..續本文上一頁來世一切衆生爲煩惱賊之所害者。說清淨業。善哉韋提希快問此事。阿難。汝當受持廣爲多衆宣說佛語。如來今者。教韋提希及未來世一切衆生觀于西方極樂世界。以佛力故。當得見彼清淨國土。如執明鏡自見面像。見彼國土極妙樂事。心歡喜故。應時即得無生法忍。佛告韋提希。汝是凡夫心想羸劣。未得天眼。不能遠觀。諸佛如來有異方便。令汝得見。時韋提希白佛言。世尊。如我今者以佛力故見彼國土。若佛滅後諸衆生等。濁惡不善五苦所逼。雲何當見阿彌陀佛極樂世界。
Thirteen contemplations:
1) contemplation of the setting sun
[9] The Buddha said to Vaidehi, "You and other sentient beings should concentrate and, with one-pointed attention, turn your thoughts westward. How do you contemplate
All sentient beings [342a] except those born blind--that is, all those with the faculty of sight--should look at the setting sun. Sit in the proper posture, facing west. Clearly gaze at the sun, with mind firmly fixed on it; concentrate your sight and do not let it wander from the setting sun, which is like a drum suspended above the horizon. Having done so, you should then be able to visualize it clearly, whether your eyes are open or closed. This is the visualizing of the sun and is known as the first contemplation. To practice in this way is called the correct contemplation, and to practice otherwise is incorrect."
[9] 佛告韋提希。汝及衆生。應當專心。系念一處。想于西方。雲何作想。凡作想者。一切衆生自非生盲。有目之徒皆見日沒。當起想念。正坐西向谛觀于日。令心堅住。專想不移。見日欲沒狀如懸鼓。既見日已。閉目開目皆令明了。是爲日想。名曰初觀。作是觀者名爲正觀。若他觀者名爲邪觀。
2) contemplation of the water
[10] The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "After you have accomplished the first contemplation, next practice visualization of water. Envision the western quarter as entirely flooded by water. Then picture the water as clear and pure, and let this vision be distinctly perceived. Keep your thoughts from being distracted. After you have visualized the water, envision it becoming frozen. After you have visualized the ice as transparent to its depth, see it turning into beryl. When you have attained this vision, next imagine that the beryl ground shines brilliantly, inside and out, and that this ground is supported from below by columns, which are made of diamond and the seven jewels and hung with golden banners. These columns have eight sides and eight corners, each side being adorned with a hundred jewels. Each jewel emits a thousand rays of light, each ray in turn having eighty-four thousand colors. As they are reflected on the beryl ground, they look like a thousand kotis of suns, so dazzling that it is impossible to see them in detail.
On this beryl ground, golden paths intercross like a net of cords. The land is pided into areas made of one or the other of the seven jewels, so the partitions are quite distinct. Each jewel emits a flood of light in five hundred colors. The light appears in the shape of a flower or a star or the moon; suspended in the sky, it turns into a platform of light, on which there are ten million pavilions made of a hundred jewels. Both sides of this platform are adorned with a hundred kotis of flowered banners and innumerable musical instruments. As eight pure breezes arise from the light and play the musical instruments, they proclaim the truth of suffering, emptiness, impermanence and no-self. This is the visualizing of the water and is known as the second contemplation.
[10] 佛告阿難及韋提希。初觀成已。次作水想。想見西方一切皆是大水。見水澄清。亦令明了。無分散意。既見水已當起冰想。見冰映徹作琉璃想。此想成已。見琉璃地內外映徹。下有金剛七寶金幢。擎琉璃地。其幢八方八楞具足。一一方面百寶所成。一一寶珠有千光明。一光明八萬四千色。映琉璃地。如億千日不可具見。琉璃地上。以黃金繩雜廁間錯。以七寶界分齊分明。一一寶中有五百色光。其光如花。又似星月。懸處虛空成光明臺。樓閣千萬百寶合成。于臺兩邊各有百億花幢無量樂器。以爲莊嚴。八種清風從光明出。鼓此樂器。演說苦空無常無我之音。是爲水想。名第二
3) contemplation of the ground
[11] "When you have attained this contemplation, visualize each object quite clearly without losing the image, whether your eyes are closed or open. Except when sleeping, always keep it in mind. To practice in this way is called the correct contemplation, and to practice otherwise is incorrect."
The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "When the visualization of the water has been accomplished, it is called the general perception o…
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