樂邦文類 2.100

2.100

給孤園中聖賢之眾畢集，是時眾無一詞之請，如來遽然而告曰：「過是西方十萬億國有淨土焉。其土廣博，百寶成焉。」又曰：「眾生思焉念焉，求而以生者，皆如願焉。」說者曰：十二分教以羅萬有，此乃無問自說之一分也。其義猶何？猶母之拊嬰兒，不俟其請，但欲顧其手足，乳而哺之、腹而擁之也。然如來捨兜率降迦維，其說法者五十年，流慈振毓，隨機有授。其間龍天釋梵、聲聞緣覺、大菩薩眾，棄頭目捐髓腦，外於國城珍寶，殷勤三請者非一；如來或辭或默，止止而不說者有之。至是而乃自說，誠悲五濁異生流浪而不息者長劫。夫將厭五濁、期生于淨土，必在乎專念。念言之至以繫乎想，十六觀所以第資焉。經稱「諸佛正遍知海從心想生」，其故何哉？明其始也，舉其漸之之謂也。行始於有修，智始於有習，無上極果以始于深心。深心者，確乎其不可拔者也，故一念轉三塗之苦、十念階九品之華。此雖大乘方等諸經皆所互陳而互發，非止一經言而發之也。漢魏已來翹誠西向篾聞其有人者，實以大法初流，經文之未備矣。西晉時，劉曜寇蕩京雒，僧顯避地江東，始由三事因願驟感祥異。然其拳拳之志，以遭亂世，遺風勝業代或無聞。東晉之末，遠師憩跡廬阜，其同意法師釋道炳、竺道生、佛陀耶舍，洎在家英豪劉遺民、雷次宗、周續之等，一百二十有三人，締結方外之游，希風來集。遠以幻集之期不克以常保、夢游之軀不可以長存，因指無量壽國，結之遐游焉。其已也，又言「其國清淨，無三塗無六趣，眾生依向不一生而生者，寶幢為之前導、金蓮為之受質。」於是相與而有蓮社之稱焉。今之以蓮社云云，蓋其始也。或時以為淨社，義亦詳矣。自遠而下，淨土之修益振，故宋有曇弘、齊有慧進、梁有道珍，李唐之間頴悟通識之士，如道綽、善導者，累復有焉。余以像季之餘，值佛遺法，緬懷淨業其亦有年。每以前賢事跡散於諸傳，淪於異代，不得類例相從、條然以見。繇是歷考梁隋而下，慧皎、道宣諸師所撰傳記十有二家，洎大宋通慧大師新傳，且得顯等七十五人。其傳之作，理或有所暗昧、詞或有所叢脞，因復修正而發明之。外有鴻業慧明等六十二人，在其生平想像，至於捨生之際，不甞以矚勝相，備之不足起深信，乃無以備之。後之明哲，或患其所不足，摭而備之者，亦余之闕有補焉。

When the assembly of sages and worthies had completely gathered in the Anāthapiṇḍada Park, at that time no one in the assembly uttered a single word of request. The Tathāgata abruptly addressed them, saying: 'Passing from here to the west beyond a hundred thousand koṭis of lands, there is a Pure Land. That land is vast and extensive, adorned with hundreds of treasures.' He also said: 'If sentient beings contemplate it and are mindful of it, seeking to be born there, all will have their wishes fulfilled.' Commentators say: the twelve divisions of the canon encompass all existence, and this is the division of spontaneous preaching without request. What is its meaning like? It is like a mother cradling an infant: not waiting for its request, she only looks after its hands and feet, nursing and feeding it, and embracing it to her bosom. Yet, when the Tathāgata abandoned Tuṣita and descended to Kapilavastu, he preached the Dharma for fifty years, pouring out compassion to nurture and sustain, bestowing teachings according to individual capacities. During that time, the nagas, devas, Śakra, and Brahmā, the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and the great bodhisattva assemblies gave up their heads, eyes, marrow, and brains, and cast aside their kingdoms, cities, and precious treasures, repeatedly and earnestly making the three requests more than once. The Tathāgata would sometimes decline, sometimes remain silent, or say 'Stop, stop!' and refrain from speaking. But when it came to this, he spoke spontaneously, truly grieving that the ordinary beings of the five turbidities wander aimlessly without rest for long kalpas. Now, if one wishes to feel revulsion toward the five turbidities and aspire to be born in the Pure Land, it must lie in single-minded mindfulness. When the expression of mindfulness reaches its utmost, it fastens onto visualization; this is why the sixteen contemplations serve in turn as aids. The sūtra states: 'The ocean of correct and universal knowledge of all Buddhas arises from mental visualization.' What is the reason for this? It clarifies the beginning, pointing out that it is achieved through gradual progression. Practice begins with cultivation, wisdom begins with training, and the unsurpassable ultimate fruit begins with the profound mind. The profound mind is that which is steadfast and cannot be uprooted; thus a single thought-moment turns away the suffering of the three wretched realms, and ten thought-moments ascend the lotus flowers of the nine grades. Although this is mutually set forth and elucidated in all the Mahāyāna and Vaipulya sūtras, it is not merely expressed and revealed in a single sūtra. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, those with sincere yearning directed toward the west were scarcely heard of; this was truly because the Great Dharma had only just begun to flow and the scriptural texts were not yet complete. During the Western Jin, when Liu Yao plundered and disrupted the capital of Luoyang, Sengxian took refuge in Jiangdong, and for the first time, through three causal conditions and vows, suddenly experienced auspicious marvels. Yet, because his earnest aspirations encountered a chaotic age, his enduring influence and supreme achievements were at times unheard of by later generations. At the end of the Eastern Jin, Master [Hui]yuan rested his traces at Mount Lu. Like-minded Dharma masters such as Shi Daobing, Zhu Daosheng, and Buddhayasas, along with lay notables such as Liu Yimin, Lei Cizong, Zhou Xuzhi, and others, numbering one hundred and twenty-three people, formed a fellowship beyond worldly affairs and gathered together in admiration of the lofty tradition. Huiyuan, considering that this illusory gathering could not be permanently maintained and that a body roaming in a dream could not endure for long, pointed to the Realm of Immeasurable Life and bound their fellowship for a distant voyage there. Having done so, he further stated: 'That realm is pure, without the three wretched realms and the six destinies. Sentient beings who take refuge in it and are born there without exception are guided by jeweled banners, and their forms are received upon golden lotuses.' Thereupon they mutually called it the Lotus Society. The current reference to the 'Lotus Society' indeed originated with this. At times it was also called the Pure Society, its meaning being equally comprehensive. From Huiyuan onward, the cultivation of the Pure Land flourished ever more; thus the Song had Tanhong, the Qi had Huijin, the Liang had Daozhen, and during the Li Tang dynasty there repeatedly appeared individuals of sharp awakening and comprehensive discernment, such as Daochuo and Shandao. Living in the remnants of the Semblance Dharma age, I have encountered the Buddha's bequeathed teachings, and I have cherished the pure karma for many years. I have always regretted that the deeds of former worthies were scattered across various biographies and lost in different eras, unable to be classified together and clearly seen in order. For this reason, searching through the records composed by masters from the Liang and Sui dynasties downward, such as Huijiao and Daoxuan, among twelve authors, as well as the new biography by Great Master Tonghui of the Great Song, I obtained seventy-five persons, starting with [Seng]xian. In the composition of those biographies, the principles were sometimes obscure and the phrasing was sometimes cluttered; therefore I have revised and elucidated them. In addition, there were sixty-two persons such as Hongye and Huiming: in their lifetimes they visualized [the Pure Land], yet at the time of relinquishing their lives, they did not happen to witness supreme auspicious signs; since including them would not suffice to inspire deep faith, I did not include them. If later discerning scholars, regretting what was lacking, should gather and supply them, that would also remedy my omissions.