English
This is the true practice. If faith and vows are firm, even with ten or one thought at the time of death, one will surely be reborn. If there is no faith or vows, even if one uses this name as a mere phrase, reciting it until wind cannot penetrate and rain cannot wet it, like a silver wall or iron barrier, there is absolutely no way to be reborn in the Pure Land. Those who cultivate Pure Land practice must know this. The following explains why one should make vows to be reborn. To be able to gather with these supreme virtuous people refers to the countless Arhats (Arahan, one who has eradicated all afflictions and attained liberation), countless Bodhisattvas (Bodhisattva, one who aspires to Buddhahood and saves all beings), and even countless Ekajāti-pratibaddha-bodhisattvas (Ekajāti-pratibaddha-bodhisattva, a Bodhisattva who will become a Buddha in the next life) mentioned earlier. If one does not have great faith and great vows, how can one gather with these supreme virtuous people? The Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life) also emphasizes the aspiration for Bodhicitta (Bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment), which is the same as this. 2. Encouragement to Establish Practice 'Śāriputra (Śāriputra, one of the Buddha's ten great disciples, known for his wisdom)! One cannot be reborn in that land with little roots of goodness, merit, or causes and conditions. Śāriputra! If there are good men or good women who hear of Amitābha Buddha (Amitābha, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss), and hold onto his name, whether for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days with undivided concentration, when that person approaches the end of their life, Amitābha Buddha and all the holy assembly will appear before them. At the time of death, this person's mind will not be confused, and they will be reborn in Amitābha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss.' Those who are reborn in the Pure Land will attain non-retrogression and gather with all the supreme virtuous people. This inconceivable Dharma-gate of transverse transcendence is not something that those with shallow roots of goodness and merit can be reborn into. The correct path to enlightenment is called roots of goodness, which is the direct cause; various auxiliary practices such as giving, upholding precepts, and meditation are called merit, which are auxiliary conditions. The Bodhi of Śrāvakas (Śrāvaka, disciples who practice by hearing the Buddha's teachings) and Pratyekabuddhas (Pratyekabuddha, those who attain enlightenment on their own without a teacher) is little roots of goodness, and the flawed meritorious deeds of humans and devas are little merit. None of these can lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. Only by holding onto the name with faith and vows does each recitation possess abundant roots of goodness and merit. Even if one recites the name with a scattered mind, the roots of goodness and merit are immeasurable, let alone with undivided concentration! Therefore, there is a mutual response between the practitioner and Amitabha, the text is completed and the seal is broken, Amitābha Buddha and the holy assembly come without coming, personally receiving and guiding, and the practitioner's consciousness goes without going. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
往托质宝莲也。善男子、善女人者，不拣在家出家，不论贵贱老少，亦复不拘六趣四生，但得闻佛名者即是多劫善根成熟，即五逆十恶亦皆名善男女也。闻说阿弥陀佛即闻慧，执持名号即思慧，一心不乱即修慧。阿弥陀佛是万德洪名，以名可德，罄无不尽，故即以执持名号而为正行，不必更涉观想参究等行，至简易至直捷也。闻而信、信而愿乃肯执持，不信、不愿与不闻等，虽亦得为远因不名闻慧，执持则念念忆佛名号故是思慧。然有事持、理持。事持者，信有西方阿弥陀佛，而犹未达是心作佛、是心是佛，但以决志愿求生故，如子忆母无时暂忘，名为事持。理持者，信彼西方阿弥陀佛是我心具、是我心造，即以自心所具所造洪名，而为系心之境令不暂忘，名为理持。一日乃至七日者，克期辨事也。利根一日即得不乱，钝根七日方得不乱，中根或二三四五六日不定。又利根即能七日不乱，钝根仅能一日不乱，中根或六五四三二日不定。持至一心不乱便成修慧也。一心亦有二种：谓不论事持、理持，持至伏除烦恼乃至见思先尽，皆名为事一心。又不论事持、理持，持至心开见本性佛，皆名为理一心。事一心则不为见思所乱，理一心则不为二边所乱。不为见思所乱，故感变化身佛及诸圣众现在其前，心不复起娑婆界中三有 现代汉语译本 往托质宝莲也（往生到西方极乐世界，托生在宝莲花中）。善男子、善女人，不分在家出家，不论贵贱老少，也不拘于六道四生，只要听到佛名，就是多劫善根成熟，即使是犯了五逆十恶的人，也可以称为善男子、善女人。听到阿弥陀佛的名号就是闻慧，执持名号就是思慧，一心不乱就是修慧。阿弥陀佛是万德洪名，用名号可以涵盖所有功德，没有遗漏，所以直接执持名号作为正行，不必再进行观想参究等修行，是最简易最直接的方法。听闻后相信，相信后发愿，才能执持名号。不信、不愿，和没有听闻一样，虽然也可以作为远因，但不能称为闻慧。执持名号，念念忆念佛的名号，所以是思慧。然而有事持和理持。事持是指，相信有西方阿弥陀佛，但还没有明白‘是心作佛，是心是佛’的道理，只是以坚定的愿望求生净土，像孩子思念母亲一样，没有片刻忘记，这叫做事持。理持是指，相信西方阿弥陀佛是我心所具足、是我心所创造的，就用自己心所具足所创造的洪名，作为系念的对象，使心不片刻忘记，这叫做理持。‘一日乃至七日’，是限定时间来完成这件事。利根的人一天就能达到一心不乱，钝根的人七天才能达到一心不乱，中等根性的人可能需要二三四五六天不定。也有利根的人能七天都保持不乱，钝根的人只能一天不乱，中等根性的人可能六五四三二天不定。持念到一心不乱就成就了修慧。一心也有两种：不论是事持还是理持，持念到降伏烦恼，乃至断尽见思惑，都叫做事一心。又不论是事持还是理持，持念到心开见性，见到本性佛，都叫做理一心。达到事一心，就不会被见思惑所扰乱；达到理一心，就不会被二边所扰乱。不被见思惑所扰乱，所以能感得化身佛以及诸圣众显现在面前，心中不再生起娑婆世界三有的念头。
English
English version To be reborn and entrusted to the treasure lotus as well. ‘Good men, good women’ does not distinguish between those who are householders and those who have left home, regardless of status, age, or whether they are among the six realms or the four types of birth. Anyone who hears the Buddha's name has matured their good roots from many kalpas. Even those who have committed the five rebellious acts and the ten evil deeds can be called good men and good women. Hearing about Amitabha Buddha is ‘hearing wisdom’ (闻慧), holding onto the name is ‘thinking wisdom’ (思慧), and single-mindedness is ‘cultivation wisdom’ (修慧). Amitabha Buddha is a name of vast virtue, and the name encompasses all virtues without exception. Therefore, holding onto the name is the primary practice, without needing to engage in contemplation or investigation. It is the simplest and most direct method. Hearing and believing, believing and vowing, then one will hold onto the name. Disbelief and lack of vows are the same as not hearing. Although they may be distant causes, they are not considered ‘hearing wisdom’. Holding onto the name means constantly remembering the Buddha's name, so it is ‘thinking wisdom’. However, there are ‘holding through phenomena’ (事持) and ‘holding through principle’ (理持). ‘Holding through phenomena’ means believing in the existence of Amitabha Buddha in the Western Pure Land, but not yet understanding the principle of ‘the mind creates the Buddha, the mind is the Buddha’. One simply has a firm vow to be reborn there, like a child remembering their mother without forgetting for a moment. This is called ‘holding through phenomena’. ‘Holding through principle’ means believing that Amitabha Buddha in the Western Pure Land is inherent in my mind and created by my mind. One uses the vast name that is inherent in and created by one's own mind as the object of focus, so that the mind does not forget for a moment. This is called ‘holding through principle’. ‘One day to seven days’ means setting a specific time to accomplish this. Those with sharp faculties can achieve single-mindedness in one day, while those with dull faculties may take seven days. Those with average faculties may take two, three, four, five, or six days. Also, those with sharp faculties can maintain single-mindedness for seven days, while those with dull faculties can only maintain it for one day. Those with average faculties may maintain it for six, five, four, three, or two days. Holding until single-mindedness is achieved is ‘cultivation wisdom’. There are also two types of single-mindedness: regardless of ‘holding through phenomena’ or ‘holding through principle’, holding until subduing afflictions and even exhausting the delusions of views and thoughts is called ‘single-mindedness through phenomena’. Also, regardless of ‘holding through phenomena’ or ‘holding through principle’, holding until the mind opens and one sees one's inherent Buddha-nature is called ‘single-mindedness through principle’. With ‘single-mindedness through phenomena’, one is not disturbed by the delusions of views and thoughts. With ‘single-mindedness through principle’, one is not disturbed by the two extremes. Because one is not disturbed by the delusions of views and thoughts, one can perceive the transformation body of the Buddha and all the holy beings appearing before them, and the mind no longer generates thoughts of the three realms of existence in the Saha world (娑婆界). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
颠倒，即得往生同居、方便二种极乐世界。不为二边所乱，故感受用身佛及诸圣众现在其前，心不复起生死涅槃二见颠倒，即得往生实报、寂光二种极乐世界。当知执持名号虽复简易直捷，仍复至顿至圆，以一念相应即一念佛，念念相应即念念佛，不劳观想不必参究，当下圆明无余无缺，上上根人终不能逾其阃，下下根人亦可臻其阈，可谓横该八教、竖彻五时，所以彻底悲心无问自说，且深叹其难信也。 问：“临终佛现，宁保非魔？”答：“修心之人不作佛观而佛忽现，非本所期，故名魔事；念佛见佛已是相应，况在临终非致魔时，何须疑虑！” 问：“七日不乱，约平时耶？约临终耶？” 答：“约平时也。” 问：“若约平时，则假如有人，七日不乱之后，更复起惑造业，亦得生耶？” 答：“若果得一心不乱之人，决无更复起惑造业之事。” 问：“大本十念、宝王一念，约平时耶？约临终耶？” 答：“十念通于二时，若晨朝十念则属平时，若十念得生则与《观经》十声称名是同，但约临命终时，一念则但约临终时。” 问：“既十念一念并皆得生，何故此经要须七日？” 答：“若无平时七日工夫，安有临终十念一念？纵令《观经》所明下品下 现代汉语译本：颠倒妄想止息，就能往生到同居土（与凡圣同居的极乐世界）、方便土（方便有余土）这两种极乐世界。因为不被二边（生死和涅槃）的迷惑所扰乱，所以能够感受受用身佛（佛的报身）以及诸位圣众显现在眼前，心中不再生起生死和涅槃这两种颠倒见解，就能往生到实报土（实报庄严土）、寂光土（常寂光土）这两种极乐世界。应当知道执持名号虽然简易直接，仍然是最快速、最圆满的法门，因为一念相应就是一念佛，念念相应就是念念佛，不需要观想，不必参究，当下就圆满光明，没有丝毫欠缺，上上根器的人最终也无法超越这个法门，下下根器的人也可以达到这个门槛。可以说是横向涵盖八教（藏、通、别、圆四教和顿、渐、秘密、不定四教），纵向贯穿五时（华严时、阿含时、方等时、般若时、法华涅槃时），所以阿弥陀佛以彻底的悲心，不待请问就主动宣说这个法门，并且深深地叹息它难以令人相信。 问：‘临终时佛显现，怎么能保证不是魔呢？’答：‘修行的人不作佛观，而佛突然显现，不是本来所期望的，所以称为魔事；念佛见佛已经是相应，何况在临终时，不是容易出现魔事的时候，何须疑虑！’ 问：‘七日不乱，是说平时呢？还是说临终时呢？’ 答：‘是说平时。’ 问：‘如果说是平时，那么假如有人，七日不乱之后，又生起迷惑造作恶业，也能往生吗？’ 答：‘如果真正得到一心不乱的人，决不会再有生起迷惑造作恶业的事情。’ 问：‘《无量寿经》（大本）的十念，以及《宝王论》（宝王三昧论）的一念，是说平时呢？还是说临终时呢？’ 答：‘十念贯通平时和临终两种情况，如果是早晨的十念，就属于平时；如果十念就能往生，就和《观无量寿经》（观经）的十声称念名号相同，只是指临命终时；一念则只是指临终时。’ 问：‘既然十念和一念都可以往生，为什么这部经（《阿弥陀经》）要强调七日呢？’ 答：‘如果没有平时七日的功夫，哪里会有临终的十念和一念？纵然《观无量寿经》（观经）所说的下品下生’