龍舒增廣淨土文 1.189

1.189

世有專於參禪者云：惟心淨土，豈復更有淨土；自性阿彌，不必更見阿彌。此言似是而非也。何則？西方淨土有理有跡。論其理，則能淨其心，故一切皆淨，誠為唯心淨土矣。論其跡，則實有極樂世界，佛丁寧詳復言之，豈妄語哉？人人可以成佛，所謂自性阿彌者，固不妄矣。然猝未能至此，譬如良材可以雕刻物像而極其華麗，必加以雕刻之功然後能成，不可據指良材而遂謂極物像之華麗也。是所謂唯心淨土而無復更有淨土，自性阿彌不必更見阿彌者，非也。又信有淨土而泥唯心之說，乃謂西方不足生者，謂參禪悟性超佛越祖，阿彌不足見者，皆失之矣。何則？此言甚高，竊恐不易到。彼西方淨土無貪無變、無嗔無癡，吾心能無貪無變無嗔無癡乎？彼西方淨土思衣得衣、思食得食，欲靜則靜、欲去則去。吾思衣而無衣則寒惱其心，思食而無食則飢惱其心，欲靜而不得靜則群動惱其心，欲去而不得去則繫累惱其心，是所謂唯心淨土者誠不易到也。彼阿彌陀佛福重山海、力挈天地，變地獄為蓮華易於反掌、觀無盡之世界如在目前。吾之福力尚不能自為常，恐宿業深重墜於地獄，況乃變作蓮華乎？隔壁之事猶不能知，況乃見無盡世界乎？是所謂自性阿彌者誠不易到也。然則吾心可以為淨土，而猝未能為淨土；吾性可以為阿彌，而猝未能為阿彌。烏得忽淨土而不修、捨阿彌而不欲見乎？故修西方而得道則甚易，若止在此世界欲參禪悟性超佛越祖為甚難。況修淨土者不礙於參禪，何參禪者必薄淨土而不修也？《大阿彌陀經》云「十方有無量菩薩往生阿彌陀佛國」。彼菩薩欲往生，我何人哉不欲往彼？是果勝於諸菩薩乎？由此言之，唯心淨土自性彌陀者，大而不要、高而不切，修未到者，誤人多矣。不若脚踏實地，持誦修行，則人人必生淨土、徑脫輪迴。與虛言無實者，天地相遠矣。

In the world there are those dedicated solely to Chan contemplation who say: "The Pure Land is mind-only; how could there be another Pure Land? One's self-nature is Amitābha; there is no need to see another Amitābha." These words seem right but are actually wrong. Why is this? The Western Pure Land has both principle and manifestation. In terms of principle, if one can purify one's mind, everything is pure, and it is truly the mind-only Pure Land. In terms of manifestation, the world of Sukhāvatī truly exists; the Buddha spoke of it with repeated care and detail—how could it be false speech? Everyone can become a Buddha; saying that "self-nature is Amitābha" is certainly not false. Yet one cannot suddenly reach this. For example, fine timber can be carved into figurines of extreme splendor, but this can only be achieved after applying the labor of carving; one cannot simply point to the raw timber and claim it is already the height of splendid imagery. Therefore, to say that "the Pure Land is mind-only and there is no other Pure Land" and that "one's self-nature is Amitābha and one need not see Amitābha" is incorrect. Furthermore, those who believe there is a Pure Land but rigidly adhere to the mind-only theory, claiming that the West is not worth being reborn in, or claiming that through Chan contemplation and awakening to nature one surpasses the Buddhas and transcends the Patriarchs, so Amitābha is not worth seeing—all these miss the mark. Why is this? Such claims are exceedingly high, but I fear they are not easily attained. That Western Pure Land is free of greed and mutation, free of anger and delusion; can our minds be free of greed, mutation, anger, and delusion? In that Western Pure Land, when one thinks of clothing one gets clothing, when one thinks of food one gets food; if one desires stillness there is stillness, if one desires to go there one goes. When we think of clothing and have none, cold vexes our minds; when we think of food and have none, hunger vexes our minds; when we desire stillness and cannot obtain it, the multitude of distractions vexes our minds; when we desire to depart and cannot depart, entanglements vex our minds. Thus, what is called the "mind-only Pure Land" is truly not easily attained. That Amitābha Buddha has blessings as massive as mountains and seas, and power that lifts heaven and earth; turning hell into a lotus is easier than turning his palm, and observing infinite worlds is like seeing them right before his eyes. As for our own power of blessings, we cannot even maintain ourselves steadily, and we constantly fear falling into hell due to the heaviness of our past karma—how much less could we transform it into a lotus? We cannot even know what is happening behind the wall—how much less could we see infinite worlds? Thus, what is called "self-nature Amitābha" is truly not easily attained. Therefore, our minds can be the Pure Land, but cannot suddenly be the Pure Land; our nature can be Amitābha, but cannot suddenly be Amitābha. How can one neglect the Pure Land and not cultivate it, or cast aside Amitābha and not desire to see him? Therefore, cultivating the Western [Pure Land] to attain the Way is exceedingly easy, whereas merely remaining in this world, desiring through Chan contemplation to awaken to nature and surpass the Buddhas and transcend the Patriarchs, is exceedingly difficult. Moreover, cultivating the Pure Land does not obstruct Chan contemplation; why must Chan practitioners disdain the Pure Land and not cultivate it? The *Larger Amitābha-sūtra* states: "In the ten directions there are immeasurable bodhisattvas who attain rebirth in Amitābha Buddha's land." Those bodhisattvas desire to be reborn there; who am I that I should not desire to go there? Could it be that I truly surpass all bodhisattvas? Speaking from this perspective, "mind-only Pure Land" and "self-nature Amitābha" are grand but impractical, lofty but not to the point; when those who have not attained it cultivate in this way, they mislead many people. It is better to stand on solid ground, uphold recitations and practice, so that everyone is certain to be born in the Pure Land and swiftly escape saṃsāra. Compared to empty and insubstantial words, this is as far apart as heaven and earth.