釋淨土群疑論 2.7

2.7

I explain: In the profound true mark and the wondrous principle of equality, the dharmakāya Tathāgata originally has no arising or ceasing. By means of the Buddha's original vow and boundless great compassion to receive and guide sentient beings, from the real he manifests emanations throughout the worlds of the ten directions. The Tathāgata guides and receives the three classes and nine grades; because the emanation is identical to the real, there is no coming and no going, yet according with capacities to respond to beings, there is going and returning. The earlier sūtras speak of no coming or going based on the emanation's essence being identical to the real; the Guan jing manifests going and returning based on emanations flowing forth from the real. Furthermore, there is an explanation from the West which says: in reality there is no Buddha who comes here from that western direction extending his hand to welcome, nor is there a Buddha who leads those sentient beings to be reborn in the pure land. It is merely that the overriding conditioning power of the seeds of the Tathāgata's compassionate original vow and merits causes sentient beings who have affinity with the Buddha—taking the causal conditions of the power of their various merits in practicing buddhānusmṛti, cultivating blessings, and performing the sixteen contemplations—to manifest from their own minds Amitābha Buddha coming to welcome the practitioner, who follows the Buddha and departs. When it is said that that Buddha sends [an emanation] to come, he does not truly send one; it is simply that when the seeds of merit precisely coincide with the capacity of the being to be transformed, they are caused to see an emanation Buddha coming to welcome them. Therefore it is said that he sends one, but in reality he does not send one. Amitābha Buddha's merits of compassionate vows are serene, clear, and constantly tranquil, having no going and no coming. Sentient beings' conscious minds rely on the superior power of the Buddha's original vow and merits, and from their own minds transformatively manifest coming and going to welcome the practitioner. Seeing that there is rebirth in the Pure Land is an objective aspect (nimittabhāga) of one's own mind, having nothing to do with another. Thus when the earlier sūtras speak of neither coming nor going, they speak with reference to the Buddha's merits; when the Guan jing speaks of coming and going, it speaks with reference to the mental marks of sentient beings. Furthermore, there is an explanation which says: The Tathāgata, responding to capacities, also transformatively manifests, appearing as various emanation bodies throughout the ten directions to welcome sentient beings [attaining] rebirth in the Pure Land. Those emanation Buddhas flow and manifest from the Buddha's ādarśajñāna and great compassion; therefore it is said that that Buddha sends emanations to come and welcome. However, sending emanations to welcome accomplishes this matter without conceptual thought, like a maṇi jewel or a heavenly drum. Yet, as for the manifested emanations having coming and going while it is said there is neither going nor coming: this may be spoken with reference to the real, as was already explained above. Or it may be spoken with reference to arising and ceasing that does not abide from thought-moment to thought-moment: having arisen, it immediately ceases and cannot be moved; it arises in that very place and ceases in that very place, it arises in a different place and ceases in a different place, and in resembling continuity, coming and going are nominally spoken of. Just as a moving flame is not the characteristic of a wheel, yet coming and going are nominally spoken of, while in reality there is no coming or going. Therefore, Dharma Master Zhao's Treatise on the Immutability of Things states: 'A whirlwind that fells mountains is constantly tranquil; rivers and seas that vie in rushing forth do not flow; shimmering mirages that flutter do not move; the sun and moon traversing the sky do not revolve.' These all refer to arising and ceasing being swift, incapable of being moved.