English
English version When a person is dying, if they can maintain right mindfulness (正念: referring to the recollection of Amitābha), or see light and flowers, they are already destined to be born in the treasure pond of the Pure Land. The practice of Pure Land Buddhism lies in diligent cultivation throughout one's life; and right mindfulness at the time of death is crucial. This is what the ancients meant when they said that if one's mindfulness is correct in ordinary times, one will be peaceful and undisturbed at the time of death. This is the state that people of superior capacity can achieve. If one recites the Buddha's name with a scattered mind in ordinary times, and can gather the scattered mind and return to single-mindedness at the time of death, this is the state that people of medium capacity can achieve. As for those ordinary people, the foolish, and the wicked, through the encouragement of good friends, they eventually return to right mindfulness, this is the state that people of inferior capacity can achieve. In practicing the Pure Land method, one does not have to be completely bound by these. As long as one's mind returns to right mindfulness at the moment of death, one can reserve one's place in the lotus pond of the Pure Land. However, there are also some who, although having right mindfulness, do not have any sights or sounds, and their consciousness is entrusted to a lotus flower for rebirth; and there are also some who are dragged by karma to the underworld, and are reborn after judgment. These situations are not within the scope of our discussion. What we are talking about now is that this land and that land are always the same, and it is precisely because one sees light and flowers at the time of death in this land that one is destined to be born in the treasure pond of that land. If it were not always the same, how could one reach such a sublime state? △ The following explains according to the tenets of the school, in three parts. First, establish the foundation from the verification of facts. The treatise says, the 'Bi Sheng Zhuan' (彼生傳) records: Zhang Kang, served as a Hanlin Academician during the Later Jin Dynasty, recited the Great Compassion Mantra (大悲咒) one hundred thousand times, and vowed to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. One day he fell ill and only recited the Buddha's name. Suddenly he said to his family: 'The Western Pure Land is just west of the hall, Amitābha (阿彌陀佛: the Buddha of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss) is sitting on a lotus flower, and I see my grandson Weng'er playing and worshiping on the golden sand ground of the lotus pond.' After a while, he passed away reciting the Buddha's name. Weng'er was Zhang Kang's grandson. Zhang Kang is an example of a person who was reborn in the Pure Land. Reciting the Great Compassion Mantra refers to the vows and practices for rebirth. Only reciting the Buddha's name refers to the origin of right mindfulness. Because at the time of death, one is tormented by pain and has no time to recite mantras, only the Buddha's name is less strenuous and easier to achieve right mindfulness. What he said to his family is precisely the verification that this land and that land are always the same. Some people suspect that this is a demonic event, all because they do not understand the principle of the Pure Land being only mind. Someone asked: 'The lotus flower seen is a scene of the Pure Land. If Weng'er is also in it, is this child alive or dead? If he is dead, he has no vows and practices, how can he be reborn? If he is alive, how can a living person live in the lotus realm?' These statements are all incorrect. The answer is: other versions record that Weng'er died at the age of three, perhaps it is a re... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
来之人。往昔行愿早已成就。舍此余生以托彼土。或承乃祖咒愿力故。经云。沾持咒人飘身之风。浴身之水。尚得往生。何况亲承咒愿之力者乎。 △次约心性以泯能所二。明土居心内。 所以尔者。盖西方极乐世界。乃吾心中之一土耳。娑婆世界。亦吾心中之一土耳。 释张抗往生之相。以成彼此恒一之理。娑婆极乐。净秽虽殊。能具之心。彼此焉异。 △次明心无远近。 约土而言。有十万亿彼此之异。约心而观。原无远近。 约土而言。乃全性而相故异。约心而言。乃全相而性故同。即之常分。派之常合。异焉同焉。存之可也。亡之亦可也。况心即三性具足。广大清净。尚何彼此净秽之殊异哉。 △三约果相以绝去来三。初释妨。 但众生自受生以来。为五阴区局真性不契心源。 或有妨云。净土惟心。谁人不具。即目可见。何待临终。故释之。受生以来有远有近。区局真性。有浅有深。远则无始。近则此生。浅则色阴。深则五阴。今且一往。就此生为色阴区宇。局此真性。不契心源。何也。盖往生之人凡多圣少。居凡夫地。破阴为难。今横论五根。悉为色阴所蔽。是以见不超色。闻不出声。乃至眼耳远不见闻。谓之区局真性。不契心源也。 现代汉语译本： 这些人，是往昔所发的誓愿早已成就的人。他们舍弃这剩余的生命，是为了寄托于西方极乐世界。或许是承蒙他们祖先的咒愿之力。经书上说，沾染到持咒人飘过的风，沐浴过持咒人的水，尚且能够往生，更何况是亲身承受咒愿之力的人呢？ 接下来从心性的角度来泯灭能与所的对立，说明净土就在心中。 所以这样说，是因为西方极乐世界，乃是我们心中所显现的一片净土罢了。娑婆世界，也是我们心中所显现的一片净土罢了。 解释张抗往生的表相，来成就彼此恒常如一的道理。娑婆世界和极乐世界，虽然清净和污秽不同，但能显现这些世界的心，彼此有什么不同呢？ 接下来阐明心没有远近之分。 从净土的角度来说，有十万亿佛土彼此间的差异。从心的角度来观察，原本就没有远近之分。 从净土的角度来说，是完全依随自性而显现的表相，所以才有差异。从心的角度来说，是完全依随表相而回归自性，所以本体是相同的。执着于它，它就永远分离；放开它，它就永远合一。差异和相同，存在也可以，不存在也可以。更何况心具足三性，广大而清净，哪里还有彼此清净和污秽的差别呢？ 第三，从果相的角度来断绝过去、现在、未来三世的迁流。首先解释疑问。 只是众生自从受生以来，被五阴（色、受、想、行、识）所局限，真性无法与心源相契合。 或许有人会质疑说，净土唯心，谁人不具备？现在就能亲眼看到，何必等到临终？所以解释说，自从受生以来，有远有近，局限真性，有浅有深。远则可以追溯到无始以来，近则就是此生。浅则是被色阴所障蔽，深则是被五阴所障蔽。现在且简单地说，就以今生被色阴所局限的情况来说，真性无法与心源相契合。为什么呢？因为往生的人，凡夫多而圣人少。处于凡夫的地位，破除五阴是很困难的。现在横向来说，五根都被色阴所遮蔽。因此，眼见不能超越色，耳闻不能超出声，乃至眼耳不能远见远闻，这就是所谓的局限真性，不与心源相契合。
English
English version: These people are those whose past vows have long been fulfilled. They relinquish this remaining life to entrust themselves to that land. Perhaps it is due to the power of their ancestors' mantras. The scriptures say that even the wind that brushes against a mantra reciter, or the water in which they bathe, can lead to rebirth in the Pure Land, how much more so for those who directly receive the power of their vows? Next, from the perspective of mind-nature, we eliminate the duality of subject and object, clarifying that the Pure Land resides within the mind. The reason for this is that the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is merely a Pure Land manifested within our minds. The Saha world is also a Pure Land manifested within our minds. Explaining the appearance of Zhang Kang's rebirth, to establish the principle of constant oneness between the two. Although the Saha world and the Pure Land differ in purity and defilement, what difference is there between the minds that manifest these worlds? Next, clarifying that the mind has no near or far. From the perspective of the Pure Land, there are differences of hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha lands between them. From the perspective of the mind, there is originally no near or far. From the perspective of the Pure Land, it is the appearance that manifests entirely according to its nature, so there are differences. From the perspective of the mind, it is the return of the nature entirely according to the appearance, so the essence is the same. If you cling to it, it will always be separated; if you let it go, it will always be united. Difference and sameness, existence is acceptable, non-existence is also acceptable. Moreover, the mind is complete with the three natures, vast and pure, where are there differences between purity and defilement? Third, from the perspective of the fruit appearance, we sever the flow of the three times: past, present, and future. First, explain the objection. It is just that sentient beings, since birth, have been limited by the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness), and their true nature cannot be in harmony with the source of the mind. Perhaps someone may object and say, 'The Pure Land is only mind, who does not possess it? It can be seen with our own eyes now, why wait until the moment of death?' Therefore, it is explained that since birth, there is near and far, limiting the true nature, there is shallow and deep. The far can be traced back to beginningless time, the near is this life. The shallow is obscured by the form skandha, the deep is obscured by the five skandhas. Now, let's simply say that, taking the situation of being limited by the form skandha in this life, the true nature cannot be in harmony with the source of the mind. Why? Because among those who are reborn, there are more ordinary people than sages. Being in the position of an ordinary person, it is difficult to break through the five skandhas. Now, horizontally speaking, the five roots are all obscured by the form skandha. Therefore, what the eye sees cannot transcend form, what the ear hears cannot transcend sound, and even the eyes and ears cannot see and hear far away. This is what is called limiting the true nature, not being in harmony with the source of the mind. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- △次正明。
Chinese
念佛之人果报成熟。将舍现阴。趣生阴时。净土莲华忽然在前。惟心境界。非有去来彼此之相。 初二句。明净业成就。次二句。明随业受生。次二句。明印坏文成。次三句。以惟心泯其妄相。既曰将舍现阴趣生阴时。未破五阴明矣。莲华在前者。色阴坚固妄想虽然未破。此身幻化之相将离。则眼不为色区。耳不为声区。十万亿刹之遐方。忽然在前。此皆惟心境界。岂有去来彼此之相可得哉。 △三引证二。初楞严。 故首楞严经云。临命终时。未舍暖触。一生善恶。俱时顿现。纯想即飞。必生天上。若飞心中。兼福兼慧。及与净愿。自然心开。见十方佛。一切净土。随愿往生。 人之受生。以识息暖三。和合而成。经云未舍暖触。正将终未终之时。色阴将舍未舍之际。一生所作善之与恶。一时现前。恶则纯情而坠。善则纯想而飞。善恶杂修。则情想升沉兼有。如经所说其相甚明。所飞心中兼福兼慧者。福则助修。慧则念佛。共为净业。及与净愿者。加之以发愿求生。自然心开见十方佛。一切净土随愿往生。正因色舍而不隔也。以此例知。若沉心中兼谤三宝。及与恶愿亦必自然心开。见阎摩王一切地狱。随愿往生。以舍色阴故。中阴众生。皆得五通。职此之由也。 现代汉语译本 △次正明。 念佛之人果报成熟，将要舍弃现阴（指现在的色身），趣向生阴（指来世的色身）的时候，净土的莲花忽然出现在眼前。这完全是唯心所现的境界，并非真的有来去彼此的相状。 开头两句，说明净业已经成就。接着两句，说明随着业力而受生。再接着两句，说明印坏文成（比喻旧的色身坏灭，新的净土景象显现）。最后三句，用唯心的道理来泯除妄想的相状。既然说是‘将舍现阴趣生阴时’，说明还没有破除五阴。莲花出现在眼前，是因为色阴坚固的妄想虽然没有破除，但这个幻化的色身将要离去，那么眼睛就不会被色相所迷惑，耳朵也不会被声音所困扰，距离十万亿佛刹之遥远的西方净土，忽然就在眼前。这都是唯心所现的境界，哪里有什么来去彼此的相状可以得到呢？ △三引证二。初楞严。 所以《首楞严经》（Śūraṅgama Sūtra）中说：‘临命终时，未舍暖触，一生善恶，俱时顿现。纯想即飞，必生天上。若飞心中，兼福兼慧，及与净愿，自然心开，见十方佛，一切净土，随愿往生。’ 人受生，是由识、息、暖三种要素和合而成。《经》中说‘未舍暖触’，正是将要终结而未终结的时候，色阴将要舍弃而未舍弃之际，一生所做的善事与恶事，一时都显现出来。作恶则是纯粹的情欲而坠落，行善则是纯粹的意念而飞升。善恶夹杂修行，那么情欲和意念的升沉兼而有之，如经文所说，其相状非常明显。‘所飞心中兼福兼慧’，福是辅助修行，慧是念佛，共同作为净业。‘及与净愿者’，再加上发愿求生净土，自然心开，见到十方诸佛，一切净土，随着愿力往生。这正是因为舍弃色身而不被阻隔的缘故。由此可以推知，如果沉溺于心中，又诽谤三宝，以及怀有恶愿，也必定自然心开，见到阎摩王（Yama-rāja），一切地狱，随着恶愿往生。因为舍弃色阴的缘故，中阴众生，都能得到五种神通，原因就在于此。