English
I specifically tell you this in advance.", "Also", "Your illness has reached a very dangerous point. You should write down everything you want to say completely and give it to your son and wife, so that they have no worries in their hearts. Focus your mind on right mindfulness. If you usually have deep faith in the Dharma gate of Buddha recitation, you can turn your mind's eye inward, and the four-character Buddha's name (四字佛名) will be clear and distinct, without interruption. It is okay to be reborn today or tomorrow, or perhaps you will not be reborn and live to be one hundred and twenty years old. These are the most important words. The friendship of a lifetime is based on this. Other things are minor matters and there is no time to attend to them. Do not be greedy for life and afraid of death, and delay the important matter.", "To Layman Wang Dazhuo (王居士大琸)", "Regarding your illness, you should completely let go of external affairs, even including this body, limbs, and bones, so that your heart is empty and without anything. If you really cannot let go, then put it down temporarily and deal with it later. If wandering thoughts are rampant and cannot be controlled, then recite the Buddha's name a few times to suppress them. The glory and wealth of the world are only temporary matters. Calamities and suffering are also only temporary matters, and they will disappear in an instant. Moreover, everything is due to past causes and conditions, and cannot be changed by human effort. Completely let go and recite the Buddha's name with all your heart. I urge you again and again! I urge you again and again!", "To Layman Qin Mingzhong (秦明中居士)", "There are countless Dharma gates, but the key is to clarify the mind and see one's nature. The important method for clarifying the mind is none other than reciting the Buddha's name. In the spare time from reading and writing, or when you are feeling upset, reciting the Buddha's name is very beneficial. When one thought is focused on the Buddha, miscellaneous thoughts will retreat. The mind is empty and the realm is still. How wonderful is this state! I hope you will not easily neglect it.", "To Layman Qin Rennan (秦任南居士) of Wujiang (吴江) Guangliang (广俍)", "What is said about opening up the darkness and dissolving the bonds of karma, if you understand it, then darkness is light, and the bonds of karma are nothing but liberation. If you cannot understand it, then constantly collect your mind and recite the Buddha's name, and over time you will naturally develop wisdom.", "To Layman Wu Nianci (吴念慈居士) of Nancheng (南城) Guangyi (广翊)", "There are many paths to enter the Buddhist path, but the most direct and concise is none other than reciting the Buddha's name. This Dharma gate of Buddha recitation can liberate the most superior people with sharp faculties, and even the most foolish and dull people. It is truly a wonderful path that reaches from the highest to the lowest. Do not be confused by worldly views. Ancient eminent monks taught people to investigate the topic of meditation (话头), to arouse doubt in order to" ] } ``` -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 期大悟。或看无字。或看万法等。不一而足。今试比例。假如万法归一。一归何处。与念佛是谁。极相似。若于是谁处倒断。一归何处不着问人。自豁然矣。古人谓念佛人欲参禅。不须别举话头。正此意也。念佛数声。回光自看。这念佛的是谁。如此用心。勿忘勿助。久之当自有省。如或不能。直念亦可。使其念不离佛。佛不离念。念极心空。感应道交。现前见佛。理必然矣。 与太仓王子颙孝廉智第 贵宅世修盛德。何为尊体构斯剧疾。得无宿业使之然乎。疾病之由。多从杀生中来。故偏重放生也。今更有所陈。良以外僧代忏。与内心自忏。功德悬殊。愿空其心。尽罢一切诸缘。于空心中。单念一声阿弥陀佛。所云念者。不必启口动舌。但默默以心眼返照。一字一字分明。一句一句接续。从朝至暮。从暮至朝。心心靡间。若有痛苦。忍之耐之。一心顾念。经云。至心念佛一声。灭八十亿劫生死重罪。故功德悬殊也。 答问 答闻谷广印 问。古人已禀单传直指。后修净业而欲往生者。为是悟后随愿起行耶。为是未悟二行兼修耶。若兼修者。堕偷心。岐路心。工夫那得成片耶。若已悟。则尘尘华藏。在在莲邦。十方无不可者。何独乐生西方耶。 答真信净土。决志往生者。不论已悟未悟。其从事单传直指。而未悟者。虽目以参禅为务。不妨发愿往生。以未能不受后有。毕竟有生处故。不是偷心岐路心也。其已悟者。古人云。汝将谓一悟便可上齐诸佛乎。故普贤为华严长子。虽尘尘华藏。在在莲邦。而 ```json { "translations": [ "现代汉语译本", "期望能由此大彻大悟。有人参看‘无’字，有人参看‘万法’等等，方法多种多样。现在试着打个比方，假如‘万法归一’，那么‘一’又归到哪里呢？这与参究‘念佛的是谁’非常相似。如果能在‘是谁’处彻底断绝念头，那么‘一归何处’就不需要问别人，自己就能豁然开朗了。古人说念佛人想要参禅，不需要另外举话头，正是这个意思。念佛几声后，回过头来自己看，‘这念佛的是谁？’如此用心，不要忘记，也不要强求，时间久了自然会有所领悟。如果不能这样，直接念佛也可以，使念头不离开佛，佛不离开念头，念到极处心就空了，感应自然相通，当下就能见到佛，这是必然的道理。", "与太仓王子颙（人名）孝廉智第（人名）", "您府上世代积累深厚的德行，为什么您的身体会患上如此严重的疾病呢？恐怕是前世的业力导致的吧。疾病的产生，大多是从杀生中来的，所以特别重视放生。现在还有一些话要说，因为外请僧人代为忏悔，与内心自己忏悔，功德相差很大。希望您能清空内心，放下一切事务，在空心中，只念一声‘阿弥陀佛’（Amitabha，梵语，意为无量光佛，是西方极乐世界的教主）。所说的念，不必张口动舌，只要默默地用‘心眼’反观，一个字一个字清清楚楚，一句一句连续不断，从早到晚，从晚到早，心心相续没有间断。如果有痛苦，忍受它，坚持下去，一心顾念佛号。经书上说，至诚恳切地念佛一声，可以消除八十亿劫生死轮回的深重罪业，所以功德相差很大啊。", "答问", "回答闻谷广印（人名）", "问：古人已经接受了单传直指的教诲，后来修习净土法门想要往生西方极乐世界的人，是开悟后随着自己的愿力而修行呢？还是没有开悟时两种修行方法同时进行呢？如果同时进行，就会产生偷心和歧路心，功夫怎么能达到一心不乱的境界呢？如果已经开悟，那么处处都是华藏世界（Hua-yan World，佛教宇宙观中的一个世界），处处都是莲花净土，十方世界没有哪里不可以去，为什么唯独喜欢往生西方极乐世界呢？", "答：真正相信净土法门，决心往生西方极乐世界的人，不论是已经开悟还是没有开悟。那些从事单传直指的修行，但还没有开悟的人，虽然表面上以参禅为主要任务，不妨发愿往生西方极乐世界，因为他们还不能避免再次受生，毕竟还是有出生的地方。这不是偷心和歧路心。那些已经开悟的人，古人说，‘你以为一开悟就可以与诸佛平起平坐了吗？’所以普贤菩萨（Samantabhadra，佛教四大菩萨之一，象征着理德、行德）是华严经中的长子，虽然处处都是华藏世界，处处都是莲花净土，但是" ], "english_translations": [ "English version", "Hoping to achieve great enlightenment through this. Some contemplate the word 'Wu' (無, emptiness), some contemplate 'Wan Fa' (萬法, all phenomena), and so on, with various methods. Now, let's try an analogy: if 'Wan Fa Gui Yi' (萬法歸一, all phenomena return to one), then where does 'Yi' (一, one) return to? This is very similar to investigating 'Who is reciting the Buddha's name?' If one can completely cut off thoughts at the 'Who is it?' point, then one doesn't need to ask others where 'one' returns to; one will naturally awaken. The ancients said that if a person who recites the Buddha's name wants to practice Chan (禅, Zen), there is no need to raise another topic; this is precisely the meaning. After reciting the Buddha's name a few times, turn the light inward and look at oneself: 'Who is reciting the Buddha's name?' Use your mind in this way, neither forgetting nor forcing, and after a long time, you will naturally have some understanding. If you cannot do this, you can also recite the Buddha's name directly, so that the thought does not leave the Buddha, and the Buddha does not leave the thought. When the thought reaches its extreme, the mind becomes empty, and the response naturally connects, and one can see the Buddha in the present moment. This is a certain principle.", "To Taicang Wang Ziyong (太倉王子颙, a person's name) and Xiaolian Zhidi (孝廉智第, a person's name)", "Your family has accumulated deep virtue for generations. Why has your body suffered such a severe illness? Perhaps it is caused by the karma of previous lives. The cause of illness often comes from killing, so special emphasis is placed on releasing life. Now there are some more words to say, because asking monks to repent on your behalf is vastly different in merit from repenting yourself internally. I hope you can empty your mind, put down all affairs, and in the empty mind, simply recite the name 'Amitabha' (阿彌陀佛, Amitābha, Sanskrit, meaning 'Infinite Light Buddha,' the lord of the Western Pure Land). The recitation I speak of does not require opening your mouth or moving your tongue, but silently using the 'mind's eye' to reflect inward, one word at a time, clearly, one sentence after another, continuously, from morning to night, from night to morning, with the mind connecting without interruption. If there is pain, endure it and persevere, focusing wholeheartedly on the Buddha's name. The scriptures say that sincerely reciting the Buddha's name once can eliminate the heavy sins of eighty billion kalpas (劫, kalpa, an immense period of time) of birth and death, so the merit is vastly different.", "Answers to Questions", "Answering Wen Gu Guangyin (聞谷廣印, a person's name)", "Question: The ancients had already received the direct pointing of single transmission. Those who later cultivated the Pure Land practice and wished to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, do they cultivate according to their vows after enlightenment? Or do they cultivate both practices simultaneously before enlightenment? If they cultivate both simultaneously, they will develop a stealing mind and a divergent mind. How can their efforts achieve a state of single-mindedness? If they are already enlightened, then everywhere is the Hua-yan World (華藏世界, Hua-yan World, a world in Buddhist cosmology), everywhere is the Lotus Land. There is nowhere in the ten directions that one cannot go. Why only rejoice in being born in the Western Pure Land?", "Answer: Those who truly believe in the Pure Land practice and are determined to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, regardless of whether they are enlightened or not. Those who are engaged in the single transmission of direct pointing but have not yet awakened, although they outwardly focus on Chan practice, may as well vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, because they cannot avoid being reborn again, and after all, there is a place of birth. This is not a stealing mind or a divergent mind. Those who are already enlightened, the ancients said, 'Do you think that once you are enlightened, you can be on par with all the Buddhas?