淨土十疑論 1.14

1.14

答曰：「菩薩有二種：一者、久修行菩薩道，得無生忍者，實當所責；二者、未得已還，及初發心凡夫。凡夫菩薩者，要須常不離佛，忍力成就方堪處三界內，於惡世中救苦眾生。故《智度論》云：『具縛凡夫，有大悲心願生惡世，救苦眾生者，無有是處。』何以故？惡世界煩惱強，自無忍力，心隨境轉，聲、色所縛，自墮三塗，焉能救眾生？假令得生人中，聖道難得，或因施、戒、修福，得生人中，得作國王、大臣，富貴自在。縱遇善知識，不肯信用，貪迷放逸，廣造眾罪，乘此惡業，一入三塗，經無量劫，從地獄出，受貧賤身；若不逢善知識，還墮地獄。如此輪迴，至於今日，人人皆如是，此名難行道也。故《維摩經》云：『自疾不能救，而能救諸疾人？』又《智度論》云：『譬如二人各有親眷，為水所溺，一人情急，直入水救，為無方便力故，彼此俱沒；一人有方便，往取船筏，乘之救接，悉皆得脫水溺之難。』新發意菩薩，亦復如是。如是，未得忍力，不能救眾生。為此常須近佛，得無生忍已，方能救眾生，如得船者。又論云：『譬如嬰兒不得離母，若也離母，或墮坑井，渴乳而死；又如鳥子翅羽未成，秖得依樹傅枝，不能遠去，翅翮成就，方能飛空，自在無礙。』凡夫無力，唯得專念阿彌陀佛，使成三昧，以業成故，臨終斂念得生，決定不疑。見彌陀佛，證無生忍已，還來三界，乘無生忍船，救苦眾生，廣施佛事，任意自在。故論云：『遊戲地獄，行者生彼國，得無生忍已，還入生死國，教化地獄，救苦眾生。』以是因緣，求生淨土，願識其教。故《十住婆沙論》，名易行道也。」

Answer: 'Bodhisattvas are of two kinds: first, those who have long practiced the bodhisattva path and attained anutpattikadharmakṣānti—these are indeed subjects of such reproach; second, those who have not yet attained it and below, as well as ordinary persons who have newly generated the resolve [for bodhi]. An ordinary-person bodhisattva must constantly not be apart from the Buddha; only when their power of patience is perfected are they fit to dwell in the three realms and save suffering sentient beings in an evil world. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "For a fully fettered ordinary person to have great compassion and vow to be born in an evil world to save suffering sentient beings is impossible." Why is this? In an evil world, defilements are strong, while one lacks the power of patience oneself; one's mind turns according to external conditions and is bound by sounds and sights, so that one falls into the three wretched paths oneself—how could one save sentient beings? Even if one manages to be born among humans, the holy path is difficult to attain. Or, due to generosity, precepts, and cultivating merit, one may be born among humans to become a king or high minister, wealthy, noble, and independent; even if one encounters a kalyāṇamitra, one will be unwilling to believe and accept, indulging greed and delusion, becoming heedless and extensively committing all sorts of offenses. Relying on this evil karma, once one enters the three wretched paths, passing through immeasurable eons, one emerges from hell to receive an impoverished and lowly body; if one does not encounter a kalyāṇamitra, one falls back into hell. Transmigrating like this down to the present day, every person is like this. This is called the path of difficult practice. Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "How can one who cannot cure one's own sickness cure the sicknesses of others?" Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "Suppose there are two people, each with relatives who are drowning in water. One person, in panic, goes directly into the water to save them, but lacking skill-in-means, both drown together. The other person possesses skill-in-means, goes and fetches a boat or raft, boards it, and saves them, so that all are delivered from the peril of drowning." Bodhisattvas who have newly generated the resolve are also like this. Being like this, without having attained the power of patience, they cannot save sentient beings. For this reason, they must constantly remain close to the Buddha; only after attaining anutpattikadharmakṣānti can they save sentient beings, like the one who obtained a boat. Furthermore, the treatise says: "For instance, an infant cannot leave its mother; if it leaves its mother, it may fall into a pit or well, or die for lack of milk. Again, it is like a young bird whose wings and feathers are not yet formed: it can only rely on the tree and flit among the branches, unable to go far; only when its wings are fully grown can it fly in the sky, free and unhindered." An ordinary person has no power; they can only focus exclusively on mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha so that it develops into samādhi. Because the karma is accomplished, at the end of life they gather their mindfulness and attain rebirth, definitively and without doubt. After seeing Amitābha Buddha and realizing anutpattikadharmakṣānti, they return to the three realms, board the boat of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, save suffering sentient beings, widely perform Buddha-work, and act freely at will. Therefore the treatise says: "Sporting in the hells: practitioners are born in that land, and having attained anutpattikadharmakṣānti, they enter back into the land of birth and death, transforming the hells and saving suffering sentient beings." Due to these causes and conditions, one seeks rebirth in the pure land; may you understand this teaching. Therefore the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā calls it the path of easy practice.'