英語訳
【Page 10, Upper Section】
At this point, the proximate causes and provisional fruits of the forty-eight vows and so forth are refuted and abandoned. The textual reasoning is as follows.
△On the superiority and inferiority of Shakyamuni's and Amitabha's original vows. Respectfully examining the Sorrow Flower Sutra, {Note: This is the translation by the Liang dynasty's Dharma Master from India, Dharmakshema} it says: "In the past there was a country named Shanti-rama. The kalpa was named Good Maintenance. The wheel-turning king was called Non-Contention Thought, and the great minister was called Precious Ocean Brahman. The brahman had a son named Precious Repository. Precious Repository left home and achieved enlightenment, being called Tathagata Precious Repository. Precious Ocean Brahman persuaded King Non-Contention Thought to arouse the bodhi mind. Soon after, he taught and transformed the wheel-turning king's thousand sons and various lesser kings - nine hundred million beings - all arousing the aspiration. At that time King Non-Contention Thought made a vow saying: 'I will not arouse the bodhi mind in the five-turbidity defiled land. I only wish to take a pure land.' The thousand princes were also likewise. Buddha Precious Repository, according to their preferences, gave each a prediction. Finally, Precious Ocean Brahman made a vow saying: 'The king and thousand sons have already vowed to take pure lands, abandoning the sentient beings of the five-turbidity evil world who slander the correct dharma and commit the five grave sins. These evil people are cast off from the pure lands of the ten-direction Buddhas, sink into the three existences, and can never be liberated. Therefore I now make a vow: Such beings I will be able to teach and transform, causing them to abide in the three vehicles.' He then made five hundred great vows, vowing to benefit beings in the evil world, not daring to speak of birth-seeking vows. The King Non-Contention Thought at that time □[probably "is"] is Amitabha of the Western direction. The Precious Ocean Brahman at that time is precisely Shakyamuni." {Note: Above sutra text, paraphrased} The superiority and inferiority of the two Buddhas' original vows is thus. Moreover, Shakyamuni is the teacher and Amitabha the disciple. {Note: And so on}
△The Profound Meaning 7 {Note: 13} says: "Some say: Formerly as Precious Ocean Brahman, at Buddha Precious Repository's place in Shanti-rama country, he performed great diligence, and Buddhas of the ten directions sent flowers in offering. Already being the father of Buddha Precious Repository, and also being Ami-
【Page 10, Lower Section】
tabha's teacher, his merit and virtue when praised is inconceivable." {Note: Text}
△On the separate-time intent of nembutsu rebirth. The Commentary on the Compendium of Mahayana {Note: The root treatise in three volumes by Asanga. The commentary in fifteen volumes by Vasubandhu} {Note: Translated by Paramartha of the Liang dynasty} volume 6 says: "The treatise says: 'Separate-time intent.' Commentary says: If there are sentient beings who, due to the obstruction of laziness, do not enjoy diligent cultivation, the Tathagata speaks with skillful means. Through this principle, in the Tathagata's correct dharma, they can diligently cultivate the skillful means teaching. The treatise says: 'As there are teachings that say: If a person recites and maintains the name of Tathagata Many Treasures, they are determined not to fall back again from unsurpassed bodhi.' Commentary says: This is the good root of laziness. Taking the recitation and maintenance of Many Treasures Buddha's name as advancement toward superior merit. The Buddha's intent is to reveal superior merit within shallow practices, wanting those who are lazy to diligently cultivate the way. It is not that by merely reciting Buddha names, one immediately does not fall back and definitely attains unsurpassed bodhi. For example, through one gold coin, one seeks and obtains a thousand gold coins - it's not obtaining a thousand in one day, but obtaining a thousand through separate time. The Tathagata's intent is also thus. This one gold coin becomes the cause for a thousand gold coins; reciting and maintaining Buddha names is also thus, becoming the cause for not falling back from bodhi. The treatise says: Furthermore, there are teachings that say: 'By merely making vows for the Land of Peace and Bliss, one obtains birth there.' Commentary says: As before, one should understand. This is called separate-time intent." {Note: Text} The Mahayana Sutra of Adornment Treatise {Note: Same author as above, translated by Prabhakarmitra of the Tang dynasty} 6 says: "Separate-time intent means: As the Buddha teaches: 'If people wish to see Amitabha Buddha, all can attain rebirth.' This is said because birth is attained through separate time. This is called separate-time intent." {Note: Text} In Jiacai's Pure Land Treatise it says: "As the Smaller Amitabha Sutra says: 'If there are people who have made vows, now make vows, or should make vows regarding that country, whether already born, now being born, or should
【Page 11, Upper Section】
be born.' Such sutras are generally teachings with separate intent, not obtaining immediate birth." {Note: Text}
To attribute the name-recitation of Lotus revelation to separate-time intent is what results from not distinguishing provisional from true. However, our school firmly does not permit this. To fully clarify this, see Patriarchal Writings 10 {Note: 38}, Enlightenment 21 {Note: 49}, Impartial Correction 8 {Note: 44}, Pearl Record 6 {Note: 63}, Mount Emei Collection 2, etc. The adoption and rejection is appropriate.
○The Anraku-shu, volume 1 {Note: 28} says: "In this sutra now, it only speaks of creating sins in one lifetime, and at the time of approaching death, if ten recitations are accomplished, one immediately attains rebirth. Not discussing whether there were causes or no causes in the past is directly the World-Honored One leading and receiving those who will create evil in the future, causing them at the time of death to abandon evil and return to good, riding on mindfulness to be reborn. Therefore he conceals their past causes. This is the World-Honored One concealing the beginning and revealing the end, submerging causes and discussing effects, called separate-time intent language." {Note: Text} This interpretation greatly errs and severely contradicts the treatise text.
○The Ten Stages Vibhasha Treatise {Note: Volume 5, Easy Practice Chapter} says: "If one falls to the stage of hearers or pratyekabuddhas, this is called the death of a bodhisattva." {Note: Text} Also examine Patriarchal Writings 10 {Note: 36-7}.
○The Rebirth Ritual Praise {Note: 4 left} says: "If one can be as above, with mindfulness continuing moment to moment, taking the completion of life as the limit, then ten will be ten births, a hundred will be a hundred births. Why? Because there are no external mixed conditions and correct mindfulness is obtained," etc. {Note: Text}
△The Great Extensive Equal Dharani Sutra 2 says: "If sentient beings who cultivate various Buddha dharmas enter my dharma, wanting to seek other directions' wonderful blissful worlds, they instead obtain other directions' extremely painful hells." {Note: Text}
○The Rebirth Ritual Praise {Note: 4} says: "If one wants to abandon exclusive cultivation for mixed practices, among a hundred times one rarely gets one or two,
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among a thousand times one rarely gets three to five." {Note: Ryochu says: This is affirmative interpretation} "Why? Because due to mixed conditions, agitation causes loss of correct mindfulness." {Note: To here} "But those who practice with focused intent: ten will be ten births, a hundred will be a hundred births. Those who practice mixed [methods] without wholehearted [commitment]: among a thousand, not one." {Note: Chu says: This is negative interpretation} Above. {Note: See Internal 37 {Note: 31}, Same 7 {Note: 12-3}, Same 26 {Note: 48}}
○Kobo's Lotus Opening Commentary says: "Borrowing a person, it is called Infinite Life Buddha; abiding in dharma, it is named Wonderful Lotus." {Note: And so on} Also says: "The Wonderful Lotus Sutra, with its boundless meanings both extensive and abbreviated, is completely contained without deficiency in the single Sanskrit letter hrīḥ." {Note: Text}
○The Secret Praise of Amitabha {Note: By Annen} says: "Amitabha Buddha's secret name is the Wonderful Lotus Sutra." {Note: Text}
○The Collection of Selections, volume 1 {Note: 8 sheets} says: "The Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra 4 says: Regarding establishing faith through practices: However, there are two types of practices. First, correct practices; second, mixed practices. Speaking of correct practices: those who exclusively rely on rebirth sutras to perform practices are called correct practices. What are these? Wholeheartedly and exclusively reading and reciting this Contemplation Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Infinite Life Sutra, etc.; wholeheartedly and exclusively focusing, contemplating and observing, remembering the two-fold reward adornments of that land; if bowing, then wholeheartedly and exclusively bowing to that Buddha; if orally reciting, then wholeheartedly and exclusively reciting that Buddha; if praising and making offerings, then wholeheartedly and exclusively praising and making offerings. This is called correct. Also, within this correctness, there are again two types. First, wholeheartedly and exclusively being mindful of Amitabha's name - this is called the practice of correct determination, because it accords with that Buddha's vow. If relying on ritual praise, etc., this is called auxiliary practice. Excluding these correct and auxiliary practices, all other good deeds are called mixed practices." {Note: To here} "Called sparse and mixed practices." {Note: Text}
○The same {Note: 11 sheets} says: "Mixed practices are countless; there is no leisure to fully describe them. But now, just contrasting with the five types of correct [practices]