西方合論 3.28

3.28

The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: "Ratnakūṭa! You should know that a straightforward mind is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings free of flattery come to be born in his land; a profound mind is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings complete in merit come to be born in his land; the Mahāyāna mind is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, Mahāyāna sentient beings come to be born in his land; giving is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings able to renounce all come to be born in his land; keeping the precepts is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who practice the path of the ten good actions and fulfill their vows come to be born in his land; patience is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings adorned with the thirty-two marks come to be born in his land; vigor is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who diligently cultivate all merits come to be born in his land; dhyāna-meditation is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who collect their minds without distraction come to be born in his land; wisdom is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings in right concentration come to be born in his land; the four immeasurables are the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who have achieved benevolence, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity come to be born in his land; the four means of embracing are the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings embraced by liberation come to be born in his land; skillful means is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who have unhindered skillful means in all dharmas come to be born in his land; the thirty-seven factors are the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings of the stations of mindfulness, right efforts, bases of psychic power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and limbs of the path come to be born in his land; the mind of dedication is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, he attains a land complete with all merits; teaching the elimination of the eight adversities is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, his land is free from the three evil destinies and the eight adversities; guarding one's own ethical conduct and not scorning the deficiencies of others is the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, his land is without even the name of violating the prohibitions; the ten good actions are the bodhisattva's Pure Land—when the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, sentient beings who do not die untimely, are greatly wealthy, practice pure conduct, speak truth, always speak gentle words, whose retinues do not separate, who are skilled in harmonizing disputes, whose words are always beneficial, who are free from jealousy, free from anger, and have right view come to be born in his land. Thus, Ratnakūṭa! According as a bodhisattva has a straightforward mind, he gives rise to practice; according to his practice, he attains a profound mind; according to his profound mind, his intent is subdued; according to his intent being subdued, he practices as taught; according to his practicing as taught, he is able to dedicate; according to his dedication, he has skillful means; according to his skillful means, he brings sentient beings to maturity; according to his bringing sentient beings to maturity, the Buddha-land is purified; according to the purification of the Buddha-land, the preaching of the Dharma is purified; according to the purification of the preaching of the Dharma, wisdom is purified; according to the purification of wisdom, the mind is purified; according to the purification of the mind, all merits are purified. Therefore, Ratnakūṭa, if a bodhisattva wishes to attain a Pure Land, he must purify his mind; according as his mind is purified, the Buddha-land is purified." It also says: "A bodhisattva who achieves eight dharmas can practice in this world without blemish or flaw and be born in a Pure Land. What are the eight? Benefiting sentient beings without expecting reward; taking on all suffering on behalf of all sentient beings; giving all merits one performs to them; regarding sentient beings with an equal mind, humble and unhindered; viewing bodhisattvas as Buddhas; hearing sūtras not heard before without doubting them; not going contrary to the śrāvakas; not being jealous of others' offerings and not exalting one's own gain, but within this subduing one's mind, constantly examining one's own faults, not disputing others' shortcomings, and always with a single mind seeking all merits—these are the eight."