往生淨土決疑行願二門 1.12

1.12

Question: Since the wonderful principle explained above is supremely perfect, must all people in the world practice contemplation before they can finally be born? Answer: This is not so. Here we merely directly resolve doubts, so that people may know that the adornments of a hundred treasures and the causes and effects of the nine grades of the Pure Land are all within sentient beings' momentary minds; only because they are fully possessed in principle does the actual function of rebirth today occur naturally according to vows. Thus, embracing the ten directions does not depart from the present thought; going and coming across the dharmadhātu accords precisely with mind-only, avoiding the common flow of people who grasp at this and reject that. The marks of practice and vows belong precisely to the next gate and are not what is asked here. Moreover, the manifestations of rebirth in the nine grades each have their categories of practice. The three grades of the highest tier require understanding and practice; therefore the text says, "You practice the Mahāyāna and understand the primary truth"—such are those people. If scholars of today see worthies and think of equaling them, aspiring to ascend high to the golden seat, they rely solely on wonderful contemplation. As for the causal conditions for rebirth in the six grades of the middle and lower tiers, it is simply to strictly uphold the prohibitive precepts and practice worldly benevolence and kindness, down to the lowest of the low grade of rebirth, who were originally evil and rebellious, yet with the utmost sincerity of ten recitations are immediately born in that land. As long as one knows that the Pure Land exists, all can turn their minds. Were it not so, how could the gradations of the nine grades be permitted? (Even if worldly people say that the Pure Land emerges from the Mahāyāna teachings, if they cannot distinguish and select according to the teachings as above, how can they avoid confusion and conflation? It would not suffice to resolve doubts.)