往生集 1.65

1.65

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.