淨土十疑論 1.27

1.27

答：「有二種緣：一者、自力；二者、他力。自力者，此世界修道，實未得生淨土。是故《瓔珞經》云：『始從具縛凡夫，未識三寶，不知善、惡因之與果。初發菩提心，以信為本，住在佛家，以戒為本。受菩薩戒，身身相續，戒行不闕，經一劫、二劫、三劫，始至初發心住；如是修行十信、十波羅蜜等無量行願，相續無間，滿一萬劫，方始至第六正心住；若更增進，至第七不退住，即種性位。』此約自力，卒未得生淨土。他力者，若信阿彌陀佛大悲願力，攝取念佛眾生，即能發菩提心，行念佛三昧，厭離三界，身起行施、戒、修福，於一一行中，迴願生彼彌陀淨土，乘佛願力，機、感相應，即得往生。是故《十住婆沙論》云：『於此世界修道有二種：一者、難行道；二者、易行道。』難行者，在於五濁惡世，於無量佛時，求阿鞞跋致，甚難可得。此難，無數塵沙說不可盡，略述三五：一者、外道相善，亂菩薩法；二者、無賴惡人，破他勝德；三者、顛倒善果，能壞梵行；四者、聲聞自利，障於大慈；五者、唯有自力，無他力持。譬如跛人步行，一日不過數里，極大辛苦，謂自力也。易行道者，謂信佛語教念佛三昧，願生淨土，乘彌陀佛願力，攝持決定，往生不疑也。如人水路行，藉船力故，須臾即至千里，謂他力也。譬如劣夫從轉輪王，一日、一夜周行四天下，非是自力，轉輪王力也。若言有漏凡夫不得生淨土者，亦可有漏凡夫應不得見佛身。然念佛三昧，並無漏善根所起，有漏凡夫，隨分得見佛身麁相也；菩薩見微細相。淨土亦爾，雖是無漏善根所起，有漏凡夫發無上菩提心，求生淨土常念佛，故伏滅煩惱，得生淨土，隨分得見麁相；菩薩見微妙相。此何所疑？故《華嚴經》說：『一切諸佛剎，平等普嚴淨，眾生業行異，所見各不同。』即其義也。」

Answer: "There are two kinds of conditions: first, self-power; second, other-power. As for self-power, by cultivating the path in this world, one indeed does not yet attain rebirth in the pure land. Therefore the Yingluo jing says: 'Beginning as a fully fettered ordinary person who does not yet recognize the Three Jewels and does not know the causes and results of good and evil: first generating bodhicitta takes faith as its basis; abiding in the household of the Buddha takes the precepts as its basis. Receiving the bodhisattva precepts, continuing life after life without deficient precept-conduct, one only reaches the first dwelling of initial resolve after passing through one kalpa, two kalpas, or three kalpas. Cultivating limitless practices and vows such as the ten faiths and the ten pāramitās in this manner, continuous and uninterrupted, only after completing ten thousand kalpas does one reach the sixth dwelling of the correct mind. If one advances further to the seventh dwelling of non-retrogression, this is the stage of the spiritual lineage.' Regarding self-power, one does not quickly attain rebirth in the pure land. As for other-power: if one has faith in the power of Amitābha Buddha's great compassionate vows to gather in sentient beings who practice buddhānusmṛti, one will then be able to generate bodhicitta, practice buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, turn away from and abandon the three realms, and personally engage in practicing generosity, keeping the precepts, and cultivating merit, in every single practice dedicating the aspiration to be reborn in that pure land of Amitābha. Riding on the power of the Buddha's vows, with one's capacity and the response in accord, one will immediately attain rebirth. Therefore the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā states: 'There are two kinds of cultivating the path in this world: first, the path of difficult practice; second, the path of easy practice.' The difficult practice means that in the evil world of the five defilements, over the spans of limitless buddhas, seeking to attain the avaivartika stage is extremely difficult to achieve. These difficulties are as countless as dust and sand and cannot be fully described, but to summarize three to five of them: first, non-Buddhists appear virtuous and confuse the bodhisattva's Dharma; second, villainous and evil people destroy the superior virtues of others; third, inverted wholesome fruits can ruin the pure practice; fourth, the self-interest of the śrāvakas obstructs great compassion; fifth, there is only self-power without the support of other-power. It is like a lame person travelling on foot, covering no more than a few leagues in a day with immense hardship; this is called self-power. The path of easy practice means believing the Buddha's words, being taught buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, aspiring to be reborn in the pure land, and riding on the power of Amitābha Buddha's vows, so that being sustained and embraced, rebirth is certain without doubt. It is like a person travelling by water, who by relying on the power of a boat arrives a thousand leagues away in an instant; this is called other-power. It is also like an inferior man following a cakravartin, circling the four continents in a single day and night; this is not his self-power, but the power of the cakravartin. If it is claimed that a sāsrava ordinary person cannot be reborn in a pure land, then by the same token a sāsrava ordinary person should also be unable to see the Buddha's body. Yet buddhānusmṛti-samādhi arises from anāsrava wholesome roots; according to their share, sāsrava ordinary people are able to see the coarse marks of the Buddha's body, while bodhisattvas see the subtle and minute marks. The pure land is also like this: although it arises from anāsrava wholesome roots, when a sāsrava ordinary person generates the supreme bodhicitta, seeks rebirth in the pure land, and constantly practices buddhānusmṛti, they thereby subdue and eliminate defilements and attain rebirth in the pure land, seeing the coarse marks according to their share, while bodhisattvas see the subtle and wondrous marks. What doubt can there be about this? Therefore the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'All buddha-lands / are equally and universally adorned and pure; / sentient beings' karmic actions differ, / so what they see is not the same.' This is indeed the meaning."