往生集 1.65

1.65

贊曰。大師道德崇重一家教觀。萬代宗仰。而捨壽之際。惟西方是歸。乃至疏觀經。著十疑論。恒於此諄諄焉。意可知矣。或曰。疏稱心觀為宗。淨土其非實歟。噫大師謂。約心觀佛。不謂無佛。如其無佛。心觀何施。正報既然。依報亦爾。學台教者審之。

In praise we say: The Great Master's virtue was held in high esteem, and the doctrine and contemplation of his school have been venerated for myriad generations. Yet at the end of his life, his only destination was the Western Direction; indeed, he commented on the Contemplation Sūtra and composed the Treatise on the Ten Doubts, constantly and earnestly dwelling on this matter. His intention can well be understood! Someone might say: "The commentary states that mental contemplation is the central tenet; is the Pure Land then not actual?" Ah! The Great Master meant that one contemplates the Buddha through the mind, not that there is no Buddha. If there were no Buddha, how could mental contemplation be applied? As it is with the primary retribution, so it is with the dependent retribution. Let those who study the Tiantai teachings examine this carefully.