淨土五會念佛誦經觀行儀卷中．下 2.262

2.262

智者當知。此五會念佛誦經法事觀門。實非自意。比常祕密而不述之。今恐後世生疑。墮於惡道。聖教明說除同行。深信為利益故。如是之人乃可為說。為慜此故。今略明之。照以永泰二年四月十五日。於南岳彌陀臺。廣發弘願。唯為菩提。為諸眾生。更無所求。盡此一形。每夏九旬。常入般舟念佛道場。其夏以為初首。既發願竟。即入道場。勇猛虔誠。至第二七日夜。獨在此臺東北道場內。其夜三更。自作念言。只今現有十方諸佛淨妙國土諸菩薩眾。常聞無上甚深妙法。具大神通。度無量眾。而我不預斯事。莫不由我惡業罪障深重。不入聖流。不能廣度無邊眾生。甚自傷嘆。作是念時。不覺悲淚。哀聲念佛。正念佛時。有一境界。忽不見道場屋舍。唯見五色光明雲臺。彌滿法界。忽見一道金橋。從自面前。徹至西方極樂世界。須臾即至阿彌陀佛所。頭面作禮。阿彌陀佛歡喜微㗛。告法照言。我知汝心實欲至為利樂有情。無一自利。善哉善哉。能發斯願。我有妙法。無價珍寶。今付囑汝。今將此法寶。於閻浮提。廣行流布。普利天人無量眾生。遇斯法寶。皆得解脫。法照白佛言。有何妙法。唯願說之。唯願說之。佛言。有一無價梵音五會念佛法門。正興彼濁惡世。今時末法一切眾生。機感相應。聞汝暫念。皆悉發心。如是無量壽經。說寶樹五音聲。即斯五會佛聲是。以是因緣。便能稱念佛名。報盡定生我國。汝等未來一切貧苦眾生。遇斯五會念佛無價寶珠。貧苦皆除。亦如病得藥。如渴得漿。如飢得食。如裸得衣。如闇遇明。如過海得船。如遇寶藏必獲安樂。何以故。彼諸眾生。遇斯法寶。便能念佛。即此一生。定超苦海。登不退轉。速具六波羅蜜一切種智。疾得成佛。受勝快樂。亦復如是。言訖。彼佛國界。佛菩薩眾。水鳥樹林。皆悉五會念佛誦經。法照粗記少分。而白佛言。今蒙世尊加被。付囑此法。若有疑心。不依行者。永劫沈淪。不生淨土。若依行之已後。未審一切眾生見聞之者。發菩提心。念佛名號不。入深禪定不。疾證菩提不。有大利益不。阿彌陀佛言。汝但依此五會念佛誦經之時。我此國土水鳥樹林。諸菩薩眾。無量音樂。於虛空中。一時俱和念佛之聲。令於一切之處人非人等。亦不勞汝。一一親自化之。但見聞者無不發心歡喜信受而便念佛。至命終時。我來迎接。決定有大利益。已後應知。言訖忽然還見自身。而在道場。覩斯境界。悲喜勇躍。依教念佛。自爾已來。迄至于今。果如先說。疑網悉除。願此世當來。常於惡世。以斯妙法。廣度眾生。咸登極樂。速得成佛。幸諸有緣。見聞之者。勿懷疑謗。必墮泥犁。

The wise should know: this contemplation gate and ritual for the five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name and sūtra chanting truly did not originate from my own mind. Formerly it was kept secret and not spoken of. Now, fearing that future generations might generate doubt and fall into evil destinies—and the noble teachings clearly state that except for fellow practitioners, one may speak of it only to those who have deep faith, for the sake of benefit—out of pity for this, I shall now explain it in brief. On the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the second year of Yongtai, at the Amitābha Terrace of Nanyue, Zhao made a vast, great vow solely for the sake of bodhi and for the sake of sentient beings, with no other pursuit: for the rest of this bodily form, during every summer retreat of ninety days, he would constantly enter the Pratyutpanna Bodhimanda for reciting the Buddha's name. That summer was the very first. Having made the vow, he immediately entered the bodhimanda with vigorous zeal and sincere devotion. On the night of the second seventh day, alone within this bodhimanda to the northeast of the terrace, during the third watch of the night, he thought to himself: 'Right now, there are the pure, wonderful lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the assemblies of bodhisattvas who constantly hear the unsurpassable, extremely profound, wonderful Dharma, possess great spiritual powers, and deliver immeasurable beings; yet I do not partake in this. Can this be due to anything other than my evil karma and heavy sin-obstructions, so that I do not enter the noble stream and cannot broadly deliver boundless sentient beings?' Grieving and sighing deeply at this thought, tears of sorrow fell unawares, and he recited the Buddha's name with a mournful voice. Just while reciting the Buddha's name, a vision appeared: suddenly the halls and buildings of the bodhimanda vanished, and he saw only a cloud-terrace of five-colored radiant light pervading the Dharmadhātu. Suddenly he saw a golden bridge extending from before himself straight to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, Sukhāvatī. In an instant he arrived at the dwelling of Amitābha Buddha, bowing with his head and face to the ground. Amitābha Buddha smiled joyfully and said to Fazhao: 'I know that your heart truly wishes to bring ultimate benefit and joy to sentient beings without a single thought of self-interest. Excellent, excellent! That you can generate such a vow! I have a wonderful Dharma, a priceless jewel, which I now entrust to you. Now take this Dharma-jewel and broadly propagate it in Jambudvīpa, universally benefiting devas, humans, and immeasurable sentient beings; encountering this Dharma-jewel, all will attain liberation.' Fazhao said to the Buddha: 'What wonderful Dharma is it? I only pray that you will explain it; I only pray that you will explain it!' The Buddha said: 'There is a priceless Brahmā-sound Dharma gate of the five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name, perfectly suited to flourish in that defiled, evil world. All sentient beings of the present age of the Final Dharma have capacities that resonate with it; upon hearing your briefest recitation, all will generate the aspiration for awakening. Thus, the Amitāyus Sūtra speaks of the five sounds of the jeweled trees—these are precisely the sounds of this five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name. By this condition, they will be able to invoke the Buddha's name, and when their retribution ends, they will surely be born in my land. If all impoverished and suffering sentient beings of future generations encounter this priceless wish-fulfilling jewel of the five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name, their poverty and suffering will all be eradicated. It is also like getting medicine when sick, getting a drink when thirsty, getting food when hungry, getting clothing when naked, encountering light in darkness, getting a ship when crossing the sea, and encountering a treasure trove: they will surely obtain peace and joy. Why is this? When those sentient beings encounter this Dharma-jewel, they will be able to recite the Buddha's name; in this very lifetime, they will surely transcend the sea of suffering, ascend to non-retrogression, quickly become equipped with the six pāramitās and the knowledge of all aspects, swiftly attain Buddhahood, and receive superior bliss. It is just like this.' Having spoken, the Buddhas and bodhisattva assemblies, the water, birds, and groves of that Buddha-land all engaged in the five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name and chanting of sūtras. Fazhao roughly memorized a small portion, and said to the Buddha: 'Now receiving the World-Honoured One's empowerment and being entrusted with this Dharma, if there are those who harbor doubt and do not practice according to it, they will sink for eternal kalpas and not be born in the Pure Land. If they practice according to it hereafter, I wonder whether all sentient beings who see or hear it will generate the bodhicitta, recite the Buddha's name, enter deep dhyāna-absorption, swiftly realize bodhi, and obtain great benefits?' Amitābha Buddha said: 'Whenever you practice this five-tempo recitation of the Buddha's name and chanting of sūtras, the water, birds, groves, bodhisattva assemblies, and immeasurable music of this land of mine will simultaneously join in the sound of reciting the Buddha's name in empty space, causing humans, non-humans, and others in all places [to hear it]. It will not even burden you to personally convert them one by one; simply seeing or hearing it, none will fail to generate the aspiration, joyfully believe and accept it, and thereupon recite the Buddha's name. When their life comes to an end, I will come to welcome them; there will definitely be great benefit. You should know this hereafter.' Having spoken, suddenly he saw his own body back in the bodhimanda. Beholding this realm, he leaped with grief and joy, and recited the Buddha's name according to the teaching. From that time forth until now, it has indeed been as previously spoken, with the net of doubts completely eradicated. May I, in this life and future lives, constantly utilize this wonderful Dharma in the evil world to broadly deliver sentient beings, causing all to ascend to Sukhāvatī and swiftly attain Buddhahood. May all those with karmic affinity who see or hear this not harbor doubt and slander, which would surely cause them to fall into Niraya.