樂邦文類 2.157

2.157

釋迦如來出現於世，說種種法接引眾生。於種種門最捷徑者，無以易於西方安養之教也。嗚呼！無無量壽佛之四十八願，則西方之教無以啟其端；無釋迦如來之演說諸經，則無量壽佛之願無以傳於世。前佛作願於前，後佛說經於後，此道章明著較，可信無疑。然而多門之法，或擇之而不精；精詳之士，或傳之而未習。譬之肘後之方，載聞簡牘，有擇之而精、傳之而習，以開後悟。此恩此施，顧與製是方於心、載是方於書，其厚薄何如哉？惟茲修行安養之方，無量壽佛實製之、釋迦如來實筆之，擇之傳之習之以貽後人者，東晉遠公其人也。西湖秀士李濟，予同年執友。樂清令尹李公素。見素之子，遭家多難，幼失所怙，兩罹鼓盆，孤苦之中坐進此道，曩從證通主人師友，為西資社，蓋有意乎遠公之遺法也。三年于茲，來者益盛。凡預此社而精進不懈者，奇祥異覩、妙果殊證，如經所說，往往有之。則同社相與稱頌自慶，益期進修。李君唯念凡今若此，雖前佛後佛開大法門，而遠公之德其何可遂忘？退而考諸傳記，作禮文一通以示同志，（予）輒為識其始末，因為之言曰：堯舜禹湯文武周公之道，得仲尼而後明。至於㳂仲尼之所傳，以深入乎數聖人之道，而為後人之資者，孟軻氏其人也。以西方教法觀之，則遠公者猶吾儒之孟子耳。子其何嫌？雖然李君之是文也，固將尊其所以為遠公者，則遂從而學之，如吾儒之於孟子哉。若夫且拜且誦而徒為觀美焉，非李之所祈望於同社者也。乾道二祀四月望序。

Śākyamuni Tathāgata appeared in the world and taught manifold dharmas to receive and guide sentient beings. Among the manifold gates, none is a swifter shortcut than the teaching of Western Peaceful Nurture. Alas! Without the forty-eight vows of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, the teaching of the West would have had no way to begin; without Śākyamuni Tathāgata expounding the various sūtras, the vows of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life would have had no way to be transmitted to the world. The earlier Buddha made vows beforehand, and the later Buddha preached the sūtras afterward; this Way is clearly illuminated and evident, trustworthy beyond doubt. Yet with dharmas of multiple gates, some choose among them without precision; while with masters of precise detail, some transmit them without practice. For instance, with emergency prescriptions recorded on bamboo tablets, there are those who select them with precision and transmit them through practice to awaken later generations. Regarding this kindness and bestowal, how does it compare in depth with composing the prescription in one's mind or recording it in books? As for this prescription for cultivating Peaceful Nurture, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life truly formulated it, Śākyamuni Tathāgata truly recorded it, and the one who selected it, transmitted it, and practiced it to leave it to later generations was Master Yuan of the Eastern Jin. The Hangzhou scholar Li Ji is a friend of my own examination year. He is the son of Li Suxian, magistrate of Yueqing. Having suffered many family misfortunes and losing his father in youth, and twice mourning the death of a wife, in the midst of his solitary bitterness he sat and advanced into this Way; previously, taking the master of Zhengtong as teacher and friend, he established the Society for Western Provision, having his mind set on Master Yuan's bequeathed teachings. It has now been three years, and those who come have become ever more numerous. All who participate in this society and progress vigorously without indolence often experience miraculous omens and extraordinary visions, wondrous fruits and distinctive realizations, just as the sūtras describe. Thereupon, the society members praise and congratulate one another, resolving further to advance in cultivation. Master Li only thought that in all matters like this today, though earlier and later Buddhas opened the great Dharma gate, how could Master Yuan's virtue ever be forgotten? Stepping back to examine the biographies and records, he composed a ritual text to show his comrades. I have thus recorded its beginnings and ends, and said on this account: The Way of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou became luminous only after Zhongni. As for following what Zhongni transmitted to penetrate deeply into the Way of those several sages and serve as provision for later generations, Meng Ke was that man. Viewed from the perspective of the Western teaching, Master Yuan is like the Mencius of our Confucian tradition. What objection could you have? Even so, with this text of Master Li's, one must naturally venerate what made Master Yuan who he was, and thereby follow and learn from him, just as we Confucians do with Mencius. If one merely bows and recites for the sake of empty outward display, that is not what Li hopes for from the members of his society. Written on the full moon of the fourth month of the second year of Qiandao.