淨土生無生論 1.25

1.25

Amitābha Buddha is a person of the fruit, who has accomplished the merits of the three bodies, the four wisdoms, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen unshared qualities, and so forth. An ordinary being is a person of the cause, completely endowed with countless afflictions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, creating countless bonds of karma as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and destined to undergo countless births and deaths as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. The aspects of delusion and awakening are like clouds and mud by comparison. When it is said that 'ultimately there is no duality,' this means: speaking in terms of characteristics, they are not dual and yet dual; discussing in terms of nature, they are dual and yet not dual. For the Buddhas have awakened to the Buddhas within the minds of sentient beings, while sentient beings are deluded about the sentient beings within the minds of the Buddhas. That which is awakened to is the essential nature, the measure of the nature, and the inherent possession of the nature originally endowed in sentient beings. That which is deluded about is the essential nature, the measure of the nature, and the inherent possession of the nature realized by the Buddhas. How could the marvel of the mind-nature ever truly suffer delusion! It is deluded and yet not deluded—there is truth to these words. Therefore, the measure of the nature originally possessed by sentient beings is none other than the Dharmakāya realized by the Buddhas; the essential nature is the Sambhogakāya; the inherent possession of the nature is the Nirmāṇakāya. Merits such as the four wisdoms, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unshared qualities can be understood as converging in this way. Thus the ancient virtuous one said: 'Sentient beings within the minds of the Buddhas find Ultimate Bliss in every particle of dust; the Buddhas within the minds of sentient beings realize reality thought after thought.' Therefore, Amitābha is my mind, and my mind is Amitābha. Before a single thought is raised, it is already accomplished; as soon as a thought arises in the mind, it is immediately perfected. It is because of this principle that there is reciprocal communion between stimulus and response; hence the efforts of one who recites the Buddha's name are never in vain.