English
English version: As for water birds and trees, since they are all manifestations of the Buddha, seeing them at the time of death is no different from seeing the Buddha. Then reciting them during one's lifetime, what difference is there from reciting the Buddha's name? Moreover, there is no need to directly chant the Buddha's name, increasing the confusion of those ordinary people. Answer: If we tentatively distinguish between the great and the small, then how can thousands upon thousands of prime ministers compare to encountering an enlightened ruler once? Repaying has both direct and indirect rewards, then how can the solemnity beneath the courtyard compare to the ** in the hall? Therefore, those who grasp the key points will naturally promote their principles, while those who pick leaves often lose the root. Solely reciting the Buddha's name leaves no room for doubt. Question: Or someone imagines that the six-character name [Namo Amitabha - Homage to Amitabha Buddha] is within my own body, reciting each character one by one. This is the same as Anapanasati (a meditation practice of observing the breath to focus the mind), both are for Samatha (concentration). Why is it not allowed, but instead denounced as a heretical path? Moreover, the decline of the Lotus School [Pure Land School] nowadays is due to the White Lotus sect and other heretical teachings. What is recorded in the Treasure Mirror [Bao Jian Lu] is only two or three of them, not fully listed. If the Buddha, when expounding the Dharma, had shown both the broad and long tongue of the six directions [one of the thirty-two marks of the Buddha, indicating truthfulness] and the hundred forms of Mara [demon], then like the Yu Ding [ancient treasure symbolizing kingship], it could suppress demons and bring peace to Jambudvipa [the world we live in], without worrying about these problems. How should this be explained? And which kind of heretical path is the most prevalent and harmful now? Answer: Anapanasati is using the breath to observe the mind, completely different from Qi cultivation. Reciting each character one by one is clinging to oneself and seeking efficacy, which is inherently a heretical sect. The Treasure Mirror deeply rebukes it, and other books also denounce it. There are thousands of forms and states, which cannot be fully described. In the Dharma-ending age, the Dharma is weak and demons are strong, as it should be. The Buddha had previously recorded it, it's not that he didn't consider these things. If what is prevalent and causing harm now, then there are those so-called 'Sixteen-Character Sutras', those who direct Qi to the navel, those who chase and run with all their might until the Dantian [a location for cultivating Qi in Taoism], those who mistakenly recognize the character 'Who', those who misunderstand 'Namo'. These kinds of streams, like ghosts and demons, are completely meaningless. The ninety-five kinds of heretical paths in the Western Heaven do not include them, and the two teachings of Confucianism and Taoism in this land do not accept them. A wildfire burns across the sky, and will naturally extinguish after a long time. Why call them heretical paths? Question: Those who are deluded now are like sitting with their backs to a candle, turning their heads and seeing the candle. If they have one thought connected to the Buddha, they should see the Buddha. If they must recite until they are proficient before they can see the Buddha, then those who turn their heads to see the candle must also stare intently and look carefully for a long time before they can see it? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
后见哉。向令佛设善权。念佛时。随念见佛。停心绝念。及与杂念时。便尔懵然。斯人人念佛矣。安有阐提耶。 答。太阳日日当天。而戴盆不觉。明镜时时对面。而瞽目无知。念佛之人。念念与弥陀相接。而自昧自迷。何以异于是。良以心水不清。佛月不现。众生自咎。于佛何尤。且明烛在背。回首几人。指点徒劳。坚然强项。乃责佛之难见。亦独何欤。 问。黄帝内经。明大惑之病。谓目中无端。忽有所见。是也。今学人于本无中。忽有所见。与见鬼何别。又云。将死之时。乃得接引。所谓时衰鬼弄人。舍身而随之。不亦大惑欤。顾称见惑思惑。一切惑繇是破焉。世人安得不惑。 答。无故而忽见。安得非邪。昔观而今成。安得非正。盖因果之常理也。净业学人。应须平日考因果之根原。辨邪正之微细。至于临终所见。魔佛显然。谁足为惑。如观立佛而现坐佛者。魔也。正报依报。不与经文符合者。魔也。以空观空之而隐者。魔也。苟为不然。则净心成就。净境现前。接引往生。训垂金口。安得与无故忽见比耶。 问。经云。刹中有诸天世人之异。此中既无日月风雨之司。诸天当何所职。又无营求衣食之苦。世人当何所为。合是摄来人天。良以化形丈六八尺。见证贤位圣位矣。更出旧名 现代汉语译本： 唉，可惜啊！如果当初佛陀设立方便法门，让念佛的人在念佛时，就能随念见到佛，停止妄心杂念时，就立刻变得懵然无知，这样的人也算是念佛吗？怎么能说他不是断善根的阐提（icchantika，断善根的人）呢？ 回答：太阳每天都在天上照耀，但头顶着盆子的人却感觉不到；明镜时时摆在眼前，但瞎子却一无所知。念佛的人，念念都与阿弥陀佛相接，却自己蒙昧迷惑，这与上述情况有什么不同呢？实在是因为心水不清，佛的月亮无法显现。这是众生自己的过错，与佛有什么关系呢？况且明亮的蜡烛就在背后，回头看的人又有几个呢？指点也是徒劳。硬着脖子，反而责怪佛难以见到，这又是什么道理呢？ 提问：黄帝内经阐明了大迷惑的病症，说的是眼睛无缘无故，忽然看到什么东西。是这样的。现在学佛的人在本来什么都没有的情况下，忽然看到什么，这与见鬼有什么区别？又说，将要死的时候，才能得到接引，这就是所谓的时运衰败鬼来捉弄人，舍弃身体而跟随它去。这不是大迷惑吗？但又说，见惑、思惑，一切迷惑都由此破除。世人怎么能不迷惑呢？ 回答：无缘无故忽然看见，怎么能不是邪的呢？过去观察而现在成就，怎么能不是正的呢？这都是因果的常理啊。修习净土法门的人，应该平时考察因果的根源，辨别邪正的细微之处。至于临终所见，是魔是佛，显而易见，谁会被迷惑呢？比如看到站立的佛像而显现坐着的佛像，这就是魔。正报（自己的身心）和依报（所居住的环境）与经文不符合的，这就是魔。用空观来观照它而消失的，这就是魔。如果不是这样，那么就是净心成就，净土的境界显现，佛来接引往生，这是佛亲口所说，怎么能与无缘无故忽然看见的情况相比呢？ 提问：经书上说，佛刹中有诸天（devas，天神）和世人（humans，人类）的不同。那里既然没有日月风雨的掌管者，诸天应当有什么职责呢？又没有营求衣食的辛苦，世人应当做什么呢？这应该是摄受来的人天（devas and humans，天人和人类），是因为化现出身高一丈六尺或八尺的身躯，来见证贤位（wise position，有贤德的地位）和圣位（holy position，圣人的地位）吗？更说出原来的名字。
English
English version: Alas! If only the Buddha had established skillful means, so that when people recite the Buddha's name, they could see the Buddha with each recitation. When they stop their deluded thoughts and distractions, they would immediately become ignorant. Can such a person be considered to be reciting the Buddha's name? How can we say that they are not icchantikas (icchantika, those who have severed their roots of goodness)? Answer: The sun shines in the sky every day, but a person with a bowl on their head does not feel it. A bright mirror is always in front of them, but a blind person knows nothing. People who recite the Buddha's name are connected to Amitabha Buddha with every recitation, yet they themselves are ignorant and deluded. How is this different from the above situations? It is truly because the water of the mind is not clear, and the moon of the Buddha cannot appear. This is the fault of sentient beings themselves, what blame is there on the Buddha? Moreover, the bright candle is behind them, how many people turn their heads to look? Pointing it out is in vain. They stubbornly resist and blame the Buddha for being difficult to see. What is the reason for this? Question: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic explains the illness of great delusion, saying that for no reason, the eyes suddenly see something. Is this so? Now, practitioners of Buddhism suddenly see something in what was originally nothing. What is the difference between this and seeing a ghost? It is also said that one can only be received at the time of death, which is the so-called time of decline when ghosts come to trick people, abandoning the body and following them. Isn't this a great delusion? But it is also said that the delusions of views and thoughts, all delusions, are broken by this. How can people not be deluded? Answer: If one suddenly sees something for no reason, how can it not be evil? If one observes in the past and achieves now, how can it not be right? These are the constant principles of cause and effect. Practitioners of Pure Land Buddhism should usually examine the roots of cause and effect and distinguish the subtle differences between evil and right. As for what is seen at the time of death, whether it is a demon or a Buddha is obvious. Who would be deluded? For example, if one sees a standing Buddha and a sitting Buddha appears, that is a demon. If the main reward (one's own body and mind) and the dependent reward (the environment in which one lives) do not match the scriptures, that is a demon. If it disappears when one contemplates it with emptiness, that is a demon. If it is not like this, then it is because the pure mind has been achieved, the pure land realm appears, and the Buddha comes to receive one for rebirth. This is what the Buddha himself said, how can it be compared to suddenly seeing something for no reason? Question: The scriptures say that in the Buddha-land there are differences between devas (devas, gods) and humans (humans, mankind). Since there are no controllers of the sun, moon, wind, and rain there, what duties should the devas have? And since there is no hardship in seeking food and clothing, what should the humans do? This should be the reception of the coming devas and humans (devas and humans, gods and humans), because they manifest bodies that are sixteen or eight feet tall to witness the wise position (wise position, a position of virtue) and the holy position (holy position, the position of a sage)? And they even reveal their original names. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 何也。
Chinese
答。人天念佛。皆获往生。欲示生因。犹存旧号。并是无为侣伴。禅寂生涯。何必上主天曹。下营人事。如此世界中耶。 问。法藏之发四十八愿也。曰。不得是愿。誓不作佛。今法藏之作佛。经十劫矣。其得誓愿久矣。然尤亟亟然引众生而归之。若填河塞井然似繇未满愿者。何也。愿之未满。不可言得。愿之未得。不应作佛。岂作迹佛之后。又愿度生。至其涅槃而归本佛。始真作佛耶。 答。菩萨之道。方其在因地也。则从因至果。及其居果地也。又带果行因。是以得愿而心如未得。弘愿繇称作佛。而不住佛边。真佛斯在。岂比人天小行。罗汉偏空者耶。若曰迹佛度生。唯涅槃乃成真佛。则古佛涅槃。皆同断灭。灵山一会。俨然未散。复云何通。 问。或云。西乃天倾物老之方。人死念绝。乃得生彼。又云。天倾之处。地为有余。有余。则能广容往生之众。又云。庚辛属金。金不变坏。以示不退转之义。又云。万物以西而成百果皆实于秋。行人东方行因。西方证果。窃为往生乃是生机。何不入东方生物之府。而反入肃杀之地。若标第一义谛。何不直于中央摄入耶。无乃但论一时当机。所谓西者。无所取义欤。 答。如来一语。多义攸含。但邪正殊途。理应拣择。若云念绝。 现代汉语译本： 问：为什么呢？ 答：人天念佛，都能获得往生。为了显示往生的原因，仍然沿用旧的名号。他们都是无为的同伴，过着禅修寂静的生活，何必像这个世界一样，向上巴结天上的神仙，向下经营人间的事务呢？ 问：Dharmākara（法藏）发四十八大愿的时候说：‘如果不能实现这些愿望，誓不成佛。’现在Dharmākara（法藏）成佛已经十劫了，他实现誓愿已经很久了，然而他还是非常急切地引导众生归向净土，好像填河堵井一样，似乎愿望还没有完全实现。这是为什么呢？如果愿望没有实现，就不能说是已经成佛。如果愿望没有实现，就不应该成佛。难道是先示现应化佛的形象，然后再发愿度化众生，直到涅槃回归本佛，才算是真正成佛吗？ 答：菩萨的修行之道，当他在因地修行的时候，是从因到果；等到他证得果位之后，又带着果位的功德去行因地的修行。所以，虽然已经实现了愿望，但内心仍然像没有实现一样。弘扬誓愿，虽然已经被称为佛，但并不停留在佛的境界。真正的佛就在这里。这哪里是人天乘的小修行，或者罗汉偏执于空性所能比拟的呢？如果说应化佛度化众生，只有涅槃才能成就真佛，那么过去的诸佛涅槃，岂不都成了断灭？灵山法会，仿佛还没有散去，这又该如何解释呢？ 问：有人说，西方是天倾斜、万物衰老的地方，人死后念头断绝，才能往生到那里。又有人说，天倾斜的地方，地就会显得有剩余，有剩余，就能广阔地容纳往生的众生。还有人说，庚辛五行属金，金不会变坏，以此来表示不退转的意义。又有人说，万物在西方成熟，百果都在秋天结实。修行人在东方行因，在西方证果。我私下认为，往生应该是生机，为什么不进入东方生物的场所，反而进入肃杀之地呢？如果标榜第一义谛，为什么不直接在中央摄入呢？难道只是针对一时的情况而说的，所谓的西方，没有什么实际意义吗？ 答：如来的一句话，包含着多重意义，但是邪正的道路不同，理应加以选择。如果说念头断绝……