龍舒增廣淨土文 11.2

11.2

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.'"