廬山蓮宗寶鑑 6.2

6.2

夫常光界本無色象，有應則形；菩提道既闢要途，非行不至。《維摩經》云「五百長者子寶積白佛言：『我已發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，願聞得佛國土清淨、願說菩薩淨土之行。』佛言：『寶積！眾生是菩薩淨土。』」肇法師云：「至人空洞無象，應物故形。」形無常體，況國土之有常乎？蓋群生萬端、行業不同，殊化異被，致令報應不一，是以淨者應之以寶玉、穢者應之以砂礫，美惡自彼，於我無定，無定之土乃曰真土。然則土之淨穢繫乎眾生，故曰眾生之類是菩薩淨土也。夫如來淨土者，以無方為體故，雜行眾生同視異見，異見故淨穢所以生焉，無方故真土所以形焉。若夫取其淨穢者，眾生之報也；本其無方者，佛土之真也。豈曰殊域異處、凡聖二土，然後辨其淨穢哉？道生法師曰：「淨土行者，行致淨土，非造之也。若欲造於土者，眾生類矣。容以濫造，不得不先明造本，以表致義然後說行。」羅什法師曰：「寶積問淨土之相，世尊答言『眾生是菩薩淨土』者，蓋說果上之因也。」清涼國師云：「諸佛心內眾生新新作佛，眾生心中淨土念念證真。」經云「菩薩隨所化眾生取於淨國土，為饒益諸眾生故。譬如有人欲於空地造立宮室隨意無礙，若於虛空終不能成。菩薩如是為成就眾生故願取佛國，非於空也。當知直心深心大乘心是菩薩淨土。」肇法師曰：「土之淨者必由眾生，眾生之淨必因眾行。行淨則眾生淨，眾生淨則佛土淨。此必然之理，不可差也。土無洿曲乃出於直心，故曰直心是菩薩淨土。直心謂質直無諂，此心乃萬行之本。」生法師曰：「樹心種德深固難拔，深心也。乘八萬行兼載天下不遺一人，大乘心也。」此之三心始學之行也。欲弘大道要先直心，心既真直然後入行能深，入行既深則廣運無涯，此三心為之次序也。備此三心，次修六度以至萬行。什法師曰：「直心者，誠實心也，發心之始在於誠實。道識彌明名為深心。正趣佛慧名大乘心。」經云「布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧是菩薩淨土，四無量心、四攝法是菩薩淨土，方便是菩薩淨土，三十七品是菩薩淨土，迴向是菩薩淨土，十善是菩薩淨土。」如是寶積菩薩隨其直心則能發行，隨其發行則得深心，隨其深心則意調伏，隨意調伏則如說行，隨如說行則能回向，隨其回向則有方便，隨其方便則成就眾生，隨成就眾生則佛土淨，隨佛土淨則說法淨，隨說法淨則智慧淨，隨智慧淨則其心淨，隨其心淨則一切功德淨。什法師曰：「直心以誠心而信佛法也。信心既立則能發行眾善，眾善既積其心轉深，深心堅固則不隨眾惡，棄惡從善名調伏心，心既調伏則遇善斯行，遇善斯行則難行能行，難行能行則萬善兼具，萬善兼具故能回向佛道，向而彌進方便力也。方便之要有三：一善於自行而不取相、二不取證、三善化眾生。具此三者則得淨土。土既清淨則眾生純淨，眾生純淨則與化主同德，故曰皆淨也。」諸經雖廣說淨國之行，未明行之階漸。今此詮明至極深廣，不可頓超，宜尋之有途、履之有序。故說發行之迹始于直心，直心即是真心。此心者群生誰不有之？蓋自迷而不知不覺也。故六祖大師云：「一念平直即是彌陀，一念邪險即是眾生。」蓋以人居濁世現行無明，口說直心行多諂曲，溺於苦海而不能出。是故佛慈愍彼，示之以方便、導之以念佛，伏彼亂心，令捨邪險而歸乎正真，即眾生而生淨土。所以《寶王論》云「清珠下於濁水，濁水不得不清；佛想投於亂心，亂心不得不佛。」是以因念佛而顯直心，因直心而行眾善，行眾善而得佛淨土。豈非佛祖之方便智力乎？肇法師云：「積德者故淨心，心淨則無德不淨。」生法師曰：「功行則淨土之殊勝因也，功德則淨土之殊妙果也。淨土因果蓋是心之影響，故云欲得淨土必淨其心，所謂聲和響順形直影端者矣。」

Now, the realm of constant light is originally without form or mark; when there is a response, it takes shape. Since the essential path to bodhi has been opened, without practice one cannot arrive. The Vimalakīrti-sūtra says: "Ratnakūṭa, son of the five hundred elders, said to the Buddha: 'I have already aroused the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; I wish to hear how one attains the purity of a buddha-land, and I wish you to preach the bodhisattva's practice for the Pure Land.' The Buddha said: 'Ratnakūṭa! Sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Pure Land.'" Dharma Master Zhao said: "The ultimate person is empty and without mark, taking shape only in response to things." If the form has no fixed essence, how much less could the land have permanence? Because sentient beings are of myriad kinds and their karmic actions differ, different conversions are variously received, causing their retributions to not be uniform. Therefore, to the pure, it responds with gems and jade; to the defiled, it responds with sand and gravel. Excellence and vileness belong to them; for me there is no fixed state. The land of no fixed state is called the true land. Thus, the purity or defilement of the land is bound to sentient beings; hence it is said that the classes of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Pure Land. Now, as for the Tathāgata's Pure Land, because it takes placelessness as its essence, sentient beings of mixed actions look at the same thing and see differently; because they see differently, purity and defilement arise, and because it is placeless, the true land is formed. As for grasping at its purity or defilement, that is the retribution of sentient beings; tracing back to its placelessness, that is the truth of the buddha-land. How could one distinguish its purity or defilement only after separating distinct regions, different places, and ordinary versus sage lands? Dharma Master Daosheng said: "As for the practitioner of the Pure Land, practice brings about the Pure Land; it does not fabricate it. If one wished to fabricate the land, it would be of the same class as sentient beings. To prevent any arbitrary fabrication, one must first clarify the root of fabrication to express the meaning of attainment, and only then explain the practice." Dharma Master [Kumāra]jīva said: "When Ratnakūṭa asked about the marks of the Pure Land, the World-Honoured One answered, 'Sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Pure Land,' which explains the cause upon the fruit." State Preceptor Qingliang said: "Within the minds of all buddhas, sentient beings newly and freshly become buddhas; within the minds of sentient beings, the Pure Land realizes the true from moment to moment." The sūtra says: "The bodhisattva acquires a pure buddha-land in accordance with the sentient beings he transforms, in order to benefit all sentient beings. For example, if a person wishes to build a palace upon an open ground, he may do so at will without obstruction; but if he does so in empty space, he can never complete it. The bodhisattva is like this: wishing to accomplish sentient beings, he vows to acquire a buddha-land; it is not in emptiness. You should know that the straightforward mind, the profound mind, and the Mahāyāna mind are the bodhisattva's Pure Land." Dharma Master Zhao said: "The purity of the land must come from sentient beings; the purity of sentient beings must rely on the manifold practices. When the practices are pure, sentient beings are pure; when sentient beings are pure, the buddha-land is pure. This is an inevitable principle that cannot err. The land's lack of crookedness arises from the straightforward mind; hence it is said that the straightforward mind is the bodhisattva's Pure Land. The straightforward mind means being honest and straightforward without flattery; this mind is the root of the myriad practices." Dharma Master Sheng said: "Planting the mind and sowing virtue so deeply and firmly that it is hard to uproot is the profound mind. Riding upon the eighty thousand practices to carry all under heaven without leaving a single person behind is the Mahāyāna mind." These three minds are the practices of beginners. If one wishes to propagate the Great Way, one must first have a straightforward mind. Once the mind is truly straightforward, one can enter deeply into practice; once entering into practice is deep, it broadly operates without limit. This is the sequence of the three minds. Equipped with these three minds, one next cultivates the six perfections up to the myriad practices. Dharma Master [Kumāra]jīva said: "The straightforward mind is the sincere mind; the beginning of arousing the aspiration lies in sincerity. The understanding of the Way becoming increasingly clear is called the profound mind. Rightly heading toward buddha-wisdom is called the Mahāyāna mind." The sūtra says: "Giving, moral discipline, patience, diligence, dhyāna meditation, and wisdom are the bodhisattva's Pure Land. The four immeasurable minds and the four means of embrace are the bodhisattva's Pure Land. Expedient means are the bodhisattva's Pure Land. The thirty-seven factors [of enlightenment] are the bodhisattva's Pure Land. Dedication [of merit] is the bodhisattva's Pure Land. The ten virtuous actions are the bodhisattva's Pure Land." In this way, Ratnakūṭa, in accordance with his straightforward mind, the bodhisattva is able to initiate practice; in accordance with his initiating practice, he attains the profound mind; in accordance with his profound mind, his intent is subdued; in accordance with his intent being subdued, he practices as preached; in accordance with his practicing as preached, he is able to dedicate [merit]; in accordance with his dedicating [merit], he has expedient means; in accordance with his expedient means, he accomplishes sentient beings; in accordance with his accomplishing sentient beings, the buddha-land is pure; in accordance with the buddha-land being pure, his preaching of the Dharma is pure; in accordance with his preaching of the Dharma being pure, his wisdom is pure; in accordance with his wisdom being pure, his mind is pure; in accordance with his mind being pure, all his merits are pure. Dharma Master [Kumāra]jīva said: "The straightforward mind means having faith in the Buddha's Dharma with a sincere mind. Once faith is established, one can initiate all kinds of good deeds; once all kinds of good deeds are accumulated, one's mind turns more profound; when the profound mind is steadfast, one does not follow manifold evils. Abandoning evil and following good is called subduing the mind; once the mind is subdued, whenever one encounters good one practices it; whenever one encounters good and practices it, one is able to practice what is hard to practice; being able to practice what is hard to practice, one is equipped with the myriad goods; equipped with the myriad goods, one can dedicate them toward the Buddha Way; directing toward it and ever advancing is the power of expedient means. There are three essentials of expedient means: first, being good at one's own practice without grasping at marks; second, not grasping at realization; third, being good at transforming sentient beings. Equipped with these three, one attains the Pure Land. Once the land is pure, sentient beings are purely purified; when sentient beings are purely purified, they share the same virtue as the transforming lord; hence it is said that all are pure." Although various sūtras explain at length the practice for the pure realm, they have not clarified the stages of the practice. Now this explanation clarifies what is utmost, deep, and broad; it cannot be transcended all at once. One should seek it through a path and tread it in an orderly manner. Therefore, it is said that the traces of initiating practice begin with the straightforward mind; the straightforward mind is none other than the true mind. Who among sentient beings does not have this mind? It is simply that they confuse themselves and are neither conscious nor aware. Thus, the Sixth Patriarch, the Great Master, said: "A single thought of fairness and straightforwardness is Amitābha; a single thought of deviousness and danger is a sentient being." This is because when people dwell in the defiled world, ignorance is actively manifest; their mouths speak of the straightforward mind, but their actions are full of flattery and crookedness, drowning in the sea of suffering unable to escape. For this reason, the Buddha had compassionate pity on them, showed them expedient means, and guided them with buddhānusmṛti to subdue their chaotic minds, causing them to renounce deviousness and danger and return to the correct and true, directly enabling sentient beings to be born in the Pure Land. Therefore, the Baowang lun says: "When a clear gem is dropped into turbid water, the turbid water cannot but become clear; when buddha-recollection is cast into a chaotic mind, the chaotic mind cannot but become buddha." Hence, due to buddhānusmṛti the straightforward mind is revealed; due to the straightforward mind one practices manifold goods; and by practicing manifold goods one attains the buddha's Pure Land. How could this not be the expedient power of wisdom of the buddhas and patriarchs? Dharma Master Zhao said: "One who accumulates virtue thus purifies the mind; when the mind is pure, there is no virtue that is not pure." Dharma Master Sheng said: "Meritorious practice is the extraordinarily superior cause of the Pure Land; merit and virtue are the extraordinarily subtle fruit of the Pure Land. Cause and fruit of the Pure Land are simply the echo and shadow of the mind. Therefore it is said: 'If one wishes to attain the Pure Land, one must purify one's mind,' as it is said, when the sound is harmonious, the echo accords, and when the form is upright, the shadow is straight."