西方合論 9.17

9.17

十、不定淨者，一切眾生根器利鈍不同，如上諸法皆是上根利器，方得具足，是故如來有異方便，開九品之門，分上中下修習三等。一者、或解義諦，未全伏惑，或不深解，但能誦讀諸經故。二者、或但依語生信，或因他生信，或遇貧窮折辱生信故。三者、或觀金像，或隨意觀一相故。四者、或晨朝十念百念，乃至千念故。五者、或但懺諸麁重習氣，及十不善業故。六者、或為怖生死，發願往生；或遇苦難，發願往生，但不得作人天及諸福德願故。七者、或但持八戒五戒，乃至但戒殺盜婬妄故。八者、一切喧場不能卒離，但時時生厭離心故。九者、於諸世法中人不能即斷，但不隨順故。十者、如《觀經》下品中說，或但臨終十念故。如上諸法，但能至心受持一法者，皆得往生，唯不得疑信相參，若有疑者，一切諸行悉不成就。如人夜中獨趨遠道，不得生疑。是故眾生聞法疑者，不如不聞。何以故？彼無聞者，但不聞法，非有障難，此則自作障難故。

Tenth, the indeterminate pure practice: The faculties and capacities of all sentient beings differ in sharpness and dullness. All the aforesaid practices can only be fulfilled by those of superior faculties and sharp capacities. Therefore, the Tathāgata employs distinct skillful means, opening the gates of the nine grades and dividing cultivation into the three ranks of superior, middling, and inferior. First, some understand the doctrinal truths but have not fully subdued their afflictions; or they do not deeply understand, but merely recite the various sūtras. Second, some generate faith merely relying on words; or generate faith because of others; or generate faith upon encountering poverty and humiliation. Third, some visualize a golden statue, or visualize a single mark according to their wish. Fourth, some recite ten times, a hundred times, or even a thousand times in the morning. Fifth, some merely repent of their coarse, heavy habituations and ten non-virtuous karmas. Sixth, some make the aspiration for rebirth out of fear of saṃsāra, or make the aspiration for rebirth upon encountering suffering and adversity, yet must never make aspirations for [rebirth among] humans and gods or for various meritorious rewards. Seventh, some merely maintain the eight precepts or the five precepts, or even merely refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying. Eighth, some cannot immediately leave noisy scenes of bustle, but constantly generate the mind of revulsion and detachment. Ninth, regarding the people of worldly affairs, some cannot sever ties at once, yet do not follow along with them. Tenth, as taught in the inferior grades of the Guan Wuliangshou jing, some merely practice ten recitations at the end of life. Among the aforesaid practices, if one can single-mindedly uphold even a single practice, one will attain rebirth. One must only not allow doubt and faith to intermingle; if one has doubts, none of the practices will be accomplished. It is like a person traveling alone on a distant road at night: one must not give rise to doubts. Therefore, for sentient beings who hear the Dharma and doubt it, it would be better not to hear it. Why is this? Those who have not heard simply have not heard the Dharma and do not have an obstacle; these [doubters], however, create obstacles for themselves.