釋淨土群疑論 6.25

6.25

釋曰：案唯識之理，心外無別法，萬法萬相皆是自心。故《起信論》言「心生諸法生，心滅諸法滅。」《維摩經》言「隨其心淨即佛土淨」，又言「心垢故眾生垢，心淨故眾生淨」，故知萬法皆心變現。當用此心觀彼佛時，阿彌陀佛為本性相，眾生觀心緣彼如來，不能心外見佛真相，當觀心變作影像相，是影像相名曰相分，能觀之心是於見分，見相兩分皆不離於自證分。見分之力能現相分，故名是心作佛也。此相分即是自證分心，無別有體，故名是心是佛。欲觀如來一切功德，皆用自心所變影像，故名諸佛正遍知海從心想生也。或由心想修種種行為萬德因，名正遍知海從心想生。故《賢護經》第二初言「菩薩亦爾，一心善思見諸如來。見已即住，住已問義，解釋歡喜即能思惟：『今此佛者從何所來？而我是身復從何出？』觀彼如來竟無來處及以去處，我身亦爾，本無出處，豈有轉還？彼復應作如是思惟：『今此三界唯心，是心有佛。何以故？隨彼心念還自見心。今我從心見佛，我心作佛，我心是佛，我心是如來，我心是我身，我心見佛。心不知心，心不見心。』」《華嚴》亦言「心如工畫師，畫種種五陰。一切世間中，無法而不造。如心佛亦爾，如佛眾生然。心佛及眾生，此三無差別。」心有垢位名曰眾生，心純淨時名曰為佛，即其義也。

Explanation: According to the principle of consciousness-only (vijñaptimātra), there are no separate dharmas outside of the mind; the myriad dharmas and myriad signs are all one's own mind. Thus the Awakening of Faith says, "When the mind arises, the various dharmas arise; when the mind ceases, the various dharmas cease." The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says, "In accordance with the purity of one's mind, the Buddha land is pure"; and it also says, "Because the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled; because the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure." Hence we know that all dharmas are manifested by the mind. When one uses this mind to visualize that Buddha, Amitābha Buddha serves as the fundamental objective support (mūlālambana), and the sentient being's contemplating mind takes that Tathāgata as its cognitive object. One cannot see the real aspect of the Buddha outside the mind; one should know that the contemplating mind transforms into an imaged aspect: this imaged aspect is called the objective division (nimittabhāga), the contemplating mind is the subjective seeing division (darśanabhāga), and both the seeing and objective divisions are not separate from the self-authenticating division (svasaṃvittibhāga). The power of the seeing division can manifest the objective division; hence it is said, "this mind creates the Buddha." This objective division is itself the mind of the self-authenticating division and has no separate substance; hence it is said, "this mind is the Buddha." When one wishes to contemplate all the merits of the Tathāgata, one always employs the image transformed by one's own mind; hence it is said that the ocean of right and universal knowledge of all Buddhas is born from mental contemplation. Alternatively, because mental contemplation cultivates various practices as the cause for myriad virtues, it is said that the ocean of right and universal knowledge is born from mental contemplation. Therefore the beginning of the second fascicle of the Bhadrapāla Sūtra says: "The bodhisattva does likewise: with single-mindedness, he skillfully contemplates and sees the Tathāgatas. Having seen them, he abides; having abided, he inquires into the meaning. Having received the explanation with joy, he can reflect: 'Where has this Buddha now come from? And from where has this body of mine emerged?' He contemplates that Tathāgata as having ultimately no place of coming and no place of going; my body is likewise: originally having no place of origin, how could there be returning? He should further reflect thus: 'Now these three realms are only mind; this mind has a Buddha. Why is that? In accordance with the thoughts of the mind, one sees one's own mind in turn. Now from the mind I see the Buddha, my mind creates the Buddha, my mind is the Buddha, my mind is the Tathāgata, my mind is my body, my mind sees the Buddha. Mind does not know mind; mind does not see mind.'" The Avataṃsaka Sūtra also says: "The mind is like a skilled painter, painting the various five aggregates. Throughout all worlds, there is no dharma that it does not make. Just as is the mind, so is the Buddha; just as is the Buddha, so are sentient beings. The mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference." When the mind is in a defiled state, it is called a sentient being; when the mind is purely immaculate, it is called a Buddha. That is precisely this meaning.