樂邦文類 2.137

2.137

或曰：淨土乃聖人之權方，所以接鈍根、化凡器也。苟能一超直入如來地，何藉於他力乎？對曰：佛世文殊、普賢，滅後馬鳴、龍樹，此土智者、智覺，皆願生淨土，應盡是鈍根乎？釋迦勸父王淨飯并六萬釋種，亦願生淨土，應盡是凡器乎？此等聖賢，應皆不逮今人之利根勝器乎？況若以此為權，指何為實？權實之判，非止一途，自非教眼瞭焉，何以甄別？咨爾有識，當信佛言；招報非輕，切勿容易。昔孫莘老學士，始以此疑之，因會楊次公主客王敏仲侍郎，論道契合，遂釋其疑。故莘老云：「四方言禪者，唯黃蘗慧林為最盛。臨濟之後有慈明，慈明傳江西黃蘗之道，次公實傳之。雲門之後唯雪竇，雪竇傳懷，懷傳本，本公居慧林時，敏仲早得其法。次公、敏仲皆儒者學禪，得師如此，方且汲汲以淨土為依歸。則知淨土非聖人之權設，真禪侶之棲止也。苟能即心淨土本性彌陀，生則隨念往生，去則實無所去，則亦焉有彼此之異而橫相是非於其間也哉？」觀夫莘老之言，則信真善知識不違佛訓、不欺自心，事理俱圓，實可宗仰。願諸仁者，當以死生大事為心，無以人情取捨自礙。賴如是願力，念阿彌陀佛，發決定信誠，起娑婆險惡之程、作淨土水雲之客，濯足於八種功德池水、掛錫於七重行樹叢林，入清淨海眾中、參彌陀善知識，覽勝境而得不退轉、聞妙法而易悟無生，七寶樓邊、四華池畔優游泮渙，樂莫大焉。庶以此願為憑，前程定無間阻。苟或謂之不然，則吾末如之何也矣。

Someone said: “The Pure Land is an expedient means of the sage, used to guide dull roots and transform ordinary vessels. If one can make a single leap directly into the Tathāgata stage, why rely on other-power?” I answered: “During the Buddha's lifetime, Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, and after his extinction, Aśvaghoṣa and Nāgārjuna, and in this land, Zhizhe and Zhijue, all vowed to be born in the Pure Land; should they all be regarded as of dull roots? Śākyamuni exhorted his father King Śuddhodana together with sixty thousand Śākyas also to vow to be born in the Pure Land; should they all be regarded as ordinary vessels? Should all these sages and worthies be inferior to the sharp roots and superior vessels of people today? Moreover, if this is considered expedient, what do you point to as real? The distinction between the expedient and the real is not confined to a single way; unless one has clear Dharma eyes, how can one discern it? Ah, you who have understanding, you should believe the Buddha's words! The retribution incurred is not light, so never treat it lightly!” In the past, Academician Sun Xinlao initially doubted it because of this. But having met Host and Guest Official Yang Zigong and Vice Minister Wang Minzhong, their discussion of the Way was in complete accord, and his doubts were subsequently dissolved. Therefore Xinlao said: “Among those in the four quarters who speak of Chan, only Huangbo and Huilin are the most flourishing. After Linji there was Ciming; Ciming transmitted the Way of Huangbo of Jiangxi, and Zigong truly inherited it. After Yunmen there was only Xuedou; Xuedou transmitted it to Huai, and Huai transmitted it to Ben. When Master Ben resided at Huilin, Minzhong had already attained his Dharma. Zigong and Minzhong were both Confucians who studied Chan, and having obtained such teachers, they still busied themselves with taking the Pure Land as their refuge. Thus one knows that the Pure Land is not a mere expedient establishment of the sage, but the true dwelling place of Chan companions. If one can realize the mind-only Pure Land and the self-nature Amitābha, then being born means rebirth according to one's thought, and going means truly nowhere to go; how then could there be the difference between here and there, or arbitrary disputes over right and wrong between them?” Observing Xinlao's words, one believes that a true good friend does not contravene the Buddha's teachings and does not deceive his own mind; both phenomena and principle are fully perfected, truly worthy of veneration. I pray that all benevolent persons will take the great matter of birth and death to heart, and not allow human sentiments of taking and discarding to hinder themselves. Relying on such vow-power, be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, generate resolute faith and sincerity, embark on the journey away from the peril and evil of Sahā, and become a guest of the water and clouds of the Pure Land. Bathe your feet in the waters of the pond of eight virtues, hang your staff among the grove of seven rows of trees, enter the pure assembly of the ocean-wide multitude, attend upon the good friend Amitābha, gaze upon the superior realm and attain non-retrogression, hear the wondrous Dharma and easily awaken to non-arising, and wander leisurely and freely beside the seven-jeweled towers and along the shores of the four-colored lotus ponds—no joy is greater than this! We hope that by relying on these vows, the path ahead will surely be unobstructed. But if anyone says it is not so, then there is nothing I can do with him.