[23] 莲宗祖师是如何确定？
[23] How [Were The] Lotus Tradition’s Patriarchs Determined?
◎ 莲宗祖师非各宗之一一亲传，乃后人择其宏净功深者而称之。
◎ [Summary]: [The] Lotus Tradition’s Patriarchs [were] not [like] each [other] tradition, those [from] one [to] another personally transmitted, thus [by] later generations selected, [due to] their those great pure merits profound, then calling them [so].
净土法门，绝无口传心授之事。任人于经教著述中自行领会，无不得者。
[The] Pure Land Dharma Door, [is] absolutely without [the] practice of oral transmission [and] mental conferment. Allowing people [to], from sūtra teachings [and] writings within [learn, to] personally practise [and] understand, [it is] without that not attained.
莲宗九祖，非各宗之一一亲传，乃后人择其宏净功深者而称之，实则尚不止九、十也。
[The] Lotus Tradition’s nine Patriarchs, [were] not [like] each [other] tradition, those [from] one [to] another personally transmitted. Thus [by] later generations selected, [due to] their those great pure merits profound, then calling them [so]. Actually, [there are] also not only nine [or] ten.
[Note: For listing of the 1st to 13th Pure Land Tradition’s Patriarchs (净土宗祖师) and their biographies, see https://purelanders.com/zushi. After his rebirth in Pure Land, Great Master Yìnguāng (印光大师) was later recognised by the Buddhist community as the Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch (净土宗十三祖).]
光出家后，发愿不收徒众，不作住持，不作讲师，亦不接人之法。
After [Yìn]guāng left [the] household [life, he] gave rise [to] vows, [to] not receive disciple assemblies, not become [an] abbot, not become [a] lecturer, [and] also not receive [the] Dharma [transmissions] of others.
当唐宋时，尚有传佛心印之法，今则只一历代源流而已。名之为法，亦太可怜，净宗绝无此事。
When [in the] Táng [and] Sòng [Dynasties, there] still was [the] method of transmitting [the] Buddha’s mind seal. Now then, only [has] one successive generation’s source [and] branch only. Naming this as [the] method, [is] also too pitiful. [The] Pure [Land] Tradition [is] absolutely without this practice.
《复明性大师书》
Reply Letter [To] Great Master Míngxìng
十二祖，即世称莲宗九祖，于八祖莲池大师下，加蕅益为九祖，截流为十祖，以思齐贤九祖为十一祖，下又添彻悟禅师为十二祖。
[The] twelve Patriarchs, [are] thus [with who the] world calls [the] Lotus Tradition’s nine Patriarchs. At [the] 8th Patriarch Great Master Liánchí below, adding [Great Master] Ǒuyì as [the] 9th Patriarch, [Great Master] Jiéliú as [the] 10th Patriarch, with [Great Master] Sīqíxián as [the] 11th Patriarch, below also adding Chán Master Chèwù as [the] 12th Patriarch.
《复张觉明女居士书十》
Tenth Reply Letter [To] Laywoman Zhāng Juémíng
净土宗十三祖印光大师著
Written [By] 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
传印法师鉴定
Evaluated [By] Dharma Master Chuányìn
Námó Āmítuófó : Translation and note by Shen Shi’an
