念佛三昧寶王論 2.42

2.42

對曰：「非妄也！何以知然？若修念佛三昧之人，如夢得金，覺無所獲者，則同於妄也。究竟因念佛而生淨土，豈曰妄哉？如習天眼法，先想珠、火等光，想之不已，實發天眼。孰曰妄焉？豈同夢金，畢竟無有。莫以遠事近見，舉夢為喻。不得將念佛往生，全同於夢明矣！又《華嚴經》云：『心、佛與眾生，是三無差別。』心迷也如夢，則九法界眾生是矣；心悟也如覺，則一法界即諸佛是也。迷、悟祇在於一心，夢、覺曾無於兩轍。經所謂：『了妄本自真，則見盧舍那。』縱是夢妄，亦何爽焉？唯心察之，匪石其志。」

I reply: “It is not a delusion! How do we know this? If a person cultivating the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi were like someone obtaining gold in a dream who acquires nothing upon waking, then it would be identical to delusion. But ultimately, being reborn in the pure land due to buddha-mindfulness, how could that be called delusion? For example, when practicing the method for the divine eye, one first visualizes lights such as pearls and fire; visualizing them without cease, the divine eye truly manifests. Who could call that a delusion? How could it be the same as gold in a dream, which in the end does not exist? Do not take distant matters with near sight and cite dreams as an analogy. It is clear that one must not treat buddha-mindfulness and rebirth as completely identical to a dream! Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: ‘Mind, buddha, and sentient beings: these three have no distinction.’ When the mind is deluded, it is like a dream; this is the sentient beings of the nine dharma realms. When the mind is awakened, it is like being awake; this single dharma realm is precisely the buddhas. Delusion and awakening exist solely in the one mind; dream and awakening have never been two tracks. As the sūtra states: ‘Realizing that delusion is fundamentally real, one sees Vairocana.’ Even if it were a dream or a delusion, what flaw would there be? Let the mind alone observe this, and make your resolve unyielding like stone.”