Fully Arousing the Three Minds and Dedicated vs. Mixed Practice

Shandao Master composed some of his most brilliant passages in the Four Annotations, first in the section expounding the profound meaning, and second in his commentary on the chapter on the highest grade of the highest birth. He especially expounds on the three minds that must be perfectly aroused: those who wish to be born in that land should arouse three minds. The first is the sincere mind; the second is the deep mind; and the third is the mind of dedication and aspiration.

After annotating the three minds, he particularly addresses the relationship between the benefits and drawbacks, the gains and losses, of exclusive practice versus mixed practice, and urges us to practice exclusively. Exclusive practice consists of five proper practices. For reading and recitation, read and recite the Three Pure Land Sutras. For bowing, bow to Amitabha Buddha. For offering praise, chant the name "Namo Amitabha Buddha." For contemplation, contemplate the adornments and merits of the Western Pure Land. For making offerings, make offerings to the Western Three Saints. This is what is called exclusive practice.

Within exclusive practice, he singles out one practice as the principal practice: the chanting of the Buddha's name. The other four are called auxiliary practices. Together they are known as the principal and auxiliary practices. Beyond these two categories of practice, all other forms of cultivation are called mixed practice. Mixed practice is the path of scattered and haphazard cultivation, and rebirth through it is far from assured. Hence the emphasis on exclusive practice.

Out of a hundred people practicing exclusively, all hundred will be reborn. Out of ten thousand, all ten thousand will be reborn. With mixed practice, however, the proportion drops dramatically. That is the meaning of "mixed."

The purpose is to help us arouse a firm and unwavering genuine faith. Most people, even after hearing this difficult-to-believe Dharma and developing a certain degree of faith, tend to waver easily.

If they happen to encounter a great virtuous teacher who is thoroughly versed in the various schools and teachings of the Buddhist canon, and that teacher says to them, "You think you can be reborn just by reciting the Buddha's name? How could it possibly be that easy! Without cultivating meditative concentration and opening wisdom, without cultivating merit and virtue, how could you possibly be reborn? You are aspiring to the True Reward Adornment Pure Land, the Reward Land, where you would gather together with all the supreme virtuous beings. With your heavy karmic obstacles and no cultivation whatsoever, how could there be such a bargain! How could you possibly be reborn! Let me teach you a different method instead." People who hear such words will often waver, thinking, "Alas! Perhaps it really isn't so simple."

In recent years, we have frequently heard people say, "You need to eliminate your karmic obstacles first! How can you be reborn if your karmic obstacles are not eliminated?" They find this reasoning compelling and feel they must eliminate their karmic obstacles. So how does one go about it? "Here, let me give you a certain mantra. Recite it several million times, and once your karmic obstacles are eliminated, then come back to recite the Buddha's name." So off they go, chanting the mantra, and they have been led astray.

They do not realize that this very Buddha name is the most excellent method for eliminating karmic obstacles! Who ever taught that you should wait until your karmic obstacles are eliminated before reciting Amitabha Buddha? If you harbor such an idea, you will never be able to recite this Amitabha name in your entire lifetime. And besides, will all your karmic obstacles truly be eliminated simply by reciting a mantra your whole life? That is not how it works! The practice of Buddha-name recitation does not depend upon whether you still have karmic obstacles, because it enables rebirth with karmic obstacles still present! Even those who have committed the five grave offenses and the ten evil deeds can take them along at the time of rebirth. What is there to fear? What is to be feared is simply the lack of faith! What is to be feared is the presence of doubt! The greatest obstacle to cultivating the Pure Land path is doubt. Such is the result of encountering great virtuous teachers thoroughly versed in the various schools and teachings.

What if you encountered a Dharma-body great being, or even a Bodhisattva of the first, second, or tenth ground, or one equal to enlightenment, who said to you, "Ah, you cultivate this Dharma and think you can be reborn just by reciting the Buddha's name? There is no such thing! It could not possibly be that easy!" What would you do then? You would think: since these are all Bodhisattvas speaking such words, perhaps there really is no such easy path.

Even if Sakyamuni Buddha himself appeared in person and said, "Ah! The Pure Land rebirth method I originally taught was merely a skillful and expedient teaching. I now have a far more supreme Dharma to transmit to you," what would you do at that moment? A person who has genuinely established faith and resolve would, even upon hearing such words from the Buddha, bow to the Buddha and say, "World-Honored Sakyamuni! You originally taught me this Dharma, and I have already made the vow never to change it for the rest of my life. Even though there may be a more excellent Dharma, I dare not alter my original resolve." If you can speak such words, it shows that you possess genuine faith. This means that in the depths of your heart, a profound root has been firmly planted, immovable and certain! Not even the Buddha and patriarchs appearing before you could shake it, let alone ordinary people.

Shandao Master foresaw that beings of future ages would harbor doubt. Of course, Sakyamuni Buddha could not possibly have spoken in such a way. It was Shandao Master who pushed this scenario to its extreme as a hypothetical test: even in such a situation, you would not shift your resolve. This serves to sever the calculating mind of future beings who always see the next mountain as higher than the one they stand on! It cuts it off completely.

Yes, it severs the calculating mind of future beings who always see the next mountain as higher than the one they stand on! It severs it completely. This is the compass for Pure Land practitioners! If, in the course of reciting the Buddha's name, we are swayed by the various schools and teachings of Buddhism, or by the claims of ordinary qigong practitioners, and follow after them, then we are truly to be pitied! We have not even a trace of the root of faith! How utterly shallow!

Therefore, all of you must gain a thorough understanding of and familiarity with Shandao Master's Four Annotations on the Contemplation Sutra. This Four Annotations was also composed by Shandao Master after receiving guidance from a Brahmin monk in a dream, and it should be regarded as equivalent to the Buddha's own words. These are treasures among our Pure Land scriptures. Do not casually browse through other materials; focus on books of true value.

The crucial points of the Buddha Dharma are not many. If you can read the Essential Commentary, the Four Annotations, and the Sub-commentary on the Amitabha Sutra until you know them inside and out, that will be sufficient.

There are also other commentaries on the Contemplation Sutra, such as the Miaozong Chao. Master Zhizhe first composed a commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, and then in the Song dynasty, the Venerable Siming wrote a sub-commentary on that commentary. He annotated it from the perspective of the Tiantai school's one-mind threefold contemplation and one realm with three truths. His theories and methods of contemplation are both exquisite and perfectly harmonized, but for those of middle and inferior capacities, they are very difficult to enter into.

Therefore, it is not as accessible as Shandao Master's Four Annotations on the Contemplation Sutra, which universally benefits all three grades of capacities, bringing benefit to both the sharp and the dull alike. So here, Master Yinguang also very tactfully and skillfully tells us that we need only study Shandao Master's Four Annotations alone.