釋淨土群疑論 7.9

7.9

釋曰：誠如所責。然以四義，不可教其作實相也。一人惡、二法深、三苦逼、四時促。人惡者，此人生來未曾修善，但令念佛猶恐未閑，況能解了諸法實相。法深者，二空真如法性平等，理致幽遠，卒作難成，不可教也。苦逼者，平生學人常修此觀，苦惱所逼猶作不成；況乎此人生來未曾修習，眾苦纏繞始教令修，理不可也。時促者，平生之日為其廣說諸法實相，多歲尋思猶不能曉，況茲少選方始習求，必定不成，徒唐設教。善知時事名大法師，大聖宜知學必不得，故不教彼令觀實相，深顯佛智善逗物機，以此四緣不教實相也。

I explain: It is truly as you reproach. However, because of four reasons, one cannot teach them to practice [the contemplation of] the real mark. First, the person is evil; second, the Dharma is profound; third, suffering oppresses [them]; fourth, time is short. Regarding 'the person is evil': this person has never cultivated goodness in their whole life. Even bidding them practice buddhānusmṛti, one still fears they are not yet skilled, how much less could they understand the real mark of all dharmas? Regarding 'the Dharma is profound': the two emptinesses, tathatā, and the equality of the dharmadhātu—their principle and purport are obscure and remote, difficult to accomplish suddenly, and cannot be taught. Regarding 'suffering oppresses': even practitioners who habitually cultivate this contemplation throughout their lives cannot accomplish it when oppressed by suffering and distress; how much less could this person, who has never practiced it in their entire life, be taught to cultivate it just as manifold sufferings entangle them? In principle it is impossible. Regarding 'time is short': even if one were to expound the real mark of all dharmas extensively to them during their normal life, after pondering it for many years they still might not understand; how much less could they just begin to train and seek it in this brief moment? They would certainly not succeed, and the teaching would be instituted in vain. One who well understands the matters of the proper time is called a great Dharma master. The Great Sage surely knew that their study would definitely fail, so he did not teach them to contemplate the real mark. This profoundly reveals that the Buddha's wisdom skillfully accords with the capacities of beings; because of these four conditions, he did not teach the real mark.