龍舒增廣淨土文 1.185

1.185

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.