何谓单修圆顿，不愿往生净土者，为少善根者？
Why Say Those Only Cultivating [For] Complete [And] Sudden Awakening, [Who Do] Not Aspire [For] Rebirth [In] Pure Land, As Those [Having] Few Good Roots?
【疏】：问：此土单修圆顿，不愿往生者，宁可谓之少善根耶？
[Commentary]: Question: [On] those [in] this land only cultivating [for] complete [and] sudden [awakening, who do] not aspire [to be] reborn [in Pure Land], how can [they be] said as [those with] few good roots?
答：圆顿行人，虽悟一心，尚余后有，正宜求生彼国，亲近弥陀，喆老、青公，皎然覆辙。若其自负圆人，不愿往生，当知亦是善根薄故，如 《华严》中说。
Answer: Practitioners [for] complete [and] sudden [awakening], although awakening [to] single-mindedness [with understanding’s awakening (解悟), as they are] still [with confusions, negative karma and suffering (惑业苦)] remaining, later having [rebirths, they] precisely should seek birth [in] that land, [to] get close to Āmítuófó’. [The cases of] Old [Master] Zhé [and] Honourable [Master] Qīng, [were] clearly disastrous. If [there are] those self-confident, [seeking] complete [awakening’s] persons, not aspiring [for] rebirth [there, it] should [be] known [that they] likewise are [with] good roots thin thus, like [those the] Flower Adornment [Sūtra] within said.
[Note: See the two Masters’ cases in notes at https://purelanders.com/2021/06/04/is-it-wise-to-aspire-to-return-to-seek-good-teachers-here/.]
【钞】：后有者，后阴也，即来生也。圆人见地虽与佛齐，然而粗细无明犹未尽除，恒沙性德犹未悉备，有惑润生，宁无后有？
[Collected Writings]: Those later having [rebirths], later [having] aggregates too, then [having] future lives too. [Those seeking] complete [awakening’s] persons, although with [the] Buddhas equal, however, [with] coarse [and] fine ignorance still yet [to be] completely eliminated, [with] Ganges’ sands [of] nature’s virtues still yet [to be] all prepared, [while] having confusions moistening [their] lives, [how can they] rather, [be] without later having [rebirths]?
既存后有，则有生方，不离六道，除彼已登实报，余或未免人天。而天上多欲，人间杂苦，堕落者众，解脱者希，不生净土，而将焉往？
Since retaining [as those] later having [rebirths], then having birth places, not departing [from the] six paths, excluding those already ascended [to] true rewards, [the] others [are] perhaps yet [to] avoid [the] human [and] heavenly [paths]. Yet [the] heavens above [are with] many desires, [and the] human world [is with] mixed suffering, [with] those falling many, [and] those liberated rare. [If] not born [in] Pure Land, then going where [to be] reborn?
喆老、青公，俱称有悟，而喆老后身，耽恋富贵，青公后身，多历苦忧，皆由不慕往生，自失善利，致使淹滞多生，旷菩提路，岂非善根凉薄，乃致如斯？
Old [Master] Zhé [and] Honourable [Master] Qīng, [were] together called [to] have awakening, yet [in] Old [Master] Zhé’s next life, [he] indulged [in] attachment [to] wealth [and] honour. Honourable [Master] Qīng, [in his] next life, [was with] many experiences [of] suffering [and] worries, all due to not admiring rebirth [in Pure Land], personally losing [its] good benefits, leading [to] delay [for] many lives, [without the] extensive Bodhi path. How can [this] not [be with] good roots weak [and] thin, thus leading [to being] like this?
言《华严》者，《入法界品》云：「遮那会上，诸大声闻不见佛者，以善根不同故。」本不修习见佛自在善根故，故知执持名号，愿见弥陀，诚多善根、大善根、最胜善根、不可思议善根也。
Speaking [of] that Flower Adornment [Sūtra’s] Entering Dharma Realm’s Chapter, [it] says, ‘In Vairocana [Buddha’s] assembly, all those Great Voice-Hearers [who could] not see [the] Buddha, [were] with good roots not [the] same thus.’ Originally not cultivating good roots [to] see [the] Buddha [with] ease thus, thus know [that to] firmly uphold [his] name, aspiring [to] see Āmítuófó, truly [is with] much good roots, great good roots, most excellent good roots, [and] inconceivable good roots too.
【疏】：称理，则自性出生一切法，是善根义；自性富有一切法，是福德义。
[Commentary]: Matching principle, thus [with] self-nature giving birth [to] all dharmas, [this] is good roots’ meaning. [As] self-nature [is] rich with all dharmas, [this] is blessed virtues’ meaning.
【钞】：何期自性能生万法！何期自性本自具足！
[Collected Writings]: Who [would have] expected [that] self-nature [is] able [to] give rise [to the] ten thousand dharmas? Who [would have] expected self-nature [to be] originally self-complete?
净土宗八祖莲池大师
《佛说阿弥陀经疏钞》
Pure Land Tradition’s 8th Patriarch Great Master Liánchí
(Collected Writings [On] Commentary [On The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitā[bha Buddha])
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
以上教理
Previous Teaching:
持名为多善根福德之明证
Clear Proof Of Upholding Name As Much Good Roots & Blessed Virtues
https://purelanders.com/2018/10/19/clear-proof-of-upholding-name-as-much-good-roots-blessed-virtues/
以下教理
Following Teaching:
持名念佛，直捷简易，即为多善多福
Upholding Āmítuófó’s Name To Be Mindful Of Buddha, Is Straightforward And Easy, Immediately For Having Much Good Roots And Much Blessed Virtues
https://purelanders.com/2021/10/29/upholding-amituofos-name-to-be-mindful-of-buddha-is-straightforward-and-easy-immediately-for-having-much-good-roots-and-much-blessed-virtues/
