念佛鏡 2.64

2.64

If one sees this scriptural passage and reflects upon it repeatedly, clearly understanding that there is indeed scriptural authority, only then will one begin to accord with buddhānusmṛti and the dharma gate of observing precepts and cutting off [evils]. If one can only develop definitive deep faith, being utterly sincere and non-retrogressing, thought after thought uninterrupted, calling upon the Buddha with each sound, without asking whether monastic or lay, noble or base, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, male or female, or whether sins are light or heavy, one solely aims at the accomplishment of faith. If one does not believe in the Buddhas' loving-kindness and compassion, even if it were one's father or mother there would be no means of rescue, and one could not attain rebirth; only when faith is accomplished do the Buddhas abide constantly without perishing, nor is there any retrogression. Believe that the Buddha is the Great Sage, the highest, most supreme, and greatest among all the worthy and noble, therefore named the World-Honoured One. Without asking about all sentient beings of the past, future, and present, and without asking whether their minds are great or small, good or evil, he knows whether they are few or many. If a person believes that the Buddha's great loving-kindness and great compassion can rescue sentient beings from their numerous evil karmas and sinful obstacles of the past, future, and present, and generates the mind to repent of their errors, the Buddha knows it all completely, immediately comes to save them, and will never miss the time to deliver them; this is called great loving-kindness and great compassion. It is like a worldly mother who, seeing her child in filth or suffering from hunger, cold, and pain, ultimately never leaves them; this is called a compassionate mother. People in the world are unable to repay the small kindness of their mothers, yet a compassionate mother still does not tire of toil for her child; the Buddhas' great loving-kindness and great compassion and their rescue are hundreds of thousands of times greater. Not only do they rescue from worldly suffering, they are able to rescue from the great suffering of birth-and-death. Therefore, if there are those in the world who can believe, they are immediately rescued, without asking whether their sins are light or heavy. Strictly relying on the passage in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra: 'The Buddha said: "All sentient beings are my children, and I am their father. Burnt by the multiple sufferings of accumulated kalpas, I pull them all out and cause them to escape the three realms."' Furthermore, he does not ask whether monastic or lay, male or female, noble or base, old or young, beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, or whether sins are light or heavy. By this meaning, we speak only of those who have faith and can repent of errors, their deep faith accomplished, sound after sound uninterrupted, reciting the Buddha's name. The scripture says: 'Jointly protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas, they all attain non-retrogression.' It also says: 'A Dharma difficult to believe and rare.' It considers only faith, not saying that one is a sinner. Nor may one say: 'Women cannot attain rebirth.' We speak only of those who have faith. If it were only those whose precept-conduct is accomplished who were all reborn, then it would neither be difficult to believe nor rare. Good men and good women who can believe without delusion, without asking whether their sins are light or heavy, will have every illness eliminated and every sin extinguished, without discussing distance or proximity, taking only faith, suddenly cutting off doubt, and suddenly awakening to buddhānusmṛti, like a mother saving her child; therefore it is named a Dharma difficult to believe and rare. When this scripture was spoken, the Buddhas of the six directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, each extended their tongues to bear witness, knowing that sentient beings of the past, future, and present who hear it would all give rise to doubt and slander, not believing that the Buddha has such power; therefore it is said to be a Dharma difficult to believe and rare. These Buddhas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, all extended their tongues, covering the three-thousand great thousand worlds to bear witness for them; if there are those who can believe, they speak not of foes or kin. The Guan jing says: 'Reciting Amitābha Buddha with a single breath extinguishes the sins of birth-and-death of eighty hundred million kalpas.' The scripture also says: 'Jointly protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas.' The Buddhas' loving-kindness and compassion equally save all with an impartial mind, without asking whether monastic or lay; if one repents of errors, dedicates merit, and makes vows, it definitely will not miss the time; this is named the Buddhas' equal rescue of sentient beings. If recitation is accomplished, no sin is not extinguished, no illness is not cured, no suffering is not removed, and there is no sorrow that does not become joy. Those who are frightened will immediately become settled on their own, striving vigorously day and night; patience is accomplished and precepts are not broken; when sleepy they spur themselves on and do not tire. The words they utter completely accord with the correct teaching, causing people to take joy in hearing them, and their conduct is imitated by dutiful children. In the midst of such things, their chastity and integrity are sovereign and unhindered; this is not the power of their own cultivation, but entirely the power of the World-Honoured One's loving-kindness and compassion. If there is a person who, upon hearing, immediately repents, learns, practices, and recites the Buddha, this is the power of the Buddhas.