樂邦文類 4.113

4.113

臨淄趙子和仁裕，移書洧上老法華曰：吾東州人，近因子之文，始知有西方淨土可修，而自天台教以出也。子宜於此圓妙大教，專明茲真修一事，益以惠我無情有性者。僕謝之曰：具縛凡夫，與予同在三災八難中，何敢任此？雖然，病者未必不識藥也。竊聞之。有生有死，而凡聖殊；有凡有聖，而身土異。有身則有土、有土則有身，孰穢孰淨，可不辨之耶？我釋迦牟尼佛與阿彌陀佛，憫此眾生，乃同一願力，於無量無邊法門之外建立此一法門。釋迦，賓之也；彌陀，主之也。釋迦，生之也；彌陀，家之也。釋迦於病藥之也，彌陀使之終身不病也。釋迦之土猶逆旅也，彌陀之土猶鄉閭也。自西竺以望安樂國，與吾震旦之望安樂國一也。是故文殊、普賢、彌勒、龍樹、賢護、無著、天親皆願往生。而觀音、勢至在釋迦所，亦在彌陀所。吾土始自慧遠白蓮社，與謝靈運、劉遺民輩倡導之。後繼有曇鸞、道珍、懷感、懷玉、道綽、善導之願行尤著而可考。吾天台智者大師，承聖賢之後、振法華之音，其教始大備，而行之益遠。法華之前有《維摩經》，首以淨土起教；法華之後有《起信論》，終歸證於淨土。揆觀其目，蓋有十種佛土、二十七品佛土，其合之為四土，則復自吾智者始。是四土之名，散在《法華》、《華嚴》、《維摩》、《仁王》〈普賢行願〉及《大智度論》，唯吾智者合而次第之。其在《維摩》之空室、《法華》之空中寶塔，則常寂光土也。《維摩》之眾生寶蓮華、《法華》之眾，皆是菩薩，則實報莊嚴土也。《維摩》、《法華》之聲聞菩薩，共為僧等，則方便有餘土也。《維摩》之見妙喜國、《法華》之三變大地，則同居淨土也。《維摩》有香積菩薩、《法華》初放大光明，則同居穢土也。佛告寶積長者子言「菩薩隨所化眾生而取佛土」，則同居土也。「隨所調伏眾生而取佛土」，則方便有餘土也。「隨諸眾生應以何國入佛智慧而取佛土」，則實報莊嚴土也。「隨諸眾生應以何國起菩薩根而取佛土」，則常寂光土也。其文雖隱，而其義彰；其名雖散，而其理合。苟非吾智者出之，則如之何？嗟夫遠公，於教典未備之時、根機未熟之際，率群賢而創導之。智者歛波瀾而淵澄、開隱祕而震耀，終成此教以貽來者。顧豈不來自淨土，而欲斯穢土淨耶？然《法華》於〈藥王品〉示安樂世界，生蓮華中。其在〈普賢品〉則示兜率天，生彌勒所。吾智者捨普賢之行而專意藥王之證，其後有慈恩法師，復捨乎藥王而專意普賢，則又深知四土之分別者也。唯知四土，則十有六觀盡矣，三身三觀四教萬法悉無遺矣。雖然，有二患焉。一曰疑而不信。彼疑不自信，則我內信而何補？智者猶病諸，《十疑論》所以作也。唐永州巽上人，特書是論於龍興寺壁，其所感深也。二曰信而狂且愚，不知悟心以入觀、明因以克果，但言我能心淨，孰非淨土？似能為維摩之言，而身實天魔之民也，豈不重可惜哉。其在今世洪此教也，蓋有人焉。如慈雲法師之教行、四明法師之觀智、近者靈芝律師之辯論，何以尚之。洧上老法華，初從明智法師而生信，後頗從容於靈芝云（待制道號老法華，亦曰天台教僧，後見盡心於吾道矣）。

Zhao Renyu (courtesy name Zihe) of Linzi sent a letter to the Old Man of the Lotus on the Wei, saying: “I am a man of the eastern region. Recently, because of your writings, I have first come to know that there is the Western Pure Land which can be cultivated, and that it stems from the Tiantai teachings. Regarding this round and wondrous great teaching, you should specially clarify this single matter of true cultivation, thereby bestowing benefit upon insentient beings and those possessing [Buddha-]nature like me.” I declined, saying: “A bound ordinary person, sharing the three disasters and eight difficulties together with you—how could I dare take this upon myself? Even so, a sick person does not necessarily fail to know the medicine. I have humbly heard: where there is birth and death, ordinary people and sages differ; where there are ordinary people and sages, their bodies and lands are different. Where there is a body, there is a land; where there is a land, there is a body. How could one not distinguish which is defiled and which is pure? Our Śākyamuni Buddha and Amitābha Buddha, pitying these sentient beings, shared the same power of vows, establishing this one Dharma gate beyond the measureless and boundless Dharma gates. Śākyamuni is the guest; Amitābha is the host. Śākyamuni gives them birth; Amitābha gives them home. Śākyamuni treats them with medicine in their sickness; Amitābha causes them to be free of illness for their entire life. Śākyamuni's land is like an inn; Amitābha's land is like a hometown. Looking toward the Land of Peace and Bliss from India is the same as looking toward the Land of Peace and Bliss from our China. Therefore Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, Nāgārjuna, Bhadrapāla, Asanga, and Vasubandhu all vowed to attain rebirth. Moreover, Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta reside in Śākyamuni's presence, and also reside in Amitābha's presence. In our land, it began with Huiyuan's White Lotus Society, advocated together with the likes of Xie Lingyun and Liu Yimin. Afterward, there followed Tanluan, Daozhen, Huaigan, Huaiyu, Daochuo, and Shandao, whose vows and practices were especially illustrious and can be verified. Our Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai, succeeding the sages and worthies, sounded the voice of the Lotus Sutra; his teachings first became greatly complete, and their practice spread even further. Preceding the Lotus Sutra was the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, which initiated its teaching with the Pure Land; following the Lotus Sutra was the Awakening of Faith, which ultimately culminated in realization in the Pure Land. Considering their catalog, there are ten kinds of Buddha-lands and twenty-seven grades of Buddha-lands; combining them into the four lands once again began with our Zhiyi. The names of these four lands are scattered across the Lotus Sutra, Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Benevolent Kings Sutra, ‘Conduct and Vows of Samantabhadra’, and the Dazhidu lun; it was only our Zhiyi who combined them and arranged them in sequence. What in the Vimalakīrti is the empty chamber, and in the Lotus is the jeweled stūpa in empty space, is the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light. What in the Vimalakīrti is the jeweled lotuses of sentient beings, and in the Lotus is the assembly consisting entirely of bodhisattvas, is the Land of True Reward and Adornment. What in the Vimalakīrti and the Lotus is the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas forming an equal saṃgha together, is the Land of Expediency with Remainder. What in the Vimalakīrti is seeing the land of Abhirati, and in the Lotus is the threefold transformation of the great earth, is the pure realm of the Land where Commoners and Sages Cohabit. What in the Vimalakīrti is the Bodhisattva of Accumulated Fragrance, and in the Lotus is the initial emission of great light, is the defiled realm of the Land where Commoners and Sages Cohabit. When the Buddha told the elder's son Ratnakāra, ‘A bodhisattva takes a Buddha-land in accordance with the sentient beings to be transformed,’ this is the Land where Commoners and Sages Cohabit. ‘In accordance with the sentient beings to be subdued, he takes a Buddha-land,’ this is the Land of Expediency with Remainder. ‘In accordance with what land sentient beings ought to enter the Buddha's wisdom through, he takes a Buddha-land,’ this is the Land of True Reward and Adornment. ‘In accordance with what land sentient beings ought to give rise to bodhisattva roots through, he takes a Buddha-land,’ this is the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light. Although its text is hidden, its meaning is manifest; although its names are scattered, its principle is unified. Had it not been brought forth by our Zhiyi, what would have been done? Alas! Master Huiyuan, at a time when the scriptural teachings were not yet complete and spiritual faculties were not yet mature, led the multitude of worthies and pioneered the path. Zhiyi calmed the billows to make the abyss clear, opened the hidden mysteries to shine like thunder and lightning, and ultimately completed this teaching to bequeath it to future generations. Could he not have come from the Pure Land wishing to purify this defiled land? However, the Lotus Sutra in the ‘Medicine King Chapter’ shows the World of Peace and Bliss, being born within a lotus flower. In the ‘Samantabhadra Chapter’, it shows Tuṣita Heaven, being born in the presence of Maitreya. Our Zhiyi put aside the practice of Samantabhadra and focused his mind on the realization of the Medicine King; afterward, Dharma Master Ci'en put aside the Medicine King and focused his mind on Samantabhadra, which also shows a profound knowledge of the distinctions among the four lands. Only by knowing the four lands are the sixteen contemplations exhausted, and the three bodies, three contemplations, four teachings, and myriad phenomena left entirely without omission. Even so, there are two pitfalls. The first is doubting and not believing. If they doubt and do not believe in themselves, then how can my inner faith remedy it? Zhiyi still lamented this, which is why the Treatise on the Ten Doubts was composed. In the Tang, Superior Xun of Yongzhou specially wrote this treatise on the wall of Longxing Monastery, so deeply was he moved. The second is believing but being wild and foolish, not knowing how to awaken the mind to enter contemplation, nor clarifying causes to attain the fruition, but merely saying: ‘If I can purify my mind, what is not the Pure Land?’ It seems they can speak the words of Vimalakīrti, yet in actuality they are subjects of the celestial Māra—is this not profoundly lamentable? As for those who magnify this teaching in the present age, there are indeed such persons. For instance, the doctrinal practice of Dharma Master Ciyun, the contemplative wisdom of Dharma Master Siming, and recently the debates of Vinaya Master Lingzhi—how could anything surpass them? The Old Man of the Lotus on the Wei first gave rise to faith following Dharma Master Mingzhi, and later associated closely with Lingzhi.” (The Academician-in-waiting’s style name was “The Old Man of the Lotus”; he was also called a monk of the Tiantai teaching, and was later seen to devote his mind entirely to our Way.)