[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [廬山蓮宗寶鑑](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973) › 5.6 # 廬山蓮宗寶鑑 5.6 廬山蓮宗寶鑑 5.6 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5.6) 夫阿彌陀佛者，諸佛中尊、四生之父，歸信者滅罪河沙、稱念者得福無量。凡欲念佛要起信心，若無信心空無所獲。是故肇法師云「是事如是者，信之相也。是事不如是者，不信之相也。」夫信為入道之初宗、智為究竟之玄術，諸經首稱「如是」者，信也；後曰「奉行」者，智也。故《彌陀經》云「若有信者，應當發願生彼國土」，此是釋迦本師勸信處。又云「汝等當信是稱讚不可思議功德」，此是六方諸佛勸信處。又云「若人種善根，疑則花不開。信心清淨者，花開即見佛」，此是《往生論》勸信處。又云「信者順之詞。信則所言之理順，順則師資之道成。經無豐約，非信不傳」，此是肇法師勸信處。又云「念佛法門，不問道俗、不論男女、不拘貴賤。修此法者唯要信心」，此是大行和尚勸信處。問曰：既言信者，未知信何法門？答曰：信意者，信憑經中佛說念佛定生淨土，信念佛定滅諸罪，信念佛定得佛護，信念佛定得佛證，信念佛臨終定得佛來迎接，信念佛不問眾生、同信之人皆得往生，信念佛往生定得不退地，信念佛生淨土定不墮三惡道。所以勸信念佛，受此法、持此念，則往生淨土必矣。故大行和尚遣念佛人，心唯信佛，佛則知之，他心通故。口惟稱佛，佛則聞之，天耳通故。身惟禮佛，佛則見之，天眼通故。是以大行和尚以此念佛法，勸人生信心也。又喻云，信心者猶如深栽果樹，根深故風吹不動，後著果實濟人飢渴。念佛之人亦復如是，要由深信得到西方。若無信心，空無所獲。是故經言「十住菩薩一起信心念佛之後，縱遇惡緣寧捨身命不退信故。」《維摩》云「深信堅固猶如金剛，法珍普照如雨甘露。」念佛三昧從深信生，君看淨土恒沙佛，盡是當年正信人。 > Now, Amitābha Buddha is the most revered among the Buddhas and the father of the four modes of birth. Those who take refuge in faith extinguish sins numerous as the sands of the Ganges; those who invoke his name obtain immeasurable merit. Whoever wishes to practice buddhānusmṛti must give rise to a faithful mind; without a faithful mind, one will gain nothing in vain. For this reason, Master Zhao stated: 'That a matter is like this is the mark of faith; that a matter is not like this is the mark of disbelief.' Faith is the initial principle for entering the Path, and wisdom is the ultimate profound art. That the sūtras begin with 'Thus' indicates faith; that they end with 'they practiced it' indicates wisdom. Therefore, the Amitābha-sūtra states: 'If there are those who believe, they should make the vow to be born in that land'—this is where our original teacher Śākyamuni exhorted faith. It also states: 'All of you should believe this praise of inconceivable merit'—this is where the Buddhas of the six directions exhorted faith. It also states: 'If someone plants good roots, through doubt the flower will not open; for one whose faithful mind is pure, when the flower opens they immediately see the Buddha'—this is where the Treatise on Rebirth exhorted faith. It also states: 'Faith is a word of accord. With faith, the principle spoken is in accord; with accord, the way of master and disciple is accomplished. Whether a sūtra is elaborate or brief, without faith it is not transmitted'—this is where Master Zhao exhorted faith. It also states: 'The Dharma-gate of buddhānusmṛti asks not whether one is monastic or lay, considers not whether one is male or female, and is not restricted by noble or base status. Those who cultivate this method require only a faithful mind'—this is where Upādhyāya Daxing exhorted faith. > > Question: 'Since you speak of faith, what Dharma-gate should one believe in?' > > Answer: 'The meaning of faith is to place faith in what the Buddha taught in the sūtras: that practicing buddhānusmṛti certainly leads to birth in the Pure Land; to believe that buddhānusmṛti certainly extinguishes all sins; to believe that buddhānusmṛti certainly attains the Buddha's protection; to believe that buddhānusmṛti certainly attains the Buddha's verification; to believe that in buddhānusmṛti, at the end of life the Buddha will certainly come to welcome one; to believe that buddhānusmṛti does not discriminate among sentient beings, and that all who share this faith will attain rebirth; to believe that through buddhānusmṛti, rebirth certainly brings the stage of non-retrogression; to believe that through buddhānusmṛti, birth in the Pure Land certainly prevents falling into the three evil paths. Therefore, we exhort faith in buddhānusmṛti: if one receives this Dharma and maintains this mindfulness, rebirth in the Pure Land is certain.' > > Thus Upādhyāya Daxing instructed practitioners of buddhānusmṛti: when the mind solely believes in the Buddha, the Buddha knows it, because of his knowledge of the minds of others; when the mouth solely invokes the Buddha, the Buddha hears it, because of his divine ear; when the body solely bows to the Buddha, the Buddha sees it, because of his divine eye. Therefore Upādhyāya Daxing used this buddhānusmṛti method to exhort people to generate a faithful mind. Moreover, by way of metaphor: a faithful mind is like deeply planting a fruit tree; because the roots are deep, it is unmoved by the wind, and later bears fruit to relieve people's hunger and thirst. The person practicing buddhānusmṛti is also like this: they must rely on deep faith to reach the West. Without a faithful mind, one gains nothing in vain. Therefore the sūtra states: 'Once a bodhisattva of the ten abodes gives rise to a faithful mind and practices buddhānusmṛti, even if encountering evil conditions, they would rather sacrifice their life than retrogress in faith.' The Vimalakīrti states: 'Deep faith is solid like a diamond; the jewel of Dharma shines universally like a rain of nectar.' The buddhānusmṛti-samādhi arises from deep faith. Look at the Buddhas numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the Pure Land: all were people of right faith in former days. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5.5) - [Next: 5.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5.7) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973~en-mt.5.6) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [淨名經集解關中疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2777.1.10) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1973.5.6) · Pramāṇa