English
English version: Yet the difference in judgment is so profound. Present-day Buddhist learners only pursue sharp and novel phrases, delighting in discussing 'both defilement and purity.' They are unaware that they are already submerged deep beneath the abyss, yet claim there is no difference in the world; their bodies are immersed in a latrine, yet they claim that fragrant and foul plants are indistinguishable. How lamentable! Question: If you grab a passerby and ask them, they will all say they are reciting the Buddha's name (Nianfo 念佛). What is heard is merely oral recitation, not mental recitation. If you press them, they will say it is 'correspondence between mind and mouth.' Correspondence between mind and mouth is what produces sound, and it is the movement of the mind that becomes a thought. How can sound be taken as thought? Or, it is said that all phenomena are mind-only; is sound not mind? If so, are the sounds of bells, drums, zithers, and lutes also thoughts? This is simply artificial and disruptive! Answer: Although bells and drums contain resounding tones, they do not sound unless struck. Although zithers and lutes possess wondrous melodies, they do not emit sound without fingers plucking them. Bells, drums, zithers, and lutes are like the external manifestation of lips and tongue; striking and plucking are like the internal movement of mind and thought. If thoughts are extinguished, from where does sound arise? Therefore, even the mumbling of sleep-talking arises from dreams. How can the vast and mighty sound of the Buddha's name not originate from the source of the mind? It is just that worldly people recite casually, without focus or earnestness. Initially, they rely on thought to produce sound; soon, they are distracted by sound and their thoughts become disordered. This is called 'correspondence,' but in reality, it is not correspondence. As Tiānrú (天如) said, 'Mouth and mind, sound corresponds with sound; mind and Buddha, step by step, they are inseparable.' Reciting the Buddha's name in this way, perhaps it may be effective. Question: It was only when Sudhana (善财, Shancai) visited the Bhikshu Devaśrī (德云, Deyun) that he first learned the Dharma gate of Buddha-Recollection (Nianfo 念佛). And later, after traveling south through over a hundred cities and making fifty-four visits, he saw Amitābha Buddha (阿弥陀佛). Only then was Samadhi achieved. Later, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva (文殊, Wenshu) appeared in the Bamboo Grove, simply instructing people to recite Amitābha Buddha. Since Sudhana had already reached the stage of the Ten Faiths, why didn't Mañjuśrī directly point him to immediately see Amitābha, but instead made him travel through over a hundred cities? Are those Buddhist learners who discuss rebirth in the Western Pure Land (西归, Xigui) before visiting the south planning too early? Answer: Teaching him to recite the Buddha's name at the beginning of his pilgrimage is to go from the source to the branches. Seeing Amitābha after traveling around is to return from the branches to the root. This is what is meant by 'Nothing does not flow from this Dharma Realm, and nothing does not return to this Dharma Realm.' Therefore, returning west after visiting the south cannot be called a delayed return. Only after being reborn in the Western Pure Land can one travel throughout the ten directions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。何云早计。医王发药。标本随宜。操纵微机。固凡情靡测矣。 问。总摄六根而念佛。此势至语也。念既从心与意之所生。则凡为愿者。回向者。礼者。忏者。一念蔽之矣。世无心外之愿。与心外之回向礼忏也。夫一心念佛。而是佛所发之菩提。即愿也。专向是佛。即回向也。南无。即礼也。一念消生死之罪。即忏也。余可例知矣。念佛有何不足。而纷纷使心乱哉。 答。一心清净。是为理观内明。五体翘勤。乃曰事忏外助。直观本心。非不径要。而末法众生。慧薄垢重。须假理观事忏。内外交攻。庶得定就慧成。死生速脱。但今人惟存事忏。理观全荒。何况外饰虚文。中无实悔。反令清信男女。纷纷乱心。背普贤之愿王。乖慈云之本制。嗟乎伤哉。弊也久矣。 问。观经言。观佛心者。大慈悲是。世人若能放生戒杀。仁民爱物。以至九类众生皆灭度之。而不作灭度想。遂与法藏之心契矣。且又不违释迦观心之训。柰何取观身与称名之粗迹。而反以佛心为助缘耶。 答。念佛有二。一者念佛心性。二者念佛身名。念心性者。见真佛也。不妨觐光明相好之佛于西方。念身名者。见应佛也。亦能睹自性天真之佛于象外。本迹双举。理事同原。心性良非助缘。身名岂云粗迹。今五部六册之徒。借 何谓早作打算？就像医王开出药方，根据病情的标本情况，灵活地进行治疗。这种精妙的操控，实在不是凡夫俗子所能测度的。 问：总摄六根而念佛，这是大势至菩萨所说。念既然是从心和意所生，那么凡是发愿、回向、礼拜、忏悔，都可以用一念来概括。世上没有心外的发愿，也没有心外的回向礼忏。一心念佛，而佛所发的菩提心，就是愿；专心向着佛，就是回向；南无（皈依），就是礼；一念可以消除生死之罪，就是忏。其余的可以依此类推。念佛有什么不足，而要纷纷扰扰地使心混乱呢？ 答：一心清净，这是理观内明；五体投地，精勤礼拜，这是事忏外助。直接观照本心，并非不直接重要。但末法时代的众生，智慧浅薄，业障深重，必须借助理观事忏，内外交攻，才能得到定力成就，智慧增长，迅速脱离生死轮回。但现在的人只注重事忏，理观完全荒废，更何况只是表面上的虚假行为，心中没有真正的忏悔。反而让清信的男女，纷纷扰扰，心生混乱，背离普贤菩萨的愿王，违背慈云忏主的本来制度。唉，可悲啊！这种弊端已经很久了。 问：《观经》说：‘观佛心者，大慈悲是。’世人如果能够放生戒杀，仁爱百姓，爱护万物，乃至使九类众生都得到灭度，而不作灭度之想，就与法藏菩萨的心意相契合了。而且又不违背释迦牟尼佛观心的教诲。为什么只取观身和称名的粗浅方法，反而把佛心作为助缘呢？ 答：念佛有两种，一是念佛的心性，二是念佛的身名。念心性，就是见真佛。不妨在西方净土觐见光明相好的佛。念身名，就是见应化佛。也能在形象之外，见到自性天真的佛。本和迹同时举起，理和事同出一源。心性当然不是助缘，身名怎么能说是粗浅的方法？现在五部六册之徒，借
English
What is early planning? It's like the Medicine King prescribing medicine, adjusting the treatment flexibly according to the symptoms and root causes of the illness. Such subtle manipulation is truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Question: 'Gathering the six senses to recite the Buddha's name,' this is what Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Great Strength Bodhisattva) said. Since recitation arises from the mind and intention, then all vows, dedications, prostrations, and repentances can be encompassed by a single thought. There are no vows outside the mind, nor are there dedications, prostrations, or repentances outside the mind. Reciting the Buddha's name with a single mind, and the Bodhi mind that the Buddha generates, is the vow; focusing solely on the Buddha is the dedication; Namo (taking refuge) is the prostration; a single thought can eliminate the sins of birth and death, which is repentance. The rest can be understood by analogy. What is lacking in reciting the Buddha's name that causes people to be so disturbed and confused? Answer: A pure and concentrated mind is the inner clarity of principle-based contemplation; prostrating with the five limbs and diligently practicing is the external assistance of practice-based repentance. Directly contemplating the original mind is not unimportant. However, beings in the Dharma-ending Age have shallow wisdom and heavy defilements, so they must rely on both principle-based contemplation and practice-based repentance, attacking both internally and externally, in order to attain samadhi and develop wisdom, and quickly escape the cycle of birth and death. But now people only focus on practice-based repentance, completely neglecting principle-based contemplation, and what's more, they only engage in superficial and insincere actions, without genuine remorse in their hearts. This only causes faithful men and women to be disturbed and confused, deviating from the Vows of Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy Bodhisattva) and violating the original rules of Master Ciyun (Compassionate Cloud). Alas, how sad! This malpractice has been going on for a long time. Question: The Contemplation Sutra says, 'Contemplating the Buddha's mind is great compassion.' If people can release living beings, abstain from killing, be kind to the people, cherish all things, and even liberate all nine categories of beings without conceiving the notion of liberation, then they will be in accord with the mind of Dharmākara (Dharma Treasury Bodhisattva). Moreover, they will not violate the teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha on contemplating the mind. Why do they only take the crude methods of contemplating the body and reciting the name, and instead regard the Buddha's mind as an auxiliary condition? Answer: There are two ways to recite the Buddha's name: one is to recite the Buddha's mind-nature, and the other is to recite the Buddha's body and name. Reciting the mind-nature is seeing the true Buddha. It does not prevent one from seeing the Buddha with radiant marks and characteristics in the Western Pure Land. Reciting the body and name is seeing the manifested Buddha. One can also see the Buddha of one's own true nature beyond form. The fundamental and the manifested are raised together, and principle and practice share the same origin. The mind-nature is certainly not an auxiliary condition, and how can the body and name be called crude methods? Now, the followers of the Five Divisions and Six Compilations, using --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
口无为。拨空因果。障人礼像。𠷣彼称名。古德有言。人人丹霞。方可劈佛。个个百丈。始可道无。其或未然。入地狱如箭射。 问。空华巾兔之类。世所谓幻妄也。一切依正之报。世所谓实事也。佛言实事俱是幻妄。则空华巾兔。又当何名。藉令彼之实事果为幻妄。其形状了了虚伪。一空华巾兔可矣。安俟推破。始知幻妄。是故有幻者。有如幻者。有妄者。有如妄者。彼同居净土。幻妄耶。如幻妄耶。全妄是真。全幻是中。同居秽土。即同居净土。同居净土。即上三土耶。 答。空华巾兔。固全体虚无。肉兔树华。亦从来幻妄。本不推而自破。但在迷而未知。故正幻与如幻无殊。实妄与似妄何别。同居净土。盖即幻即如。即真即中者矣。统而论之。即秽即净。即一即三。毕竟空寂。有何阶限。然虽如是。情见未破。欣厌犹存。应须消除幻妄。证入真常。捐弃秽邦。求生净国。若夫舍垢取净。是生死业。常禅师语使未着在。 问。约心观佛。以妄心。观妄佛。所见之佛即妄也。悟如镜像。如虚空。妄体全真。乃得证入莲品。假如魔化佛身。亦妄也。妄与前妄。无二无别。则此妄岂不即空假中。当体全真。而必欲遣之。遣着何去。 答。别真妄。辨佛魔。一代时教。不得不然。据实而论。真亦 不立。有何妄焉。佛且是无。谁为魔者。不见有魔。尚安用遣。如其阴识犹封。未许拨无魔事。楞严所示。谛审思之。 问。昔人云。佛。日也。状佛性者。曰。如杲日丽空。状佛光者。亦曰。如百千日。此日观所繇立也。非生盲人。无不见日。取其观心易成。而诸师舍此。据作毫相之观。疑于故紊观经次序矣。或谓恐吸日精者混之。独不虑黄阙眉间之论。矣门明堂之说。混我中观耶。 答。不观日轮。而观毫相。越次而行。是自有说。良以观门虽广也。而标大主。则言佛便周。佛相虽多也。而表中道。则唯毫是统。盖为夫乐简便而惮繁剧者设也。似乎越次。实则无伤。独慨夫法立魔随。以邪混正。有不可胜举者矣。噫。不但谬解经文。兼复流成世害。吸日月。而纳妖祟以亡身。守印堂。而聚火热以盲目。逼脐气而成蛊满。运任督而结痈疽。祸及良民。殃遗后代。可不悲夫。 问。净土之无女人。恐惑行人也。而观音自净土出。往往化为女人。如所称马郎妇等者。合论指善财所见童女之类。并是慈相。盖地上菩萨。始行慈度人耳。佛心既是慈悲。反于本刹。显威光而不呈慈相。何也。 答。娑婆欲染偏重。故观音即女以转其心。善财差别未明。故婆须现女以通其智。非慈化之谓也。行慈而现 女。慈化未行。欲染先炽矣。九莲佳士。始习净心。有女以损善芽。甚不宜矣。 问。末法。般舟三昧经先灭。无量寿经更留。夫般舟所祈见者。此弥陀也。观经所祈见者。亦此弥陀也。谓常行为难。则成观亦难。谓见佛前立为难。则今之习观者。方以日观难成。直观毫相矣。岂有今日难成之观。而法灭时。更易为力也。 答。无量寿经更留住世者。大弥陀经是也。非十六观经也。良以称名易举。观想难成。般舟先观足轮。逆缘而上。亦观经之类耳。佛境胜而凡心粗。难就一心三观。宴安便而勤苦逆。谁肯却坐常行。而六字称名。则三尺童子办之矣。此经偏救末世。岂偶然哉。 问。慈云开理一心。事一心。夫一心穷理。一心作事。是二心互起。如双桴两杵。乱动不休。奚云不乱。若理如事。事如理。彼一心即此一心。则单用一心。有何不可。礼师云。附事显理。又是一种观法。不合曰理观事观。天台教门固如是。慈云乃其后嗣。何独不如是。 答。智一也。而明权实。非裂智以成双。心一也。而说妄真。不破心而为二。观有理事。亦何碍焉。譬之镜像别而不离。水月分而不断。就事而思其理。理在事中。从理而推其事。事非理外。何待两处起念。桴杵乱投故理事者。一而二。二而一。不相 现代汉语译本： 女子啊，慈悲教化尚未推行，情欲的火焰却已先炽热起来。那些在九莲道场修行的优秀人士，刚刚开始学习清净心，有女子来损毁他们的善根，实在是不应该啊。 问：末法时代，《般舟三昧经》（Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra，一种通过念佛而得见诸佛的三昧法门）会先灭绝，《无量寿经》（Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life，净土宗的重要经典）会留存更久。而《般舟三昧经》所祈求见到的，是阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha）。《观经》（Contemplation Sutra，即《佛说观无量寿佛经》）所祈求见到的，也是阿弥陀佛。如果说常行（constant walking meditation）很难，那么成就观想也很难。如果说见到佛站在面前很难，那么现在学习观想的人，正觉得观日（sun contemplation）难以成就，只能直接观想佛的毫相（urna，佛眉间白毫）。难道会有今天难以成就的观想，在佛法灭绝的时候，反而更容易修习吗？ 答：《无量寿经》留住世间更久，指的是《大弥陀经》（Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life），而不是《十六观经》（Contemplation Sutra，即《佛说观无量寿佛经》）。因为称念佛名容易做到，观想却难以成就。《般舟三昧经》先观想足轮，然后逆着因缘向上观想，也属于《观经》之类。佛的境界殊胜而凡夫的心粗糙，难以成就一心三观（one mind three contemplations）。安逸的生活舒适而勤苦的修行令人厌恶，谁肯舍弃安逸而选择常行呢？而六字名号（six-syllable mantra，即“南无阿弥陀佛”）的称念，即使是三尺高的孩童也能做到。这部经偏重救度末法时代的众生，难道是偶然的吗？ 问：慈云法师开示的理一心（principle one-mindedness），事一心（phenomenal one-mindedness）。如果说一心穷究真理，一心用来做事，这是两种心互相生起，就像两个鼓槌敲击两面鼓，不停地乱动，怎么能说是不乱呢？如果理就是事，事就是理，那个一心就是这个一心，那么只用一个心，有什么不可以呢？礼师说，依附于事来显现理，又是一种观法，不应该说是理观事观。天台宗（Tiantai school）的教义本来就是这样，慈云法师是天台宗的后代传人，为什么唯独不像天台宗那样呢？ 答：智慧虽然是一个，却能明白权巧和真实。不是把智慧撕裂成两个。心虽然是一个，却能说妄想和真如，不是把心破开成两个。观想有理观和事观，又有什么妨碍呢？譬如镜中的影像，虽然不同却不分离。水中的月亮，虽然分开却不中断。就事来思考其中的理，理就在事之中。从理来推及它的事，事不在理之外。何必等到两个地方都生起念头，鼓槌乱投呢？所以说理事，一而二，二而一，不相违背。