淨土或問 1.9

1.9

The questioner asked: "The Buddhas and patriarchs appeared in the world to deliver sentient beings. The student's only concern is that the Great Matter is not yet clear. Once the Great Matter is clarified, one ought to carry out the Buddha's teachings, manifesting transformation-bodies according to different categories of beings, plunging into mud and entering water without fleeing birth and death, to broadly deliver living beings. If awakened and accomplished individuals now seek rebirth in the Pure Land, they are detesting suffering and fleeing to joy, showing no regard for others. This is not what I wish." I answered: "To see the egg and expect it to crow at dawn—why calculate so prematurely? Would you say that after a single awakening, habitual defilements are forever eliminated and one immediately attains non-retrogression (avaivartika)? Would you say that after a single awakening, there is no further need to study the Buddhadharma broadly, practice cultivation, and realize the fruits? Would you say that after a single awakening, one can immediately equal the Buddhas above, enter birth and death, and never be disturbed by obstructive conditions? If it were truly so, then wouldn't the great bodhisattvas, who cultivated the six pāramitās and ten thousand practices through kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, be utterly put to shame by you? An ancient scripture says: 'Even śrāvakas suffer from confusion upon emerging from the womb; even bodhisattvas experience bewilderment when passing through the intermediate state.' How much more so for those of recent times with shallow understanding and slight awakening, who cannot even save themselves? Even if there are those whose awakening is profound and far-reaching, whose discernment is elevated and brilliant, whose practice and understanding correspond, and whose intention is set on delivering people, if they have not yet mounted the stage of non-retrogression, their power and capacity will not be sufficient. To dwell in this turbid and evil world to transform these stubborn and unyielding beings—this is also something the ancient sages did not permit. It is like using an incomplete and fragile boat to ferry many people across a tempestuous sea: both oneself and others are bound to drown; such is the inevitable principle. Therefore, the Wang sheng lun says: 'Those who wish to roam playfully in the gates of hell must be born in that land; having attained anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, they return to birth and death to rescue suffering sentient beings. For this reason they seek rebirth in the Pure Land.' Furthermore, an ancient sage said: 'Before attaining the stage of non-retrogression, one must not mix with worldly society to deliver living beings. Before attaining anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, one must constantly remain close to the Buddha.' It is like an infant who never leaves its mother, or like a fledgling bird with weak feathers that can only hop from branch to branch. In this realm today, Śākyamuni has already passed into extinction and Maitreya has not yet been born; moreover, the suffering causes and effects of the four wretched destinies entangle and pull, non-Buddhists and evil māras fan confusion, alluring beauty and seductive sounds seduce one another, and evil conditions and foul touches make mutual incursions. Having no present Buddha upon whom to rely, and being disturbed by worldly objects and circumstances, few among those with initial awakening and realization escape relapse and defeat. Thus, there is indeed good reason why the World-Honoured One earnestly pointed the way back to Sukhāvatī! For that Amitābha is currently preaching the Dharma, and the conditions and surroundings of that Land of Joy are pure in every way. If one relies on that Buddha, the power of forbearance is easily perfected, one realizes the elevated stage of Buddhahood, and directly receives vyākaraṇa; only after that does one go out to transform sentient beings, coming and going without impediment. For this reason, even those of superior faculties and sharpest capacity still vow to entrust their birth there. How much more so for intermediate and inferior individuals like you who have only just gained an initial awakening! Do you not see in the Guanfo sanmei jing that Mañjuśrī recounted his past causes, stating that by attaining buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, he was constantly born in the Pure Land? The World-Honoured One further bestowed vyākaraṇa upon him, saying: 'You shall be reborn in the realm of Sukhāvatī.' Do you not see in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra that Samantabhadra urged the youth Sudhana and the ocean-like assembly forward, using the ten great vows to guide their return to Sukhāvatī? His verse says: 'May I, when on the verge of death, / Completely eliminate all obstacles, / See that Buddha Amitābha face to face, / And immediately attain rebirth in the land of Peace and Joy.' It also says: 'That Buddha's assembly is entirely pure; / At that time, born from a supreme lotus flower, / I will directly behold the Tathāgata of Immeasurable Light, / Who will bestow the vyākaraṇa of bodhi upon me face-to-face. / Having received the Tathāgata's vyākaraṇa, / Manifesting countless hundreds of koṭis of transformation-bodies, / With vast intellectual power pervading the ten directions, / I will benefit and bring joy to all realms of sentient beings.' Do you not see the verse bestowing vyākaraṇa upon Nāgārjuna in the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: 'In the country of southern India, / A bhikṣu of great renown and virtue, / Named Nāgārjuna, / Will be able to demolish the extremes of existence and non-existence. / In the world he will manifest my / Unsurpassed Great Vehicle Dharma, / Attain the first stage of Joy (pramuditā-bhūmi), / And be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy.' Do you not see that in the Awakening of Faith Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa had the vow to seek rebirth? In the Wuliangshou lun, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu had the intention to vow to go. Do you not see that in the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra, King Śuddhodana and seventy thousand Śākya clansmen were verified and permitted to be reborn together in the Land of Nurturing (Sukhāvatī)? In the Contemplation Sūtra, Queen Vaidehī and her five hundred attendants were guided to gaze upon Amitābha together. Furthermore, Śuddhodana, Vaidehī, and the others all attained anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti in their present lifetimes. Those of this sort in India cannot be counted. In the Eastern Land (China), eminent persons such as Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu who gathered the society, and the venerable teachers of the Tiantai and Xianshou traditions who practiced themselves and transformed others—how could one count all the monastics and laypeople who were reborn together in the Pure Land? Consider that Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra are great bodhisattvas; Sudhana and the ocean-wide assembly broadly visited kalyāṇamitras and their awakening equalled that of all the sages; Aśvaghoṣa, Nāgārjuna, and others are also bodhisattvas and are regarded by the Chan school as great ancestral masters. How does the awakening and realization of these sages compare with that of today's awakened individuals? They still vowed to be born in the Land of Joy and attend upon Amitābha. Yet after a single awakening, you no longer seek rebirth—would Nāgārjuna, Aśvaghoṣa, Samantabhadra, and Mañjuśrī not be put to shame by you? Now, why do you not examine your own heart and weigh your own strength: do your cultivation and realization truly surpass those two bodhisattvas and two Chan patriarchs? Do the kalyāṇamitras you have visited and the Buddha-nature you have awakened to truly surpass those of Sudhana and the ocean-like assembly? Does your attainment of anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti and your confirmation by the Buddha truly surpass those of Śuddhodana and Vaidehī? King Śuddhodana was the Buddha's father; the seventy thousand Śākyas were the Buddha's relatives. If rebirth in the Pure Land were of no benefit, would the Buddha have had the heart to mislead his own father and kin? It was previously said that those who have attained anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti are permitted to mix with the world to deliver living beings; now, although his royal father and relatives had already attained this forbearance, their rebirth was still predicted—is this intent to seek protection and nurture not deep and far-reaching? One often sees contemporary Chan practitioners who do not investigate the definitive meaning of the Tathāgata and do not know Bodhidharma's profound mechanism. Empty-bellied and arrogant, they practice wild delusion, and seeing those who cultivate the Pure Land, they laugh and say: 'They are studying the practices of foolish men and women.' How contemptible! I once argued that they are not holding foolish men and women in contempt; they are holding Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Nāgārjuna, Aśvaghoṣa, and the others in contempt! Not only do they themselves stray from the right path, lose their own wholesome roots, destroy their own wisdom-body, and annihilate their own Buddha-seed, but they also create the karma of slandering the Dharma and incur the disaster of despising the sages. The Buddhas and patriarchs view them with deep pity. Thereupon, Master Yongming, deeply pitying and grieving for them, bared his heart and lungs to advocate the Pure Land, both cultivating it himself and transforming the world with it. Thus, when approaching death, he knew the time in advance, and various extraordinary signs appeared, to the point that relics were layered on his body like scales. There was once a monk from Fuzhou who circumambulated his stupa for an entire year. When people asked the reason, the monk said: 'Because of illness, I entered the underworld. King Yama released me back to life because my lifespan in the world was not yet exhausted. In the hall, to the left, I saw an enshrined portrait of a monk, to whom King Yama was bowing reverently. I then asked the presiding clerk, and the clerk said: "This is Chan Master Yongming Yanshou. His cultivation was diligent, and he went directly to rebirth in the highest grade of Sukhāvatī. The King considered this rare and exceptional, so he had his portrait drawn and pays reverence to it." ' Now, Yongming had already awakened to the Chan of Bodhidharma's direct pointing, yet he was able to establish himself in the highest grade of Sukhāvatī, using this to resolve the obstinate attachments of Chan practitioners and to inspire faith in the latter days of the Law. Therefore, I say that he rendered profound service to both the teachings and the school in this regard. How could it be that this applies only to Yongming? For example, Chan Master Sixin Wuxin wrote an essay encouraging the cultivation of the Pure Land, which says: 'Amitābha is very easy to recite; the Pure Land is very easy to be born in.' It also says: 'Practitioners of Chan are best suited for buddhānusmṛti. If one's capacity is dull, and one fears not attaining great awakening in this life, one should provisionally rely on the power of Amitābha's vow to be received and guided to rebirth.' It also says: 'If you recite the Buddha's name and are not reborn in the Pure Land, this old monk will fall into the Tongue-Pulling Hell.' Again, Chan Master Zhenxie Qingliao wrote the Jingtu shuo, which says: 'Those in the lineage under Dongshan all engage in secret cultivation. What is the reason? Truly, it is because the Dharma-gate of buddhānusmṛti is a direct shortcut for cultivation; directly in accord with the Great Canon, it receives those of the supreme faculties and also guides those of intermediate and inferior capacity.' It also says: 'When the great masters of our school have already awakened to the Dharma that is neither empty nor existent, if they apply their aspirations diligently to pure karma, is it not because seeing the Buddha through pure karma is simpler and easier than in our ancestral school?' It also says: 'Whether Buddhas or patriarchs, whether in the doctrinal teachings or in Chan, all cultivate pure karma and return together to the single source. Once you enter this gate, immeasurable Dharma-gates can all be entered.' As for such venerable elders as Chan Master Tianyi Yihuai, Chan Master Yuanzhao Zongben, Chan Master Cishou Huaishen, Chan Master Nanyue Huisi, Chan Master Fazhao, Chan Master Jing'ai, Chan Master Jingci Datong, Chan Master Tiantai Huaiyu, Chan Master Daozhen of Liang, Chan Master Daochuo of Tang, Chan Master Fazhen of Piling, Chan Master Shouna of Gusu, Chan Master Beijian Jujian, and Chan Master Tianmu Wenli, all were great masters of the Chan school. When examining their secret cultivation and open teaching, they agreed without prior consultation in expounding the Pure Land's purport. How could it be that only these venerable elders did so? I once heard a senior monk say: 'Combining the five lineages of our school and taking all the Chan monks in the world, whether awakened or unawakened, there is not a single one who does not return to the Pure Land.' When I asked the reason, he said: 'Chan Master Baizhang Dazhi Hai, for instance, was the direct heir to Jiangxi Mazu's transmission of the Way; the monasteries throughout the world were established according to him. From ancient times to the present, not a single person has dared to criticize him. The pure regulations throughout the world are conducted according to him; from beginning to end, in not a single matter does anyone dare violate his rules. Look at his regulations for chanting for a sick monk, which state: "Assemble the assembly to raise a verse in unison praising Amitābha Buddha. Again, in unison, recite 'Namo Amitābha Buddha' either one hundred times or one thousand times." The transfer of merit and supplication states: "If worldly conditions are not yet exhausted, may he soon attain ease and comfort; if the great end cannot be escaped, may he return directly to the Land of Nurturing." Is this not pointing toward the Pure Land? Again, look at his provisions for sending off a deceased monk: the transfer of merit and supplication for the great night chanting states: "May the spirit transcend to the Pure Realm, and karmic bonds cease in worldly toil. May the flower of the highest grade blossom, and the Buddha bestow the vyākaraṇa of bound to one last birth." Is this not pointing toward the Pure Land? As for the time of cremation, there is nothing else done; they simply instruct the karmadāna to lead the assembly in chanting aloud: "Namo Western Realm of Sukhāvatī, Greatly Compassionate Amitābha Buddha." In this way it is chanted ten times, with the assembly echoing in harmony ten times; this is collectively called the Ten Recitations. When the chanting concludes, the transfer of merit states: "The above ten recitations have been proclaimed to assist in rebirth." Is this not pointing toward the Pure Land? Ever since Baizhang, whenever Chan monks are sent off at death, it is always done according to this method. If so, then as for the statement that combining the five lineages of our school and taking all the Chan monks in the world, there is not a single person who does not return to the Pure Land—how could it not be so?' Judging from the words cited by this senior monk, they are truly well-founded and beyond dispute. Moreover, on account of his words, I realized that the purpose of Ancestral Master Baizhang in establishing the regulations was certainly not without basis either. During your stay in the monasteries, you do not know how many Chan monks you have sent off. How many times have you chanted such transfers of merit and ten recitations with your mouth, or heard them with your ears? Since you neither understand the intention of the ancestral masters nor arouse a mind of introspective awakening in yourself, and rashly assert that awakened and accomplished individuals do not wish to be reborn, the stubborn attachment of the world's Chan practitioners finds no match equal to you!"