The Pure Land Tradition’s Ten Essentials’ Essential Explanation Of The Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of Amitābha Buddha’s Original Postscript《净土十要》之《佛说阿弥陀经要解》原跋

《净土十要》之《佛说阿弥陀经要解》原跋
[The] Pure Land [Tradition’s] Ten Essentials’ Essential Explanation [Of The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitābha Buddha’s Original Postscript

经云：「三界唯心，万法唯识。」古人云：「念自性弥陀，生唯心净土。」合观之，「是心作佛，是心是佛。心外无佛，佛外无心」之义明矣。

[The] sūtras say, ‘[The] three realms [are] mind-only, [and the] ten thousand dharmas [i.e. all phenomena] [are] consciousness-only.’ Ancient persons say, ‘[With] mindfulness [of] self-nature’s [Ā]mítuó[fó, be] born [in the] mind-only Pure Land.’ Combining [and] contemplating these, [are the] clear meanings of ‘[It] is [the] mind [that] becomes Buddha, [and it] is [the] mind [that] is Buddha. [The] mind externally [is] without [the] Buddha, [and the] Buddha externally [is] without [the] mind.’

后人不达，舍西方极乐，别言唯心净土。舍万德慈尊，别言自性弥陀。不几心外有佛，佛外有心耶？

Later [generations’] persons [who do] not thoroughly understand [this], abandon [the] Western [Pure] Land [Of] Ultimate Bliss, [and] separately speak [of the] mind-only Pure Land, abandon [the] Ten Thousand Virtues’ Compassionate Honoured [One] [i.e. Āmítuófó], [and] separately speak [of] self-nature’s Āmítuófó. [Why] not question [these being ‘the] mind externally having [the] Buddha, [and the] Buddha externally having [the] mind’, [which are not true]?

灵峰大师深悟心性无外之体。特为此经，拈出要解。

[The] Spirit Peak’s Great Master [i.e. Pure Land Tradition’s Ninth Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì (净土宗九祖蕅益大师)] deeply awakened [to] mind-nature [being] without essence that [is] external. Specially for this [Amitābha] Sūtra《阿弥陀经》, [he] picked out [its] essence [for] explanation.

一展读时，信愿持名，人可自操其券。

When once opening [to] study [it, and with] Faith [and] Aspiration upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name, people can personally hold their ‘contract’ [for rebirth in the Pure Land].

不唯言简意周。且使希有甚难之宗，如声鼓铎。

Not only [with] words simple [and] meanings thorough. Moreover, enabling [the] principles of [that] rare [and] extremely difficult [to believe (难信)], [to be clear that] like [the] sounding [of] drums [and] bells.

尽开经藏，无复匿藏。诚古今所未有也。名曰《要解》，其斯为无上心要矣乎。

Completely opening [the] sūtra’s treasury, not again hidden [is the] treasury. Truly, [from] ancient [to] modern [times, it is] that yet [to] exist. Named [the] Essential Explanation, this is as [its] unsurpassable heart essence!

古吴净业弟子正知去病氏谨识。
[By] Gǔwú [Kingdom’s] pure karmas’ disciple Zhèngzhī [of] Qùbìng clan respectfully recorded.

Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an

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