轉經行道願往生淨土法事讚 1.3

1.3

序曰：竊以娑婆廣大、火宅無邊，六道周居、重昏永夜，生盲無目、慧照未明，引導無方俱摧死地、循環來去等逝水長流，託命投神誰之能救？斯乃識含無際，窮塵之劫更踰，自爾悠悠，遇勝緣之何日？上從海德初際如來，乃至今時釋迦諸佛，皆乘弘誓、悲智雙行，不捨含情、三輪普化。然我無明障重、佛出不逢，設使同生還如覆器。神光等照不簡四生，慈及無偏皆資法潤，雖沈法水長劫由頑，苦集相因毒火臨時還發。仰惟大悲恩重等潤身田，智慧冥加道芽增長，慈悲方便視教隨宜，勸念彌陀歸乎淨土，地則眾珍雜間光色競輝，德水澄華玲瓏影徹，寶樓重接等輝神光，林樹垂瓔風塵雅曲，華臺嚴瑩種種希奇，聖眾同居明踰千日。身則紫金之色相好儼然，進止往來乘空無礙。若論依報則超絕十方，地上虛空等皆無異，他方凡聖乘願往來，到彼無殊齊同不退。但以如來善巧總勸四生，棄此娑婆忻生極樂，專稱名號兼誦彌陀經，欲令識彼莊嚴、厭斯苦事，三因五念畢命為期，正助四修則剎那無間，回斯功業普備含靈，壽盡乘臺齊臨彼國。

The Preface says: I reflect that the Sahā [world] is vast and the burning house is boundless; the six paths dwell all around, shrouded in deep gloom and perpetual night. Born blind and without eyes, the light of our wisdom has not yet shone forth; lacking guidance and direction, we are altogether crushed in the realm of death. Circling in coming and going like the perpetual flow of rushing waters, to whom can we commit our life and soul for deliverance? Thus, the sentient beings are boundless, and the kalpas of pulverized dust are further surpassed. Wandering aimlessly from that time on, on what day could we meet with superior conditions? From the primordial Tathāgata Sāgaraguṇa above, down to the present day with Śākyamuni and the Buddhas, all have mounted their universal vows, practicing compassion and wisdom side by side, not abandoning conscious beings, and everywhere transforming them through the three wheels [of body, speech, and mind]. Yet our avidyā and obstructions are heavy, so that we have not encountered a Buddha's emergence; even if we were born at the same time, it would still be like an upturned vessel. The divine light shines equally without discriminating among the four modes of birth; [His] compassion reaches all without partiality, all being sustained by the moisture of Dharma. Though submerged in the Dharma-water, we remain stubborn through long kalpas; as suffering and its accumulation become causes for each other, the poison fires erupt anew when the moment arrives. Respectfully considering the great weight of the Great Compassion's kindness, which equally moistens the field of the body, and whose wisdom darkly assists so that the sprouts of the Way may flourish, [the Buddha] observes and teaches according to what is appropriate with compassionate skillful means, exhorting mindfulness of Amitābha to return to the Pure Land. Its ground is interwoven with manifold treasures, their radiant colors vying in splendor; the waters of virtue are clear and pure, their delicate reflections lucid throughout; jewel towers multiply and connect, equally shining with divine light; grove trees droop with necklaces of gems, and the wind-blown dust stirs refined melodies; the lotus pedestals are adorned and pristine, with all kinds of rare wonders; the sacred assembly dwells together, outshining a thousand suns. Their bodies are of purple-gold hue, with marks and signs solemn and dignified, advancing, resting, going, and coming, riding the void without obstruction. As for the circumstantial retribution, it surpasses the ten directions; the ground and empty space are equal and without difference. Worldlings and saints from other quarters come and go by the power of vows, and having arrived there, without distinction, they are equal in non-retrogression. It is only that the Tathāgata with skillful means universally exhorts the four modes of birth to cast aside this Sahā and delight in rebirth in Sukhāvatī, exclusively invoking the name while also chanting the Amitābha Sūtra, wishing to make them recognize that adornment and weary of these sufferings. Taking the three causes and five mindfulnesses as the term of their whole life, and the primary and auxiliary four practices without a moment's interruption, they dedicate this merit universally to endow conscious beings, so that at the end of their lives, mounting the lotus pedestal, they together arrive in that land.