廬山蓮宗寶鑑 8.16

8.16

《宗鏡錄》「或問曰：『心外無佛，見佛是心。云何教中說有化佛來迎生諸淨土？』答曰：『法身真佛本無生滅，從真起化接引迷根。以化即真、真應一際，即不來不去隨應物心。又化體即真說無來去，從真流化現有往還。即不來相而來、不見相而見也。不來而來，似月之頓呈；不見而見，猶行雲之忽現。』問：『如上所說，真體即湛然不動、化相即不來而來，正是心外有他佛來迎，云何證自心是佛？』答曰：『此乃是如來本願功德力故，令彼有緣眾生專心想念，能令自心見佛來迎，不是諸佛實遺化身而來迎接。但是有緣時機正合，能令自心見佛來迎，則佛身湛然常寂無去無來，眾生識心託佛本願力，一念變化有去有來。如鏡面像、似夢施為，鏡中之形非內非外、夢中之事不有不無，但是心生非關佛化。真信修行之士，端的是要生西方極樂世界。專意一念持一句阿彌陀佛，只此一念是我本師、只此一念即是化佛，只此一念是破地獄之猛將、只此一念是斬群邪之寶劍，只此一念是開黑暗之明燈、只此一念是度苦海之大船，只此一念是脫生死之良方、只此一念是出三界之徑路，只此一念是本性彌陀、只此一念達唯心淨土。但只要記得這一句阿彌陀佛在念莫教失落，念念常現前、念念不離心，無事也如是念、有事也如是念，安樂也如是念、病苦也如是念，生也如是念、死也如是念。如是一念分明不昧，又何必問人覓歸程乎？』」可謂行船盡在把梢人，達者同遊涅槃路。

The Zongjing lu states: "Someone asked: 'Outside the mind there is no Buddha; seeing the Buddha is the mind. Why then does the teaching say that there are transformation buddhas coming to welcome [beings] to be born in the various pure lands?' The answer states: 'The true Buddha of the dharmakāya originally has no arising or cessation; arising in transformation from the real, he guides the deluded faculties. Because the transformation is the real itself, and the real and the response are of one bound, [he] neither comes nor goes, responding in accordance with the minds of sentient beings. Furthermore, because the transformation body is itself the real, it is said to have no coming or going; streaming forth transformations from the real, there appear to be departures and returns. That is, it comes through the mark of not coming; it is seen through the mark of not being seen. Coming without coming, it is like the moon suddenly appearing; being seen without being seen, it is like moving clouds abruptly emerging.' Question: 'As explained above, the true essence is completely calm and unmoving, and the transformation mark comes without coming; this is precisely another Buddha outside the mind coming to welcome [one]. How does this prove that one's own mind is the Buddha?' The answer states: 'This is due to the power of the Tathāgata's original vows and merits, which causes those sentient beings who have karmic affinity to contemplate with focused minds, enabling their own minds to see the Buddha coming to welcome them; it is not that the buddhas actually send forth transformation bodies to come and receive them. It is simply that the timing and capacities of those with affinities happen to coincide, enabling their own minds to see the Buddha coming to welcome them. Thus the Buddha's body is tranquil, constantly serene, with neither going nor coming; the conscious minds of sentient beings, relying on the power of the Buddha's original vows, in a single thought undergo transformations of going and coming. Like images on a mirror's surface, or deeds done in a dream: the forms in the mirror are neither inside nor outside; the matters in a dream neither exist nor do not exist. They merely arise from the mind and are not related to an external transformation by the Buddha. A practitioner of true faith genuinely intends to be born in the Western Sukhāvatī world. With a single-minded thought, he upholds the single phrase "Amitābha Buddha"; this single thought alone is our original teacher; this single thought alone is the transformation buddha; this single thought alone is a fierce general who shatters the hells; this single thought alone is a precious sword that cuts down the multitudes of heterodoxies; this single thought alone is a bright lamp that dispels darkness; this single thought alone is a great boat that ferries across the ocean of suffering; this single thought alone is an excellent remedy to escape birth and death; this single thought alone is a direct path to transcend the three realms; this single thought alone is Amitābha of one's own nature; this single thought alone reaches the Mind-only Pure Land. One need only remember to keep this single phrase "Amitābha Buddha" in mind and never let it slip away: thought after thought constantly manifest before one, thought after thought never departing from the mind. When there is nothing to do, practice buddhānusmṛti like this; when there is business, practice buddhānusmṛti like this; in peace and joy, practice buddhānusmṛti like this; in illness and suffering, practice buddhānusmṛti like this; in life, practice buddhānusmṛti like this; in death, practice buddhānusmṛti like this. When this single thought is clearly understood and not obscure, why would one need to ask others to search for the homeward journey?' It can truly be called: 'Steering the boat depends entirely on the helmsman; those who attain it together roam the path of nirvāṇa.'