July 31, 2025
A Discussion on Excerpts from the Scriptures of the Pure Land School
淨土宗精要法語討論
28. 《The Contemplation Sutra》- There is No Joy in This Turbid and Iniquitous World (continued)
28.2 Question:
Some people say, “It is precisely because sentient beings have discriminating thoughts that they remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death. They distinguish between suffering and joy, defilement and purity, and become attached to the Western Pure Land. Isn’t this contrary to the path of liberation? At the very least, doesn’t it show a low level of spiritual realization?” Is that the case?
Answer:
The Sacred Path teachings (the path for sages) require a mind free of discrimination: detached from all appearances, neither desiring nor rejecting, clinging nor abandoning. This is the teaching for sages.
However, the Pure Land path is the teaching for ordinary beings. It involves both aversion toward this Saha world(this impure world of suffering) and aspiration for
the Land of Bliss, Peace and Joy). This is accomplished by relying on the power of Amitabha Buddha’s other-power and letting go of self-reliant practices (self-power).
Master Tanluan gave the “ice and fire” analogy: It is like lighting a fire on ice. If the fire is strong, the ice melts; when the ice melts, the fire is extinguished. Even a person of the lowest spiritual grade, though unaware of the ultimate truth that all phenomena are unproduced by nature (i.e., non-arising of dharmas). They can still aspire for rebirth by relying on the power of reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name. That land—the Pure Land—is the realm of non-arising. So, the ‘fire’ of apparent birth is naturally extinguished when rebirth occurs.”
Great Master Yinguang said: “In the practice of Chan (Zen), both accepting and rejecting are incorrect views. In the practice of reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name, both accepting and rejecting are correct.”
Great Master Ouyi said: “When the acts of accepting and rejecting are carried to the ultimate, they are in no way different from non-acceptance and non-rejecting.”
From the standpoint of sentient beings' capacities, the discriminating choices of “taking and leaving” in the Pure Land path are superior, because they are practical and easy to carry out.
It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to achieve a mind free from all discriminations. The Pure Land teaching directly works with the discriminating minds of ordinary beings: detesting impurity and admiring purity, or abandoning suffering and seeking bliss.
This teaching skillfully aligns with ordinary human feelings. It does not require insight into the equality of all phenomena, nor does it require eliminating attachment to the self. Anyone can practice it.
Although ordinary beings still have deluded thoughts and discriminations before rebirth, once they are reborn in the Pure Land, they suddenly realize the truth of non-arising. They enter the formless through the doorway with form, and realize the ultimate truth through their seemingly mundane aspiration.
This is possible because they rely on Amitabha Buddha’s power, accepting Amitabha’s enlightened fruit (result) as the cause of their practice. The cause contains the ocean of the result, and the result thoroughly reveals the origin of the cause.
Even if one’s spiritual level before rebirth is not high, after rebirth, one immediately transcends the Ten Bodhisattva Grounds (the ten stages of enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism).
28. 《觀經》不樂濁惡
28.2 問：有人說，「眾生正是因為心有分別而生死輪迴，分別苦樂，厭穢欣淨， 執著西方，豈是解脫之業？至少境界不高」，是這樣嗎？
答：聖道門要求心無分別，離一切相，不厭不欣，不取不捨，是聖者之教； 淨土門是凡夫之教，有厭有欣，有取有捨：厭娑婆，欣極樂；取佛力，捨自力。
曇鸞大師有「冰火喻」：「又如冰上燃火，火猛則冰解，冰解則火滅。彼下品人 ，雖不知法性無生，但以稱佛名力，作往生意，願生彼土，彼土是無生界，見 生之火自然而滅。」
印光大師說：「參禪一法，則取捨皆非；念佛一法，則取捨皆是。」
蕅益大師說：「取捨若極，與不取不捨亦非異轍。」
就眾生根機而言，淨土門的分別取捨更為超勝，因為它容易實行。凡夫難以 做到心無分別，淨土門直接就凡夫分別取捨心境之上，厭穢欣淨，捨苦求樂， 巧順凡情，不需悟平等之理，不必破我見執著，任何人都可以修持。
雖然在凡夫分上不離妄想分別，一旦往生，則頓證無生，從有相而巧入無相， 即事求而頓證極理，因為仰仗佛力，以果地覺，為因地心，因該果海，果徹因 源。往生之前境界不高，往生之後「頓超十地」。
Namo Amituofo!
