[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [淨土論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963) › 2.8 # 淨土論 2.8 淨土論 2.8 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2.8) 答曰：縱令實是菩薩，現受女身化眾生者，必須隱其實德，現同凡夫攝化同類。如五百侍女佛記得往生，並未來一切女人及諸男子悉是凡夫，並是所攝，亦得往生。如諸菩薩，或現地獄身，即引地獄眾生也，如方等經中婆藪仙人等。或現畜生身，即引畜生眾生，如《涅槃經》中蜂王、鵝王、蟻王等。或現作五逆，即引五逆眾生，如阿闍世王、提婆達多等。此並能化者是假，所化者實也。韋提希既現在凡夫、身居五濁，當知即引五濁凡夫往生極樂也。故《觀經》云「佛告韋提希：『汝是凡夫，未得天眼，不能遠觀。如來有異方便令汝得見也。』」復次法藏比丘四十八大願，初先為一切凡夫，後始兼為三乘聖人。故知淨土宗意，本為凡夫，兼為聖人也。復次如十解已上菩薩，留惑受生惡道，願救苦眾生、不生淨土。以任自業力，更不墮惡道中故。即知凡夫由未勉惡道故，須生淨土中；十解已去不畏生惡道故，不願生淨土也。故知淨土興意本為凡夫，非為菩薩也。又此淨土一門，經經中說、論論中明。若是不了說者，何故佛及菩薩作此慇懃也？乃至十方諸佛各出廣長舌相，證釋迦所說及勸眾生。此豈是不了說也？復次如上古已來大德名僧及俗中聰明儒士，並修淨土行，謂廬山遠法師、叡法師、劉遺民、謝靈運，乃至近世綽禪師，此等臨終並感得光臺異相、聖眾來迎，錄在別傳。此等大德智人既欣淨土，後之學者但可逐他先匠，不須疑也。又前問云：土榮千珍、佛題萬相，此之人土俱非下地窺遊者。今答此義。若論實報人土，誠如所說；若是事淨土及化淨土，理則不然。若事土報身，則為上地所見；若迹身化土，則為地前窺遊。若俱非下地境界者，則聖無化生之能、生無入聖之分。俱具二義，即得往生：一、一切眾生修行以為因緣；二、彌陀本願為增上緣。二義若具，即得往生。故《起信論》云「有諸佛法，有因有緣。因緣具足，乃得成辦也。」有已如是等道理故，眾生修行並得往生也。二、問答分別釋妨難者。 > Answer: Even if she were truly a bodhisattva who manifested a female body to transform sentient beings, she must have concealed her true virtues and appeared identical to an ordinary being in order to gather and transform those of her kind. Just as the five hundred female attendants received the Buddha's prediction of attaining rebirth, so too all women and men of the future are ordinary beings, and all are included within what is gathered, and thus also attain rebirth. This is like various bodhisattvas who may manifest bodies in hell to guide hell beings, such as the ṛṣi Vasu in the Vaipulya Sūtras; or manifest animal bodies to guide animal beings, such as the bee king, goose king, and ant king in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra; or manifest the five heinous sins to guide beings who commit the five heinous sins, such as King Ajātaśatru and Devadatta. In all these cases, the transformer is expedient, while the transformed are real. Since Vaidehī manifested as an ordinary being dwelling in the five turbidities, one should know that she guides ordinary beings of the five turbidities to attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī. Therefore, the Guan jing says, 'The Buddha said to Vaidehī: "You are an ordinary being; having not yet attained the divine eye, you cannot see far. The Tathāgata has exceptional expedients to enable you to see."' Furthermore, the forty-eight great vows of Bhikṣu Dharmākara were first and foremost for all ordinary beings, and only secondarily included the noble ones of the three vehicles. Therefore, we know that the pure land school's intent is fundamentally for ordinary beings, and only secondarily for noble ones. Furthermore, bodhisattvas of the tenth stage of understanding and above retain defilements to take birth in evil destinies, vowing to rescue suffering sentient beings rather than be born in the pure land; because they rely on their own karmic power, they will never fall into the evil destinies again. Thus we know that ordinary beings, having not yet escaped the evil destinies, must be born in the pure land, whereas those of the tenth stage of understanding and above, having no fear of being born in the evil destinies, do not wish to be born in the pure land. Therefore, we know that the intent behind the establishment of the pure land was fundamentally for ordinary beings, not for bodhisattvas. Furthermore, this single gate of the pure land is explained in sūtra after sūtra, and clarified in treatise after treatise. If it were a non-definitive teaching, why would the buddhas and bodhisattvas urge it so earnestly? Indeed, the buddhas of the ten directions each extend their broad and long tongues to certify what Śākyamuni taught and to encourage sentient beings. How could this be a non-definitive teaching? Furthermore, eminent monks of great virtue and intelligent Confucian scholars among the laity from ancient times onward have all cultivated the pure land practices—such as Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu, Master Dao-rui, Liu Yimin, Xie Lingyun, down to the recent Dhyāna Master Daochuo. At the point of death, these figures all experienced extraordinary signs of radiant platforms and the welcoming of the sacred assembly, as recorded in their respective biographies. Since these great virtuous and wise people yearned for the pure land, later students need only follow these early masters; there is no need to doubt. Furthermore, the previous question asked: 'The land is adorned with thousands of treasures, and the Buddha is marked with myriad characteristics; neither this person nor this land can be viewed or visited by lower stages.' I now answer this point: If one speaks of the actual rewarded person and land, it is truly as you said. But if one speaks of the phenomenal pure land and the transformed pure land, the principle is not so. If it is the rewarded body in the phenomenal land, it is seen by those of higher stages; if it is the trace body in the transformed land, it can be viewed and visited by those prior to the stages. If neither were the realm of the lower stages, then the sage would lack the power of transformative birth, and sentient beings would have no share in entering sagehood. When both meanings are present, one attains rebirth: (1) the practice of all sentient beings serves as the cause; and (2) Amitābha's original vow serves as the predominant condition. If both meanings are present, one attains rebirth. Thus the Awakening of Faith says, 'All Buddha-dharmas have causes and conditions. Only when causes and conditions are complete can they be accomplished.' Because such principles exist, when sentient beings cultivate the practices, they all attain rebirth. Part 2: Distinguishing and resolving objections through questions and answers. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2.7) - [Next: 2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2.9) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963~en-mt.2.8) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [遊心安樂道](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1965.1.80) — Classical Chinese - [佛說觀無量壽佛經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.amitayurdhyana*zh-kalayasas.1.16) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1963.2.8) · Pramāṇa