樂邦文類 4.132

4.132

夫大覺世尊以四種法度諸眾生：一者示現相好，令觀察者發菩提心；二者示現說法，令得聞者開悟入道；三者示現化事，令見聞者獲諸法利；四者名號流布十方，令其聞者執持繫念，罪滅善生而得度脫。今言念佛者，或專緣三十二相，繫心得定，開目閉目常得見佛；或但稱名號，執持不散，亦於現身而得見佛。此間現見，多是稱佛名號為上。如懷感法師，一向稱阿彌陀佛名號，而得三昧，現前見佛。故今普示稱佛之法，必須制心不令散亂，念念相續繫緣名號，口中聲聲喚阿彌陀佛，以心緣歷字字分明，使心口相繫，若百聲若千聲若萬聲，若一日若二日若七日等。但是稱佛名時，無管多少，並須一心一意心口相續，如此方得一念滅八十億劫生死之罪。若不然者，滅罪良難。若恐心散，須高聲疾喚，心則易定，三昧易成。故感法師《決疑論》中引《大集．日藏經》云「小念見小佛，大念見大佛。」論釋曰「大念者，大聲稱佛也。小念者，小聲稱佛也。斯則聖教，有何惑哉？」奉勸今諸學人，唯須厲聲念佛，三昧易成；小聲稱佛，遂多馳散。此乃學者方知，非外人能曉也。此又與天台智者大師釋觀經中罪人，臨終十念稱佛，滅地獄火得生淨土，其意宛同。如云「是心雖少時，而力猛利諦心決斷，勝百年願力，是心名為大心。不惜身命，名為健人也。」彼云大念，此云大心；彼云厲聲，此云猛利不惜身命；彼云小聲多散，此云勝百年願力。豈非皆令猛利？大聲稱佛，雖少而功多；若小聲稱佛，雖多而功少，故云十念能勝百年。今時多見世人，稱佛都不精專，散心緩聲，遂致現世成功者少、臨終感應事稀。故今特示此法切勸，凡念佛時，一心不亂，高聲唱佛，聲聲相續。不久成功也。

The Greatly Awakened World-Honoured One delivers all sentient beings by means of four kinds of Dharma: first, manifesting the marks and characteristics, causing those who observe them to generate the bodhi-mind; second, manifesting the preaching of the Dharma, causing those who hear it to be enlightened and enter the path; third, manifesting transformative deeds, causing those who see and hear them to obtain various Dharma benefits; fourth, having his name circulate throughout the ten directions, causing those who hear it to hold fast to it and tether their mindfulness, so that sins are eradicated, goodness is generated, and they attain liberation. Now when speaking of buddha-mindfulness, some exclusively focus on the thirty-two marks, tethering the mind to attain samādhi, so that opening or closing their eyes they constantly see the Buddha; some simply recite the name, holding to it without scattering, and also see the Buddha in the present body. Among seeing [the Buddha] in the present here, reciting the Buddha's name is mostly superior. For instance, Dharma Master Huaigan single-mindedly recited the name of Amitābha Buddha and attained samādhi, seeing the Buddha before him. Therefore, I now broadly explain the method of reciting the Buddha: one must control the mind not to let it be distracted, maintaining continuity from thought to thought, tethering attention to the name, the mouth calling 'Amitābha Buddha' with every sound, and the mind following through each character distinctly, causing mind and mouth to be bound together, whether for a hundred recitations, a thousand recitations, or ten thousand recitations, whether for one day, two days, or seven days, and so forth. Whenever reciting the Buddha's name, regardless of the number, all must be done with single mind and single intention, mind and mouth in continuity; only in this way can a single thought eradicate the sins of eighty billion kalpas of birth and death. If not so, eradicating sins will truly be difficult. If one fears that the mind will scatter, one must call out swiftly with a loud voice; then the mind is easily settled and samādhi is easily achieved. Therefore, Master Gan's Resolving Doubts Treatise quotes the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūryagarbha Sūtra, saying: 'Small mindfulness sees a small buddha; great mindfulness sees a great buddha.' The treatise explains: ''Great mindfulness' means reciting the Buddha with a loud voice. 'Small mindfulness' means reciting the Buddha with a soft voice. Since this is the sacred teaching, what doubt can there be?' I respectfully urge current practitioners: you must only recite the Buddha with a vigorous voice, and samādhi will be easily achieved; if you recite the Buddha with a soft voice, it will mostly wander and scatter. This is something known only to practitioners, not understood by outsiders. This also accords completely in meaning with Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai's explanation of sinners in the Contemplation Sūtra who, reciting the Buddha ten times on the verge of death, extinguish the fires of hell and attain rebirth in the Pure Land. As he says: 'Although this mind lasts for a short time, its power is fierce and sharp, its attentive mind resolute, surpassing a hundred years of vow-power; this mind is called the great mind. Not sparing body and life, one is called a vigorous person.' That text says 'great mindfulness,' this text says 'great mind'; that text says 'vigorous voice,' this text says 'fierce, sharp, and not sparing body and life'; that text says 'a soft voice scatters much,' this text says 'surpassing a hundred years of vow-power.' Are they not both urging fierceness and sharpness? Reciting the Buddha with a loud voice, though brief, yields great merit; if one recites the Buddha with a soft voice, though much, yields little merit; hence it is said that ten recitations can surpass a hundred years. Nowadays, one often sees worldly people recite the Buddha without any focused exclusivity, with scattered minds and sluggish voices, resulting in few achieving success in the present life and resonant responses on the verge of death being rare. Therefore, I now specifically present this method and earnestly urge: whenever practicing buddha-mindfulness, with a single undisturbed mind, call out the Buddha in a loud voice, sound after sound in continuous succession. Before long, success will be achieved.