English
English version: It is fully manifested in one's own nature (inherent nature). It merely borrows a provisional name (an assumed title), yet it fully encompasses real merits. Therefore, it is said that with one utterance of the auspicious name, myriad virtues are simultaneously revealed. Thus, practicing according to this sutra, one only needs to use the recitation of the Buddha's name, the sound of these six syllables, as the object of focus. There is no need to contemplate the Buddha's physical characteristics, lest it confuse the sutra's purpose. The 'Essentials Explained' states: 'Amitābha (Amitābha), is a vast name of myriad virtues, invoking virtue through the name, nothing is left unfulfilled.' Therefore, upholding the name is taken as the primary practice, without needing to engage in contemplation or investigation, making it the simplest and most direct method. Thus, Chewu (a Dharma master) said: 'The Buddha recited in one phrase, all virtues are established in the name, outside of virtue there is no name, invoking virtue through the name, outside of the name there is no virtue, originally pervading all, originally containing all, absolutely perfect and harmonious, inconceivable.' Practitioners of the Lotus School (Pure Land School) should deeply believe in this. It is also said: 'Deep faith and earnest vows, wholeheartedly and sincerely upholding the name, can, in every thought, completely purify all defilements, perfectly reveal the original emptiness, immediately unite with the spiritual source, and directly approach the ocean of fruition (the state of enlightenment).' The 'Preface to the Direct Path' states: 'One phrase of Amitābha (Amitābha), is a horizontal severing of the source of delusion, directly entering the ocean of awakening, the simplest and most direct great expedient method.' As the above quotations show, these are all directly revealing principles, hoping that those who uphold the name will do so with all their heart and mind. A Eulogy on the Buddha Land I have seen some Buddhist students who say that the entire Amitābha Sutra (Amitābha Sutra) is all about one's own mind and nature, and that there is no other Buddha or other land (Amitābha and his Pure Land). Isn't this like seeking the mind by rejecting the environment, or cutting off the head to find life? Kunwen (the author's Dharma name) couldn't bear this, so he wrote this 'Eulogy on the Buddha Land' to warn beginners. Great is this small Amitābha Sutra (Amitābha), the word 'Buddha' appears eighty-five times. Only the three minds (past, present, and future minds) are seen within it, how dare you say there is no Buddha, is this not offensive? The word 'land' is found twenty-one times, but the word 'nature' cannot be found anywhere. Clearly, the existence of the land is a complete teaching, unlike the Small Vehicle (Hinayana) which mostly speaks of stillness (Nirvana). Praising the Name** My chanting of the Buddha's name is not the same, it relies entirely on delusional thoughts to manifest great merit. In peaceful times, who knows the power of soldiers? Only when thieves arrive do you see the general's might. Empty delusions, tangled like silk, how would you know without reciting Amitābha (Amitābha)? The mirror of the mind is newly polished, and all reflections appear, you should know that the Buddha's name is wonderfully inconceivable. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
称佛名。用珠算。转凡成圣功难判。欲求极乐速超生。只要朝朝数不乱。 口称佛。心必清。如人重魇闻呼声。因兹不怕心多乱。只怕口中断佛音。 莲宗初祖。念佛三昧序云。夫玄音之扣。尘累每销滞情融朗。非天下之至妙。其孰能与于此。古昆所以每劝持名者。切莫怕妄想。嫌罪垢。而先求一心不乱。只要出音记数。毕命为期。佛一出音。珠一记数。尘累每销。滞情融朗。功愈胜矣。经云。于念念中。除八十亿劫生死之罪。即尘累每销。又云。散心称一声。皆已成佛道。即滞情融朗。岂有不令妄想。时时而轻。罪垢时时而减。一声佛一声相应。声声佛声声相应。亦此之谓欤。当知出音记数。毕命为期。纵未到一心不乱。信愿必然坚固。往生决定可期。不过品位暂低而已。故要解云。得生与否。全由信愿之有无。品位高下。全由持名之深浅。奉告有缘之士。于持名时。只要令音声不绝。不必着一心不乱。音声不绝是因。一心不乱是果。因行若真。果必成就。自然而然。所谓形直则影端。声和则响顺。可惜今时人。佛尚不肯常称。于句句中。有销尘融滞之功德。亦不知。便先想一心不乱。岂非鸟无翼而欲飞。树无根而欲茂。所以每每念弥陀。每每没滋味。念得妄想多。便向别门去。呜呼哀哉。净 现代汉语译本 称念佛名，使用念珠计数，从凡人转变为圣人的功德难以衡量。想要快速往生极乐世界，只要每天计数不乱即可。 口中称念佛号，心中必定清净。就像人被梦魇压住时听到呼唤声一样。因此不怕心中杂念多，只怕口中中断佛的音声。 莲宗初祖（指慧远大师）。念佛三昧序中说：‘玄妙的声音一发出，尘世的牵累就会消散，滞涩的情感也会变得流畅明朗。如果不是天下最玄妙的法门，谁能做到这样呢？’所以古昆（指慧远大师）总是劝人持名念佛，切莫害怕妄想，嫌弃罪业深重，而首先追求一心不乱。只要发出声音计数，以尽此一生为期限。佛号一出声，念珠就记数一次，尘世的牵累就会逐渐消散，滞涩的情感也会变得流畅明朗，功德会更加殊胜。经中说：‘在每一个念头中，消除八十亿劫生死之罪。’这就是尘世的牵累逐渐消散。又说：‘即使是散乱的心称念一声佛号，也已经种下成佛的因。’这就是滞涩的情感变得流畅明朗。怎么会不让妄想时时减轻，罪业时时减少呢？一声佛号一声相应，声声佛号声声相应，说的就是这个道理吧。应当知道发出声音计数，以尽此一生为期限，即使没有达到一心不乱，信愿也必然会坚固，往生极乐世界必定可以期待，只不过品位暂时低一些而已。所以《要解》中说：‘能否往生，完全取决于信愿的有无；品位高低，完全取决于持名念佛的深浅。’奉劝有缘之人，在持名念佛时，只要让音声不间断，不必执着于一心不乱。音声不间断是因，一心不乱是果。如果因地上的修行是真实的，果报必定会成就，自然而然。这就是所谓的形体正直影子就端正，声音和谐回响就顺畅。可惜现在的人，佛号尚且不肯常常称念，对于句句佛号中，有消除尘垢融化滞碍的功德，也不知道，便先想着要一心不乱，这岂不是像鸟没有翅膀却想飞，树没有根却想茂盛吗？所以常常念阿弥陀佛，常常觉得没有滋味，念得妄想多，便向其他法门去了。呜呼哀哉！净土法门啊！'
English
English version Chanting the Buddha's name, using prayer beads to count, the merit of transforming from a mortal to a saint is difficult to measure. If you want to be reborn in the Pure Land quickly, just keep the count steady every day. The mouth chants the Buddha's name, the heart must be pure. Like a person being held down by a nightmare hearing a calling voice. Therefore, do not be afraid of many distracting thoughts in your mind, only fear that the sound of the Buddha will be interrupted in your mouth. The First Patriarch of the Lotus School (referring to Master Huiyuan). The Preface to the Samadhi of Buddha Recitation says: 'When the profound sound is uttered, the burdens of the world will dissipate, and the stagnant emotions will become smooth and clear. If it is not the most profound Dharma in the world, who can do this?' Therefore, Gu Kun (referring to Master Huiyuan) always advises people to uphold the name of the Buddha, do not be afraid of delusions, dislike the heaviness of sins, but first seek single-mindedness. Just make a sound to count, and take the end of this life as the limit. As soon as the Buddha's name is uttered, the prayer beads count once, the burdens of the world will gradually dissipate, and the stagnant emotions will become smooth and clear, and the merit will be even more outstanding. The Sutra says: 'In every thought, eliminate the sins of eighty billion kalpas of birth and death.' This is the gradual dissipation of the burdens of the world. It also says: 'Even if a scattered mind chants the name of the Buddha once, it has already planted the cause of becoming a Buddha.' This is the smooth and clear stagnation of emotions. How can it not make delusions lighter from time to time, and sins less and less? One Buddha's name corresponds to one sound, and every Buddha's name corresponds to every sound, which is what it means. It should be known that making a sound to count, and taking the end of this life as the limit, even if you have not reached single-mindedness, faith and vows will inevitably be firm, and rebirth in the Pure Land can definitely be expected, but the rank is only temporarily lower. Therefore, the Essential Explanation says: 'Whether or not you can be reborn depends entirely on whether you have faith and vows; the level of rank depends entirely on the depth of holding the name.' I would like to advise those who have the opportunity that when holding the name, just keep the sound uninterrupted, and do not have to be attached to single-mindedness. Uninterrupted sound is the cause, and single-mindedness is the result. If the practice on the ground of cause is true, the fruit will surely be achieved, naturally. This is the so-called straight shape, then the shadow is upright, and the harmonious sound is smooth. It is a pity that people nowadays are not willing to chant the Buddha's name often, and they do not know that in every sentence of the Buddha's name, there is the merit of eliminating dust and melting stagnation, so they first want to be single-minded. Isn't this like a bird wanting to fly without wings, and a tree wanting to flourish without roots? Therefore, I often recite Amitabha Buddha, and I often feel tasteless. If I recite too many delusions, I will go to other Dharma doors. Alas! Pure Land Dharma!' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
土法门。衰败至此。可谓极矣。愿我同流。出音记数。努力努力又当知出音是口。记数是身。故妙叶禅师云。能运身口之念。毋论其散。但不间断。自能一心。亦可即名一心。惟行之不休为度。固不必忧散乱矣。如母丧爱子。龙失命珠。不期心一而自一。岂制之令一也。心不可制实在行人勤怠耳。 现代汉语译本： 这种土法门，衰败到如今这个地步，可以说是到极点了。希望我和同修们，用出声念诵和记数的方法。努力啊努力！要知道出声念诵是用口，记数是用身。所以妙叶禅师说：‘能够运用身口意三方面的念头，不必管它是散乱还是集中，只要不间断，自然能够达到一心不乱。也可以称之为一心。’只有坚持不懈地修行才是关键，所以不必担心散乱。就像母亲失去了心爱的儿子，龙失去了宝贵的龙珠一样，不用刻意追求一心，自然而然就会达到一心。哪里是用强制的方法可以达到的呢？心是否能安定，实在取决于修行人是否勤奋努力罢了。
English
English version: This crude method has declined to such an extent that it can be said to have reached its limit. I hope that I and my fellow practitioners will use the method of vocal recitation and counting. Strive, strive! You should know that vocal recitation is with the mouth, and counting is with the body. Therefore, Zen Master Miaoye said: 'If you can use the thoughts of body, speech, and mind, do not worry whether they are scattered or concentrated, but as long as you do not interrupt them, you will naturally be able to achieve single-mindedness. It can also be called single-mindedness.' Only continuous practice is the key, so there is no need to worry about distraction. Just like a mother losing her beloved son, or a dragon losing its precious pearl, without deliberately seeking single-mindedness, it will naturally be achieved. How can it be achieved by forced methods? Whether the mind can be stabilized really depends on whether the practitioner is diligent and hardworking.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------