龍舒增廣淨土文 12

English (machine translation) 12

Language: English

12.1

Essay Exhorting the Cultivation of Pure Karma, by Yan Bing, [Master] Ruru of Shizifeng (The Body as the Root of Suffering: Awaken and Cultivate Early)

Regarding this very physical body, who believes that the body is the root of suffering? Wholly coveting worldly pleasures, they do not realize that pleasure is the cause of suffering. A transient life is easily passed; how could it be an enduring abode? An illusory physical form is not solid; it all returns to annihilation. Before the day of entering the womb, how could there be these forms of male and female? It is merely formed through the provisional combination of earth, water, fire, and wind; it cannot escape the ravaging suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Above, there is no thread on which it can be hung; below, there is no root from which it grows. Empty and floating like a bubble upon the water, it lasts but a moment. Fragile and brittle like dew upon the grass, in an instant it is gone. Those who live long do not exceed sixty or seventy before all have died; those who are short-lived mostly die young at twenty or thirty. Furthermore, today one does not know the affairs of tomorrow; and there is the time of getting into bed that is the parting from getting out of bed. As soon as a single breath fails to return, one is separated forever across a thousand autumns. (Xuefeng's verse says: "A single lonely lamp illuminates the night chamber; / Getting into bed, one takes off socks and shoes. / The three hun and seven po depart into dreams; / One does not yet know whether tomorrow morning they will return or not.") / Lament how this body has nothing good about it! Alas, who is not deceived by it? Tendons wrap seven feet of bones; skin wraps a bag of meat chunks. The nine apertures constantly flow with impurity; the six sense organs indulge in ignorance at will. Hair, nails, and teeth gather like a pile of dust; snot, tears, saliva, and bodily fluids are filthy as a walking latrine. Within it, maggots and worms assemble entirely; outside it, gnats and lice cluster together. Afflicted by a single disaster or single ailment, any can kill a person. Moreover, extreme heat and extreme cold urge a person to age easily. The eyes are dragged by forms into the realm of hungry ghosts; the ears follow sounds into Avīci; the mouth eats a thousand kinds of flavors, but after death it merely adds a few drops of oil. (Changqui's poem says: "Red and white, do not deceive one another; / The true person without rank is a lump of red flesh. / Decayed, it is inferior to the appearance of pigs and dogs; / Right now, regard it simply as a corpse.") / This body holds nothing worthy of love or cherishing; everyone should vow to escape it. Why do those who are confused still display gallantry, and foolish fellows still give rise to delusion? Some pin flowers and grass upon skulls; some carry musk and perfume beside stinking leather bags. Gauze robes cover a sack of pus and blood; brocade quilts conceal a tub of excrement and urine. Exhausting treacherous minds and a hundred schemes, they assume they will dwell in the world for ten thousand years. They do not realize that when the head aches and the eyes grow dim, King Yama has arrived to receive them; or when the temples grow gray and the teeth decay, the ghost of impermanence has sent a letter to seek them out. Each person longing for sex and coveting wealth—all these are shortcuts to losing the human body. Daily drinking wine and eating meat—these are nothing other than planting deep roots for hell. Before one's eyes, one seeks a moment of delight; after death, one undergoes tens of thousands of kalpas of suffering and toil. (The Pure Land text says: "Skin wraps blood and flesh, bones are bound by tendons; / Deluded ordinary people mistake this for the self. / Only at death do they begin to know it is not me; / What once was gold and jade attaches to others.") / Once the life-root is severed, when the wind-knives of the four elements slash, externally the hands and feet twitch and cramp, and internally the liver and intestines tear with pain. Even though wife and children cherish you, they have no means to keep you; even if flesh and blood relatives fill the room before you, who can take your place? (An ancient verse says: "Though parental kindness is deep, in the end there is parting; / Though husband and wife's bond is weighty, they too separate. / Human relationships are like birds roosting together in the forest; / When the great limit arrives, each flies on its own.") / The living can only weep and wail bitterly; the deceased cannot prevent their consciousness from racing away. On the road ahead, no light is seen; raising the eyes, there is utterly no companion. Crossing the bank of the Nai River, no one who sees it fails to grieve; entering the Gate of the Dead, all who arrive are sorrowful. When merely seven days have passed in the world, in the underworld one is escorted to face the Ten Kings. The recording officials hold their records without human feelings; the prison guards hold tridents without smiling faces. Those who did good throughout life are sent to the heavenly destiny, the immortal destiny, or the human destiny; those whose actions were evil while alive are thrust into the path of boiling cauldrons, the path of fire, or the path of knives. The boiling cauldrons surge like collapsing cliffs; the sword-trees stand tall like towering mountains. Molten copper is poured, and flesh rots over the whole body; iron pellets are swallowed, and smoke rises to fill the mouth. Suffering chopping and pounding, blood and flesh drip copiously; entering freezing ice, skin freezes and cracks. When the body is shattered, the karmic wind blows it back to life; when life ends, the rākṣasas shout, making one revive. After a hundred springs and autumns have passed in the human realm, in the hells it is only a single day and night. (The Yanguang Collection says: "Boiling cauldrons and hearth coals rumble in the dark netherworld; / Sword-trees and knife-mountains tower into the highest heavens. / To exhaust the retribution for offenses takes tens of thousands of kalpas; / Only then does the ox-headed prison guard let one go.") / Although the soul has returned to the realm of ghosts, the corpse still lies in the coffin. Whether after three or five mornings, or in the sixth or seventh month, as it rots and decays, worms emerge and blood flows; filthy and foul-smelling, it stenches earth and heaven. Swollen and bloated, it cannot bear to be seen; hideous and repulsive, it is truly terrifying. In haste, it is consigned to a pile of wilderness fire; sent off to be buried in ten thousand miles of desolate mountains. The delicate, fair face of former days turns into an ash pit; the bleak white bones of today turn into a heap of mud. (Hanshan's verse says: "Rouge painting the face, a thousand kinds of charm; / Dragon-musk scenting the clothes, a hundred kinds of elegance. / Today, none of the romance can be seen; / Amid green willows and fragrant grass, the skull is cold.") / Former affections and love turn to void at this point; where are the heroes of old now? When the rain of tears falls, all is quiet and still; where the sorrowful wind stirs, it is chilling and bleak. As the night wanes, ghosts weep and spirits howl; as the years drag on, crows feast and sparrows peck. By the desolate border, stone steles remain in vain; amid green willows, paper money hangs for nothing. In the end, it is hard to avoid being like this; arriving at this point, how can one not awaken? (Hanshan says: "Sparrows peck and crows feast until the skin and flesh are gone; / Wind blows and sun scorches until the skull is dry. / Right now, try asking the onlookers: / Look closely at your own physical form!") / May everyone have eyes, and no longer bury your heads! Turn around and escape the ford of delusion; in the snap of a finger, tear apart the net of love! Stop making a living inside the ghost cave; one must know that upon the lump of flesh there is a true person. Whether man or woman, all are capable of practice; whether wise or foolish, all have a share. Simply please turn the light around and reflect inward, and you will know that the fundamental substance is originally void. If you are not yet able to study the Way and practice Chan, then diligently keep the vegetarian fast and practice recollection of the Buddha: abandon evil and return to good, reform the past and cultivate the future, transform the six thieves into the six divine superknowledges, leave behind the eight sufferings and attain the eight masteries. Then it will be good to assist Heaven in carrying out transformation, and there is no harm in receiving people on behalf of the Buddha. Preach it before the assembly for the great assembly; explain it upon returning home for the whole family. Make it so that everywhere they awaken simultaneously, and cause all people to completely avoid sinking down. Above, assist all Buddhas in turning the wheel of the Dharma; below, pull sentient beings out of the ocean of suffering. If you do not believe the words of the Buddha, what words can be believed? If you do not cultivate in the human destiny, it will be hard to cultivate in other destinies. Do not allow your skin to be changed one day; even if there were a thousand Buddhas, it would be hard to save you. With urgent speed advance, for time does not wait; let each one directly take responsibility, and do not let this life pass in vain! (Hanshan says: "When the hundred bones scatter and leave the dust and mud, / Who is that one thing that is ever-numinous? / If at this time you do not clear the path, / When the skull hits the ground, how many will know?")

12.3

Three Doubts at the End of Life by Master Cizhao

12.4

The Admonition of the Ten Gateways to the Pure Land by Master Cizhao says: Practitioners of recollection of the Buddha have three doubts at the end of life that prevent rebirth in the Pure Land. First, doubting: 'The karma created since my birth is extremely heavy, and my cultivation has lasted only a few days; I fear I cannot attain rebirth.' Second, doubting: 'Although I recite Amitābha, I may still have unfulfilled wishes in mind, and greed, anger, and delusion have not ceased; I fear I will not be reborn.' Third, doubting: 'Although I recite Amitābha, I fear that at the end of life the Buddha will not come to receive me.' Having these three doubts, because of doubt an obstacle is formed, right mindfulness is lost, and rebirth cannot be attained. Therefore, practitioners of recollection of the Buddha must firmly believe the explicit intent of the Buddhist sūtras and not give rise to doubting minds. The sūtra says: 'Reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha a single time eliminates the heavy offenses of birth and death of eighty kotis of kalpas.' From the highest level of wholeheartedness without distraction, down to the lowest level of succeeding with ten recitations, one is received toward the nine lotuses and caused to take leave of the five turbidities. If one can keep every mind unobscured and every thought without error, then doubting feelings will be severed forever, and rebirth is definitely attained.

12.5

Venerable Shandao's Text on Right Mindfulness for Rebirth at the End of Life

12.6

Zhiguizi asked, saying: 'Among the affairs of the world, none is greater than birth and death. As soon as a single breath fails to return, one belongs to the future life; if a single thought errs, one falls into saṃsāra. I have repeatedly received instruction in the method of recollection of the Buddha for rebirth, and its principle is very clear. Yet I fear that when illness arrives and death comes, mental consciousness will be scattered and confused, and I still worry that other people may agitate right mindfulness and cause me to lose the cause of purity. I prostratingly hope you will once again show the way of the returning path, so that I may escape the suffering of sinking down.' / The Master said: 'Excellent is your question! Whenever any person approaches the end of life and wishes to be reborn in the Pure Land, they must not fear death. Constantly contemplate that this body has much suffering, and impure evil karma entangles it in various ways. If one can cast off this defiled body and transcend to rebirth in the Pure Land, to receive measureless joy and attain liberation from the painful destinies of birth and death, this is indeed a gratifying matter. It is like casting off tattered clothes and receiving precious garments in exchange; one should simply let go of body and mind and not give rise to lingering attachment. Whenever encountering illness, immediately contemplate impermanence and single-mindedly await death. Enjoin family members, caregivers, and visitors who come to inquire: whenever they come before me, let them recite the Buddha for me; they must not speak of idle, miscellaneous matters before our eyes or the rights and wrongs of household affairs. Nor is there any need for gentle words of consolation or wishes for peace and joy; these are all empty, flowery, and useless words. When the illness is severe and death approaches, relatives must not weep, shed tears, or utter sighs and lamentations, which confuse and perturb the mind and cause the loss of right mindfulness. Simply recite the Buddha together in unison, and only after the breath has completely ceased may they weep in grief. If there is even the slightest thought of lingering attachment to the world, it immediately becomes a hindrance, and liberation cannot be attained. If one can have people who clearly understand the Pure Land come frequently to encourage and urge one on, that is extremely fortunate. If one relies on this, surpassing rebirth is certain and beyond doubt.'

12.7

He also asked, saying: 'May seeking doctors and taking medicines still be used?' / He replied, saying: 'Seeking doctors and taking medicines originally do not conflict. However, medicine can only heal disease; it cannot heal life. When life has come to its end, what can medicine do? If one kills living creatures for medicine in order to seek bodily comfort, this is impermissible. I have often seen worldly people who, because of illness, maintained a vegetarian diet and only then obtained slight recovery, but then a doctor had them use wine, meat, and blood to supplement the medicine, and their illness recurred. Truly know that the Buddha's power can save, while wine and meat are of no benefit.'

12.8

He also asked, saying: 'What about praying to spirits and seeking blessings?' / He replied, saying: 'The length of human life is already fixed at birth; how could one rely on ghosts and spirits to lengthen it? If one is deluded and believes in heterodoxy, killing sentient beings to sacrifice to ghosts and spirits, this only increases sinful karma and instead impairs lifespan. If the great life has come to an end, what can petty ghosts do? Vainly panicking achieves nothing. One must be extremely cautious about this. You should paste this text before your eyes and see it constantly, so as to avoid forgetting it when facing danger.'

12.9

He also asked, saying: 'Can those who have never recited the Buddha throughout their lives still make use of it?' / He replied, saying: 'If monks or laypersons who have not recited the Buddha make use of this method, all can attain rebirth, definitely without doubt. I have often seen worldly people who, in ordinary times, recite the Buddha, sing praises, and make vows seeking rebirth in the West with great diligence. Yet when facing illness, they unexpectedly fear death and do not speak at all of the matters of rebirth and liberation. Only when their breath is spent, life has ended, and consciousness has plunged into the nether realm do they finally strike the bell for ten recitations. This is just like closing the door after the thief has left; what does it accomplish? The matter of the gate of death is great; one must exert one's own efforts before it works. If a single thought errs, one will suffer through kalpas; who will take your place? Reflect on this! Reflect on this! In times when there is no incident, one should vigorously accept and maintain this method; this is the great matter at the end of life.'

12.10

Master of Repentance Ciyun's Method of Ten Recitations in the Morning

12.11

Regarding the practice of the Ten Recitations: Every day in the early morning after dressing, stand upright facing west, join your palms, and continuously recite the name of Amitābha Buddha. One full exhalation constitutes one recitation. Ten such breaths are termed the 'Ten Recitations.' Simply follow the length of the breath without limiting the count of the Buddha's name; let it be long and sustained, taking the end of the breath as the measure. The sound of the Buddha's name should be neither high nor low, neither slow nor fast, harmoniously tempered to a middle path. In this way, continue for ten breaths without interruption, the intention being to prevent the mind from scattering and to make focused dedication one's practice. Thus it is named 'these Ten Recitations,' demonstrating that one relies on the breath to rein in the mind. Having performed these recitations, make the vow and dedication, saying:

12.12

"I, disciple [so-and-so], with single-minded devotion take refuge in Amitābha Buddha of Sukhāvatī. I pray that your pure light illuminates me and your compassionate vows embrace me. I now, in right mindfulness, recite the name of the Tathāgata for the duration of ten recitations, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land for the sake of the path of awakening. The Buddha made a primal vow of old: 'If there are sentient beings who wish to be born in my land, with sincere mind, faith, and joy, down to ten recitations, and they are not born there, may I not attain right awakening—excepted only are those who commit the five heinous offenses and revile the true Dharma.' I now recall of myself that from this life onwards I have not committed heinous crimes nor reviled the Mahāyāna. I pray that through these ten recitations I may enter the great ocean of the Tathāgata's vows, and, relying on the Buddha's compassionate power, all my offenses may be eradicated and pure causes increase. When my life draws to an end, may I know of myself the time has come; may my body be free from sickness and suffering, my mind free from craving and attachment, my mind free from confusion and distraction as if entering meditative absorption; and may the Buddha together with the holy multitude, bearing a golden dais in hand, come to welcome me. In the space of a single thought, may I be born in Sukhāvatī; may the flower open and let me see the Buddha, immediately hear the Buddha Vehicle, suddenly open Buddha-wisdom, and broadly deliver sentient beings, fulfilling the vow of bodhi." (Having made this vow, one simply stops; there is no need to prostrate. One must maintain this throughout this entire life, not neglecting it even for a single day. Only by not neglecting it and disciplining one's mind will one attain rebirth in that land.)

12.13

Verses in Praise of the Buddha (along with texts for dedication and making vows, four pieces in total; their matters are thorough and their principles sound, all composed by past awakened ones. Anyone who practices pure karma may alternate among them at will.)

12.14

Amitābha Buddha is of true golden hue, / His marks and signs dignified, beyond compare; / The white curl serenely turns [like] five Mount Sumerus, / His dark blue eyes are clear and pure [like] the four great oceans. / In his radiance, transformation Buddhas are countless billions, / And the assemblies of transformed bodhisattvas are also boundless; / With forty-eight vows he delivers sentient beings, / Causing all nine grades to ascend to the other shore.

12.15

Thereupon recite the Buddha's name for a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand recitations, and recite the names of each bodhisattva ten or a hundred times, and conclude. Then make the dedication and vow, saying:

12.16

"I now recite Amitābha, / The Buddha name of true merit. / I only pray that in your compassion you pity and accept me, / And bear witness to my repentance and what I vow. / All the evil karma I created in the past, / Arising from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion, / Born of body, speech, and mind— / Everything I now repent. / I pray that when my life is about to end, / All obstacles will be completely eradicated; / Facing and seeing that Buddha Amitābha, / I will immediately obtain rebirth in the land of Peace and Bliss."

12.17

"May this merit / Adorn the Buddha's Pure Land, / Repay above the four kinds of kindness, / And relieve below the suffering of the three realms [of woe]. / If there are those who see or hear, / May they all generate the bodhi-mind; / When this one retribution body is exhausted, / May we together be born in Sukhāvatī." Ten directions, three periods of time, all Buddhas, and so on.

12.18

Second:

12.19

Are the eighty-four thousand wondrous marks not the Amitābha of original nature? The distant realm of a hundred billion lands is precisely the mind-only Pure Land. Although the pure and defiled are separated, how could they transcend one's own mind? Although sentient beings and Buddhas are distinct, how could they deviate from one's own nature? The essence of mind is empty and vast, not obstructing coming and going; nature fundamentally encompasses all, so what harm is there in choosing and rejecting? Therefore, the moment a thought arises, one ascends to the jeweled realm, returning home to the native land of one's own origin; snapping the fingers, one looks up to the compassionate countenance, truly meeting as the innate father and child. For how many lives did we betray grace and vainly suffer sinking down; today, offering our sincerity, we will surely receive salvation. The three minds are completely aroused, and our single intention dashes west. Exhausting future boundaries we rely upon [the Buddha], across dust-like eons we offer praises.

12.20

Recite the Buddha's name and the bodhisattvas' names as before.

12.21

Bhikṣu [so-and-so], in order to deliver sentient beings, takes refuge and with single mind bows down to praise Amitābha Buddha and the holy multitude of the three vehicles, praying that your pure light and compassionate vows embrace me. Now, in order to escape the painful retribution of Sahā, seek rebirth in the Pure Land, and fulfill bodhi, I resolve to generate the sincere mind and cultivate pure karma. I pray that through the merits of bowing to and reciting the holy names of the Tathāgata, chanting sūtras, reciting dhāraṇīs, and all good deeds, cast into the ocean of the Tathāgata's vows, and relying on the Buddha's compassionate power, all offenses will be eradicated, pure causes will grow, and right mindfulness will appear before me. When my life draws to an end, may I know in advance the time has arrived; may my body be free from illness and pain, my verbal karma pure, and my mind not confused or scattered, as if entering meditative absorption. May the Buddha and all the holy ones, holding a golden dais, with wondrous fragrance and heavenly music, come to welcome me. In the space of a single thought, may I obtain rebirth in the Buddha-land; may the flower open and let me see the Buddha, immediately hear the Buddha Vehicle, suddenly open Buddha-wisdom, realize non-arising, and broadly deliver sentient beings so we return together to the Pure Land. I only pray that the Tathāgata especially deign to grant rescue. Ten directions, three periods of time, and so on.

12.22

Third:

12.23

I take refuge in the Great Compassionate Father of the Land of Bliss, / The valiant Tamer, Amitābha; / In the profound sūtras expounded with a single sound, / And the assemblies of bodhisattvas and worthy sages listening. / Universally emit compassionate light to embrace me, / Bringing to completion the bodhi-mind of ten recitations; / Bidding a long farewell to the five turbidities, purify all conditions, / And straightway proceed to the nine lotuses to abide like the Buddha. / The Buddha-moon reflects upon the water of my mind, / And my mind is also reflected in the Buddha-moon; / The vow power being present, I vow to take refuge; / Answering my fervent prayer, come to receive and guide me.

12.24

Recite the names of the Buddha and bodhisattvas as before.

12.25

The merit from chanting sūtras, holding dhāraṇīs, prostrating in repentance, and reciting the Buddha's name performed above, is universally dedicated on behalf of sentient beings, single-mindedly taking refuge and proceeding directly, dedicated to the ocean of vows of Amitā[bha] in Sukhāvatī in the west. We respectfully hope that the World-Honoured One, through the wheel of great vows and compassionate pledge, will embrace us, causing our good roots in the three karmas to progress, and in this evil realm quickly exhaust the conditions of retribution, and cut off forever all causes of rebirth. When life is about to end, may we attain rebirth in right mindfulness, see the Buddha and comprehend the mind, and deliver all around us. All the sins of my karmic obstacles are repented; I pray you deign to welcome and guide, so I follow the Buddha to return together. May the Dharma-protecting deities, extending to all indebted sentient beings, all receive benefit and joy, display their awesome spirit, and jointly bestow protection in samādhi. May the Buddha, in great compassion and pity, embrace us. Ten directions, three periods of time, and so on.

12.26

Fourth:

12.27

I bow my head to Amitābha, / The Great Compassionate Father who saves the world, / The profound true Dharma treasury, / And the worthy and holy Saṅgha of the three vehicles. / With a sincere mind, / I seek rebirth in the Buddha's Pure Land; / May you abide in your original vast vows, / Universally set in motion unconditioned compassion, / And in response to a thought arrive according to conditions, / Just like the moon in the water.

12.28

Recite the names of the Buddha and bodhisattvas as before.

12.29

The merit from chanting sūtras and reciting the Buddha's name performed above is respectfully offered to the Dharma-protecting devas, repaying the four kindnesses and three kinds of existence, and benefiting the sentient beings of the dharmadhātu. All of us together repent the roots of our sins and adorn the Pure Land. We pray that when the retribution of this body is exhausted and we are about to relinquish our lifespan, relying on these good roots we will definitely obtain rebirth in Sukhāvatī, see the Buddha and hear the Dharma, quickly realize bodhi, broadly deliver sentient beings, and grandly perform the Buddha's work. Ten directions, three periods of time, and so on.

12.30

Longshu's Expanded Pure Land Writings, Fascicle Twelve (End)

12.31

Universal Encouragement to Practice

12.32

Namo Amitābha Buddha

12.33

May all fellow practitioners of recollection of the Buddha / Be born in Sukhāvatī, / See the Buddha and resolve birth and death, / And like the Buddha, deliver all beings.

12.34

The Canon states: 'Those who recite [the name of] this Buddha eliminate disasters and preserve lifespan in the present life.' This Buddha has a great vow stating: 'When I become a Buddha, if sentient beings in the ten directions with sincere mind, faith, and joy wish to be born in my land, and reciting my name ten times are not born there, I will not become a Buddha.' If every morning one joins palms facing west, recites the Buddha's name ten times with utmost sincerity, and recites the above four-line verse once, a lotus flower will grow in the seven-jeweled pond of the west. On another day one will be born relying upon it; clothing and food will spontaneously transform as one wishes, with longevity free from aging. Longshu's Pure Land Writings recounts very many stimulus-and-response accounts. Wang Rixiu urged me to produce two illustrations of the Western Paradise: wishing that those who generate the mind of a great bodhisattva carve printing blocks slightly larger; print ten copies of the small one and one copy of the large one; distribute the small one from door to door, and select recipients for the large one; use the small one to encourage servants and maids, and the large one to encourage literate people. If one can carve blocks of the complete text and broadly distribute it, the merit and virtue will not be easily measured. Hence I append the Illustration of Verbal Karma after this; if it is printed and distributed together, so people know what to encourage and admonish, it will be even better.

12.35

Admonitions on Verbal Karma

12.36

Reciting the Buddha's name with the mouth is like spitting out pearls and jade (retribution of the heavenly halls and Buddha-lands).

12.37

Proclaiming teachings with the mouth is like emitting bright light (destroying people's ignorance and darkness).

12.38

Speaking useless words with the mouth is like chewing wood shavings (better to be silent and nurture one's vital energy).

12.39

Delighting in jesting with the mouth is like brandishing swords (hurting others).

12.40

Uttering foul words with the mouth is like spilling maggots (retribution of the hells and animals).

12.41

Speaking of good deeds with the mouth is like spraying pure fragrance (the same as praising people's strengths).

12.42

Speaking truthfully with the mouth is like spreading silk and cloth (truly helping people in practical use).

12.43

Speaking deceitfully with the mouth is like concealing pitfalls (leading others astray if acted upon).

12.44

Reporting evil matters with the mouth is like emitting foul odor (the same as speaking of people's shortcomings).

12.45

Human life does not go beyond the karmas of body, mind, and mouth. Killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct are the three bodily karmas. False speech, frivolous speech, divisive speech, and harsh speech are the four verbal karmas. Greed, anger, and delusion are the three mental karmas. In aggregate, they are called the ten unwholesome actions. If one upholds them without violation, they are called the ten wholesome actions. According to what the Buddha taught, the retributions for verbal karma are more numerous than those of bodily and mental karma, because when a thought arises in the mind, it does not necessarily manifest externally, but once it comes out of the mouth, it is immediately seen. Mobilizing the body to do evil still faces obstacles and difficulties at times, unlike speech which issues forth so easily. Leaving aside matters of another lifetime, let us speak only of the present life: nowadays, there are those who praise someone with a single word, and that person receives benefits for the rest of his life, with blessings extending to his children and grandchildren. There are those who ensnare someone with a single word, and that person suffers harm for the rest of his life, with troubles extending to his children and grandchildren. How could verbal karma not be grave? What goes out from you returns to you; in that case it is certainly terrifying. Yet, one who resents Heaven is impoverished; one who resents others is without wisdom; only exercising self-restraint and caution is proper. Therefore, I describe the intentions of the sages and worthies, making this illustration of encouragement and admonition.

12.46

The Shortcut to Transcending Saṃsāra

12.47

More than ten sūtras in the Great Canon describe the matters of the Western Pure Land: people are all born within lotus flowers, clothing and food are spontaneously transformed, and they enjoy long life without aging. The dharma door of its practice has nine grades; it is now set forth so that everyone can practice it universally.

12.48

Amitābha Buddha has a great vow stating: 'When I become a Buddha, if sentient beings in the ten directions with sincere mind, faith, and joy wish to be born in my land, and reciting my name ten times are not born there, I will not become a Buddha.' In the present life, one can dispel disasters, dissolve animosities, increase blessings, and preserve longevity. Every morning, join palms facing west, bow the head, and recite 'Namo Amitābha Buddha', 'Namo Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva', 'Namo Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva', and 'Namo to all bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and all superior good persons,' ten times each. Again bow the head and recite the verse of Great Compassion Bodhisattva praising the Buddha, repenting sins, and making dedications and vows once: 'Of the Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time, / Amitābha is the first. / Delivering sentient beings through the nine grades, / His awesome virtue is boundless. / I now take the great refuge, / Repenting the offenses of the three karmas; / Whatever blessings and goodness there may be, / With sincere mind I dedicate them. / May fellow practitioners of recollection of the Buddha / Experience stimulus and response manifesting at any time; / At the end of life, the scenery of the West / Will be clearly before our eyes. / May all who see and hear be diligent, / Together born in Sukhāvatī, / Seeing the Buddha to resolve birth and death, / And like the Buddha, deliver all beings.' Again bow the head and withdraw. This verse has great awesome power, capable of eliminating all sins and increasing all blessings; teaching others to recite it brings great blessed reward. Being sincere like this, one is sure to be born in the middle grade. If one is even more diligent and turns to transform others, causing them to encourage and transform one another, one will attain the highest rebirth of the highest grade. If evil and sinful persons cultivate it, they will also be born in the lowest grade.

12.49

When one practices recollection of the Buddha here, a single lotus flower grows in the western seven-jeweled pond, inscribed with one's name. When one takes birth in it on a future day, it is vastly different from the underworld recording one's name and waiting for one's life to end to come and summon one.

12.50

Causes and Conditions of Retribution for Recollection of the Buddha

12.51

The daughter of the Liang family was blind in both eyes yet her vision became clear; Lady Ping had been long ill yet fully recovered; the vengeful ghost pursuing Chen Zhongju thereupon departed; Liu Huizhong slept at night without being startled: these are the efficacies of recollection of the Buddha during one's lifetime. Old woman Yao saw an image of the Buddha in the sky; Tanjian obtained a lotus flower inside his vase; Huaiyu was welcomed by a golden dais; Zhishun beheld peacocks flying and calling: these are the efficacies of rebirth at the end of life. For Zhitong there were five-colored auspicious clouds; Lady Li obtained three indestructible organs; for Baozang a youth emerged from the crown of his head; for Gongze a golden light appeared in Luoyang: these are the efficacies manifest after death. Those who are born in the Pure Land advance without retrogression straight until they achieve buddhahood; thus, encouraging one person to cultivate the Pure Land is bringing about one sentient being's becoming a buddha. Every person who becomes a buddha will inevitably deliver immeasurable sentient beings, and the sentient beings delivered by them all originate from oneself; therefore, the merit of encouraging others to cultivate is inexhaustible. The verse of Great Compassion Bodhisattva says: / 'To be able to encourage one person to cultivate / is superior to one's own diligence. / If one encourages up to ten or more people, / one's merit is already immeasurable. / If one encourages hundreds and thousands, / one is called a true bodhisattva. / If one can further exceed ten thousand in number, / one is none other than Amitābha.' / It also says: / 'Though flesh and blood cherish affection and love one another, / it is hard to expect to be reunited till white hairs; / how many who are strong lose their lives, / and still more infants meet their end! / I urge you to recollect Amitābha Buddha / and take transformation birth in the seven-jeweled pond; / gathering together there will never be separation, / with eternal life and joy for myriad kalpas.' / An ancient poem says: / 'Not one of the myriad things can be taken along; / only karma accompanies the body.' / The above is seen in detail in the Longshu Pure Land Writings, Wang Rixiu's encouragement of conditions.

12.52

Written by Dehai of Xingsheng Chan Monastery inside the city of Jiahe; carved by Wang Hong (Youyun) of Siming.

12.53

Writing completed on the twelfth day of the chrysanthemum month in the third year of the Bunroku era (jiawu); calligrapher: the monk Tangnyeon of the Kingdom of Joseon.

Linked texts (1)

龍舒增廣淨土文 — Classical Chinese