樂邦文類 2.118

2.118

愛不重不生娑婆，念不一不生極樂。娑婆穢土也，極樂淨土也，娑婆之壽有量，彼土之壽則無量矣。娑婆備諸苦，彼土則安養無苦矣。娑婆隨業輪轉生死，彼土一往則永證無生法忍，若願度生則任意自在，不為諸業轉矣。其淨穢壽量、苦樂生死如是差別，而眾生冥然不知，可不哀哉！阿彌陀佛，淨土攝受之主也。釋迦如來，指導淨土之師也。觀音、勢至，助佛揚化者也。是以如來一代教典，處處丁寧勸往生也。阿彌陀佛與觀音、勢至，乘大願船，泛生死海，不著此岸、不留彼岸、不止中流，唯以濟度為佛事。是故《阿彌陀經》云「若有善男子善女人，聞說阿彌陀佛，執持名號，若一日乃至七日，一心不亂。其人臨命終時，阿彌陀佛與諸聖眾現在其前。是人終時，心不顛倒，即得往生極樂國土。」又《無量壽經》云「十方眾生，聞我名號，憶念我國，植諸德本，至心迴向，欲生我國，不果遂者，不取正覺。」所以祇洹精舍無常院，令病者面西作往生淨土想。蓋彌陀光明遍照法界，念佛眾生攝取不捨。聖凡一體、機感相應，諸佛心內眾生塵塵極樂、眾生心中淨土念念彌陀。吾以是觀之，智慧者易生，能斷疑故。禪定者易生，不散亂故。持戒者易生，遠諸染故。布施者易生，不我有故。忍辱者易生，不瞋恚故。精進者易生，不退轉故。不造善不作惡者易生，念純一故。諸惡已作、業報已現者易生，實慚懼故。雖有眾善，若無誠信心、無深心、無迴向發願心者，則不得上上品生矣。噫彌陀甚易持、淨土甚易往，眾生不能持、不能往，佛如眾生何？夫造惡業入苦趣、念彌陀生極樂，二者皆佛言也。世人憂墮地獄而疑往生者，不亦惑哉？晉慧遠法師，博通教乘，出稱夙德，甞與耶舍尊者、劉遺民諸英豪等，結白蓮社於廬山，蓋致精誠於此爾。其後七百年，梁周隋唐至于　國朝，其僧俗修奉獲感應者非一，咸見于淨土傳記，豈誣也哉？然贊輔彌陀教觀者，其書山積，唯天台智者大師《淨土十疑論》最為首冠，援引聖言開決群惑，萬年闇室，日至而頓釋群陰；千里水程，舟具而不勞自力。非法藏後身，不能至於是也。傑頃於都下，甞獲斯文，讀示所知，無不生信。自遭酷罰，感悟益深，願廣其傳，因為序引。熙寧九年仲秋述。

If love is not heavy, one is not born in Sahā; if thought is not unified, one is not born in the Land of Utmost Bliss. Sahā is an impure land; the Land of Utmost Bliss is a pure land. The lifespan in Sahā has a limit, while the lifespan in that land is limitless. Sahā is replete with all sufferings, while that land is Peaceful Nurture without suffering. In Sahā one revolves in birth and death according to karma; in that land, once gone, one eternally realizes the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, and if one vows to deliver sentient beings, one does so at will with ease, never turned by various karmas. Such are the differences between purity and impurity, lifespan, suffering and bliss, and birth and death; yet sentient beings are blindly unaware—how can this not be lamentable! Amitābha Buddha is the master who gathers and receives beings in the Pure Land. Śākyamuni Tathāgata is the teacher who points the way to the Pure Land. Avalokiteśvara and Great Strength are those who assist the Buddha in propagating the transformation. Therefore, throughout the canonical teachings of the Tathāgata's lifetime, he repeatedly and earnestly urged rebirth [there]. Amitābha Buddha together with Avalokiteśvara and Great Strength board the great ship of vows and sail the sea of birth and death, not clinging to this shore, not lingering on the other shore, nor halting midstream, engaging solely in saving and crossing over beings as their Buddhist affair. For this reason, the Amitābha Sūtra says: 'If there is a good man or good woman who, hearing of Amitābha Buddha, upholds his name for one day... or up to seven days, single-mindedly without distraction, when that person's life is about to end, Amitābha Buddha and an assembly of sacred beings will appear before them. When this person dies, their mind will not be deranged, and they will immediately attain rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss.' Moreover, the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra says: 'If sentient beings in the ten directions, hearing my name, focus their thoughts on my land, plant all roots of virtue, and sincerely dedicate their merits desiring to be born in my land, should they not succeed, may I not attain correct awakening.' Therefore, the Impermanence Hall of the Jetavana Vihāra directs the sick to face west and form the thought of rebirth in the Pure Land. For Amitābha's radiance illuminates the dharmadhātu everywhere, gathering and not abandoning sentient beings who practice buddha-mindfulness. The sacred and the profane are of one substance; capacity and response correspond. The sentient beings within the minds of the Buddhas are, dust by dust, in Utmost Bliss; the Pure Land within the minds of sentient beings is, thought by thought, Amitābha. Observing it from this perspective: those with wisdom are easily reborn, because they can sever doubt. Those with meditative concentration are easily reborn, because they are not scattered. Those who uphold the precepts are easily reborn, because they keep far from all defilements. Those who give are easily reborn, because they do not grasp at 'I' and 'mine'. Those with patience are easily reborn, because they are free from anger. Those with vigor are easily reborn, because they do not retrogress. Those who neither create good nor commit evil are easily reborn, because their mindfulness is pure and unified. Those who have already committed all evils and whose karmic retributions have already manifested are easily reborn, because they feel true shame and terror. Even if one possesses manifold virtues, if one lacks a sincere mind, a deep mind, and a mind of dedication and vows, one will not attain rebirth in the highest grade of the highest level. Alas, Amitābha is very easy to uphold, and the Pure Land is very easy to reach; yet sentient beings cannot uphold it and cannot go—what can the Buddha do for sentient beings? Committing evil karma leads to the paths of suffering, and being mindful of Amitābha leads to rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss: both are the Buddha's words. For people of the world to worry about falling into hell while doubting rebirth—is this not delusion? Dharma Master Huiyuan of the Jin dynasty was thoroughly versed in the doctrinal vehicles and renowned as an eminent elder; he once gathered with the Venerable Yaśas, Liu Yimin, and other eminent figures to form the White Lotus Society at Mount Lu, dedicating their utmost sincerity entirely to this. For the seven hundred years thereafter, through the Liang, Zhou, Sui, and Tang down to our reigning dynasty, the monks and laypeople who cultivated and practiced and obtained efficacious responses are more than one, all appearing in the records of the Pure Land; how could they be false? However, among the mountain of books supporting and commenting on Amitābha's teachings and contemplations, the Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai's Treatise on Ten Doubts Concerning the Pure Land stands supreme at the forefront. Citing sacred words to resolve all doubts, it is like the sun arriving at a dark room of ten thousand years, suddenly dispelling all gloom; or like a water route of a thousand miles, where the boat is fully provided so one need not labor with one's own strength. Were he not a later embodiment of Dharmākara, he could not have achieved this. When I was in the capital, I once obtained this text, and showing it to those I knew, there was none who did not generate faith. Since suffering severe punishment, my realization and understanding have grown ever deeper; wishing to spread its transmission widely, I have accordingly written this preface. Composed in the second month of autumn in the ninth year of the Xining reign era [1076].