樂邦文類 4.141

4.141

諸大乘經勸生淨土，因通二種：一定、二散。定謂即心觀佛，想彼西方依正主伴唯心本具，我心空故，如來本空；我心假故，如來宛爾；我心中故，如來絕待。或想蓮華開合，我居其中，合表即空、開表即假，四微體同即表中道。故經云「諸佛如來是法界身，入一切眾生心想中。」是故我等心想佛時，是心即是三十二相八十種形好，是心作佛、是心是佛。此乃如來親示唯心三昧，圓常觀體。了彼淨土生佛依正色心，悉我自心性具功德。即境為觀，心外無佛、性外無土，觀之不已，證無生忍。二者散善，用純實心信有西方，一心不亂繫念彌陀，一日七日，聲聲不絕、念念無間。經云「執持名號，一日七日，一心不亂。其人命終，阿彌陀佛與諸聖眾，現在其前。」然事想彼國，但無三觀，名散善耳。故三種淨業，迴向願生，咸登極樂。吾祖智者云：「根有利鈍、行有定散。觀佛三昧名定，修餘善業說以為散。散善力微，不能滅除五逆；此經明觀，故得往生。」是知若定若散、或鈍或利，皆淨土因，咸趣無生，永無退轉矣。

The various Mahāyāna sūtras that encourage rebirth in the Pure Land have causes that encompass two kinds: first, concentrated [good]; second, dispersed [good]. 'Concentrated' refers to contemplating the Buddha directly with the mind, visualizing that the Western Land's circumstantial and primary, host and companions, are originally inherent in mind-only. Because my mind is empty, the Tathāgata is originally empty; because my mind is provisional, the Tathāgata appears distinctly; because my mind is the middle, the Tathāgata is absolute. Or visualize the lotus flower opening and closing with oneself dwelling inside: closing symbolizes identity with emptiness, opening symbolizes identity with the provisional, and the identity of the substance of the four subtle elements symbolizes the Middle Way. Hence the sūtra says: 'The buddhas, the Tathāgatas, are the dharmadhātu-body, entering into the mental thoughts of all sentient beings.' Therefore, when our minds think of the Buddha, this mind is itself the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs; this mind creates the Buddha, this mind is the Buddha. This is the Tathāgata personally revealing the mind-only samādhi, the perfect and eternal substance of contemplation. One realizes that the sentient beings and buddhas, circumstantial and primary, form and mind of that Pure Land are all merits inherent in the nature of one's own mind. Taking the objective realm as contemplation, outside the mind there is no Buddha, outside the nature there is no land. Contemplating this without cease, one realizes the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas. Second is dispersed good: with a pure and sincere mind, having faith that the Western Land exists, single-mindedly and without distraction focusing mindfulness on Amitābha, for one day or seven days, sound after sound unceasing, thought after thought uninterrupted. The sūtra says: 'Upholding the name for one day or seven days, single-mindedly and without distraction, when that person's life comes to an end, Amitābha Buddha, along with the assembly of holy beings, will appear before them.' However, merely visualizing that land phenominally, without the threefold contemplation, is called dispersed good. Therefore, by dedicating the three kinds of pure karma with the vow for rebirth, all ascend to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Our ancestral teacher Zhiyi said: 'Faculties have sharp and dull; practices have concentrated and dispersed. The contemplation-of-buddha samādhi is called concentrated; cultivating other good karmas is spoken of as dispersed. The power of dispersed good is weak, unable to eradicate the five heinous sins; this sūtra elucidates contemplation, hence one attains rebirth.' From this we know that whether concentrated or dispersed, whether dull or sharp, all are causes for the Pure Land; all proceed to non-arising, never to retrogress.