以下是净土宗九祖澫益大师之《佛说阿弥陀经要解》第三重玄义之六信的节录。
The following is an excerpt from the Pure Land Tradition’s 9th Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì’s ‘Essential Explanation Of The Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of Amitābha Buddha’s Third Layer Of Profound Meaning’s on Six Faiths.
此经以信愿持名为修行之宗要。非信不足启愿，非愿不足导行，非持名妙行，不足满所愿而证所信。经中先陈依正以生信，次劝发愿以导行，次示持名以径登不退。
This sūtra [is] with Faith [and] Aspiration upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name as [the] principal essential of cultivating Practice. [If] not [with] Faith, [it is] not enough [to] inspire Aspiration. [If] not [with] Aspiration, [it is] not enough [to] guide Practice. [If] not [with] upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name’s wonderful Practice, [it is] not enough [to] fulfil that Aspiration and realise that [with] Faith [in].[The] sūtra within first states [the] Circumstantial [and] Direct [Rewards], with [it for] giving rise [to] Faith, next exhorting giving rise [to] Aspiration, with [it for] guiding Practice, next teaching upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name, with [it for] directly ascending [to] non-retrogression.
信则信自、信他、信因、信果、信事 、信理。愿则厌离娑婆，欣求极乐。行则执持名号，一心不乱。
Faith then [is] [1] Faith [In] Self, [2] Faith [In] Others, [3] Faith [In] Cause, [4] Faith [In] Effect, [5] Faith [In] Practices, [and] [6] Faith [in Principles]. Aspiration then [is with] revulsed renunciation [of the] Sahā [World, and] joyful seeking [of the Land Of] Ultimate Bliss. Practice then [is to] firmly uphold [Āmítuófó’s] name, with] wholeheartedly without [being] scattered. [Note 1: The simplest way to understand wholeheartedness without being scattered is to be utmostly sincere without change of mind.]
信自者，信我现前一念之心，本非肉团， 亦非缘影，竖无初后，横绝边涯，终日随缘，终日不变。十方虚空微尘国土，元我一念心中所现物。我虽昏迷倒惑，苟一念回心，决定得生自心本具极乐，更无疑虑。是名信自。
[1] That [called] Faith [In] Self, [is to have] Faith [that] my presently manifested one thought of [the] mind, [is] originally not [a] meat lump [i.e. as the heart or brain], also not [a] conditioned image [i.e. as a reflection or impression], vertically without [that] first [and] after, horizontally surpassing boundaries, all day according [with] conditions, all day unchanging. [The] ten directions’ empty space’s fine dust [motes of] lands, [are] originally [from] my one thought’s mind within, [as] those appearing objects. I, although [am with] disoriented ignorance [and] inverted confusions, if [with] one thought change [my] mind, definitely [can] attain birth [in] one’s own mind’s originally possessed [Land Of] Ultimate Bliss, furthermore without doubts [and] misgivings. [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Self.
信他者，信释迦如来决无诳语，弥陀世尊决无虚愿，六方诸佛广长舌决无二言。随顺诸佛真实教诲，决志求生，更无疑惑。是名信他。
[2] That [called] Faith [In] Others, [is to have] Faith [that] Śākya[muni] Thus Come [One is] definitely without deceitful speech, [Ā]mítuó[fó, the] World-Honoured [One is] definitely without empty vows, [and the] six directions’ all Buddhas’ broad [and] long tongues [are] definitely without two [different] words. Following [and] complying [with] all Buddhas’ true teachings, [with] determination seeking birth, furthermore without further doubts [and] confusions. [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Others.
信因者，深信散乱称名，犹为成佛种子，况一心不乱，安得不生净土？是名信因。
[3] That [called] Faith [In] Cause, [is to have] profound Faith [that as with the] scattered [and] confused mind reciting [the] name, is still [able to] become accomplishing [of] Buddhahood’s seed, moreover [if] wholeheartedly without [being] scattered. How can [this] not attain birth [in the] Pure Land? [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Cause.
信果者，深信净土诸善聚会，皆从念佛三昧得生。如种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆，亦如影必随形，响必应声，决无虚弃。是名信果。
[4] That [called] Faith [In] Effect, [is to have] profound Faith [that the] Pure Land’s all good [persons who] gather [and] meet [there, are] all from Samādhi [From] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha attaining birth [there]. [Note 2: With Āmítuófó firmly connected to with wholehearted (i.e. utmost sincere) mindfulness of his name, thus with his blessings, this concentration will naturally arise.] Like planting melon [seeds] gets melons, [and] planting beans gets bean [sprouts], also like shadows definitely follow forms, [and] echoes definitely respond [to] sounds, definitely without [those in] vain [and] abandoned. [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Effect.
信事者，深信只今现前一念不可尽故，依心所现十方世界亦不可尽。实有极乐国在十万亿土外，最极清净庄严，不同庄生寓言。
[5] That [called] Faith [In] Practice, [is to have] profound Faith [that as this] presently manifested one thought cannot [be] exhausted thus, relying on [this] mind’s those appearing ten directions’ worlds, likewise cannot [be] exhausted. [There] truly is [the] Land [Of] Ultimate Bliss at [a] hundred thousand koṭis [of] lands beyond, [that is the] most ultimately pure [and] magnificent, not [the] same [as] Zhuāng Shēng’s allegories. [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Practice. [Note 3: Zhuāng Shēng (庄生) is Zhuāngzi (庄子), who used fictitious allegories to illustrate and explain principles.]
信理者，深信十万亿土，实不出我今现前介尔一念心外，以吾现前一念心性实无外故。又深信西方依正主伴，皆吾现前一念心中所现影。全事即理，全妄即真，全修即性，全他即自。我心遍故，佛心亦遍，一切众生心性亦遍。譬如一室千灯，光光互遍，重重交摄，不相妨碍。是名信理。
[6] That [called] Faith [In] Principles, [is to have] profound Faith [that the] hundred thousand koṭis [of] lands, [are] truly not outside my presently manifested very small one thought’s mind externally, with my presently manifested one thought’s Mind-nature truly without [that] external thus. Also [with] profound Faith [that the] Western [Pure Land’s] Circumstantial [and] Direct [Rewards], Master [and] companions, all [are] my presently manifested one thought’s mind within, [as] those appearing images. Complete practices [are] thus principles, [the] completely false [is] thus [the] true, complete Cultivated [Virtues] [i.e. 修德] [are] thus Nature[’s Virtues] [i.e. 性德], complete Others [is] thus Self. [With] my mind pervasive thus, [the] Buddha’s mind [is] likewise pervasive, [and] all sentient beings’ Mind-nature [is] likewise pervasive. For example, a house’s thousand lamps’ [each and] every light pervade [with] one another, layer upon layer intersecting [and] gathering, [they do] not obstruct one another. [This] is named [as] Faith [In] Principles.
如此信已，则娑婆即自心所感之秽，而自心秽，理应厌离；极乐即自心所感之净，而自心净，理应欣求。
Like this, [with] Faith already, then [know that this] Sahā [World is] thus one’s own mind’s those connected defilements, and [of] one’s own mind’s defilements, [there] should [be] revulsed renunciation [of them]. [The Land Of] Ultimate Bliss [is] thus one’s own mind’s that connected purity, and [of] one’s own mind’s purity, [there] should [be] joyful seeking [of it].
欲读完整中英《要解》，请看 purelanders.com/yaojie
To read complete Chinese-English version of the ‘Essential Explanation’, please see purelanders.com/yaojie
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
(This translation was originally published here.)
