English
English version The sound reaches a Buddha-land (Buddha-kshetra). It has already surpassed the immeasurable distance of the Saha world. Wanting to return to one's original land but being unable to. This is because reaching that place is due to the divine power of that Buddha, not the supernatural power of a Sravaka. Now, this Sukhavati (Pure Land) is, for the moment, stated to be distant, temporarily retaining the name of a hundred thousand million kshetras. Investigating its ultimate destination, it actually exceeds the measure of emotions and numbers. Sentient beings are born here, firstly because the Buddha's power of reception is inconceivable, and secondly because the power of vows already made is inconceivable. And what does supernatural power have to do with it? Question: Separating from the illusory body to seek the Dharmakaya (Dharma Body), if there is no Dharmakaya, then this illusory body is the Dharmakaya. Then the Buddha should take this body and send it to the Pure Land, wouldn't that be possible? If the Pure Land should manifest a sixteen-foot-tall body, etc., without taking this leather bag-like old form, it should be like a star falling and turning into a stone, a dove transforming into a hawk. Arriving there and changing, wouldn't that be possible? Alas! The realm of Fulishiqing (a mythological realm), even allows for ascension in broad daylight, the realm of Sukhavati, instead makes ghostly souls cross over in secret. The deluded people of the world, abandoning the nine grades of lotuses and choosing the six realms of reincarnation, is not surprising. Answer: According to the Buddha's divine power, lifting the great thousand world and returning it to the Pure Land is as light as a feather, let alone a physical body, taking it is even easier. The reason why the immortals cannot be liberated is because they are attached to form and spirit. The physical body is equal to foam and dew, one should not take this to be reborn. The Dharma-nature pervades the void, why is it necessary to change there? This is actually secretly transferring the qualities of ordinary people, surpassing the realm of sages and returning together. How can it be compared to secretly delivering ghostly souls, doing the work of the ghost realm? Just seek to be born there, do not discuss the body and mind. Question: The people in the world who seek rebirth are not those who truly want to be reborn. Even if during the time of earnestly reciting the Buddha's name, the Buddha appears before him, guiding him to the West, he will definitely decline, saying that the karmic connections have not been completed, the marriage has not ended, hoping to wait a little longer before dying. And there is another person, different from the previous person, diligently cultivating Samadhi, without interruption for six periods of time, worrying about being lazy later and losing this opportunity, so he throws himself to death, setting himself on fire. Since it is not abandoning the retribution body peacefully like entering Samadhi, would the Buddha, pitying his foolishness, also be willing to reach out and receive him? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
答。智人之修净土也。在生则自净其心。报满则任缘而往。不欲生而恋着世缘者。慢也。急欲生而自残躯命者。愚也。如是之流。轻则摄入魔群。重则沈于恶趣。日光普照。不及覆盆。佛虽大慈。莫之能救。 问。设有一人。前生念佛勤笃。机感未应。今生虽作散善。意常在佛。而为事所绁。不能依法修持。一期报尽。又无所感。此人于中阴身。种子忽萌。十念完就。得见佛往生否。 答。前生以勤笃而植因。今世繇怠缓而失果。若使临终克念。生或可期。待乎中阴发心。势已无及。愿诸仁者。早为之图。 问。有人于此。若一日以至七日。或匝月经年。翘勤勇猛。一心不乱矣。后为他师所夺。令入宗教二门。虽两俱无成。犹不离佛门也。临终时。佛肯怜而收之否欤。又有始勤中怠。终而改悔如初。始勤中恶。终而改悔如初。此人当入下品。当入疑城耶。 答。即念即佛。则念佛何非宗。析空而念藏也。体空而念通也。次第而念别也。一心而念圆也。则念佛何非教。一举双得。谁谓无成。前通后融。不名为夺。如是往生。固无疑矣。祇恐自生分别。心挂二途。愆繇已生。非佛法咎。至若过能改悔。位实难量。释迦翘勤七日。而正觉先成。广额放下屠刀。而菩提立证。下品疑城。未足限之矣 现代汉语译本： 答：智者修持净土法门，在世时就净化自己的内心。寿命终了时，就随顺因缘往生。不希望往生却贪恋世间因缘的人，是傲慢。急切希望往生而自残身体性命的人，是愚痴。像这样的人，轻则被摄入魔的群体，重则沉沦于恶道。如同日光普遍照耀，却照不到覆盖的盆子下，佛陀虽然大慈大悲，也无法救度。 问：假设有这样一个人，前世念佛非常勤奋恳切，但机缘感应尚未成熟。今生虽然做些散乱的善事，心中常常想着佛，却被世事所牵绊，不能按照佛法修持。这一期生命结束后，又没有什么感应。这个人于中阴身阶段，念佛的种子忽然萌发，完成十念，能够见到佛而往生吗？ 答：前世因为勤奋恳切而种下善因，今世因为懈怠懒散而失去善果。如果能够在临终时一心忆念佛，往生或许可以期望。如果等到中阴身阶段才发心，那就已经来不及了。希望各位仁者，早作打算。 问：有这样一个人，如果从一天到七天，或者一个月甚至一年，精进勇猛，一心不乱。后来被其他法师所夺，让他进入宗教二门（指禅宗和教宗），虽然两方面都没有成就，但仍然没有离开佛门。临终时，佛陀肯怜悯而接引他吗？还有人开始时勤奋，中间懈怠，最终改过自新如同最初；有人开始时勤奋，中间作恶，最终改过自新如同最初。这样的人应当进入下品往生，还是应当进入疑城呢？ 答：当下念佛就是佛，那么念佛怎么不是宗呢？分析空性而念佛是藏教的念佛，体悟空性而念佛是通教的念佛，依次第而念佛是别教的念佛，一心不乱而念佛是圆教的念佛。那么念佛怎么不是教呢？一举两得，谁说没有成就？先前融会贯通，后来圆融无碍，不能称作被夺。像这样往生，当然没有疑问。只恐怕自己产生分别心，心思挂在两条道路上，过失已经产生，不是佛法的过错。至于能够改正过错并忏悔，他的品位实在难以衡量。释迦牟尼佛精进勇猛七天，就成就了正觉。广额放下屠刀，就立刻证得了菩提。下品往生和疑城，不足以限制他。
English
English version: Answer: The wise person who cultivates the Pure Land practice purifies their mind while alive. When their lifespan is complete, they go according to conditions. Those who do not wish to be reborn but are attached to worldly affairs are arrogant. Those who eagerly wish to be reborn and harm their bodies and lives are foolish. Such people, lightly, are drawn into the groups of demons; heavily, they sink into evil realms. The sunlight shines universally, but it does not reach under an overturned bowl. Although the Buddha is greatly compassionate, He cannot save them. Question: Suppose there is a person who, in a previous life, diligently and earnestly recited the Buddha's name, but the opportunity for response had not yet ripened. In this life, although they perform scattered good deeds, their mind is constantly on the Buddha, but they are bound by worldly affairs and cannot practice according to the Dharma. When this life ends, they have no response. In the intermediate state (bardo), the seed of Buddha-recitation suddenly sprouts, and they complete the ten recitations. Can they see the Buddha and be reborn in the Pure Land? Answer: In the previous life, they planted the cause through diligence and earnestness; in this life, they lose the fruit due to laziness and negligence. If they can focus their mind on the Buddha at the time of death, rebirth may be expected. Waiting until the intermediate state to generate the aspiration is already too late. May all virtuous ones make plans early. Question: There is a person who, for one to seven days, or for a month or even a year, is diligent, vigorous, and single-mindedly undistracted. Later, they are taken away by other teachers, causing them to enter the two gates of religion (referring to Chan Buddhism and the Teaching Schools), although they achieve nothing in either. However, they still do not leave the Buddha's gate. At the time of death, will the Buddha be willing to have compassion and receive them? There is also someone who is diligent at the beginning, negligent in the middle, and finally repents and returns to the beginning; someone who is diligent at the beginning, does evil in the middle, and finally repents and returns to the beginning. Should such a person enter the Lower Grade of Rebirth, or should they enter the City of Doubt? Answer: Immediate recitation is Buddha, so how is Buddha-recitation not a school (宗, zong)? Analyzing emptiness while reciting is the Tripitaka Teaching's (藏教, Zang Jiao) recitation. Realizing emptiness while reciting is the Common Teaching's (通教, Tong Jiao) recitation. Reciting according to sequence is the Distinct Teaching's (別教, Bie Jiao) recitation. Reciting with single-mindedness is the Perfect Teaching's (圓教, Yuan Jiao) recitation. So how is Buddha-recitation not a teaching (教, Jiao)? Gaining two benefits with one action, who says there is no achievement? The former penetrates and the latter merges, it cannot be called being taken away. Such rebirth is certainly without doubt. Only fear that one generates discriminations oneself, the mind hangs on two paths, faults have already arisen, it is not the fault of the Buddha's Dharma. As for being able to correct faults and repent, their rank is truly difficult to measure. Shakyamuni Buddha was diligent and vigorous for seven days, and Perfect Enlightenment was achieved first. The broad-browed one (Guang E) put down the butcher knife, and Bodhi was immediately realized. The Lower Grade and the City of Doubt are not sufficient to limit them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 。
Chinese
问。王臣往生。是不舍国事者也。居士往生。是不舍家事者也。夫居士一心念佛。或无他碍。若王臣之劳于王事。当不若家事之可推诿者。杨无为诸君。亦何尝被鳏官之刺。而竟致化佛之迎。岂军旅政刑。一切不妨往生乎。抑彼念念与实相不背乎。 答。达心之士。万机万变。而国政非繁。执境之流。一夫一妇。而家缘尚累。譬之明镜照物。终日照而无劳。空谷传声。多众传而不困。如是。则大君不异世尊。百辟何非海众。都俞吁咈。而妙法交宣。庆赏刑威。而真慈平等。王事佛事。打成一片矣。何净土之难生耶。 问。下品下生者。夙缘不浅。得遇明师。助成十念。遂证此品。既具夙缘。应不为恶。总然为恶。一念相应。万罪消灭。如久暗得明。顿然光耀。暗无所去。明无所来。遇此境界。旋上品上生。犹涉阶级。而顾居下下。岂罪不可灭。功过相准耶。彼疑城之人。止是稍疑。未尝造恶。抑不登品。诚为负屈。即如古今生疑城者。当是何人。有指名否。 答。凡人在世。固有恶心虽炽。闻净土而不疑。亦有福业虽修。忽念佛而不信。是以虽为恶而生净土者此也。然而罪障乍消。净因未广。生则必生。但应卑位耳。故知内蓄疑情。前功枉弃。心存笃信。带业还生。则疑信之间。利害非 现代汉语译本： 问：王臣往生，是不舍弃国家事务的人；居士往生，是不舍弃家庭事务的人。居士一心念佛，或许没有其他妨碍；但王臣劳心于国家事务，不像家庭事务可以推脱。杨无为等诸位，也未曾受到官场倾轧的困扰，却最终得到化佛的迎接。难道军旅政刑，一切都不妨碍往生吗？还是说他们念念与实相不相背离呢？ 答：通达心性的人，面对万机万变，也觉得国家政事并不繁琐；执着于外境的人，即使只有一夫一妇，也觉得家庭关系是一种拖累。好比明镜照物，终日照耀却不觉疲劳；空谷传声，人多声杂也不觉困顿。如此，则君王不异于世尊，百官何尝不是海会大众。赞同和反对的声音，都变成了微妙佛法的宣扬；奖赏和刑罚的施行，都体现了真正的慈悲平等。王事和佛事，已经融为一体了。又有什么净土难以往生的呢？ 问：下品下生的人，宿世的因缘不浅，才能遇到明师，帮助他成就十念，最终证得此品位。既然具有宿世的因缘，本不应该作恶。纵然作恶，只要一念与佛相应，就能使万罪消灭，如同长久的黑暗中得到光明，顿时光芒四射。黑暗并没有离开，光明也没有从哪里来。遇到这种境界，即使回向上品上生，仍然要经过阶梯，却停留在下品下生，难道是罪业不可灭，功过要互相衡量吗？那些怀疑疑城的人，只是稍微有些怀疑，并未曾作恶，却不能登上品位，实在是被冤枉了。那么古今以来生于疑城的人，又是指的哪些人呢？有没有指名道姓的呢？ 答：凡人在世，确实有恶心炽盛，却听闻净土法门而不怀疑的人；也有福业虽然修习，却忽然对念佛法门不相信的人。因此，虽然作恶却能往生净土的，就是指的这些人。然而罪障刚刚消除，净因尚未广大，往生是必定能往生，但只能处于卑下的品位罢了。所以要知道，内心积蓄着疑情，之前的功德都白白抛弃了；心中存有笃实的信心，即使带着业力也能往生。可见，在怀疑和信心之间，利害关系是截然不同的。