English
English version They have already been returned to the Bodhisattvas. This Bodhisattva can also manifest bodies, whether it be hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, or hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha lands without Buddhas, they can perform Buddha deeds. However, one must use the mind to enter Samadhi (禅定), in order to reach a state that is neither with mind nor without mind. Because of the 'acting mind', it is called not yet attaining a pure mind. If this Bodhisattva vows to be born in the Pure Land of Bliss, they will see Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛). When they see Amitabha Buddha, they will ultimately be equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas in body and Dharma. Nagarjuna (龙树菩萨), Vasubandhu (婆薮槃头菩萨), and others who vow to be born there should be for this reason. Someone asks: According to the Dasabhumika Sutra (十地经), the stages of a Bodhisattva's progress gradually have immeasurable merits and virtues, and it takes many kalpas to attain this. Why is it said that when one sees Amitabha Buddha, they are ultimately equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas in body and Dharma? The answer is: 'Ultimately' does not mean 'immediately' equal. Because this equality will ultimately not be lost, it is said to be equal. Someone asks: If it is not immediately equal, then why even speak of Bodhisattvas? As long as one ascends to the first ground and gradually progresses, they will naturally be equal to the Buddha. Why say they are equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas? The answer is: Bodhisattvas attain great extinction in the seventh ground. Above, they do not see Buddhas to seek; below, they do not see sentient beings to liberate. They want to abandon the Buddha path and realize actuality. At that time, if they do not receive the divine power and encouragement of the Buddhas of the ten directions, they will enter extinction and be no different from the Two Vehicles (声闻乘 and 缘觉乘). If a Bodhisattva is born in the Land of Bliss and sees Amitabha Buddha, they will not have this difficulty. Therefore, it must be said that they are ultimately equal. Furthermore, in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra (无量寿经), Amitabha Tathagata's (阿弥陀如来) original vow says: 'Suppose I attain Buddhahood, and the Bodhisattvas from other Buddha lands are born in my country, they will ultimately reach the stage of Ekajati-pratibaddha (一生补处, a Buddha-in-waiting). Except for those who have original vows and are free, for the sake of teaching sentient beings, they wear the armor of great vows, accumulate roots of merit, liberate all sentient beings, travel to the Buddha lands, practice the Bodhisattva path, make offerings to the Buddhas and Tathagatas of the ten directions, and enlighten countless sentient beings like the sands of the Ganges, enabling them to establish the unsurpassed true path, surpass the ordinary practices of the grounds, and presently cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra (普贤). If this is not the case, I will not attain perfect enlightenment.' According to this sutra, the Bodhisattvas in that country may not progress from one ground to another. The ten grounds mentioned are just a manifestation of Sakyamuni Buddha's (释迦如来) teachings in Jambudvipa (阎浮提). How could other Pure Lands be like this? English version They have already been returned to the Bodhisattvas. This Bodhisattva can also manifest bodies, whether it be hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, or hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha lands without Buddhas, they can perform Buddha deeds. However, one must use the mind to enter Samadhi (禅定), in order to reach a state that is neither with mind nor without mind. Because of the 'acting mind', it is called not yet attaining a pure mind. If this Bodhisattva vows to be born in the Pure Land of Bliss, they will see Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛). When they see Amitabha Buddha, they will ultimately be equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas in body and Dharma. Nagarjuna (龙树菩萨), Vasubandhu (婆薮槃头菩萨), and others who vow to be born there should be for this reason. Someone asks: According to the Dasabhumika Sutra (十地经), the stages of a Bodhisattva's progress gradually have immeasurable merits and virtues, and it takes many kalpas to attain this. Why is it said that when one sees Amitabha Buddha, they are ultimately equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas in body and Dharma? The answer is: 'Ultimately' does not mean 'immediately' equal. Because this equality will ultimately not be lost, it is said to be equal. Someone asks: If it is not immediately equal, then why even speak of Bodhisattvas? As long as one ascends to the first ground and gradually progresses, they will naturally be equal to the Buddha. Why say they are equal to the higher-level Bodhisattvas? The answer is: Bodhisattvas attain great extinction in the seventh ground. Above, they do not see Buddhas to seek; below, they do not see sentient beings to liberate. They want to abandon the Buddha path and realize actuality. At that time, if they do not receive the divine power and encouragement of the Buddhas of the ten directions, they will enter extinction and be no different from the Two Vehicles (声闻乘 and 缘觉乘). If a Bodhisattva is born in the Land of Bliss and sees Amitabha Buddha, they will not have this difficulty. Therefore, it must be said that they are ultimately equal. Furthermore, in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra (无量寿经), Amitabha Tathagata's (阿弥陀如来) original vow says: 'Suppose I attain Buddhahood, and the Bodhisattvas from other Buddha lands are born in my country, they will ultimately reach the stage of Ekajati-pratibaddha (一生补处, a Buddha-in-waiting). Except for those who have original vows and are free, for the sake of teaching sentient beings, they wear the armor of great vows, accumulate roots of merit, liberate all sentient beings, travel to the Buddha lands, practice the Bodhisattva path, make offerings to the Buddhas and Tathagatas of the ten directions, and enlighten countless sentient beings like the sands of the Ganges, enabling them to establish the unsurpassed true path, surpass the ordinary practices of the grounds, and presently cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra (普贤). If this is not the case, I will not attain perfect enlightenment.' According to this sutra, the Bodhisattvas in that country may not progress from one ground to another. The ten grounds mentioned are just a manifestation of Sakyamuni Buddha's (释迦如来) teachings in Jambudvipa (阎浮提). How could other Pure Lands be like this? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
必如此。五种不思议中佛法最不可思议。若言菩萨必从一地至一地无超越之理。未敢详也。譬如有树名曰好坚。是树地生百岁。乃具一日长高百丈。日日如此。计百岁之长岂类修松耶。见松生长日不过寸。闻彼好坚何能不疑。即曰有人闻释迦如来证罗汉于一听制无生于终朝。谓是接诱之言非称实之说。闻此论事亦当不信。夫非常之言不入常人之耳。谓之不然亦其宜也。 略说八句示现如来自利利他功德庄严次第成就应知 此云何次第。前十七句是庄严国土功德成就。既知国土相。应知国土之主。是故次观佛庄严功德。彼佛若为庄严。于何处坐。是故先观座。既知座已。宜知座主。是故次观佛庄严身业。既知身业。应知有何声名。是故次观佛庄严口业。既知名闻。宜知得名所以。是故次观庄严心业。既知三业具足。应为人天大师堪受化者是谁。是故次观大众功德。既知大众有无量功德。宜知上首者谁。是故次观上首。上首是佛。既知上首。恐同长幼。是故次观主。既知是主。主有何增上。是故次观庄严不虚作住持。八句次第成已。观菩萨者。 云何观察菩萨庄严功德成就观察菩萨庄严功德成就者观彼菩萨有四种正修行功德成就应知 真如是诸法正体。体如而行则是不行。不行而行名如实修行。体唯一如而义 现代汉语译本：必定是这样。五种不可思议的事物中，佛法是最不可思议的。如果说菩萨必定要从一个阶位到一个阶位，没有超越的道理，我不敢苟同。譬如有一种树名叫好坚（一种树的名字），这种树从地里生长，一百年后，一天就能长高百丈。每天都这样。计算它一百年所长的高度，难道能和普通的松树相比吗？看到松树生长，一天不过长一寸，听到好坚树的生长速度，怎么能不怀疑呢？就像有人听到释迦如来（佛的名字）在一次听法中就证得阿罗汉果（佛教修行果位），在很短的时间内就断绝了生死轮回，就认为是诱导之言，不是真实的说法。听到这样的议论，也会不相信。非常之言，不入常人之耳，认为不是这样，也是很正常的。 简略地说，用八句话来展示如来（佛的称号）自利利他的功德庄严次第成就，应当了解。这什么是次第呢？前面的十七句是庄严国土功德成就。既然知道了国土的相状，就应该知道国土的主人。所以接着观察佛的庄严功德。佛为了庄严，在什么地方坐呢？所以先观察座位。既然知道了座位，就应该知道座上的主人。所以接着观察佛庄严的身业。既然知道了身业，就应该知道有什么样的声名。所以接着观察佛庄严的口业。既然知道了名闻，就应该知道得到名闻的原因。所以接着观察庄严的心业。既然知道了身口意三业具足，就应该知道谁是堪为人天大师，可以被教化的人。所以接着观察大众功德。既然知道大众有无量的功德，就应该知道上首是谁。所以接着观察上首。上首是佛。既然知道了上首，恐怕和普通人一样，所以接着观察主。既然知道是主，主有什么样的增上呢？所以接着观察庄严不虚作住持。八句次第成就后，观察菩萨。 如何观察菩萨庄严功德成就？观察菩萨庄严功德成就，应当知道观察菩萨有四种正修行功德成就。真如（佛教术语，指事物的真实本性）是诸法的正体。体悟真如而行，就是不行。不行而行，名叫如实修行。本体唯一如，而意义
English
English version: It must be so. Among the five inconceivable things, the Buddha-dharma (teachings of the Buddha) is the most inconceivable. If it is said that a Bodhisattva (an enlightened being who postpones nirvana to help others) must progress from one stage to another without any possibility of transcendence, I dare not agree. For example, there is a tree called Haojian (name of a tree). This tree grows from the ground, and after a hundred years, it can grow a hundred zhang (ancient Chinese unit of length) taller in a single day. It is like this every day. Calculating the height it grows in a hundred years, how can it be compared to an ordinary pine tree? Seeing a pine tree grow, it only grows an inch a day. Hearing about the growth rate of the Haojian tree, how can one not doubt it? It is like someone hearing that Shakyamuni Tathagata (another name for the Buddha) attained Arhatship (a state of enlightenment) in one listening to the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and cut off the cycle of birth and death in a very short time, and considers it to be seductive words, not a true statement. Hearing such arguments, one will also not believe it. Extraordinary words do not enter the ears of ordinary people. It is normal to think that it is not so. Briefly speaking, use eight sentences to show the Tathagata's (another name for the Buddha) merits and virtues of self-benefit and benefiting others, and the order of accomplishment should be understood. What is this order? The previous seventeen sentences are the accomplishment of the merits and virtues of adorning the Buddha-land. Since we know the characteristics of the Buddha-land, we should know the master of the Buddha-land. Therefore, we next observe the Buddha's merits and virtues of adornment. Where does the Buddha sit in order to adorn? Therefore, we first observe the seat. Since we know the seat, we should know the master of the seat. Therefore, we next observe the Buddha's adornment of body karma. Since we know the body karma, we should know what kind of reputation there is. Therefore, we next observe the Buddha's adornment of speech karma. Since we know the reputation, we should know the reason for obtaining the reputation. Therefore, we next observe the adornment of mind karma. Since we know that the three karmas of body, speech, and mind are complete, we should know who is worthy of being a master of humans and devas (gods), and who can be taught. Therefore, we next observe the merits and virtues of the assembly. Since we know that the assembly has immeasurable merits and virtues, we should know who is the leader. Therefore, we next observe the leader. The leader is the Buddha. Since we know the leader, we are afraid that he is the same as ordinary people, so we next observe the master. Since we know that he is the master, what kind of increase does the master have? Therefore, we next observe the adornment of not falsely creating and upholding. After the order of the eight sentences is accomplished, we observe the Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings). How to observe the accomplishment of the Bodhisattva's merits and virtues of adornment? To observe the accomplishment of the Bodhisattva's merits and virtues of adornment, one should know that the Bodhisattva has four kinds of correct practice merits and virtues to be accomplished. Suchness (a Buddhist term referring to the true nature of things) is the true essence of all dharmas (teachings). To act in accordance with suchness is to not act. To not act and yet act is called practicing in accordance with reality. The essence is uniquely such, but the meaning -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 分为四。是故四行以一正统之。