..续本文上一页行愿。相续无间。满一万劫。方始至第六正心住。若更增进。至第七不退住。即种性位。此约自力。卒未得生净土。

　　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。若信阿弥陀佛。大悲愿力。摄取念佛众生。即能发菩提心。行念佛三昧。厌离三界身。起行施戒修福。于一一行中。回愿生彼。弥陀净土。乘佛愿力。机感相应。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.

　　是故十住婆沙论云。于此世界修道。有二种。一者难行道。二者易行道。难行者。在于五浊恶世。于无量佛时。求阿鞞跋致。甚难可得。此难无数尘沙。说不可尽。略陈有五。一者外道相善。乱菩萨法。二者无赖恶人。破他胜德。三者颠倒善果。能坏梵行。四者声闻自利。障于大慈。五者唯有自力。无他力持。譬如跛人步行。一日不过数里。极大辛苦。谓自力也。

　　“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。谓信佛语。教念佛三昧。愿生净土。乘弥陀佛。愿力摄持。决定往生不疑也。如人水路行。藉船力故。须臾即至千里。谓他力也。譬如劣夫。从转轮王。一日一夜周行四天下。非是自力。转轮王力也。

　　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。不得生净土者。亦可有漏凡夫。应不得见佛身。

　　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.

　　然念佛三昧。并无漏善根所起。有漏凡夫。随分得见佛身麤相也。菩萨见微细相。净土亦尔。虽是无漏善根所起。有漏凡夫发无上菩提心。求生净土。常念佛故。伏灭烦恼。得生净土。随分得见麤相。菩萨见微妙相。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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