龍舒增廣淨土文 1.185

1.185

人驟聞淨土之景象，多不信之，無足怪也。蓋拘於目前所見，遂謂目前所不見者亦如此而已。且如陋巷糞壤之居者，安知有廣廈之清淨？小器藜藿之食者，安知有食前之方丈？弊篋錙銖之蓄者，安知有天府之充溢？說處此娑婆濁世，不信其清淨佛土；所以生長於胞胎，不知彼有蓮苞之化生；壽不過百年，不知彼有河沙之壽數；衣食必由於營作，不知彼有自然之衣食快樂；常雜於憂惱，不知彼有純一之快樂。然則佛之所言，不可以目前所不見而不信也。況佛切戒人以妄語，必不自妄語以誑人。世人妄語者，非以規利則以避害。佛無求於世，何規利之有？佛視死生如刀斫虛空，何避害之有？是佛無所用其妄語也。世間中人以上者，猶不肯妄語以喪其行止，況佛乎！其言可信，無足疑者。故先賢云：佛言不信，何言可信？昔有以忠臣為姦黨者，刻之於石，天雷擊之。今以金寶綵色鐫刻裝繪以為輪藏貯佛之言，供以香花、嚴以神龍。使其言之妄，則又甚於姦黨之碑，何為歷千百歲而天雷不擊之哉？以其言之誠也。言之誠而不信，將何俟哉？是故淨土之說更無可疑者。況自古及今，修此者感應甚多，尤不可以不信者也。感應在第五卷。

When people suddenly hear of the scenes of the Pure Land, many do not believe them; this is not surprising. For they are constrained by what they see before their eyes, and thereupon assume that what they do not see before their eyes is merely like this as well. Furthermore, how could someone living in a narrow alley amid filth know the purity of a spacious mansion? How could someone eating from small vessels of coarse greens know the ten-foot square table of food set before one? How could someone storing a few coins in a ragged hamper know the abundance of the heavenly treasury? Talking of dwelling in this turbid world of Sahā, they do not believe in that pure Buddha-land; being born and raised from a womb, they do not know that over there is the transformation birth within a lotus bud; with a life span of no more than a hundred years, they do not know that over there the life spans are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; with food and clothing necessarily depending on labor, they do not know that over there are spontaneous food, clothing, and joy; frequently mingled with anxiety and affliction, they do not know that over there is unadulterated joy. Thus, regarding what the Buddha has said, one must not disbelieve it simply because it is not seen before one's eyes. Furthermore, the Buddha strictly prohibited false speech to people, and would certainly not himself speak falsely to deceive people. When worldly people speak falsely, it is either to seek gain or to avoid harm. The Buddha sought nothing from the world; what gain would he seek? The Buddha viewed life and death as like a sword slashing through empty space; what harm would he avoid? Thus the Buddha had no use for false speech. When even those of above-average standing in the world are unwilling to speak falsely to compromise their conduct, how much less the Buddha! His words can be trusted; there is no cause for doubt. Therefore, worthy men of the past said: 'If the Buddha's words are not trusted, whose words can be trusted?' In the past, there was a case where loyal ministers were cast as treacherous partisans and carved onto stone, and heavenly thunder struck it. Now, with gold, jewels, and colors, scriptures are engraved and painted to make revolving repositories that store the Buddha's words, offered to with incense and flowers, and adorned with divine dragons. If his words were false, that would be even worse than the stele of treacherous partisans; why, through hundreds and thousands of years, has heavenly thunder not struck them? It is because his words are sincere. If his words are sincere and you still do not believe them, what are you waiting for? Therefore, the doctrine of the Pure Land is without any doubt. Moreover, from antiquity to the present, those who cultivated this have experienced very many stimuli and responses, so it is even less possible not to believe. The stimuli and responses are in the fifth fascicle.