English
English version: The Amitabha Sutra says: 'From here, passing westward through a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands, there is a world called Sukhavati (Pure Land, the Land of Bliss).' The 'from here' mentioned in the sutra refers to starting from the west of Jetavana Anathapindika-arama (the monastery where the Buddha often resided) in Sravasti (an ancient kingdom in India) of Jambudvipa (the continent we inhabit) in the Saha World (the world of suffering and afflictions) . Like this, containing one Saha World, which has a hundred billion suns and moons, a hundred billion Mount Sumerus (the central mountain in Buddhist cosmology), and a hundred billion Four Continents (the four great continents in Buddhist cosmology), this is called one world. 'World' means change and flow, with sun, moon, years, seasons, and the changes of the three times: past, present, and future. 'Land' means direction, with the boundaries of the ten directions: east, west, north, and south. Going west from here, passing through a total of a hundred thousand million three-thousand-great-thousand worlds, there is a world called Sukhavati. It is said that in that land, there is no alternation of cold and heat, and one can directly enter the state of non-retrogression, so there is no suffering of birth and death. There are no defilements of the five desires (form, sound, smell, taste, and touch), and the mind can attain freedom, so there is no suffering of afflictions. What the ears hear and the eyes see, all the sense organs and sense objects (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind and their corresponding form, sound, smell, taste, touch, dharma) are nothing but wonderful Dharma. Only by reciting the Buddha, reciting the Dharma, and reciting the Sangha, there is no suffering of karmic bondage. All beings born there are those assured of enlightenment (those who are certain to attain enlightenment), attaining the state of non-retrogression. Among all the worlds, the one with the ultimate happiness is called Sukhavati. The various joyful things cannot be listed one by one; detailed information can be found in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life and the Contemplation Sutra and other scriptures. △ Next, explain the numbers. A hundred billion suns and moons, a hundred billion Mount Sumerus, a hundred billion great seas, and a hundred billion Iron Ring Mountains (the mountains surrounding the world) are called one Buddha-field (the area where a Buddha teaches). Ten thousand times one thousand is ten thousand, and ten thousand times ten thousand is a hundred million. A hundred billion suns and moons, according to the verses of the Abhidharmakosa (Buddhist treatise): the suns and moons of the four continents, Mount Sumeru, the Desire Realm Heavens (the six desire heavens), and the Brahma World (the Form Realm Heavens) each have one thousand, called a small thousand world. This small thousand world multiplied by a thousand times is called a middle thousand world. This middle thousand world multiplied by a thousand times is called a great thousand world, and they all undergo the same process of formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness. Using these hundred billion suns and moons, etc., as one Buddha-field. Like this, starting from here, passing through a total of a hundred thousand million three-thousand-great-thousand worlds, it is then called the Sukhavati World. △ Three, conclusion. One Buddha-land is already very vast, how much more so a hundred million Buddha-lands? How much more so a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands? Therefore, the Sukhavati Land is very far from here. First, use one Buddha-land to compare to a hundred million Buddha-lands. Then, use a hundred million Buddha-lands to compare to a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。以此而言。极乐世界。去此娑婆。岂不甚远。 △次释后二句不远二。初正释。次料简。初又三。初明不远之由。 博地凡夫。念佛求生弹指即到者。正由生吾心所具之佛土也。 博。大也。凡。众也。夫者。人也。古者人长一丈。称为丈夫。诗甫田注疏。夫者辅相之德。而可倚仗谓之丈夫。今通指大地或悠悠凡夫。或四教未破惑位外凡之人。既无道力可凭。又无神足可恃。然但一心念佛。或暂或久。求生极乐。而临命终时。弹指即到者。正由人心性中。本具极乐佛界之依报。即性体而清净本然。即性量而周遍法界。以极乐在吾心内。近近之一隅。岂足以为远哉。 △次明心之相状。 言介尔心者。即凡夫念佛之心也。刹那之心至微至劣故称介尔。 介尔者。即刹那初起至促之念。毗昙云。百二十刹那为一怛刹那。此名一瞬。六十瞬为一息。仁王云一刹那有九十生灭。是则介尔者。至促至速。至微至劣。 △三明心土相即。 谓十万亿远之佛土。居于凡夫介尔之心。即心是土。即土是心。故曰初无彼此异。 十万亿土。言其远也。大也。介尔妄心。言其近也。小也。即心是土。则小者近者之心。而即是极远极大之佛土。即土是心。则大者远者之佛土。即是 现代汉语译本： ‘以此而言，极乐世界，距离此娑婆世界，难道不是很远吗？’ 接下来解释后两句‘不远’，分为两部分。首先是正面解释，其次是简要说明。正面解释又分为三部分。首先说明不远的原因。 ‘博地凡夫，念佛求生，弹指之间即可到达，正是因为极乐世界本就存在于我们的心中。’ ‘博’，是大的意思。‘凡’，是众多的意思。‘夫’，是人的意思。古时候人身高一丈，称为丈夫。《诗·甫田》的注释中说，‘夫’是辅佐的德行，可以依靠的人称为丈夫。现在泛指大地，或者悠悠的凡夫，或者四教中尚未破除迷惑的外凡之人。他们既没有道力可以凭借，又没有神通可以依赖。然而只要一心念佛，或暂或久，求生极乐世界，那么临命终时，弹指之间即可到达，正是因为人的心性中，本来就具备极乐佛界的依报，即性体是清净本然的，即性量是周遍法界的。因为极乐世界就在我们的心中，是近在咫尺的地方，怎么能说是遥远呢？ 接下来阐明心的相状。 ‘所说的介尔之心，就是凡夫念佛的心。刹那之心极其微小，极其低劣，所以称为介尔。’ ‘介尔’，就是刹那间初起的最短促的念头。《毗昙》中说，一百二十个刹那为一个怛刹那，这叫做一瞬。六十瞬为一息。《仁王经》中说，一刹那有九十个生灭。因此，‘介尔’是最短促、最快速、最微小、最低劣的。 第三，阐明心与佛土相互即是。 ‘所说的十万亿远的佛土，存在于凡夫介尔的心中，即心是土，即土是心，所以说本来就没有彼此的差异。’ 十万亿佛土，是说它的遥远，是说它的广大。介尔妄心，是说它的邻近，是说它的微小。即心是土，那么微小邻近的心，也就是极其遥远广大的佛土。即土是心，那么广大遥远的佛土，也就是
English
English version: ‘In this regard, isn't the Land of Ultimate Bliss very far from this Saha world?’ Next, explaining the latter two phrases ‘not far,’ divided into two parts. First, a direct explanation, followed by a brief clarification. The direct explanation is further divided into three parts. First, explaining the reason for not being far. ‘Ordinary beings on the earth, who recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth, can arrive in the time it takes to snap one's fingers, precisely because the Land of Ultimate Bliss is inherent in our minds.’ ‘Bo’ (博) means large. ‘Fan’ (凡) means numerous. ‘Fu’ (夫) means person. In ancient times, a person who was one zhang (丈, ancient unit of length) tall was called a husband (丈夫). The commentary on the poem ‘Fu Tian’ in the Book of Poetry says, ‘Fu’ is the virtue of assisting, and a person who can be relied upon is called a husband. Now it generally refers to the earth, or ordinary beings, or those outside the position of the Four Teachings who have not broken through delusion. They have neither the power of the Way to rely on, nor the supernatural powers to depend on. However, as long as they single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name, whether briefly or for a long time, seeking rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, then at the moment of death, they can arrive in the time it takes to snap one's fingers, precisely because the nature of people's minds inherently possesses the dependent retinue (依报) of the Land of Ultimate Bliss, that is, the nature of the substance is pure and originally so, and the measure of the nature pervades the Dharma Realm. Because the Land of Ultimate Bliss is within our minds, it is a place that is close at hand, how can it be said to be far away? Next, elucidating the appearance of the mind. ‘The so-called 'momentary mind' (介尔心) is the mind of an ordinary person reciting the Buddha's name. The mind of a kshana (刹那, moment) is extremely small and extremely inferior, so it is called momentary.’ ‘Momentary’ is the shortest thought that arises at the beginning of a kshana. The Abhidharma (毗昙) says that one hundred and twenty kshanas are one tatkshana (怛刹那), which is called an instant. Sixty instants are one breath. The Benevolent King Sutra (仁王经) says that there are ninety births and deaths in one kshana. Therefore, ‘momentary’ is the shortest, fastest, smallest, and most inferior. Third, elucidating the mutual identity of mind and land. ‘The so-called Buddha Land that is hundreds of thousands of millions away resides in the momentary mind of an ordinary person, that is, the mind is the land, and the land is the mind, so it is said that there is originally no difference between them.’ Hundreds of thousands of millions of lands speak of its distance, speak of its vastness. The momentary deluded mind speaks of its nearness, speaks of its smallness. That the mind is the land means that the small and near mind is also the extremely distant and vast Buddha Land. That the land is the mind means that the vast and distant Buddha Land is also -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 最促最劣之妄心。有何彼此异哉。 △次料简二。初以小不包远。
Chinese
问曰。介尔之心居于方寸。云何能包许远佛土。 此以凡夫性相不融。真妄未会之疑情。而难于性相不二。真妄无差之妙论。如此之疑非独初心未入佛教者有之。即久在释门。拘于一墟束于一教。作人天师者。亦复有之。苟不精于天台之教。鲜不生乎疑谤者也。 △次依真妄不二释三。初法二。初略明。 答曰。介尔之心。昧者谓小。达人大观。真妄无二。 迷者。昧性而执相。故以念为小为近。极乐为大为远。悟者。即相而观性。不以念为小为近。亦不以土为大为远。达其本如。故真妄无二。 △次释成。 盖此妄心。全性而起。性既无边。心亦无际。 所以真妄无二者。何也。盖此妄心。乃全性而起。能起之性。既自无边。所起之念。岂有涯际。 △次譬。 性如大海。心似浮沤。全海为沤。沤还匝海。 楞严经两处出海沤喻。第二卷云。譬如澄清。百千大海弃之。惟认一浮沤体。目为全潮。穷尽瀛渤。乃喻众生认妄为真。非此中喻意也。第六卷空生大觉中。如海一沤发。乃喻真觉大空。世界三者。展转相比。小之又小。亦非此中喻意也。今初二句。且以海大沤小。 现代汉语译本 最微小和最恶劣的妄心，有什么彼此的差异呢？ △下面料简第二点。首先从小处不能包含远处。 问：仅仅是微小的心居住在方寸之间，怎么能够包含如此遥远的佛土呢？（佛土：Buddha-land） 这是因为凡夫的性（Svabhāva）和相（Lakṣaṇa）不能融合，真（Tathatā）和妄（Mithya）没有会合的疑虑。从而难以相信性相不二，真妄没有差别的精妙理论。这样的疑惑不只是初学佛法的人有，即使是长期在佛门中，拘泥于一处，束缚于一教，作为人天导师的人，也同样会有。如果不是精通天台宗的教义，很少不会产生疑惑和诽谤的。 △下面依据真妄不二来解释，分为三点。首先是法，分为两点。首先是简略说明。 答：仅仅是微小的心，迷惑的人认为它小，通达的人用广大的视角来看，真和妄是没有区别的。 迷惑的人，因为迷惑于自性而执着于现象，所以认为念头是小的、近的，极乐世界是大的、远的。觉悟的人，从现象来观察自性，不认为念头是小的、近的，也不认为佛土是大的、远的。通达它的本来如是，所以真和妄是没有区别的。 △下面是解释和成立。 大概这个妄心，完全由自性而生起。自性既然没有边际，心也没有边际。 所以真和妄没有区别的原因是什么呢？大概这个妄心，乃是完全由自性而生起。能生起的自性，既然本来就没有边际，所生起的念头，怎么会有边际呢？ △下面是比喻。 自性如同大海，心好似浮沤（Bubbles）。整个大海都是浮沤，浮沤也遍及整个大海。 《楞严经》（Śūraṅgama Sūtra）两处出现大海和浮沤的比喻。第二卷说，譬如澄清，百千大海舍弃不要，只承认一个浮沤的形体，认为它是全部的潮水，穷尽了瀛渤（Yingbo）。这是比喻众生认妄为真，不是这里比喻的意思。第六卷说，空生大觉中，如海一沤发，这是比喻真觉大空，世界三者，辗转相比，小之又小，也不是这里比喻的意思。现在最初的两句，姑且用海大沤小。