English
English version: The roots of goodness created by the Buddha, if dedicated and vowed to be reborn in that world (referring to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss), one will attain rebirth there. (This is the 'Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana', composed by Bodhisattva Asvaghosa, teaching people to recite the Buddha's name, make vows, and dedicate the merit, and one will attain rebirth.) Furthermore, as in the 'Mahayana Dasabhumika-vibhāṣā', Bodhisattva Nagarjuna teaches people to praise Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha, and one will attain rebirth there. (This praise text is elaborated in detail in the fifth section, 'Citing Sacred Teachings'. Here, only three or five sentences are briefly cited, which is the meaning of the initial section.) Question: The sutras and treatises cited above are vast and extensive, making them difficult to fully explore and seek out. Now, please extract the essential points and briefly explain the causes, so that practitioners can easily cultivate and learn. Answer: Indeed. The sutras and treatises cited above are teachings tailored to specific capacities, making them difficult to fully explore and seek out. Now, I will reduce the complexity and select the concise parts, briefly explaining the causes, which are freely divided into two types. One is the general cause, and the other is the specific cause. The general cause, such as the three grades of beings in the 'Infinite Life Sutra', all must generate the Bodhi mind; and in the 'Contemplation Sutra', one must fully cultivate the three blessings and pure karma to attain rebirth. These are all general causes. There are two types of general causes: one is the general connection to the Pure Lands of the ten directions, and the other is the general connection to the Pure Lands of the three times. Therefore, the 'Contemplation Sutra' says: 'Therefore, these three types of karma are the proper cause of the pure karma of the Buddhas of the past, future, and present, the three times.' The specific causes are countless, but the most important are two: one is what is sought, and the other is the seeker. What is sought also has two types: one is that one must specifically indicate a direction, marking where the mind belongs. For example, specifically indicating the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, seeking rebirth there, this is the purification of the container world. The second is to specifically remember one Buddha, as a teacher and model, seeking to be a disciple, personally serving and making offerings, this is the purification of the sentient being world. The seeker is precisely the cause of rebirth. There are also six types: one is that one must specifically recite the name of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha, two is that one must prostrate, three is that one must praise, four is that one must make vows, five is that one must contemplate, and six is that one must dedicate the merit. Recitation of the Buddha's name also has two types: one is mental recitation, and the other is vocal recitation. Mental recitation also has two types: one is to contemplate the physical form of the Buddha, that is, the body of Amitabha (Amitabha) Buddha, which has eighty-four thousand characteristics, and each characteristic has eighty-four thousand minor marks of excellence. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。好有八万四千光明等。二念佛智身。谓阿弥陀佛。有五分法身大慈大悲力无畏等也。二口念者。若心无力。须将口来扶。将口引心。令不散乱。如经说。若人念阿弥陀佛。得百万遍已去。决定得生极乐世界。绰禅师捡得此经。若能七日专心念佛。即得百万遍也。由此义故。经中多道七日念佛也。二礼拜者。须正面西方。想阿弥陀佛如对目前。严持香花。口称佛名。五体投地。再三扣头。愿生彼土。可诵取龙树菩萨十二礼。谓稽首天人所恭敬。阿弥陀佛仙两足尊。在彼微妙安乐国。无量佛子众围绕等。此是禅那三藏别译出也。三赞叹者。须别赞阿弥陀佛。或色或心。或依报或正报。或立或坐。直视西方。如对目前。一心赞叹。愿生净土。可诵取大乘十住毗婆娑中。龙树菩萨偈颂。及往生论中赞文也。四发愿者。须别发愿求生极乐。或愿自身往生。或愿众生往生。或愿释迦遣送。或愿弥陀来迎。或愿常游净土。或愿永离胎形。或愿临终安隐。或愿正念现前。如是种种随心发愿。如宝性论偈曰。依此诸功德。愿于命终时。得见弥陀佛无边功德身。我及余信者。既见彼佛已。愿得离垢眼。证无上菩提也。五观察者。须别标西方依正两报。种种观察。如观经十六观中。前七是依报。后九是正报。又如往生论。依报有十七种庄严 现代汉语译本： 好，有八万四千光明等等。第二是念佛智身，指的是阿弥陀佛（Amitabha，意为无量光佛），具有五分法身，大慈大悲，力量无畏等等。第二是口念，如果心力不足，需要用口来辅助，用口引导心，使心不散乱。如经书所说，如果有人念阿弥陀佛（Amitabha），达到百万遍之后，必定能够往生极乐世界。绰禅师验证了这部经书，如果能够七日专心念佛，就能达到百万遍。因为这个缘故，经书中多次提到七日念佛。第二是礼拜，必须正面朝向西方，想象阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）就在眼前，庄严地拿着香和花，口中称念佛名，五体投地，再三叩头，愿望往生到那个净土。可以诵读龙树菩萨（Nagarjuna）的十二礼，即‘稽首天人所恭敬，阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）仙两足尊，在彼微妙安乐国，无量佛子众围绕’等等。这是禅那三藏（Dhyana）另外翻译出来的。第三是赞叹，必须特别赞叹阿弥陀佛（Amitabha），无论是赞叹他的色身还是心，无论是赞叹他的依报还是正报，无论是赞叹他的站立还是坐姿，直接看着西方，如同佛在眼前，一心赞叹，愿望往生净土。可以诵读《大乘十住毗婆沙论》中龙树菩萨（Nagarjuna）的偈颂，以及《往生论》中的赞文。第四是发愿，必须特别发愿求生极乐世界，或者愿望自身往生，或者愿望众生往生，或者愿望释迦（Sakyamuni）佛遣送，或者愿望弥陀（Amitabha）佛来迎接，或者愿望常游净土，或者愿望永远脱离胎形，或者愿望临终安稳，或者愿望正念现前。像这样种种随心发愿，如《宝性论》偈所说：‘依靠这些功德，愿在命终时，得见弥陀佛（Amitabha）无边功德身，我和其余信者，既然见到彼佛后，愿能得到离垢眼，证得无上菩提。’第五是观察，必须特别标明西方世界的依报和正报，种种观察。如《观经》十六观中，前七种是依报，后九种是正报。又如《往生论》，依报有十七种庄严。