English
English version: 'My nature is already fully endowed.' The next two lines, 'cultivation perfects nature,' refer to the wonderful function of arising cultivation from the entirety of one's nature. Regardless of how long one has cultivated, even if one only utters the Buddha's name once, one can be reborn in the Pure Land. The third two lines explain that the union of cultivation and nature leads to the accomplishment of responsive interactions. The responsive interaction here is different from that in the *Contemplation Sutra* (*Guan Wuliangshou Jing*). The *Contemplation Sutra* elucidates contemplation, with the realm experiencing sixteen contemplations, and cultivation involving contemplation practice, resemblance, and partial realization. Here, it elucidates the subtlety of ultimate truth, that even if the appearance of a fiery chariot manifests, a single thought of repentance, or ten thoughts of accomplishment, will allow one to be received by the Buddha and reborn in the Pure Land, thereby establishing the interaction of the Way through responsive connection. The so-called 'Way connection' is like a magnet attracting a needle, there is a Way of natural connection, unexpectedly and naturally so. The last two lines explain that as long as ordinary beings deeply believe in the Buddha and vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, their merit will not be in vain. These eight lines of scripture have a threefold momentum of progressive arising and concluding return. The momentum of arising is that because there is the principle of already being accomplished even before a thought arises, there is the cultivation of immediately perfecting upon the arising of a single thought. Because there is the meaning of the union of cultivation and nature mentioned above, there is the Way of responsive interaction. Because there is the meaning of responsive interaction not being absent, there is the effect of the merit of those who recite the Buddha's name not being in vain. The momentum of concluding return is that the effect of merit not being in vain is because there is the Way of responsive interaction. The Way of responsive interaction is because there is the cultivation of perfecting upon the arising of a single thought. The cultivation of perfecting upon the arising of a single thought is because there is the principle of already being accomplished even before a thought arises. Next are the six gates, elucidating the two aspects of cause and effect that can arise. The first three gates discuss the wondrous function from the perspective of 'cause,' and the last three gates discuss the wondrous function from the perspective of 'effect.' The first three gates discussing the wondrous function from the perspective of 'cause' are further divided into three parts. The first part elucidates the arising of phenomena from the entirety of principle, the second part elucidates the unobstructedness of phenomena, and the third part elucidates the perfect fusion of the three contemplations. Now, we will elucidate the first two parts, beginning with the indication. 'The gate of the five *Dharmadhātus* as thought.' '*Dharmadhātu* (法界)' is spoken of from the perspective of 'nature'; 'as thought' is spoken of from the perspective of 'cultivation.' Now, combining the two, it is said 'the *Dharmadhātu* as thought,' which is the arising of cultivation from the entirety of one's nature. Next is the explanation, first citing a verse to establish the principle. 'The *Dharmadhātu's* (法界) perfect and all-embracing essence, is made my single thought.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 故我念佛心。全体是法界。
Chinese
初二句。明全性以起修。次二句。明全修而在性。谓全法界。圆融之性体。作我一念之用修。故全一念之用修。当体是圆融法界之性体也。 △次依宗释义二。初通明理事。二释成此宗。初中三。初明事中诸念。 论曰。行者称佛名时。作佛观时。作主伴依正余观时。修三种净业时。一心不乱时。散心称名时。以至见思浩浩恒沙烦恼。 此历明诸念。其中有事修。有理观有事理兼修。有顺修逆修。约相虽有差殊。约性元归不二。称佛名时者。如观经下品下生中云。或有众生作不善业。五逆十恶。具诸不善。如此愚人。以恶业故。应堕恶道。经历多劫。受苦无穷。如此愚人。临命终时。遇善知识。种种安慰。为说妙法。教令念佛。彼人苦逼。不遑念佛。善友告言。汝若不能念彼佛者。应称无量寿佛。如是至心令声不绝。具足十念。称南无阿弥陀佛名故。于念念中。除八十亿劫生死之罪。命终之时。见金莲华。犹如日轮。往其人前如一念顷。即得往生极乐世界。于莲华中。满十二大劫。莲华方开。观世音大势至以大悲音声。为其广说诸法实相。除灭罪法。闻已欢喜。应时即发菩提之心。是名下品下生者。是名下辈生想。名第十六观。 △次明事全是理。 现代汉语译本 ‘故我念佛心，全体是法界。’ 前两句说明完全依仗自性而开始修行，后两句说明完全的修行又回归于自性。意思是说，整个法界圆融的自性本体，成为我一念修行的作用。所以，整个一念修行的作用，当体就是圆融法界的自性本体。 △下面依据宗旨解释含义，分为两部分。首先总的说明理和事，然后解释成就这个宗派。首先总的说明理和事，分为三部分。首先说明事中的各种念头。 论中说：‘修行者称念佛名时，作佛观想时，作主伴依正等观想时，修三种清净行业时，一心不乱时，散乱心称名时，乃至见到如恒河沙一样多的见思烦恼。’ 这里历数说明各种念头，其中有事修，有理观，有事理兼修，有顺修，有逆修。从现象上看虽然有差别，从自性上看原本归于不二。‘称佛名时’，例如《观经》下品下生中说：‘或者有众生造作不善的业，五逆十恶，具足各种不善。这样的愚人，因为恶业的缘故，应当堕入恶道，经历多个劫数，遭受无尽的痛苦。这样的愚人，临命终时，遇到善知识（kalyāṇa-mitra，指引正道的朋友），种种安慰，为他说微妙的佛法，教他念佛。这个人被痛苦逼迫，没有空闲念佛。善友告诉他说，你如果不能念彼佛，应当称念南无阿弥陀佛（Namo Amitābha）的名号。’这样至诚用心，使声音不间断，具足十念，称念南无阿弥陀佛的名号的缘故，在念念之中，消除八十亿劫生死之罪。命终的时候，见到金莲花，犹如日轮，来到这个人面前，如一念顷，就能够往生极乐世界。在莲花中，满了十二大劫，莲花才开放。观世音（Avalokiteśvara）、大势至（Mahāsthāmaprāpta）以大悲的声音，为他广说诸法实相，消除罪业的佛法。听了之后欢喜，应时就发起菩提之心（bodhicitta，觉悟之心）。这叫做下品下生者，叫做下辈生想，叫做第十六观。 △下面说明事就是理。
English
English version ‘Therefore, my mind of mindfulness of the Buddha is entirely the Dharmadhātu (法界, the realm of Dharma).’ The first two lines explain that one begins cultivation entirely relying on one's own nature, and the next two lines explain that complete cultivation returns to one's own nature. It means that the entire, perfectly integrated nature of the Dharmadhātu becomes the function of my one thought of cultivation. Therefore, the entire function of one thought of cultivation is, in its very essence, the perfectly integrated nature of the Dharmadhātu. △ Next, according to the doctrine, the meaning is explained in two parts. First, the principle and phenomena are generally explained, and then the establishment of this school is explained. The general explanation of principle and phenomena is divided into three parts. First, the various thoughts in phenomena are explained. The treatise says: ‘When a practitioner recites the Buddha's name, when contemplating the Buddha, when contemplating the main and accompanying retinue and the environment, when cultivating the three pure karmas, when single-mindedly without confusion, when reciting the name with a scattered mind, and even seeing afflictions of views and thoughts as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.’ Here, various thoughts are enumerated, including practice in phenomena, contemplation of principle, combined practice of principle and phenomena, cultivation in accordance with the truth, and cultivation against the current. Although there are differences in appearance, in essence, they originally return to non-duality. ‘When reciting the Buddha's name,’ for example, the Lower Grade, Lower Birth in the *Contemplation Sutra* says: ‘Or there are sentient beings who commit unwholesome karma, the five rebellious acts and the ten evil deeds, fully possessing all kinds of unwholesomeness. Such foolish people, because of their evil karma, should fall into evil realms, experiencing countless kalpas and suffering endlessly. Such foolish people, when approaching the end of their lives, encounter a good advisor (kalyāṇa-mitra, a friend who guides one to the right path), who comforts them in various ways, speaks the wonderful Dharma for them, and teaches them to be mindful of the Buddha. These people are oppressed by suffering and have no time to be mindful of the Buddha. The good friend tells them, 'If you cannot be mindful of that Buddha, you should recite the name of Namo Amitābha (南無阿彌陀佛).' In this way, with utmost sincerity, keep the voice uninterrupted, complete ten recitations, and by reciting the name of Namo Amitābha, in each thought, eliminate the sins of eighty billion kalpas of birth and death. At the time of death, they see a golden lotus flower, like the sun, coming before them, and in an instant, they can be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the lotus flower, after twelve great kalpas, the lotus flower opens. Avalokiteśvara (觀世音) and Mahāsthāmaprāpta (大勢至), with voices of great compassion, extensively explain to them the true nature of all dharmas, the Buddha-dharma that eliminates sins. After hearing this, they rejoice and immediately generate the bodhicitta (菩提之心, the mind of enlightenment). This is called the Lower Grade, Lower Birth, called the thought of birth in the lower grade, called the Sixteenth Contemplation.’ △ Next, it explains that phenomena are principle. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
凡此有心。皆由真如不变随缘而作。全体即是法界。 凡此有心者。牒前诸念。皆全真如不变之理。以为念佛等逆顺随缘之事。故全逆顺随缘之事。即是真如不变之理。 △三证全理论事。 故法智大师云。法界圆融不思议体。作我一念之心。亦复举体。作生作佛。作依作正。 妙宗钞。释大师疏此经心观为宗。实相为体。竟复示之以圆顿宗旨云。又复应知法界圆融不思议体。作我一念之心。亦复举体作生作佛。作依作正。作根作尘。一心一尘至一极微。无非法界全体而作。既一一法。全法界作。故趣举一法。即是圆融法界全分。既全法界。有何一物不具诸法。此是法智大师深悟圆乘之大宗旨。若非吾祖幽溪大师。以不变随缘。随缘不变之旨。而阐明之。则法智大师此旨。不易知也。是祖祖之心宗。天台之妙旨。读是论者。请事此语。其不然者。则孤吾祖与法智大师之心也。 △次释成此宗五。初举劣况胜。 若然者。余心尚是。况念佛心乎。 若然者。承上之辞。若以性而观之。则余心非劣。念佛非胜。平等不二。今以相而观之。故以余心之劣。而况念佛之胜。余心逆修。见思浩浩。尚即法界。况复顺修念佛。般若明明。非法界乎。 △次指示即理。 现代汉语译本 凡此有心（指一切有情众生的心念）。皆由真如（Tathata，事物的真实本性）不变随缘而作。全体即是法界（Dharmadhatu，宇宙万法的总称）。 凡此有心者。是承接前面的各种念头。都是完全以真如不变的道理，作为念佛等逆顺随缘之事。所以全部逆顺随缘之事，就是真如不变的道理。 △三、证明全体理论与事相相符。 所以法智大师（Fa-chih，天台宗的一位重要祖师）说：‘法界圆融不可思议的本体，作为我一念之心，也是整个本体，作众生作佛，作依报作正报。’ 妙宗钞（Miao-tsung chao，天台宗的重要著作）解释法智大师的疏文，认为此经以心观为宗，实相为体，最终又用圆顿的宗旨来开示：‘又应当知道，法界圆融不可思议的本体，作为我一念之心，也是整个本体作众生作佛，作依报作正报，作根作尘。一心一尘乃至一个极微小的东西，没有不是法界全体而作的。既然每一法，都是全法界所作，所以随便举出一个法，就是圆融法界的全部分。既然是全法界，有什么一物不具备诸法呢？’这是法智大师深刻领悟圆乘（天台宗的最高教义）的大宗旨。如果不是吾祖幽溪大师（Youxi，明末天台宗的复兴者），用不变随缘、随缘不变的宗旨来阐明它，那么法智大师的这个宗旨，就不容易理解了。这是祖祖相传的心宗，天台宗的精妙旨意。读这部论著的人，请注意这句话。不然的话，就辜负了吾祖与法智大师的心意了。 △其次解释成就此宗的五个方面，首先举出低劣的情况来比况殊胜的情况。 如果这样的话，其余的心念尚且是这样，何况念佛的心呢？ 如果这样的话，是承接上文所说。如果从性（本性）的角度来看，那么其余的心念并非低劣，念佛也并非殊胜，平等不二。现在从相（现象）的角度来看，所以用其余心念的低劣，来比况念佛的殊胜。其余的心念是逆修，见思烦恼浩如烟海，尚且就是法界，何况顺修念佛，般若智慧明明朗朗，不是法界吗？ △其次指示即理（当下就是真理）。