法苑珠林 15.7

15.7

It is stated: When a world is bright and spotless, it is termed 'pure'; that which is pure and where one dwells is termed 'land.' Therefore, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'The land of one's abode is free from the five defilements, like crystal, mother-of-pearl, and the like; it is called a pure land.' The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa says: 'The dwelling place of living beings without afflictions is called a pure land.' Pure lands are not uniform; there are four kinds. First is the land of dharma-nature, which has tathatā as its essence. Thus the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'Taking the lotus king as the basis of the pure land,' by analogy to the dharmadhātu and tathatā being the essential basis of the pure land. Second is the actual retribution land. According to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, it takes the two kinds of emptiness as its gate, the three wisdoms as its pathways of egress and ingress, śamatha and vipaśyanā as its vehicle, and fundamental non-conceptual wisdom as its function; these all explain the emergence of its essence in terms of retribution merits. Third is the phenomenal pure land, which refers to the superior and sublime seven treasures; the five sensory objects—forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tangibles—constitute the characteristics of its land. Therefore, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'The Buddha's ubiquitous light and the place of the seven treasures.' Also, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'Within the characteristics of the realm of the Buddhas, there are various interspersed adornments.' Thus the Sukhāvatīvyūhopadeśa says: 'Fully endowed with the nature of various precious gems, complete with sublime adornments.' Also, the newly translated Mahābodhisattvapiṭaka-sūtra says: 'Even if the worlds described above were blazing with great fire, if the Tathāgata were among them, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, the waters of eight merits would naturally spring forth from the ground in that place.' Fourth is the transformation pure land, which refers to the seven treasures and five sensory objects transformed by the Buddha as the essence of the transformation land. Thus the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'By the Buddha's supernatural power, the ground is entirely supple and soft, free of mounds, ruins, earth, sand, gravel, and stone, even like the Western World of Utmost Bliss of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.' Also, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: 'By the mastery of wisdom, in accordance with what they desire, [the Buddhas] can manifest pure worlds of crystal, lapis lazuli, and the like.' Also, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'The Buddha pressed the earth with his toe to manifest purity,' and so forth. Also, the Daśabhūmika-sūtra says: 'In accordance with what the minds of living beings delight to see, it is manifested for their sake.' What these various sūtras and treatises explain is all framed in terms of transforming to make a pure land. Due to the Buddha's supernatural power, it appears and therefore exists; when withdrawn, it ceases to be. Hence it is called a transformation land.