西方合論 9

English (machine translation) 9

Language: English

9.1

Chapter Nine: The Gate of Cultivation and Practice

Indeed, the emotional dust accumulated over kalpas and the ocean of attachment spanning many lifetimes are like moss-rust corroding a sword, or mud and tarnish swallowing a pearl; without grinding, it will not be exposed, and only by removing defilement will it become bright. If one wishes to attain a pure mind, the impure must be eradicated. The awakened must constantly maintain awareness and contemplation, while the deluded must diligently apply subjugation. For those bound by the shackles of love and the cangue of greed, they must also lament the passing years and begrudge the passing months. Confucius said, 'Those who encounter difficulties yet do not learn—such people are considered the lowest.' Now, wishing to surpass the fruits of asaṃkhyeya kalpas in a single lifetime and embrace a journey of billions [of worlds] in ten recitations, how could this be achieved by coarse views, frivolous thoughts, an entangled mind, and a defiled mouth? If one does not muster a single endurance, one will vainly burden oneself over many lifetimes. Cultivate according to the Dharma to avoid falling into the snares of Māra.

9.3

1. Gate of Pure Awakening. 2. Gate of Pure Faith. 3. Gate of Pure Contemplation.

9.4

4. Gate of Pure Mindfulness. 5. Gate of Pure Repentance. 6. Gate of Pure Vows.

9.5

7. Gate of Pure Precepts. 8. Gate of Pure Abodes. 9. Gate of Pure Companions.

9.6

10. Gate of Indeterminate Purity.

9.7

First, pure awakening: if a practitioner desires rebirth in the real Pure Land, they must truly investigate and awaken in accordance with the Dharma. Why is this? Awakening is the guiding teacher on confused paths—just as when entering the dark, one must light a torch; awakening is the route map to the pure realm—just as when traveling far, one must know the postal stages; awakening is the leader of all practices—just as when charging a stronghold, one must follow the general. First, by awakening one is able to understand that the defiled is eternally pure, and thus one does not abandon purity. Second, upon hearing that the pure Buddha-lands are inconceivable, one is not timid. Third, knowing that cause and effect are not lost within ultimate emptiness, one ceases all evil dharmas and creates them no more. Fourth, one knows that that land has no going and no coming, and this [land] likewise has no going and no coming. Fifth, one awakens to the fact that the Buddha's physical measure pervades empty space, and the physical measure of sentient beings also pervades empty space—just as with the karmic power of the hells, it is full for one person and equally full for many persons. Sixth, upon hearing of the countless practices over asaṃkhyeya kalpas, it is like someone speaking of an event within a finger-snap, and one is not alarmed or frightened. Seventh, cultivating the ten good actions and three blessings, one does not dwell in the realms of humans and devas. Eighth, like recalling the events of a dream after waking, one does not conceive notions of existence or non-existence. Ninth, like seeing one's native home with one's own eyes, believing and disbelieving can no longer be found. Tenth, knowing the selflessness of dharmas, one accords with nature to benefit sentient beings, never tiring straight through until attaining Buddhahood. When a bodhisattva has entered this gate, they accomplish pure dharmas and attain rebirth as they wish. Therefore, the highest grade in the Guan Wuliangshou jing says: 'Deeply understanding the principles and import, their mind is not alarmed or shaken regarding the supreme truth.' The Commentary states: 'The supreme truth refers to the true mark of all dharmas, where the path of words is cut off and the place of mental activity is extinguished.' Moreover, on the meaning of the six mindfulnesses for the highest grade, it says: 'Settling the mind without moving is called mindfulness.' The Sub-commentary states: 'When the principle of the supreme truth is entirely unmoved by the two extremes, it is universally termed mindfulness.' Thus in the Western Land, figures such as Vaidehī, Sudhana, and Nāgārjuna achieved rebirth by entering the bhūmis; in this realm, figures such as Master Huiyuan, Zhiyi, and Yongming achieved rebirth through realization and awakening. These are extensively recorded in all the sūtras and treatises, and cannot be cited in full. When treatises say that one is reborn there to seek awakening, this is spoken for those of middling and lower capacity; as for saying that once one has awakened to one's own Buddha there is no need to seek rebirth, this is spoken for bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi and above. If one claims that upon awakening to the supreme truth, those whose fetters are not yet severed all need not seek rebirth, then Nāgārjuna, Yongming, and the like would also be merely pressing their eyes to produce illusory flowers, creating trouble where there was none!

9.8

Second, pure faith: the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'If a person has pure faith in their mind, this person is able to enter the Buddhadharma; if they lack faith, this person cannot enter. Just as cowhide that is not yet softened cannot be bent, so it is with a person lacking faith. Furthermore, the sūtra speaks of faith as hands: just as a person with hands who enters a mountain of jewels can take them at will, whereas without hands they cannot take them, so too is faith.' Formerly, Wang Zhonghui asked Wuweizi, 'How can one practice buddhānusmṛti without interruption?' Wuweizi said, 'Once faith arises, never doubting again is precisely non-interruption.' Zhonghui leapt for joy and left. Not long after, he attained rebirth and returned to give thanks. Therefore, if a person in their cultivation is unable to awaken suddenly, they should deeply plant the roots of faith, remaining unalarmed and unmoved. First, having faith in the sincere words from the golden mouth, [knowing] that one will definitely be reborn. Second, having faith that one's own mind is vast and possesses such pure merits. Third, having faith that cause and effect are like form and shadow, definitely following each other. Fourth, having faith that this physical form and consciousness, as well as the establishment of all worlds, are like mirages and sky-flowers, having no real existence. Fifth, having faith that the evil world of the five defilements, with its torments of cold and heat and the fumigation of filthy marks, cannot be endured for even a moment. Sixth, having faith that all dharmas are mind-only, just as recalling sour plums makes the tongue salivate. Seventh, having faith that the power of mindfulness is inconceivable, just like the power of karma. Eighth, having faith that the lotus womb is inconceivable, just like a womb of flesh. Ninth, having faith that the Buddha's measureless body, measureless lifespan, and measureless light are inconceivable, just as an ant's body, a mayfly's lifespan, and a firefly's light are equally inconceivable. Tenth, having faith that this body must definitely die. If a person possesses such roots of faith, every raising and lowering of the foot is nothing other than buddhānusmṛti. Thus we know that the single word 'faith' applies to the superior, middling, and lower; but faith has gradations of great and small, and if one lacks the power of profound faith, one is like a bird without feathers, which definitely cannot fly.

9.9

Third, pure contemplation: the defilements of sentient beings from beginningless time pervade all dharmas, like flour mixed into sand or gold within ore. Those who cultivate pure karma must apply various contemplative practices to temper their habituations, serving as a parapet and terrace for pure dharmas and as a ford and bridge for rebirth. 1. Contemplation of purity: contemplating the physical marks and excellence of the Buddha, as taught in the Guan Wuliangshou jing. 2. Contemplation of impurity: contemplating the impurity of body and mind and the impurity of the receptacle world, giving rise to revulsion and detachment. 3. Contemplation of impermanence: contemplating that all dharmas are indefinite—just as with a single beautiful woman, a lustful man sees her as pleasure, a jealous wife sees her as pain, a practitioner of contemplation sees her as various foul discharges, and animals see her as mere earth and wood. 4. Contemplation of combination: contemplating that this body, this world, and seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing are like gathering wood to make a house, piling earth to make a rampart, or assembling diverse pigments to make a painting, possessing no real substance. 5. Contemplation of antidotes: contemplating which fetter within oneself is the heaviest, and what dharma should be used to counter it—just as herbs, food, and drink that are light, cool, bitter, and astringent serve as medicine for hot illnesses but are not medicine for other illnesses; and herbs, food, and drink that are light, pungent, sweet, and hot serve as medicine for cold illnesses but are not medicine for other illnesses; such is the contemplation of antidotes. 6. Contemplation of shame and repentance: contemplating that all sentient beings throughout measureless kalpas have mutually been my parents, siblings, sons, and daughters, continuously committing incestuous poisons without ever realizing it; just as the owl and the tiger-cat kill their parents, and cattle, sheep, pigeons, and sparrows mate with their kin, not knowing it themselves while humans look on with shame, derision, and ridicule. When the Buddhas and bodhisattvas gaze upon us, our mutual succession is just like this, and therefore one should give rise to great remorse. 7. Contemplation from thought-moment to thought-moment: contemplating at all times how much mind is mindful of the Buddha, how much mind is set on benefiting sentient beings, and how much mind is defiled, pure, sinking, or restless. 8. Contemplation of equality: contemplating that all forms are one form, without beautiful or ugly; all sounds are one sound, without praise or blame; all feelings are one feeling, without favor or enmity; all meanings are one meaning, without shallow or deep. 9. Subtle contemplation: contemplating where mindfulness of the Buddha and mindfulness of the Dharma arise from, and where they go. 10. Contemplation of the dharmadhātu: contemplating that a single hair, a single speck of dust, a single blade of grass, and a single tree all fully possess measureless pure Buddha-lands. When a practitioner performs these contemplations, they take the first contemplation of purity as primary and the other nine as companions—just as when seeking a pearl in a stone, if one does not break the stone, there is no way to obtain the pearl.

9.10

Fourth, pure mindfulness: the method of buddhānusmṛti is called the single-practice samādhi; it depends solely on determination. If one does not attain mindfulness, there will be distraction, and the samādhi will not be achieved. 1. Mindfulness collecting the mind: in all places, gathering mindfulness without forgetting; even when drowsy, sleeping with mindfulness bound, without intervening thoughts or stray thoughts. 2. Courageous mindfulness: like a lustful man hearing where a courtesan resides, though the way leads through high cliffs, deep ravines, phosphorescent paths, and tiger dens, he will certainly go without fear. 3. Profound mindfulness: like the great sea, deep and vast, where one must fathom its bottom; the path to enlightenment is far and long, and one does not cease until it is completed. 4. Contemplative mindfulness: in thought-moment after thought-moment, seeing the thirty-two physical marks and eighty secondary signs. 5. Mindfulness calming the mind: putting to rest all thoughts of fame, official rank, desire, worldly affairs, greed and attachment, haughtiness, self-concealment, and self-versus-other right and wrong, and being mindful of the Buddha. 6. Tearful mindfulness: every time one thinks of the Buddha, the hairs on the body stand on end and the internal organs feel torn, like recalling a loving mother lost in youth or a deceased child of great intelligence. 7. Indignant mindfulness: like an impoverished failure at examinations who, harboring talent in loneliness, is nearly ready to die whenever the thought arises. 8. Pervasive mindfulness: seeing, hearing, sensing, knowing, and down to the pores and marrow, there is nowhere that is not mindful of the Buddha. 9. Inquiring mindfulness: with every single utterance of the Buddha's name, one inquires into the place where this sound settles. 10. True-mark mindfulness: neither being mindful with an existent mind, nor being mindful with a non-existent mind, nor being mindful with a mind of both existence and non-existence, nor being mindful with a mind of neither existence nor non-existence; this is the supreme gate of buddhānusmṛti. If one is mindful of the Buddha in this way, one is certain to see the Buddha in this very life.

9.11

Fifth, pure repentance: the sūtra says: 'When the previous mind gives rise to guilt, it is like clouds covering the sky; when the subsequent mind extinguishes guilt, it is like a torch piercing the darkness.' It also says: 'Garments soiled for a hundred years can be washed clean and fresh in a single day; therefore, if one wishes to eliminate heavy obstacles, one must diligently repent.' 1. Internal repentance: repenting the impure causes of mind, intellect, and consciousness. 2. External repentance: repenting all forms, all sounds, and all impure dharmas. 3. Repentance of phenomena: repenting the eighteen realms, twenty-five states of existence, and eighty-four thousand afflictions and fetters that obstruct one from studying for asaṃkhyeya kalpas, seeing the Buddha, and practicing the deeds that benefit sentient beings. 4. Repentance of principle: repenting the past understandings gained since entering the path, the sūtras and treatises studied, the profound meanings heard, and the diseases of creating, stopping, letting go, and extinguishing, which obstruct the Buddha's uncontaminated wisdom. 5. Repentance of the past: repenting the dark karma committed throughout beginningless worlds. For example, though one does not steal in this life, when what one seeks does not accord with one's wishes, it is because the karma of theft is not yet exhausted; though one does not commit sexual misconduct in this life, when encountering uncongenial kin, it is because the karma of lust is not yet exhausted; though one does not slander the Dharma or speak falsely in this life, when one speaks and people half-doubt and half-believe, it is because the karma of slandering the Dharma and speaking falsely is not yet exhausted. Examining all causes within all fruits, one should know that in previous lives there was no evil one did not commit, and each and every one must be repented. 6. Repentance of the future: ceasing all evil dharmas right now, never allowing them to continue throughout all future kalpas. 7. Repentance of the present: repenting birth, old age, sickness, and death in the present life, all kinds of bitter karma, all kinds of afflictive karma, the karma of raising and lowering the feet, the karma of speaking and stirring the mind, and all subtle, immeasurable karma. 8. Kṣaṇa repentance: within a single thought-moment there are ninety kṣaṇas, and in a single kṣaṇa there are nine hundred arisings and ceasings; for each arising and ceasing, one repents. 9. Ultimate repentance: in the stage of samyaksaṃbodhi, there remains a trace of ignorance like a wisp of smoke, which must be thoroughly washed clean. 10. Repentance of the dharmadhātu: within the nature of phenomena there is no self and no other, universally repenting on behalf of all sentient beings of the ten directions in past, present, and future. If one can truly repent in this way, all obstacles will be entirely eradicated, and without leaving the place of practice, one will behold all Buddhas.

9.12

Sixth, pure vows: The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "The bodhisattvas, seeing the immeasurable adornments and purities of the buddha-worlds, generate various vows. There are buddha-worlds completely without suffering, even without the names of the three evil [destinies]. The bodhisattva, having seen this, generates the vow himself, saying: 'When I become a buddha, may my world likewise be without suffering and even without the names of the three evil [destinies].' There are buddha-worlds adorned with the seven jewels, where day and night there is always pure light and no sun or moon; he then generates the vow, saying: 'When I become a buddha, may my world likewise always have such adorned, pure light.' There are buddha-worlds where all sentient beings practice the ten good actions and possess great wisdom, their clothing, drink, and food appearing according to their thoughts; he then generates the vow, saying: 'When I become a buddha, may the clothing, drink, and food of the sentient beings in my world likewise be thus.' There are buddha-worlds consisting purely of bodhisattvas, with physical bodies like the Buddha's possessing the thirty-two marks and radiant with light shining through, even without the names of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and without women, all practicing the profound and wondrous Buddha path and traveling throughout the ten directions to teach and transform all; he then generates the vow, saying: 'When I become a buddha, may the sentient beings in my world likewise be thus.' Wishing to attain all such various adornments and purities of immeasurable buddha-worlds—for this reason it is called 'vowing to receive immeasurable buddha-worlds.'
Question: 'The bodhisattvas' bodily and mental actions are pure, and they naturally obtain pure retribution; why must they formulate vows and only then obtain it? For example, when a farming family reaps grain, do they still wait for a vow?'
Answer: 'Generating merit without a vow provides no direction or foundation. The vow acts as a guide, making accomplishment possible. For example, when melting gold, it is fashioned according to the artisan; the gold has no fixed form of its own. As the Buddha said, if someone cultivates a little merit from giving, cultivates a little merit from morality, but does not know the methods of dhyāna, and upon hearing of the wealthy and happy among humans, or hearing of the desire heavens or form heavens, his mind aspires toward them and delights in them, then after life ends, he is reborn in each of them accordingly. The bodhisattva is also like this: he cultivates the vows for a pure world, and only then obtains it. From this one knows that by cause of the vow, he receives the superior fruit. Furthermore, adorning a buddha-world is a great undertaking; solitary practice of merits cannot accomplish it, so the power of vows is essential. For example, although the strength of an ox can pull a cart, a driver is required to reach the destination. The vow for a pure world is also like this: merit is like the ox, and the vow is like the driver.'
Question: 'If one does not make a vow, does one obtain no merit?'
Answer: 'Although one obtains it, it is not as good as having a vow. A vow can assist merit: by constantly being mindful of what one practices, merit increases.'"

9.13

For this reason, those who cultivate the pure buddha-lands must generate great vows. First, not vowing for the sake of merit, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to provide shelter for all sentient beings. Second, not vowing for the sake of relatives, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to manage the household of all Tathāgatas. Third, not vowing on account of sickness and suffering, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to heal the sores of ignorance and so forth of all the worldly. Fourth, not vowing for the sake of becoming a wheel-turning king, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to turn the Dharma wheel of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas and become a great Dharma king. Fifth, not vowing for the sake of the desire realm, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to leave behind all the exquisite five desires. Sixth, not vowing for the sake of the form realm, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to leave behind all attachments to dhyāna. Seventh, not vowing for the sake of the formless realm, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to exhaust all subtle flows [of defilements] and realize a body with immeasurable marks and signs. Eighth, not vowing for the sake of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to benefit all sentient beings through the two adornments of merit and wisdom. Ninth, not vowing for the sake of one world or a thousand worlds, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to bear the suffering of countless worlds and rescue the sentient beings of all worlds. Tenth, not vowing for the sake of sentient beings of one asaṃkhyeya kalpa or a thousand asaṃkhyeya kalpas, but vowing to take rebirth in the Pure Land to bear the suffering of sentient beings throughout immeasurable and countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas and rescue all sentient beings. If one can generate great vows like these, at the final moment one will definitively be as described in Samantabhadra's vows. Therefore, one should know that vows are the vessel that crosses the sea of suffering, and the bright teacher that guides to Sukhāvatī.

9.14

Seventh, pure precepts: All pure dharmas take precepts as their foundation. Just as a person building a house first seeks level ground, or a painter depicting mountains and rivers first prepares bright white silk and then applies the colors, so too are precepts. Therefore, precepts are the chief among all wholesome dharmas, the initial gate for entering the pure realm. If one does not keep precepts, it is like a wretched, foul-smelling woman wishing to enter the vegetarian altar—it is impossible. First, the precept against parsimony, meaning practicing the two givings of material goods and life, as well as the giving of Dharma, without clinging or stinginess. Second, the precept against breaking prohibitions, meaning fulfilling and upholding the five precepts, the moral vows, and even the taintless precepts. Third, the precept against anger, meaning using patience to regulate the mind as well as the body and speech, so that if one encounters verbal abuse or blows with knives and staves, one merely contemplates the dharma of karma and conditions, considering it as repaying a debt, regarding [the abusers] as spiritual guides, and regarding [their abuse] as cold wind and hot air. Fourth, the precept against heedlessness, meaning that on the perilous road of saṃsāra there is no place to let down one's guard, just like a person carrying a brim-full bowl of oil walking upon a suspended rope, who cannot look left or right, or produce a second thought. Fifth, the precept against distraction, meaning guarding and restraining the sense faculties and quieting all conceptual reflections, just as one shelters a lamp from the wind or guards against wild birds. Sixth, the precept against ignorance, meaning using wisdom to break through all confusions and perplexities, like a laborer who always relies on the light of the sun, for if it were a long night, all works would be abandoned; again, like opening one's eyes when ascending to view the scenery, for if one were blind or asleep, the mountains, rivers, and great earth would be as if non-existent. Seventh, the precept against arrogance, meaning that one should not be haughty on account of talent and eloquence, should not be haughty on account of awakening and understanding, and should not be haughty on account of disputation; all that one has attained is like dust upon the great earth, or grime upon a mirror's surface—one should not use this grime to look down on that grime. Eighth, the precept against concealment, meaning that with the buddhas everywhere, the bodhisattvas everywhere, and the spirits everywhere, there is nothing that can be concealed; it is like trying to escape a shadow in the midday sun, escape dampness in the waves, or escape dust in the sand—there is nowhere to flee. Ninth, the precept against uselessness, meaning that all play and frivolous activities are useless, all poetry and literature are useless, all worldly conditions are useless, and all mere lip-service liberation is useless, and they should be kept far away. Tenth, the precept of non-abiding, meaning that upholding the precepts as above is solely for taking rebirth in the Pure Land to benefit sentient beings, and not to seek worldly fame and reputation, nor the fruits of humans, devas, or the two vehicles. When a bodhisattva practices pure precepts in this manner, he is able to gather sentient beings and take rebirth in the Pure Land. Why? Because all sentient beings, even the most stubbornly ignorant, cannot help but revere the virtue of the precepts.

9.15

Eighth, pure places: Those who study the Way, having resolved to leave the mundane dust behind, should abandon all bad places. If they do not abandon them, it must be that their revulsion and renunciation are not yet ultimate; if their revulsion and renunciation are not yet ultimate, it must be that their aspiration for the Pure Land is not yet ultimate. Nāgārjuna said: "The bodhisattva's mind does not value the merits and joys of a wheel-turning sage king or of humans and devas, but is only mindful of the buddhas; therefore, according to what his mind regards as weightiest, he is reborn in a buddha-land." Now, when one cannot even abandon petty, comfortable places, how much less a wheel-turning sage king? It is like binding one's feet when wishing to walk, or tying one's wings when seeking to fly; leaving or staying both become encumbered, and the two minds are tangled in vain. First, noisy and bustling places should be avoided. Second, music houses and wine shops should be avoided. Third, places where worldly influence and power blaze should be avoided. Fourth, places where official rosters and court affairs are discussed should be avoided. Fifth, places of entangling affection and familiar haunts should be avoided. Sixth, poetry gatherings and literary societies where verses are contested and phrases are picked apart should be avoided. Seventh, places where past and present are ridiculed and relative merits are debated should be avoided. Eighth, places where meaningless moralistic theories are lectured upon should be avoided. Ninth, places where doctrinal exegetes battle over terminology and pride themselves on minor cleverness should be avoided. Tenth, places where followers of the school of ancestral teachers display wild interpretations, chat leisurely of sudden enlightenment, and belittle the moral precepts should be avoided. These disturbances to the Way are no different from Māra; therefore they must be kept far away. If a practitioner abandons these places, all achievements in the Way will immediately be accomplished.

9.16

Ninth, pure companions: All triggers of awakening are not set off without friends, and all evil dharmas are not stopped without friends; like the two wheels of a carriage, if one is gone, it collapses. Therefore, even worldly literature and various playful discourses still require like-minded friends for verification and correction, how much more so for one aspiring to the unsurpassed great Way? The *Sūtra of Causes and Conditions* says: "For example, although the nature of the wind is empty, when it blows past a grove of sandalwood or campaka trees, the wind carries a wondrous fragrance; if it passes through excrement and stinking corpses, the wind becomes foul. It is not like pure clothes placed in an incense box: when taken out, the clothes are fragrant; if placed in a foul place, the clothes likewise become foul." Friends are also like this. For this reason, when practicing the Way and seeking friends, one must strictly distinguish the pure from the defiled. First, leisurely companions of the mountains and forests should be approached, as they can calm an agitated mind. Second, companions who strictly uphold the precepts should be approached, as they can dilute desires. Third, companions of vast wisdom should be approached, as they can guide one out of the ford of delusion. Fourth, companions proficient in dhāraṇī and literature should be approached, as they can resolve doubts and difficulties. Fifth, companions who are solitary and austere should be approached, as they can pacify worldly ambition. Sixth, companions who are humble and patient should be approached, as they can dissolve self-pride. Seventh, companions who give straightforward and honest counsel should be approached, as they can suppress errors. Eighth, companions of vigorous diligence should be approached, as they can speed the fruits of the Way. Ninth, companions who treat wealth lightly and delight in giving should be approached, as they can destroy great stinginess. Tenth, companions who are benevolent and cover all beings, not sparing body and life, should be approached, as they can demolish attachments to self and others. If one lacks such pure companions, one should shut oneself away from others and dwell alone, personally carrying out one's work on the Way. Take images and icons as your master, take sūtras and treatises as your companions, and as for other frivolous associates, rather cut off communication than maintain it. Just as when a person has no fine flowers in his garden, he does not plant stinking weeds, because it provides no benefit to the delight of the heart and merely adds revulsion and filth.

9.17

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.

9.18

Comprehensive Treatise on the Western Land, Fascicle Nine (End).

Linked texts (1)

西方合論 — Classical Chinese