樂邦文類 4.150

4.150

Among mundane and supramundane dharmas, if one wishes to accomplish them with minimal effort, nothing surpasses focusing the mind on a single object. Take, for example, reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha. If one recites aloud, not only will it exhaust the visceral qi over time, but the teeth and tongue strike against one another; the mental thoughts move accordingly, the ear faculty receives them, and discriminative consciousness arises. The nature of hearing is stirred within, flowing outward without returning. When these three cause weariness, negligence will arise over time. If one only recites mentally without making sound, the mental mechanism remains submerged and dormant, lacking the illumination of wisdom—how could it accomplish the turning back of hearing? When the external mechanism is not drawn out and the internal response does not emerge, one sinks into turbid lethargy, and it easily ends in abandonment and forgetfulness. There is an ingenious expedient: without needing to move the mouth or produce any sound, slightly tap the front teeth with the root of the tongue; the mental thought responds accordingly, its measure according with the mind. Following one's karma, it manifests beneath the faculties of tongue and mind; in thought after thought, the sound of the four characters 'A-mi-tuo-fo' is distinctly presented. The sound does not pass beyond the apertures, and the nature of hearing blends within. The mind responds to the tongue's mechanism, the mechanism draws out the root of mindfulness, and the aperture of the mind resides in the tongue; tap after tap, the aperture hears; pulse after pulse, mindfulness returns, lodging its aperture in the ear. Entering the stream from hearing, one hears the subtle source of hearing's crust and calmly hears the nature of hearing. When these three blend and harmonize, thought after thought becomes perfectly penetrating: the fleshy heart reveals the Amitābha of one's fundamental nature, and the body of the five turbidities roams the Pure Land of mind-only. Over time, one thereby accomplishes the contemplation of mind-only consciousness. If one is a person of sharp faculties, thought after thought does not arise, mind after mind has no abiding place, the six faculties are profoundly tranquil, the consciousnesses fade away, dharma after dharma is entirely real, and gate after gate transcends duality—in a flash, one thereby accomplishes the true contemplation of tathatā. For beginners and later students, only during times of greeting guests or easing nature may they temporarily pause their mindfulness. If one cannot yet avoid meat or reclining in sleep, provided one has not reached deep slumber, or even while managing household affairs and various tasks, one naturally need not abandon it, nor will it hinder them. When mind and mouth in thought after thought and sound after sound recite the supreme name, what perverse thought or evil deliberation could dare sprout in the mind? Naturally, it will become pure, unified, and unmixed. If one can gather in the six faculties so that pure mindfulness continues uninterrupted, in no more than ten days to a month one will accomplish the samādhi—what is called 'this mind creates the Buddha, this mind sees the Buddha, this mind is the Buddha.' Those of superior faculties and great capacity surpass [stages] directly in a single thought; ordinary people should skillfully contemplate this expedient. Recorded by Jiang Gongwang of Diaotai.