一、信生必有死。
(普天之下,从古至今,曾无一人逃得。)
[1] First, [is] Faith [that with] birth, [there] definitely [will] be death.
(Universally, of [all] under [the] heavens, from ancient [times] until today, [never] before [is there] one human [who] attained escape.)
二、信人命无常。
(出息虽存,入息难保,一息不来,即为后世。)
[2] Second, [is] Faith [that] human life [is] impermanent.
([The] exhaling breath although exists, [the] inhaling breath [is] difficult [to] guarantee. [When] one breath [does] not come, [it] immediately becomes [the] next life.)
三、信轮回路险。
(一念之差,便堕恶趣,得人身如爪上土,失人身者,如大地土。)
[3] Third, [is] Faith [that] rebirth’s path [is] dangerous.
([With the] difference of one thought, then falling [into] evil realms. [Those who] attain [the] human body [are few], like dirt in [the] nails. [Those who] lose [the] human body [are many], like [the] great earth’s dirt.)
四、信苦趣时长。
(三途一报五千劫,再出头来是几时。)
[4] Fourth, [is] Faith [that] suffering realms’ durations [are] long.
([In the] three paths once [with] retribution, [is] five thousand kalpas. Emerging again [to attain the human body], when [will it] be?)
五、信佛语不虚。
(此日月轮,可令坠落,妙高山王【须弥山】,可使倾动,诸佛所言,无有异也。)
[5] Fifth, [is] Faith [that the] Buddhas’ words [are] not false.
(This sun [and] moon can [be] enabled [to] fall, [and the] Wonderful High Mountain King [i.e. Mount Sumeru] can [be] caused [to] collapse [and] shake, [but] all that [the] Buddhas [have] said [will] not have differences.)
六、信实有净土。
(如今娑婆无异,的的[dídí]是有。)
[6] Sixth, [is] Faith [that there] truly is Pure Land.
(Like [the] present Sahā [World Of Endurance of suffering] without difference, [it] certainly does exist.)
七、信愿生即生。
(已今当愿,已今当生,经有明文,岂欺我哉!)
[7] Seventh, [is] Faith [that with] Aspiration [to be] born [there] immediately [is] birth.
([Those who] already [aspired], presently [aspire, and in the] future aspire, [are] already [born there], presently [born there, and in the] future born [there. [As the Amitābha] Sūtra has clear words [on this], how [can it] deceive me?)
八、信生即不退。
(境胜缘强,退心不起。)
[8] Eighth, [is] Faith [that with] birth [there] immediately [is] non-retrogression.
([With its] realm supreme [and] conditions powerful, [the] mind [of] retrogression [can]not arise.)
九、信一生成佛。
(寿命无量,何事不办。)
[9] Ninth, [is] Faith [that in] one lifetime [is] accomplishment [of] Buddhahood.
([With] lifespan immeasurable, what matter [can]not [be] accomplished?)
十、信法本唯心。
(唯心有具造二义,如上诸法,皆我心具,皆我心造。)
[10] Tenth, [is] Faith [that] dharmas [are] fundamentally mind-only.
(‘Mind-only’ has [the] two meanings [of] fundamental completion [本具足] [and] creation [造作]. Like all dharmas above, all [are in] my mind complete, [and] all [are by] my mind created.)
信佛语故,则造后四。【愿生即生、生即不退、一生成佛、法本唯心】
[With] Faith [in the] Buddhas’ words thus, then creates [the] later four [Faiths].
不信佛语,但造前四。【生必有死、人命无常、轮回路险、苦趣时长】
Not [with] Faith [in the] Buddhas’ words, only creates [the] earlier four [Faiths].
故深信佛言,即深信自心也。
Thus [with] profound Faith [in the] Buddhas’ words, immediately [is with] profound Faith [in] one’s mind’s [Buddha-nature].
修净业者,能具此十种信心,其乐土之生, 如操左卷而取故物,夫何难之有?
[For] those [who] cultivate pure karma, [who are] able [to be] complete [with]] these ten kinds [of] Faiths, of [their] births [in] that Land [Of Ultimate] Bliss, like holding [the] left scroll to obtain [a] former item, of what difficulty is [there]?
[Note: In ancient China, there are agreements that when a left scroll can be aligned (or matched) with a right one held by another party, this guarantees that an item withheld by the latter will be returned to the first. Thus, ‘like holding the left scroll to obtain a former item’ is an analogy of holding on to Niànfó (Practice of mindfulness of the name of Amitābha Buddha – ‘Āmítuófó’) being what guarantees great confidence and ease of attaining birth in his Pure Land for swift progress towards Buddhahood.]
净宗十二祖彻悟大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 12th Patriarch Great Master Chèwù
《彻悟禅师文集》卷下
Chán Master Chèwù’s Collected Works : Lower Scroll
Namo Amituofo : Translation and note by Shen Shi’an
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