欲见实相，竭诚念佛
[28] Desiring [To] See True Form, [Have] Wholehearted Mindfulness [Of] Buddha
事理、性相、空有、因果，混而不分。但可学愚夫愚妇，颛蒙念佛，须致恭致敬，唯诚唯恳。
[If with] practices [and] principles, nature [and] forms, emptiness [and] existence, cause [and] effect, mixed and not differentiated, [there] only can [be] learning [to be like] ‘foolish men [and] foolish women’, [to] only receive mindfulness [of] Buddha. [There] must [be] devoted respect [and] devoted reverence, only sincerity [and] only earnestness.
久而久之，业消智朗，障尽福崇。此种疑心，彻底脱落。则佛之有无，己之有无，入佛之门径，彼岸之确据，何待问人？
Gradually over time, [will evil] karmas [be] eliminated [and] wisdom [be] bright, obstacles end [and] blessings flourish. This kind [of] doubtful mind, [will] completely fall off. Then, of [the] Buddha existing [or] not, of self existing [or] not, [the] door [and] path of entering [the] Buddha[‘s teachings, and] truly reliable proof of [the] other shore, why wait [to] ask others?
若不专心致志念佛，而于别人口里讨分晓，亦与看《金刚经》，而不知实相。看《净土文》、《西归直指》，而不生信心。以业障于心，不能领会。
If not [with the] focused mind [and] devotion reciting [the] Buddha[‘s name] [i.e. Āmítuófó (阿弥陀佛)], yet from other persons’ mouths within seeking understanding. Also with reading [of the] ‘Vajra Sūtra’, yet not knowing true form. [If] seeing ‘[Lóngshū’s] Pure Land Text’《龙舒净土文》[and] ‘Western Return’s Direct Pointers’, yet not giving rise [to the] faithful mind, [this is] with karmic obstacles in [the] mind, not able [to] understand [them].
如盲睹日，日固在天，睹固在眼，其不见光相，与未睹时无异也。倘复其明，则一睹即见光相矣。念佛一法，乃复明之最切要法。
Like [the] blind looking at [the] sun, [with the] sun certainly in [the] sky, [and] looking certainly in [the] eyes, this not seeing [of] light’s form, with when yet [to] look, [is] without difference. If restoring that vision, then [with] one look immediately seeing light’s form. Mindfulness [of] Buddha, [this] one Dharma [Door, is] thus [the] most essential method of restoring vision.
欲见实相之相，当竭诚于此法，必有大快所怀之时矣。
Desiring [to] see [the] form of true form, [there] should [be] wholeheartedness in this Dharma [Door, and there] will be [the] moment of great happiness, [with] that embraced.
真我欲亲见，非大彻大悟不可。欲证，非断惑证真不可。欲圆证，非三惑净尽，二死永亡不可。
[With the] true self desired [to be] personally seen, [if] not [with] great penetration [and] great awakening, [it] cannot [be done]. Desiring [to have] realisation, [if] not severing confusions [and] realising [the] true, [it] cannot [be done]. Desiring [to have] perfect realisation, [if] not [with the] three confusions completely gone, [and the] two deaths forever destroyed, [it] cannot [be done].
[Note 1: The Three Confusions (三惑) are
(i) Views And Thoughts’ Confusions (见思惑),
(ii) Dusts And Sands’ Confusions (尘沙惑) and
(iii) Ignorance’s Confusion (无明惑).
(i) Views and thoughts’ confusions (见思惑) are ordinary beings’ (凡夫) confusions. (ia) Views’ confusions (见惑) are those in knowing and seeing (知见), like self view (身见), extreme views (边见) and other wrong views. (ib) Thoughts’ confusions (思惑) are those in thought, like the five poisons’ (五毒) afflictions (烦恼).
If Voice-Hearers (声闻) and those by Conditions Awakened (缘觉) are able to sever these two confusions, they can realise Arhathood (阿罗汉果) and Pratyekabuddhahood (辟支佛果) respectively.
(ii) Dusts and sands’ confusions (尘沙惑) are Bodhisattvas’ (菩萨) confusions. As Bodhisattvas aspire to deliver sentient beings, if not thoroughly understanding immeasurable Dharma Doors, which number like dust motes and sand grains, thus overcoming these confusions, they are not able to teach and transform them completely.
(iii) Ignorance’s confusion (无明惑) is root ignorance, that obstructs principles of the Middle Path’s (中道) true form (实相), with the severing completely of which is accomplishing of Buddhahood.
Within the three confusions, (i) views and thoughts’ confusions (见思惑) are the coarsest, (ii) dusts and sands’ confusions (尘沙惑) are medium, and (iii) ignorance’s confusion (无明惑) is the finest.]
[Note 2: The Two Deaths (二死) are
(i) Segmented Births And Deaths (分段生死) and
(ii) Changing Births And Deaths (变易生死).
Due to being by their karmas confused, ordinary beings (凡夫) in the six paths’ (六道) lifespans have divisions and limits (分限), and their bodies are segmented and different (段别), thus having (i) segmented births and deaths (分段生死).
Noble beings (圣者), having already severed views and thoughts’ confusions (见思惑), are liberated from segmented births and deaths (分段生死). However, as their confusions are gradually eliminated and their realisations gradually increase, when their confusions and realisations (迷悟) ‘migrate’, every lifetime is not the same, as if having death and birth each time, thus having (ii) changing births and deaths (变易生死).]
若论所在，则阁下之长劫轮回，及现今之违理致诘，皆承真我之力而为之。
If discussing [its] [i.e. true self’s] location, then [with] your excellency’s long kalpas reborn, reaching violating of principles [and] conveying [of] questions now, all [are] supported [by the] power of true self then doing them.
以背觉合尘，故不得真实受用。譬如演若之头，衣里之珠，初未尝失，妄生怖畏，妄受穷困耳。
With [your] back [to] awakening, joining [the] dusts, thus not attaining [its] true benefits. For example, like [the] head of Yajña[datta [演若达多], [and the] gem of clothing inside, [from the] beginning not yet once lost, [yet] falsely giving rise [to] terror, [and] falsely suffering poverty [and] difficulties only.
[Note 3: Our true nature or Buddha-nature (佛性) is like a precious gem sewn and thus hidden within our shabby clothing, yet to be discovered, while we live with ‘poor’ spirituality.]
[Note 4: Yajñadatta loved his head seen within a mirror, with which he could see his brows and eyes. He angrily blamed his own head, for not being able to see his face and eyes directly. Assuming his actual head was a demon then, he ran around madly looking for his actual head. The actual head represents one’s true nature (真性), and angry blame of it represents confused betraying of true nature. The mirrored head represents a false form (妄相), and joyful seeing of it represents false obtaining of the illusory as the true, also with firm attachment, not renouncing it.]
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）：初机净业指南序；
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings (First Compilation): Reply Letter [To] Gù Xiǎnwéi;
印光大师文钞菁华录（第二十八则）：二、诫信愿真切：乙、劝祛疑生信（第四则）
Record [Of] Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence (28th Short Section): 2nd [Chapter]: Admonishment [For] Faith [And] Aspiration [To Be] True [And] Sincere: Second, Exhortation [To] Dispel Doubts [And] Give Rise [To] Faith (4th Short Section)
[Ref: #28 / 2.2.4]
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
相关典籍
Related Text:
《印光大师文钞菁华录》
Record Of Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence
https://purelanders.com/jinghualu
