吾人能现身见性成佛吗？
[153] [Are] We Able [To] See [Our] Nature [And] Accomplish Buddhahood [In] This Life?
禅宗每云：「明心见性，见性成佛。」
[The] Chán Tradition often says, [to] ‘understand [the] mind [and] see [one’s] nature, see [one’s] nature [and] accomplish Buddhahood.’
「明心见性」，乃大彻大悟也。
[To] ‘understand [the] mind [and] see [one’s] nature’, thus [is to have] great penetration [and] great awakening.
言「见性成佛」者，以亲见自性天真之佛。
Speaking [of] that ‘see [one’s] nature [and] accomplish Buddhahood’, [it is] with personal seeing [of] self-nature’s that Naturally True Buddha.
[Note 1: The Naturally True Buddha (天真佛) is the Dharma Body (Dharmakāya) Buddha (法身佛), which is the principle’s nature (理性) that sentient beings are originally complete with, that is natural, true and bright.]
名为「成佛」，乃理即佛与名字佛也，非福慧圆满之究竟佛也。
[That] named as ‘accomplish Buddhahood’, thus [is to be] Principle Thus Buddha and Name [Thus] Buddha [名字即佛], not that [as] Ultimate [Thus] Buddha [究竟即佛], [with] blessings [and] wisdom perfect.
[Note 2: Great Master Yìnguāng’s Brief Explanation Of The ‘Praises Of The Six Thus Buddhas’ 印光大师略释《六即佛颂》: https://purelanders.com/2022/03/30/great-master-yinguangs-brief-explanation-of-the-praises-of-the-six-thus-buddhas:
「理即佛」者，一切众生，皆有佛性，虽背觉合尘，轮回三途六道，而佛性功德，仍自具足，故名「理即佛」，以心之理体就是佛也。…
Those ‘Principle Thus Buddhas’, are all sentient beings, with all having Buddha-nature. Although with their backs to awakening, joining the dusts, reborn in the three realms and six paths, yet their Buddha-nature’s meritorious virtues, are still naturally complete, thus named as ‘Principle Thus Buddhas’, with the principle’s essence that exactly is the same as the Buddhas’…
「名字即佛」者，或从善知识，或从经典，闻即心本具寂照圆融不生不灭之佛性，于名字中，通达了解，知一切法皆为佛法，一切众生皆可成佛，所谓闻佛性名字，即得了解佛法者是也。…
Those ‘Name Thus Buddhas’, perhaps from good-knowing friends, or from sūtras, hear that this immediate mind is originally complete with Buddha-nature, that is with stillness and illumination interpenetrating, non-arising and non-ceasing. Within names, with thorough understanding, knowing all dharmas are all as the Buddhas’ Dharma, and that all sentient beings can all accomplish Buddhahood, is that called hearing of Buddha-nature’s name, to then attain understanding of what the Buddhas’ Dharma is…
「究竟即佛」者，从等觉，再破一分无明，则真穷惑尽，福慧圆满，彻证即心本具之真如佛性，入妙觉位，成无上菩提道矣。
Those ‘Ultimate Thus Buddhas’, are from Equally Awakened Bodhisattvas’ Position (等觉菩萨位), who further destroy the last one part of ignorance, thus truly ending confusions completely, with blessings and wisdom complete, with pervasive realisation that this immediate mind is originally complete with that True Thusness’ Buddha-nature, entering Wonderful Awakening’s Position, to accomplish the unsurpassable Bodhi path.]
此人虽悟到极处，亲见佛性，仍是凡夫，不是圣人。
These persons, although awakening to [the] utmost point, [and] personally seeing [their] Buddha-nature, are still ordinary beings, not noble persons.
若能广修六度，于一切境缘，对治烦恼习气，令其清净无余，则可了生脱死，超出三界之外，不在六道之中矣。
If able [to] widely cultivate [the] Six Perfections, in all situations [and] conditions, to remedy afflictions [and] habitual forces, [to] cause them [to be] purified without [those] remaining, then can [there be] liberation [from the cycle of] birth [and] death, [to] transcend [and] exit [the] three realms [to] that outside, [to] not be within those six paths.
[Note 3: Six Perfections (Pāramitās) (六度): (i) Generosity (布施), (ii) Upholding Precepts (持戒), (iii) Patience (忍辱), (iv) Diligence (精进), (v) Concentration (禅定), (vi) Wisdom (智慧)]
[Note 4: Three Realms (三界): (i) Desire Realm (欲界), (ii) Form Realm (色界), (iii) Formless Realm (无色界)]
[Note 5: Six Paths (六道): (i) Hell Path (地狱道), (ii) Hungry Ghost Path (饿鬼道), (iii) Animal Path (畜生道), (iv) Human Path (人道), (v) Asura Path (阿修罗道), (vi) Heavenly Path (天道)]
佛世此种人甚多，唐宋尚有。今则大彻大悟，尚不易得，况烦恼净尽者乎？
[In the] Buddha’s age, this kind [of] persons [were] extremely many, [and in the] Táng [and] Sòng [Dynasties], still having [them]. Now, however, [that] great penetration [and] great awakening, [is] still not easy [to] attain, moreover that [with] afflictions completely gone?
密宗「现身成佛」，或云「即生成佛」，此与禅宗「见性成佛」之话相同，皆称其工夫湛深之谓，不可认做真能「现身成佛」。
[Of the] Esoteric Tradition [saying ‘in this] present life accomplish Buddhahood’, or saying, ‘immediately [in this] life accomplish Buddhahood’, this with [the] Chán Tradition’s speaking of ‘see [one’s] nature [and] accomplish Buddhahood’, [are the] same [as] one another, all ways of saying their skills [are] refined [and] profound, [but they] cannot [be] recognised as [to] truly [be] able [to, ‘in this] present life accomplish Buddhahood.’
须知「现身成佛」，唯释迦牟尼佛一人也。此外即古佛示现，亦无「现身成佛」之事。
[It] must [be] known [that of those who ‘in this] present life accomplish Buddhahood’, [there was] only Śākyamuni Buddha, [this] one person [only]. Beyond this, even if ancient Buddhas manifest, [they are] also without [the] practice of ‘[in this] present life accomplish[ing] Buddhahood.’
[Note 6: Thus, with all the above said, the swiftest path to Buddhahood is the Pure Land path. If reaching Pure Land alive, before this life ends (活着往生), with expedited spiritual progress that continues seamlessly in Pure Land, this is what truly leads to accomplishing of Buddhahood in this present life, with readiness to manifest it elsewhere after.]
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》（三编）：复周志诚书；
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings (Third Compilation): Reply Letter [To] Zhōu Zhìchéng;
印光大师文钞菁华录（第一百五十三则）：三、示修持方法：戊、评修持各法（第十六则）
Record [Of] Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence (153rd Short Section): 3rd [Chapter]: Guidance [On] Practice Methods: Fifth, Reviews [On] Practices’ Each Method (16th Short Section)
[Ref: #153 / 3.5.16]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes 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
