西方合論 3.16

3.16

一、《般舟三昧經》佛告跋陀惒菩薩：「若沙門、白衣，所聞西方阿彌陀佛剎，常念彼方佛，不得缺戒。一心念，若一日晝夜，若七日七夜，過七日已後，見阿彌陀佛；於覺不見，於夢中見之。譬如夢中所見，不知晝、不知夜，亦不知內、亦不知外，不用在冥中故不見、不用有所蔽礙故不見。如是跋陀惒菩薩，心當作是念時，諸佛國境界名大山須彌山，其有幽冥之處，悉為開闢；目亦不蔽、心亦不礙。是菩薩摩訶薩，不持天眼徹視、不持天耳徹聽、不持神足到於佛剎、不於是間終，生彼間佛剎乃見，便於是間坐見阿彌陀佛，聞所說經悉受得，從三昧中，悉能具足，為人說之。」

First, the Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra says the Buddha told the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla: "If a śramaṇa or a white-robed layperson, hearing of the western realm of Amitābha Buddha, constantly remembers the Buddha of that direction and does not break the precepts, keeping their mind focused in remembrance for one day and one night, or up to seven days and seven nights, then after seven days have passed they will see Amitābha Buddha; if they do not see him while awake, they will see him in a dream. Just as what is seen in a dream knows neither day nor night, neither inside nor outside, and is not unseen on account of darkness, nor unseen on account of obstacles; even so, Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, when one's mind generates this thought, the realms of all Buddhas, the great mountains and Mount Sumeru, and all places of deep darkness will entirely be opened up; one's eyes will not be obstructed and one's mind will not be hindered. This bodhisattva mahāsattva does not rely on the divine eye to see through, does not rely on the divine ear to hear through, does not rely on supernatural feet to arrive at the Buddha's realm, and does not need to die here and be reborn in that Buddha's realm to see him; rather, right while sitting in this place, they see Amitābha Buddha, fully receive all the sūtras he preaches, and, emerging from samādhi, are able to fully possess them and preach them for others."