Do Pure Land Aspirants Forsake Other Beings?

• Dharmasharer

  7 Mar 14, 14:49

  净土�疑论
  The Treatise On Ten Doubts About Pure Land

  隋天�智者大师著
  Written by Sui Dynasty’s Tiantai Tradition’s Great Master Zhizhe (538–597 CE)
  优婆塞沈时安英译
  Translated to English by UpÄ�saka Shen Shi’an (2014 CE)
  [This improved edition replaces all previous ones by the same translator]
  

  第一疑: �离众生疑
  The First Doubt: Doubt Of Forsaking Sentient Beings

  问曰： 「诸佛��以大悲为业。若欲救度众生，�应愿生三界，于五浊三途中，救苦众生。

  All Buddhas¹ and Bodhisattvas² accord with great compassion³ for their actions. If desiring to save and deliver sentient beings, we should only aspire for birth in the three spheres,⁴ within the five defilements⁵ and three paths,⁶ to save suffering sentient beings.

  因何求生净土，自安其身？�离众生则是无大慈悲，专为自利障���。�

  For what cause should we seek birth in [the] Pure Land⁷ [of AmitÄ�(bha) Buddha (Amituofo)], to personally abide in peace? Forsaking sentient beings is thus without great loving-kindness⁸ and compassion, to focus on self-benefits that obstruct the Bodhi⁹ path.

  答曰：「��有二�。

  Answer: Bodhisattvas are of two kinds.

  一者，久修行���，得无生�者，实当所责。

  The first, for a long time, have cultivated the Bodhisattva path, and already attained the Patience Of Non-Birth.¹⁰ Truly, they should be responsible [for saving suffering sentient beings].

  二者，未得已还���心凡夫。凡夫��者，�须常�离佛。�力�就，方堪处三界内，于�世中，救苦众生。

  The second, are those who have yet to attain it, and also ordinary beings, who have just given rise to Bodhicitta.¹¹ Ordinary Bodhisattvas need to constantly be with, and never leave Buddha[s]. When the power of patience is accomplished, then can they abide in the three spheres, within this evil period,¹² to save suffering sentient beings.

  故《智度论》云：『具缚凡夫，有大悲心，愿生�世，救苦众生者，无有是处。

  Thus, the Perfection Of Wisdom Treatise¹³ says, ‘For bound¹⁴ ordinary beings, who have the mind of great compassion, and aspire for birth in this evil period, to save suffering sentient beings, this is not possible.

  何以故？�世界烦�强。自无�力，心�境转，声色所缚。自堕三途，焉能救众生？

  Why is this so? Afflictions of this evil period’s world are powerful. Personally without the power of patience, the mind will, with conditions be transformed, thus by sounds and forms bound. Personally falling into the three paths, how is one able to save sentient beings?

  �令得生人中，圣�难得。或因施戒修�，得生人中，得作国王大臣，富贵自在。纵�善知识，�肯信用。

  If attaining birth within the human realm, the sagely path¹⁵ is difficult to attain. One might, by generosity, upholding of precepts¹⁶ and cultivation of blessings, attain birth within the human realm, to become a country’s king or great official, with wealth, honour and ease. Even if one meets good-knowing friends,¹⁷ one may not be willing to have faith in them, or benefit from them.

  贪迷放逸，广造众罪，乘此�业，一入三途，�无�劫。从地狱出，�贫贱身。

  With greed and delusion unrestrained, extensively creating all kinds of transgressions,¹⁸ riding on this evil karma,¹⁹ once entering the three paths, passes through immeasurable kalpas.²⁰ Departing from the hells,²¹ one receives a poor and lowly body.

  若�逢善知识，还堕地狱。如此轮回，至于今日，人人皆如是。� 此�难行�也。

  If not coming across good-knowing friends, one will still fall into the hells. Thus reborn, so far as to this present day, everyone is like so.’ This is named the Path Of Difficult Practice.²²

  故《维摩�》云：『自疾�能救，而能救诸疾人？�

  Thus, the VimalakÄ«rti SÅ«tra²³ says, ‘[If your] personal sickness is not able to be relieved, how moreover, [are you] able to relieve all sick persons?’

  �《智度论》云：『譬如二人，�有亲眷，为水所溺。一人情急，直入水救。为无方便力故，彼此俱没。

  Moreover, the Perfection Of Wisdom Treatise says, ‘For example, there are two persons, each having relatives, by waters being drowned. One person, feeling anxious, directly enters the water to save them. Due
  to being without the power of expedient means,²⁴ with one another, they all sink.

  一人有方便，往�船�。乘之救接，悉皆得脱水溺之难。

  One other person has expedient means, and goes to get a boat. Riding on it to receive and save, all attain liberation from the adversity of being drowned by water.

  新����，亦�如是，未得�力，�能救众生。为此常须近佛。得无生�已，方能救众生，如得船者。 �

  Newly aspiring Bodhisattvas are likewise so, yet to attain the power of patience, and not able to save sentient beings. Due to this, they constantly need to be near Buddha[s]. After attaining the Patience Of Non-Birth, then are they able to save sentient beings, like the one who attained the boat.’

  �论云：『譬如婴儿，�得离�。若也离�，或堕�井，渴乳而死。

  Moreover, the Treatise says, ‘For example, a baby should never leave the mother. If even the mother is left behind, the baby might fall into a pit or well, and die from thirst for milk.

  �如鸟�，翅羽未�，�得�树傅�，�能远去。翅翮�就，方能飞空，自在无�。�

  Moreover, like a baby bird, with wings not yet developed, who can only lean on trees and stick to branches, he is not able to go far. With the feathers and quills accomplished, then is he able to fly to the sky, with ease and without obstructions.’

  凡夫无力，唯得专念阿弥陀佛，使�三昧。以业�故，临终敛念得生，决定�疑，�弥陀佛。

  Ordinary beings without power, can only, with focused mindfulness of AmitÄ�[bha] Buddha [Amituofo], enable accomplishment of SamÄ�dhi.²⁵ With this karma thus accomplished, when approaching the end of life with gathered mindfulness, they will attain birth [in his Pure Land]. Definitely and without doubt, they will see AmitÄ�[bha] Buddha [Amituofo].

  �无生�已，还�三界，乘无生�船，救苦众生，广施佛事，任�自在。

  After realising the Patience Of Non-Birth, they return to the three spheres, riding on the boat of Patience Of Non-Birth, to save suffering sentient beings, extensively practise generosity, and accomplish the Buddha’s activities, at will and with ease.

  故论云：『游�地狱，行者生彼国，得无生�已，还入生死国，教化地狱，救苦众生。�

  Thus, the Treatise says, ‘Travelling freely with ease in the hells, practitioners born in that [Pure] Land, after attaining the Patience Of Non-Birth, return to enter the lands of birth and death, for teaching and transforming hell-beings, to save [these and other] suffering sentient beings.’

  以是因缘，求生净土，愿识其教。故《��婆沙论》，�易行�也。�

  With these causes and conditions, seek birth in [that] Pure Land [of AmitÄ�(bha) Buddha (Amituofo)], and aspire to understand its teachings. Thus, the Ten Abodes VibhÄ�á¹£Ä� Treatise²⁶ names this the Path Of Easy
  Practice.²⁷

  Notes

  1 Buddha: An awakened or fully enlightened one, who has attained liberation from all suffering, having perfected compassion and wisdom with all other virtues, for guiding all sentient beings to the same
  goal.
  2 Bodhisattva: One who aspires for Buddhahood, while guiding all sentient beings to it
  3 Great compassion: Wish and action to remove suffering of all sentient beings
  4 … of desire, form and formlessness
  5 … of kalpa, views, afflictions, sentient beings and lifespans
  6 Realms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts and animals
  7 World created by a Buddha’s perfect compassion, wisdom and merits (meritorious virtues) for swiftly guiding sentient beings to Buddhahood without fail
  8 Wish for all sentient beings to be well and happy
  9 Full awakening; supreme enlightenment; Buddhahood
  10 Insight of the non-origination (and non-cessation) of dharmas (phenomena of mind and matter), that leads to non-retrogressible progress towards Buddhahood
  11 Aspiration to attain Buddhahood while guiding all sentient beings to the same goal
  12 … with the five defilements (See Note 5 on Page 13)
  13 MahÄ� PrajñÄ� PÄ�ramitÄ� ÅšÄ�stra 大智度论: Treatise On The Great Perfection Of Wisdom
  14 … by afflictions of thoughts, speech and actions with attachment, aversion and delusion that cause suffering
  15 … to attainments towards/of liberation of self and/or others (relying only on Self-Power)
  16 … of moral conduct to avoid evil (and do good)
  17 Spiritual friends
  18 Immoral misgivings
  19 … which leads to retribution of suffering
  20 Kalpa: An inconceivably long period of time; one world cycle: time for a world to be formed and destroyed
  21 Hell(s): Realm with greatest and longest suffering
  22 … due to many obstacles and recurring high tendency to backslide
  23 Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra 维摩诘所说�: Discourse On Teaching Spoken By Vimalakīrti
  24 Skilful methods from compassion and wisdom synergised
  25 Right concentration from connecting to AmitÄ�(bha) Buddha’s (Amituofo) blessings
  26 Daśa Bhūmika [Grounds] Vibh�ṣ� [Compendium] Ś�stra ��毘婆沙论
  27 … due to few obstacles and no tendency to backslide

  For The Other Nine Doubts, get the book @ thedailyenlightenment.com/store