釋淨土群疑論 7.57

7.57

I explain: Examining the sacred scriptures, there is indeed no explicit teaching [mandating this]. However, practitioners use this dark chamber to cut off all sights and sounds, and let the mind abandon all external conditions. For beginners, focusing their visualization by means of this makes it easy to attain samādhi; otherwise it is difficult to accomplish. In all worldly matters, when one wishes to contemplate difficult affairs and has not yet comprehended them, scattered thoughts make completion difficult. One may close up the room and dwell alone, or shut one's eyes and cut off sight, and because of this tranquility, the contemplation of the matter is accomplished. This is just like that: when the scattered mind is difficult to stabilize, there is no way for the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi to manifest; therefore one makes a dark chamber to practice this samādhi. Those who have not trained suspect this, but those who have practiced it regard it as profoundly essential. For instance, when one is inside the hall correctly practicing buddhānusmṛti, if a slight beam of light shines through a crevice into this dark chamber, the mind will immediately grasp onto it and produce wild thoughts. If one cuts off this light, with one mind unperturbed, this is something known by practitioners, not a method practiced in vain. Furthermore, it is like the method for training a falcon: one stitches its eyes and feeds it felt, making it unable to gaze at anything and diminishing its vigor and strength; only then does one put an end to its soaring flight. Through back-and-forth taming, one brings it out to hunt, and it will follow man's bidding. Samādhi is also like this: beginners have minds that race after the five desires and grasp at the six sense-objects; if they do not constrain themselves with this dark chamber, there is no way for them to accomplish samādhi. When later their study is perfected, they wander anywhere without distinction between light and dark, constantly able to see the Buddha; how could they then need to labor in a dark chamber to practice buddhānusmṛti? Therefore, the Guan jing says: 'This person is oppressed by suffering and has no leisure to practice buddhānusmṛti. A good friend instructs him, [saying], "You may recite 'Amitābha Buddha'." In this manner, with the utmost mind, make the sound uninterrupted.' Is it not that when oppressed by afflictions and suffering, visualization is difficult to accomplish, so making the sound uninterrupted allows the utmost mind to be attained? Now, voicing the recitation to train in the concentration of buddhānusmṛti is also like this: by making the sound uninterrupted, one ultimately attains samādhi, seeing the Buddha and the holy assembly clearly and constantly before one's eyes. Therefore, the Sūryagarbha section of the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says: 'Reciting loudly, one sees a great Buddha; reciting softly, one sees a small Buddha.' 'Reciting loudly' means reciting the Buddha's name in a loud voice. 'Reciting softly' means reciting the Buddha's name in a soft voice. Since this is the sacred teaching, what doubt can there be? At present, we see that for all those who cultivate and practice, they need only exert their voices in reciting the Buddha's name, and samādhi is easily accomplished. If they recite the Buddha's name in a soft voice, they will mostly end up distracted. This is what practitioners know, not something outsiders understand. If you do not believe it, please try practicing it; do not merely give rise to doubts without cultivating!