淨土或問 1.19

1.19

Question: The Tathāgatas of the ten directions can all be approached; why exclusively promote Amitābha alone now? Answer: There are three reasons for exclusively promoting Amitābha: first, the profundity and weight of his vows; second, his karmic affinity with the Sahā world; third, the mutual connection in the path of transformation. As for the weight of his vows, the sūtra says: “In the past, during his causal stage, Amitābha made various vast and great vows, summarized as: ‘If, after I attain Buddhahood, there be sentient beings who vow to be born in my land, or hear my name, cultivate the roots of goodness, and recite my name up to ten times—if they should not be born there, may I not attain samyaksaṃbodhi. Once born in my land, if there be any who regress and do not determinately attain Buddhahood, may I not attain samyaksaṃbodhi.’” Therefore, the Huayan chao says: “Amitābha's vows are weighty, specifically receiving the sentient beings of the Sahā world.” As for karmic affinity: during the lifetime of our Buddha Śākyamuni, when sentient beings heard the Buddha's teaching, those who took refuge in Amitābha were already very numerous. Observing sentient beings in the latter age after the Buddha's passing, regardless of monastic or lay, male or female, noble or base, rich or poor—those who have heard even a little of the Buddha's teaching all have faith and devotion, and even those who have never heard the Buddha's teaching can recite the name. Even obstinate, ignorant, violent, evil, and faithless people, when encountering calamity and dangerous places, or letting out sighs of lamentation or grief, will spontaneously and unintentionally call out ‘Amitābha Buddha’. Even children and girls at play, gathering sand and kneading mud, drawing on walls and fences, will make images of Amitābha Buddha. Even those whose steps are not yet steady and whose speech is not yet formed can naturally chant ‘Amitābha Buddha’. These all arise without exhortation and are known without instruction; what could this be if not karmic affinity? Furthermore, the Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra says: “I preach this sūtra so that you may see the Buddha of Limitless Life and his land. Whatever is fitting to do, all may be sought. Do not give rise to doubt again after my parinirvāṇa. In future times when the way of the scriptures is completely destroyed, out of compassion I shall specially cause this sūtra to remain for another hundred years. Sentient beings who encounter this sūtra will all attain deliverance according to their wishes.” Another sūtra says: “After this sūtra is extinguished, the Buddhadharma will be entirely gone, leaving only the four-character name of Amitābha Buddha to deliver sentient beings. Those who disbelieve and slander it will fall into hell and suffer all forms of torment.” Therefore Tiantai said: “One should know that that Buddha has a special affinity with this evil age.” As for mutual connection: the former awakened ones said, “The sages of the two lands manifested their abodes in the pure and the defiled, subduing and guiding sentient beings through the two gates of subduing and gathering. Here, through defilement, suffering, brevity of life, and numerous demonic afflictions, they subdue them, causing them to know revulsion; there, through purity, joy, longevity, and non-retrogression, they gather them, causing them to know rejoicing. When both revulsion and rejoicing are present, the way of transformation is enacted.” Furthermore, among those whom our Śākyamuni did not completely deliver beyond the teaching of the three vehicles, their deliverance rests with Amitābha. Therefore, his repeated, earnest praise and exhortation to go there in various Mahāyāna sūtras is precisely due to the mutual connection in the path of transformation. For these three reasons, he alone is promoted.