淨土或問 1.13

1.13

Question: May I hear in detail about the methods of practice for the Pure Land? Answer: In the Pure Land, there is no practice; practice exists because of delusion. Dharmas have neither superior nor inferior; superiority and inferiority stem from capacities. Capacities have many differences, and practices are divided into many kinds. Gathering their many kinds, altogether there are three gateways: the first is contemplation and visualization; the second is recollection and mindfulness; the third is diverse practices. All take Amitābha of Sukhāvatī as their sovereign. First, as for contemplation and visualization, as the Contemplation Sūtra says: 'The Buddha-Tathāgatas are the body of the dharma-realm, entering into the mind-thoughts of all sentient beings. For this reason, when you in your minds think of the Buddha, this mind is itself the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor marks. This mind makes Buddha; this mind is Buddha. The ocean of the true and universal knowledge of all Buddhas arises from mind-thought. For this reason, you should with single mind tether your thoughts and closely contemplate that Buddha.' The Tiantai Commentary says: 'From "The Buddha-Tathāgatas" onward generally explains all Buddhas. From "For this reason, you should" onward specifically contemplates Amitābha. "Body of the dharma-realm" means born of the dharma-nature of the reward Buddha. When the minds of sentient beings are pure, the dharmakāya is sovereign and unhindered; thus it says "entering." Just as the white sun ascending into the sky reflects in a hundred rivers, it clarifies that the Buddha-body is sovereign and able to manifest according with things. Furthermore, the body of the dharma-realm is the Buddha-body, pervading everywhere, taking the dharma-realm as its substance. Attaining this buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, understanding and entering correspond; thus it says "entering into mind-thought." "This mind makes Buddha": the Buddha originally does not exist, but exists because the mind is pure. "This mind is Buddha": having previously heard that the Buddha originally does not exist and exists because the mind is pure, one might then claim they are separate; thus it says "is itself." Initial awakening is called "making"; final attainment is itself "being Buddha."' The Miaozong [commentary] explains: 'Wishing to visualize the Buddha-body, one must know the substance of contemplation. The substance is original awakening, which arises to become that which can contemplate. Original awakening is indeed the body of the dharma-realm of all Buddhas, because all Tathāgatas have nothing else to realize—they fully realize the original nature of sentient beings. If initial awakening has efficacy, original awakening is then revealed; therefore it says the dharmakāya arises from mind-thought. Furthermore, Amitābha and all Buddhas share one body and one wisdom, and their responsive functions are also the same. The manifestation of Amitābha's body is itself the bodies of all Buddhas; the illumination of all Buddhas' marks is itself Amitābha's substance. Therefore, generally explaining the arising of all Buddhas' bodies serves as the contemplation-substance for observing Amitābha. From "the body of the dharma-realm" onward explains according to the sympathetic resonance of stimulus and response. From "furthermore, the body of the dharma-realm" onward explains according to the correspondence of understanding and entering.' The Rongxin jie says: 'Without the first explanation, the contemplation would not be contemplating Buddha. Without the second explanation, the substances of sentient beings and Buddhas would be distinct. The two explanations complete each other; this is the present method of contemplation.' The Miaozong also says: 'The present contemplation of mind does not directly contemplate the original-nature Buddha upon the aggregates, but relies on the other Buddha to reveal one's original nature. Therefore it first clarifies that the response Buddha enters my contemplating mind, and next clarifies that the Buddha-body is entirely original awakening. Thus when the response Buddha is manifested, one knows that the original nature is illumined. Relying on the external, the meaning is achieved; the contemplation of mind-only is established. If we discuss "making" and "is," these are the inconceivable three contemplations: for whether negating or establishing, both are called "making"—the two contemplations of emptiness and conventional existence; neither negating nor establishing is called "is"—the contemplation of the Middle Way. Completely "is" and yet "making," then the three truths are all negated and the three truths are all established; completely "making" and yet "is," then regarding the three truths there is neither negating nor establishing; the emptiness and conventional existence within the Middle are called "making." Being able to destroy the three delusions and able to establish the three dharmas, it therefore evokes the perfect response of the other Buddha's three bodies, and is able to accomplish the future fruit of the three bodies of one's own mind; the Middle within emptiness and conventional existence is called "is." Then complete delusion is itself wisdom, and complete obstruction is itself virtue; therefore the mind is the response Buddha, and the mind is the fruit Buddha. Thus we know that "making" and "is" in one mind practicing these three contemplations is the overall substance of the sixteen contemplations, the wonderful purport of the entire sūtra.' It also says: 'This contemplation can make the four Buddha-lands pure; only such is the central purport of this sūtra.' It even goes on to say: 'Because this sūtra was originally for Vaidehī's revulsion toward the defilement of Common Residence and seeking the purity of Common Residence, it therefore spoke of the wonderful contemplation to observe his environment and person. If the three contemplations are accomplished, coarse defilements will fall away first; if there were no [realms of] Expediency with Remainder and Purity, where else could one be reborn? One must know that it was precisely for rebirth into the purity of Common Residence that the three contemplations were expounded. Because the contemplation is subtle and able to destroy the three delusions, it does not merely evoke the Pure Land of Common Residence; in accordance with where the severing of delusions is shallow or deep, one naturally evokes the three [higher lands] such as Remainder. Just as sickness requires medicine originally for bodily peace; if one seeks an immortal's formula, compounds, and takes it, not only does it bring bodily peace, it can also lighten the bones. Bodily peace can be compared to being born into the purity of Common Residence; lightening the bones can be compared to evoking the upper three lands. It is only a single medicine, yet its efficacy is deep and superior; just as one wonderful contemplation can purify the four lands.' The explanation says: 'Vaidehī originally wished to abandon defilement and choose purity, and the Buddha revealed the contemplation method, so that abandoning defilement was thorough and revealing purity was without remainder. Just as Candracchatra, in order to avoid the sickness of retribution at Vaiśālī, therefore requested Avalokiteśvara, and upon chanting the dhāraṇī, could then extinguish and subdue the roots of the three poisons and fully possess the fruits of the five eyes. Therefore, those who seek rebirth in the Pure Land through the three contemplations in one mind take the three delusions as the cause of defiled lands and the three truths as the fruit of the Pure Land; thus, when the distinctive delusions are exhausted, the land of Silent Illumination is pure, fully realizing the three truths. When the distinctive delusions are not yet exhausted, the land of True Reward is pure, partially realizing the three truths.' And so forth. As explained above, the three contemplations in one mind can destroy the three delusions and purify the four lands. If one has not yet destroyed them and is born into Sukhāvatī's Common Residence, by relying on that superior [environment] and increasing one's practice, the three purities such as Remainder can then be awaited. Moreover, the teachings say: the lightness or heaviness of the five defilements determines the purity or impurity of Common Residence, and the Common Residence's environment and person evoked by the complete contemplation of lightening defilements are the most pure. Compared to practicing precepts and good deeds and the various merits of other sūtras to evoke Sukhāvatī, their appearances are as distant as heaven and earth. Therefore, the Tiantai school regards the complete contemplation as concentrated goodness. Second, as for recollection and mindfulness: either focusing on the marks and features, or holding the name—both are called recollection and mindfulness, and there are principle and phenomena. As Elder Vimukta in the Avataṃsaka says: 'If I wish to see the Tathāgata Amitāyus of the World of Peace and Joy, I see him as I wish. In this way, of all the Tathāgatas in all the worlds of the ten directions, if I wish to see them, I see them as I wish. I am able to clearly know all the adornments, spiritual penetrations, and other matters of the Tathāgatas' lands, that they come from nowhere and go nowhere, having no place of going and no place of dwelling; just like my own body, having no coming and no going, no place of going or dwelling. Yet that Tathāgata does not come here, nor do I go there; because I know all Buddhas and my own mind are both like a dream. What is seen in a dream arises from discrimination; seeing all Buddhas arises from one's own mind. Furthermore, I know my own mind is like water in a vessel, understanding all dharmas are like reflections in water. Furthermore, I know my own mind is like an illusionist's art, knowing all Buddhas are like illusory creations. Furthermore, I know that in one's own mind all Buddhas and bodhisattvas are all like echoes, just as an empty valley sends forth an echo according to a sound, understanding that one's own mind sees the Buddha in accordance with thought. Knowing thus and recollecting thus, all the Buddhas I see are from my own mind.' The Zhenyuan Commentary says: 'From "come from nowhere" onward, it directly discerns mind-only; that the mind is without mind then enters true thusness, realizing those marks are empty and merely manifested by mind. Having realized mind-only, one realizes that the mind is itself Buddha; therefore, according with whatever is thought of, there is nothing that is not Buddha. Below, four metaphors are listed, which generally reveal that the metaphor of mind-only is without coming and going, and specifically also clarify neither exiting nor entering, and so forth. All four metaphors possess the four contemplations: first, exactly mind-only; second, because of mind-only, empty; third, because of mind-only, conventional; fourth, because of mind-only, the Middle. Integrated and unhindered—this is the meaning of the Avataṃsaka. The dream metaphor means neither coming nor going; the reflection metaphor means neither exiting nor entering; the illusion metaphor means neither existent nor non-existent; the echo metaphor means neither joined nor scattered.' Furthermore, as the Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra teaches cultivating the samādhi of the Buddha's standing presence, focusing mindfully on Amitābha. Briefly, it says: 'Constantly be mindful of that Buddha, just as seeing in a dream gold, jewels, and relatives enjoying one another,' and so on. Yongming says: 'This metaphor shows that it is made by mind-only; being empty right within existence, there is neither coming nor going. Furthermore, being like an illusion and not real, both mind and Buddha are forgotten. Yet illusory marks are not absent, so mind and Buddha are not destroyed. Emptiness and existence are unhindered; thus there is no going or coming. It does not obstruct universal seeing; seeing is non-seeing, constantly tallying with the Middle Way. Therefore, the Buddha truly does not come, and the mind also does not go; the sympathetic resonance of stimulus and response is seen by mind-only itself.' Furthermore, as Mahāsthāmaprāpta in the Śūraṅgama says: 'If a child remembers the mother as the mother remembers [the child], mother and child, passing through lifetimes, will not be far apart,' up to 'I originally on the causal ground, through the mind of buddhānusmṛti, entered anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti.' Zhichuan distinguished this by principle and phenomena, saying: 'Observing the metaphor of mother and child remembering each other, this is merely the phenomenal aspect of Common Residence. Observing his personal realization of anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, the mind of buddhānusmṛti cannot be understood solely in terms of phenomenal aspects. When mindfulness contains the three contemplations, the Buddha possesses the three bodies, and the mind destroys the three delusions, the stage of anutpattika-kṣānti can then be entered.' Furthermore, as the Amitābha-sūtra says: 'firmly holding the name' up to 'single-mindedly undisturbed,' Jingjue says: 'Single-mindedly undisturbed, by analogy with the previous wonderful contemplation, is equally named correct reception, which is the concentrated mind and concentrated goodness. According to the treatises of past masters, there are principle and phenomena. If one penetrates this mind, the four natures do not arise, and it corresponds with wisdom of emptiness; this is single-mindedness of principle. If one applies the mind to maintain mindfulness, thought after thought without interruption, it is called single-mindedness of phenomena.' Zhenxie also said: 'Single-mindedly undisturbed contains both principle and phenomena. As for single-mindedness of phenomena, everyone can practice it; because by holding the name the mind is undisturbed, like a dragon finding water, like a tiger leaning against a mountain. This is what the Śūraṅgama means by: "Recollecting the Buddha and being mindful of the Buddha, now or in the future one will definitely see the Buddha, not far from the Buddha; without relying on expedient means, one will naturally open one's mind." It gathers the meaning of both intermediate and lower capacities. As for single-mindedness of principle, it is also no other dharma: one simply takes the four characters "A-mi-tuo-fo" as a huatou, directly bringing it up and examining it throughout the twelve hours of the day; not being mindful with a mind of existence, not being mindful with a mind of non-existence, not being mindful with a mind of both existence and non-existence, not being mindful with a mind of neither existence nor non-existence; the boundaries before and after are severed, not a single thought arises, not stepping on gradations, directly leaping over to the Buddha-ground.' I have once evaluated this: the passage beginning with 'not being mindful with a mind of existence' has four clauses that can correspond to the three contemplations. The first clause corresponds to emptiness, the next clause corresponds to conventional existence, the third is double detachment, and the fourth is double identification. Double detachment and double identification can correspond to the contemplation of the Middle, for that contemplation of the Middle also contains the meanings of negation and illumination. Taken together, it is nothing other than matching the nature through practice, revealing that right here is empty, the entire substance is existent, neither empty nor existent, and both empty and existent; ungraspable, unthinkable; where the path of the mind is cut off is called Buddha. As briefly cited in several items above, they are collectively named recollection and mindfulness, each divided into principle and phenomena. Mindfulness of principle, identical with the complete contemplation, can destroy the three delusions and purify the four lands; this gathers those of the highest capacities. As for mindfulness of phenomenal aspects, in the near term it evokes the purity of Common Residence, and in the long term it can serve as the cause for the upper three lands. Below this, phenomenal aspects are not uniform: as taught in various sūtras, either tethering mindfulness for a lifetime, or tethering mindfulness for three months, or ten recitations in the morning, or mindfulness for forty-nine days, or mindfulness during the six periods of ten days and ten nights, or uninterrupted focused mindfulness for one day and one night—supplemented with the power of deep faith, the power of pure vows, and the power of the Buddha's empowerment—all will be born in Sukhāvatī. Furthermore, descending down to ordinary beings guilty of rebellious offenses and evil deeds, ten recitations at the time of death are also permitted to attain rebirth; this gathers intermediate capacities and the lowest of the low capacities. Third, as for diverse practices: as when Bodhisattva Samantabhadra in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra encouraged the youth Sudhana and the great assembly of the ocean-wide gathering to make ten great vows: first, to pay homage to all Buddhas; second, to praise the Tathāgatas; third, to broadly cultivate offerings; fourth, to repent of karmic hindrances; fifth, to rejoice in merit; sixth, to request the turning of the wheel of Dharma; seventh, to request the Buddhas to remain in the world; eighth, to constantly follow the Buddhas in study; ninth, to always accord with sentient beings; tenth, to universally dedicate all merit. Each vow says: 'If the realm of empty space is exhausted, if the realms of sentient beings are exhausted, if the karma of sentient beings is exhausted, if the afflictions of sentient beings are exhausted, then my vows will be exhausted.' But because the realm of empty space, up to sentient beings, karma, and afflictions cannot be exhausted, therefore these king of vows of mine have no exhaustion, succeeding thought after thought without interruption, without weariness in bodily, verbal, and mental actions. When approaching the end of life at the very last moment, all faculties are scattered and ruined, all majesty and power are lost and gone, ministers and counselors, palaces inside and out, elephants, horses, carriages, and hidden treasures of jewels no longer follow along; only this king of vows does not abandon or depart, leading the way before him at all times, so that in a single instant he is reborn in the world of Sukhāvatī. Having arrived, he immediately sees Amitābha Buddha; that person sees himself born within a lotus flower, receiving vyākaraṇa from the Buddha. Having received vyākaraṇa, passing through countless kalpas, universally in inexpressibly inexpressible worlds of the ten directions, through the power of wisdom he brings benefit in accordance with the minds of sentient beings, even being able to pull sentient beings out of the great ocean of suffering of afflictions to make them transcend, all attaining rebirth in the world of Sukhāvatī. Furthermore, as the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Hearing this classic and practicing as spoken, when life here ends, one will immediately go to the dwelling place of Amitābha Buddha surrounded by the great assembly of bodhisattvas in the World of Peace and Joy, born upon a jeweled seat within a lotus flower, no longer troubled by greed and desire, nor troubled by anger and delusion, nor troubled by the defilements of arrogance and jealousy, attaining the bodhisattva's spiritual penetrations and anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti.' Furthermore, as the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra speaks of giving rise to ten kinds of minds to be reborn in Sukhāvatī. The Buddha told Maitreya: 'Such ten minds cannot be generated by ordinary fools, unwholesome men, or those possessing afflictions. What are the ten? First, giving rise to great loving-kindness toward all sentient beings, with a mind free of harmfulness; second, giving rise to great compassion toward all sentient beings, with a mind free of affliction; third, not begrudging body or life regarding the Buddha's king of dharmas, with a mind that delights in protecting it; fourth, generating superior patience regarding all dharmas, with a mind free of clinging; fifth, not coveting material gain, offerings, or respect, with a pure and joyful mind; sixth, seeking the Buddha's sarvajñatā, with a mind that is unforgetful at all times; seventh, respecting and honoring all sentient beings, without a base mind; eighth, not attached to worldly talk, giving rise to a resolute mind regarding the bodhipakkhiyā-dhammā; ninth, planting all roots of goodness, with a pure mind free of defilement; tenth, abandoning all marks regarding all Tathāgatas, giving rise to a mind of mindful recollection. These are called the ten kinds of minds generated by a bodhisattva. By virtue of these minds, one will attain rebirth. If a person accomplishes any one of these ten minds and delights in wishing to be reborn in that Buddha's world, it is impossible that he would not be reborn.' Furthermore, as the Contemplation Sūtra says: 'Those who wish to be born in that land should cultivate the three blessings: first,孝 filially nourishing parents, serving teachers and elders, having a compassionate mind without killing, and cultivating the ten wholesome karmas; second, receiving and upholding the three refuges, being fully endowed with all the precepts, and not violating deportment; third, giving rise to the bodhicitta, deeply believing in cause and effect, reading and reciting the Mahāyāna, and encouraging practitioners. These three kinds of karma are the correct causes for the pure karma of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present.' The Commentary says: 'The first karma is shared with ordinary beings; the second karma is shared with the two vehicles; the latter karma is the uncommon dharma of the Mahāyāna.' Furthermore, as the Larger Text explains the three grades giving rise to the bodhicitta, and as explained in various sūtras and treatises: reciting sūtras and holding dhāraṇīs, building stupas and making images, bowing and singing praises, upholding vegetarian fasts and precepts, burning incense and scattering flowers, hanging silk banners and canopies—every single practice and single deed sufficient to seek rebirth, when assisted by the power of faith, vows, and dedication, brings rebirth without exception. Citing broadly as above, they are collectively named diverse practices. However, since vows and practices have differences of great and small, they also each have differences of principle and phenomena. Take, for instance, such things as the ten vows of the Avataṃsaka and the ten minds of the Ratnakūṭa: when born in Sukhāvatī, the superiority of the environment and person they evoke, as well as the Buddhas they see and the Dharmas they hear, must indeed be vastly different compared to the common run of minor practices.