勿成无禅无净者
[Do] Not Become Those [With] Neither Chán Nor Pure Land [Practice]
今欲皈依，并受五戒，必要认清净土法门宗旨，庶可现生了生脱死，超凡入圣。须知净土法门，以信愿念佛求生西方为宗旨。
Now desiring [to] take refuge, and receive [the] Five Precepts, [there] must [be] clear recognising [of the] Pure Land Dharma Door’s objective, [so that] hopefully, [there] can [be, in this] present life, liberation [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, transcending [the] ordinary [to] enter [the] noble. [It] must [be] known [that the] Pure Land Dharma Door [is to], with Faith [and] Aspiration, [be] mindful [of the] Buddha, [for] seeking birth [in his] Western [Pure Land], as [its] objective.
世人每每以此为平常无奇，遂以宗门参究之法为殊胜，而注重于开悟，不注重信愿求生。
[The] world’s people often regard this as ordinary [and] unremarkable, thereupon with [the] Chán Door’s method of contemplative investigation as excellent, then emphasizing [on] awakening, not emphasizing on [cultivating] Faith [and] Aspiration [to] seek birth [in Pure Land]. [Note: Chán can also more broadly refer to all Self-powered meditative practices.]
美其名，曰禅净双修，究其实，则完全是无禅无净土。何以言之，不到大彻大悟，不名有禅。今之参禅者，谁是真到大彻大悟地位。
Calling this [with the] glorified name [of ‘with] Chán [and] Pure [Land] both cultivating’, [upon] examining them truthfully, [they] are thus completely ‘without Chán [and] without Pure Land’. Why [is it] with this said? [With] no reaching [of] great penetration [with] great awakening, [this is] not named [as] ‘having Chán’. Now, of those [with] Chán contemplation, who are [those who have] truly reached [the] position [of having] great penetration [with] great awakening?
由注重于参，遂将西方依正庄严，通通会归自心，则信愿求生之念毫无。虽名之曰念佛，实则与念佛之道相反。
Due [to] emphasizing on [Chán] contemplation, thereupon will [the] Western [Pure Land’s] circumstantial [and] direct adornments, entirely meet [with and] return [to] one’s mind, thus not [in the] least [with the] thought of [cultivating] Faith [and] Aspiration [to] seek birth [in Pure Land]. Although naming this [as] mindfulness [of] Buddha, truly thus, with [the] path of mindfulness [of] Buddha contradicting.
或又高张其辞曰，念实相佛。实相，虽为诸法之本，凡夫业障深重，何能做到？弄到归宗，禅也靠不住，净也靠不住。
Perhaps also raising [and] publicising [with] their words, saying [they are practising] mindfulness [of] true form’s Buddha. [This] true form, although as [the] root of all dharmas, [with] ordinary beings’ karmic obstacles deep [and] heavy, who [is] able achieve [this]? Coming [to] return [to this] conclusion, [‘with’] Chán also not able [to] rely [on it, and ‘with’] Pure [Land] also not able [to] rely [on it].
仗自力，即到大彻大悟地位，以惑业未断，不能了生死。未悟到大彻者，更不须论。
Relying [on] Self-power, even if reaching [the] position [of] great penetration [with] great awakening, with confusions [and evil] karma yet [to be] severed, [they are] not able [to be] liberated [from the cycle of] birth [and] death. Yet [to be] those awakened [to] reach great penetration, [they] furthermore [do] not need [to be] discussed.
仗佛力，须具真信，切愿，念佛求生西方，方可。以一向以西方净土，无量寿，无量光，一一通会归自心。
Relying [on the] Buddha’s [Other-]power, [it] must [be] complete [with] true Faith [and] sincere Aspiration, [to be] mindful [of] Buddha [for] seeking birth [in his] Western [Pure Land]. Then [is this] possible. With one direction for [the] Western Pure Land, [with its] immeasurable life [and] immeasurable light, each [and every] one [will] entirely meet [with and] return [to] one’s mind.
而自心只是徒执其名，未证其实。西方之佛，无感不能有应。自心之佛，在因无有威德。
However, [with] one’s mind only upholding [the Buddha’s] name, [is] yet [to] realise it truly. [Of the] Buddha of [the] Western [Pure Land], without connection [to him, one is] not able [to] have response. [The] Buddha of one’s mind, on [the] causal [ground, does] not have [his] majestic virtues.
世之好高务胜者，每每皆成弄巧成拙，求升反坠。而知识欲人以圆融见称，亦绝不肯作如是说。
Of those [in the] world fond [of the] ‘higher’ [and] striving [for the] ‘superior’, [they] often all accomplish doing [of that] ‘clever’ [to] accomplish [the] clumsy, seeking [to] ascend, instead falling. Yet [these] friends, desiring [other] people [to be] with [them as those] ‘interpenetrating’ praised, [are] also absolutely not willing [to] practise thus said.
致如来以大慈悲心，欲令一切众生，现生即了生死，而依旧不能了。
Causing [the] Thus Come [One], with [his] mind [of] great loving-kindness [and] compassion, [although] desiring [to] enable all sentient beings [to, in this] present life immediately [be] liberated [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, [they are] then as before, not able [to be] liberated.
此生既不能了，将来或可能了，而尘沙劫又尘沙劫，仍在轮回六道中者，当居多数也。
[In] this life, since not able [to be] liberated, [in a] future [life] perhaps possible [to be] liberated, yet [in] dust [motes’ and] sands’ kalpas of dust [motes’ and] sands’ kalpas, still [as] those reborn within [the] six paths, becoming [the] majority [in] number.
如真能识得此种利害，再息心看净土各经书，方知此念佛求生西方一法，其大无外。
If truly able [to] recognise these kinds [of] advantages [and] disadvantages, again extinguishing [distracting] thoughts [to] study each Pure Land sūtra [and] book, know then, [that of] this one method [of] mindfulness [of] Buddha [for] seeking birth [in his] Western [Pure Land], its greatness [is] without [that] external.
十方三世一切诸佛，上成佛道，下化众生，无不资此以成始成终也。
[The] ten directions’ three periods’ all Buddhas, [for] higher accomplishing [of the] Buddhas’ path, [and] lower transforming [of] sentient beings, [are] without [those] not using this, for accomplishing [these, from the] beginning [to the] end.
净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《复张纯一居士书》
(Reply Letter [To] Layperson Zhāng Chúnyī)
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
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