‘世有好高鹜胜者，每每侈(chǐ)谈自力，藐视佛力。不知从生至死，无一事不仗人力，而不以为耻。何独于了生死一大事，并佛力亦不愿受，丧心病狂，一至于此? 净宗行者，所当切戒！’
– 净土宗十三祖印光大师
(复许熙唐居士书)
‘This world is with those who aim too [unrealistically] high in pursuing [spiritual] success [all by themselves], who often prattle [i.e talk much superficially, foolishly and inconsequentially] about self-power [in practice, while] looking down on [those who practise to connect with Amitabha] Buddha’s [other-]power [for support. They do] not [recognise or] know that from birth until death [in their lives], there is not one matter that does not rely on [other] humans’ power [of support], yet they are not “ashamed” of this. How is it that only regarding the one great matter of liberation from [the cycle of] birth and death, moreover with [the offer of a] Buddha’s power [for support, are they] also not willing to receive it, [choosing to] lose reason [due to the] sickness [of crazy] arrogance, [going] so far to reach this [state of seeing reception of a Buddha’s power as “shameful”]? For practitioners of the Pure Land school, of this [mad sickness, it] must be avoided!’
– Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yinguang
(Reply letter to Layman Xu Xitang)
