寶王三昧念佛直指 1.40

1.40

行人欲生彼國出離生死，先當深識求生彼土真妄之心。且謂如是極樂世界為是在境？為是在心？若在於心，但有虛想，無土可生。若在於境，雖有生處，又復失心。若謂心境二俱求生，則我身心是一，寧生兩處？若謂心境是一，一心求生，則自今心境宛爾，難說是一。又極樂娑婆淨穢不同，況是世尊垂教，勅令捨穢求淨，一義奚得？四句既不可求，或謂處處皆是西方極樂、或謂心淨則是極樂、或云極樂不離這個。若作此解，皆名邪見，而余因不得以默矣。彼若謂極樂在心，即便妄認此心住在我今身中。既在身中，但名求心，何名求生？豈我世尊不知極樂在心，而說在西方十萬億國土之外耶？又豈不能指說內心，而但能說外境耶？今西方極樂世界阿彌陀佛現在說法，實境宛然。此是聖人誠言，焉敢不信？而不知此緣影心外之極樂正即是我真心，我此真心如彼大海不增不減，而汝妄謂為境。汝謂極樂在緣影心，此緣影心如海一漚生滅全妄，而汝妄謂為心。汝若固執妄見，不信外有極樂、信在汝緣影心內者，汝緣影心無體，不可以心求生於心。而不知彼極樂雖在西方，西方即我真心，真心無性即彼名體以顯我心。名體本空，亦即我心而示其相，心境一體、生佛同源，求彼佛即求自心，非外求也；究自心須求彼佛，豈他惑哉？如是則取捨忻厭熾然着相，任我所求，豈復外心？心能具故，則知此心圓裹一切依正境界，乃至色心淨穢、生佛因果、三世十方諸法，含攝無外，同一受用，求一外相了不可得。雖無外相，不分而分，淨穢宛爾。故當如是而求，豈可求之於妄心也。如是願求，佛所印可。與彼世之不識本心、愚癡無智，不求西方極樂之佛，但向自己肉團緣影妄心中求，謂是唯心淨土本性彌陀者，實遼遠矣。然彼極樂國土非依緣影妄心，又彼彌陀色身非在眾生陰體。若向我今四大緣影身心中求本性自己之佛，不求西方極樂之佛，則妄心生滅，佛亦生滅。佛生滅故，三昧不成。縱求有得，但成生滅之佛、還生生滅之土，不成正行。經云：以輪廻心，生輪廻見，彼圓覺性亦同輪轉。即此義也。若欲離諸妄見直生彼者，但求西方十萬億國土外極樂彌陀之佛，以稱性妙觀如實觀之，使彼如來本覺相好於彼顯現，合我眾生始覺真心。於此發明，始本相冥、生佛互感，三昧乃成、正行斯立，不生滅土始可生也。故知此心遍一切處，尚不聞於地獄，何止極樂，但地獄苦處今順性而求離，極樂九品今順性而求生。但依修多羅教、順佛法音，求離苦得樂、從凡入聖，實不出吾之心性，故名惟心淨土、本性彌陀，非謂從妄心中求。妄心無體，焉得名為惟心本性之佛耶？彼向自己緣影妄心中求者，以色身及山河大地十方剎海為外境也；此向自己不動真心中求者，即十方剎海大地山河為內心也。若知十方剎海即內心，則打成一片。故我任意於中捨穢取淨、厭東忻西，不出自心；以實有彼大願果佛能接引故，故求無不得。若謂十方剎海為外境，則打作兩橛，故纔動念即乖法體，即失其用，不得自心。以但有此性具因佛無力用故，故雖求無得。又妄心但是虛妄緣影，惑為色身之內，無土可生。真心含育一切塵剎，本具極樂依正，求之必生；妄心捨外趣內，真心即外為內。內無外故，外求有相果佛，即求自心；內非實故，內求無體緣影，不見自心。妄心心境宛然；真心即心即境。妄心生滅無據；真心不動不搖。妄心在因無果，始終生滅；真心因果一致，性修交徹。故知從真心妄心求者，其別若是，論時則何啻日劫相倍、論處則何但天地懸殊。論體，真則圓裹十虛，妄則居於身內。論用，真則橫截娑婆直出生死，妄則煮砂為飯經劫難成。是故行人發菩提心求生淨土，豈可但求自己緣影妄心，不求西方極樂真佛？良可痛傷。譬如欲西而面東、欲升而抱石，從水求火、從火覓水，奚可得焉？嗟今之人不識真心遍一切處即色顯體，而妄認緣塵影事謂是本性，謬之甚矣。譬如有人認賊為子，其家財寶必被消滅。分別影事妄認為心亦復如是。若或識子是賊，賊不為害；知意是妄，妄亦奚傷。但不可認彼為是極樂依正也。四明法智大師所以有指妄即真之說、觀佛觀心之談，終不撥於極樂依正實境。奈何後世邪見蜂起、魔侶熾然，破滅佛法、斷佛種性，妄計極樂妙土在我緣影心中而不肯西求，可勝顛倒。彼閭巷之人未聞正說，以此邪見密相傳授疑誤人者，雖不逃於地獄苦報，尚有可恕。而我出家四眾圓頂方服者同此見解，尤可傷憫。倘若真為生死，則必以此說為是。若有障重之人，於此法門不能隨順者，則當更審緣影妄心境界云何。此虛妄心既無有體，但隨我生滅，遂即妄說為我。妄認我故，便謂此心住在我今色身之內，謂此色身住於今之世界，謂此世界還住今之虛空之中。此虛空性廣大難量、遍舍塵剎。如是則空大界小、心劣於身，一念轉微，不可舉示。豈可以至微至末一念無體之妄心，而於此求極樂依正之妙境乎？不可求而求，豈不甚惑！既了此義，則知如是空性無邊雖不可量，元不出我大覺清淨心中，如彼片雲點太清裹，況諸世界在虛空耶！況此色身在世界耶！況此妄心在色身耶。故知妄微身著、界大空圓，從纖至洪不出我今本心之內。故知我心如空，彼空如塵，我心廣大無涯無底，圓裹十方三世一切虛空微塵剎土、一切眾生色身妄念，欲求一法在於心外了不可得，何特西方極樂非心外耶？造次顛沛尚不可離，況淨行莊嚴要期西邁、透脫生死，豈求外耶？經云：認悟中迷，晦昧為空，空晦暗中，結暗為色，色雜妄想，想相為身。聚緣內搖，趣外奔逸，昏擾擾相，以為心性。一迷為心，決定惑為色身之內，不知色身外洎山河虛空大地咸是妙明真心中物。譬如百千澄清大海棄之，唯認一浮漚體目為全潮。窮盡瀛渤、汝等即是迷中倍人，如我垂手等無差別。又云：妙覺明心遍十方界，含育如來十方國土清淨寶嚴妙覺王剎。又云：十方虛空生汝心內，猶如片雲點太清裹，況諸世界在虛空耶？以是義觀，既十方空剎依正色心是我本有，我今決志求生本有之土、求見本有之佛，有何不可而謂外求？我既願求，心能感故，彼佛為我顯現之時，即我自家底本有心佛顯現。心佛真實，何有外來？既無外來，彼佛顯時即我心顯，我心顯時即彼佛顯，我心即是彼佛之心，彼佛即是我心之佛，一體無二，性本圓融。何可捨彼西方極樂內心之佛，而妄計別有惟心佛也？或曰：雖妄心，豈不亦具依正之法。何必使人求乎外境？答曰：妄心設具一切依正之法，豈不亦具西方極樂？若知西方極樂一如娑婆之實境可求，可說心具。若謂此心即是心外更無實境，此則但是妄心虛想，有何實焉而謂心具？又即境之心名真心、離境之心名妄心，故知真妄雖同，即離為異，即得離失、即是離非，其旨明矣。又如法師少康，因念佛故，稱佛名時，佛從口出，狀若連珠。亦存其相，使其眾會皆得見也。佛既有相，土焉不實？更有一等，謂於事則有、於理則無；或云處處皆是淨土。傷哉此輩，深惑難祛。又禪宗南陽國師，為禪客舉無情說法之話，雖不專言淨土旨趣，亦痛末世向緣影求佛者多。故此說中不得不備。

If a practitioner wishes to be born in that land and transcend birth and death, they must first deeply discern the mind that seeks birth in that land—whether it is true or deluded. Furthermore, is such a World of Sukhāvatī in the objective realm, or is it in the mind? If it is in the mind, it is merely an empty thought, and there is no land to be born into. If it is in the objective realm, though there is a place to be born, one loses the mind. If one says that both mind and realm seek birth, then since my body and mind are one, how could they be born in two places? If one says that mind and realm are one and with a single mind one seeks birth, then from the present perspective mind and realm are clearly distinct, so it is difficult to say they are one. Moreover, Sukhāvatī and Sahā differ as pure and defiled; furthermore, the World-Honoured One handed down teachings commanding us to abandon the defiled and seek the pure, so how could a single meaning be obtained? Since none of the four propositions can be maintained, some say that everywhere is the Western Sukhāvatī, or that a pure mind is itself Sukhāvatī, or that Sukhāvatī is not apart from 'this very thing'. If one forms such an understanding, all are termed wrong views; thus I cannot remain silent. If they say that Sukhāvatī is in the mind, they immediately mistakenly identify this mind as dwelling within my present physical body. Since it is within the body, this is merely called seeking the mind; how could it be called seeking birth? Did our World-Honoured One not know that Sukhāvatī is in the mind, that he spoke of it being beyond a hundred thousand koṭis of Buddha-lands to the west? And could he not have pointed out and spoken of the internal mind, instead of only being able to speak of an external realm? Now Amitābha Buddha of the Western World of Sukhāvatī is presently expounding the Dharma, and the real realm is clearly evident. These are the sincere words of the Sage; how could one dare disbelieve them? Yet they do not know that the Sukhāvatī outside this conditioned-shadow mind is precisely my true mind. This true mind of mine, like the great ocean, neither increases nor decreases, yet you mistakenly call it an objective realm. You say Sukhāvatī is in the conditioned-shadow mind; this conditioned-shadow mind is like a single bubble on the ocean, whose arising and ceasing are entirely deluded, yet you mistakenly call it the mind. If you stubbornly cling to deluded views, not believing that there is a Sukhāvatī outside and believing it is within your conditioned-shadow mind, then because your conditioned-shadow mind has no substance, one cannot use the mind to seek birth in the mind. Yet they do not know that although that Sukhāvatī is in the west, the west is precisely my true mind. The true mind has no fixed nature; it manifests my mind precisely through that name and substance. Name and substance are fundamentally empty, and precisely through my mind they display their forms. Mind and realm are of one substance; sentient beings and Buddhas share the same source. Seeking that Buddha is seeking one's own mind, not an external seeking; investigating one's own mind requires seeking that Buddha—how could there be any other confusion? In this way, rejecting and accepting, joyful aspiration and revulsion, blazing with attachment to forms and seeking whatever I wish—how could this ever be outside the mind? Because the mind is capable of containing all, one knows that this mind completely embraces all circumstantial and primary realms, up to form and mind, pure and defiled, cause and effect of sentient beings and Buddhas, and all phenomena of the three periods of time and the ten directions; it includes and gathers them with nothing outside, sharing the same enjoyment, and seeking a single external characteristic is utterly impossible. Although there are no external characteristics, without dividing they are divided, and pure and defiled are clearly evident. Therefore one should seek in this manner; how could one seek it in a deluded mind? Such vows and seeking are sealed and approved by the Buddha. Between this and those in the world who do not know the original mind, who are foolish and without wisdom, who do not seek the Buddha of the Western Sukhāvatī but only seek within the deluded mind of conditioned shadows of their own physical lump [of flesh], saying that this is the mind-only Pure Land and the own-nature Amitābha, there is truly a vast gulf! Moreover, that land of Sukhāvatī does not depend on the deluded mind of conditioned shadows, nor is that form-body of Amitābha within the skandha-body of sentient beings. If one seeks the Buddha of one's own nature within one's present body and mind of the four elements and conditioned shadows, and does not seek the Buddha of the Western Sukhāvatī, then since the deluded mind arises and ceases, the Buddha also arises and ceases. Because the Buddha arises and ceases, samādhi is not achieved. Even if seeking yields results, it merely accomplishes an arising and ceasing Buddha and rebirth back into an arising and ceasing land; it does not constitute correct practice. A sūtra says: 'With a saṃsāric mind, one generates saṃsāric views, and that complete-enlightenment nature also revolves along with them.' This is precisely the meaning. If one wishes to abandon all deluded views and be born directly there, one should simply seek the Buddha Amitābha of Sukhāvatī beyond a hundred thousand koṭis of Buddha-lands to the west, contemplating him in accordance with reality through wonderful contemplation that tallies with the nature, causing that Tathāgata's marks and characteristics of original enlightenment to appear there and unite with our sentient beings' true mind of initial enlightenment. Clarified through this, the initial and the original merge, and sentient beings and the Buddha mutually resonate; only then is samādhi achieved and correct practice established, and only then can one be born in the land of no arising and ceasing. Therefore, know that this mind pervades all places; it is not unheard of even in the hells, let alone in Sukhāvatī! It is just that one now accords with the nature to seek release from the painful places of the hells, and accords with the nature to seek rebirth in the nine grades of Sukhāvatī. Merely by relying on the sūtra teachings, according with the sound of the Buddha's Dharma, seeking to leave suffering and attain bliss, and progressing from ordinary to sage—these truly do not go beyond our own mind-nature. Therefore it is called the mind-only Pure Land and the own-nature Amitābha; it does not mean seeking within a deluded mind. The deluded mind has no substance; how could it be called the Buddha of mind-only and own-nature? Those who seek within their own deluded mind of conditioned shadows take the form-body, mountains, rivers, the great earth, and the ocean of lands in the ten directions as external realms; those who seek within their own unmoving true mind take the ocean of lands in the ten directions, the great earth, mountains, and rivers as the internal mind. If one knows that the ocean of lands in the ten directions is precisely the internal mind, they fuse into a single piece. Therefore, at will within it I abandon the defiled and take the pure, loathe the east and joyfully aspire to the west, without leaving my own mind; because there truly exists that Buddha of the fruition of great vows capable of welcoming and guiding, in seeking there is nothing one does not obtain. If one regards the ocean of lands in the ten directions as an external realm, it is split into two halves; therefore, the moment a thought moves, it contradicts the substance of the Dharma and loses its function, failing to attain one's own mind. Because this inherently possessed causal Buddha alone lacks functional power, though one seeks, one attains nothing. Furthermore, the deluded mind is merely an empty, delusive conditioned shadow, mistakenly thought to be inside the form-body, with no land to be born into. The true mind contains and nurtures all dust-realms, fundamentally possessing the circumstantial and primary [rewards] of Sukhāvatī, so seeking it guarantees rebirth; the deluded mind abandons the outside to head inward, while the true mind takes the outside as inside. Because the inside has no outside, seeking the fruition Buddha with characteristics externally is seeking one's own mind; because the inside is not real, seeking the substanceless conditioned shadow internally fails to see one's own mind. In the deluded mind, mind and realm are clearly separate; the true mind is at once mind and realm. The deluded mind arises and ceases without foundation; the true mind is unmoving and unshakeable. The deluded mind remains in the cause without fruition, arising and ceasing from beginning to end; in the true mind, cause and effect are one, and nature and cultivation thoroughly penetrate each other. Therefore, know that the difference between seeking from the true mind and from the deluded mind is like this: in terms of time, how could it be merely the difference between a day and a kalpa? In terms of space, how could it be merely as far apart as heaven and earth? In terms of substance, the true completely embraces the ten directions of emptiness, while the deluded dwells inside the body. In terms of function, the true horizontally cuts across Sahā and transcends birth and death directly, while the deluded cooks sand to make rice, never achieving it even after kalpas. Therefore, when practitioners generate the bodhicitta and seek birth in the Pure Land, how could they merely seek their own deluded mind of conditioned shadows and not seek the true Buddha of the Western Sukhāvatī? It is truly lamentable! For example, it is like wishing to go west while facing east, or wishing to ascend while holding a stone, or seeking fire from water and looking for water from fire—how could one ever obtain it? Alas! People of today do not know that the true mind pervades all places and manifests its substance precisely through form, but mistakenly identify the shadow affairs of conditioned dust as their original nature; this is an extreme error! For example, it is like someone mistaking a thief for their child; the wealth and jewels of their household will surely be destroyed. Distinguishing shadow affairs and mistakenly identifying them as the mind is also like this. If one recognises that the child is a thief, the thief cannot cause harm; if one knows that consciousness is deluded, how could delusion cause harm? One simply must not identify it as the circumstantial and primary [rewards] of Sukhāvatī. The reason Great Master Fazhi of Siming spoke of pointing to delusion as being none other than the true, and discussed contemplating the Buddha and contemplating the mind, was that he ultimately never denied the real realm of Sukhāvatī's circumstantial and primary [rewards]. Alas, in later generations wrong views have swarmed forth and demonic companions blaze, destroying the Buddha-Dharma and cutting off the Buddha-lineage, falsely calculating that the wonderful land of Sukhāvatī is within our conditioned-shadow mind and refusing to seek the West—how can such inversion be endured? When people of the alleyways have not heard the correct exposition and secretly transmit this wrong view to each other, confusing and misleading others, although they cannot escape the painful retribution of the hells, there is still some pardon. But when the four assemblies of our renunciants, with shaved heads and square robes, share this same view, it is all the more lamentable! If one is truly concerned with birth and death, one must take this explanation as correct. If there are people with heavy obstacles who cannot follow along with this Dharma gate, they should further examine what the realm of the deluded mind of conditioned shadows is like. Since this false and deluded mind has no substance, but merely arises and ceases along with me, one straightway falsely calls it 'me'. Because one mistakenly identifies a self, one immediately says that this mind dwells inside my present form-body, that this form-body dwells in the present world, and that this world in turn dwells within the present space. This nature of space is vast and hard to measure, all-encompassing of dust-like lands. If so, space is large while the world is small; the mind is inferior to the body, and a single thought is even more minute, impossible to point out. How could one, with a substanceless deluded mind of a single thought that is most minute and insignificant, seek the wonderful realm of Sukhāvatī's circumstantial and primary [rewards] here? Seeking where it cannot be sought—is that not utter delusion! Having understood this meaning, one then knows that although such boundless nature of space cannot be measured, it originally does not go beyond my cleanly purified mind of great enlightenment, just like a fleck of cloud dotting the clear sky—how much more so the various worlds within space! How much more so this form-body within the world! How much more so this deluded mind within the form-body! Therefore, know that the deluded is minute while the body is conspicuous; the realm is large while space is round; from the finest to the vastest, nothing goes beyond my present original mind. Therefore, know that my mind is like space, and that space is like a speck of dust. My mind is vast, bottomless and shoreless, completely embracing all space, dust-like lands, form-bodies and deluded thoughts of all sentient beings throughout the ten directions and three periods of time; wishing to find a single phenomenon outside the mind is utterly impossible. Why especially would the Western Sukhāvatī not be outside the mind? One cannot depart from it even in moments of haste and confusion; how much more so when with pure practice and adornments one pledges to journey west and break through birth and death—how could this be seeking externally? The sūtra says: 'Mistaking confusion within awakening, obscurity is taken as empty space; within the dark obscurity of empty space, darkness congeals into form; form is mixed with deluded thought, and the marks of thought become the body. Conditions gather and stir within, rushing and dashing outward; taking this turbid and agitated mark, they consider it to be the mind-nature. Once deluded about what the mind is, they definitely become confused, thinking it is inside the form-body, unaware that the form-body, up to the mountains, rivers, empty space, and the great earth outside, are all things within the wonderful, luminous true mind. It is, for example, like abandoning hundreds of thousands of clear, calm oceans, and only recognising a single floating bubble as the entire tide, exhausting all seas and oceans. You are people doubled in confusion, no different from when I hang down my hand.' It also says: 'The wonderful, enlightened, luminous mind pervades the realms of the ten directions, containing and nurturing the Tathāgatas' pure, treasure-adorned wonderful-enlightenment king-realms of the ten directions.' It also says: 'The empty space of the ten directions arises within your mind, just like a fleck of cloud dotting the clear sky; how much more so the various worlds within space!' Viewed in light of this meaning, since the circumstantial and primary, form and mind of the empty lands of the ten directions are what I originally possess, if I now resolutely vow to seek birth in my originally possessed land and seek to see my originally possessed Buddha, what is wrong with this that it should be called seeking externally? Since I have vowed to seek, because the mind can resonate, when that Buddha manifests for me, it is precisely the manifestation of my own inherently possessed mind-Buddha. The mind-Buddha is real; how could there be an external coming? Since there is no external coming, when that Buddha manifests, it is precisely my mind manifesting; when my mind manifests, it is precisely that Buddha manifesting. My mind is precisely that Buddha's mind; that Buddha is precisely the Buddha of my mind. They are of one substance, non-dual, fundamentally completely interpenetrating by nature. How could one abandon that Buddha of the internal mind in the Western Sukhāvatī and falsely project that there is another 'mind-only' Buddha? Someone may ask: 'Although it is a deluded mind, does it not also possess the phenomena of the circumstantial and primary? Why must people be made to seek an external realm?' I answer: 'Even if the deluded mind possessed all phenomena of the circumstantial and primary, would it not also possess the Western Sukhāvatī? If one knows that the Western Sukhāvatī is a real realm to be sought just like the Sahā, one can say the mind possesses it. But if one says that this mind is simply that, and outside the mind there is no real realm, this is merely an empty thought of the deluded mind—what reality is there to say the mind possesses it? Furthermore, the mind that is identical to the realm is called the true mind; the mind that is detached from the realm is called the deluded mind. Therefore, know that although true and deluded are the same [in essence], identity and detachment make them different: identity attains, detachment loses; identity is right, detachment is wrong—the purport is evident. Furthermore, take Dharma Master Shaokang: because of his mindfulness of the Buddha, whenever he chanted the Buddha's name, Buddhas issued from his mouth, like a string of pearls. He also preserved the forms, enabling the entire assembly to see them. Since the Buddha has forms, how could the land not be real? There is yet another class of people who say that in phenomena it exists, but in principle it does not; or they say that everywhere is the Pure Land. Lamentable are these people, whose deep delusion is hard to dispel! Moreover, National Preceptor Nanyang of the Chan school raised the topic of insentient beings preaching the Dharma for Chan travelers; although he did not speak exclusively of the purport of the Pure Land, he also lamented that many in the latter age seek the Buddha from conditioned shadows. Therefore, it was necessary to include this thoroughly in this exposition.'