Translations

[3] Distinguishment Of Amitābha Sūtra’s Essence 辨《阿弥陀经》体 The Second Layer Of Profound Meaning 第二重玄义

甲二、辨体

A2: Distinguishment [Of] Essence

辨体。

Second, [is] distinguishment [of] essence.

大乘经皆以实相为正体。

[The] Great Vehicle’s sūtras [are] all with True Form as [their] Main Essence.

吾人现前一念心性,不在内、不在外、不在中间,非过去、非现在、非未来,非青黄赤白、长短方圆,非香、非味、非触、非法。

Our presently manifested One Thought’s Mind-Nature, [is] not in [the] internal, not in [the] external, not in [the] in-between, not [in the] past, not [in the] present, not [in the] future, not blue [or green], yellow, red, white, long, short, square, round, not [with] smell, not [with] taste, not [with] touch [and] not [with] thought.  

觅之了不可得,而不可言其无;

[With] seeking of [it] not attainable, yet [it] cannot [be] said [as] that not [there].

具造百界千如,而不可言其有。

[With Principles] complete [i.e. 理具] [practically] creating [i.e. 事造] [the] Hundred Realms [And] Thousand Suchnesses, yet [they] cannot [be] said [as] that there.

[Note:

Ten Dharma Realms (十法界):

Four Noble (Enlightened) Realms (四圣):
(With the greater above, in descending order of spiritual greatness)

(10) Buddhas (佛陀)
(9) Bodhisattvas (菩提萨埵 / 菩萨)
(8) Pratyekabuddhas / Conditioned Awakeners / Lone Awakeners (辟支佛 / 缘觉 / 独觉)
(7) Voice-Hearers (Śrāvakas) / Arhats (声闻 / 阿罗汉 / 罗汉)

Six Ordinary Realms (六凡):

(6) Heavenly Beings (天人)
(5) Asuras (阿修罗)
(4) Human Beings (人)
(3) Animals (畜生)
(2) Hungry Ghosts (饿鬼)
(1) Hell Beings (地狱众生)

Hundred Realms (百界):

According to the Tiāntái Tradition (天台宗), with our presently manifested One Thought’s Mind-Nature (一念心性), it inevitably falls into one of the Ten Dharma Realms (十法界). Each realm also contains all the other nine realms in interconnected but concealed ways. Thus, with ten kinds of the Ten Dharma Realms, there are a Hundred Realms (百界) together.  

Ten Suchnesses (十如是):

According to the ‘Dharma [Lotus] Flower Sūtra’《法华经》, these are ten qualities of the Ten Dharma Realms (十法界).

(1) Suchness (Of) Form (如是相)
(2) Suchness (Of) Nature (如是性)
(3) Suchness (Of) Essence (如是体)
(4) Suchness (Of) Power (如是力)
(5) Suchness (Of) Function (如是作)
(6) Suchness (Of) Cause (如是因)
(7) Suchness (Of) Condition (如是缘)
(8) Suchness (Of Direct) Effect (如是果)
(9) Suchness (Of Indirect) Effect (如是报)
(10) Suchness (From) Beginning (To) End Completely (如是本末究竟)

Thousand Suchnesses (千如是):

With the Hundred Realms (百界) each with Ten Suchnesses (十如是), there are a Thousand Suchnesses (千如是) together.]

离一切缘虑分别、语言文字相,而缘虑分别、语言文字,非离此别有自性。

Departed [from] all conditioned thoughts [with] discrimination, language [and] words’ forms, yet, conditioned thoughts [with] discrimination, language [and] words, [are] not departed [from] this with other Self-Nature.

要之,离一切相,即一切法。

In essence, departed [from] all forms, [it] is the same as all phenomena.

离故无相,即故无不相,不得已,强名实相。

Departed thus without forms, [it] is the same thus, as [that] without non-forms. With no choice, [it is] with reservations named [as] ‘True Form’.

实相之体,非寂非照,而复寂而恒照,照而恒寂。

[The] essence of True Form, [is] not Stillness [and] not Illumination, yet again Still, yet eternally illuminating, illuminating yet eternally still.

照而寂,强名常寂光土;

Illuminating yet still, [it is] with reservations named [the] ‘Eternally Still Light Land’.

寂而照,强名清净法身。

Still yet illuminating, [it is] with reservations named [the] ‘Pure Dharma Body’.

又照寂强名法身,寂照强名报身。

Also, illuminating stillness [is] with reservations named [the] ‘Dharma Body’, [and] still illumination [is] with reservations named [the] ‘Reward Body’.

又性德寂照名法身,修德寂照名报身。

Also, Nature’s Virtues’ still illumination [is] named [the] ‘Dharma Body’, [and] Cultivated Virtues’ still illumination [is] named [the] ‘Reward Body’.

又修德照寂名受用身,修德寂照名应化身。

Also, Cultivated Virtues’ illuminating stillness [is] named [the] ‘Enjoyment Body’, [and] Cultivated Virtues’ still illumination [is] named [the] ‘Manifestation Body’.

寂照不二,身土不二,性修不二,真应不二,无非实相。

[With] Stillness [and] Illumination not two, [the] body [and] land not two, nature [and] cultivation not two, [the] True [Body and] Manifested [Body] not two, without [that] not [of] True Form.

实相无二,亦无不二。

[With] True Form without two, also without [that] not two.

是故举体作依作正,作法作报,作自作他。

Therefore, [with the] entire essence as Circumstantial [Rewards and] as Direct [Rewards], as [the] Dharma [Body and] as [the] Reward [Body], as Self [and] as Other.  

乃至能说所说,能度所度,能信所信,能愿所愿,能持所持,能生所生,能赞所赞,无非实相正印之所印也。

And even [the one] [i.e. Śākyamuni Buddha] able [to] speak [and the one] [i.e. Amitābha Buddha] spoken [of, who is] able [to] deliver [sentient beings and] those delivered, [who are] able [to have] Faith [and the] one [with] Faith [in], able [to have] Aspiration [and] that aspired [for], able [to] uphold [the Buddha’s name and] that upheld, able [to be] born [in his Pure Land and] that born [in, those] [i.e. Śākyamuni and all other Buddhas] able [to] praise [and] that praised [i.e. Pure Land’s Circumstantial and Direct Rewards], [are] without [that] not [with] True Form’s Right Seal, [by] it that [is] sealed [i.e. confirmed].  

– 净土宗九祖澫益大师
《佛说阿弥陀经要解》

– Pure Land Tradition’s 9th Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì
(Essential Explanation [Of The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitā[bha] Buddha)

Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an

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下文:《阿弥陀经》之宗
Next Section: Amitābha Sūtra’s Principles
第三重玄义
The Third Layer Of Profound Meaning
六信
Six Faiths
https://purelanders.com/2019/10/12/amitabha-sutras-principles-the-third-layer-of-profound-meaning-six-faiths

《佛说阿弥陀经要解》全英译
Complete English Translation Of ‘The Essential Explanation On The Amitābha Sūtra As Spoken By The Buddha’
https://purelanders.com/yaojie

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