English
English version The principle is the same as profound salvation. Do not use the mind to grasp the mind; also, do not dwell in absolute severance. If the mind exists, do not let it grasp the mind; if it's true, then guard the abyss of truth. Cultivation leads to detachment from the mind; accumulated cultivation does not support detachment. If the will is like cultivating with a mind, one's karma lacks one's own wisdom. Various foods cause the qi (energy) to congeal; not all congealing is long-lasting and fixed. The qi follows the original qi; what is taken should be released accordingly. Also, do not seek non-thought; if there is meaning, there is thought. This Dharma should be upheld in this way. Collection of Various Sutras and Repentance Rituals, Volume 1 Taisho Tripitaka, Volume 47, No. 1982, Collection of Various Sutras and Repentance Rituals Collection of Various Sutras and Repentance Rituals, Volume 2 Composed by the Shramana Zhisheng (智升) of the Xichongfu Temple of the Great Tang Dynasty Collected and Recorded by Bhikshu Shandao (善导) A single scroll of 'Verses in Praise of Rebirth' encourages all sentient beings to aspire to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Amitabha (阿弥陀佛) Buddha, along with 'Verses in Praise for the Six Periods of the Day'. Respectfully based on the Mahayana Sutras, and the 'Rebirth Praises' created by Nagarjuna (龙树), Vasubandhu (天亲), and Shramanas of this land, collected in one place and divided into six periods. It is solely intended to continuously connect the mind, assist in accomplishing rebirth, and also to enlighten those who have not heard, so that distant generations may benefit. What are they? First, relying on Shakya (释迦) and all the Buddhas of the ten directions, praise the twelve light names of Amitabha (弥陀), encouraging recitation and reverence, ensuring rebirth in that land. Nineteen prostrations. Performed at sunset. Second, respectfully based on the Mahayana Sutras, essential passages are collected to form verses of praise. Twenty-three prostrations. Performed at the beginning of the night. Third, based on Nagarjuna (龙树) Bodhisattva's verses of aspiration for rebirth. Sixteen prostrations. Performed in the middle of the night. Fourth, based on Vasubandhu (天亲) Bodhisattva's verses of aspiration for rebirth. Twenty prostrations. Performed in the later part of the night. Fifth, based on Dharma Master Yancong's (彦琮) verses of aspiration for rebirth. Twenty-two prostrations. Performed in the morning. Sixth, Monk Shandao's (善导) verses of aspiration for rebirth. Based on the Sixteen Contemplations, twenty prostrations are performed. Performed at noon. Question: Now, wishing to encourage people to be reborn, how should one settle the mind, initiate practice, and perform actions to ensure rebirth? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
彼国土也。答曰。必欲生彼国土者。如观经说。先具三心必得往生。何者为三。一者至诚心。所谓身业礼拜彼佛。口业赞叹称扬彼佛。意业专念观察彼佛。凡起三业必须真实。故名至诚心。二者深心。即是真实信心。信知自身是具足烦恼凡夫善根薄少。流转三界不出火宅。今信知弥陀本弘誓愿。及称名号下至十声等定得往生。乃至一念无有疑心。故名深心。三者回向发愿心。所作一切善根悉皆回愿往生。故名回向发愿心。具此三心必得往生也。若少一心即不得生。如观经具说应知。 又如天亲净土论云。若有愿生彼国者。劝修五念门。五门若具定得往生。何者为五。一者身业礼拜门。所谓一心专至恭敬合掌。香华供养。礼拜彼阿弥陀佛。礼即专礼彼佛毕命为期。不杂余礼故名礼拜门。 二者口业赞叹门。所谓专忆赞叹彼佛身相光明。一切圣众身相光明。及彼国中一切宝庄严光明等。故名赞叹门。 三者意业忆念观察门。所谓专意念观彼佛及一切圣众身相光明国土庄严等。如观经说。唯除睡时。恒忆恒念恒想恒观此事等。故名观察门。 四者作愿门。所谓专心若昼若夜。一切时一切处。三业四威仪所作功德。不问初中后。皆须真实心中发愿愿生彼国故名作愿门。 五者回向门。所谓专心 现代汉语译本： 问：要怎样才能往生到那个佛国呢？ 答：如果真心想往生到那个佛国，就像《观经》里说的那样，首先要具备三种心，必定可以往生。哪三种心呢？第一是至诚心，就是身业要礼拜阿弥陀佛（Amitabha，梵语，意为无量光或无量寿），口业要赞叹称扬阿弥陀佛，意业要专心忆念观察阿弥陀佛。凡是起这三种业，都必须是真实的，所以叫做至诚心。第二是深心，也就是真实的信心。深信自己是具足烦恼的凡夫，善根浅薄，在三界中流转，无法脱离火宅。现在深信阿弥陀佛的本愿誓愿，以及称念阿弥陀佛名号，哪怕只念十声等，也必定可以往生，甚至一念之间都没有丝毫怀疑，所以叫做深心。第三是回向发愿心，就是把自己所做的一切善根，全部回向发愿往生西方极乐世界，所以叫做回向发愿心。具备这三种心，必定可以往生。如果缺少其中任何一种心，就不能往生，就像《观经》里详细说明的那样，应该知道。 又如天亲菩萨（Vasubandhu，佛教瑜伽行派的代表人物之一）在《净土论》中说，如果有人希望往生到西方极乐世界，就应该修习五念门。如果五念门都具备了，必定可以往生。哪五种呢？第一是身业礼拜门，就是一心专诚恭敬地合掌，用香和花供养，礼拜阿弥陀佛。这个礼拜就是专心礼拜阿弥陀佛，以毕生的时间为期限，不夹杂其他的礼拜，所以叫做礼拜门。 第二是口业赞叹门，就是专心忆念赞叹阿弥陀佛的身相光明，以及一切圣众的身相光明，还有那个佛国中一切宝物的庄严光明等等，所以叫做赞叹门。 第三是意业忆念观察门，就是专心忆念观察阿弥陀佛以及一切圣众的身相光明和国土庄严等等，就像《观经》里说的那样，除了睡觉的时候，要经常忆念、经常思念、经常想象、经常观察这些事情等等，所以叫做观察门。 第四是作愿门，就是专心无论是白天还是黑夜，无论任何时间任何地点，用身口意三业和行住坐卧四威仪所做的一切功德，不论是开始、中间还是最后，都必须从真实的心中发出愿望，愿望往生到西方极乐世界，所以叫做作愿门。 第五是回向门，就是专心
English
English version: Question: How can one be reborn in that Buddha-land? Answer: If one sincerely desires to be reborn in that Buddha-land, as stated in the Contemplation Sutra (Guan Jing), one must first possess three minds to ensure rebirth. What are these three? First is the Utmost Sincere Mind, which means that one's bodily actions should be to reverently bow to that Buddha (Amitabha, Sanskrit, meaning Infinite Light or Infinite Life), one's verbal actions should be to praise and extol that Buddha, and one's mental actions should be to single-mindedly contemplate and observe that Buddha. All three actions must be genuine, hence the name Utmost Sincere Mind. Second is the Profound Mind, which is true faith. It is to believe that oneself is an ordinary being full of afflictions, with meager roots of goodness, transmigrating within the Three Realms and unable to escape the burning house. Now, one believes in Amitabha's fundamental vows and that reciting his name, even as few as ten times, will certainly lead to rebirth, without any doubt even for a single moment. Hence the name Profound Mind. Third is the Mind of Dedication and Aspiration, which means dedicating all the good roots one has cultivated to aspire for rebirth in the Pure Land. Hence the name Mind of Dedication and Aspiration. Possessing these three minds ensures rebirth. Lacking even one of these minds will prevent rebirth, as detailed in the Contemplation Sutra, which should be understood. Furthermore, as Vasubandhu (a representative figure of the Yogacara school of Buddhism) states in his Treatise on the Pure Land (Jingtu Lun), if one wishes to be reborn in that land, one should cultivate the Five Gates of Mindfulness. Possessing all five gates ensures rebirth. What are these five? First is the Gate of Bodily Worship, which means single-mindedly and sincerely joining palms in reverence, offering incense and flowers, and bowing to Amitabha Buddha. This worship is dedicated solely to Amitabha Buddha, with a lifelong commitment, without mixing in other forms of worship, hence the name Gate of Worship. Second is the Gate of Verbal Praise, which means single-mindedly recalling and praising the physical characteristics and radiance of that Buddha, as well as the physical characteristics and radiance of all the holy beings, and the radiance of all the precious adornments in that land, hence the name Gate of Praise. Third is the Gate of Mental Recollection and Observation, which means single-mindedly recollecting and observing that Buddha and the physical characteristics and radiance of all the holy beings, as well as the adornments of the land, as stated in the Contemplation Sutra. Except when sleeping, one should constantly recollect, constantly contemplate, constantly imagine, and constantly observe these things, hence the name Gate of Observation. Fourth is the Gate of Making Aspirations, which means single-mindedly, whether day or night, at all times and in all places, with all the merits accumulated through the three karmas (body, speech, and mind) and the four modes of conduct (walking, standing, sitting, and lying down), whether at the beginning, middle, or end, one must genuinely make the aspiration from the heart to be reborn in that land, hence the name Gate of Making Aspirations. Fifth is the Gate of Dedication, which means single-mindedly --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
若自作善根。及一切三乘五道一一圣凡等所作善根。深生随喜。如诸佛菩萨所作随喜。我亦如是随喜。以此随喜善根及己所作善根。皆悉与众生共之回向彼国。故名回向门。 又到彼国已得六神通。回入生死教化众生。彻穷后际心无厌足。乃至成佛。亦名回向门。五门既具定得往生。一一门与上三心合。随起业行不问多少。皆名真实业也。应知。 又观行四修法。用策三心五念之行。速得往生。何者为四。 一者恭敬修。所谓恭敬礼拜彼佛及彼一切圣众等。故名恭敬修。毕命为期誓不中止。即是长时修。 二者无余修。所谓专称彼佛名。专念专想专礼专赞彼佛及一切圣众等。不杂余业。故名无余修。毕命为期誓不中止。即是长时修。 三者无间修。所谓相续恭敬礼拜称名赞叹忆念观察回向发愿。心心相续不以余业来间。故名无间修。又不以贪瞋烦恼来间随犯随忏。不令隔念隔时隔日。常使清净。亦名无间修。毕命为期誓不中止。即是长时修。 又菩萨已免生死。所作善法回求佛果。即是自利。教化众生尽未来际。即是利他。然今时众生悉为烦恼系缚。未免恶道生死等苦。随缘起行一切善根。且速回愿往生弥陀佛国。到彼国已更无所畏如上四修自然任运。自利利他无不具足。应知 现代汉语译本：如果自己做了善根，以及一切三乘（声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）五道（地狱、饿鬼、畜生、人、天）中每一位圣者凡夫等所做的善根，都深深地随喜。如同诸佛菩萨所做的随喜一样，我也如此随喜。将这些随喜的善根以及自己所做的善根，全部与众生共同回向到西方极乐世界。所以叫做回向门。 又到达西方极乐世界后，得到六神通（天眼通、天耳通、他心通、宿命通、神足通、漏尽通），再回到生死轮回中教化众生，直到穷尽未来，内心也没有厌倦满足的时候，乃至最终成佛。这也叫做回向门。五门（礼拜门、赞叹门、作愿门、观察门、回向门）都具备了，必定能够往生。每一门都与前面的三种心（至诚心、深心、回向发愿心）相结合，无论发起什么样的业行，不论多少，都叫做真实业。应当知道。 再有，用观行四修法来策励三种心和五念（念佛身、念佛相、念佛光明、念佛功德、念佛名号）之行，迅速得到往生。哪四种呢？ 第一是恭敬修。就是恭敬礼拜阿弥陀佛以及西方极乐世界的一切圣众等。所以叫做恭敬修。以毕生的性命为期限，发誓不中止。这就是长时修。 第二是无余修。就是专心称念阿弥陀佛的名号，专心忆念、专心观想、专心礼拜、专心赞叹阿弥陀佛以及一切圣众等，不夹杂其他的行业。所以叫做无余修。以毕生的性命为期限，发誓不中止。这就是长时修。 第三是无间修。就是相续不断地恭敬礼拜、称名赞叹、忆念观察、回向发愿，心心相续，不以其他的行业来间隔。所以叫做无间修。又不以贪婪、嗔恨等烦恼来间隔，随犯随忏悔，不让它隔断念头、隔断时间、隔断日子，常常保持清净。也叫做无间修。以毕生的性命为期限，发誓不中止。这就是长时修。 又菩萨已经脱离了生死轮回，所做的善法回向求取佛果，这就是自利。教化众生直到未来无尽，这就是利他。然而现在的众生都被烦恼束缚，还没有脱离恶道生死的痛苦，随顺因缘发起修行，一切善根，且快速回向发愿往生阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）的佛国。到达西方极乐世界后，再也没有什么可畏惧的，像上面的四种修行自然而然地就能做到，自利利他没有不具备的。应当知道。