[2] With One Character, One Line, One Verse And One Book Speaking Of The Pure Land Dharma Door 以一言、一句、一偈、一书说净土法门

以一言、一句、一偈、一书说净土法门
[2] With One Character, One Line, One Verse [And] One Book Speaking [Of The] Pure Land Dharma Door

窃闻净土者，乃究竟畅佛本怀之法也。高超一切禅教律，统摄一切禅教律。

Those [who] hear [the] Pure Land [Dharma Door, are] thus [with the] Dharma that completely expresses [the] Buddhas’ original intention. [It] highly transcends all [of the] Chán, Sūtra [and] Vinaya [traditions], unifies [and] gathers all [of] Chán, Sūtra [and] Vinaya [traditions].

略言之，一言、一句、一偈、一书，可以包括无余。广说之，虽三藏十二部之玄言，五宗诸祖师之妙义，亦诠不尽。

Briefly speaking of [it, with] one character, one line, one verse [and] one book, [they] can include it without remainder. Broadly speaking of [it], although [with the] profound words of [the] Three Treasuries’ Twelve Divisions, [and the] wonderful meanings of [the] Five Traditions’ all Patriarchs, [they] also explain [it] incompletely [as it is immeasurably profound].

[Note 1: The Three Treasuries (三藏) are the:

(i) Sūtra Treasury (经藏),
(ii) Vinaya Treasury (律藏) and
(iii) Treatise Treasury (论藏).]

[Note 2: The Twelve Divisions Of Sūtras (十二部经) are those in the formats of:

(i) Sūtra (long lines; prose) (长行),
(ii) Geya (restatements of sūtra teachings with verses) (重颂),
(iii) Gātha (solitary-arising; verses) (孤起),
(iv) Itivṛttaka (parables) (譬喻),
(v) Nidāna (purposes, causes and conditions of propounding teachings and monastic precepts) (因缘),
(vi) Udāna (that without being asked, as personally spoken by the Buddha) (无问自说),
(vii) Jātaka (the Buddha’s past lives’ stories) (本生),
(viii) Avadāna (others’ past lives’ matters) (本事),
(ix) Adbhutadharma (that never before; rare; miraculous; marvellous matters) (未曾有),
(x) Vaipulya (right and vast; extensive) (方广),
(xi) Upadeśa (discussions and debates) (论议) and
(xii) Vyākarana (predictions of disciples’ enlightenment) (授记).]

[Note 3: The Five Traditions (五宗) are the:

(i) Tiāntái Tradition (天台宗),
(ii) Huáyán Tradition (华严宗),
(iii) Dharma Form Tradition (法相宗),
(iv) Three Treatises’ Tradition (三论宗) and
(v) Vinaya Tradition (律宗).]

纵饶尽大地众生，同成正觉，出广长舌，以神通力、智慧力，尘说，刹说，炽然说，无间说，又岂能尽！良以净土本不思议故也。

Even if all [of the] great earth’s sentient beings, together accomplish Right Awakening, extend [their] broad [and] long tongues, with supernormal powers, wisdom’s power, [in] dust [motes] speak, [in] lands speak, fervently speak, without interruption speak, again, how can [this be] able [to be] complete? [This is] really because [the] Pure Land [is] originally inconceivable thus.

试观《华严》大经，王于三藏，末后一著，归重愿王。

Examining [and] contemplating [the] ‘Flower Adornment’, [this] great sūtra, [it is the] king of [the] Three Treasuries, [with its] final one move, returning [to] reverence [for ‘The Ten Great] Vows’ King’《十大愿王》.

[Note 4: ‘The Ten Great Vows’ King’《十大愿王》can be seen at https://purelanders.com/xingyuan.]

《法华》奥典，妙冠群经，闻即往生，位齐等觉。则千经万论，处处指归者，有由来也。

‘[The Wonderful] Dharma [Lotus] Flower Sūtra’《妙法莲华经》[is a] profound scripture, [that is the] wonderful crown [of] many sūtras, [with the] hearing [of it], immediately reborn, [with the] position equal [to] Equally Awakened [Bodhisattvas]. Thus, [as a] thousand sūtras [and] ten thousand treatises, everywhere point [to] return [to] it [i.e. the Pure Land Dharma Door], [it] has [this] origin.

[Note 5: In ‘The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sūtra’s《妙法莲华经》23rd Chapter On Medicine King Bodhisattva’s Past Matters’《药王菩萨本事品第二十三》, Śākyamuni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛) taught this to Constellation King Flower Bodhisattva (宿王华菩萨) and the assembly, ‘if there are wo/men, who hear this sūtra, as said cultivate practice, when at this life’s end, they will immediately go towards the Land Of Ultimate Bliss, with Amitābha Buddha and his Great Bodhisattvas’ assembly surrounding their dwelling places, with births within lotus flowers, on treasure seats above, not again by greedy desires those afflicted, likewise not by anger and ignorance those afflicted, likewise not by arrogance, jealousy and all defilements those afflicted, attaining Bodhisattvas’ supernormal powers, Non-Arising Of Dharmas’ Forbearance.’ (若有女人闻是经典，如说修行，于此命终，即往安乐世界，阿弥陀佛大菩萨众，围绕住处，生莲华中宝座之上，不复为贪欲所恼，亦复不为嗔恚愚痴所恼，亦复不为憍慢嫉妒诸垢所恼，得菩萨神通，无生法忍。) See extended quote at https://purelanders.com/2022/05/31/pure-land-practice-in-lotus-sutras-medicine-king-bodhisattvas-chapter]

文殊发愿，普贤劝进。

Mañjuśrī [Bodhisattva] gave rise [to the] vow [to reach Pure Land, and] Universal Virtue [Bodhisattva] encourages progress [towards it].

[Note 6: Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva’s vow in the ‘Sūtra On Mañjuśrī’s Giving Rise Of Aspiration《文殊师利发愿经》can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2017/05/31/manjusri-bodhisattvas-verses-of-aspiration-for-birth-in-pure-land.]

如来授记于《大集》谓，末法中，非此莫度。

[As the] Thus Come [One] predicted in [the] ‘Great Collection [Sūtra]’《大集经》, [he] said [that] within [this] Dharma-Ending [Age, if] not [with] this Dharma Door, there is] no deliverance.

[Note 7: This teaching by the Buddha can be see at https://purelanders.com/2017/12/30/double-trouble-of-the-evil-period-dharma-ending-age.]

龙树简示于《婆沙》谓，易行道，速出生死。

[As] Nāgārjuna [Bodhisattva] briefly taught in [the ‘Ten Abodes’] Vibhāṣa [Treatise’《十住毗婆沙论》, he], called [it the] ‘Easy Practice Path’, [for] quickly exiting [the cycle of] birth [and] death.

[Note 8: Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva’s teaching on this can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2018/05/02/is-aspiring-for-birth-in-pure-land-cowardly.]

则往圣前贤，人人趣向者，岂徒然哉？诚所谓一代时教，皆念佛法门之注脚也。

Thus, [with] former noble [ones and] past virtuous [ones, with] everyone turning towards its direction, how can it be in vain? Truly, those called one lifetime’s teachings [of the Buddha, are] all footnotes of [the] Dharma Door [Of] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha.

不但此也，举凡六根所对一切境界，所谓山河大地，明暗色空，见闻觉知，声香味等，何一非阐扬净土之文字耶？

Not only [with] these, including all six roots that regard all realms, [the] so-called mountains, rivers [and the] great earth, brightness [and] darkness, forms [and] emptiness, [that] seen, heard, aware [of], sounds, smells, tastes [and] others, how [does each] one not expound [and] propagate [the] words of Pure Land?

寒暑代谢，老病相摧，水旱兵疫，魔侣邪见，何一非提醒当人速求往生之警策耶？

[With] winter [and] summer replacing [one another, with] ageing [and] sickness destroying one another, [with] floods [and] droughts, wars [and] epidemics, demonic companions [and] evil views, how [is each] one not [an] admonition [that] reminds present people [to] quickly seek rebirth [in Pure Land]?

广说其可尽乎？言一言统摄者，所谓「净」也。净极则光通，非至妙觉，此一言岂易承当？

Broadly speaking it, [how] can [it be] exhausted? Speaking [with] one character [that] unifies [and] gathers it, [it is] that called ‘purity’. [With] purity ultimate, then [with] light [flowing] through. [If] not [having] reached [the] Wonderful Awakening [of Buddhahood, of] this one character, how can [this] easily bear [it]?

于《六即佛颂》研之可知也。一句者，「信愿行」也。

In ‘Praises [Of The] Six Thus Buddhas’, studying them, [this] can [be] known. That one line [that sums up their essence, is] ‘Faith, Aspiration [and] Practice’ [for mindfulness of Buddha, to be born in Pure Land, for progress towards Buddhahood].

[Note 9: An explanation of the ‘Praises Of The Six Thus Buddhas’《六即佛颂》as stages towards Buddhahood can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2022/03/30/great-master-yinguangs-brief-explanation-of-the-praises-of-the-six-thus-buddhas.]

[Note 10: A brief explanation of Faith, Aspiration and Practice can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2021/10/11/introduction-of-one-letter-as-a-common-reply.]

「非信不足以启愿，非愿不足以导行，非持名妙行，不足满所愿而证所信。」

‘[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 [of the name’s] wonderful Practice, [it is] not enough [to] fulfil that Aspiration [and] realise that [with] Faith [in].’

[Note 11: This is a teaching by the Pure Land Tradition’s 9th Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì (净土宗九祖蕅益大师) in the ‘Essential Explanation Of The Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of Amitābha Buddha’《佛说阿弥陀经要解》: https://purelanders.com/2019/10/12/amitabha-sutras-principles-the-third-layer-of-profound-meaning-six-faiths.]

净土一切经论，皆发明此旨也。一偈者，《赞佛偈》也。举正报以摄依果，言化主以包徒众，虽只八句，《净土三经》之大纲尽举也。

[The] Pure Land [Tradition’s] all sūtras [and] treatises, [were] all created [to] explain this purpose. That one verse, [is the] ‘Verse [Of] Praise [Of] Buddha’. Raising [his] direct rewards, with gathering [of the] circumstantial fruits, speaking [of the] manifestation master, with [him] including [his] disciples’ assembly. Although only [with] eight lines, [they are with the] main points [i.e. hawser] of [‘The] Pure Land [Tradition’s] Three Sūtras’ completely raised.

[Note 12: The ‘Verse Of Praise Of Buddha’《赞佛偈》can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2018/06/26/verse-for-praise-of-buddha.]

一书者，《净土十要》也，字字皆末法之津梁，言言为莲宗之宝鉴。痛哭流涕，剖心沥血，称性发挥，随机指示。

That one book, [is ‘The] Pure Land [Tradition’s] Ten Essentials’, [with] word [after] word, all [as the] bridge of [this] Dharma-Ending [Age, with] character [after] character, [as the] treasure mirror of [the] Lotus Tradition. [Written with] painful tears [and] flowing mucus, cutting [of the] heart [and] dripping [of] blood, [for] aligning [to our Buddha-]nature, [and] according [with our spiritual] capacities, [for] pointing [out their] teachings.

[Note 13: ‘The Pure Land Tradition’s Ten Essentials’《净土十要》can be seen at https://purelanders.com/shiyao.]

虽拯溺救焚，不能喻其痛切也。舍此则正信无由生，邪见无由殄也。

Although aiding [those] drowning [and] saving [those] burning, [yet] not able [to] understand [their] pains’ depths. Abandoning this [Pure Land Dharma Door] then, [is with] right Faith not able [to] arise, [and with] evil views not able [to] end.

净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《印光法师文钞》（正编）：与悟开师书；
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings (First Compilation): Letter For Master Wùkāi;
印光大师文钞菁华录（第二则）：一、赞净土超胜（第二则）
Record [Of] Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence (1st Short Section): 1st [Chapter]: Praise [Of The] Pure Land [Dharma Door Being] Transcendental [And] Supreme (2nd Short Section)
[Ref: #2 / 1.2]

Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an