廬山蓮宗寶鑑 5.10

5.10

The clarity of the four fruits cannot fathom the profundity of the Tathāgata, and the sages of the ten stages cannot exhaust the marvel of the ultimate fruition. How much more so for this ordinary person, born without the eye of wisdom, trapped in the three realms with inevitably entrenched delusions, pointing at the Pure Land with errant and hard-to-turn doubts? Doubting it in body, knowing that the five aggregates are not yet extinguished; doubting it in mind, knowing that the myriad defilements are not yet dispelled; doubting it in practice, knowing that the six pāramitās are not yet crossed over. Through practice that is adrift and has not yet crossed over, hoping to cross over to the realm of those who have already crossed over—within oneself there is still confusion, how much more so for others! These worldly sentiments are hard to inspire faith, and are doubted by monastics and laity alike. During the Sui, Great Master Zhizhe's mind merged with phenomena and his wisdom joined with the spiritual. Riding the times to assist the teaching, his extraordinary traces were clearly evident. Based on what was extraordinary about him, examining what he realized, was he a person of the three stages of worthies? A person of the ten holy stages? Or was he an Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbuddha whose wondrous spiritual transformations were beyond conception? One simply cannot know through thought. Yet the Master's mindfulness and samādhi, dhāraṇī, and clearly luminous practice and conduct, aiming for rebirth in the Pure Land, left not the breadth of a hair between them. What has preserved what the Master possessed must be the text of the Ten Doubts. That text draws from afar upon various sūtras and from near upon various treatises, adopting and selecting their intent to draw upon various records. It does not depart from the sūtras to prepare facts, nor does it adorn words to increase cleverness. Carefully phrasing and conveying meaning, it is able to exhaust the rebirths of the nine grades, whereby one sees the Master's application of mind. For those who see the Master's mind, regarding doubts about the Pure Land, it is like the high sky without clouds where the host of stars display their luster—the distinctions among celestial longitudes and the differences among planetary stations are all brilliantly clear, with not a single thing hidden. Having obtained this text, I repeatedly reflect upon the Pure Land praised by Śākyamuni and verified and accomplished by the successive Buddhas, whether covering the great chiliocosm with the tongue-mark or expounding the Brahmā preaching with the tide-like voice. Although I am of crude learning and cannot reflect their radiance, how could I remain silent? Therefore, at the head of the treatise I briefly set forth one or two points to express my sentiments fully. Though the words are shallow and the principle is slight, insufficient to arouse the Master's conversion, they nevertheless find their refuge in the meaning of verification and accomplishment by previous Buddhas.