淨土論 3.49

3.49

答曰：此問並是不順理問，應用置答。若欲答者，應反問云：諸佛有八萬四千法門，汝問何者？西方淨土是何收？無相無生是何門攝？彼若答云：但是一門。此即是愚癡人，不可與語也。彼答云無相無生是理、有相有生是事者，即應答我，汝自解竟，何須問我？故欲令我答者，應云諸佛有八萬四千法門，各各差別，不相雜亂。若總攝之，即為真俗二諦。此之二諦，有佛無佛性相常住，非人造也。故《中論》云「諸佛說法，常依二諦」，又云「若人不能知，分別於二諦，即於深佛法，不得真實義」。今西方淨土者，通有三種：一是法身淨土，此即無相無生；二是報身淨土，據實亦無相無生，就事即有相有生；三是化身淨土，亦是有相有生。故《攝論》云「化身新新出世、數數涅槃，即王宮生、雙林滅也。」而今勸眾生生者，謂生化身土中。若眾生欲往生者，唯須作相生觀。就相生觀中有假有實，先須作假想觀使了了分明，然後始得作實觀。如十六觀中日水二觀是其假想，地觀已去依三昧成，名為實觀。所以然者，此是眾生受生處故、是事法故、是俗諦故、是行法故、是受處故、是分段身故、是此死彼生故、是有漏法故、是有為法故、是三界攝故、有往來故、於四生中是化生攝故。若作無相無生觀者，即不得往生，以理法身無生也。若欲為教者說，亦為說有生亦說無生，若理事兼修即得上品上生。

Answer: This question does not accord with principle at all and ought to be set aside without an answer. If one wished to answer it, one should counter-question: 'The buddhas have eighty-four thousand Dharma gates; which one are you asking about? Which category does the Western pure land belong to? Under which gate are signlessness and non-arising subsumed?' If he should reply, 'They are just one single gate,' then this is a foolish person with whom one should not speak. If he replies that signlessness and non-arising are principle, while having signs and having arising are phenomena, then he should answer me: 'You yourself have understood it; why must you ask me?' Therefore, if one wishes for me to answer, one should say that the buddhas have eighty-four thousand Dharma gates, each distinct and unmixed. If one encompasses them in general, they constitute the two truths of the ultimate and the conventional. These two truths, whether there is a buddha or no buddha, have natures and characteristics that are eternally abiding; they are not created by humans. Hence the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā states: 'The buddhas teach the Dharma always relying on the two truths.' It also states: 'If someone cannot know the distinction between the two truths, then regarding the profound Buddha-Dharma, they do not attain the real meaning.' Now, regarding the Western pure land, in general there are three kinds: first, the pure land of the dharmakāya, which is signless and unarisen; second, the pure land of the saṃbhogakāya, which in terms of reality is also signless and unarisen, but with respect to phenomena possesses signs and arising; third, the pure land of the nirmāṇakāya, which also possesses signs and arising. Hence the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: 'The nirmāṇakāya appears anew in the world and enters nirvāṇa repeatedly; that is, being born in the royal palace and perishing in the Twin Śāla Trees.' Now, when sentient beings are encouraged to be born [there], it refers to being born in the nirmāṇakāya land. If sentient beings wish to be reborn, they need only cultivate the contemplation of signs and arising. Within the contemplation of signs and arising there are provisional and real: one must first practice provisional contemplation to make it completely and distinctly clear, and only thereafter can one practice real contemplation. For example, among the sixteen contemplations, the two contemplations of the sun and water are provisional meditations, whereas from the contemplation of the ground onward they are accomplished by relying on samādhi and are called real contemplation. Why is this so? Because this is the place where sentient beings take birth; because it is phenomenal Dharma; because it is conventional truth; because it is a practice-dharma; because it is a place of experiencing [karmic fruition]; because it is a body of partitioned lifetimes; because it is dying here and being born there; because it is conditioned and defiled dharma; because it is conditioned phenomena; because it is subsumed under the three realms; because there is going and coming; and because among the four modes of birth it is subsumed under apparitional birth. If one were to practice the contemplation of signlessness and non-arising, one would not attain rebirth, because the principle of the dharmakāya is unarisen. If one wishes to teach students, one explains both having arising and explains non-arising; if one cultivates both principle and phenomena together, one will attain the highest rank of the upper grade.