寶王三昧念佛直指 2.20

2.20

已上所述種種方便，皆是眾生起心進行上求之心，而不知我世尊下化願力種種方便無所不至，過於眾生上求之心百千萬倍，不得為喻。如經所謂，阿彌陀佛慈悲光明遍照法界普覆眾生，作大救護，不令墜墮。阿彌陀佛慈悲願力遍周法界普接眾生，作大攝受，不令漏失。阿彌陀佛陰入界身遍同法界普示眾生，令彼了悟，不令退轉。是故十方世界一切眾生皆我彌陀願力所持，猶彼慈母愛惜嬰兒，懷抱乳哺不令失念。父母愛兒但止一世，報盡則休。佛念眾生世世不捨，以是義故，能於我佛大願之中，一稱其名滅八十億劫生死重罪，信有旨矣。蓋我彌陀願力常在世間救苦眾生，眾生能念，豈不速應？譬彼母救嬰兒水火之難，何待兒求？兒若能求，母必倍愛。惟彼歷劫逃逝，自甘退失不受救者，誠難救焉。縱有五逆具造、十惡滿心、毀謗妄語、虛誑說法，無罪不造，臨命終時應墮阿鼻，其相已現必入地獄之人，若能遇善知識教令念佛，此人苦逼，一念改悔，能十稱其名者，尚能變地獄之相為淨土而得往生。若能以是觀行莊嚴，及能先排所造之業者，豈不克應？喻昔有人，懼虎上樹，因失聲故，稱南無佛三字，後值釋迦得道。況彼命終苦逼，猛勵十念而不感彰？問：我聞彌陀願力遍一切處，今觀此說，但能救彼將入地獄及未命終之人，其已入者似不能救。如不能救，則知彌陀及諸佛願力有不遍之處耶？答：子豈不聞諸法所生惟心所現？一切因果世界微塵，因心成體。若知諸法尚不離於眾生之心，豈離彌陀本體而願力有不遍處耶？問：若爾，如何地獄之人長劫受苦，未聞有能救護者？答：子又當觀今之市鄽屠肆之內，聚生而殺日夜不休，未聞有能止其殺者。殺因既不能止，獄報亦無能救。然則殺在彼而報在我，但因果難逃耳，豈彌陀願力不遍而地獄無救護者耶？譬如有人頗知經義、合佛妙心，而於身三口四等惡，承宿習故不能滅除。因不滅故，其人命終之時，不遇善友提獎念佛，直入地獄，於地獄中受無量苦。雖受諸苦，善因不滅，於諸苦事皆能照察，觸境知心。既知是心，亦知生佛一體，以一體故，即知正是如來微妙清淨之身。由能覺了生佛一故，則當其人正受苦時，悉如夢事，了彼苦相即是菩提。此心淳熟無錯謬故，又能促彼多劫地獄極苦之報一時輕受。其人於是雖受眾苦，得無苦相，反起代受苦心，是以不求出離。以此妙解合佛心故，彼昔所曾供養之佛，乃至曾於名像所歸敬佛，及經卷中所信解佛，或念彌陀機感相投之佛，彼佛則必如我解境還現如是廣大如虛空量威德熾盛光明之佛，相好神通巍巍赫奕，至彼地獄最上之頂，垂肩彈指慈音告勅，於其支體放大光明，其音隨光直至地獄淵源之底。其獄所有鐵城鐵門鐵網銅柱，乃至刀山劍樹鑊湯鑪炭一切苦具，承光照者無不摧碎灰滅，如影如風了無踪跡。又彼一切牛頭馬面鬼吏獄卒、銅狗鐵鷹鐵蛇鐵嘴諸蟲鳥等，承光照故，如菩薩相慈視愛念。其受苦人及同獄苦囚，忽得本心增益善念，見彼光明又聞告勅，如深井底仰望雲漢，舉眼上視見佛勝身，踴躍歡喜頭面頂禮，悔過自責，與同苦者發菩提心，隨光直上至佛所已，摩頂授記接足作禮，聽佛說法應念悟道，即能飛行遊戲神通，淨佛國土同佛生處，如大菩薩成無上道教化眾生，難可窮極。問：若從因果，則此佛光但照勝解之人出獄，眾囚無與，如何一時同出？答：譬如有一惡逆之人罹於官禍，入獄之時，由彼一惡為因、眾過俱生，則必展轉累乎妻子父母親戚知識人等同受苦果。其善行人出獄之時亦復如是，豈不亦令同受苦者展轉生善，悉承佛力皆生樂處。若此則我彌陀願力實遍一切時處，豈特不能救護已入地獄眾生耶？若謂獄報未盡先欲使之令出，獄因無善而欲佛光下照，其可得乎？更能以彼省己，奚不自悔？問：若待獄報盡時佛光來照，我必報盡自出，何須佛光照耶？答：若非佛光，報盡雖出。於三惡道未知何生，則必各各自重至微，展轉歷於多劫多無量劫不思議劫方至人中，猶自貧窮下賤癃殘百疾受諸大苦。又因求不得苦，惡念轉甚。若無微善，還墮地獄。如盲入棘林，何由能脫也？若承佛光下照威力，則能轉重輕受、轉長短受、轉多少受，又能一出地獄便生佛土，豈可言不須佛光照耶？若作此見，得大重罪。經云：假使大千世界滿中大火，念彼佛者直過無疑。何況一己之火而不可滅？即此義也。又云：彌陀如來悲心激切，乃至於無間獄大火輪中，代諸眾生受諸苦惱，方便救脫令生安養，況未淪墜之人而不救護？又云：彼佛慈力普覆世間一切眾生，於彼佛身刀斫香塗，以慈力故不二攝受。是故彌陀願力下化眾生激切之心，於茲可見。何況以種種形身同眾生，於諸時處作化事者，實難可測。若不諦信，未可謂知法者。或謂眾生全體是佛，未審誰是能救所救者？余只向他道：汝欠悟在。

The various skillful means described above all concern sentient beings giving rise to the mind of progressing forward and seeking above. Yet they do not realize that the vow-power of our World-Honoured One to transform below reaches everywhere through all kinds of skillful means, exceeding by hundreds of thousands of myriads of times the mind of sentient beings seeking above, so that no analogy can be made. As the sūtras say, the compassionate light of Amitābha Buddha shines universally throughout the dharmadhātu, widely sheltering sentient beings, providing great rescue and protection so that they do not fall. The compassionate vow-power of Amitābha Buddha universally encompasses the dharmadhātu, widely receiving sentient beings, effecting a great gathering-in so that none are left out. Amitābha Buddha's body of aggregates, sense-bases, and elements is everywhere identical with the dharmadhātu, widely revealing itself to sentient beings to lead them to complete awakening, not allowing them to retrogress. Therefore, all sentient beings in the worlds of the ten directions are sustained by our Amitābha's vow-power, just as a loving mother cherishes her infant, holding it in her bosom and nursing it so that it never strays from her thoughts. Parents loving their child lasts only for a single lifetime, ending when their karmic reward is exhausted. The Buddha is mindful of sentient beings life after life without ever abandoning them. For this reason, within our Buddha's great vow, single-mindedly reciting his name can extinguish the grave sins of eighty billion eons of birth and death; truly there is deep meaning in this! Our Amitābha's vow-power is ever present in the world to rescue suffering sentient beings. If sentient beings can be mindful of him, how could he not swiftly respond? Just like that mother rescuing her infant from the perils of water and fire—how could she wait for the child to ask? If the child is able to ask, the mother will love it doubly so. Only those who run away eon after eon, willingly resigning themselves to retrogression and refusing rescue, are indeed difficult to save. Even if someone has fully committed the five heinous sins, filled their heart with the ten unwholesome deeds, slandered [the Dharma], lied, taught the Dharma falsely, and left no sin uncommitted, so that at the point of death they are due to fall into Avīci, with the signs already manifesting and their entry into hell certain—if such a person meets a kalyāṇamitra who teaches them to practice buddha-mindfulness, then pressed by suffering, with a single thought of repentance, if they can recite his name ten times, they can still transform the signs of hell into the Pure Land and attain rebirth. If one can adorn oneself with such contemplation and practice, and can moreover settle beforehand the karma one has committed, how could one fail to succeed? As an analogy, once there was a person who climbed a tree in fear of a tiger; crying out involuntarily, he chanted the three words 'Namo Buddha', and later encountered Śākyamuni and attained the Way. How much more so when pressed by the suffering of death, vigorously applying oneself to ten recitations—how could this fail to bring a wondrous response? Question: I have heard that Amitābha's vow-power is omnipresent. Yet looking at this explanation, it can only save those who are about to enter hell and have not yet died; it seems unable to save those who have already entered. If they cannot be saved, does this not mean that the vow-power of Amitābha and all the Buddhas is not omnipresent? Answer: Have you not heard that all phenomena arise as mind-only manifestations? All cause and effect, the worlds, and dust motes have their substance through the mind. If you know that all phenomena are not apart from the minds of sentient beings, how could they be apart from Amitābha's fundamental essence, such that his vow-power would fail to be omnipresent? Question: If so, why do the people in hell suffer for long eons without anyone ever being heard to rescue and protect them? Answer: You should also observe how today in markets and butcher shops, living beings are gathered and slaughtered day and night without cessation, and no one is heard to stop this killing. Since the cause of killing cannot be stopped, the retribution of hell likewise has no one to save them. That being so, the killing is on their part and the retribution falls upon themselves; it is simply that cause and effect cannot be escaped. How could it be that Amitābha's vow-power is not omnipresent and there is no rescue in hell? For example, suppose a person understands the sūtra teachings fairly well and accords with the Buddha's wondrous mind, yet regarding the three physical and four verbal evils, due to past habits they are unable to eradicate them. Because these are not eradicated, when this person dies, they do not meet a good friend to encourage and guide them in buddha-mindfulness, and they fall straight into hell, suffering immeasurable pain there. Although they suffer all kinds of pain, their wholesome causes are not destroyed; regarding all painful events they are able to illuminate and observe them, knowing the mind upon encountering objects. Since they know it is mind, they also know that sentient beings and the Buddha are of one substance. Being of one substance, they know that this is precisely the wondrous, pure body of the Tathāgata. Because they are able to awaken to the oneness of sentient beings and the Buddha, when this person is undergoing suffering, it is entirely like a dream, and they realize that the characteristic of suffering is itself bodhi. Because this mind is ripe and free of error, it can moreover compress the extreme suffering retribution of multiple eons in hell into a single moment of light enduring. Thereupon, though this person undergoes various sufferings, they attain the absence of characteristics of suffering, and instead give rise to the mind of taking on suffering on others' behalf; thus they do not seek release for themselves. Because this wondrous understanding accords with the Buddha's mind, the Buddhas whom they formerly made offerings to, or the Buddhas to whom they took refuge and revered in names and images, or the Buddhas they had faith and understanding in through sūtra scrolls, or the Buddha with whom their faculties resonated through reciting Amitābha—that Buddha will inevitably, in accordance with the realm of their understanding, manifest as such an immense, sky-measured, awe-inspiring, brilliantly radiant Buddha, majestic and dazzling with marks and supernormal powers, descending to the very summit of that hell. Dropping his shoulders and snapping his fingers, with a compassionate voice he delivers his proclamation, emitting great light from his limbs. His voice follows the light straight to the bottom of the abyss of hell. In that hell, all the iron cities, iron gates, iron nets, bronze pillars, and even the mountain of knives, forest of swords, boiling cauldrons, and blazing coals—all instruments of suffering—when touched by this light, are smashed to pieces and reduced to ashes, vanishing like shadows and wind without a trace. Moreover, all the ox-headed and horse-faced demon officers, hell wardens, bronze dogs, iron eagles, iron snakes, iron-beaked insects, birds, and the like, touched by this light, look upon them with compassionate eyes and affectionate regard like bodhisattvas. The suffering person and the fellow convicts in the same hell suddenly recover their original mind, their wholesome thoughts increasing. Seeing that light and hearing the proclamation, like someone looking up at the Milky Way from the bottom of a deep well, they raise their eyes and see the Buddha's sublime body. Leaping with great joy, they bow their heads to the ground, repenting and reproaching themselves. Together with their fellow sufferers they generate the bodhi-mind, follow the light straight up to the Buddha's presence, have their heads touched and receive prophecies, pay homage by touching his feet, and hear the Buddha teach the Dharma. At that very thought they awaken to the Way, immediately able to fly and play with supernormal powers, purifying Buddha-lands together with the Buddha's realm of birth, just like great bodhisattvas attaining the unexcelled Way to teach and transform sentient beings, boundlessly and inexhaustibly. Question: If judged by cause and effect, this Buddha-light should only shine on the person of superior understanding to take them out of hell, while the other convicts have no part in it; how could they all be released together at the same time? Answer: For example, suppose a wicked and rebellious person encounters legal disaster and enters prison. Because that single evil act is the cause, numerous faults arise alongside it, and it will inevitably embroil wives, children, parents, relatives, acquaintances, and others to suffer the bitter result together. When a practitioner of goodness emerges from prison, it is also like this: how could it not likewise cause their fellow sufferers to give rise to goodness in turn, all relying on the Buddha's power and being born in a place of bliss? In this way, our Amitābha's vow-power truly pervades all times and places; how could it be said that he cannot rescue sentient beings who have already entered hell? If you say that before the retribution of hell has ended one should make them leave beforehand, or that when there is no goodness in the cause of hell one wants the Buddha-light to shine down upon them, how could that be possible? If one can examine oneself through this, why not repent? Question: If one must wait until the retribution of hell is exhausted for the Buddha-light to come and shine, then since I will naturally leave once the retribution is exhausted, what need is there for the Buddha-light to shine? Answer: If it were not for the Buddha-light, even though one leaves when the retribution is exhausted, one would not know what rebirth one would take in the three evil destinies; one would inevitably proceed from the heavier to the subtler, cycle through multiple eons, countless eons, and inconceivable eons before reaching the human realm, where one would still be impoverished, lowly, crippled, afflicted with a hundred illnesses, and undergo great suffering. Furthermore, due to the suffering of not getting what one seeks, evil thoughts would become even more severe. Without slight goodness, one would fall back into hell. Like a blind person entering a bramble forest, how could one ever escape? If one relies on the mighty power of the Buddha-light shining down, one can turn heavy suffering into light suffering, turn long suffering into short, turn much suffering into little, and moreover, as soon as one exits hell, one is born in the Buddha-land. How could one say there is no need for the Buddha-light to shine? If one holds this view, one incurs grave sin. A sūtra says: 'Even if the great chiliocosm were filled with a great fire, one who is mindful of that Buddha will pass straight through without doubt.' How much more so could the fire of one's own self not be extinguished? This is precisely the meaning. It also says: 'Amitābha Tathāgata's compassionate mind is vehement and urgent, even to the point of entering the great wheel of fire in the Avīci hell to undergo all pain and affliction on behalf of sentient beings, employing skillful means to rescue and liberate them, causing them to be born in the Land of Peaceful Nurture—how much more so would he not rescue and protect those who have not yet sunk and fallen?' It also says: 'That Buddha's compassionate power universally covers all sentient beings in the world; whether his Buddha-body is hacked with knives or anointed with incense, through the power of compassion he gathers them in without distinction.' Therefore, Amitābha's vehement mind of vow-power to transform sentient beings below can be seen here. How much more so when he takes on various bodily forms identical to sentient beings, carrying out transformative deeds in all times and places—truly it is unfathomable! If one does not have genuine faith in this, one cannot be called one who knows the Dharma. Some may say that sentient beings in their entirety are Buddha, so who knows who is the rescuer and who is the rescued? I would simply say to him: 'You are still lacking in awakening.'