寶王三昧念佛直指 2.11

2.11

如上所述依正二境乃至精進雖皆圓妙，悉是求生之方，未為正行。此下所陳乃是正行之旨。何謂正行？行者既發此志，必使身心清淨入於道場。先當觀察，我及盡虛空界微塵剎海一切眾生，常在生死大海，歷劫不休飄零沈溺，於六道中無歸無救。若不令其普得解脫，何名正行？於是等觀冤親之境，即此境上起大悲心，如虛空量廣大普覆。又作是念：我今此身如彼瘡疣冤業苦聚，若不以此布施眾生、等修三昧令彼解脫，則違佛教誡、違我本願。眾生受苦甚可畏愍，我今發心，如師子王出窟，不求伴侶、不求護助，嚬呻哮吼摧伏一切，定不為彼弊魔惡黨之所退轉。如是大心既立，然後審彼古賢念佛正行，當擇自然寂靜之方，及非先曾穢染之地。所費先當盡己所有，乃可匃人。如法建立道場，下以香泥、上懸寶蓋、中奉三身及九品像，極令嚴淨。布諸旛華，供事畢備，皆令瑩淨微妙。次則著新淨衣，燒香然燈，安設坐具。無始所有一切善根，普為眾生回向淨土，莊嚴行願。若不如是回向，生因奚得？於是三心圓發、五體投誠，觀佛相好，胡跪合掌，乃至運心普緣無邊剎海一切眾生及我此身，自昔至今流浪不返，深為可痛。涕淚悲泣求佛垂慈，不覺此身如大山崩，歸命三寶。手擎香華，想遍法界，請佛歎德、敬禮投誠，剖腹洗腸發露過罪，修行五悔，旋繞歸依。於是端坐面西，觀佛相好，誦經念佛，出入經行，晝夜六時克期練行。如或障深未感，至死為期，於中不得剎那念世五欲。如是一心，若不往生，則我佛是大妄語者。故此三昧其神若是。此三昧者，諸佛所讚、諸聖同遵，始則唱於廬山、終則流於天下，歷代傳弘皆以此為歸趣。但三昧儀軌雖多，惟慈雲所撰詳略得中，宜熟味之。此是第一上行境界甚深，學者於中當竭其力，慎不可捨此而趨彼也。若或根機不等、勝行難全，亦必處於淨室，使內外肅清，隨意立行，禮佛懺悔。日定幾陳，精進一心誓不中悔。或專誦經、或專持呪、或但執持名號直求往生、或能深達法義觀佛依正，若至得見好相，即知罪滅緣深亦生彼國。如經有云：不可以少善根福德因緣得生彼國。若有聞說阿彌陀佛，執持名號，一日二日乃至七日，一心不亂。其人命終，佛與眾聖現前接引即得往生。故知執持名號即是多善根多福德因緣也。又有未能盡斷世緣，亦修世善，於極樂國諦信不疑，念念戀慕不忘，於前行門隨意修習，四威儀內以此為歸，觸境則達彼淵源、臨事則力行方便，臨命終時必生彼也。然此諸行，詳略雖有不同，而其法力本等，但存心或有緩速，故佛應亦有遲疾，學者不可不知。又有慈雲十念法門，每於晨朝盥漱已畢，靜處面西宜亦修行。此實往生極樂之初因，願必不可失也。如上行相，義具委明，可謂義無餘蘊矣。或曰：某於念佛之際，雖運身口，而心念紛飛不能自制。且如何用心得不散亂？答：能運身口之念，毋論其散，但不間不斷，自能一心，亦可即名一心。惟行之不休為度，固不必憂散亂矣。譬如父母喪愛子、龍失命珠，不期心一而心自一，豈制之令一也。此心本不可制，實在行人勤怠耳。

Although the two realms of circumstantial and primary [rewards] down to diligence described above are all complete and wondrous, they are all methods of seeking rebirth and not yet the primary practice. What is set forth below is the essential purport of the primary practice. What is meant by primary practice? When practitioners have generated this resolve, they must make body and mind pure and enter the place of practice. First, they should contemplate: I and all sentient beings in the ocean of dust-mote lands throughout empty space are constantly in the great ocean of birth and death, drifting and sinking through kalpas without cessation, having nowhere to return and no one to save us within the six destinies. If I do not cause them all to attain liberation, how can it be called primary practice? Thereupon, viewing friends and foes alike, upon this very realm they arouse great compassion, vast and universally covering like the measure of empty space. Again, they think: My present body is like a cluster of sores and tumors, a accumulation of enmity, karma, and suffering; if I do not bestow this upon sentient beings and equally cultivate samādhi to cause them to be liberated, I will violate the Buddha's admonitions and go against my own fundamental vow. Sentient beings suffering pain is deeply pitiable; I now generate the resolve, like a lion king emerging from its den, seeking no companion and seeking no protector, yawning, roaring, and subduing all, definitively not retrogressing on account of those vile demons and evil hordes. Once such a great mind is established, they then examine the primary practice of buddha-mindfulness of the ancient worthies: they should select a naturally quiet direction and a place not previously defiled. For the expenses, one must first exhaust all one's own possessions before one may beg from others. Properly establishing the place of practice: below with fragrant clay, above suspending a jewelled canopy, in the centre enshrining images of the three bodies and nine grades, making it exceedingly solemn and pure. Arranging banners and flowers, with the articles of offering fully prepared, making all lustrous, pure, and subtly wondrous. Next, putting on fresh, clean clothes, burning incense, lighting lamps, and laying out sitting mats. All good roots possessed from beginningless time are universally dedicated to the Pure Land for the sake of sentient beings, adorning practice and vows. If one does not dedicate them like this, how could the cause for rebirth be obtained? Thereupon, the three minds are completely aroused, the five limbs cast down in sincere devotion; contemplating the Buddha's marks and characteristics, kneeling with palms joined, and even guiding the mind to universally encompass all sentient beings in the boundless ocean of lands and this body of mine, which from the past until now has wandered without returning, deeply lamentable. Weeping with tears and lamentation, begging the Buddha to bestow compassion, heedless of this body falling like a great mountain, taking refuge in the Three Jewels. Holding fragrant flowers in hand, visualizing them pervading the dharmadhātu, inviting the Buddha and praising virtues, paying homage and throwing oneself down in sincere devotion, opening the belly and washing the intestines to confess faults and transgressions, cultivating the five repentances, circumambulating and taking refuge. Thereupon, sitting upright facing west, contemplating the Buddha's marks and characteristics, reciting sūtras and being mindful of the Buddha, walking in meditation entering and leaving, training and practicing during the six periods of the day and night with a fixed period. If obstacles are deep and one has not yet had a response, taking death as the limit, in the midst of which one must not for a single kṣaṇa think of worldly five desires. With such a single mind, if one is not reborn, then our Buddha is a great liar. Therefore the spirit of this samādhi is like this. This samādhi is praised by all buddhas and followed in common by all sages; in the beginning it was proclaimed at Mount Lu, and in the end it flowed throughout the realm; transmissions and propagation through successive generations have all taken this as the final resort. However, though the ritual liturgies of samādhi are many, only that composed by Ciyun is balanced in detail and brevity; one should savour it thoroughly. This is the first, supreme stage, extremely profound; students within it should exhaust their strength and be careful not to abandon this to pursue that. If faculties are unequal and the superior practice is difficult to complete, one must also stay in a clean room, making the inside and outside pure and solemn, establishing practice according to one's wish, paying homage to the Buddha and repenting. Setting a certain number of sessions each day, diligent with a single mind, vowing not to regret midway. Whether exclusively reciting sūtras, exclusively upholding dhāraṇīs, or merely grasping and holding the name directly seeking rebirth, or being able to deeply penetrate the Dharma's meaning and contemplate the Buddha's circumstantial and primary [rewards], if one reaches the point of seeing auspicious signs, one will know that sins are extinguished, conditions are deep, and one will also be reborn in that land. As the sūtra says: 'One cannot attain rebirth in that land with few good roots, blessings, and virtuous causal conditions. If there are those who hear of Amitābha Buddha, grasp and hold his name for one day, two days, or up to seven days, single-mindedly without distraction, when that person's life ends, the Buddha together with the assembly of sages will appear before them to receive and guide them, and they will immediately attain rebirth.' Therefore know that grasping and holding the name is itself many good roots and many blessings and virtuous causal conditions. There are also those who cannot completely cut off worldly conditions, who also cultivate worldly goods, have firm faith without doubt in the Land of Bliss, longing and yearning thought after thought without forgetting, practicing as they wish among the previous gates of practice, taking this as their refuge within the four deportments, reaching that source whenever encountering realms, and striving to practice skillful means whenever approaching affairs; at the end of their lives, they will surely be reborn there. However, although these practices differ in detail and brevity, their Dharma-power is originally equal; only because the application of mind may be slow or swift, the Buddha's response may also be delayed or rapid, which students must not fail to know. There is also Ciyun's method of ten recitations: every morning after washing and rinsing, one should also practice it in a quiet place facing west. This is truly the initial cause for rebirth in Sukhāvatī, a vow that must never be lost. As for the characteristics of practice above, their meaning has been fully explained in detail; it may be said that the meaning has no remaining reserve. Someone said: "When I practice buddha-mindfulness, although I employ body and mouth, my mental thoughts flutter about and cannot be controlled. How then should I apply the mind so that it is not scattered?" / Answer: "If you can employ the mindfulness of body and mouth, do not speak of it being scattered; as long as it is uninterrupted and unceasing, it will naturally become single-minded, and it can also be called single-minded. Just take ceaseless practice as the measure, and certainly there is no need to worry about scatteredness. For instance, when parents lose a beloved child or a dragon loses its life-jewel, they do not expect the mind to be unified, yet the mind is naturally unified; how could it be made unified by controlling it? This mind is originally uncontrollable; it truly lies in the practitioner's diligence or remissness."