[356]「念而无念，无念而念」是什么境界？
[356] ‘Reciting Yet Without Reciting, Without Reciting Yet Reciting’ Is What State?
◎ 是一心境界。此种境界，殊不易得。不可妄会。
◎ [Summary]: [This] is single-mindedness’ state. [As] this kind [of] state [is] extremely not easy [to] attain, [it] must not [be] falsely understood.
「念而无念，无念而念」者，乃念到相应时，虽常念佛，了无起心动念之相。
That ‘reciting yet without reciting, without reciting yet reciting’, thus [is] when reciting until corresponding, although constantly reciting [Āmítuó]fó[’s name (阿弥陀佛]], completely without [the] form of giving rise [to the] mind’s moving thoughts.
（未相应前，不起心动念念，则不念矣。）
([When] yet [to] correspond, not giving rise [to the] mind’s moving thoughts [to] recite, [is] then not reciting.)
虽不起心动念，而一句佛号，常常称念，或忆念。故云「念而无念，无念而念」也。
Although not giving rise [to the] mind’s moving thoughts, yet [with the] one line [of the] Buddha’s name, frequently reciting or recollecting [it]. Thus saying, ‘reciting yet without reciting, without reciting yet reciting’.
「无念」，不可认做不念。「无念而念」，谓无起心动念之念相，而复念念无间。
‘Without reciting’ must not [be] recognised as ‘not reciting’. ‘Without reciting yet reciting’ [is] called without recitation’s form of giving rise [to the] mind’s moving thoughts, yet again [with] recitation [to] recitation uninterrupted.
此种境界，殊不易得，不可妄会。
[As] this kind [of] state [is] extremely not easy [to] attain, [it] must not [be] falsely understood.
《复马契西居士书五》
Fifth Reply Letter [To] Layperson Mǎ Qìxī
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 by Shen Shi’an
