西方合論 1.21

1.21

余十年學道，墮此狂病；後因觸機，薄有省發，遂簡塵勞，歸心淨土。禮誦之暇，取龍樹、天台長者、永明等論，細心披讀，忽爾疑豁。既深信淨土，復悟諸大菩薩差別之行，如貧兒得伏藏中金，喜不自釋。會愚菴和尚與平倩居士，謀余褒集西方諸論，余乃述古德要語，附以己見，勒成一書，命曰《西方合論》。始於己亥十月二十三日，成於十二月二十二日。既寡檢閱，多所脫漏；唯欲方便初心，尚期就正有道。略稽往哲，分敘十門：

For ten years I studied the Way and fell into this mad sickness; later, encountering an occasion, I had a slight awakening, whereupon I curtailed worldly dust and toil and turned my mind to the Pure Land. In the leisure left from worship and recitation, I took the treatises of Nāgārjuna, Elder Tiantai, Yongming, and others, carefully reading them, and suddenly my doubts cleared. Having deeply believed in the Pure Land, I also awakened to the differentiated practices of the great bodhisattvas, like a poor child finding gold in a hidden treasury, rejoicing beyond control. It happened that the Venerable Yu'an and Upāsaka Pingqian urged me to collect and compile the various treatises on the Western Land; I then set forth the essential words of the ancient worthies, appended my own views, and compiled them into a book, entitled Comprehensive Treatise on the Western Land. It began on the twenty-third day of the tenth month of the yihai year [1599] and was completed on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month. Since my reading was limited, there are many omissions; my only hope is to provide an expedient for beginners, still looking forward to correction by those who possess the Way. Briefly examining past sages, I divide the presentation into ten gates: