heavenly Māra Pāpīyas, accompanied by twelve thousand heavenly maidens and appearing in the form of Śakra, bewildered the Bodhisattva Dharaṇīṃdhara. The Great Being Vimalakīrti demanded the maidens from Māra and taught them to give rise to the [bodhi]mind. Māra again demanded the maidens back from Vimalakīrti, and Vimalakīrti returned the maidens. The maidens then said: 'How are we to dwell in Māra's palace?' Vimalakīrti said: 'There is a Dharma-door named the Inexhaustible Lamp; you should study it.' The demon maidens, having attained the Dharma, followed Māra back to the palace, and in that heaven they transformed all the demon hosts, causing them all to abandon demonic deeds and give rise to the bodhicitta. Therefore, know that if one attains the genuine Dharma, even if one is in Māra's palace, knowing that Māra is Māra, the Dharma is ever genuine. This meaning is also like this: as long as the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi is the true Buddha Dharma, even if Māra transforms into a Buddha and comes, and one takes Māra to be a Buddha, one's mind of refuge becomes all the more intense and one's intention for bodhi does not waver; what then is there to fear? Upagupta bade Māra make himself into the Buddha, and with the five limbs to the ground he turned in sincerity, because it resembled the Buddha, venerating and bowing while conceptualizing the Buddha. How could this be an error? Even supposing, as in your deviant understanding, that all that is seen is demons; if one takes a demon to be a Buddha, how does it damage right view? Furthermore, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says: 'Those who act as Māra kings in the worlds of the ten directions are all bodhisattvas dwelling in the inconceivable liberation, who through the power of expedient means manifest as Māra kings to instruct and transform sentient beings.' Even if it is a demon, it is still a bodhisattva; what is there to fear that you should stubbornly slander it? Just like Dhyāna Master Xinxing, who practiced the contemplation of being born blind, not distinguishing whether the object before him was noble or ordinary, treating them all as noble understandings and establishing the essential practice of universal reverence. Since you do not distinguish whether it is Buddha or Māra, you must also universally revere it, conceiving it to be the true Buddha. Furthermore, demons perform non-demonic deeds; non-demons perform demonic deeds; demons perform demonic deeds; non-demons perform non-demonic deeds. As for 'demons performing non-demonic deeds': as when Maitreya descends to be born, Māra at midnight awakens all sentient beings, causing them to abandon sleep and diligently cultivate transcendence of the world. As for 'non-demons performing demonic deeds': as with sentient beings nowadays who, although not demons themselves, exhort people to commit evil, which is precisely demonic work. As for 'demons performing demonic deeds': as when various demons and the like constantly bewilder practitioners, causing them to retrogress from bodhi and indulge in the five desires. As for 'non-demons performing non-demonic deeds': as when the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and good spiritual friends exhort people to generate the bodhicitta, cultivate the various goods, and so forth. Why must your words not correspond to non-demons performing demonic deeds and demons performing demonic deeds? The sūtra says: 'Just as when a person is aware of a thief, the thief can do nothing.' Furthermore, just as with the Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, who with sincere and heroic courage diligently practiced the Way, mindfully contemplating only when the Bodhisattva Dharmodgata would emerge from samādhi to expound the Prajñāpāramitā for him. At that time, the evil Māra rained down dirt, sand, gravel, stones, dry bones, and tree branches to bewilder the Bodhisattva. At that time, the Bodhisattva increased his courage all the more, piercing himself to sprinkle blood on the ground to adorn the bodhimaṇḍa. Although Māra bewildered him, it all the more increased the Bodhisattva's resolve for vigor. Now, when I practice buddhānusmṛti and behold the noble countenance, even if it is a demon, I will take it to be a Buddha and increase my courage all the more; what is there to fear? Above, I have extensively cited numerous noble teachings to awaken your mind, so that you do not give rise to slander. If so, how are the sūtra teachings you cited to be reconciled? Answer: One who has the defiled three poisons, cannot discern them, performs various coarse and evil deeds of body, speech, and mind, destroys right view, and serves ghosts and spirits—this is called having the defiled three poisons within and attracting spirits, ghosts, and demons without. If, although one has the defiled three poisons, one can draw close to good spiritual friends, rely on the noble teachings of the Tripiṭaka and the various nītārtha sūtras, generate the bodhicitta, cultivate the various goods, and maintain right faith and right view, then there are no spirits, ghosts, or demons. Even if there are demons, they cannot find an opportunity: the mindful protection of the Buddhas serves as one's superior condition, and one's own bodhicitta serves as one's direct cause—how could there be demons and ghosts coming to bewilder one?