English
English version It guides beings to be reborn in the Pure Land. Therefore, although it is far, it is easy to reach. Tushita Inner Court (the abode of Maitreya Bodhisattva), requires the practitioner's power of Samadhi to ascend. Therefore, although it is near, it is difficult to be reborn there. If there is no Samadhi, it is like wanting to fly without wings, seeking to ascend but falling instead. Moreover, the pleasures of Tushita Heaven easily delude the initial aspiration. The story of the three brothers from the Western Regions can serve as a profound lesson (The Records of the Western Regions states: The three brothers, Asanga, Vasubandhu, and Simhaksha, vowed to be reborn together in Tushita Heaven to see Maitreya Buddha. They agreed that the one who went first would surely return to inform the others. Later, Simhaksha passed away first, but there was no news. Vasubandhu then passed away, and after a year, he came to inform Asanga. Asanga asked him if he had been reborn in Tushita Heaven. Vasubandhu replied, 'I have been reborn and have personally seen Maitreya Bodhisattva.' He was then asked where Simhaksha was. Vasubandhu replied, 'He was born in the outer court, indulging in pleasures, and did not see the Bodhisattva, so he did not come to inform us.' Therefore, it can be seen that even a small Bodhisattva is like this, let alone ordinary people. How can they not know the advantages and disadvantages?). Someone asks: The Eastern Vaidurya Pure Land of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, with its adornments of environment and beings, is no different from the Western Pure Land. Furthermore, there are eight great Bodhisattvas who appear at the time of death to show the way, so one can also be reborn there. Why must one vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land? The answer is: The Bhaisajyaguru Sutra mainly focuses on eliminating calamities and prolonging life, and does not specifically encourage rebirth. The Bodhisattvas showing the way, as mentioned in the sutra, are for a certain type of beings who have not determined their roots of goodness and wish to be reborn in any direction to make offerings to the Buddhas and hear the Dharma. These people have both blessings and wisdom, and all their wishes can be fulfilled. Therefore, upon hearing the name of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, they can be reborn in that land by simply reciting it. The eight great Bodhisattvas are specifically showing them the way, pointing out the direction, but it is not necessarily a definite rebirth in that land. Therefore, it is said: 'Some may be born in the heavens because of this, or be born in the human realm, becoming a Chakravartin King and ruling the four continents, bringing peace and prosperity to the people.' Is this not something that can only be achieved with both blessings and wisdom? Now, Amitabha Buddha's land specifically encourages rebirth, and the sutras widely discuss it, with beings from all ten directions able to go there. Amitabha Buddha and the holy assembly extend their hands to receive and guide, and Sakyamuni Buddha and all the Buddhas praise and protect them. Yet, one abandons the broad path and takes the narrow road, clinging to temporary teachings and abandoning the constant teachings. Since there is no fixed direction for East and West, and the recitation is not focused, lacking both blessings and wisdom, and lacking supernatural powers, one fails to achieve rebirth according to one's wishes and instead becomes lost and confused. Should one not carefully examine this? Now, wanting to unify the --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
志念。专其趣向。不归安养。将安归邪。专其趣向。故曰西方。一其志念。故曰发愿。文者。能诠章句也。又愿有通别。通则四宏誓愿。别则随心所发种种誓愿。又通则皆名为愿。别则菩提名发心。四宏名发誓。求生西方名发愿。又回向亦名为愿。如华严十回向文。一一皆云愿众生等是也。又求生西方。总摄一切菩提誓愿。及十方三世一切佛法。无有遗余。故以此题而冠篇首也。然此愿文。事理周备。行愿深广。诸有智者当味其言。力行其事。庶几自他俱利。因果皆成。不徒为文字语言。音声唱和而已。初释题目竟。 △二入文为二。初归命请加。二发愿回向 今初。 稽首西方安乐国 接引众生大导师 我今发愿愿往生 唯愿慈悲哀摄受 偈文初二句是归命。后二句是请加。发愿之始。必先归命于佛者。所以求证此心也。稽首者。礼佛之仪式。谓以头着地。稽留少顷而起。故名稽首。表敬之极也。西方安乐国。是依报接引众生大导师。是正报。言安乐国者。无八苦故名安。无三毒故名乐。法王所统名为国。言接引者。众生没在苦海。佛以智手接之令出。著于五欲。佛以种种乐事诱之令离。故曰接引。言导师者。导人以正道也。众生颠倒。以苦为乐。以邪为正。不知出要。佛为分别娑婆是苦。 现代汉语译本： 志念专注在某个方向，如果不归向安养（An yang，指西方极乐世界），那将归向哪里呢？志念专注在某个方向，所以称为西方。统一心志，所以称为发愿。‘文’是指能够诠释的章节语句。愿有通愿和别愿之分。通愿是四弘誓愿，别愿是随心所发的各种誓愿。通愿都可以称为愿，别愿中，菩提心称为发心，四弘誓愿称为发誓，求生西方称为发愿。回向也可以称为愿，如《华严经》十回向文，每一条都说‘愿众生’等等。求生西方，总摄一切菩提誓愿，以及十方三世一切佛法，没有遗漏，所以用这个题目放在篇首。这个愿文，事理周全完备，行愿深广，有智慧的人应当仔细体会其中的含义，努力实践，希望自己和他人都能得到利益，因果都能成就，而不是只做文字语言，音声唱和而已。以上是题目的解释。 第二部分分为两部分：首先是归命请加，然后是发愿回向。现在是第一部分。 稽首西方安乐国，接引众生大导师，我今发愿愿往生，唯愿慈悲哀摄受。 偈文的前两句是归命，后两句是请加。发愿的开始，必须先归命于佛，这是为了求证此心。稽首，是礼佛的仪式，指头着地，停留一会儿再起来，所以叫稽首，表示极其恭敬。西方安乐国，是依报，接引众生大导师，是正报。安乐国，是因为没有八苦所以叫安，没有三毒所以叫乐。法王所统治的地方称为国。接引，是说众生沉没在苦海中，佛用智慧之手接引他们出来，对于执着于五欲的人，佛用种种快乐的事情引导他们离开，所以叫接引。导师，是引导人们走上正道。众生颠倒，以苦为乐，以邪为正，不知道脱离苦海的关键，佛为他们分辨娑婆世界是苦。
English
English version: If one's aspiration is focused, and does not return to An yang (Peaceful Nourishment, referring to the Western Pure Land), where will it return? Because the aspiration is focused, it is called the West. Because the mind is unified, it is called making a vow. 'Text' refers to the chapters and sentences that can explain the meaning. Vows are divided into general and specific. General vows are the Four Great Vows, and specific vows are the various vows made according to one's own mind. All general vows can be called vows, while among specific vows, the Bodhi mind is called 'arising of the mind', the Four Great Vows are called 'making a pledge', and seeking rebirth in the West is called 'making a vow'. Dedication of merit can also be called a vow, such as the Ten Dedications in the Avatamsaka Sutra, each of which says 'May all beings' and so on. Seeking rebirth in the West encompasses all Bodhi vows, as well as all Buddha-dharma of the ten directions and three periods of time, without any omission. Therefore, this title is placed at the beginning of the chapter. This vow text is comprehensive in terms of both phenomena and principle, and profound and vast in terms of practice and vows. Those with wisdom should carefully savor its meaning and diligently put it into practice, hoping that both oneself and others will benefit, and that both cause and effect will be accomplished, rather than merely engaging in written words, verbal language, and chanting. The second part is divided into two sections: first, taking refuge and requesting blessings; second, making vows and dedicating merit. Now is the first section. 'I bow my head to the Land of Bliss in the West, the Great Guide who receives and leads all beings. I now make a vow to be reborn there, and I pray that you will compassionately accept me.' The first two lines of the verse are taking refuge, and the last two lines are requesting blessings. At the beginning of making a vow, one must first take refuge in the Buddha, in order to seek proof of this mind. 'Bowing the head' is a ritual of paying homage to the Buddha, referring to placing the head on the ground, pausing for a moment, and then rising. Therefore, it is called 'bowing the head', expressing extreme reverence. The Land of Bliss in the West is the dependent reward, and the Great Guide who receives and leads all beings is the principal reward. The Land of Bliss is called 'peaceful' because there are no eight sufferings, and 'blissful' because there are no three poisons. The realm ruled by the Dharma King is called a 'land'. 'Receiving and leading' means that beings are submerged in the sea of suffering, and the Buddha uses the hand of wisdom to receive them and lead them out. For those attached to the five desires, the Buddha uses various joyful things to guide them away. Therefore, it is called 'receiving and leading'. A 'guide' is one who leads people onto the right path. Beings are deluded, taking suffering as pleasure and evil as righteousness, not knowing the key to escaping suffering. The Buddha distinguishes for them that the Saha world is suffering. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
西方是乐。令起欣厌。发愿往生。故名导师。外道不知邪正。妄立宗徒。是师非导。声闻能出三界。不化众生。是导非师。菩萨能化众生。虽是导师。不名为大。唯有弥陀世尊。乘大愿船。入生死海。不着此岸。不居彼岸。不住中流。而导众生到于彼岸。如是利益。遍于十方。尽于三世。无暂休息。是故独称为大导师也。我今愿往。是自迷己怀。唯愿摄受。是请求加护。爱念名慈。怜愍名悲。如母念子。心无舍离。是名摄受。初归命请加竟。 △二发愿回向二。初发愿。二回向。初又二。初自利。二利他。初又三。初发心持名。二忏悔三障。三发愿 今初。 弟子(某甲)普为四恩三有。法界众生。求于诸佛。一乘无上菩提道故。专心持念阿弥陀佛。万德洪名。期生净土。 普为四恩等。是所缘之境。求于诸佛等是能发之心。专心持念等。是所念之佛。期生净土。是所望之处。盖发菩提心。必先缘境。若无此境。则心无所依。亦无所发。然境有广狭。远近不同。四恩狭而最近。三有居中。法界众生。则远而复广。境既如此。心亦复然。必先从亲至疏。由近及远也。言四恩者。在家则天地君亲师。出家则父母。师僧国王檀越。言三有者。即是三界。谓欲界色界无色界。隔历不同曰界。因果不亡曰有。 现代汉语译本：西方是极乐世界。令人发起欣喜和厌离之心，发愿往生，所以被称为导师。外道不懂得什么是正，什么是邪，胡乱设立宗派和徒众，只能说是‘师’，不能说是‘导’。声闻乘修行者能够脱离三界，却不能教化众生，只能说是‘导’，不能说是‘师’。菩萨能够教化众生，虽然是导师，但不能称为‘大’。只有阿弥陀佛世尊，乘坐大愿之船，进入生死之海，不执着于此岸（娑婆世界），不居住于彼岸（涅槃），也不停留在中流，而是引导众生到达彼岸。这样的利益，遍及十方，穷尽三世，没有片刻的休息。所以唯独被称为大导师。我现在发愿往生，是自己迷惑了自己的心怀。唯愿阿弥陀佛摄受我，是请求佛的加持和护佑。爱念叫做慈，怜悯叫做悲，就像母亲思念儿子一样，心中没有舍弃和离开，这叫做摄受。最初的归命和请求加持完毕。 △二、发愿回向（将功德导向特定目标）分为两部分。第一部分是发愿，第二部分是回向。第一部分又分为三部分：第一是发心持名（专心念诵佛号），第二是忏悔三障（忏悔由贪嗔痴引起的三种障碍），第三是发愿。现在开始第一部分。 弟子（某甲）普遍为了四恩（父母恩、众生恩、国土恩、三宝恩）和三有（欲有、色有、无色有）以及法界众生，为了求得诸佛的一乘无上菩提道，专心持念阿弥陀佛的万德洪名（包含无量功德的洪大名号），期望往生净土。 ‘普遍为了四恩等’，是所缘之境（发愿所指向的境界）。‘为了求得诸佛等’，是能发之心（能够生起的心）。‘专心持念等’，是所念之佛（所念诵的佛）。‘期望往生净土’，是所期望的去处。大概来说，发起菩提心，必须先缘境。如果没有这个境界，那么心就没有所依靠，也就无法生起。然而境界有广狭、远近的不同。四恩是狭窄而最近的，三有居于中间，法界众生则是遥远而又广大的。境界既然如此，心也应当如此，必须先从亲近到疏远，由近及远。所说的四恩，在家是指天地君亲师，出家是指父母、师僧、国王、檀越（施主）。所说的三有，就是三界，即欲界、色界、无色界。隔绝和经历不同叫做‘界’，因果不灭叫做‘有’。