佛祖統紀 49.21

49.21

中州之西數萬里有國曰身毒（漢書法音乾篤即天竺也）釋迦牟尼如來示現之地。彼佛言。西方過十萬億佛土有世界曰極樂。佛號無量壽。其國無有三毒八難。眾寶以為飾。其人無有十纏九惱。群聖以為友。有能誠心大願歸心是土者苟念力具足則往生彼國。然後出三界之外。其於佛道無退轉者。其言無所欺也。晉時廬山遠法師。作念佛三昧詠。大勸於時。其後天台大師著釋淨土十疑論。宏宣其教。周密微妙。迷者咸賴焉。蓋其留異迹而去者甚眾。永州龍興寺前刺史李承眰（音質大也）及僧法林。置淨土堂於寺之東偏。常奉斯事。逮今餘三十年。廉隅毀頓圖像崩墜。會巽上人居其宇下（柳集余學零陵重巽。求其道積三十年。吾獨有得焉）始復理焉。上人者修最上乘解第一義。無體空析色之跡。而造乎真源。通假有借無之名。而入於實相。境與智合。事與理并。故雖往生之因亦相用不舍。誓葺茲宇以開後學。有信士圖為佛像。法相甚具焉。今刺史憑公作大門以表其位。余遂周延四阿環以廊廡。繢二大士之像繒蓋幢幡以成就之。嗚呼有能求無生之生者。知舟筏之存乎是。遂以天台十疑論書於牆宇。使觀者起信焉。

Tens of thousands of li to the west of the Central Realm, there is a country named Shendu (according to the pronunciation in the *Book of Han*, it is Gandu, namely Tianzhu), the place where Śākyamuni Tathāgata manifested himself. That Buddha said: 'To the west, passing through a hundred thousand koṭis of Buddha lands, there is a world named Ultimate Bliss. The Buddha's title is Amitāyus. That land has neither the three poisons nor the eight difficulties, and myriad jewels serve as its adornments. Its people have neither the ten fetters nor the nine afflictions, and the host of sages serve as their companions. If there are those who can with a sincere mind and great vows turn their hearts to this land, and if their power of mindfulness is complete, they will be reborn in that land. Afterward, they will step outside the Three Realms, and in the Buddha's Way they will be non-retrogressing.' These words are not deceptive. During the Jin dynasty, Dharma Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu composed poems on the Mindfulness of the Buddha Samādhi, greatly exhorting the people of the time. Thereafter, the Great Master of Tiantai composed the *Treatise Explaining the Ten Doubts Concerning the Pure Land*, extensively proclaiming his teaching; thorough, subtle, and profound, all the confused relied upon it. Indeed, those who left extraordinary traces and departed were very numerous. At Longxing Monastery in Yongzhou, former Prefect Li Chengzhi (pronounced *zhì*, meaning great) and the monk Falin established a Pure Land Hall on the eastern side of the monastery, regularly venerating this practice. Down to the present, more than thirty years have passed; its corners have deteriorated and the painted images have collapsed. It happened that Superior Xun resided beneath its roof (in Liu's collection: 'I studied under Chongxun of Lingling, seeking his Way for thirty years, and I alone attained something from him'), and then began to restore it. The Superior cultivates the Supreme Vehicle and understands the ultimate truth; without traces of substantializing emptiness or analyzing matter, he arrives at the genuine source. Comprehending the designations of provisional existence and borrowed non-existence, he enters into the real mark. Object and wisdom merge; phenomena and principle combine. Therefore, although it is a cause for rebirth, he does not abandon characteristics and functions. He vowed to repair this building to open the way for later students. A faithful layman painted an image of the Buddha, and the Dharma marks were very complete. Now the Prefect, Lord Feng, has built a grand gate to indicate its position. I then extended the four eaves all around, encircled them with corridors, and had the images of the Two Mahāsattvas painted, completing it with silken canopies, banners, and streamers. Ah! If there are those who can seek the birth of non-birth, they should know that the raft exists in this. Thereupon, the Tiantai *Ten Doubts Treatise* was inscribed upon the walls and buildings, causing those who view it to give rise to faith.