A Discussion on Excerpts from the Scriptures of the Pure Land School
淨土宗精要法語討論
30. The Contemplation Sutra - Appearing Immediately in Response to One’s Mind
The Bodies of Tathagatas exist in the Dharma Realm, and they can enter the mind of each sentient being. In this way, when you think of a Buddha, your mind receives the [Buddha’s] 32 marks and 80 physical characteristics. It is the mind that receives the Buddha, the mind that is the Buddha.
Question 30.1 : Some people say that the Contemplation Sutra’s phrase “It is the mind that creates Buddha, the mind that is Buddha” refers to the concept of “Amitabha as one's own nature, and the Pure Land as solely mind-created.” Meaning that one's inherent nature is no different from Amitabha Buddha’s, and reciting Amitabha’s Name is reciting one’s own inherent nature. Is that the correct understanding?
Answer : There are two interpretations regarding the phrase “This mind creates Buddha, this mind is Buddha.”
One interpretation is by masters such as Master Huiyuan of Jingying Temple, Master Zhizhe (Zhiyi), and Master Jizang. They explain that the “Dharma-body of the Dharma Realm” refers to the Dharma-body (Dharmakaya), which is formless, without appearance, and pervades the entire Dharma realm—it is the true suchness of all things. Sentient beings inherently possess this Dharma-body, and their self-nature is originally pure. If one can accomplish the Contemplation of the Buddha Samadhi and harmonize understanding and practice, then the mind and the Buddha are of one body. Within a pure mind and nature, the Buddha-body can manifest with all its excellent marks and characteristics.
The phrase “this mind creates Buddha” means that the nature of the mind of sentient beings inherently contains the principle of the Dharma-nature; by practicing this Buddha-contemplation Samadhi, one can ultimately attain Buddhahood.
“This mind is Buddha” means that the Dharma-body of all Buddhas shares the same essence as our own. When contemplation of the Buddha is accomplished, what appears in the mind is the Dharma-body of the Buddhas. Thus, the mind is Buddha, and there is no Buddha apart from the mind.
In short, this is a principle-based contemplation that emphasizes the originally pure mind-nature. It became the doctrinal basis for later ideas such as “Amitabha is one’s own nature” and “the Pure Land is only mind-created.”
However, Master Shandao’s explanation is vastly different from these other masters. In the Contemplation Sutra, “Contemplation of the Buddha” refers to visual contemplation, focusing on the physical form of the Buddha, dwelling in mindful visualization, with the Buddha’s mind embracing the practitioner. When the practitioner gives rise to the aspiration to see the Buddha, the Buddha, through his unobstructed wisdom, knows this and immediately manifests in the meditator’s visualizing mind. This is a practice based on phenomenal cultivation (事修), not a principle-based contemplation (理觀). Therefore, it has absolutely no similarity whatsoever with the idea of “Amitabha as one’s own nature” or “the Pure Land as solely mind-created.”
30. 《觀經》應心即現
諸佛如來是法界身，入一切眾生心想中。是故汝等心想佛時，是心即是三 十二相、八十隨形好；是心作佛，是心是佛。
30.1 問：有人說，「《觀經》『是心作佛，是心是佛』，即所謂『自性彌陀，唯心淨 土』，自性與佛無二無別，念佛即是念自性」，是這樣嗎？
答：關於「是心作佛，是心是佛」，有兩種解釋。
淨影慧遠、智者大師、吉藏大師等諸師所釋，「法界身」即法身，即無形無 相、遍滿法界的真如法性。眾生本具法身，自性本自清淨，若能成就觀佛三昧 ，解行相應，心佛一體，在清淨心性中就能顯現佛身，具佛相好。
「是心作佛」，眾生心性本具法性之理，行此觀佛三昧，終能成佛。「是心是佛」 ，諸佛法身與己同體，觀佛成就時，心中所現即是諸佛法身，心即是佛，心外 無佛。總之，屬於著眼於自性清淨心的理觀，成為後世「自性彌陀，唯心淨土」 的淵源。
善導大師所釋與諸師大不相同。《觀經》像觀，取佛身相，住心觀想，佛心 攝取，機感相應，「眾生起念，願見諸佛，佛即以無礙智知，即能入彼想心中 現」，是事修，非理觀，與「自性彌陀，唯心淨土」絕無少分相似。
Namo Amituofo!
