略諸經論念佛法門往生淨土集卷上 1.18

1.18

According to this scriptural passage, wisdom is foremost. Why do [you] praise dhyāna exclusively as superior? Therefore, those of broad learning possess unimpeded eloquence, while those of limited hearing are impeded in both words and principles. Why not subjugate [your] ego, listen to what has not yet been heard, humble yourself before a teacher, and consult about what has not yet been awakened to? Puffed up with arrogance and conceit, you are unwilling to receive [instruction]. With an empty stomach and an arrogant mind, you utter words contrary to the teaching; shameless before humans, do you not feel guilty before the Buddha? However, the Chan masters disregard the sacred teachings and make arbitrary decisions from their own opinions; they are not to be relied upon or trusted. Furthermore, the Chan masters say: 'Making images is a saṃskṛta merit and is not a cause for attaining buddhahood.' This is also unreasonable and contradicts the sacred scriptural authority. The Buddha had truthful words fully present in the various sūtras, earnestly praising the merit of making images as eliminating past and present calamities and leading to the future attainment of correct awakening. How could one be so rash as to violate the Buddha's spoken teachings and not allow it to be a cause for realizing bodhi? Question: If it can serve as a cause to elicit the fruit of bodhi, on what canonical records do we rely to know this? Answer: The various sūtras speak of it generally; I will briefly cite two works to substantiate this meaning. For instance, the upper fascicle of the Zaoxiang jing says: 'If there is someone who, before my Dharma is completely extinguished, is able to make a Buddha image, they will all attain liberation at Maitreya's first assembly. If there are sentient beings who, not merely for themselves seeking renunciation, make a Buddha image wishing to attain unexcelled bodhi, you should know that this is the cause of the thirty-two marks and can cause that person to swiftly attain buddhahood.' The lower fascicle of the Zaoxiang jing further says: 'At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-mahāsattva addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, as the Buddha has said, in the Buddha's Dharma, committing a pārājika is not called living. If someone, having committed such an offense, arouses the mind to recollect the merits of the Buddhas and makes a Buddha image, will they obtain rebirth in the Buddha's Dharma? Furthermore, in their present life, second life, third life, or fourth life, will they attain realization of the Dharma?" The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva: "Maitreya, suppose a person's body is bound by the five bonds; if they obtain liberation, they are like a bird escaping a net, reaching an unobstructed place. This person is also like this: if they arouse a faithful mind, recollect the merits of the Buddhas, and make a Buddha image, all karmic obstructions will be eradicated, and they will swiftly transcend saṃsāra without obstruction. Maitreya, you should know that there are three kinds of vehicles: the śrāvakayāna, the pratyekabuddhayāna, and the buddhayāna. Whatever vehicle this person gives rise to aspiration and joy toward, they will attain liberation in that very vehicle. If they [act] solely for the sake of attaining buddhahood and do not seek any other reward, even if they have karmic obstructions, these will be swiftly extinguished; even though they are in saṃsāra, they will have no suffering or hardship, and will eventually realize unexcelled bodhi, obtain a pure land, be endowed with all the marks and signs, and the lifespan they attain will abide eternally without end."' A later passage also says: 'Good sons, even if the wisdom of as many Śāriputras and others as the dust motes mentioned before were combined, it would not equal the wisdom of the Tathāgata in a single thought-moment. Why is this? Because the Tathāgata, in thought-moment after thought-moment, is constantly able to manifest various immeasurable, supreme merits—surpassing the aforesaid dust motes in number—such as samādhis, vimokṣas, and dhāraṇīs. All śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot even know the names of the merits of the Buddhas. Therefore, if someone with a mind of pure faith makes an image of the Buddha's form, all karmic obstructions will be eradicated without exception, and the merits obtained will be immeasurable and boundless, leading even to the attainment of anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi, permanently eradicating all afflictions of sentient beings.' A verse in the first chapter of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, 'Expedient Means', says: