諸經要集 1.26

1.26

問曰。何名淨土。答曰。世界皎潔。目之為淨。即淨所居。名之為土。故攝論云。所居之土無於五濁。如頗梨柯等。名清淨土。法華論云。無煩惱眾生住處。名為淨土。淨土不同有其四種。一法性土。以真如為體故。梁攝論云。以蓮華王為淨土所依譬。法界真如為淨土所依體故。二實報土。依攝論云。以二空為門。三慧為出入路。奢摩他毘鉢舍那為乘。以根本無分別智為用。此皆約報功德辯其出體。三事淨土。謂上妙七寶。是五塵色性。聲香味觸為其土相故。攝論云。佛周遍光明七寶處也。又華嚴經云。諸佛境界相中。種種間錯莊嚴。故淨土論云。備諸珍寶性具足妙莊嚴。又新翻大菩薩藏經云。假使如上世界。乃至大火洞然如來在中若依經行。若住坐臥其處自然八功德水出現於地。四化淨土。謂佛所變七寶五塵為化土體故。涅槃經云。以佛神力地皆柔軟。無有丘墟土沙礫石。乃至猶如西方無量壽佛極樂世界等。又大莊嚴論云。由智自在隨彼所欲。能現水精瑠璃等清淨世界。又維摩經云。佛以足指案地。現淨等事。又十地經云。隨諸眾生心所樂見。為示現故。此諸經論所明。並約化為淨土。由佛神力現故有。攝故即無。故名化土。

Question: What is meant by "pure land"? Answer: A world that is bright and spotless is called "pure"; the dwelling place of this purity is called "land". Therefore the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "The land inhabited is free of the five turbidities, like crystal, etc.; it is called a pure land." The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-upadeśa says: "The dwelling place of sentient beings free of defilements is called a pure land." Pure lands differ, having four kinds: First, the land of the Dharma-nature (dharmatā-kṣetra), taking suchness as its essence. Thus the Liang Mahāyānasaṃgraha says that the king of lotuses is the metaphor upon which the pure land relies, and the suchness of the dharmadhātu is the essence upon which the pure land relies. Second, the land of actual retribution (sambhogakṣetra). According to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, it takes the two emptinesses as its gate, the three wisdoms as its roadway of egress and ingress, śamatha and vipaśyanā as its vehicle, and fundamental non-conceptual wisdom as its function; all of these explain its manifestation and essence based on the merits of retribution. Third, the phenomenal pure land (kāryaviśuddha-kṣetra): namely, the superior, wondrous seven treasures, which are the nature of the form of the five sense objects, taking sights, sounds, scents, tastes, and tangibles as the characteristics of its land. Therefore the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "The place of the Buddha's pervasive radiance and seven treasures." Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "In the characteristics of the realms of the Buddhas, there are various interspersed adornments." Therefore the Pure Land Treatise says: "Endowed with the nature of all precious jewels, completely possessing wondrous adornments." Furthermore, the newly translated Da pusa zang jing says: "Supposing a world like the above, even with a great fire blazing intensely, if the Tathāgata is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down in its midst, in that place the water of eight virtues will naturally appear on the ground." Fourth, the transformed pure land (nirmāṇakṣetra): namely, the seven treasures and five sense objects manifested by the Buddha constitute the essence of the transformed land. Therefore the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says that by the Buddha's supernatural power, the earth all becomes soft, free of mounds, ruins, earth, sand, gravel, and stone, even like the Western Sukhāvatī world of the Buddha Amitāyus. Furthermore, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: "Due to the mastery of wisdom, according to what they desire, he can manifest pure worlds of crystal, lapis lazuli, and so on." Furthermore, the Vimalakīrti-sūtra says that the Buddha pressed the earth with his toe and manifested the purity and such matters. Furthermore, the Daśabhūmika-sūtra says: "According to what all sentient beings delight to see, it is manifested for their sake." What these various sūtras and treatises explain all relates to transformation into a pure land: because it is manifested by the Buddha's supernatural power, it exists; when withdrawn, it ceases to be; therefore it is called a transformed land.