龍舒增廣淨土文 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Composed by Wang Rixiu, Jinshi of the National Academy

In the Great Canon there are the Sūtra of the Pure and Equal Enlightenment of Immeasurable Life, the Sūtra of Amitābha Delivering the Human Realm, the Sūtra of Immeasurable Life, and the Sūtra of the Adornment of Immeasurable Life. These four were originally a single sūtra; because the translators differed, they have four titles, and their corruptions and errors are very numerous. I have long since collated and corrected them, and also carved printing blocks to circulate them. Now, based on this sūtra and other sūtras and biographies, I present the General Essentials of the Pure Land.

2.3

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 1

2.4

To speak generally: in the Great Canon, there are more than ten sūtras that speak of the affairs of the Western Pure Land. Their outline says that that place is adorned with the seven treasures; it is without hells, hungry ghosts, beasts, and even tiny flying and wriggling creatures. It is constantly pure and natural, free from all defilement and confusion; hence it is named the Pure Land. Its people are all born from within lotus flowers, live long without aging, and their clothing, food, and dwellings are transformed according to their wishes. Its seasons are an eternal spring, no longer having cold or heat. They experience great pleasure and are free from all suffering and affliction; hence it is named the World of Sukhāvatī. That Buddha is named Amitābha, which is Sanskrit; here it means 'immeasurable'. Because this Buddha's light illuminates and beholds the ten directions and the three realms without limit, and all beings who recollect the Buddha know this, people name him the Buddha of Immeasurable Light. The lifespan of this Buddha and the lifespan of the people in his land are both without limit; even for kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, they do not come to an end; hence he is also named the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. This Buddha has great vows to deliver people, and his majestic spiritual power is inconceivable. Therefore, for those who with utmost sincerity have faith, turn to him, and recite his name, in this present life disasters will surely be eradicated, vengeful ghosts warded off, body and spirit brought to peace, and good fortune and longevity augmented; and in the Western seven-jeweled pond a single lotus flower will grow, within which they will take birth in days to come, directly escaping outside the cycle of rebirth. Cases such as this all have recorded evidence; they are not empty words. His teaching is very easy to practice; among the 84,000 Dharma-gates in the entire Great Canon, none is as essential and direct as this. Yet people sometimes do not know of it—how regrettable! To know it and not practice it is even more regrettable.

2.5

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 2

2.6

The Great Amitābha-sūtra says: 'One day Śākyamuni Buddha's countenance was extraordinary. His attendant Ānanda, wondering at it, asked him about it. The Buddha said: "Splendid! What you ask surpasses making offerings to the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas of an entire world, and giving alms to the gods, humans, and even tiny flying and wriggling creatures throughout repeated kalpas by hundreds of thousands of millions of times, such that it cannot be equaled. Why is this? Because the devas, kings, and humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, will all obtain the path of deliverance by reason of what you have asked."' Looking at it from this perspective, when Śākyamuni Buddha first wished to speak of Amitābha Buddha, that which was retained in his mind and manifested in his countenance was already different from ordinary days; then how Amitābha Buddha moved the Buddhas was indeed extraordinary—how much more so how he moves all sentient beings! When Ānanda asked and he told him, he said that the devas, kings, humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, would all obtain the path of deliverance by reason of what he asked. From the devas above down to wriggling creatures below, all are together within the three realms and therefore do not escape the cycle of rebirth; this is why they had not yet obtained deliverance. Amitābha Buddha's great vows and great power leave nothing undelivered, and therefore he delivers them all. Looking at his verse when he first made his vows, it says: 'When I attain Buddhahood, / my fame will surpass the ten directions; / humans and devas will rejoice to hear it, / and all come to be born in my land. / Those in hells, ghosts, and beasts / will also be born in my land.' From this, it can be known that among all those within the cycle of the three realms and six destinies, there is none who is not delivered. Therefore this sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha is now in the Western World of Sukhāvatī, and also in the worlds of the ten directions instructs and transforms countless devas, humans, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, none of whom fails to cross over and attain liberation.' 'Flying creatures' refers to tiny flying insects; 'wriggling creatures' refers to tiny crawling worms. If the Buddha still transforms and delivers such as these, how much more so humans! This is the reason why his vast deliverance of sentient beings has no end. And when a person takes refuge with a single thought, they are immediately born in that land—there is no need for doubt.

2.7

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 3

2.8

The sūtra also says: Immeasurable and countless kalpas ago, there was the Buddha Lokeśvararāja who appeared to transform and deliver sentient beings. At that time there was a great king who went to listen to the teaching of the Dharma; he then had an awakening, renounced the royal throne, and went to practice, taking the name Monk Dharmākara. This was Amitābha Buddha. Facing the Buddha Lokeśvararāja, he made forty-eight great vows, vow after vow being for the salvation and deliverance of sentient beings. Having made these vows, he was vigorous so as to resolve birth and death, and next entered the bodhisattva grounds. To 'resolve birth and death' means to have birth and death at one's own command. To 'enter the bodhisattva grounds' means to cultivate wisdom within and cultivate merit externally. One who cultivates wisdom causes their nature of wisdom to broaden daily; when in one day they attain Buddhahood, their nature of wisdom encompasses the empty space of worlds, with nothing unknown and nothing unseen. One who cultivates merit takes birth among all sentient beings, sharing their forms and understanding their speech to set forth teaching and transformation; thus from the lord of heaven above down to tiny insects and ants, he took birth among them all. In this way, for immeasurable and countless kalpas, he set forth the transformation of sentient beings. Now, one who sets forth the transformation of sentient beings never fails to gain merit; gaining merit without enjoying it, his merit accumulates more and more and grows greater, and over time pervades the worlds of empty space. When merit is great, majestic spiritual power is great—just as when worldly people's official rank is high, their power and influence are great. Thus, with his majestic spiritual power there was nothing impossible, and only then could he accomplish his vows and enter the station of a Buddha. From his initial making of vows down to his attaining Buddhahood, none of it was not for the sake of sentient beings. Therefore, if a person has utmost faith, turns to him, and recites his name, in this present life they will surely receive blessings and protection, and after death will surely be born straight into Sukhāvatī. If they can with concentrated mind visualize his form, in this present life they will surely see the Buddha's true body. Because the Buddha's majestic spiritual presence is nowhere absent, and the person's mental mindfulness becomes thoroughly attuned to the Buddha, there is naturally an interaction, and so the Buddha manifests his body. Details appear in Fascicle 5.

2.9

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 4

2.10

The sūtra says: Amitābha Buddha, through great asaṃkhyeya kalpas, practiced the bodhisattva conduct; his power of forbearance was accomplished, he took no account of all sufferings, and constantly with a gentle countenance and loving words benefited sentient beings. He guarded well his oral karma, not ridiculing the faults of others; he guarded well his bodily karma, not losing monastic deportment; he guarded well his mental karma, pure and undefiled. From his hands there constantly issued all clothing, all food and drink, all banners and jeweled canopies, all music, and all the most supreme necessary things; with these he gave freely to sentient beings, causing them to give rise to joy, so as to practice teaching and transforming them, thereby causing immeasurable and countless sentient beings to arouse the unsurpassed mind of bodhi. Such good deeds are immeasurable and boundless, impossible to speak of fully. Passing through immeasurable, countless hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of kalpas, his merits perfected and his majestic spiritual power flourishing, only then could he accomplish his vows and enter the station of a Buddha. Therefore, among the devas and humans of the countless worlds of the ten directions, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, there is none who is not delivered. For this reason, taking refuge with a single thought, one is immediately born in his land, where all have transformation birth from within lotus flowers in the seven-jeweled pond, naturally growing to adulthood without anyone nursing them, all eating natural food. Their appearance, form, and color are upright, luminous, pure, and fine, certainly beyond comparison with worldly people, and also beyond comparison with devas; all receive natural, pure, and spiritual bodies, and boundless lifespan. Throughout that land, all are superior good people; there are no women; all have lifespans of countless kalpas; all have penetrating vision and clear hearing, seeing each other from afar, hearing each other's voices from afar; all are seekers of the good path, with no different sort of person. Even though passing through tens of thousands of kalpas, there is none who does not know where they came from; they also know the events of the past, future, and present in the worlds of the ten directions; they also know what the minds of countless people above in heaven and below on earth, down to tiny flying and wriggling creatures, desire to think and what their mouths desire to speak; they also know in what kalpa and what year these sentient beings will all be delivered to become human and attain birth in Sukhāvatī—because their nature of wisdom is thoroughly penetrating, it is thus.

2.11

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 5

2.12

The Pure Land Biographies say: Amitābha Buddha, together with the two bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, rides the boat of the great vow to float upon the sea of birth and death, and approaches this Sahā world, calling and leading sentient beings to board the boat of the great vow and sending them to the West. If one is willing to go, there is none who will not attain birth. Looking at this, the Buddha and bodhisattvas pity and think upon sentient beings sinking in the sea of suffering with no way to get out, and therefore, by the power of their vows, personally invite and attract people to be born in the Pure Land—just as a ferryman invites travelers to board the boat and sends them to the other shore. One only fears that people will not believe; if one has a faithful mind and is willing to go, even if one has sins and evils, there is none who will not attain birth. For the Buddha cannot be compared to ordinary people: ordinary people do not interact with others without power or profit; they do not interact with others unless it benefits themselves—this is why they are ordinary people. Worthy people and gentlemen are already not like this, how much less so the Buddha! For without loving-kindness and compassion, one does not suffice to be a Buddha; without saving and delivering sentient beings, one does not suffice to be a Buddha; without great majestic power, one does not suffice to be a Buddha. Because of his loving-kindness and compassion, seeing sentient beings sinking in the sea of suffering, he wishes to save and deliver them; because of his great majestic power, he can fulfill his wish to save and deliver, accomplishing the merit of salvation and deliverance—this is why he is a Buddha. The sūtra says: The Great Physician King can cure all illnesses, but cannot cure a person whose life has ended. The Buddha can deliver all sentient beings, but cannot deliver any person who does not believe. Comparing the unbelieving to one whose life has ended can be called extreme. Now, faith is a single thought. If, while alive, a person's mental thought desires to go, the body follows and goes; if the mental thought desires to stay, the body follows and stays. Thus the body constantly follows thought; yet there are still times when the thought desires to go but the body is tied down. When the body breaks up, there is only a single thought; wherever a single thought arrives, there is nowhere it does not reach. Therefore, if a single thought is in the Pure Land, one will surely be born in the Pure Land—how much more so when the Buddha and bodhisattvas also summon and guide people to rebirth!

2.13

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part 6

2.14

Amitābha Buddha has a vow that says: 'Those who have been born in my land and wish to be reborn in other realms shall, according to their wish, never again fall into the three evil paths.' Why is this? Those who are born in the Pure Land are certain to realize the patience of non-arising dharmas. Moreover, one who has the patience of non-arising dharmas is one who has comprehended birth and death. Though they enter the realm of birth and death, this single nature is already unobscured. Once this single nature is unobscured, how could they commit evil? In terms of principle, there is certainly no falling; how much more so when relying also on the Buddha's power—hence falling is impossible. For this reason, those born in the Pure Land not only have long life without aging, but also have autonomy in birth and death. Therefore, if they wish to establish the transformation of all sentient beings and enter into the birth-and-death realm of all sentient beings, their true nature remains ever serene and clear, no longer deluded by external objects and no longer bound by karmic conditions. Though they are in the world of saṃsāra, they are no longer subject to saṃsāra: this is what is called transcending the world. It means that though they are within the world, they have transcended the world. Therefore, those born in the Pure Land who have autonomy in birth and death may be born in the heavens if they wish, or in the human realm if they wish; they may be born into great wealth and nobility if they wish, or into purity if they wish; they may have long life without extinction if they wish, or pass into extinction and be born again if they wish; whatever they desire, they are unimpeded in all things. This is why practicing [for] the Pure Land is held in such esteem. People of the world do not know this principle; they vainly suffer from birth and death, wishing to be born into wealth and nobility but instead being born into poverty and lowliness; wishing to be born into joy but instead being born into sorrow and distress; wishing to be born and live long but instead being born to an untimely and early end; wishing to be born on good paths but instead being born into evil destinies. In every way they are deluded by external objects and bound by karmic conditions, unable to attain autonomy; hence from beginningless eons they have transmigrated through the six destinies, unable to escape. One ought to reflect upon these distresses and turn one's mind toward the Pure Land. Why it is called the World of Sukhāvatī—its meaning can now be seen.

2.15

General Essentials of the Pure Land, Part Seven

2.16

Yang Jie (style name Cigong) of Wuwei passed the highest civil service examinations in his youth and understood the fundamental tenets of the Chan school. He maintained that among sentient beings, capacities are sharp or dull; yet what is closest and easiest to understand, simplest and easiest to practice, is solely the Western Pure Land. Simply with single-minded contemplation and relying on the Buddha's vow power, one is born directly in Peaceful Nourishment. In his preface to Wang Minzhong's 'Resolving Doubts by Directly Pointing to the Pure Land', he wrote: 'The radiance of Amitābha Buddha is like a great round moon, shining everywhere throughout the ten directions. When the water is clear and still, the full form of the moon appears; yet the moon did not rush into the water to come. When the water is turbid and turbulent, the moon has no fixed light; yet the moon did not abandon the water to leave. In the water there is clarity and turbidity, motion and stillness; in the moon there is no taking or relinquishing, leaving or coming. Therefore the Avataṃsaka-sūtra records the Elder Muktaka saying: "I know that all Buddhas are like reflections, and my own mind is like water. Those Tathāgatas do not come here; if I wish to see the World of Peace and Joy, Amitābha Tathāgata is seen at will." From this it is known that if sentient beings focus their mindfulness, they are certain to see Amitābha, and if they are born in that land, they will be free from all suffering.' The Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra says: 'Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla asked Śākyamuni Buddha: "How can future sentient beings come to see all the Buddhas of the ten directions?" The Buddha instructed him to be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, and he would immediately see all the Buddhas of the ten directions.' Furthermore, the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra says: 'If sentient beings of other directions hear the name of the Tathāgata Amitāyus, and are able to give rise to even a single thought of pure faith, rejoicing and taking delight, dedicating all roots of goodness with the vow to be born in that land, they will be reborn according to their vow and attain non-retrogression.' These are all the Buddha's words. If one does not believe the Buddha's words, what words can be believed? If one is not born in the Pure Land, what land can one be born in? Dongpo said: 'In his later years, Cigong served as the Salt Commission governor. He often painted a sixteen-foot image of Amitābha Buddha and traveled with it, making offerings and contemplating it. When his life came to an end, he was moved by the Buddha coming to welcome him, and passed away sitting upright.'

2.17

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

Linked texts (1)

龍舒增廣淨土文 — Classical Chinese