淨名經集解關中疏 1.165

1.165

佛言。寶積眾生之類是菩薩佛土　此四明如來答文四。初答二問。二身子疑問。三指按現淨。四時眾得益。答二問中佛先答果。有法喻合法中又三標釋結也。此初標章總答不。經云。雖知諸佛國土永寂如空。而現種種清淨佛土。又云。諸佛如來功德平等為教化眾生故現佛土不同。明鏡無像即以所照面為像。亦法身無處即以化眾生處為國土。是以所化眾生之類。是如來應物之國土。肇曰。夫至人空洞無像。應物故形。形無常體。況國土之有恒。以群生萬端業行不同。殊化異被。至令報應不一。是以淨者應之以寶王。穢者應之以石沙。美惡自彼於我無定。無定之土乃曰真土。然則土之淨穢繫于眾生。故曰。眾生之類是菩薩佛土。惑謂土之淨穢繫于眾生者則是眾生報應之土非如來土。此蓋未喻報應之殊方耳。嘗試言之。夫如來所修淨土以無方為體。故令雜行眾生同視異見。異見故淨穢所以生。無方故真土所以形。若夫取其淨穢眾生之報也。本其無方佛土之真也。豈曰殊域異處凡聖兩土然後辯其淨穢哉。

The Buddha said: "Ratnarāśi, the classes of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's buddha-land." This fourth [section] clarifies the Tathāgata's reply, which has four parts: first, replying to the two questions; second, Śāriputra's doubt and question; third, pressing his toe to manifest the purity; fourth, the assembly gaining benefit. In replying to the two questions, the Buddha first replies to the fruit, which has a dharma, a simile, and a synthesis. Within the dharma, there are also three: the presentation, the explanation, and the conclusion. This is the first, presenting the topic and generally replying. A sūtra says: "Although knowing that the lands of the various Buddhas are eternally tranquil like space, he manifests various pure buddha-lands." It also says: "The merits of the Tathāgatas are equal; for the sake of teaching and transforming sentient beings, they manifest different buddha-lands." A bright mirror has no image of its own, but takes the face it reflects as its image; likewise, the dharmakāya has no fixed location, but takes the place where sentient beings are transformed as its land. Therefore, the classes of sentient beings transformed are the Tathāgata's lands that respond to things. Sengzhao says: "The ultimate person is empty, hollow, and imageless; responding to things, he assumes form. Form has no constant substance, how much less could a land be permanent! Because the karmic practices of the myriad kinds of sentient beings differ, diverse teachings are variously applied, resulting in disparate retributions and responses. Therefore, to the pure, he responds with precious jade; to the defiled, he responds with stones and sand. The fair and the foul lie with them; for me, there is no fixed state. A land without fixed state is called the true land. If so, then the purity and defilement of a land depend on sentient beings; hence it is said: 'The classes of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's buddha-land.' Those who are confused think that if the purity or defilement of a land depends on sentient beings, it is then the land of retribution and response of sentient beings, not the Tathāgata's land. This is merely not understanding the diverse aspects of retribution and response. Let us attempt to explain it: The pure land cultivated by the Tathāgata takes placelessness as its essence. Therefore, he causes sentient beings of mingled practices to look together yet see differently. Because they see differently, purity and defilement arise; because of placelessness, the true land is formed. If one considers its purity or defilement, that is the retribution of sentient beings; if one traces its placelessness, that is the true reality of the buddha-land. How could it be that only after dividing them into distinct realms, separate abodes, and two lands of ordinary and holy, could purity and defilement be distinguished?"