廣弘明集 27.257

27.257

夫道從苦生。不由樂果。德憑功建。非情所集。故經云。忍辱第一道。於諸眾生心無礙。故以其在苦則多礙多惱起不善業。今所以得無礙者。良由在礙而修無礙。故礙而不為礙。既於礙而無所礙。豈非忍力之所致乎。經云。娑婆世界五濁之剎。五痛五燒具諸惡報。是故發大乘者。多來此土。以救苦為資糧。以拔惱為要行。此土一日修善。勝於他方淨國百千萬劫。所以爾者。良由極苦之地心不及善。而能於劇苦之中。卓然發意忍苦受辱。豈不奇哉。所謂火中生蓮華。此實為希有。他方淨土無修福地。所以不及此土。何者。淨國七財豐溢。不假布施攝貧窮也。淨國律儀圓淨。不假持戒攝毀禁也。淨國則無辱無忍。穢土無事非辱。在辱能忍。勝他方也。淨國精進如救頭然。不假翹勤攝懈怠也。淨國之人。入法流水。念念修順無出入觀。不假寂定攝亂意也。淨國智慧明滿。不假辯才巧說攝愚癡也。又淨國之人。非無弘誓。但弘誓之功不及穢土。四攝四等例同無用。淨國樂故。則救苦之心薄。惡土苦故。則進善之心猛。故經云。行於非道通達佛道也。夫欲發廣大心行菩薩行。自非履危涉險備受艱難。蹈熾火歷氷霜。嬰苦切甘楚毒。於萬苦中而能忍受者。則道場可踐。若無此惱忍何從生藉此煩惱起我諸善。所謂塵勞之儔為如來種。當知忍者。有力大人功德之本。所謂忍痛癢忍思想。忍疾病忍飢苦。忍疲勞忍寒暑。忍憂悲忍熱惱。忍惡罵無恥辱。忍撾打無恚礙。忍貪欲無愛著。忍憍慢無背道。忍所難忍。忍所難行。忍所難作。忍所難辦。能行此者。真可謂大忍辱矣。

The Way is born of suffering, not from fruits of pleasure; virtue is established through effort, not gathered through sentiment. Thus a sūtra says: 'Patience is the foremost way; toward all sentient beings, the mind is without obstruction.' Being in suffering involves much obstruction, much affliction, and the arising of unwholesome karma. Now, the reason one can attain non-obstruction is truly that in the midst of obstruction one cultivates non-obstruction, so that what is obstructive does not become an obstacle. Since one encounters obstruction and yet is without obstruction, how could this not be brought about by the power of patience? A sūtra says: 'The Sahā world is a land of the five defilements, where the five pains and five burnings contain all evil retributions.' Therefore, those who generate the Mahāyāna mostly come to this land, taking the rescue of suffering as their provisions and the eradication of affliction as their essential practice. One day of cultivating goodness in this land surpasses hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas in pure lands elsewhere. Why is this? It is truly because in a land of extreme suffering the mind fails to reach goodness, yet to be able amid severe suffering to stand out, generate the intention, and endure suffering and humiliation—is that not extraordinary? This is what is meant by 'a lotus flower growing in fire'; it is truly rare. Other pure lands lack fields for cultivating blessings; that is why they do not equal this land. Why is that? In pure lands, the seven wealths are abundant, so they do not require generosity to gather the poor. In pure lands, vinaya deportment is complete and pure, so they do not require upholding precepts to gather violators of prohibitions. In pure lands, there is neither insult nor patience; in the defiled land, there is nothing that is not an insult, and being able to endure amid insults surpasses other realms. In pure lands, vigor is like saving one's head from burning, so they do not require diligent exertion to gather the indolent. The people of pure lands enter the flowing water of the Dharma, cultivating compliance thought by thought without thoughts of entering or exiting, so they do not require tranquil meditation to gather scattered minds. In pure lands, wisdom shines complete, so they do not require eloquence and skillful speech to gather the foolish. Moreover, although people in pure lands are not without great vows, the merit of their vows does not equal that in the defiled land; the four ways of gathering and the four immeasurables are similarly without use there. Because pure lands are pleasurable, the mind to rescue suffering is feeble; because evil lands are painful, the mind to advance in goodness is fierce. Thus a sūtra says: 'Practicing in non-ways reaches the Buddha-way.' If one wishes to generate the vast mind and practice the bodhisattva path, unless one treads perils, undergoes dangers, fully experiences hardships, walks on blazing fire, passes through ice and frost, suffers bitter anguish, and willingly tastes poisonous pain—yet among myriad sufferings can endure them—then the bodhimaṇḍa may be attained. Without these afflictions, from where would patience arise? Relying on these afflictions, our various virtues arise; this is what is meant by 'the host of defilements is the seed of the Tathāgata.' One should know that patience is the root of merit for powerful great people: the so-called enduring pain and itching, enduring thoughts and longings, enduring illness, enduring hunger and hardship, enduring fatigue, enduring cold and heat, enduring sorrow and grief, enduring feverish vexations, enduring malicious scolding without feeling shame, enduring beatings without wrathful obstruction, enduring greed and desire without clinging attachment, enduring arrogance without turning away from the Way; enduring what is hard to endure, practicing what is hard to practice, doing what is hard to do, accomplishing what is hard to accomplish. One who can practice this can truly be called one of great patience.