..續本文上一頁者。深思此理。自牢其心。莫信異見。自墜陷也。
Question 9 第九疑
The Western Pure Land is ten billion Buddha Lands away from here. Common, ordinary people are weak and frail. How can they reach it
問。西方去此十萬億佛刹。凡夫劣弱。雲何可到。又往生論雲。女人及根缺。二乘種不生。既有此教。當知女人及以根缺者。定必不得往生。
Answer
The Western Pure Land is described as being ten billion Buddha Lands away from here only with respect to the limited concepts of ordinary people with eyes of flesh and blood, mired in birth and death.
答。爲對凡夫肉眼生死心量說耳。西方去此。十萬億佛刹。
For those who have attained the pure karma of rebirth in the Pure Land, the Mind in samadhi at the time of death is precisely the Mind reborn in the Pure Land. As soon as the thought (of rebirth) arises, rebirth is achieved. Thus, the Meditation Sutra states that “the Land of Amitabha Buddha is not far from here!” Moreover, the power of karma is inconceivable. In the space of one thought, rebirth in the Pure Land is achieved. There is no need to worry about distance.
但使衆生淨土業成者。臨終在定之心。即是淨土受生之心。動念即是生淨土時。爲此觀經雲。彌陀佛國。去此不遠。又業力不可思議。一念即得生彼。不須愁遠。
This is analogous to a person asleep and dreaming. Although his body is on the bed, his Mind is travelling all over, to all worlds, as though he were awake. Rebirth in the Pure Land is, generally speaking, similar to this example.
又如人夢。身雖在床。而心意識。徧至他方。一切世界。如平生不異也。生淨土亦爾。動念即至。不須疑也。女人及根缺。二乘種不生者。但論生彼國無女人。及無盲聾喑啞人。不道此間女人根缺人不得生彼。若如此說者。愚癡全不識經意。即如韋提夫人。是請生淨土主。及五百侍女。佛授記悉得往生彼國。但此處女人。及盲聾喑啞人。心念彌陀佛。悉生彼國已。更不受女身。亦不受根缺身。二乘人但回心願生淨土。至彼更無二乘執心。爲此故雲。女人及根缺二乘種不生。非謂此處女人。及根缺人不得生也。故無量壽經四十八願雲。設我得佛。十方世界。一切女人。稱我名號。厭惡女身。舍命之後。更受女身者。不取正覺。況生彼國。更受女身。根缺者亦爾。
Question 10 第十疑
I have now resolved to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. However, I do not know which practices to cultivate, nor what the seeds of rebirth in the Western Pure Land are. Moreover, ordinary people all have families and have not rid themselves of lust and attachment. This being the case, can they achieve rebirth
問。今欲決定求生西方。未知作何行業。以何爲種子。得生彼國。又凡夫俗人。皆有妻子。未知不斷淫欲。得生彼否。
Answer
If a cultivator wishes to be assured of rebirth, he should perfect two practices: the practice of “disgust” (at the five desires) and the practice of “joyfulness in vows”.
答。欲決定生西方者。具有二種行。定得生彼。一者厭離行。二者欣願行。
A) The practice of “disgust” refers to the fact that common people have been bound by the five desires from time immemorial. Thus, they wander along the six paths, enduring untold suffering! In that quagmire, unless they become disgusted with the five desires, how can they escape the cycle of birth and death
言厭離行者。凡夫無始已來。爲五欲纏縛。輪回五道。備受衆苦。不起心厭離五欲。未有出期。
Therefore, the Pure Land cultivator should constantly visualize this body as a mass of flesh and bones, blood and pus, a skinbag containing phlegm, pus, urine, feces and other foul-smelling substances. The Parinirvana Sutra states: “This fortress of a body – only evil, deluded demons could tolerate living in it. Who with any wisdom would ever cling to or to delight in such a skinbag!”
爲此常觀此身。膿血屎尿。一切惡露。不淨臭穢。故涅槃經雲。如是身城。愚癡羅刹。止住其中。誰有智者。當樂此身。
Another scriptures states: “This body is the confluence of all kinds of suffering; it is a jail, a prison, a mass of ulcers; everything is impure. In truth, it is not worth clinging to –even the celestial bodies of deities are no different.”
又經雲。此身衆苦所集。一切皆不淨。扼縛癰瘡等。根本無義利。上至諸天身。皆亦如是。
Therefore, whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining, whether asleep or awake, cultivators should always visualize this body as nothing but a source of suffering, without any pleasure, and develop a sense of disgust ... (thus gradually becoming free from lustful thoughts).
行者若行若坐。若睡若覺。常觀此身。唯苦無樂。深生厭離。
Moreover, the cultivator should also engage in the Seven Types of Meditation on Impurity (e.g., as a fetus, in the impure, dirty area of the womb, drinking the mother”s blood, emerging from the womb with pus and blood gushing forth and foul odors in…
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