[278] 念佛功夫不得力能否往生？
[278] [Are Those With] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha’s Skills Not Competent Able [To Be] Reborn [In His Pure Land] Or Not?
◎「得生与否，全由信愿之有无。」何得妄说闲谈？
◎ [Summary]: ‘Attaining birth [in Āmítuófó’s (阿弥陀佛) Pure Land (净土)] or not, [is] all due [to] Faith [and] Aspiration [being] present [or] absent.’ How can [there be] nonsensical talk [and] idle chat [about this]?
问：念佛自知不得力，欲加课非但无力，且无时间。如长此以往，恐生西少把握，而此志又决计欲生，究用何法，能万分可靠？
Question: [On] mindfulness [of] Buddha, personally knowing [my Practice is] not competent, [I] desire [to have] additional chanting, [but] not only [am] without energy, moreover without time. Like this [for] long, with [it going] forward, [I] fear [that my] birth [in the] Western [Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss (西方极乐世界) is with] little certainty. Yet [with] this Aspiration also determined, planning [and] desiring [for] birth, ultimately using what method, [is it] able [to be with] ten thousand parts [i.e. extremely] reliable?
答：[如净土宗九祖蕅益大师所教]：「得生与否，全由信愿之有无。」何得妄说闲谈，不以古人所说者为指南？
Answer: [Like that taught (by the) Pure Land Tradition’s Ninth Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì], ‘Attaining birth [in Āmítuófó’s (阿弥陀佛) Pure Land (净土)] or not, [is] all due [to] Faith [and] Aspiration [being] present [or] absent.’ How can [there be] nonsensical talk [and] idle chat [about this, that is] not with that [which] ancient persons speak for guidance?
[注 1：九祖下句言：「品位高下，全由持名之深浅。」故亦须有行，而具三资粮，而力与时间之多少由行者之因缘。]
[Note 1: (The) Ninth Patriarch’s next line says, ‘(The) grade (of birth being) high (or) low, (is) all due to (the Practice of) upholding (Āmítuófó’s) name (being) deep (or) shallow.’ Thus, (there) also must be Practice, (to) then (be) complete (with the) Three Provisions, yet (with the) amount of energy and time due to (the) practitioner’s conditions.]
《答俞大锡居士问》
Answer [To] Layperson Yú Dàxī‘s Question
问：念佛时心多散乱，或说是年龄关系，如年老心散，不能收束，则老年人决不能往生矣？究竟是否由于年龄，抑功夫未到家之故?
Question: When reciting [Āmítuó]fó’s [name (阿弥陀佛) with the] mind mostly scattered [and] confused, perhaps saying [this] is [due to] age related. Like [the] aged [with] minds scattered, not able [to] gather [their] thoughts, then [are] old people definitely not able [to be] reborn [in his Pure Land (净土)]? Ultimately, is [it] or not due to age hindering skills, [with them] yet [to] be perfect [as] its reason?
答：汝之不一心，由于心无正见。无正见，故无真信切愿。有真信切愿，未能一心，亦可往生。无真信切愿，纵能一心，亦难往生。以往生由仗佛力故也。
Answer: Your that lack [of] single-mindedness, [is] due to [your] mind [being] without Right Views. Without Right Views, thus without true Faith [and] sincere Aspiration. With true Faith [and] sincere Aspiration, [if] yet [to be] able [to have] single-mindedness, likewise can [there be] rebirth [in the Pure Land]. Without true Faith [and] sincere Aspiration, even if able [to have] single-mindedness, likewise [is] difficult [to have] rebirth [in the Pure Land. This is] with rebirth [in the Pure Land] due [to] relying on [the] Buddha’s power thus.
[注 2：得至心之一心时，三资粮则自然系在一起。由此感应阿弥陀佛之佛力，定心之一心则自然生起。即使定心之一心未生起，既然已经有了感应，所以得生净土。然而，若唯有定心之一心，既然未有感应，所以不得生净土。]
[Note 2: When attaining wholeheartedness (一心) of (the) sincere mind (至心), (the) Three Provisions (are) then naturally bound together. From this connecting (to the) Buddha power of Āmítuófó, (the) single-mindedness (一心) of (the) concentrated mind (定心) then naturally arises. Even if single-mindedness of (the) concentrated mind (has) yet (to) arise, since (there) already is connection, (one) therefore attains rebirth (in the) Pure Land. However, if (there) is single-mindedness of (the) concentrated mind only, since (there) is yet (to be) connection, (one) therefore (does) not attain rebirth (in the) Pure Land.]
《答俞大锡居士问》
Answer [To] Layperson Yú Dàxī‘s Question
净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《印光法师答念佛600问》
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Answers [For] Mindfulness [Of] Buddha’s 600 Questions
释宗柱法师审阅
[By] Dharma Master Shì Zōngzhù Reviewed
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
