龍舒增廣淨土文

In my examination of the Great Canon (Mahā-piṭaka), I find the following sūtras:

The Sūtra of the Awakening of Infinite Purity and Equality.

The Sūtra of Amitābha's Deliverance of Beings onto the Human Path.

The Sūtra of Infinite Life (Amitāyus).

The Sūtra of the Adornment of Infinite Life.

Among these four texts, the original is in fact a single work; but because the translators differed, four separate titles came to be established, and within them the phrasing and the characters contain a great many errors and discrepancies. Yet I have already collated and corrected them, and have likewise carved the woodblocks and published it long ago.

Today I draw upon the four texts mentioned above, together with other sūtras and accounts, to compose a general summary, so that those who wish to cultivate the Pure Land may readily understand it and put it into practice.

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE FIRST

To put it briefly, within the Great Canon there are not merely a dozen or more sūtras that speak of the matter of the Western Pure Land. The general purport set forth in those texts is this: that land is entirely adorned with the seven treasures, and there are no hells, no hungry ghosts, no beasts, down to creatures that crawl, fly, or stir. It is forever pure and natural, with none of the evil habits remaining; therefore it is called the Pure Land.

The people of this land are born from within lotus flowers, live forever and do not age; food, clothing, and dwellings appear at will according to their wishes; that scene remains in eternal springtime, with neither heat nor cold, wholly blissful with not the least suffering; therefore it is called the World of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhāvatī).

The name of the Buddha in that world is Amitābha. Amitābha is a Sanskrit word (Amita Buddha).

In the language of China it is translated as "Infinite." For the radiance of that Buddha shines throughout the worlds of the ten directions without limit or measure.

Whenever sentient beings give rise to the mind of mindfulness of the Buddha, there is not a single being whom He does not illuminate and penetrate; therefore He has also the name: the Buddha of Infinite Light.

The life span of that Buddha, together with the people of that land, is likewise without limit or measure. Though kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges may yet come to an end, that life span will never be exhausted. Therefore He has the name: the Buddha of Infinite Life (Amitāyus).

That Buddha has a great vow, vowing to deliver beings; His majestic spiritual power is truly inconceivable! Therefore whoever, with utmost sincerity of mind, believingly turns toward and is mindful of His name shall, in this present life, have calamities dispelled and disasters averted, demonic and malevolent forces of past grievances driven away, and body and mind made peaceful and serene. Their merit and longevity increasing, this reaches even to that Western land, where in the pond of seven treasures a lotus flower spontaneously comes into being, and one day they take their birth therein, swiftly escaping the realm of saṃsāra.

Matters such as these all have their factual basis; they are not fabricated, fanciful, or deceitful words.

The teaching of mindfulness of the Buddha is very easy to practice. Within the whole Great Canon there are eighty-four thousand Dharma-gates; but to sum up those Dharma-gates that are easy to cultivate, there is no Dharma-gate equal to the Dharma-gate of the Pure Land. And yet, that people perhaps do not know of it—how pitiable, how regrettable! But to know it and not practice it—that is the more pitiable and regrettable still!

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE SECOND

In the Greater Amitābha Sūtra it is said: "The Buddha Śākyamuni one day had a countenance unlike His usual aspect. His attendant, the Venerable Ānanda, seeing this, found it strange and asked about it. The Buddha said: Excellent indeed is your question—its merit is greater than offering all the wealth of the seven treasures in homage to all the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas of every world (the whole realm), and giving alms to however many devas, people, and even creatures that crawl, fly, and stir, throughout many kalpas; nay, even the merit of more than a hundred thousand myriad kalpas, however great it be, cannot match a single portion of the merit of this question of yours!

Why is this so? Because the devas, Śakra, the people, and even creatures that crawl, fly, and stir, all by means of your question attain the Way and are delivered and liberated.

Considering this, we see that truly the Buddha Śākyamuni, when He wished to speak of the practices and vows of the Buddha Amitābha, while it was yet within His mind, already revealed it outwardly upon His countenance, differing from ordinary times—from which one may fully know that the Buddha Amitābha thus moves even the Buddhas in an extraordinary way.

How much more, then, does He move all sentient beings? Sentient beings who had not yet been delivered, by means of Ānanda's question and the Buddha's reply, were delivered and liberated.

Thus, from the devas and Śakra above, down to creatures that crawl, fly, and stir below—those of the same class who still dwell within the round of saṃsāra and have not yet been delivered—now, by hearing of the great vow and great power of the Buddha Amitābha, are delivered and liberated.

In His initial vow, the Buddha Amitābha said: "When I attain Buddhahood, may my renown resound throughout the ten directions. Humans and devas who joyfully come to hear of it shall all be born into my land." He said further: "Not only humans, but all the beings of the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals shall likewise be born into my land."

Thus all sentient beings of the six paths, revolving in saṃsāra throughout the three realms—there is not a single being who does not rely upon the Buddha Amitābha's compassionate deliverance; this may be fully known.

Therefore this Amitābha sūtra says: The Buddha Amitābha is presently in the Western World of Ultimate Bliss, and is also within the other worlds of the ten directions teaching and transforming innumerable devas, people, and even creatures that crawl, fly, and stir—everywhere all attain transcendence and liberation.

"Creatures that crawl, fly, and stir": the kinds that crawl, fly, and move. Even the kinds that crawl, fly, and stir the Buddha still delivers. How much more, then, humans—truly the practices and vows of the Buddha Amitābha to deliver sentient beings far and wide cannot be exhausted.

Whenever a person with a single thought takes refuge, they are at once born into His land, with no further doubt.

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE THIRD

In the Amitābha Sūtra it is further said: Innumerable kalpas ago there appeared in the world a Buddha named Lokeśvararāja (World-Sovereign King), who delivered and transformed sentient beings. At that time a king of a great country came to hear the Dharma and, awakening, at once renounced his throne, left the household life, and cultivated the Way under the name Dharmākara Bhikṣu (that is, the Buddha Amitābha).

Before the Buddha Lokeśvararāja he made forty-eight great vows. Each and every vow had the single aim of saving and delivering sentient beings.

Having made these vows, He cultivated with diligence, escaped birth-and-death, and entered the stage of the Bodhisattva. To "escape birth-and-death" is to be, with respect to birth-and-death, thus of itself. To "enter the stage of the Bodhisattva" means: inwardly cultivating wisdom, outwardly cultivating merit.

To cultivate wisdom is to refine the nature of wisdom, which grows day by day more radiant, until at the attainment of Buddhahood the nature of wisdom pervades all the worlds throughout empty space—there is nowhere it does not know, nowhere it does not see.

To cultivate merit is to take birth within every kind of being, sharing their form, sharing their speech, and establishing methods of teaching and transformation; therefore from the rank of Śakra above, down to the minute kinds of worms and ants below, He takes birth within them all.

In this way, throughout immeasurable, innumerable kalpas down to now, He has established the Dharma and taught sentient beings. And establishing such methods—how could it not be a way of gaining merit?

But He gains merit without partaking of it for Himself; therefore the more the merit accumulates, and the more it accumulates the greater it grows; the greater it grows the longer it endures; the longer it endures, the more it overflows throughout all the worlds of empty space.

Great merit means great majestic power. It is like a person of the world who holds high office: then his power and influence are great.

By means of that majestic power, there is nothing not accomplished; therefore He was able to fulfill His great vows, and because the great vows were fulfilled, He was able to be certified into the station of Buddhahood.

From the first vow to the last vow, there is no vow that does not save and deliver sentient beings.

And now He has already been a Buddha for more than ten great kalpas; surely He will not go against His vow to deliver beings. Therefore whoever, single-mindedly believing and turning toward Him, is mindful of His name shall in this present life surely receive the aid of His merit, and in the body to come swiftly be born into the World of Ultimate Bliss. One who can concentrate the mind and contemplate His image shall, even in this present life, behold His true likeness. For the Buddha's majestic spiritual power is present everywhere, and when a person's mind is constantly mindful of the Buddha until it becomes thoroughly ripened, then there is a natural response and resonance, and so the Buddha manifests His body (this account is told in the fifth scroll).

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE FOURTH

In the Amitābha Sūtra it is said: The Buddha Amitābha, throughout immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, cultivated the practice of the Bodhisattva, and the power of His forbearance was already perfected. He heeded not the various sufferings; He always manifested a gentle and harmonious countenance and spoke with sweet and pleasant words, working for the benefit of sentient beings. He skillfully guarded His verbal karma, never disparaging or speaking of others' faults; skillfully guarded His bodily karma, never deviating from the rules of conduct; skillfully guarded His mental karma, pure and undefiled.

From His hands there ever issued forth all manner of garments, all manner of food and drink, all manner of banners, canopies, and jeweled coverings, all manner of music, and all the most excellent articles of necessity.

These He bestowed upon all sentient beings, causing sentient beings to attain a mind of joy and to hearken to His teaching.

Therefore immeasurable, innumerable multitudes gave rise to the mind of Supreme Bodhi. He carried out such practices of loving-kindness throughout immeasurable, innumerable hundred-thousand-myriad-koṭi kalpas; His merit complete, His majestic spiritual power resplendent, He at last fulfilled what He had vowed and entered the station of Perfect Enlightenment. By this, throughout the innumerable worlds of the ten directions, the devas and people, down to the creatures that crawl, fly, and stir—there is not one kind that does not rely upon His compassion to be delivered.

It is for this reason that I, with a single thought, take refuge, and am thereupon born into that land—all within lotus flowers, born spontaneously in the pond of seven treasures and growing to maturity, without needing anyone to nurse and feed them; food appears naturally at the mere thought of it; their countenance and form are upright, fresh, and beautiful, such as no person of this realm could match, nor could even the people of the heavens equal! Their bodies are naturally pure and luminous, light and buoyant, with a life span utterly without limit.

Throughout the whole land, all are persons of the highest virtue, and there are indeed no women. All have an innumerable life span; they possess the penetration of the divine eye, seeing through all things; the divine ear, hearing however far away, seeing however far away, hearing however faint a sound—a single class of persons who seek the Way of "the Good," with no other class of persons. Though myriad kalpas pass, of the things from long ago down to now, there is nothing they do not clearly know.

Furthermore, they know the affairs of the worlds of the ten directions—matters of the past world, the future world, and the present world. They also know of innumerable beings, in the heavens above and below the heavens, the people, down to the creatures that crawl, fly, and stir: what their minds wish to think, what their mouths wish to say; and they further know of those sentient beings—in what kalpa, what year, what month, what day each shall be delivered and liberated from this lifetime, rise to become human, and attain birth into the World of Ultimate Bliss. It is because they have attained the wisdom-nature of the Buddha that they are able to see and know in this way.

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE FIFTH

In the collected accounts of the Pure Land it is said: The Buddha Amitābha, together with the two Bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, board the ship of the Great Vow, cross the sea of birth-and-death, and come to this Sahā world, calling out to gather sentient beings aboard the ship of the Great Vow to bear them back to the Western land; of those who consent to go, there is not one who is not born there.

Looking at this, the Buddha and the two Bodhisattvas, pitying sentient beings who are sunk and drowning in the sea of suffering with no means whatever of escape, therefore employ the power of their majestic spirit and their vows to lead the people of the world back to the Pure Land.

It is just like a ferryman who calls and hails the travelers aboard the ferry and bears them across to the far shore. The only fear is that people will not believe; but for one of faithful mind who believes and accepts it, then however grave their sins and evils, they too can all attain rebirth in the Pure Land. Why is this? First, because of the Buddha's vow; and second, because of one's own sincerity and faith. Therefore it is said that the Buddha's majestic spiritual power cannot be compared with that of ordinary worldlings.

For ordinary worldlings—if it be not for power and influence, if one is not their friend, if there is no benefit to themselves, they will not be one's friend; and for this very reason they remain merely ordinary worldlings.

The worthy and the noble-minded are not even thus—how much less the Buddha! Why? Because without a heart of compassion, one is not fit to be a Buddha; without delivering sentient beings, one is not fit to be a Buddha; without great majestic power, one is not fit to be a Buddha.

It is because the Buddha extends His heart of compassion, seeing sentient beings sunk and drowning in the sea of suffering, that He wishes to deliver them. It is because the Buddha possesses great majestic power that He is able to bring forth the mind to deliver, and thereby to succeed in delivering; and that is the very reason He is a Buddha.

In the Greater Amitābha Sūtra it is said: The Great King of Physicians can cure all illnesses, yet he cannot cure to wholeness the illness of one whose allotted span is exhausted; even so, the Buddha can deliver all sentient beings, yet He cannot deliver those sentient beings who lack faith—such may be called the destitute indeed. Hence the saying: "The king must yield to the destitute"—this is the meaning of it.

Is it not so that for a person of faithful mind, the myriad affairs are gathered back into a single thought, just as a person while alive here: when in a single thought the mind wishes to go, the body at once rises and goes; when the mind wishes to stay, the body thereupon remains—thus the body must follow the mind's thought.

Yet at times the mind's thought wishes to go, but the body is held captive and cannot go. But the body being held captive is a captivity during life; for when the body decays and the life ends, there yet remains only a single thought of mind.

Wherever the mind's thought inclines, there it will most assuredly go. For this reason, while we are still alive here, daily keeping a vegetarian diet and being mindful of the Buddha, with the mind's thought aspiring to be born into the Pure Land—then however bound and fettered the body may be, when it dies, by all means we shall attain birth in the Pure Land.

How much more so, since the Pure Land already has Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, who further lead and welcome us back to that land!

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE SIXTH

The Buddha Amitābha has made a vow, declaring: "Whatever sentient beings have already been born into My land, should they then wish to be born into another land, they shall attain it as they vow, and shall never again fall into the three evil paths." Why is this? Because one born into the Pure Land is one who has already been certified to the stage of the Forbearance of the Non-Arising of Dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti).

And one who has been certified to the stage of the Forbearance of the Non-Arising of Dharmas is precisely one who is no longer subject to birth-and-death. One who has already cut off entirely the path of birth-and-death—though they enter into the realm of birth-and-death, that one spiritual nature remains luminous and clear, never confused or deluded; then by what means could they drift and tumble through the three evil paths?

Reasoning according to principle, since it is already certain that they will not fall into the three evil paths, how much more, relying upon the power of protection and support, must any falling certainly be impossible. Therefore, to reason thus: one born into the Pure Land not only lives long and does not age, but lives on through kalpa after kalpa, age after age, while the path of birth-and-death is also thus-thus, unmoving.

Hence, wishing to establish methods to teach and transform all sentient beings, they enter into all the realms of birth-and-death of sentient beings, while the one true nature remains ever still and quiescent, ever luminous and clear, no longer deluded by external objects, no longer dragged along by karmic conditions; though dwelling within the world of saṃsāra, they no longer transmigrate as others do. Therefore it is called: "World-transcending within the world." That is to say: though dwelling within the world, one has already escaped beyond the world.

For this reason, one who has attained rebirth into that Pure Land is wholly one who has already attained the path of birth-and-death as thus-thus, unmoving; at that time, should they wish to be born in the realm of the devas, they may; should they wish to be born again in the realm of humans, they may; should they wish to be born into a house of great wealth and nobility, they may; should they wish to be born into a pure realm, they may; even should they wish to live forever and never die, they may; or should they wish to die and then live again, they may.

As they themselves wish for this or that, there is nothing that does not accord with their wish (sovereign in intention and desire, in nothing not sovereign). Thus the one thing I most wish for, of all that is most precious, is to be born into the Pure Land!

The people of the world do not understand a wish such as this. Vainly they remain within the path of birth-and-death: wishing to be born into a wealthy and noble house, they are instead born into a poor and lowly one; wishing to be born into a realm of joy and pleasure, they are instead born into a place of sorrow and grief; wishing to be born to long life, they are born only to die young, to perish untimely; wishing to be born to practice the good Way, they are instead born among evil beasts. In each and every case they are enticed by outward circumstances, dragged along by karmic conditions, and cannot be sovereign over themselves.

From immeasurable kalpas down to this very day, revolving in saṃsāra through the six paths, there has never been a moment of escape. With but a single thought contemplating griefs and sufferings such as these, turn the mind to be mindful of the Buddha and seek birth into the Pure Land, that all afflictions and calamities may be ended. A realm in which all afflictions and calamities have been ended—if not for that, what then could that realm be called the World of Ultimate Bliss?

Let the person of wisdom attend to this and quietly examine it, and they may surely see it.

ESSENTIALS OF THE PURE LAND

THE SEVENTH

The lay practitioner Wuwei, named Yang Jie, styled Cigong, in his youth passed the highest examination and comprehended the essential purport of the Chan school. He said: Sentient beings' faculties are sharp or dull; they follow what is near and easy to understand, what is brief and easy to practice. There is only the Dharma-gate of the Western Pure Land: once the mind, single in concentration, contemplates and is mindful, then by the power of the Buddha's vow one is swiftly born into the Land of Peace and Nurture (An-yang).

He, on behalf of Wang Minzhong, wrote a preface to the work A DIRECT POINTING TO RESOLVING DOUBTS ABOUT THE PURE LAND, saying: The Buddha Amitābha emits light like the great brightness of the full round moon, shining throughout the ten directions; where the water is clear and pure, the moon manifests in its entirety.

The moon does not come and go following the water; whenever the water is muddy and stirred, the moon has no radiance there, yet the moon does not abandon the water and depart.

In the water there is the clear, the muddy, the moving, the still; in the moon there is no grasping, no relinquishing, no going, no coming. Therefore the Avataṃsaka Sūtra records: The elder's son said: Know that all the Buddhas are likewise as reflected images.

One's own mind is likened to water. Those Tathāgatas do not come to this realm; yet if I wish to behold the Tathāgata Amitābha of the Land of Peace and Nurture, at will I straightway behold Him. Therefore sentient beings who are single-mindedly mindful shall surely behold Amitābha. If born into that Western land, then there is none of the various sufferings.

The Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra says: The Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla addressed the Buddha Śākyamuni, saying: O Great-Awakened World-Honored One! How shall the sentient beings of the future age to come behold the Buddhas of the ten directions? The Buddha taught: They must be mindful of the Buddha Amitābha, and then they shall straightway behold all the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Again, the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra says: Should sentient beings in worlds of other directions hear the name of the Tathāgata Amitāyus-Amitābha of Infinite Life, and even for as brief as a thought hold a pure and faithful mind, joyful and full of yearning, and dedicate the roots of goodness they have cultivated, vowing to be born into that land—then according to their vow they shall attain rebirth and reach the stage of non-retrogression.

These are the words of the Buddha Śākyamuni. If the Buddha's words are not to be believed, what words are worthy of belief? If one does not seek birth into the Pure Land, into what realm should one seek to be born?

Su Dongpo said: Cigong in his old age served as an official, Inspector and Prefect; he often painted an image of the Buddha Amitābha one zhang and six feet (1.6 meters) tall, carrying it wherever he went to make offerings and to contemplate. When the day of his death drew near, he was moved by the Buddha's coming to welcome him, and seated firmly, he passed away.

NAMO ORIGINAL TEACHER ŚĀKYAMUNI BUDDHA

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