淨土論 3.35

3.35

答曰：佛教綸披，端緒匪一；眾生不等，根性萬差。何但法遂人分，則教有淺深之異；亦乃人隨時別，則根有利鈍之殊。是以教開八萬四千，時分五種差別。若作此說，行者修道要須觀時，若時教符契則佛道易證，若時教乖錯則菩薩叵證。故《正法念經》云「行者一心求道時，常當觀察時方便。若不得時無方便，是名為失不名利。」五時者，如《大集．月藏分》云「佛滅度後第一五百年，我諸弟子學慧得堅固，兼修餘行。第二五百年，學定得堅固，兼修餘行。第三五百年，學多聞讀誦得堅固，兼修餘行。第四五百年，造立塔寺、修福懺悔得堅固，兼修餘行。第五五百年，白法隱滯多有諍訟，微有善法得堅固也。」若據此經，今是第四五百年餘，既無定慧之分，唯須修福懺悔。修福懺悔最為要者，觀諸經論，禮佛念佛、觀佛相好此最為勝也。故《觀經》云「若能至心念阿彌陀佛，一一念中滅八十億劫生死重罪。」今既約時約根，行者無定慧分者，唯須專念阿彌陀佛、求生淨土，此為要路也。若自知有定慧分者，則於此方修道、求無上菩提；若自知無定慧分者，則須修淨土行，就淨土中求無上菩提。故《智度論》云「行者求阿毘跋致有二種道，一者難行道、二者易行道。如水陸兩路，此方修道則難，猶如陸路；生淨土修道則易，猶如水路也。」又佛度眾生，自有四種。如《正法念經》說「一以說法度眾生、二以光明相好度眾生、三以神通道力度眾生、四以名號度眾生。」此四之中相好名號，正當今時觀察阿彌陀佛相好及稱佛名號也。如《無量壽經》說「為未來眾生受五苦五痛五燒故，欲令眾生修淨土行。」又如《觀經》說「我為未來一切凡夫，為煩惱賊之所惱者，說淨土行。」如《小彌陀經》說「為五濁眾生，說淨土行。」《清淨覺經》、《鼓音聲王經》、《大集經》皆作此說。據此等經，皆為未來，故知今時正是念佛修淨土行時也。若生淨土，何但永離惡道，亦疾得無上菩提（此是經論大意）。

Answer: The Buddha's teachings unfold widely, with more than a single origin; sentient beings are unequal, with myriad differences in their faculties and natures. Not only are dharmas differentiated according to the person, so that the teachings have distinctions of shallow and deep; people also differ according to the times, so that faculties have distinctions of sharp and dull. For this reason, the teachings open into eighty-four thousand, and time is divided into five kinds of periods. Under this explanation, when a practitioner cultivates the Path, it is necessary to examine the time: if the time and the teaching accord, then the Buddha's Path is easy to realize; if the time and the teaching diverge, then the bodhisattva [path] is difficult to realize. Therefore the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra says: "When a practitioner with single-mindedness seeks the Path, they should constantly observe the expedients of the time. If one does not attain the time and lacks expedients, this is called a loss, not a gain." As for the five periods, as the Candragarbha Section of the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says: "In the first five hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, my disciples who study wisdom will be steadfast, while concurrently cultivating other practices. In the second five hundred years, those who study concentration will be steadfast, while concurrently cultivating other practices. In the third five hundred years, those who study hearing much, reciting, and chanting will be steadfast, while concurrently cultivating other practices. In the fourth five hundred years, those who construct stupas and monasteries, cultivate merit, and practice repentance will be steadfast, while concurrently cultivating other practices. In the fifth five hundred years, the white dharmas will be hidden and obstructed, there will be much contention and dispute, and slight wholesome dharmas will be steadfast." According to this sūtra, now is beyond the fourth five hundred years; since we lack the capacity for concentration and wisdom, we must only cultivate merit and repentance. Among the most essential aspects of cultivating merit and repentance, examining the various sūtras and treatises, paying homage to the Buddha, mindfulness of the Buddha, and contemplating the Buddha's marks and characteristics are the most supreme. Therefore the Contemplation Sūtra says: "If one can with an utmost mind be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, in each recitation one will eradicate the heavy karmic transgressions of birth and death spanning eighty kotis of kalpas." Now, since according to the time and according to faculties practitioners have no capacity for concentration and wisdom, they need only exclusively be mindful of Amitābha Buddha and seek rebirth in the Pure Land; this is the essential path. If people know themselves to have the capacity for concentration and wisdom, then they cultivate the Path in this realm and seek unexcelled bodhi; if people know themselves to lack the capacity for concentration and wisdom, then they must cultivate Pure Land practices and seek unexcelled bodhi within the Pure Land. Therefore the Dazhidulun says: "For practitioners seeking avaivartika, there are two kinds of paths: first, the path of difficult practice; second, the path of easy practice. Like overland and water routes, cultivating the Path in this realm is difficult, like an overland route; being born in the pure land to cultivate the Path is easy, like a water route." Furthermore, as for the Buddha delivering sentient beings, there are four kinds. As said in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra: "First, delivering sentient beings by preaching the Dharma; second, delivering sentient beings by radiant light, marks, and characteristics; third, delivering sentient beings by supernormal powers and the power of the Path; fourth, delivering sentient beings by means of names and titles." Among these four, the marks and characteristics and the names and titles precisely correspond to the present time of contemplating the marks and characteristics of Amitābha Buddha and reciting the Buddha's name. As said in the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra: "For the sake of future sentient beings who suffer the five pains, the five agonies, and the five burnings, I wish to cause sentient beings to cultivate Pure Land practices." And as said in the Contemplation Sūtra: "For the sake of all future ordinary persons who are afflicted by the thief of afflictions, I preach the Pure Land practices." As said in the Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra: "For the sake of sentient beings of the five defilements, I preach the Pure Land practices." The Qingjing jue jing, the Drum-Sound King Sūtra, and the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra all state this. According to these sūtras, all are for the future; thus we know that the present time is precisely the time for mindfulness of the Buddha and cultivating Pure Land practices. If one is born in the pure land, not only will one be forever free from the evil destinies, but one will also swiftly attain unexcelled bodhi (this is the general import of the sūtras and treatises).