樂邦文類 3.62

3.62

《草菴錄》曰「陳瑩中作淨土院記，深賾佛祖之壼奧」者。今言淨土，或得於佛，則失於祖；或得於理，則失於事。得於此必失於彼。而了翁不數百字，籠罩說說，得淨土之全，豈非天資高者也。然此記高，固已膾炙人口。至於晁公（說之）作明智法師碑，磅礴台宗，文章遒勁，世盛推美，誠與了翁之記並駕矣。其記有曰：師每以淨土法門誘其學者，欲使人人知釋迦有淨土、彌陀來穢土。他時所志於心者，一日必矚於目。乃依十六觀經而出視之，為彌陀大像以臨池，周之以十六觀寮。蓮池鳧雛、天鳳𮊳翔，觀士槁坐、人音斷絕。一涉其境者，道心百陪。寧論信與不信，故自疑其身之非聖非凡。其費具萬萬，而施者却之愈來。工度累歲年，而落成不周歲。任其役者，僧曰介然，不勞不矜，若未甞有所事。蓋是境也，古未之有，今不知何為而有。既二浙之所無，則天下之所無。唐支硎山遵公所建法華道場，其能勝此者。

The Caotang lu says: “Chen Yingzhong’s ‘Record of the Pure Land Cloister’ profoundly penetrates the innermost sanctum of the Buddhas and Patriarchs.” When speaking of the Pure Land today, some grasp it according to the Buddha but lose it according to the Patriarchs, or grasp it according to principle but lose it according to phenomena. Gaining in this aspect, they inevitably lose in that. Yet Master Liao, in not several hundred words, encompassed the various teachings and captured the totality of the Pure Land; was he not indeed endowed with lofty natural talent? Now, this record is lofty and has certainly long been widely praised. As for Duke Chao (Shuozhi) composing the stele for Master Mingzhi, surging with the Tiantai school and vigorous in literary style, grandly praised and admired by the world, it truly runs neck and neck with Master Liao’s record. His record states: “The Master always used the Pure Land gate to entice his students, wishing to make everyone know that Śākyamuni has a pure land and Amitābha comes to this defiled land. What was aspired to in the mind at other times would one day surely be beheld by the eyes. Thereupon, relying on the Contemplation Sūtra of Sixteen Contemplations, he brought it forth for viewing: he made a great image of Amitābha overlooking the pool, encircled by sixteen contemplation huts. In the lotus pool, ducklings swim and heavenly phoenixes soar; the contemplatives sit like withered trees, with human voices cut off. Once one enters this realm, the mind of the Way is magnified a hundredfold. Far beyond discussing faith and disbelief, one naturally doubts whether one’s own body is sage or commoner. The expenses ran into millions, yet the more donors were refused, the more they came. The construction was measured in years, but was completed in less than a full year. The monk who took charge of its labor was named Jieran; without toiling or boasting, it was as if he had never had anything to do with it. Truly, this realm did not exist in antiquity, and today one knows not why it exists. Since it did not exist in the Two Zhe regions, it did not exist anywhere in the world. Could the Lotus Bodhimaṇḍa built by Master Zun of Mount Zhiheng in the Tang surpass this?”