廬山蓮宗寶鑑 7.7

7.7

「萬法從心生，萬法從心滅，
我佛大沙門，常作如是說。
持戒無信願，不得生淨土，
唯得人天福，福盡受輪迴，
展轉難脫離。看經無慧眼，
不識佛深意，後世得聰明，
亂心難出離。不如念佛好，
現世無名利，行坐不多羅，
則是阿彌陀，發願持戒力。
回向生樂國，正是合行持，
千中不失一，釋迦金口說，
彌陀親攝授。諸佛皆護念，
諸天善護持，見此念佛人，
與佛不相遠，應當坐道場，
轉于大法輪，普度無邊眾。
譬如貧家女，腹孕轉輪王，
諸天常愛護，貧女自不知，
腹中有貴子。今此念佛人，
其意亦如是，憶佛常念佛，
不久當成佛，諸佛善護持。
其人自不知，我當生淨土，
却要來後世，再得生人中。
譬如貧人家，地內有伏藏，
藏神常守護，不令其有失。
貧人自不知，家內有寶藏，
逐日趁客作，求衣食自濟。
今此念佛人，其意亦如是，
不知念佛人，具足如來藏，
自說我無分，返要生人中。
譬如病人家，自有真妙藥，
不知妙藥性，不能自治病，
每日床枕邊，痛苦受無量。
今此念佛人，其意亦如是，
不知念佛心，能滅貪瞋病，
能為大醫王，能為大寶藏，
利濟一切人，能為大法王，
覆護一切眾；將為是凡夫，
不得生淨土，且自持齋戒，
後世願為人，展轉更修行，
方可生彼國。多見修行人，
常作如是說，不稱彌陀願，
不合淨土經，邪見障覆心，
畢竟難出離，非是他人障，
皆是自障心，今世不得生，
一蹉是百蹉。勸汝修行人，
信我如來說，佛無不實語，
豈是虛誑言？但當自精勤，
一心求淨土，因風吹於火，
用力不消多。幸有念佛心，
回願超三界。逢寶不取寶，
遇食受飢寒，咄哉大丈夫，
不見真實意。我今略勸讚，
展轉傳與人，代我廣流通，
作於如來使，真是諸佛子，
真名報佛恩。普願如說行，
同生極樂國。」

'All dharmas are born from the mind,
all dharmas perish from the mind;
our Buddha, the Great Śramaṇa,
always spoke in this manner.
Upholding precepts without faith and vows,
one cannot be reborn in the Pure Land;
one obtains only human and heavenly blessings—
when blessings are exhausted, one suffers transmigration,
turning repeatedly, hard to escape.
Reading sūtras without the eye of wisdom,
one does not recognize the Buddha's profound meaning;
though gaining cleverness in future lives,
with a confused mind, it is hard to escape.
It is better to practice buddhānusmṛti:
in the present life there is no fame or profit,
walking or sitting, no superfluous talk—
this then is Amitābha.
By the power of making vows and holding precepts,
dedicating them for rebirth in the Land of Joy,
this precisely accords with the practice to maintain,
not one will fail among a thousand.
Spoken by the golden mouth of Śākyamuni,
Amitābha personally embraces and receives.
All Buddhas protect and keep them in mind,
all the devas well guard and sustain them.
Seeing this practitioner of buddhānusmṛti,
they are not far from the Buddha;
they ought to sit in the place of awakening,
turn the great wheel of the Dharma,
and broadly deliver boundless sentient beings.
Just like a poor woman
pregnant with a wheel-turning king,
all the devas constantly cherish and guard her,
yet the poor woman herself does not know
that she has a noble son in her womb.
Now this practitioner of buddhānusmṛti,
their situation is also like this:
recalling the Buddha and constantly mindful of the Buddha,
before long they will become a Buddha;
all the Buddhas well guard and sustain them.
That person does not know themselves:
"I ought to be reborn in the Pure Land,"
yet they wish, in a future life,
to be born again among humans.
Just like the house of a poor person,
where there is a hidden treasure underground,
the treasure guardian constantly guards it,
not allowing it to be lost.
The poor person does not know themselves
that there is a treasure store within the house;
day after day they pursue wage labor,
seeking food and clothing to sustain themselves.
Now this practitioner of buddhānusmṛti,
their situation is also like this:
they do not know that a practitioner of buddhānusmṛti
fully possesses the tathāgatagarbha,
yet they themselves say, "I have no share in it,"
and wish instead to be born among humans.
Just like a sick person's house,
which possesses genuine, wondrous medicine,
yet not knowing the nature of the wondrous medicine,
they cannot cure their own illness,
every day by their bed and pillow
they endure boundless agony.
Now this practitioner of buddhānusmṛti,
their situation is also like this:
they do not know that the mind of buddhānusmṛti
can extinguish the disease of greed and anger,
can be a great medicine king,
can be a great treasury of jewels,
benefiting and rescuing all people,
can be a great Dharma king,
sheltering and protecting all beings;
yet they consider themselves an ordinary person
unable to be reborn in the Pure Land,
and merely uphold fasts and precepts on their own,
vowing to be human in future lives,
to cultivate further by turns,
only then being able to be reborn in that land.
Often one sees practitioners
regularly speaking like this,
not matching Amitābha's vow,
not according with the Pure Land sūtras;
wrong views veil their minds,
in the end it is hard to escape—
it is not an obstacle caused by others,
it is entirely their own mind obstructing itself;
if they fail to attain rebirth in this life,
one mistake becomes a hundred mistakes.
I urge you practitioners
to believe what our Tathāgata says:
the Buddha has no words that are not true,
how could they be false and deceitful words?
Just be diligent on your own,
seeking the Pure Land with single-mindedness;
using the wind to blow upon the fire,
little effort is spent.
Fortunately possessing the mind of buddhānusmṛti,
dedicate your vows to transcend the three realms.
Encountering treasure and not taking treasure,
encountering food and enduring hunger and cold—
alas, great heroes,
who fail to see the true meaning!
Now I briefly urge and praise,
pass it along by turns to others,
widely propagate it on my behalf,
acting as envoys of the Tathāgata;
truly being disciples of all Buddhas,
this is truly called repaying the Buddha's kindness.
I universally vow that you practice as taught,
and be reborn together in the Land of Sukhāvatī.'