淨土十疑論 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

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Preface to the Treatise on the Ten Doubts about the Pure Land

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Composed by Yang Jie, the Layman Wuwei of the Song dynasty

If craving is not heavy, one is not born in the Sahā world; if mindfulness is not unified, one is not born in Sukhāvatī. Sahā is a defiled land; Sukhāvatī is a pure land. The lifespan in Sahā is limited; the lifespan in that land is limitless. Sahā is replete with all sufferings; that land is peaceful and without suffering. In Sahā, one revolves through birth and death in accordance with karma; once one goes to that land, one eternally realizes anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, and if one vows to deliver sentient beings, one acts at will with sovereignty, no longer turned about by various karmas. Their purity and defilement, length of lifespan, suffering and joy, and birth and death have such distinctions, yet sentient beings are blindly unaware of them—how can this not be lamentable?

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Amitābha Buddha is the master who receives beings into the pure land; Śākyamuni Tathāgata is the teacher who guides them to the pure land. Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta are those who assist the Buddha in propagating the transformation. Therefore, throughout the scriptures of the Tathāgata's lifetime of teaching, he repeatedly exhorted beings everywhere, urging rebirth.

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Amitābha Buddha, along with Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, boards the boat of great vows and floats upon the ocean of birth and death, not clinging to this shore, not remaining on that shore, and not stopping midstream, engaging solely in saving and delivering as Buddha-work. Therefore, the Amitābha-sūtra says: 'If there are good men and good women who hear of Amitābha Buddha and uphold his name, whether for one day or up to seven days, with single-minded unconfused attention; when these persons approach the end of life, Amitābha Buddha and the assembly of holy ones will appear before them. When these persons die, their minds will not be inverted, and they will immediately attain rebirth in the land of Sukhāvatī.' Furthermore, a sūtra says: 'If sentient beings of the ten directions hear my name, remember my land, plant roots of virtue, and sincerely dedicate them wishing to be born in my land, and do not attain it, I shall not attain samyaksaṃbodhi.' This is why in the Impermanence Hall of the Jetavana-vihāra, the sick were made to face west and cultivate the thought of rebirth in the pure land. For Amitābha's light shines universally throughout the dharmadhātu upon sentient beings who practice buddhānusmṛti, gathering them in without forsaking them. Sage and ordinary person are of one substance; capacity and response accord with each other. For the sentient beings within the minds of all Buddhas, every particle of dust is Sukhāvatī; for the pure land within the minds of sentient beings, every thought is Amitābha.

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Observing it from this perspective, those with wisdom easily attain rebirth, because they can sever doubt; those with meditative concentration easily attain rebirth, because they are not scattered; those who uphold the precepts easily attain rebirth, because they stay far from all defilements; those who practice generosity easily attain rebirth, because they possess no self; those who practice patience easily attain rebirth, because they have no anger; those with vigorous effort easily attain rebirth, because they do not regress; those who neither create good nor do evil easily attain rebirth, because their mindfulness can be unified; those who have already committed all evils and whose karmic retributions have already manifested easily attain rebirth, because they possess true shame and fear. Even if one possesses many wholesome qualities, if one lacks a sincere and faithful mind, a deep mind, and a mind of dedication and aspiration, one cannot attain rebirth of the highest grade of the highest level.

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Alas! Amitābha is very easy to uphold, and the pure land is very easy to reach. If sentient beings cannot uphold it and cannot go there, what can the Buddha do about sentient beings? Creating evil karma and entering the painful destinies, or reciting Amitābha and being born in Sukhāvatī—both are the Buddha's words. For worldly people to worry about falling into hell while doubting rebirth [in the pure land]—is this not delusion indeed?

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During the Jin dynasty, Dharma Master Huiyuan, together with the eminent scholar Liu Yimin and others of that time, formed the White Lotus Society on Mount Lu, doing so entirely out of utmost sincerity in this matter. In the seven hundred years thereafter, monastics and laypeople who practiced it and attained responses were not few; all are recorded in the pure land biographies. How could this be false?

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Now, the books praising and supporting Amitābha's teachings and contemplations pile up like mountains. Yet Tiantai Master Zhizhe's Treatise on the Ten Doubts about the Pure Land is the foremost among them, citing the holy words and resolving the manifold perplexities. It is as when the sun arrives in a dark room of ten thousand years, instantly shedding abundant light; or on a water voyage of a thousand li, when a boat is provided without exhausting one's self-power. Were he not a later manifestation of Dharmākara, he could not have reached this.

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I recently obtained this text in the capital, read it, and showed it to those I know, none of whom failed to give rise to faith. Having myself suffered harsh punishment, my awakening has deepened even further. Intending to propagate it widely, I have therefore written this preface (Composed in the middle of autumn in the ninth year of Xining [1076 CE]).

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Spoken by Tiantai Master Zhizhe of the Sui dynasty

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The First Doubt

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Question: 'All Buddhas and bodhisattvas make great compassion their work. If they wish to save and deliver sentient beings, they should only vow to be born in the three realms and save suffering sentient beings in the midst of the five defilements and three wretched paths. Why do they seek rebirth in a pure land to secure their own persons? Forsaking and leaving sentient beings is to lack great benevolence and compassion, acting solely for self-benefit, which obstructs the path to bodhi.'

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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.'

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The Second Doubt

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Question: 'All dharmas are empty in essence, fundamentally unborn, equal, and tranquil. Now, to abandon this and seek that, being born in the Western Pure Land of Amitābha—is this not contrary to principle? Furthermore, a sūtra says: "If one wishes to seek a pure land, one must first purify one's mind; because the mind is pure, the Buddha land is pure." How can this be reconciled?'

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Answer: 'The explanation has two meanings: first, a general answer; second, a specific answer. As for the general answer, if you say, "Seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Amitābha is abandoning this and seeking that, which does not accord with principle," then by clinging to this and not seeking the West, you are abandoning that and clinging to this; this likewise becomes an illness and does not accord with principle. Furthermore, if you shift your view and say, "I neither seek rebirth there nor seek rebirth here," this is the view of annihilationism. Therefore the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: "Śāriputra, if you think, 'Those who generate anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi speak of all dharmas as having the mark of annihilation,' do not think this! Why is this? Those who generate bodhicitta do not speak of dharmas as having the mark of annihilation."

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'Second, as for the specific answer: non-arising and non-perishing mean that within conditions of arising, all dharmas combine and do not preserve an intrinsic nature; seeking the substantial entity of arising is also impossible. When this arising arises, it has nowhere from which it comes, hence it is called non-arising. Non-perishing means that when all dharmas disperse, they do not preserve an intrinsic nature, saying "I disperse and perish"; when this dispersing and perishing occurs, there is nowhere to which it goes, hence it is called non-perishing. It does not mean that outside of arising through causes and conditions there is another non-arising and non-perishing. Nor does it mean that not seeking rebirth in the pure land is called non-arising. For this reason, a verse in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā says: "Dharmas arisen from causes and conditions, I declare to be emptiness; they are also conventional designations, and also the meaning of the Middle Way." It also says: "Dharmas do not arise from themselves, nor do they arise from another, nor from both, nor without a cause; therefore know that they are unarisen." Furthermore, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "Although knowing that all Buddha lands and sentient beings are empty, one constantly cultivates the pure land to teach and transform the multitude of beings." It also says: "For example, if someone builds a palace or room, if they rely on empty ground, it is done at will without hindrance; if they rely on empty space, they will never accomplish it." When all Buddhas teach the Dharma, they always rely on the two truths, expounding the true mark of all dharmas without destroying conventional designations. The wise intensely seek rebirth in the pure land, realizing that the entity of arising is unattainable—this is true non-arising. This is what is meant by "because the mind is pure, the Buddha land is pure." The foolish are bound by arising: hearing of arising, they understand it as arising; hearing of non-arising, they understand it as non-arising, not knowing that arising is itself non-arising, and non-arising is itself arising. Not grasping this principle, they arbitrarily dispute right and wrong, becoming angry with others who seek rebirth in the pure land—how mistaken they are! These are transgressors who slander the Dharma, non-Buddhists of wrong views.'

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The Third Doubt

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Question: 'The dharmatā of all pure lands of all Buddhas of the ten directions is equal, and their merits are also equal. A practitioner should universally contemplate all merits and be born in all pure lands. Now to seek exclusively the pure land of one Buddha conflicts with the nature of equality. How can one be born in the pure land?'

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Answer: "All buddha-lands are in truth equal. Yet because sentient beings have dull faculties and are for the most part defiled and disordered, if they do not focus their attention exclusively on one mind and one object, samādhi is difficult to achieve. Exclusive mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha is indeed the samādhi of one mark; by focusing the mind with utmost devotion, one attains rebirth in that land. As the Suiyuan wangsheng jing says: 'Bodhisattva Puguang asked the Buddha: "Pure lands exist throughout the ten directions; why does the World-Honoured One specifically praise Amitābha's pure land in the west and exclusively send beings to be reborn there?" The Buddha told Puguang: "The minds of sentient beings in Jambudvīpa are mostly defiled and disordered. For this reason I specifically praise the pure land of this one Buddha in the west, causing sentient beings to focus their minds on a single object, so that they may easily attain rebirth."' If one were generally mindful of all buddhas, the object of buddhānusmṛti would be broad, and the mind would become scattered and diffuse, making samādhi difficult to achieve; therefore rebirth would not be attained. Furthermore, seeking the merit of one buddha is no different from seeking the merit of all buddhas, because they share the same buddha-dharmatā. For this reason, mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha is itself mindfulness of all buddhas; rebirth in one pure land is itself rebirth in all pure lands. Thus the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'The bodies of all buddhas / are indeed the body of one buddha: / one mind and one wisdom, / and their powers and fearlessnesses are likewise so.' It also says: 'Just as the pure, full moon / universally manifests in all waters— / though the reflections are limitless, / the original moon was never two— / so it is with unimpeded wisdom: / having accomplished samyaksaṃbodhi, / it manifests in all lands, / yet the Buddha's body is without duality.' The wise attain understanding through analogies. If the wise can realize that all moon reflections are just one moon reflection, that one moon reflection is just all moon reflections, and that the reflections of the moon are not two, then likewise one buddha is all buddhas, all buddhas are one buddha, and the dharmakāya is without duality. Therefore, when one mindfully focuses fervently on one buddha, this is itself mindfulness of all buddhas."

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Fourth Doubt

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Question: "Since it is equally a matter of being mindful and seeking rebirth in the pure land of one buddha, why not simply be mindful of any one buddha's land among those of the ten directions and attain rebirth accordingly? Why must one be exclusively mindful of Amitābha Buddha in the west?"

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Answer: "The pṛthagjana has no wisdom and dares not act on his own authority; relying exclusively on the Buddha's words, he is able to be exclusively mindful of Amitābha Buddha. What does it mean to rely on the Buddha's words? Throughout the lifetime of teaching by Master Śākyamuni, the sacred teachings in every place only encourage sentient beings to concentrate their minds in exclusive mindfulness on Amitābha Buddha and seek rebirth in the western world of Sukhāvatī. In more than several dozen works—sūtras, treatises, and commentaries such as the Amitāyus-sūtra, the Contemplation Sūtra, and the Rebirth Treatise—earnest instructions are given, encouraging rebirth in the west; hence one is exclusively mindful [of him]. Furthermore, Amitābha Buddha has forty-eight distinctive great compassionate vows to receive and guide sentient beings. Moreover, the Contemplation Sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha has eighty-four thousand major marks; each mark has eighty-four thousand minor marks of excellence; each minor mark radiates eighty-four thousand beams of light shining universally throughout the dharmadhātu, taking in and never forsaking sentient beings who practice buddhānusmṛti.' If there are those who practice mindfulness, their capacity and the response will correspond, and they will definitely attain rebirth. In addition, the Amitābha-sūtra, the Larger Amitāyus-sūtra, the Guyinwang tuoluoni jing, and others state: 'When Śākyamuni Buddha spoke these sūtras, all the buddhas of the ten directions, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, extended their tongue-marks, covering the trichiliocosm, to confirm that all sentient beings who are mindful of Amitābha Buddha, by virtue of the power of the Buddha's great compassionate fundamental vows, will definitely attain rebirth in the world of Sukhāvatī.' One should know that Amitābha Buddha has a particular affinity with this world. How do we know this? The Amitāyus-sūtra says: 'In the end-times, when the Dharma is on the verge of extinction, I specially retain this sūtra to remain in the world for a hundred years to receive and guide sentient beings to be reborn in that land.' Thus we know that Amitābha Buddha has a particular affinity with the exceedingly evil sentient beings of this world. Although the pure lands of all other buddhas are briefly encouraged for rebirth in one or two sūtras, this is not like Amitābha Buddha's land, where teachings in every sūtra and treatise earnestly and repeatedly urge rebirth."

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Fifth Doubt

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Question: "A fully fettered ordinary person has thick and heavy evil karma, not having severed even a single hair of any defilement. The western pure land transcends the three realms; how can a fully fettered ordinary person attain rebirth [there]?"

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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."

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Sixth Doubt

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Question: "Even assuming a fully fettered ordinary person attains rebirth in that land, wrong views, the three poisons, and so forth constantly arise [in them]. How is it that upon attaining rebirth in that land, they immediately attain non-retrogression and transcend the three realms?"

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Explanation: "Attaining rebirth in that land has five causes and conditions for non-retrogression. What are the five? First, the sustaining power of Amitābha Buddha's great compassionate vows, whereby one attains non-retrogression; second, the constant illumination of the Buddha's light, whereby bodhicitta constantly increases and never retrogresses; third, the water, birds, groves of trees, the sound of the wind, and the music all proclaim suffering and emptiness, so that those who hear them constantly give rise to the remembrance of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and thus do not retrogress; fourth, that land consists purely of bodhisattvas who serve as good friends, with no conditions of evil circumstance—externally there are no spirits, ghosts, or evil Māras, and internally there are no three poisons or the like, so defilements never arise at all, and thus one does not retrogress; fifth, once reborn in that land, one's lifespan lasts for eternal kalpas, equal to that of bodhisattvas and buddhas, and thus one does not retrogress. In this evil world, days and months are fleeting; yet after passing through asaṃkhyeya kalpas without defilements arising again, cultivating the path for a long time, how could one fail to attain anutpattikadharmakṣānti? This principle is obvious and need not be doubted."

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Seventh Doubt

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Question: "Maitreya Bodhisattva is ekajāti-pratibaddha and will soon attain buddhahood. By the superior grade of the ten wholesome actions, one attains rebirth in that place, sees Maitreya Bodhisattva, follows him when he descends to be born, and in the midst of the three assemblies naturally attains the noble fruit. Why is it necessary to seek rebirth in the western pure land?"

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Answer: "Seeking rebirth in Tuṣita, hearing the Dharma and seeing the Buddha in a single day, seems similar in its prospect, but if compared carefully, there is a great difference between their superior and inferior aspects. Let us discuss two points: First, even if one observes the ten wholesome actions, it is feared that one will not attain rebirth. How do we know this? The Mile shangsheng jing says: 'Only by practicing the various samādhis and entering deeply into correct absorption can one then attain rebirth.' There is no meaning of expedients to receive and guide. This is not like Amitābha Buddha's fundamental vow-power and light-power, which take in and never forsake any sentient being who practices buddhānusmṛti. Furthermore, Śākyamuni Buddha taught the teachings of the nine grades, using expedients to receive and guide, earnestly dispatching beings to be reborn in that pure land. If sentient beings can only be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, their capacity and the response will correspond, and they are certain to attain rebirth. Just like people in the world seeking someone: if the seeker is matched with one receptive to being sought, when opportunity and affinity coincide, the affair is sure to succeed. Second, the Tuṣita heaven palace belongs to the desire realm, where those who fall back are many. There are no water, birds, groves of trees, wind sounds, or musical resonances that, upon being heard by sentient beings, cause them all to be mindful of the Buddha, generate bodhicitta, and subdue and extinguish defilements. Furthermore, there are women, all of whom foster the devas' attachment to the five desires; moreover, heavenly maidens are subtle and wondrous, and the devas indulge in pleasure and cannot exert themselves. This is not like Amitābha's pure land, where with the water, birds, groves of trees, sound of the wind, and music, all sentient beings who hear them give rise to mindfulness of the Buddha, generate bodhicitta, and subdue and eliminate defilements. Moreover, there is no woman, nor the mind of the two vehicles, but purely the single Great Vehicle and pure, good companions. For this reason, defilements and evil karma never arise at all, and one proceeds to the stage of non-arising. When compared like this, the superior and inferior are obvious; why should one harbor doubts? Just as when Śākyamuni Buddha was in the world, there were many sentient beings who saw the Buddha yet did not attain the noble fruit, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, so too when Maitreya appears in the world, there will be many who do not attain the noble fruit. It is not like Amitābha's pure land, where once reborn in that land, all attain anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, and not a single person ever falls back into the three realms to be bound by the karma of birth and death."

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"Furthermore, according to accounts from the Western Realm, 'There were three bodhisattvas: the first was named Asaṅga, the second Vasubandhu, and the third Siṃhabhadra. These three made a pact together to be reborn in Tuṣita, wishing to see Maitreya. Whoever died first and succeeded in seeing Maitreya vowed to return and report back. Siṃhabhadra died first; once he departed, several years passed without his return. Later, when Vasubandhu faced impermanence and was on the brink of death, Asaṅga said to him, "When you see Maitreya, return immediately to report!" After Vasubandhu departed, three years passed before he returned. Asaṅga asked him, "Why did it take so long before you returned?" Vasubandhu reported, saying, "Upon arriving in that heaven, I listened to Bodhisattva Maitreya preach the Dharma for one session, circumambulated him, and immediately came back to report. Because the days in that heaven are long, three years had already elapsed here." He asked further, "Where is Siṃhabhadra now?" Vasubandhu reported, saying, "Because Siṃhabhadra took delight in heavenly pleasures, amusing himself with the five desires, he remains among the outer retinue. From the time he departed until now, he has not seen Maitreya at all."' If these lesser bodhisattvas, upon being born there, are still attached to the five desires, how much more so ordinary people? For this reason, one should vow to be reborn in the West, where one is certain to attain non-retrogression, and not seek rebirth in Tuṣita."

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The Eighth Doubt

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Question: "Sentient beings have, from beginningless time, created limitless karma; in this single lifetime, not having met a spiritual friend, they further commit all manner of sinful karma, leaving no evil undone. How could it be that at the time of death, by accomplishing ten recitations, they immediately attain rebirth and transcend the three realms? How can this matter of bound karma be explained?"

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Explanation: "Sentient beings' seeds of good and evil karma from beginningless time—whether many or few, strong or weak—cannot be known. Only those who at the time of death meet a spiritual friend and accomplish ten recitations do so because their past good karma is strong, which allows them to meet a spiritual friend and accomplish the ten recitations. If their evil karma were predominant, they could not even encounter a spiritual friend, so how could one speak of accomplishing ten recitations? Moreover, you regard evil karma from beginningless time as heavy and the ten recitations at the time of death as light. Now, according to reason, there are three criteria for weighing them; heaviness and lightness are unfixed and do not depend on the duration of time or whether [deeds are] few or many. What are the three? First, it depends on the mind; second, it depends on conditions; third, it depends on determination. As for depending on the mind: when committing sins, they arise from one's own delusion and perversion; when reciting the Buddha's name, it arises from hearing from a spiritual friend the name of Amitābha Buddha's true merit. How can the false and the true be compared? For instance, in a room dark for ten thousand years, if sunlight briefly enters, the darkness is instantly dispelled; how could the darkness, because of its long duration, refuse to vanish? As for depending on conditions: when committing sins, they arise perversely from a deluded and ignorant mind conditioned upon unreal objects; the mind that recites the Buddha's name arises from hearing the Buddha's pure, true name of merit and is conditioned upon supreme bodhicitta. How can the real and the counterfeit be compared? For instance, if someone is struck by a poisoned arrow, the arrow penetrating deeply and the poison biting harshly, wounding the flesh and piercing the bone, upon hearing the drum of poison-dispelling medicine, the arrow immediately comes out and the poison is eliminated. How could the arrow, because it is deep and the poison harsh, refuse to come out? As for depending on determination: when committing sins, one acts with an interrupted mind and with subsequent thoughts; when reciting the Buddha's name, one acts with an uninterrupted mind and with no subsequent thoughts, immediately relinquishing one's life, the wholesome mind being fierce and sharp; hence, rebirth is immediately attained. For instance, a rope ten spans thick cannot be held by a thousand men, yet a boy wielding a sword cleaves it in two in an instant. Again, it is like a pile of firewood accumulated over a thousand years: ignited by a spark no bigger than a bean, it is consumed in a short time. Again, it is like a person who throughout his life has cultivated the ten wholesome actions and ought to be reborn in heaven, but at the time of death gives rise to a single thought of determined wrong view, and thereby falls into Avīci Hell. Because it is fierce and sharp, evil karma, though false, can nevertheless overturn a lifetime of wholesome karma and cause one to fall into the evil destinies. How much more so could a fierce mind reciting the Buddha's name at the time of death, being true and uninterrupted wholesome karma, fail to overturn beginningless evil karma and attain rebirth in the Pure Land? That is impossible. Furthermore, it is said: 'In a single thought of reciting the Buddha's name, the sins of birth and death spanning eighty billion kalpas are eradicated.' Because the mind is fierce and sharp when reciting the Buddha's name, it subdues and eradicates evil karma, and rebirth is definitively attained; there is no need to doubt. The ancient tradition's judgment that accomplishing ten recitations is a matter of an intention for another time is definitively untenable. How is this known? The Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'It is solely because of making an aspiration,' with no practice at all. The Abhidharmasamuccaya-vyākhyā says: 'If one aspires to be reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss, one immediately attains rebirth; if one hears the name of the Vimala Buddha, one immediately attains anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi—both are causes for another time,' with no practice at all. If one takes the uninterrupted, fiercely sharp wholesome practice of the ten recitations at the time of death to be an intention for another time, how great an error that is! May all practitioners contemplate this principle deeply, fortify their own minds, and not believe divergent views so as to bring about their own downfall."

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The Ninth Doubt

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Question: "The West is separated from here by a hundred thousand billion buddha-lands; how could ordinary persons, weak and inferior, reach it? Furthermore, the Discourse on Rebirth states: 'Women, those with defective faculties, and the seeds of the two vehicles are not born [there].' Since this teaching exists, should we not know that women and those with defective faculties definitively cannot attain rebirth?"

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Answer: "It is only spoken in response to the fleshly eyes and the mental capacity of birth and death of ordinary persons that the West is separated from here by a hundred thousand billion buddha-lands. Provided that a sentient being's pure land karma is completed, the mind in concentrated absorption at the point of death is itself the mind that receives rebirth in the Pure Land; the very stirring of thought is the time of being born in the Pure Land. For this reason, the Visualization Sūtra states: 'Amitābha Buddha's land is not far from here.' Moreover, the power of karma is inconceivable; in a single thought one attains rebirth there, so there is no need to worry about the distance. Furthermore, it is like a person dreaming: although the body is in bed, the mind and consciousness travel everywhere to all worlds in other directions, no different from waking life. Rebirth in the Pure Land is also like this: with the stirring of thought, one immediately arrives; there is no need to doubt. As for 'women, those with defective faculties, and the seeds of the two vehicles are not born,' this only discusses that in that land there are no women and no blind, deaf, mute, or dumb people; it does not say that women and people with defective faculties from here cannot attain rebirth. If someone interprets it thus, that person is foolish and entirely ignorant of the sūtra's meaning. For example, Lady Vaidehī was the primary requester of rebirth in the Pure Land, and along with her five hundred attendants, the Buddha predicted that all of them would attain rebirth in that land. When women and blind, deaf, mute, or dumb people here recite Amitābha Buddha in their minds, once they are all reborn in that land, they will never again receive a female body, nor will they receive a body with defective faculties. If followers of the two vehicles merely turn their minds and aspire to be reborn in the Pure Land, upon reaching it they will no longer hold the clinging minds of the two vehicles. For this reason, it is said that 'women, those with defective faculties, and the seeds of the two vehicles are not born,' not that women and people with defective faculties from here cannot attain rebirth. Therefore, the forty-eighth vow of the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra states: 'If, when I attain buddhahood, all women in the worlds of the ten directions who recite my name and loathe the female body, upon relinquishing their lives, should again receive a female body, may I not attain samyaksaṃbodhi.' How much less could they receive a female body after being born in that land! The same applies to those with defective faculties."

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The Tenth Doubt

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Question: "Now, desiring definitively to seek rebirth in the West, I do not yet know what practices and deeds to cultivate, or what to use as the seed to attain rebirth in that land. Furthermore, ordinary laypeople all have wives and children; I do not know whether one who has not severed sexual desire can attain rebirth there or not?"

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Answer: "Those who wish definitively to be born in the West possess two kinds of practices and are certain to attain rebirth there: the first is the practice of revulsion and renunciation; the second is the practice of joyous aspiration. As for the practice of revulsion and renunciation: ordinary people from beginningless time have been bound by the five desires, transmigrating through the five destinies and undergoing all manner of suffering; without generating a mind of revulsion toward the five desires, there is no time of escape. For this reason, one should constantly contemplate this body as pus and blood, feces and urine, entirely impure and foul with loathsome fluids. Therefore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: 'In such a city of the body, a foolish rākṣasa dwells. What wise person would delight in this body?' Another sūtra states: 'This body is a collection of all sufferings, entirely impure. Chained and bound by boils and sores, fundamentally it has no benefit. Even up to the bodies of the devas, all are likewise.' Whether walking, sitting, sleeping, or waking, the practitioner constantly contemplates this body as only suffering without pleasure, deeply generating revulsion. Even if one cannot abruptly sever marital relations, one should gradually give rise to revulsion and cultivate the seven kinds of impurity contemplations: first, contemplate this body of sexual desire as arising from the afflictions of greed and affection, which is the impurity of the seed; second, when the parents unite, the red and white blend together, which is the impurity of conception; third, residing below the stomach and above the intestines in the mother's womb, which is the impurity of dwelling place; fourth, while in the mother's womb, consuming only the mother's blood, which is the impurity of nourishment; fifth, when the months and days are fulfilled, the head faces the birth canal, with pus and blood pouring forth in foul disarray, which is the impurity of initial birth; sixth, covered with thin skin, while inside pus and blood pervade every part, which is the impurity of the entire body; seventh, up to after death, bloating, decaying, bones and flesh scattered about, devoured by foxes and wolves, which is the ultimate impurity. Just as one's own body is such, other bodies are also the same. Toward the objects of love—male and female bodies and the like—deeply give rise to revulsion, constantly contemplating them as impure. If one can contemplate the impurity of the body in this way, sexual desire and afflictions will gradually decrease. Furthermore, cultivate the contemplations of the ten notions and the like, as explained at length in the sūtras. Moreover, make this vow: 'May I forever leave behind the mixed food of the three realms, the foul, pus- and blood-filled impurity, and the bodies of men and women addicted to the five desires; may I attain the dharma-nature body born in the Pure Land.' This is called the practice of revulsion and renunciation.

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"Second, explaining the practice of joyous aspiration: there are again two kinds: first, to clarify beforehand the intention of seeking rebirth; second, to contemplate the adornments and other features of that Pure Land, seeking them with a joyous mind. In clarifying the intention of rebirth: the reason for seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is to rescue all sentient beings from suffering. Thus, one reflects: 'I presently have no power; if I remain in an evil world where the objects of affliction are strong, bound by my own karma, I will sink into the three wretched paths, passing through kalpas at every turn. Transmigrating like this from beginningless time without ever resting, when would I be able to rescue sentient beings from suffering? For this reason, I seek rebirth in the Pure Land to draw near to the buddhas; only after realizing anutpattikadharmakṣānti will I be able to rescue sentient beings from suffering in an evil world.' Therefore, the Discourse on Rebirth states: 'To generate bodhicitta is precisely the mind that vows to become a buddha; the mind that vows to become a buddha is the mind that delivers sentient beings; the mind that delivers sentient beings is the mind that gathers sentient beings to be born in the buddha-land.'"

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"Furthermore, in wishing to be reborn in the pure land, one must possess two practices: first, one must stay far away from three kinds of dharmas that obstruct the gate to bodhi; second, one must attain three kinds of dharmas that accord with the gate to bodhi. What are the three kinds of dharmas that obstruct bodhi? First, relying on the gate of wisdom, not seeking one's own pleasure, because one stays far away from the mind of self that greedily clings to one's own body. Second, relying on the gate of compassion, pulling all sentient beings out of suffering, because one stays far away from a mind that fails to bring peace to sentient beings. Third, relying on the gate of skillful means, having pity on all sentient beings and wishing to grant them joy, because one stays far away from a mind that seeks reverence and offerings for one's own body. If one can stay far away from these three obstructions to bodhi, one will then attain the three dharmas that accord with bodhi: First, an undefiled pure mind, because one does not seek pleasures for one's own body. Bodhi is the undefiled pure abode; if one seeks pleasures for one's own body, that defiles body and mind and obstructs the gate to bodhi. Therefore, the undefiled pure mind accords with the gate to bodhi. Second, a tranquil pure mind, because one pulls sentient beings out of suffering. Bodhicitta is the pure abode that brings peace and security to all sentient beings; if one does not set one's mind to pulling all sentient beings out and having them leave the suffering of birth and death, that runs contrary to the gate to bodhi. Therefore, the tranquil pure mind accords with the gate to bodhi. Third, a joyful pure mind, because one wishes to cause all sentient beings to attain great bodhi and nirvāṇa. Bodhi and nirvāṇa are the abodes of ultimate, eternal bliss; if one does not set one's mind to causing all sentient beings to attain ultimate, eternal bliss, that bars the gate to bodhi. Through what cause is this bodhi attained? It must be by virtue of being reborn in the pure land, constantly never parting from the Buddha, and after attaining anutpattikadharmakṣānti, saving suffering sentient beings in the realm of birth and death, compassion and wisdom inwardly blending, functioning constantly within meditative stability, unhindered and autonomous—this is bodhicitta, and this is the purpose of wishing for rebirth.

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"Second, in explaining joyful aspiring and seeking: with a hopeful mind, one arouses contemplation directed toward Amitābha Buddha—whether his dharmakāya, saṃbhogakāya, and so on—with golden light, eighty-four thousand marks, each mark with eighty-four thousand secondary characteristics, each secondary characteristic emitting eighty-four thousand rays of light that constantly illuminate the dharmadhātu, gathering in those sentient beings who practice buddhānusmṛti. Furthermore, one contemplates that pure land's adornments of the seven jewels, exquisite joys, and so forth, fully as described in the Amitāyus-sūtra and the sixteen contemplations of the Guan jing, constantly practicing buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, as well as generosity, moral discipline, cultivation, and the like, dedicating all wholesome deeds to all sentient beings so that they are reborn together in that land. Rebirth is then definitely attained. This is called the gate of joyful aspiration."

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Treatise on the Ten Doubts about the Pure Land (End)

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Afterword to the Treatise on the Ten Doubts about the Pure Land

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The human mind is inconstant, and phenomena too have no fixed nature; mind and phenomena have ten thousand disparities, whose root lies right here. Believing in this, one has universal faith—this is why the Avataṃsaka speaks of the ten faiths. Doubting this, one has universal doubt—this is why Master Zhizhe spoke of the ten doubts. Leaving doubt and entering faith, once entered one enters forever, and never departing from this, one attains the ultimate abode. The pure land is that ultimate abode; in this place there is a lord who expounds the Dharma, named Amitāyus. This Buddha expounds the Dharma without ever an interruption. When doubt obstructs one's ears, one is deaf and does not hear; when doubt obstructs one's mind, one is benighted and does not awaken. Neither hearing nor awakening, one comfortably abides in evil habits, praises mindlessness, rejoices in coarse thoughts, and falsely points to the lotus calyx, taking it to be empty absurdity. One never reflects for oneself: from what was this body of fragmented limitation obtained? From where did it come? In the filth of the prison of the womb, where is true reality to be found? Trusting in the karmic consciousness, one cuts oneself off from the true reality; within a single illusory realm, rejecting that and grasping this, lifetime after lifetime unilluminated, one forever cuts off the sacred path.

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For this reason, Śākyamuni Tathāgata aroused great compassion and pity, and within the filthy and turbid, raised a great voice to praise the supreme and wondrous joys of that pure land. In the midst of birth and death, he serves as the great shipmaster, taking people aboard the Dharma ship and causing them to hasten to the other shore, ferrying sentient beings across day and night without rest. And yet, Amitābha's shore originally has no 'this' or 'that', and Śākyamuni's ship in truth has no coming or going. It is like a single lamp casting light upon eight mirrors: the mirrors have east and west, but the light and shadows are not two. Amitābha's exposition of the Dharma pervades light and shadow, while Śākyamuni's skillful means specifically points to the western mirror. Therefore, only those who have already reached the other shore may forget 'this' and 'that'; but how can those who have not entered the dharmadhātu obliterate east and west? In this Dharma, if one has not yet reached ultimate realization, do not be obstructed by direction, do not distinguish 'this' from 'that'; one should only maintain right mindfulness and believe with certainty. This is the intention of the two sages, and the reason why Master Zhizhe had faith.

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Faith is the mother of the ten thousand wholesome deeds; doubt is the root of the myriad evils. If one can accord with the mother and uproot the root, then the aforementioned sentient beings with obstructing conditions, though deaf, can hear again, and though benighted, can awaken again; those who have not escaped birth and death can escape birth and death; those who have not been reborn in the pure land can be reborn in the pure land. According with Śākyamuni's instruction, one goes to face Amitābha; following Amitābha's vow, one comes to assist Śākyamuni. Abiding here, one traverses the ten directions; being in the west, one enters all the mirrors. Since the two sages established this, such persons have been as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Why not believe? Why doubt? Being able to believe oneself, and further applying skillful means so that none among the unbelieving fail to believe—this is the compassion of Master Zhizhe.

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Great Master Mingzhi, Zhongli, studied the path of Master Zhizhe; he did not merely follow his words, but followed his compassion. Therefore he had this treatise printed once more, placing Cigong's preface at its head, and I have expanded upon its explanations to assist in its dissemination.

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淨土十疑論 — Classical Chinese