English
Therefore, if one cultivates the contemplation of no-appearance and no-birth, one cannot be reborn in the Pure Land, because the Dharma-body (Li-fa-shen, the body of Dharma-nature) is without birth. If one wishes to teach others, one can speak of birth, and one can also speak of no-birth. If one cultivates both principle and practice, one will attain the highest level of rebirth. Question: As the Diamond Sutra (Jin-gang-ban-ruo-jing, Diamond Sutra) says, 'If one sees me through form, or seeks me through sound, that person is practicing a heretical path and cannot see the Tathagata.' Also, the Buddha-pitaka Sutra (Fo-zang-jing, Buddha-pitaka Sutra) says, 'To see the Buddha is a great heretical view.' Why do you now teach people to contemplate Amitabha Buddha (A-mi-tuo-fo, Amitabha Buddha) as having eighty-four thousand characteristics? Answer: This matter has already been answered. These sutras all speak from the perspective of the Dharma-body principle. Therefore, the Diamond Sutra says, 'That wonderful body of the Tathagata is the Dharma-body of all Buddhas. The Dharma-body cannot be seen, nor can it be known by consciousness.' Now, contemplating the eighty-four thousand characteristics is the contemplation of the manifested body. If one cultivates this contemplation, one must clearly distinguish each characteristic, and not confuse them. If someone says that all dharmas are empty, what principle or practice is there? This is a person with great heretical views, a foolish person, an unlearned person, a person who deceives the world. Do not speak with them. Therefore, the Madhyamaka-karika (Zhong-lun, Madhyamaka-karika) says, 'If one sees a Tathagata, that is a minor heretical view. If one says there is no Tathagata, that is a gross heretical view.' There are two kinds of faults: one is destroying worldly happiness, and the other is destroying the path to Nirvana. This treatise speaks from the perspective of principle. If speaking from the perspective of phenomena, seeing a Tathagata is a correct view, and one will certainly be reborn in the Pure Land. Also, the Bodhisattva-bhumi Sutra (Di-chi-lun, Bodhisattva-bhumi Sutra) says, 'It is better to have a view of existence as high as Mount Sumeru (Xu-mi-shan, Mount Sumeru) than to have a view of emptiness as small as a mustard seed.' Question: Earlier, it was said that reciting the Buddha's name cuts off the stream of suffering and allows one to be reborn in the Pure Land. From which sutra does this come? Answer: It comes from the Infinite Life Sutra (Wu-liang-shou-jing, Infinite Life Sutra), which says, 'Horizontally cutting off the five evil realms, the evil realms naturally close, ascending the path without limit, easy to go but no one goes.' Question: Earlier, it was said that reciting the Buddha's name does not lead to the three evil paths. From which sutra does this come? Answer: As the Sutra on the Realm of Crossing All Buddhas (Du-zhu-fo-jing-jie-jing) says, 'If all sentient beings, connected to the Tathagata, give rise to all practices, they will cut off countless kalpas of hell, animal realm.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
生饿鬼。若有众生。一念作意。缘如来者。所得功德不可称量。百千万亿那由他。诸大菩萨。不能计挍知其边际。 问曰。前云念佛灭罪。出何经文。 答如观佛三昧经说。若我弟子舍离愦闹。昼夜六时。于一时中。分为少分。小分之中。能须臾间。念佛白毫相。令心了了。无谬乱相。正住注意。若见相好。若不得见。此人除却九十六亿那由他恒河沙微尘数劫生死之罪。又如大悲经说。阿难若三千大千世界。满中须陀洹斯陀含阿那含阿罗汉。若有善男子善女人。若一劫。若减一劫。以诸称意一切乐具。恭敬尊重。谦下供养。于意云何。是善男子善女人。得福多不。阿难言甚多。世尊。佛告阿难。若复有人。于诸佛所。但一合掌。一称名。如是福德。比前福德。百分不及一。千分不及一。百千亿分不及一。迦罗分不及一。何以故。以诸佛如来诸福田中为最无上。又如地藏菩萨经说。若人欲生他方现在净土。应随世界佛之名字。专意诵念一心不乱。决定得生彼佛净土。善根增长速成不退。 问曰。净土者。乃是法藏巧诱之要归。释迦怀中之妙术。六道赖之苏息。四生托以栖神。居净刹而永安。望娑婆而长揖。宁止修三福。蹬乎上品。亦乃发十念而得下生。此则庶类同归不遗一人矣。而今论者。悟我以要 堕入饿鬼道。如果众生，哪怕只是一念之间忆念如来（Tathagata，佛的称号之一），所获得的功德也是不可称量。即使成百上千亿那由他（Nayuta，极大的数字单位）的大菩萨，也无法计算得知其边际。 问：前面说念佛可以灭罪，出自哪部经文？ 答：如《观佛三昧经》所说：‘如果我的弟子舍弃喧闹，昼夜六时（指一昼夜的六个时段），在其中一时中，再分出少许时间，在这少许时间里，能够片刻忆念佛的白毫相（Buddha's urna，佛眉间白毫），令心明了，没有错乱之相，端正专注。如果见到佛的相好，或者没有见到，此人就能消除九十六亿那由他恒河沙微尘数劫（Kalpa，极长的时间单位）的生死之罪。’又如《大悲经》所说：‘阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一），如果三千大千世界（Trisahasra-Mahasahasra-Lokadhatu，佛教宇宙观中的一个宇宙）中，充满须陀洹（Srotapanna，小乘佛教修行第一果位）、斯陀含（Sakrdagamin，小乘佛教修行第二果位）、阿那含（Anagamin，小乘佛教修行第三果位）、阿罗汉（Arhat，小乘佛教修行第四果位），如果有善男子善女人，用一劫（Kalpa，极长的时间单位），或者减少一劫的时间，用各种称心如意的一切乐具，恭敬尊重，谦下供养，你认为如何？这位善男子善女人，得到的福报多吗？’阿难回答说：‘非常多，世尊。’佛告诉阿难：‘如果有人，在诸佛处，仅仅合掌一次，称念一声佛名，这样的福德，比前面的福德，百分不及一，千分不及一，百千亿分不及一，迦罗分不及一（kala，极小的单位）。为什么呢？因为诸佛如来是诸福田中最为无上的。’又如《地藏菩萨经》所说：‘如果有人想往生他方现在净土（Pure Land，佛教中理想的国土），应当随顺该世界佛的名字，专心诵念，一心不乱，必定能够往生彼佛净土，善根增长，迅速成就，永不退转。’ 问：净土法门，乃是法藏比丘（Dharmakara，阿弥陀佛成佛前的名字）巧妙引导众生的重要归宿，是释迦牟尼佛（Sakyamuni，佛教创始人）怀中的精妙法术，六道（Six realms，众生轮回的六个去处）依赖它得以苏息，四生（Four kinds of birth，众生出生的四种方式）依托它得以安身。居住在清净的刹土而永远安乐，遥望娑婆世界（Saha World，我们所居住的充满烦恼的世界）而长久告别。不仅仅是修习三福（Three kinds of meritorious deeds），就能登上上品往生，而且是发起十念（Ten recitations，临终时念佛十声）就能得到下品往生。这样，各类众生都能一同归向净土，不遗漏任何一人。而现在评论者，用开悟的‘我’作为要点。
English
They are reborn as hungry ghosts. If there are sentient beings who, with a single thought, contemplate the Tathagata (Tathagata, one of the titles of the Buddha), the merit they obtain is immeasurable. Even hundreds of thousands of millions of Nayutas (Nayuta, an extremely large numerical unit) of great Bodhisattvas cannot calculate or know its extent. Question: Earlier it was said that reciting the Buddha's name can eradicate sins. From which scripture does this come? Answer: As the Contemplation on the Buddha Samadhi Sutra says: 'If my disciples abandon noisy disturbances and, during the six periods of day and night (referring to the six time periods of a day and night), divide one of those periods into a small portion, and within that small portion, are able to momentarily contemplate the Buddha's urna (Buddha's urna, the white hair between the Buddha's eyebrows), causing the mind to be clear, without any confused appearances, and dwell attentively, whether they see the auspicious marks or do not see them, this person will eliminate the sins of birth and death of ninety-six billion Nayutas of Ganges sand-dust number of kalpas (Kalpa, an extremely long unit of time).' Furthermore, as the Great Compassion Sutra says: 'Ananda (Ananda, one of the Buddha's ten great disciples), if the Trisahasra-Mahasahasra-Lokadhatu (Trisahasra-Mahasahasra-Lokadhatu, a universe in Buddhist cosmology) were filled with Srotapannas (Srotapanna, the first fruit of Hinayana Buddhist practice), Sakrdagamins (Sakrdagamin, the second fruit of Hinayana Buddhist practice), Anagamins (Anagamin, the third fruit of Hinayana Buddhist practice), and Arhats (Arhat, the fourth fruit of Hinayana Buddhist practice), and if a good man or good woman, for one kalpa (Kalpa, an extremely long unit of time), or less than one kalpa, with all kinds of pleasing and delightful things, respectfully, reverently, and humbly made offerings, what do you think? Would this good man or good woman obtain much merit?' Ananda replied: 'Very much, World Honored One.' The Buddha told Ananda: 'If someone, at the places of all the Buddhas, merely joins their palms once and utters the Buddha's name once, the merit of this is less than one percent, less than one thousandth, less than one hundred thousand millionth, less than one kala (kala, an extremely small unit) compared to the previous merit. Why? Because all the Buddhas and Tathagatas are the most supreme of all fields of merit.' Furthermore, as the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra says: 'If a person wishes to be born in another present Pure Land (Pure Land, an ideal land in Buddhism), they should follow the name of the Buddha of that world, recite it with focused intention, with one-pointedness of mind, without confusion, and they will definitely be born in that Buddha's Pure Land, their roots of goodness will grow, they will quickly achieve, and never regress.' Question: The Pure Land Dharma is the skillful and important refuge of Dharmakara Bhikshu (Dharmakara, the name of Amitabha Buddha before becoming a Buddha), the wonderful technique in the bosom of Sakyamuni Buddha (Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism), the six realms (Six realms, the six destinations of sentient beings' reincarnation) rely on it for respite, and the four kinds of birth (Four kinds of birth, the four ways sentient beings are born) depend on it for dwelling. Living in a pure Buddha-land and being eternally at peace, looking towards the Saha World (Saha World, the world we live in, full of afflictions) and bidding farewell forever. It is not only by cultivating the three blessings (Three kinds of meritorious deeds) that one can ascend to the upper grades of rebirth, but also by generating ten recitations (Ten recitations, reciting the Buddha's name ten times at the time of death) that one can obtain rebirth in the lower grades. In this way, all kinds of beings can return to the Pure Land together, without leaving anyone behind. But now the commentators, use the enlightened 'self' as the key point. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
术。救我以焚灼。自今以后奉而行之。为颂赞曰。 浑浑三界 浩浩四生 俱称火宅 齐号群盲 昏兹永夜 长寐未惊 聊裁短付 烛此幽明 法藏大愿 志存弘诱 孤标净刹 号无量寿 观开二八 生归一九 影响长弘 千龄不朽 净土论卷下(终) 现代汉语译本： 方法。救我于被焚烧的痛苦之中。从今以后，我将奉行这些教诲。为此作颂赞说： 浑浑噩噩的三界（欲界、色界、无色界），浩浩荡荡的四生（胎生、卵生、湿生、化生），都可称为火宅（充满烦恼和痛苦的居所）， 都可称为一群盲人（没有智慧，不明真理）。在漫长的永夜（无明的状态）中昏睡，长久地沉睡而没有惊醒。 姑且略作简短的嘱托，用以照亮这幽暗的世界。法藏比丘（阿弥陀佛的前身）的大愿， 在于弘扬和引导众生。他独自建立清净的佛国，号为无量寿（阿弥陀佛）。 观想修行二十八种方法，往生到极乐净土，证得最高的果位。他的影响将长久弘扬， 历经千年也不会衰朽。 《净土论》卷下（终）
English
English version: Methods. Save me from being burned. From now on, I will follow and practice these teachings. Therefore, I offer this praise: The turbid Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, Formless Realm), the vast Four Kinds of Birth (womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, transformation-born), all can be called a burning house (a dwelling full of afflictions and suffering), All can be called a group of blind people (without wisdom, not understanding the truth). Sleeping in the long eternal night (the state of ignorance), sleeping for a long time without awakening. Let me make a brief entrustment to illuminate this dark world. The great vow of Dharmākara Bodhisattva (the previous incarnation of Amitābha Buddha), Lies in propagating and guiding sentient beings. He alone established the pure Buddha-land, named Amitāyus (Amitābha Buddha). Meditate and practice the twenty-eight methods, be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and attain the highest fruit. His influence will be propagated for a long time, And will not decay for thousands of years. The end of Volume Two of the Treatise on the Pure Land --------------------------------------------------------------------------------