..续本文上一页来世一切众生为烦恼贼之所害者。说清净业。善哉韦提希快问此事。阿难。汝当受持广为多众宣说佛语。如来今者。教韦提希及未来世一切众生观于西方极乐世界。以佛力故。当得见彼清净国土。如执明镜自见面像。见彼国土极妙乐事。心欢喜故。应时即得无生法忍。佛告韦提希。汝是凡夫心想羸劣。未得天眼。不能远观。诸佛如来有异方便。令汝得见。时韦提希白佛言。世尊。如我今者以佛力故见彼国土。若佛灭后诸众生等。浊恶不善五苦所逼。云何当见阿弥陀佛极乐世界。
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] 佛告韦提希。汝及众生。应当专心。系念一处。想于西方。云何作想。凡作想者。一切众生自非生盲。有目之徒皆见日没。当起想念。正坐西向谛观于日。令心坚住。专想不移。见日欲没状如悬鼓。既见日已。闭目开目皆令明了。是为日想。名曰初观。作是观者名为正观。若他观者名为邪观。
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] 佛告阿难及韦提希。初观成已。次作水想。想见西方一切皆是大水。见水澄清。亦令明了。无分散意。既见水已当起冰想。见冰映彻作琉璃想。此想成已。见琉璃地内外映彻。下有金刚七宝金幢。擎琉璃地。其幢八方八楞具足。一一方面百宝所成。一一宝珠有千光明。一光明八万四千色。映琉璃地。如亿千日不可具见。琉璃地上。以黄金绳杂厕间错。以七宝界分齐分明。一一宝中有五百色光。其光如花。又似星月。悬处虚空成光明台。楼阁千万百宝合成。于台两边各有百亿花幢无量乐器。以为庄严。八种清风从光明出。鼓此乐器。演说苦空无常无我之音。是为水想。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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