釋淨土群疑論 7.37

7.37

I explain: This samādhi applies to both sages and ordinary people (pṛthagjana); those who maintain the precepts and those who break the precepts alike may practice it. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says of the monk Guṇamegha, he was a sage, a great bodhisattva, who attained the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. As the Bhadrapāla Sūtra says: 'If there are monks, nuns, upāsakas, or upāsikās who purely maintain the precepts and are endowed with all practices...' From this we know that those who maintain the precepts are indeed suited to cultivate the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi; that is, when the roots of morality are pure, the samādhi manifests. It is difficult for those who break the precepts to accomplish the samādhi, yet according to the Guanfo sanmei hai jing: 'This contemplation-of-the-Buddha samādhi is medicine for all sentient beings who commit transgressions, and a protection for those who break the precepts.' If those who break the precepts could not attain this samādhi, how could it be called a protection? Furthermore, a later passage of that sūtra states: 'The Tathāgata now, for the sake of the sentient beings of the five sufferings in future ages, precept-breaking monks, and unwholesome, evil people who commit the five heinous acts and slander [the Dharma]—for such as these, expounds the method for eliminating transgressions. Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: "After the Buddha passes into extinction, these foolish people will have no protector and no refuge." The Buddha told Ānanda: "After the Buddha passes into extinction, sentient beings in the turbid and evil world who wish to eliminate their transgressions and faults, down to... should diligently cultivate the contemplation-of-the-Buddha samādhi."' Therefore we know that evil people such as those who break the precepts or commit the five heinous acts may all study and attain this samādhi.