英語訳
【Page 20, Upper Section】
Forgetting them, those who immediately achieve understanding at a single word are people of superior faculties. Those of middle and lower spiritual capacities should carefully distinguish the source and branches of mind and objects, the correct and incorrect in cultivation and awakening, practice well, and attain this. The founding patriarch of this school, Bodhidharma, is said to have abandoned all affairs at Shaolin Temple for nine years and faced the wall. That one cannot attain realization without the merit of spiritual effort should be known from this. Also, masters like Mazu and Benjing are seen to have thoroughly understood sūtras and treatises and completely awakened to their own minds. To recite teaching texts with words, not yet ceasing, and think one has attained—this would not be the original intent of mind-to-mind transmission. Therefore, for ordinary beings of inferior faculties who have been covered and obstructed by deluded contamination since beginningless time to well realize awakening and manifest the fundamental nature of mind-nature would be rare in the final age. Simply chanting the name of Amida Buddha, who is one body with the dharma-body, and attaining the realization of non-birth in abandoning the body for the other world corresponds to beings of inferior capacity in the final age.
First, the heart of the Pure Land school establishes the two paths of difficult and easy practice to distinguish the entire teaching period. The difficult practice path refers to attaining sagehood and fruition in this land, the path of cultivation and entry through one's own power.
【Page 20, Lower Section】
This is what is clarified in the various sūtras of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. The easy practice path refers to the path of abandoning the body for the other world and being born in the Pure Land of Bliss. This is what is revealed in the three wonderful scriptures. Therefore, though the various schools mentioned above—great and small, provisional and real, exoteric and esoteric teachings, and Zen—are different, they are all the difficult practice path. The terminology of these two paths comes from Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva's Commentary on the Ten Stages (Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā). Namely, in Master Tanluan's commentary, he quotes that treatise to clarify the two paths of difficult and easy. In seeking the bodhisattva's non-retrogression (avaivartika), there are two kinds of paths: first, the difficult practice path; second, the easy practice path. The difficult practice path means that it is difficult to seek non-retrogression through the five turbidities of the world during times without Buddha. In this difficulty, there are now many aspects. I will roughly mention five or three to show the meaning. First, the apparent good of non-Buddhists can disturb the bodhisattva's dharma. Second, the self-benefit of śrāvakas obstructs great compassion. Third, inconsiderate evil people destroy others' excellent virtues. Fourth, inverted good fruits can destroy pure conduct. Fifth, this is only self-power, without the assistance of other-power. Such matters that meet the eye are all
【Page 21, Upper Section】
like this. For example, walking on land routes is immediately suffering. The easy practice path means that simply through the conditions of faith in Buddha, if one wishes to be born in the Pure Land, one rides on the Buddha's vow-power and immediately attains birth in that pure land. Sustained by Buddha-power, one immediately enters the group of those in correct determination of the Mahāyāna. Correct determination is precisely non-retrogression. For example, traveling by boat on water routes is immediately pleasant—this is that text. When Master Luan added commentary to the Pure Land treatise, he quoted this passage and made it the doctrinal aspect of the school. That is, pointing to the present treatise and explaining it as "the ultimate vehicle of supreme progress, the sailing vessel of non-retrogression" clarifies the principle of easy practice. Because the Pure Land treatise is a treatise that comprehensively explains the three sūtras, it reveals that the teachings of the three sūtras are the easy practice path, and shows that the rest are the difficult practice path. The ultimate vehicle of supreme progress, the sailing vessel of non-retrogression, is the sudden teaching within the sudden realization and sudden teaching of Mahāyāna. It is like a sailing ship with favorable wind—a metaphor for other-power. Not only Master Luan, but patriarchs of our own and other schools, when examining the entire teaching period, mostly maintain this understanding. Namely,
【Page 21, Lower Section】
In Daochuo's Anle ji (Collection on Peace and Bliss), establishing the Holy Path and Pure Land refers to the present two paths of difficult and easy. In Cien's Xifang yaojue (Essential Decisions on the Western Direction), speaking of the three vehicles and Pure Land is also the two gates of Holy Path and Pure Land. When distinguished according to practice, it is called difficult and easy practice. When discussed regarding ordinary beings and sages, it is named Holy Path and Pure Land. Also in Tiantai Master's Ten Doubts, based on Nāgārjuna's doctrinal judgments, he reveals the difficulty of accomplishing practice in the defiled land and judges the definitive meaning of realization in the Pure Land. First, explaining the characteristics of the difficult practice path, he quotes from the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra the passage: "Even if ordinary beings with complete bondage have great compassionate hearts, if they immediately vow to be born in evil worlds to save suffering beings, this principle would not exist," and below adds his own explanation saying: "For what reason? In evil worlds, the objects of afflictions are strong and one has no power of patience. Following conditions, one is turned around, bound by sounds and forms, and falls into the three evil paths by oneself. How could one well save sentient beings?" Even if one attains birth among humans, the Holy Path is difficult to attain. Or through cultivating merit via giving and precepts,