西方合論 7.9

7.9

一、菩薩生人中者，如《般若經》云：「有菩薩人中命終，還生人中者，除阿毘跋致，是菩薩根鈍，不能疾與般若波羅蜜相應，諸陀羅尼門、三昧門，不能疾現在前。」夫人中火宅，百苦相纏，唯大菩薩處之則無染累，如鵝入水水不令濕。若諸小菩薩，非深種善根，尺進丈退，何由得諸三昧？如舍利弗千六十劫行菩薩道，欲渡布施河時，有乞人來乞其眼，舍利弗出一眼與之，乞者得眼，于舍利弗前嚊之，唾而棄地，又以脚蹹。舍利弗思惟言：「如此弊人等，難可度也，不如自調早脫生死。」思惟是已，于菩薩道退迴小乘。又如飛行仙人，以王夫人手觸，神通頓失。迦文往因，以歡喜丸媚藥，䁥就婬女。賢聖猶爾，何況初心。豈若一念阿彌，三昧疾現；寄質蓮邦，永離貪欲者哉！論曰：「菩薩以不見現在佛故心鈍。」即知菩薩常當近佛，以近佛根利，疾得般若故。

First, as for bodhisattvas who are born among humans, the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: "If there are bodhisattvas who pass away from among humans and are born again among humans, then, excepting avaivartikas, these bodhisattvas have dull faculties; they are unable to quickly accord with the perfection of wisdom, and the gates of dhāraṇīs and samādhis are unable to manifest swiftly before them." Now, human life is a burning house, entangled in a hundred sufferings; only great bodhisattvas can dwell in it without defilement or burden, like a goose entering water without being wetted by the water. If lesser bodhisattvas have not deeply planted roots of goodness, advancing an inch but retreating a fathom, by what means could they attain the various samādhis? Just as when Śāriputra practiced the bodhisattva path for sixty kalpas and wished to cross the river of giving, a beggar came to beg for his eye. Śāriputra gouged out an eye and gave it to him; having obtained the eye, the beggar smelled it in front of Śāriputra, spat on it, threw it to the ground, and trampled it with his foot. Śāriputra reflected, saying: "Vile people such as this are difficult to deliver; it is better to tame myself and swiftly escape saṃsāra." Having so reflected, he retreated from the bodhisattva path and returned to the Hīnayāna. Furthermore, it is like the flying rishi who, upon being touched by the hand of the king's consort, instantly lost his supernatural powers; or Śākyamuni in a past cause who, through an aphrodisiac pill of delight, grew intimate with a courtesan. Even sages and worthies were like this—how much more so those at the initial resolve! How could this compare to single-mindedly reciting Amitābha, whereby samādhi swiftly manifests, and entrusting one's form to the Lotus Land, forever leaving behind greed and desire! The treatise says: "Because bodhisattvas do not see the present Buddha, their minds are dull." Thus we know that bodhisattvas should constantly stay close to the Buddha, because by being close to the Buddha their faculties become sharp and they swiftly attain prajñā.