龍舒增廣淨土文

Those who practice Chan meditation, for the most part, do not believe in the Pure Land, saying that to cultivate the Pure Land is to grasp at appearances. They wish only to point directly at the mind of a person, so that, seeing one's nature, one becomes a Buddha.

These words are excellent, yet it is by no means easily attained, and it has become a grave defect indeed. Therefore now I (Wang Rixiu) shall clearly expound the defect of those who practice Chan, and cite past instances as testimony to the Dharma, so that practitioners who do not know the essential point of the Pure Land may also have it explained to them here. For this reason this volume is called the volume "DISPELLING DELUSION AND RETURNING TO THE ESSENTIAL."

IN THE SONG DYNASTY, MASTER QINGCAOTANG; HIS LATER BODY WAS LORD ZENG LU

In the dynasty of the Song there was a Master Qingcaotang. While he was still alive, past the age of ninety, there was a woman of the Zeng household who often came and went, offering vegetarian feasts and bestowing robes and goods upon the Venerable. The Venerable Qingcaotang, grateful for her kindness, then said: "This old monk shall become a son for the lady."

As days passed and months went by, spring waning and autumn coming on, one day that woman gave birth to a baby boy. Remembering the words spoken before, she straightaway sent someone to inquire after Master Qingcaotang—but he had already passed away in seated meditation. The baby boy she had borne was then given the name Zeng Lu Gong.

Because in a former life Lord Lu had been a teacher who cultivated merit and cultivated wisdom, therefore now, though young in years, he passed the high examinations, and afterward rose in office to the rank of Prime Minister. Looking upon him in the worldly realm, none surpassed him.

Yet though it was thus, this too was an error. Why? Because in this worldly course wealth and rank do not last long; when the blessings are exhausted, they are gone. Again one must follow the conditions of karma and go on in the round of rebirth, with never a time when it ceases. Better to recite the Buddha's name and be born straightway into the Western Region, see the Buddha, and end birth-and-death—that is the great matter—and then return to be Prime Minister; even then it would not be too late.

Therefore, although he entered the womb and received birth, yet his one numinous nature was not darkened. For this reason, although dwelling within the realm of the round of rebirth, he had already ceased to undergo the round of rebirth, and his coming and going upon the path of birth-and-death remained free and self-possessed. Now, not yet having ended birth-and-death, he clung tightly to the memory of kindness and gratitude, becoming a son for another; thus he could not escape the mind of affection and love, ever remaining within the round of rebirth. Truly this was a grievous miscalculation.

THE LATER BODY OF CHAN MASTER JIE WAS DONGPO

Chan Master Jie of Wuzu Monastery was the former body of Lord Dongpo, and the instances of its confirmation are not few. Because of his cultivation in a former life, therefore in this present life he was endowed with intelligence surpassing others. Because of his habituated fondness for storing up the five poisons (the five sensual pleasures), therefore in this present life, though his mind was apt at the marvelous and his words at poetry, outwardly he endured banishment and reproach (sent to garrison the outer regions for six years). This too was a great error.

If in his former life, being a master who practiced Chan, he had also cultivated the Western Region, then assuredly he would have attained birth in the Pure Land, accomplishing great blessings and great wisdom—how then would he be born again in this realm to endure so much suffering and affliction?

Yet it is heard that Lord Dongpo, one day going to take up his garrison post in the South, carried with him an image of the Buddha Amitābha. When someone asked the reason for this, he answered: "This image is my warrant and proof for being born into the Western Region."

If it were indeed so, then Lord Dongpo, in coming to this, had at last seized upon the right plan; this too was a wholesome root sown in a former life, and therefore now he was more enlightened than others, and so was able to awaken to this principle.

I (Wang Rixiu) have heard that Lord Lu Zhi, in a former life, was a woman who recited the Lotus Sutra. By the merit of reciting the sutra, therefore in this present life he was intelligent and held official rank. This too was a following of karmic conditions to arrive in this realm.

Had he been born into the Western Region, how could it have been merely thus!

ELDER ZHE'S LATER BODY ABOUNDED IN GRIEF AND SUFFERING

There was a Chan Master, Elder Zhe, abbot of the Daocha Monastery in the capital region, who for forty years did not sleep, sitting in meditative absorption, undergoing austerity such as this. When he passed away he likewise sat and entered nirvāṇa; and after his paper robe was burned, relics (śarīra) emerged. A certain official of the court paid thirty thousand to buy that one paper robe, because it had śarīra in it.

Ah! The efficacy of this man's Chan practice was such as this. Had he cultivated the Western Region, he would surely have attained the stage of a Bodhisattva of non-retrogression, and upon the path of birth-and-death would have remained free and self-possessed. Then, returning to this world to ferry living beings across, what would there be that he could not accomplish? Because he did not know to cultivate this Dharma, he was therefore born into a house of great wealth and rank, and through a whole lifetime endured much grief and suffering—how pitiable indeed! Even were one to enjoy great wealth and rank, in the end there comes a time when it is exhausted, and one revolves again in the round of rebirth as before.

Someone may ask: "Elder Zhe's cultivation and diligence in practice were such as this—for what reason must he in this present life endure so much grief and suffering?"

Lord Wang Rixiu answers: The Buddha has said:

Though it be a hundred thousand kalpas,

The karma one has wrought is not lost;

When the causes and conditions meet,

The fruits and retributions are oneself received again.

Which means:

Though it be a hundred thousand kalpas,

The place where karma is made is not lost;

When causes and conditions come together,

The fruits and retributions return to be borne by oneself.

The Great Master Yongjia also said: "When birth-and-death are ended, the karmic obstructions of old are originally void; but if they are not yet ended, then by principle one must constantly repay former debts." Because Elder Zhe had never yet been able to end birth-and-death, the great matter, in this present life, though born into a house of great wealth and rank—which was precisely the aspiration of his mind in a former life—he therefore had to endure many grievances and sufferings. This was precisely the time when causes and conditions met, and he had to repay the debts of former lives, extending across thousands and hundreds of lifetimes.

Had he been born into the Western Region, then the former debts need not be repaid. Why? Because birth-and-death are free and self-possessed; therefore, although he might enter into all the realms of birth-and-death of living beings to perform the great work of ferrying them across, yet his one true nature would never be deluded or darkened, but would attain transcendence beyond the three realms—how then would he still have to repay the debts of former lives?

Moreover, considering that Elder Zhe, cultivating and diligent in practice, was still unable to transcend beyond the three realms—is this not because the three realms are too lofty, that sea of suffering too vast, the surging of its billows too swift, so that one cannot easily attain transcendence?

To cultivate the Western Region and attain transcendence beyond the three realms is by the power of the Buddha. To have the Buddha's power upholding and protecting one, yet not to rely upon it—how is this different from a poor man, hungry and cold, who sees one wealthy and noble yet does not lean upon him for support?

I, Rixiu, am deeply moved with pity.

ELDER GU'S LATER BODY WAS ADDICTED TO WEALTH AND RANK

There was the Elder Huigu, who first served as abbot of the Taiping Monastery in Shuzhou, and afterward went to dwell at the Daocha Monastery in Zhedong; he too was among the venerable elders of the monastic order.

After he died, he was born into the house of a Prime Minister; though young in years, he passed the high examinations, and his life was most glorious and honored. Yet this too was a very great miscalculation. Why? In a former life he kept the vegetarian precepts; in this present life he eats meat—will he then say that eating meat is delicious? In a former life he cultivated purity; in this present life he draws near to sensual desire—will he then say that sensual desire is beautiful? In a former life he practiced meditative absorption; in this present life he enjoys wealth and rank—will he then hold wealth and rank to be right? It is as when a great elephant sinks into the mire: with every step it takes it sinks one step deeper. How wretched, how wretched indeed!

The Śūraṅgama Sutra says: "When the ear's hearing and the heard sound are exhausted, the exhausted hearing also does not abide. The mind that is aware and the object to be apprehended being void, the awareness of voidness having become perfectly complete."

Which means: When that which is heard is utterly exhausted, the hearing mind too is utterly exhausted and does not abide. Therefore it is said that, although one enjoys the pleasures of this life, it is no different from the "non-abiding" spoken of above. The non-abiding spoken of before, since it does not abide, is already past; and what is past does not last long.

Again, there is the mind that is able to apprehend and the dust-object that is apprehended; in the end these too return to the void. The void is that which is not real. Truly attaining here—being void, and aware of that voidness—then the nature of true awareness is utterly perfect, and one no longer falls into degradation.

Suppose Elder Gu had awakened to this principle (true awareness), then assuredly he would not have been born into the house of a Prime Minister.

Even had he not yet been able to clearly awaken to the true nature, still, by cultivating the Western Region, he could swiftly have escaped the round of rebirth.

The Śūraṅgama Sutra says: "One who cultivates in the world is like one settling muddy water. Though it has been settled clear, yet the muddy sediment has not been strained away; stir it, and it grows muddy again." This is the meaning that applies to Elder Gu.

But to be born into the Western Region, see the Buddha, and attain the Way, then return to be born into this world, is like straining away the muddy sediment, attaining purely a single kind of clear water; though one stir it, it grows muddy no more. Therefore, even one among the venerable elders, who has not yet awakened to his own nature, ought by no means to fail to cultivate the Western Region. Looking upon this account of Elder Gu is enough to serve as a mirror for the generations to come.

THE WESTERN REGION IS LIKE PRESENTLY RECEIVING AN OFFICIAL POST

It is as with a man who has a minor official post but is not content with it, and surely wishes to study and become a high official (a zhuangyuan, the first-rank graduate)—that aspiration of his is good indeed. Yet the rank of zhuangyuan cannot be surely attained; it is still better to receive at once the minor post, and on the one hand to pursue study. If he passes and gains the high post, it is like adding flowers to embroidered brocade; and if he does not attain it, he still does not lose his portion of being an official.

One who cultivates the Western Region is like the man who receives at once the minor post. To pursue study on the one hand is a metaphor for cultivating the Western Region together with also cultivating the practice of Chan. Not attaining the high post is a metaphor for the Chan practitioner who has not yet clearly awakened. Not losing it—the man who is an official—is a metaphor for swiftly escaping the round of rebirth and enjoying great bliss.

Having been born into the Western Region, seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma, by what principle could there be no great awakening? Therefore the teaching of the Western Region ought not to be cast aside.

THREE BODHISATTVAS CULTIVATED TUṢITA

In the treatise Ten Doubts of Master Zhizhe, there is cited the account of three Bodhisattvas who cultivated the practice of mindfulness of the Buddha, seeking birth into the Tuṣita heaven.

1 — One named Asaṅga

2 — One named Vasubandhu

3 — One named Siṃhabodhi (Lion-Awakening)

These three Bodhisattvas made a pact with one another, saying: "Among us three, whoever is born into Tuṣita first and sees the Buddha Maitreya, shall at once return to report the news, that it may be known."

At that time the one called Siṃhabodhi died first, but for several years no tidings were heard. Next Vasubandhu passed away, and after three years he returned to report the news, saying: "I was born into Tuṣita, paid reverence to the Buddha Maitreya, and heard him expound the Dharma; only one day had passed when I hastened back to report the news here." Strange indeed—one day in the Tuṣita heaven, yet three years in the human realm.

Asaṅga asked: "And how fares Master Siṃhabodhi?"

Vasubandhu answered: "He was born in the outer court of Tuṣita, sunk in attachment to the music of the heavens, and so could not see the Buddha."

Indeed, of the three Bodhisattvas who cultivated for Tuṣita, there was still one given over to attachment who could not see the Buddha—this is the very root of the round of rebirth. Therefore know that Tuṣita is hard to cultivate and there is the danger of falling into degradation; it is not equal to the Western Region, which is easy to cultivate and where there is no falling into degradation.

Master Zhizhe further said: "There are those who see the Buddha Śākyamuni yet do not attain the Way; but among those who cultivate the Western Region and see the Buddha Amitābha, there is not a single one who does not attain the Way." From this it is fully known that the Buddha Śākyamuni and the Buddha Amitābha—their power of vows, their merit and virtue, their awesome spiritual might—are, in greater and lesser degree, not the same.

Therefore the Bodhisattva of Great Loving-Kindness said: "Of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, Amitābha is the foremost. To recite his name dissolves all transgressions and one straightway attains birth into the Pure Land"—this is correct.

THE LATER BODY OF THE LOTUS NUN BECAME AN OFFICIAL'S ENTERTAINER

Lord Ouyang, named Yongshu, served as Magistrate of Yongzhou. There was a singing-girl of an official's house from whose mouth there often wafted the fragrance of the lotus flower. At that time there was a monk who knew her destiny across lives, and he said: "This girl in a former life was a nun who recited the Lotus Sutra for ten years; because of a single mistaken thought, she has come to such a state as this."

The monk further asked: "Then do you remember reciting the Lotus Sutra?"

She answered: "Since I lost my chastity until now, where have I had the leisure to recite it?"

The monk took out a copy of the Lotus Sutra and handed it to her, and she read and recited it like flowing water; but when he handed her another sutra, she could not read it. From this it is known that the monk's words are worthy of belief.

Suppose this nun had known to cultivate the Dharma-gate of the Western Region, then the highest grade of the highest birth would surely have been attained. Because she did not know, she had to fall into degradation, even to the point of becoming a singing-girl—how is this not pitiable! From this it is known that to be able to take this Dharma-gate of the Western Region and teach others to cultivate and practice it—the merit of saving and aiding them is very great, and is the blessing and virtue thereof easy to measure?

THE PREFATORY DISCOURSE

From the moment we are first born until we descend into the grave, we drift and waver like shadows seeking after a truth that we believe to exist. No sooner born into the world, we have already wept, and we weep still again when we must depart this life. Impelled by an invisible force, we jostle shoulder to shoulder and elbow to elbow in the world to perform our superficial gestures. Therefore the Buddha taught:

Upon the road of seeking the true principle, you should believe only what you yourselves, after reasoning it through, recognize to be correct, to accord with right reason, not to be contrary to your own heart, and to fit with the present circumstances. Histories and texts, sages and worthies, are not sufficient guarantee if your own heart does not grant it, or does not yet hold it to be correct.

Even with respect to the teaching of the Buddha it is likewise so: the essential thing is that you strive to seek and inquire forever; and if on some morrow, should you break through to further understanding and clearly perceive that there is something more correct, then do not hesitate to cast aside what today you have believed.

NAMO ORIGINAL TEACHER ŚĀKYAMUNI BUDDHA

END OF VOLUME SEVEN