諸經要集 1.26

1.26

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.