釋淨土群疑論 5.21

5.21

釋曰：行者一生修淨土業，非獨偏勸唯行念佛。然修行之者根有利鈍、學有淺深，故經分定散兩門、人成九品差別。利根心靜之者，教修有相無相之觀平等甚深法門。若鈍根散亂之徒，唯行三福三輩之業，匪唯偏勸念佛，亦修種種法門；如其不能廣行，念佛亦生淨土。又念佛法門或深或淺、通定通散，大根少行咸得修行。定即始於凡夫、終乎十地，行念佛三昧甚深微妙，《華嚴》、《涅槃》、《文殊般若》、《大集》、《賢護》、《觀佛三昧》咸共稱讚不可思議。如善財童子於功德雲比丘所，請修菩薩之行，功德雲比丘唯教念佛三昧之法。此即甚深之法也。散即一切眾生若行若坐，一切時處皆得念佛，不妨諸務，乃至命終亦成其行。又修諸行往生西方，雖有聖言，經文說少；念佛得往生，其教極多，略申三五曉諸迷者。一如《阿彌陀經》唯說念阿彌陀佛得生西方，六方恒河沙諸佛舒舌共證念佛行者並得往生。《觀經》下品上生、下品中生、下品下生三處經文，咸陳唯念阿彌陀佛往生淨土。又言「念佛眾生攝取不捨」。《無量壽經》又言「上中下輩行有淺深，皆唯一向專念阿彌陀佛，得生極樂。」又四十八弘誓願，於念佛門別發一願言「乃至十念，若不生者，不取正覺。」又《般舟三昧》、《大集》、《賢護》等經，教諸眾生七日七夜一心專念阿彌陀佛，得見佛已，請問佛言：「眾生行何法得生淨土？」阿彌陀佛報言：「欲生我國，常念我名莫有休息，即生我國。」又《鼓音聲陀羅尼經》亦教眾生十日十夜念阿彌陀佛，得生佛國。又《華嚴經》說「念佛三昧必見佛，命終之後生佛前」，見彼臨終勸念佛，又示尊像令瞻敬。又《占察經》說「若欲往生十方佛國，當念彼國佛之名號，即得往生。」如是等無量大乘經文，多說念佛得生淨土。今勸念佛，非是遮餘所修妙行，只是念佛之者多經勸讚，若行若坐乃至命終皆得行斯念佛之行。將為穩便，故勸行也。

I explain: For a practitioner cultivating pure land karma throughout a lifetime, we do not exclusively advocate practicing buddhānusmṛti alone. However, practitioners have sharp or dull faculties, and their learning has depths and shallows; therefore the sūtras distinguish the two approaches of concentrated and dispersed, and people form the distinctions of the nine grades. For those of sharp faculties whose minds are tranquil, they are taught to cultivate the profound and equal Dharma gates of contemplating with signs and without signs. As for those of dull faculties who are scattered and distracted, they exclusively practice the karmas of the three blessings and the three classes; we not only advise buddhānusmṛti, but also cultivate various Dharma gates. If they are unable to practice broadly, buddhānusmṛti also brings rebirth in the pure land. Furthermore, the Dharma gate of buddhānusmṛti can be deep or shallow, spanning both the concentrated and the dispersed, so that both those of great faculties and those of minor practices can cultivate it. The concentrated begins with ordinary persons and ends with the ten bhūmis, practicing the profound and wondrous buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, which is praised together as inconceivable in the Avataṃsaka, the Nirvāṇa, the Mañjuśrī Prajñā, the Mahāsaṃnipāta, the Bhadrapāla, and the Guanfo sanmei. For instance, when Sudhana asked the monk Guṇamegha about cultivating bodhisattva practices, the monk Guṇamegha taught him only the method of buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. This is a profound Dharma. The dispersed means that all sentient beings, whether walking or sitting, at all times and places, can practice buddhānusmṛti without hindering their various affairs, and even at the end of life, their practice is accomplished. Furthermore, although there are holy words for cultivating various practices to attain rebirth in the West, the sūtra texts speak of them rarely; whereas the teachings that rebirth is attained through buddhānusmṛti are extremely numerous, of which I will briefly present three to five to enlighten the confused. First, as the Amitābha Sūtra exclusively says that reciting Amitābha brings rebirth in the West, the buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the six directions extend their tongues together to verify that practitioners of buddhānusmṛti all attain rebirth. In the Guan jing, the texts in the three places—the highest level of the lower grade, the middle level of the lower grade, and the lowest level of the lower grade—all state that by solely reciting Amitābha one attains rebirth in the pure land. It also says, 'Sentient beings of buddhānusmṛti are embraced and never forsaken.' The Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra also says, 'Though the practices of the higher, middle, and lower classes have depths and shallows, all exclusively and single-mindedly recite Amitābha to attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī.' Furthermore, among the forty-eight vast vows, a separate vow is made regarding the gate of buddhānusmṛti, saying, 'Even down to ten recitations, if they are not reborn, may I not attain correct awakening.' In addition, sūtras such as the Pratyutpanna-samādhi, the Mahāsaṃnipāta, and the Bhadrapāla teach sentient beings to single-mindedly and exclusively recite Amitābha for seven days and seven nights; after seeing the Buddha, they ask the Buddha, 'By practicing what Dharma do sentient beings attain rebirth in the pure land?' Amitābha answers, 'Those who wish to be born in my land should constantly recite my name without resting, and they will be born in my land.' Furthermore, the Gu yinsheng tuoluoni jing also teaches sentient beings to recite Amitābha for ten days and ten nights to attain rebirth in the Buddha's land. In addition, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, 'Through buddhānusmṛti-samādhi one will definitely see the Buddha, and after life ends, be born before the Buddha.' Seeing someone at the verge of death, it encourages buddhānusmṛti, and also displays the venerable image to cause them to gaze with reverence. In addition, the Zhancha jing says, 'If one wishes to be reborn in the Buddha lands of the ten directions, one should recite the name of the Buddha of that land, and one will immediately attain rebirth.' Countless such Mahāyāna sūtra passages predominantly say that rebirth in the pure land is attained through buddhānusmṛti. Now, encouraging buddhānusmṛti does not block the other wondrous practices cultivated; it is just that those who practice buddhānusmṛti are encouraged and praised in many sūtras, and whether walking or sitting, up to the end of life, all can perform this practice of buddhānusmṛti. Deeming it secure and convenient, we therefore encourage its practice.