[20] 佛为什么要特开净土法门？
[20] Why Must [The] Buddha Specially Open [The] Pure Land Dharma Door?
◎ 吾人以烦恼惑业，无力断除。释迦、弥陀真慈大悲，特开一信愿念佛法门，令其仗佛慈力，横超三界。俾上中下根，同得往生西方。
◎ [Summary]: We [are] with afflictions, confusions [and evil] karmas, [and are] without power [to] sever [and] eliminate [them]. Śākya[muni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛) and A]mitā[bha Buddha (阿弥陀佛: Āmítuófó), with] true loving-kindness [and] great compassion, specially opened [this] one Mindfulness [Of] Buddha Dharma Door [with] Faith [and] Aspiration, [to] enable that relying on [the] Buddha’s compassionate power, [to] horizontally transcend [the] three realms. So that [those of the] high, medium [and] low roots, [can] together attain rebirth [in the] Western [Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss (极乐世界)].
吾人一念心性，直下与释迦、弥陀，无二无别。
Our one thought’s mind-nature, directly down, with Śākya[muni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛) and A]mitā[bha Buddha’s (阿弥陀佛: Āmítuófó), [are] not two [and are] without differences.
而释迦、弥陀已成佛道于尘点劫前。
Yet Śākya[muni Buddha and A]mítuó[fó] have] already accomplished [the] Buddha path in dust motes [of] kalpas ago.
又复数数示生，数数示灭，以行化导，欲令吾人，继其芳踪。
Also again, repeatedly manifesting birth, [and] repeatedly manifesting cessation, with [their] practices transforming [and] guiding, desiring [to] enable us, [to] follow their excellent footprints.
而吾人以烦恼惑业，无力断除，直至今日，尚在生死轮回中，头出头没，渺不知其何所底止。
Yet we [are] with afflictions, confusions [and evil] karmas, [and are] without power [to] sever [and] eliminate [them], up until today, [are] still within [the cycle of] birth [and] death reborn, [with our] heads rising [and] heads sinking, [for] long not knowing this [will at] what place end.
纵令往劫曾闻佛法，依教修行，但以自力劣弱，不能断惑，依旧常沉溺于生死苦海中，莫之能出。静言思之，能不愧死？
Even if [in] past kalpas, [having] previously heard [the] Buddha’s Dharma [teachings], relying on [these] teachings [to] cultivate practices, however with self-power inferior [and] weak, not able [to] sever confusions, as before constantly sinking within births [and] deaths’ suffering ocean, not [with] those able [to] exit. Silencing words [to] contemplate this, [who is] able [to] not [be] ashamed [to] ‘death’?
释迦、弥陀，有鉴于此，特开一信愿念佛法门，令其仗佛慈力，横超三界。俾上中下根，同得往生西方。
Śākya[muni Buddha and A]mítuó[fó], having reflected upon this, specially opened [this] one Mindfulness [Of] Buddha Dharma Door [with] Faith [and] Aspiration, [to] enable that relying on [the] Buddha’s compassionate power, [to] horizontally transcend [the] three realms. So that [those of the] high, medium [and] low roots, [can] together attain rebirth [in the] Western [Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss (极乐世界)].
可谓真慈大悲，至极无加矣！
[This] can [be] called true loving-kindness [and] great compassion, [that is] utmost extreme, without [what can be] added!
其教起因缘，修持法则，具见于《净土三经》。
These teachings’ cause [and] conditions [for] arising, [and] practices’ rules, [can] together [be] seen in [the] Pure Land [Tradition’s] Three Sūtras.
《阿弥陀经直解序》
Amitābha Sūtra’s Direct Explanation’s Preface
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
