Thirdly, clarification of the principles –
The third point is to clarify the fundamental principles, which are the main path of practice, the key to understanding, and the guideline for all practices. Highlighting the guideline opens all eyes, as if seizing by the collar and all other parts of the garment come together. Therefore, right after explaining the essence of the Sutra, we now start distinguishing the principles. The Amitabha Sutra takes faith, aspiration, and recitation of the Buddha name as the essentials of practice. Without faith, aspiration would not be spurred; without aspiration, practice would lack of drive; without the most wondrous practice of reciting the Buddha name, one may not fulfill one’s aspiration and realize one’s faith. The Sutra first describes the environment to generate faith, then it encourages making aspiration to guide one’s practice, and finally it showcases how reciting the Buddha name directly leads to non-retrogression. Faith means having faith in oneself, having faith in the Buddhas, having faith in cause, in effect, in phenomena, and in principle. Aspiration involves renunciation of this Saha world and longing for the Pure Land. Practice involves holding fast to the Buddha name, with single-minded concentration.
To have faith in oneself means to believe that one’s thinking mind is neither the physical heart nor the shadows of phenomena; it has neither beginning nor end, and it is with no boundaries; it complies with all conditions all day long yet remains unchanged. All the countless lands and realms of the ten directions are manifestations of my single thought. Though I am confused and deluded, if I were to turn back to the right mind even for a single moment, I would certainly be reborn in the Pure Land inherent within my own mind, without any doubt. This is called having faith in oneself.
To have faith in the Buddhas means to believe that Sakyamuni Buddha speaks only the truth, that Amitabha Buddha’s vows are never false, and that the Buddhas of the six directions – who manifest their ‘broad, long tongues’ (as a sign of absolute veracity and eloquence) – never utter contradictory words. Simply put, following the true teachings of all the Buddhas, resolving firmly to seek rebirth in the Pure Land, and harboring no further doubts – this is called having faith in the Buddhas.
To have faith in cause means to believe that even scattered recitation of Amitabha’s name can plant the seed of Buddhahood, that how could one not be reborn in the Pure Land when one’s mind is focused and undisturbed! This is called having faith in the cause.
To have faith in the effect means to believe that rebirth in the Pure Land – a realm where all virtuous beings gather – is attained through mindfulness of the Buddha (samadhi of the name recitation). It is like planting melons and reaping melons, or planting beans and reaping beans. It is as certain as shadows following forms, or echo responding to sound – there is no effort ever going to waste. This is called having faith in the effect.
To have faith in phenomena means to believe that a single thought in the present moment is inexhaustible, and therefore the ten directions of the world manifested by the mind are also inexhaustible; that there truly exists a Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss beyond ten trillion lands, supremely pure and magnificent, not as elusive as those allegorical accounts of Zhuangzi. This is called having faith in the phenomena.
To have faith in principle means to believe that ten trillion lands are not outside of one’s present moment of mind, because one’s present moment of mind has nowhere called outside – absolutely everywhere is covered by one’s present moment of mind; that the Buddha and His disciples – all the guardians of the Pure Land are all reflections of one’s present moment of mind. All phenomena are principle, all delusions are principle, all practices are principle, and all others are within the self. My mind pervades all, the Buddha’s mind pervades all, and the nature of all beings’ minds also pervades all. It is like a thousand lamps within one room, where their lights pervading each other, overlapping and intermingling without obstruction. This is called having faith in the principle.
Once one has attained such faith, one understands that the Saha world is an impure realm manifested by the impurity within one’s own mind, hence it is only fitting to loathe and renounce it; while the Land of Ultimate Bliss is a pure realm manifested by the purity within one’s own mind, therefore one naturally yearns for it. The renunciation of impurity must be carried to its ultimate conclusion, until there is nothing left to relinquish. The pursuit of purity must be practiced to the utmost, until there is nothing left to pursue.
As Master Siming Zhili stating in the Exegesis on the Profound Essentials: “When the processes of seeking and renouncing are brought to their utmost levels, one reaches a state where there is neither seeking nor renouncing.” If one bypasses the practice of seeking and renouncing though, and instead simply tailors it to be ‘neither seeking nor renouncing’, then one is merely clinging to abstract principle while discarding concrete practice. And without concrete practice, one’s grasp of principle fails to be complete.
If, however, one realizes that the entirety of concrete practice is itself the ultimate principle, then the act of seeking is principle, and the act of renouncing is also principle. Every instance of seeking or renouncing is, in truth, an expression of the Dharma-realm. This is why ‘aspiration’ follows ‘faith’ on the heels.
As for ‘holding fast to the Buddha name with single-minded concentration’, the Buddha name serves to invoke the virtues of the Buddha, and because the virtues of the Buddha are inconceivable, the merits of the Buddha name are likewise inconceivable. And because the merits of the Buddha name are inconceivable, even a casual recitation serves as a ‘seed of Buddhahood’, while steadfast and focused recitation surely leads one to attain the stage of non-retrogression.
The various sutras present a vast array of practices for reaching the Pure Land, such as contemplating the Buddha’s image, visualizing the Pure Land, prostrating and making offerings, performing the five types of repentance and the six recollections – all of which, if successfully cultivated, lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. Among these, the single practice of reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name is the most inclusive, accommodating the widest calibers, and the easiest to get started. For this reason, Sakyamuni Buddha – the Compassionate One – spoke of it without even being asked, specifically addressing Shariputra, the great wisdom holder. It can be considered as the foremost among all skillful means, the ultimate expression of the definitive truth, and the most perfect and direct path.
As the saying goes: “When a purifying pearl is cast into muddy water, the water must become clear; when the Buddha’s name is cast into a chaotic mind, the mind must become Buddha.” Faith, aspiration, and the Buddha-name-recitation constitute the true cause for the ‘One Vehicle’ (Ekayana), while the four types of Pure Land represent its wondrous fruit. The fruit must follow the cause; hence the practice of faith, aspiration, and recitation is established as the core essence of the Amitabha Sutra. The characteristics of these four types of Pure Land are detailed in the Exegesis on the Profound Essentials and the Profound Meaning of the Brahma Net Sutra; therefore I will not elaborate herein, but later on they may be briefly touched upon during the explanation of the main text.
第三明宗。宗是修行要徑，會體樞機，而萬行之綱領也。提綱則眾目張，挈領則襟袖至。故體後應須辨宗。此經以信願持名為修行之宗要。非信不足啟願，非願不足導行，非持名妙行不足滿所願而證所信。經中先陳依正以生信，次勸發願以導行，次示持名以徑登不退。信則信自，信他，信因，信果，信事，信理。願則厭離娑婆，欣求極樂。行則執持名號，一心不亂。
信自者，信我現前一念之心，本非肉團，亦非緣影；豎無初後，橫絕邊涯；終日隨緣，終日不變。十方虛空微塵國土，元我一念心中所現物。我雖昏迷倒惑，苟一念回心，決定得生自心本具極樂，更無疑慮。是名信自。
信他者，信釋迦如來決無誑語，彌陀世尊決無虛願，六方諸佛廣長舌決無二言。隨順諸佛真實教誨，決志求生，更無疑惑。是名信他。
信因者，深信散亂稱名，猶為成佛種子，況一心不亂，安得不生淨土。是名信因。
信果者，深信淨土，諸善聚會，皆從念佛三昧得生，如種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆，亦如影必隨形，響必應聲，決無虛棄。是名信果。
信事者，深信只今現前一念不可盡故，依心所現十方世界亦不可盡。實有極樂國在十萬億土外，最極清淨莊嚴，不同莊生寓言。是名信事。
信理者，深信十萬億土，實不出我今現前介爾一念心外，以吾現前一念心性實無外故。又深信西方依正主伴，皆吾現前一念心中所現影。全事即理，全妄即真，全修即性，全他即自。我心遍故，佛心亦遍，一切眾生心性亦遍。譬如一室千燈，光光互遍，重重交攝，不相妨礙。是名信理。
如此信已，則娑婆即自心所感之穢，而自心穢，理應厭離。極樂即自心所感之淨，而自心淨，理應欣求。厭穢須捨至究竟，方無可捨。欣淨須取至究竟，方無可取。故《妙宗》云：取捨若極，與不取捨亦非異轍。設不從事取捨，但尚不取不捨，即是執理廢事。既廢於事，理亦不圓。若達全事即理，則取亦即理，捨亦即理。一取一捨，無非法界。故次信而明願也。言執持名號一心不亂者，名以召德，德不可思議，故名號亦不可思議。名號功德不可思議，故使散稱為佛種，執持登不退也。然諸經示淨土行，萬別千差。如觀像、觀想、禮拜供養、五悔六念等，一一行成，皆生淨土。唯持名一法，收機最廣，下手最易。故釋迦慈尊，無問自說，特向大智舍利弗拈出，可謂方便中第一方便，了義中無上了義，圓頓中最極圓頓。故云：清珠投于濁水，濁水不得不清；佛號投於亂心，亂心不得不佛也。信願持名，以為一乘真因。四種淨土，以為一乘妙果。舉因則果必隨之，故以信願持名為經正宗。其四種淨土之相，詳在《妙宗鈔》，及《梵網玄義》，茲不具述。俟後釋依正文中，當略示耳。
