法苑珠林 16.50

16.50

惟凡夫力弱習惡來多。以住娑婆其心怯弱。初學是法恐畏退敗。常發大願扶持此行。乃至命終心無障惱。隨種善根願共含識。自在往生彌勒內眾得至佛前。隨念修學證不退轉。不願往生於外眾中。恐著五欲不得解脫。故智度論云。有人修少福業。聞有福處常願往生。及至命終各生其中。又大莊嚴論云。佛國事大。獨行功德不能成就。要須願力。如牛雖力挽車要須御者能有。所至淨佛國土由願引成。以願力故福德增長。不失不壞常見佛故。又如十住論云。若人發心求佛不休不息。有人以指舉大千世界在空却住不足為難。若發願言。我當作佛。是人希有。何以故。世人心劣無大志故。又發菩提心論有十大願。常悉修行。

Ordinary mortals have weak faculties and have cultivated much evil in the past. Dwelling in the Sahā world, their minds are timid and weak; when first learning this Dharma, they fear retreating and failing. They should constantly generate great vows to support this practice, so that right up to the end of life their minds are free of obstacles and afflictions. In accordance with the planted roots of goodness, they vow, together with all sentient beings, to be born freely in Maitreya's inner assembly and reach the presence of the Buddha, cultivating and studying in accordance with mindfulness to realize non-retrogression. They do not wish to be born in the outer assembly, fearing attachment to the five desires and inability to attain liberation. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'There are people who cultivate little meritorious karma; hearing of a place with merit, they constantly vow to be born there, and upon reaching the end of life, each is born therein.' Furthermore, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: 'The matter of a Buddha land is great; practicing merit alone cannot accomplish it; one must rely on the power of vows. Just as an ox, though strong enough to pull a cart, must depend on a driver to reach where it goes, the purification of a Buddha land is brought to fruition by being guided by vows. By the power of vows, merit increases, is not lost and not destroyed, because one constantly sees the Buddha.' Furthermore, as the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā says: 'If a person generates the mind to seek Buddhahood without resting or stopping—even if someone were to lift the great trichiliocosm with a finger and hold it in the air, that would not be difficult. But if one makes the vow, 'I shall become a Buddha,' such a person is rare. Why is this? Because worldly people have inferior minds and lack great aspirations.' Furthermore, the Bodhicittotpāda-śāstra contains ten great vows, which one should constantly practice in full: