往生集 3.75

3.75

念佛法門。人知為亡歿之歸宿。而不知生存之利益。是故聞持呪得靈通。即改而持呪。聞講演得聰辯。即改而講演。聞營造得福報。聞齋會得人緣。乃至聞攝養得長壽。種種變易。曾無執持。安在其一心不亂。而望淨業之有成耶。吾故集此。姑以斷時人之外慕。據實而論。求生淨土。本為成佛度生。既非圖身後之樂。復何計身前之利與否哉。

People know the Dharma gate of buddhamanasikāra as a destination at death, but they do not know its benefits during life. Therefore, when they hear that holding dhāraṇī brings spiritual powers, they immediately change to holding dhāraṇī; when they hear that lecturing on texts brings acute eloquence, they immediately change to lecturing on texts; when they hear that managing construction brings karmic blessings, or that holding vegetarian feasts brings interpersonal connections, or even when they hear that regimen and nourishment bring long life, they make all kinds of shifts and never maintain a single practice. How could they have their minds single-mindedly undisturbed and hope for the accomplishment of pure karma? I have thus compiled these [accounts], provisionally to cut off the outward yearnings of people of the times. Speaking according to the truth: seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is fundamentally to attain buddhahood and deliver sentient beings; since one does not even seek pleasure after death, how could one calculate benefit or harm during life?