廬山蓮宗寶鑑 1.8

1.8

按經中說，西方世界國名極樂，其土有佛號阿彌陀，巍巍蕩蕩超太古皇，不令不申自然而化。瓊池金地不染一塵，樹林水鳥皆演苦空。佛願力故攝彼群情，一念相應即登金臺，雖下下品亦胎華蓮。雁門尊者社結勝流策勳淨業，是以念佛之道唱行於世，迨今千年，謂之蓮宗也。去古已遠法流成弊，邪道混淆微旨曖昧，由是優曇和尚乘宿願力，痛嗟正宗奮真實心探尋要旨，編次本末剖分偽真，定為十門，名曰「寶鑑」。齎赴大都，咨扣罽賓班的答灌頂國師，證無叢脞契合佛經，乃為聞奏。欽遇皇上金輪皇帝，聖通佛慧道合天心，至照無私獎稱曰善，教刊板印行載上書。乞復教上可之，頒降聖旨遍行各省，洗佛日重光於聖世、起祖風載振於虎溪，策精進而勿荒、發闡提而必信，悟覺花開於心地、顯佛性存於本源，咸知極樂之歸、悉稟無為之化。明教上仁宗《正宗論》息闢佛之議，於當時優曇獻皇上《寶鑑編》復白蓮之教。於今日雖年代相遠，蓋事實相符，其名同芳而不萎、其功並垂而不朽矣。

According to what the sūtras explain, there is a world in the West named Sukhāvatī, and in that land is a Buddha named Amitābha. Lofty and vast, he surpasses the ancient emperors; without issuing commands or directives, conversion takes place naturally. The beryl pools and golden ground are untouched by a single speck of dust; the groves and waterbirds all expound suffering and emptiness. By the power of the Buddha's vows, he gathers those worldly dispositions; with a single thought of resonance, one ascends the golden terrace, and even those of the lowest grade of the low are born into the lotus blossom. The Venerable of Yanmen formed an association with distinguished persons and achieved merit in pure karma; hence the way of buddhānusmṛti was promoted and practiced in the world. Down to the present day, a thousand years later, it is called the Lotus School. Being far removed from antiquity, the transmission of the Dharma has suffered abuses: perverse paths have brought confusion, and the subtle meaning has grown obscure. For this reason, Master Youtan, riding upon the power of past vows, deeply lamented [the decline of] the authentic lineage, exerted a true mind to search out the essential teachings, arranged them systematically from beginning to end, and separated the false from the true, setting them down in ten sections titled 'Precious Mirror'. Taking it to Dadu, he consulted the Consecration State Preceptor Paṇḍita of Kashmir, who certified that it contained no superfluous clutter and was in accord with the Buddhist sūtras, whereupon it was memorialised to the throne. By imperial favour, it met with His Majesty, the Golden Wheel Emperor, whose sage wisdom penetrates Buddha-wisdom and whose Dao accords with Heaven's mind. His supreme illumination was impartial; he praised it as good and ordered that blocks be carved and printed to circulate the submitted work. An appeal was made to reinstate the teaching, and His Majesty consented, issuing an imperial decree to be carried out throughout the provinces, restoring the sun of the Buddha to shine anew in this sage era, and stirring the ancestral style to revive once more at Tiger Brook, urging diligence without remiss, inspiring icchantikas to certain faith, awakening the flowers of enlightenment to bloom in the mind-ground, and revealing the Buddha-nature present at the fundamental source, so that all may know to return to Sukhāvatī and completely receive the conversion of non-action. In his day, Master Mingjiao presented the Zhengzong lun to Emperor Renzong to quell the arguments of those who attacked Buddhism; in our day, Master Youtan offered the Precious Mirror Compendium to the Emperor to restore the White Lotus teaching. Though the eras are separated by time, their deeds correspond; their fame is equally fragrant without withering, and their merits are equally handed down without perishing.