龍舒增廣淨土文 1.2

1.2

The Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'Faith is the origin of the Way and the mother of merits; it nurtures all good roots.' Thus, for those in the world who cultivate the Pure Land, it is impossible to do so without faith. The Pure Land is the Western Sukhāvatī, and its various superior adornments are recorded in detail in the Amitābha-sūtra. Amitābha is the Buddha of that realm; before achieving Buddhahood, he made forty-eight vows, each vow aimed at delivering sentient beings. Sentient beings who wish to be reborn in that land need only recite his name once, and they will attain rebirth in accordance with that thought. People of this final age, however, wait until life has ended and breath has ceased, having others recite ten times on their behalf and calling it 'ten recitations'—what benefit can this bring to the matter? Yet they do not know to refrain from all evils and practice all goods in daily life, never departing from the Western Pure Land in thought after thought, and wishing to see that Buddha Amitābha in thought after thought, right up to the end of life without error or confusion, so that transformation birth on the highest grade of lotus dais is assured, never to enter the evil world of the five turbidities again. But icchantikas do not believe it exists; darkened and blinded by evil karma, they can neither cultivate it themselves nor refrain from obstructing others from cultivating it. These beings enter hell as swiftly as shooting arrows; truly they are pitiable! For example, people of remote kingdoms and isolated regions dwell, dress, and eat no differently from birds and beasts; how could they know of the wealth, nobility, and joy of the Central Kingdom? If one day someone speaks of it to them, they all consider it absurd. If among them even one person hears and believes it, longs for the Central Kingdom, and deeply despises their own land, vowing to be born there after their body perishes—are there not people born in the Central Kingdom today who were once like this? Could there be no remote kingdoms and isolated regions within the world? Since Jambudvīpa exists, then the Western Pure Land also exists; how could one know that they do not coexist between heaven and earth? Renouncing this place to be born in that place is likewise the ordinary order of things; how could one fail to believe it? The Buddhas make no false speech; the Buddha's words do not mislead people. Ancient sages, eminent gentlemen, and masters of the Chan lineage have also mostly cultivated the Pure Land. Only Layman Wang of Longshu believed in it with utmost sincerity and cultivated it with great diligence; his right mindfulness manifested before him, and at the end of life he was completely lucid—his return to the Pure Land is beyond doubt. Benefiting oneself and benefiting others, he also composed thirteen fascicles of Pure Land Writings, citing the scriptures and books of the Three Teachings as evidence, skillfully providing benefits to guide future generations, which may be called 'a single thought enduring for ten thousand years.' With the passage of many years, the printing blocks wore out and became unsuited for reading. My nephew Yuanyi Xunzhai, who gave himself the sobriquet Kangluke ('Guest of Mount Lu'), is the son of my late elder brother Daoshan, the Vice Director of the Left. Having planted good roots in past lives, he came to be born into our family. In his conduct and establishment of character, nothing fails to accord with the Way; in caring for the hungry, cold, sick, and afflicted, his charity is constant; and in printing and distributing Daoist and Buddhist scriptures to bring vast benefit and cultivate pure karma, only he himself truly knows. Amidst a welter of common basins and pots, seeing this ancient bronze vessel, I greatly commend him; it is fitting that all refer to him as a good man and gentleman. He resolved to recarve the printing blocks, wishing to make its transmission endure, and vowing that all sentient beings may completely return to the Pure Land. When carving reached the fourth fascicle and the ninth fascicle's tenth block, the iron stylus encountered an obstruction, and three śarīra relics emerged, deeply hidden within the crevice, resplendent and dazzling with light, at which everyone was astonished. These were all manifestations of Amitābha Buddha's compassion and wisdom, the result of Layman Longshu's vow power never being extinguished, and my nephew's firm faith. Can one say that the Buddha-Dharma has no efficacious responses, or that there is no Pure Land in the West? Now that the old blocks have been recarved and the good conditions are fulfilled, all virtuous persons must take care not to mistakenly understand this on paper or block as two opposing sides. Even though there is the Amitābha of original nature and the mind-only Pure Land, how could they deceive me? Alas! The views of the benevolent and the wise differ; this can be spoken of to those of middling capacity and above. Thereupon this was inscribed.