廬山蓮宗寶鑑 7.2

7.2

理由智導、行由願興，行願得均，理智兼備。理智兼備則心心念念總是彌陀、剎剎塵塵皆為淨土，自非大願行力，曷能臻此哉？欲人人證此三昧者，要在信願深其根本也。夫願者，樂也欲也。欲生西方淨土、樂見阿彌陀佛，故發此願。是以憑大願力，直要到彼也。所以慈照云：「時時發願樂慕往生，日日禱祈勿令退失。如無願心則善根沈沒。」《華嚴經》云「不發大願是為魔事。」所以普賢廣無邊願海、彌陀有六八願門。是知十方諸佛上古先賢，皆因願力而得成就菩提。不興願樂之心，不成願樂之行，故云法門廣大無願不成。是以佛隨人之心滿人之願。何況專修念佛願生淨土，安得不遂心滿願哉？懺云「願我不退菩提心，願我決定生安養，願我速見彌陀佛。願我盡生無別念，唯心淨土獨相隨。」又《阿彌陀經》云「若有信者，應當發願，願生彼國。」又懺云「眾生無邊誓願度，煩惱無盡誓願斷，法門無量誓願學，佛道無上誓願成。」此則謂之四弘誓願。故我慈照集懺，恐人著事迷理，乃云「自性眾生誓願度，自性煩惱誓願斷，自性法門誓願學，自性佛道誓願成。」此四句直明真理，欲令一切人於自性中度了一切妄念眾生，所謂邪迷雜想、貪癡嫉妬、瞋恚惡毒等心，故令發大誓願自性自度也。又於自性中斷除一切煩惱，所謂塵勞業識、邪思惡念，猶如浮雲障覆自性，光明不現，故令發大誓願，自斷除之永不令起。又於自性中修學一切法門，所謂念佛三昧、悲智行願無量法門，故令發大誓願自悟自修，常無退失直至菩提，不以得少為足。又於自性中自信有佛，發大誓願常自觀照，自願成佛菩提。此乃慈照老婆心切，明明與後人開了一箇門戶。只要爾諸人自信自肯，從這裏入頭，悟自性彌陀、達唯心淨土，入諸佛境界，成就無上菩提。嗟乎世之善人不知此意，向外別求，何異持神珠而巡乞也。可不惑乎？普願見聞遞相勸策，同興正念早上玄途，覺前前非、明後後位，立大志氣、奮大勇猛、發大誓願，誓度無邊眾生、誓斷無盡煩惱、誓學無量法門、誓願往生西方極樂世界見阿彌陀佛、誓同一切善人圓成無上佛道。可謂不得春風花不開，花榮須感春風力。

Principle is guided by wisdom; practice arises from vows. When practice and vows are balanced, principle and wisdom are both complete. When principle and wisdom are both complete, then in every single thought there is only Amitābha, and every kṣetra and every dust-mote is the Pure Land. If not by the power of great vows and practice, how could one attain this? For everyone to realize this samādhi, the essential point lies in making faith and vows their deep foundation. A vow is delight and desire: desiring to be born in the Western Pure Land and delighting to see Amitābha Buddha, one thus makes this vow. Therefore, relying on the power of great vows, one directly aims to arrive there. For this reason, Cizhao said: 'At all times make vows, delighting in and longing for rebirth; daily pray that you do not retrogress. If there is no resolve of vows, one's good roots will sink and drown.' The Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'Not giving rise to great vows is the work of Māra.' Therefore, Samantabhadra broadens the boundless ocean of vows, and Amitābha has the forty-eight gates of vows. From this we know that all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the ancient worthies of antiquity all attained bodhi through the power of vows. If one does not arouse a mind of vow and joy, one will not accomplish the practice of vow and joy; hence it is said that the Dharma-gate is vast, but without vows nothing is accomplished. Therefore the Buddha accords with people's minds and fulfills their vows. How much more so when one exclusively cultivates buddhānusmṛti and vows to be born in the Pure Land—how could it not follow one's mind and fulfill one's vows? A repentance liturgy says: 'May I never retrogress from the bodhi-mind; may I definitely be born in Sukhāvatī; may I swiftly behold Amitābha Buddha. May I have no other thought throughout this life; may the Mind-only Pure Land alone accompany me.' Furthermore, the Amitābha-sūtra says: 'If there are those who believe, they should make vows and vow to be born in that land.' Furthermore, a repentance liturgy says: 'Sentient beings are boundless, I vow to deliver them; afflictions are endless, I vow to sever them; Dharma-doors are measureless, I vow to learn them; the Buddha-Way is supreme, I vow to accomplish it.' These are called the Four Great Vows. Thus our Cizhao, compiling the repentance liturgy and fearing that people would cling to phenomena and become confused about principle, said: 'Sentient beings of one's own nature, I vow to deliver; afflictions of one's own nature, I vow to sever; Dharma-doors of one's own nature, I vow to learn; the Buddha-Way of one's own nature, I vow to accomplish.' These four phrases directly clarify the true principle, desiring that all people within their own nature deliver all sentient beings of false thoughts—namely the minds of deviant delusion, mixed thoughts, greed, folly, jealousy, hatred, malice, and so forth—and therefore causing them to make great vows to deliver their own nature by themselves. Furthermore, within one's own nature, sever all afflictions—namely worldly defilements, karmic consciousness, and evil thoughts of deviant thinking, which are like floating clouds covering one's own nature so that its bright light cannot appear—and therefore causing them to make great vows to sever them by themselves, never allowing them to arise. Furthermore, within one's own nature, cultivate and learn all Dharma-doors—namely buddhānusmṛti-samādhi and the measureless Dharma-doors of compassion, wisdom, practice, and vows—and therefore causing them to make great vows to awaken and cultivate on their own, constantly without retrogressing right up to bodhi, not taking a little as sufficient. Furthermore, within one's own nature, believe with confidence that there is a Buddha, make great vows, constantly contemplate oneself, and vow to accomplish the Buddha's bodhi oneself. This is Cizhao's earnest grandmotherly compassion, clearly opening a gate for later generations. It only requires that all of you have self-confidence and self-affirmation, enter from here, awaken to the Amitābha of one's own nature, reach the Mind-only Pure Land, enter the realm of the Buddhas, and accomplish unexcelled bodhi. Alas, the good people of the world do not know this intention and seek elsewhere outside; how does this differ from holding a wish-fulfilling pearl and going around begging? Can one not be deluded? May all who see and hear this mutually encourage each other, together arouse correct mindfulness, set out early on the profound path, realize former faults, understand subsequent stages, establish great determination, exert great courage, make great vows, and vow to deliver boundless sentient beings, vow to sever endless afflictions, vow to learn measureless Dharma-doors, vow to be born in the Western realm of Sukhāvatī to see Amitābha Buddha, and vow together with all good people to consummate the unexcelled Buddha-Way. It may be said: 'If the spring wind is not obtained, flowers will not bloom; for flowers to flourish, they must rely on the power of the spring wind.'