..續本文上一頁行願。相續無間。滿一萬劫。方始至第六正心住。若更增進。至第七不退住。即種性位。此約自力。卒未得生淨土。

　　With regard to “other power”, if anyone believes in the power of Amitabha Buddha”s compassionate vow to rescue sentient beings and then develops the Bodhi Mind, cultivate the Buddha Remembrance (Recitation) Samadhi, grows weary of his temporal, impure body in the Triple Realm, practices charity, upholds the precepts and performs other meritorious deeds – dedicating all the merits and virtues to rebirth in the Western Land – his aspirations and the Buddha”s response will be accord. Relying thus on the Buddha”s power, he will immediately achieve rebirth.

　　他力者。若信阿彌陀佛。大悲願力。攝取念佛衆生。即能發菩提心。行念佛叁昧。厭離叁界身。起行施戒修福。于一一行中。回願生彼。彌陀淨土。乘佛願力。機感相應。即得往生。

　　Thus, it is stated in the Commentary on the Ten Stages of Buddhahood: “There are two paths of cultivation, the Difficult Path and the Easy Path. The Difficult Path refers to the practices of sentient beings in the world of the five turbidities, who, through countless Buddha eras, aspire to reach the stage of Non-Retrogression. The difficulties are truly countless, as numerous as specks of dust or grains of sand, too numerous to imagine. I will summarize the five major ones below:

　　a) Externalists are legion, creating confusion with respect to the Bodhisattva Dharma;

　　b) Evil beings destroy the practitioner”s good, wholesome virtues;

　　c) Worldly merits and blessings can easily lead the practitioner astray, so that he ceases to engage in virtuous practices;

　　d) It is easy to stray onto the Arhat”s path of self-benefit, which obstructs the Mind of great compassion;

　　e) Relying exclusively on self-power, without the aid of the Buddha”s power, makes cultivation very difficult and arduous. It is not unlike the case of a feeble, handicapped person, walking alone, who can only go so far each day regardless of how much effort he expends.

　　是故十住婆沙論雲。于此世界修道。有二種。一者難行道。二者易行道。難行者。在于五濁惡世。于無量佛時。求阿鞞跋致。甚難可得。此難無數塵沙。說不可盡。略陳有五。一者外道相善。亂菩薩法。二者無賴惡人。破他勝德。叁者顛倒善果。能壞梵行。四者聲聞自利。障于大慈。五者唯有自力。無他力持。譬如跛人步行。一日不過數裏。極大辛苦。謂自力也。

　　“The Easy Path of cultivation means that, if sentient beings in this world believe in the Buddha”s words, practice Buddha Recitation and vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, they are assisted by the Buddha”s vow-power and assured of rebirth. This is analogues to a person who floats downstream in a boat; although the distance may be many thousands of miles, his destination will be reached in no time. Similarly, a common being, relying on the power of a “universal monarch” (a kind of deity), can traverse the “four great universes” in a day and a night – this is not due to his own power, but, rather, to the power of the monarch.”

　　易行道者。謂信佛語。教念佛叁昧。願生淨土。乘彌陀佛。願力攝持。決定往生不疑也。如人水路行。藉船力故。須臾即至千裏。謂他力也。譬如劣夫。從轉輪王。一日一夜周行四天下。非是自力。轉輪王力也。

　　Some people, reasoning according to “noumenon” (principle), may say that common beings, being “conditioned”, cannot be reborn in the Pure Land or see the Buddha”s body.

　　若言有漏凡夫。不得生淨土者。亦可有漏凡夫。應不得見佛身。

　　The answer is that the virtues of Buddha Recitation are “unconditioned” good roots. Ordinary, impure persons who develop the Bodhi Mind, seek rebirth and constantly practice Buddha Recitation can subdue and destroy afflictions, achieve rebirth and, depending on their level of cultivation, obtain vision of the their level of the rudimentary aspects of the Buddha (the thirty-two marks of greatness, for example). Bodhisattvas, naturally, can achieve rebirth and see the subtle, loftier aspects of the Buddha (i.e., the Dharma body). There can be no doubt about this.

　　然念佛叁昧。並無漏善根所起。有漏凡夫。隨分得見佛身麤相也。菩薩見微細相。淨土亦爾。雖是無漏善根所起。有漏凡夫發無上菩提心。求生淨土。常念佛故。伏滅煩惱。得生淨土。隨分得見麤相。菩薩見微妙相。此何所疑。

　　Thus, the Avatamsaka Sutra states: “All the various Buddha Lands are equally purely adorned. Because the karmic practices of sentient beings differ, their perceptions of these Lands are differen…

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