龍舒增廣淨土文 11.2

11.2

設文曰：諸佛菩薩以大悲為業，若欲救度眾生秖，應願生三界，於五濁三塗中救苦眾生。因何求生淨土自安其身？捨離眾生，則是無大慈悲，專為自利，障菩提道。智者答：菩薩有二種，一者久修行菩薩道得無生忍者，實當斯責；二者未得已還及初發心凡夫菩薩者，要須常不離佛，忍力成就方堪處三界內，於惡世中救苦眾生。故《智度論》云「具縛凡夫有大悲心，願生惡世救苦眾生者，無有是處。」何以故？惡世界煩惱強，自無忍力，心隨境轉、聲色所縛，自墮三塗，焉能救眾生？假令得生人中，聖道難得；或因持戒修福得生人中，得作國王大臣，富貴自在，縱遇善知識不肯信用，貪迷放逸廣造眾罪，乘此惡業一入三塗經無量劫，從地獄出受貧賤身，若不逢善知識，還墮地獄。如此輪迴至於今日，人人皆如是，此名難行道也。故《維摩經》云「自疾不能救而能救諸疾人？」又《智度論》云「譬如二人各有親眷為水所溺，一人情急直入水救，為無方便力故，彼此俱沒。一人有方便，往取船筏乘之救接，悉皆得脫水溺之難。」新發意菩薩亦復如是，未得忍力不能救眾生，為此常須近佛，得無生忍已方能救眾生，如得船者。又論云「譬如嬰兒不得離父母，或墮坑井，渴乳而死。又如鳥子翅羽未成，祇得依樹附枝，不能遠去，翅翮成就，方能飛空自在無礙。」凡夫無力，唯得專念阿彌陀佛，使成三昧。以業成故，臨終斂念得生決定不疑，見彌陀佛，證無生忍已，還來三界，乘無生忍船救苦眾生，廣施佛事任意自在。故論云「遊戲地獄行者，生彼國得無生忍已，還入生死國教化地獄救苦眾生。」以是因緣求生淨土，願識其教。故《十住婆沙論》名易行道也。

A hypothetical question is posed: "All buddhas and bodhisattvas take great compassion as their endeavor. If one wishes to rescue sentient beings, one should simply vow to be born in the three realms and save suffering sentient beings amid the five turbidities and three wretched destinies. Why seek rebirth in the Pure Land merely to secure one's own comfort? Abandoning sentient beings is devoid of great loving-kindness and compassion; focusing solely on self-benefit creates an obstruction to the path to bodhi." Zhiyi answered: "There are two kinds of bodhisattvas. The first are those who have practiced the bodhisattva path for a long time and attained the endurance of non-arising. They truly deserve such a charge. The second are those who have not yet reached it and below, as well as ordinary bodhisattvas who have just generated the intention. They must never leave the presence of the Buddha; only when their power of patience is perfected will they be capable of remaining within the three realms and saving suffering sentient beings in an evil world. Therefore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'If an ordinary person bound by fetters has great compassion and vows to be born in an evil world to save suffering sentient beings, this is impossible.' Why? In an evil world, defilements are fierce, and one has no endurance power of one's own. As one's mind turns along with objects and is bound by sounds and sights, one will fall into the three wretched destinies oneself—how could one save sentient beings? Even if one manages to obtain a human rebirth, the noble path is difficult to attain. Or, due to upholding precepts and cultivating merit, one may obtain a human rebirth and become a king or minister, wealthy and noble, at ease. Yet even if such a person encounters a good spiritual friend, he will refuse to believe and trust; covetous, deluded, and dissipated, he will broadly commit various offenses. Riding upon this evil karma, once he enters the three wretched destinies he will pass through countless kalpas. When emerging from the hells, he will receive an impoverished and base body, and if he fails to meet a good spiritual friend, he will fall back into hell. Transmigrating like this up to the present day, everyone has been thus: this is called the 'path of difficult practice.' Therefore the *Vimalakīrtinirdeśa* says: 'How can one who cannot cure his own illness cure the illnesses of others?' Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'For example, two people each have relatives drowning in water. One person, in a panic, jumps straight into the water to save them, but lacking skillful means, both drown. The other person has skillful means: he goes to fetch a boat or raft, boards it, and rescues them; all escape the disaster of drowning.' Bodhisattvas of new resolve are also like this: not having attained the power of endurance, they cannot save sentient beings. For this reason, they must always stay close to the Buddha. Only after attaining the endurance of non-arising can they save sentient beings, like one who has obtained a boat. Furthermore, the treatise says: 'For example, an infant cannot leave its parents; [if it does,] it may fall into a pit or well, or die parched for milk. It is also like a fledgling whose wings are not yet formed: it can only cling to the tree and stay close to the branch, unable to go far; only when its wings are fully developed can it fly through the sky freely and unhindered.' Ordinary persons lack power; they can only focus on recollecting Amitābha Buddha so that it develops into samādhi. Because the karma is accomplished, at the end of life with gathered mindfulness, they are certain to attain rebirth without doubt. Having seen Amitābha Buddha and realized the endurance of non-arising, they return to the three realms, riding the boat of the endurance of non-arising to save suffering sentient beings, widely performing Buddha-activities according to their will and at ease. Therefore the treatise says: 'Practitioners who sport in the hells, having been born in that land and attained the endurance of non-arising, return to the realms of birth and death to educate and transform the hells and rescue suffering sentient beings.' For this reason one seeks rebirth in the Pure Land, wishing to realize its teachings. Therefore the *Daśabhūmikavibhāṣā* names it the 'path of easy practice.'"