Lecture Notes on the Upper Grade Supreme Birth Chapter in Master Shandao’s Fourfold Commentary on the Contemplation Sūtra

Author: Master Jingkong

In September 1992, Venerable Chin Kung delivered a week-long series of lectures on the “Upper Grade Supreme Birth” chapter—Master Shandao’s exposition of this passage from his Fourfold Commentary on the Contemplation Sūtra—in San Jose, California. The text below is compiled from audio recordings, organized to follow the flow of the sutra, and shared here for the benefit of readers.

Fellow students: Today we will explore the “Upper Grade Supreme Birth” chapter of the Contemplation Sūtra. These notes follow Tang dynasty Master Shandao’s commentary, which divides the sutra into four sections—from its overarching meaning to the main text—so it is also called the Four-Fascicle Commentary. The core teaching of this chapter is the arousal of the Bodhi mind. The Pure Land tradition often refers to the “perfect arousal of the three minds.” These three minds are the Sincere Mind, the Deep Mind, and the Mind of Dedication and Vow. When all three are fully and perfectly aroused, this is the unsurpassable Bodhi mind.

The foundational scriptures of the Pure Land tradition are the Three Sutras and One Treatise. The Treatise was composed by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, while the Sutras were spoken by the Buddha himself, so of course the sutras form the most fundamental basis. Of the three sutras, the Infinite Life Sūtra is the most central: it offers the most complete and thorough account of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and can be thought of as a general introduction to Pure Land teachings. The Contemplation Sūtra complements the Infinite Life Sūtra, laying out the theory and practice of the Western Pure Land in detail—including contemplative recitation, image recitation, and name recitation. The practice of upholding the Buddha’s name that we follow today is also drawn from the Contemplation Sūtra. It also explains in depth the causes and conditions for rebirth in each of the Nine Grades of the Western Land, so the sutra covers theory, method, and cause and effect with great thoroughness.

The Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, or the Buddha’s Amitābha Sūtra, is the shortest of the three. It has long been widely upheld and recited by Pure Land practitioners, and its central message is to encourage faith, encourage the making of vows, and encourage recitation of the Buddha’s name to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. For this reason, both Master Yunqi Zhuhong and Master Ouyi identified the three provisions for the Pure Land path in this sutra as faith, vows, and practice.

Today we are exploring the chapter on the Nine Grades of rebirth in the Contemplation Sūtra, which also covers the causes and effects of each grade. Master Shandao classifies this as “scattered good.” Good is divided into “concentrated good” and “scattered good.” “Concentrated good” refers to single-mindedly upholding the Buddha’s name, with the goal of attaining one-pointed absorption. “Scattered good” refers to the accumulation of merit and virtue through other practices, which belongs to supporting practice. Principal and supporting practices are deeply interconnected, so we must cultivate both.

First, I will divide this chapter into sections to make it easier to follow. The entire chapter falls into twelve parts: (1) The Buddha addressed Ananda and Vaidehi. (2) Those reborn in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth. (3) If there are beings who wish to be born in that land, and who bring forth the three minds, they shall immediately attain rebirth. (4) What are the three? First, the Sincere Mind. Second, the Deep Mind. Third, the Mind of Dedication and Vow. Those who possess all three minds will surely be born in that land. (5) Furthermore, there are three types of beings who shall attain rebirth. (6) What are the three? First, those who are compassionate and refrain from killing, who fully observe the precepts. Second, those who read and recite Mahayana vaipulya sutras. Third, those who practice the six recollections. (7) They dedicate their merit and vow to be born in that land. (8) With these merits, from one day up to seven days, they shall attain rebirth. (9) At the moment of rebirth in that land, because of this person’s diligent and vigorous practice, Amitābha Buddha, together with Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, countless transformation Buddhas, hundreds of thousands of bhikshus and śrāvaka assemblies, and innumerable devas, arrive with seven-treasure palaces. Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara holds a vajra pedestal, and together with Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, they come before the practitioner. Amitābha Buddha emits a great light that illuminates the practitioner’s body, and together with the bodhisattvas, extends a hand in welcome. Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, and countless bodhisattvas praise the practitioner and encourage their mind. Seeing this, the practitioner rejoices and leaps for joy, sees their own body seated on the vajra pedestal, follows behind the Buddha, and in the span of a finger-snap, attains rebirth in that land. (10) Having been born in that land, (11) They see the Buddha’s physical body, complete with all marks; see all bodhisattvas’ physical forms, complete with all marks; see a forest of radiant jewel trees; hear the wondrous Dharma being expounded; and upon hearing it, immediately realize the patience of non-arising dharma. In but a brief moment, they visit all Buddhas throughout the ten directions, receive predictions of Buddhahood in sequential order before each Buddha, return to their own land, and obtain infinite hundreds of thousands of dhāraṇī gates. (12) These are those reborn in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth.

The full text of this chapter is short, but Master Shandao’s commentary is extremely detailed. Let us first turn to his notes:

Next, we turn first to the position of the Upper Grade Supreme Birth. We first present the passage, then explain it, then summarize it—there are twelve sections in total. First, beginning with “The Buddha addressed Ananda and the rest,” two points are marked: first, the proclamation of the Buddha’s teaching; second, the clear definition of the rebirth category. This refers to ordinary beings of superior goodness who study and practice the Mahayana path.

Next, we turn first to the position of the Upper Grade Supreme Birth. We first present the passage, then explain it, then summarize it—there are twelve sections in total.

The requirements for rebirth in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth are listed below, followed by their explanation, and finally a description of the result attained. We will now explain each of the twelve sections in turn.

First, beginning with “The Buddha addressed Ananda and the rest,” two points are marked: first, the proclamation of the Buddha’s teaching; second, the clear definition of the rebirth category.

The Master’s final comment on this passage is very clear: this refers to ordinary beings of superior goodness who study and practice the Mahayana path. We are all ordinary beings, but if we can reach the standard of superior goodness, we have a share in rebirth in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth, and we should strive to practice diligently. Master Shandao’s interpretation differs from that of the ancient masters. Earlier masters held that all who attain rebirth in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth are bodhisattvas, and that ordinary beings who recite the Buddha’s name to seek rebirth have no share in it. Master Shandao said that the Nine Grades of rebirth depend on the differing conditions beings encounter, and all of them refer to ordinary beings.

Third, from “If there are beings who wish to be born in that land” down to “they shall immediately attain rebirth,” this is the explicit explanation of those who have the conditions for rebirth. There are four points: first, the person capable of faith; second, the aspiration to seek rebirth; third, the number of minds brought forth; fourth, the benefit of attaining rebirth.

It’s clear from the sutra text that if there are beings who wish to be born in that land, and who bring forth the three minds, they shall immediately attain rebirth. “This is the explicit explanation of those who have the conditions for rebirth.” In this passage, the Master explains that beings must fulfill four conditions. First, they must have faith; without faith, they have no share. Second, after developing faith, they must aspire to seek rebirth, with a genuine wish. As mentioned in the Infinite Life Sūtra regarding Prince Ajātaśatru: he had faith but no aspiration, so he could not achieve rebirth. Third, regarding the number of minds brought forth: some may have one, some two, but it is best to arouse all three minds together. Fourth, the benefit of attaining rebirth is that one will surely be born in that land.

Fourth, from “What are the three” down to “will surely be born in that land,” this is the explicit explanation defining the three minds as the direct cause of rebirth. There are two points: first, the World-Honored One adapted his teaching to the capacities of beings to reveal the benefit, but his intention is profound and difficult to grasp—had he not asked and answered the question himself, there would be no way for us to understand. Second, the Tathāgata answers the question regarding the number of the three minds.

The sutra says: “First, the Sincere Mind. ‘Sincere’ means true; ‘genuine’ means real. This makes clear that the bodily, verbal, and mental karma of all beings, and their understanding and practice, must arise from a true and genuine mind. They must not outwardly display the appearance of worthiness, goodness, and diligent practice, while inwardly harboring falsehood: covetousness, anger, deviousness, and deception in a hundred forms; an evil nature hard to subdue, as vicious as snakes and scorpions. Though they may act through body, speech, and mind, this is called good mixed with poison, also called false and deceptive conduct—it cannot be called true and genuine karma. If one sets one’s mind and engages in practice in this way, even if one exhausts body and mind in bitter effort, running and working day and night for twelve hours straight, as if one’s head were on fire, it is all still called good mixed with poison. To wish to turn this poison-mixed conduct and seek rebirth in the Buddha’s Pure Land is unacceptable.”

This fourth section formally expounds the three minds—that is, the arousal of the Bodhi mind—and is the most important teaching in the Upper Grade Supreme Birth chapter. “From ‘What are the three’ down to ‘will surely be born in that land,’ this is the explicit explanation defining the three minds as the direct cause of rebirth.” This section of the sutra carries two meanings. “First, the World-Honored One adapted his teaching to the capacities of beings to reveal the benefit, but his intention is profound and difficult to grasp—had he not asked and answered the question himself, there would be no way for us to understand.” The Buddha spoke this Dharma of his own accord, as he did in the Amitābha Sūtra, where the teaching was given without being requested. The Buddha saw that beings’ conditions had matured: their good roots cultivated over countless eons had now manifested, and they had received the empowerment of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas in the present moment. Once this Dharma door is spoken, there will certainly be those who hear it with joy, arouse the aspiration to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. This is the moment when beings’ conditions for attaining Buddhahood have ripened, so the Buddha expounded this supreme Dharma door for the sake of all beings.

The second meaning is “to make clear that the Tathāgata answers the question regarding the number of the three minds.” Earlier we noted that those who possess the three minds attain rebirth; here this is explained in full. Master Ouyi said in his Essentials of Contemplation of Amitayus: “Deep faith and the making of vows are themselves the unsurpassable Bodhi mind. United, this faith and vow form the true guide for the Pure Land path. Upholding the Buddha’s name, practiced on this basis, is the proper practice. If faith and vow are firm, even ten recitations—or even one—at the moment of death will surely lead to rebirth.” We can see that Master Ouyi’s explanation of the Bodhi mind is easy to grasp, while Master Shandao’s is far more comprehensive. Careful study of his words will yield deep insight. Shandao’s explanation is thorough and complete; Ouyi’s is concise and essential. If we can truly appreciate both, we will know exactly how to bring forth the mind.

“The sutra says: First, the Sincere Mind. ‘Sincere’ means true; ‘genuine’ means real.” This is the true mind, the genuine mind. The true mind is not the deluded mind; the genuine mind is not false sentiment or pretense. All is sincere and genuine. Sincerity and genuineness are the essence of the true mind; the Deep Mind and the Mind of Dedication and Vow are its functions. The Deep Mind is the function turned toward oneself—it is for one’s own benefit. The Mind of Dedication and Vow is for the benefit of others—this is the benefit of others. This aligns perfectly with the teachings of Confucianism. Confucian education speaks of the Three Bonds (between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife) and the Eight Aims. Its path of cultivation is also laid out very clearly: Confucianism teaches “investigate things, extend knowledge, be sincere in intention, rectify the mind, cultivate the person, regulate the family, govern the state, bring peace to the world”—this is entirely in line with the Mahayana bodhisattva path, only the terminology differs. Among the Eight Aims, “sincere intention” and “rectifying the mind” correspond exactly to the three minds discussed here. “Sincere intention” is the essence of the mind, the Sincere Mind. “Rectifying the mind” is the functioning of the mind.

Every person has a true mind; when the true mind is revealed, one is a bodhisattva. Ordinary beings use the deluded mind. Why does the true mind not manifest? Because of obstacles: as taught in the Avatamsaka Sūtra, these are delusive thoughts and attachments, which block the true mind from shining through. “Delusive thoughts” expand into the “obstacle of knowledge,” while “attachments” evolve into the “obstacle of afflictions.” Confucianism also recognizes the existence of these obstacles, but uses different terms. Confucianism speaks of “investigating things”: “things” refer to material desires, which are precisely afflictions. “Investigating” means to confront and eliminate. “Investigating things” means breaking through the obstacle of afflictions, after which one extends knowledge—devoting oneself to wisdom. When wisdom manifests, the obstacle of knowledge is broken. After investigating things and extending knowledge, the true mind appears; when the true mind functions, it manifests as upright, vast, and luminous. The Confucian path of cultivation is entirely the same as the Buddhist path.

Master Shandao here expounds both theory and method for us; we would do well to contemplate this carefully.

“To make clear that the bodily, verbal, and mental karma of all beings, and their understanding and practice, must arise from a true and genuine mind. They must not outwardly display the appearance of worthiness, goodness, and diligent practice, while inwardly harboring falsehood.”

“To” here means “in order to”; “make clear” means “to understand.” “All beings” refers to beings across the nine dharma realms. Bodhisattvas are not the issue here—they are already awakened. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are also not the problem: their afflictions are fewer than ours, so they are easier to awaken. The most challenging are the ordinary beings of the six realms. Their delusive thoughts and attachments are especially heavy. They take the deluded mind to be the true mind, and believe they are sincere in all their dealings with others. If someone truly thinks this way, they are beyond help.

One must not put on the outward appearance of being worthy and good, while still harboring greed and attachment in the heart. Attachment, whether to worldly or supramundane dharmas, can lead one astray into demonic states. No matter what states or experiences arise, do not engage with them; keep the mind still and unmoving, just as it is. One must cut off the mind of anger, must cut off the mind of deviousness. Our evil nature is hard to change: it has been cultivated since beginningless eons, innate afflictions we are born with. For example: give a one-year-old infant candy, and if the portions are unequal, the child will get angry. No one taught them this—it is innate greed and jealousy. This is why people must rely on good education after birth; otherwise, with afflictions within and evil conditions without, they will surely create evil karma.

A Buddha-recitation practitioner may bow and recite the Buddha’s name, and intend to keep the Buddha in mind, but if the mind is mixed with greed, hatred, ignorance, and arrogance, this is hypocrisy—called “conduct mixed with poison”—and cannot be called true and genuine karma. If one practices with a mind mixed with poison, even if one is vigorously diligent for twenty-four hours a day without rest, the mind of pride and self-importance remains. Hearing that someone recited the Buddha’s name without ceasing for a full day and night, such a person might say, “What’s so remarkable about that? I can go two days and two nights without stopping.” This is the mind mixed with poison. This is why the Master said: “To wish to turn this poison-mixed conduct and seek rebirth in the Buddha’s Pure Land is unacceptable.”

The Buddha says in the Mahayana sutras: “When the mind is pure, the land is pure.” Venerable Huang Nianzu taught us that cultivation should focus on substance, not form. This substance is the “pure, equal, and awakened mind” described in the title of the Infinite Life Sūtra—which is precisely the Sincere Mind, Deep Mind, and Mind of Dedication and Vow discussed earlier. Outward forms and rituals are secondary; the most important thing is the mind. As Master Yongming said in his Four Standards:

Those with both Chan and Pure Land Are like a tiger with horns. Those with no Chan but with Pure Land Will be reborn, ten thousand out of ten thousand cultivators.

The key question is whether one has a pure mind and a pure vow: single-mindedly seeking rebirth in the Pure Land, with no other wish, for then the vow is pure. If one seeks rebirth in the Pure Land on one hand, and on the other wishes to cultivate meditation to gain wisdom, the mind is not pure. The ancient masters said: “If only you can see Amitābha, what worry is there of not attaining enlightenment?” Set aside entirely all concerns about attaining samadhi or enlightenment; you can address those after meeting Amitābha Buddha. With this pure vow, rebirth is assured. If your practice is mixed with poison, whether you attain rebirth is uncertain.

“Why is this? Precisely because when Amitābha Buddha cultivated the bodhisattva path in the causal ground, every single thought, every single instant, the three karma of body, speech, and mind were all performed from within a true and genuine mind. Whatever he undertook or pursued was likewise entirely true and genuine. Furthermore, there are two kinds of true and genuine treasure. First, true and genuine treasure for self-benefit. Second, true and genuine treasure for benefiting others.

“As for true and genuine treasure for self-benefit, there are again two kinds. First, within a true and genuine mind, one refrains from and abandons all evil—one’s own and others’—as well as defiled lands. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one thinks as all bodhisattvas do: they refrain from and abandon evil, and so do I. Second, within a true and genuine mind, one diligently cultivates all good—for oneself and others, both mundane and sacred. Within a true and genuine mind, one verbally praises Amitābha Buddha and his twofold blissful land and adorned body. Also within a true and genuine mind, one verbally rejects and abhors the suffering and evil of the three realms and six paths, the defiled twofold rewards of one’s own and others’ body and land. One also praises all good actions of body, speech, and mind performed by all beings. If actions are not good, one respects them from afar, does not follow them, and does not rejoice in them. Also within a true and genuine mind, one physically joins palms in reverence, and makes offerings of the four necessities to Amitābha Buddha and his twofold blissful land and adorned body. Also within a true and genuine mind, one physically regards with disdain and abhors this cycle of birth and death in the three realms, the defiled twofold rewards of one’s own and others’ body and land.”

To study Buddhism is to study the Buddha’s truth and genuineness. Opening the sutra, reading and upholding it, is a chance to examine one’s own mind and conduct, and check whether they align with the teachings. Reading in this way is not in vain; it is not reciting for the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to hear. What the Buddha asks us to do, we should do accordingly, and hold fast to it. What he asks us not to do, we must definitely avoid; if we have already done so, we must correct it.

The Infinite Life Sūtra states that when Amitābha Buddha cultivated the bodhisattva path in the causal ground, he cultivated three kinds of true and genuine conduct, explained in full detail. In every thought, every instant, whether in self-cultivation or teaching others, all was done from within a true and genuine mind. Whatever he undertook was entirely for the purpose of helping beings complete the path to Buddhahood. His only wish was for all beings in the ten directions to quickly attain Buddhahood; nothing he did was for his own sake.

True and genuine conduct is of two kinds: first, true and genuine conduct for self-benefit; second, true and genuine conduct for benefiting others. In the great sutra we see “abiding in true wisdom” as true and genuine conduct for self-benefit; “bestowing upon beings true and genuine benefit” as true and genuine conduct for benefiting others; and “opening up, teaching, and revealing the true and genuine ultimate reality” as true and genuine conduct for both self and others.

“As for true and genuine conduct for self-benefit, there are again two kinds...”

"First, with a sincere heart, one restrains and gives up all evil—both one’s own and others’—as well as attachment to defiled realms, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. One should aspire to be identical to all bodhisattvas in their restraint and rejection of evil: I too will be this way." For those who practice the Buddha’s path, the bodhisattvas are the standard to hold in mind at every turn. If we wish to learn to be exactly like them, the first essential requirement is a sincere heart. "Restrain" here means to uphold ethical conduct through abstention. As for the evils of one’s own three karmas—body, speech, and mind—one must abstain from them directly. As for the evils of others, that is harder: when you see someone commit wrongdoing, turn inward and reflect deeply. Whatever is unwholesome among beings of the nine dharma realms, you must never engage in it yourself. Confucius said, "When three people walk together, there is sure to be one who can be my teacher. I follow what is good in them, and correct what is not good in myself." Both good and bad people can be our teachers.

"Defiled realms" refers to the fivefold turbid evil world. If you do not wish to part from it, obstacles will arise at every turn: afflictions grow within, temptations multiply without, and true spiritual progress becomes nearly impossible. So the Buddhas and Patriarchs teach us to temporarily set aside the fivefold turbid evil world and seek rebirth in the Pure Land. Once we reach the Western Pure Land and gain wisdom and spiritual powers, we can return in the compassionate vehicle to the Sahā world, mingling with beings in shared dust and light, never stained by their defilements, never falling back into samsara again. These teachings are for ordinary beings like us who lack advanced spiritual capacity: we must first strive to leave the fivefold turbid evil world, or we are certain to fall into lower realms.

At all times and in all places, keep the bodhisattvas in mind. Having read the Infinite Life Sūtra, we should take the conduct of the Bodhisattva Dharmākara during his causal stage as our model: constantly recall his great vows and great practices, his cultivation across countless kalpas for both self-benefit and the benefit of others. Follow his example in restraining and relinquishing all evil, until not even a single subtle thought-habit remains.

The second quality is diligent cultivation of goodness: "With a sincere heart, strive to cultivate all goodness—your own, others’, that of ordinary beings and sages alike." Nurture your own wholesome thoughts and actions, and when you see goodness in others, learn from it right away, without delay. Wholesome actions of ordinary people are all around us. Ancient virtuous masters compiled guides to cultivating goodness, such as Liaofan’s Four Lessons, Master An’s Complete Collection, and The Treatise on Cause and Effect—all of these should be read, recited, and studied.

The goodness of sages is recorded in the sūtras; none lay it out as concretely and abundantly as the Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra. If you have time to browse it, the aim is to learn how to conduct yourself in the world and broaden your knowledge and experience.

"With a sincere heart, the karma of speech praises Amitābha Buddha and the adornments of his proper and dependent rewards"—this line teaches us to speak from a place of sincere intent when expounding Pure Land sūtras and treatises. The five sūtras and one treatise compiled by ancient virtuous masters that form the core Pure Land canon all describe the proper and dependent adornments of Amitābha Buddha and the Land of Ultimate Bliss. To "praise" here means to expound; expounding benefits both oneself and others. If you speak on these teachings every day, each explanation will deepen your own understanding, and no two repetitions will be exactly alike. Especially when you daily urge others to abandon their bad habits: after repeating this guidance many times, you will find yourself unconsciously and gradually reforming those same habits in yourself. This influence runs far deeper than you may realize, often beyond your own awareness.

Ordinary people constantly dwell on evil thoughts and harmful things—why not focus on what is good? The greatest good of all is the proper and dependent adornments of the Western Pure Land, the highest good among all goods. The Confucians speak of "abiding in the highest good." The Infinite Life Sūtra is that perfect goodness; to constantly read, recite, and contemplate it is the true practice of "abiding in the highest good."

"Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of speech rejects and detests the suffering and defilement of the proper and dependent rewards of self and others across the three realms and six paths." The earlier passage about restraining and giving up one’s own and others’ evils, as well as defiled realms, is a detailed explanation of this line. Through the karma of speech that rejects these defilements, you should constantly advise others of the suffering of the three realms and six paths. We know the Sahā world is full of suffering, so we actively seek rebirth in the Pure Land. Why do so many others not seek rebirth? It is simply because they do not realize the Sahā world is a place of suffering. To be immersed in suffering without knowing it is suffering—the Confucians often say, "No sorrow is greater than a dead heart." The Buddha often calls beings of the three realms and six paths "the pitiable ones" in the sūtras. If we do not explain this clearly to them, they will never know the six paths are realms of suffering, or that the Land of Ultimate Bliss is a realm of joy. If they truly understand this, they will certainly let go of attachment to the fivefold turbid evil world. They will share the vows and practices of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, hoping to swiftly complete their practice, become fully endowed with wisdom and virtuous capacities, and then return to the Sahā world like all Buddhas and bodhisattvas to help suffering beings, freeing them from pain and guiding them to joy.

The text also says: "Praise all wholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind performed by sentient beings. If their actions are unwholesome, treat them with respect but keep your distance, and do not rejoice in what they do." We should praise the wholesome intentions, vows, and actions of all beings. The ancient masters taught us to "conceal the faults of others and promote their good qualities." Only two groups of people have the right to point out the faults of others: parents, and teachers. A teacher’s kindness is equal to that of one’s parents. When a teacher corrects a disciple, it should be done in private, to preserve the disciple’s dignity. Praise of goodness must be fitting—too much praise veers into flattery.

In daily life, you will meet many people whose actions are unwholesome. If you are close friends with them, it may be hard to refuse their requests, so you force yourself to go along with them, thereby misleading others and blurring the line between right and wrong. This is using the Buddha’s teachings as a social favor—it is entirely without merit. When you encounter people like this, it is best to treat them with respect but keep your distance.

"Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of body joins palms in reverent salutation and offers the four requisites, and so on, to Amitābha Buddha and his proper and dependent rewards." This is also given as an example; you should grasp the principle behind it. "Joining palms" signifies single-minded focus; one should be reverent toward people, affairs, and all things. The "four requisites" usually refer to food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine—the basic necessities of life. The Infinite Life Sūtra states that in the Western Pure Land, clothing and food appear naturally, the body is light and ethereal, and these four requisites are not needed. The "four requisites" referred to here are instead "receiving and upholding, copying, reading and reciting, and praising"—offering these four acts to Amitābha Buddha and his proper and dependent rewards is what is truly necessary. This influence spreads from one region to the next, gradually reaching the entire world. Today, when we speak of circulating Dharma treasures—audio and video recordings, sūtras, Buddha images—these material resources are far more accessible than in the past, and can be distributed far and wide.

"Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of body lightly regards and detests the proper and dependent rewards of self and others in the three realms of birth and death." We must clearly recognize the environment of the fivefold turbid evil world in the Sahā and our own body for what they are. To truly be able to relinquish them is the wisest course.

Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of mind thinks of, observes, and recollects Amitābha Buddha and his proper and dependent rewards, as if they were right before one’s eyes. Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of mind holds in contempt and detests the proper and dependent rewards of self and others in the three realms of birth and death. Unwholesome three karmas must be abandoned with a sincere heart. If wholesome three karmas arise, they must be performed with a sincere heart. This applies whether one is alone or in company, in light or in darkness—all must be true and sincere. That is why it is called the “sincere mind.”

Master Shandao describes each of the three karmas—body, speech, and mind—in two aspects: one wholesome, one unwholesome. Though his exposition is concise, it is perfectly complete. "Karma of mind" refers to thoughts and views. Of the three karmas, the mind is the master: if the mind is pure and sincere, body and speech will naturally be pure, free of all falsehood. A Buddha-reciter’s thoughts turn to Amitābha; their mental activity chants Amitābha’s name; their contemplation focuses on Amitābha. The Infinite Life Sūtra is a concrete record of Amitābha’s three karmas. Studying it carefully, every Buddha-reciter should follow Amitābha’s example.

In esoteric Buddhist tradition, this is called the yidam, or "honored deity"—your yidam is your model and ideal, whom you should follow at every moment as the sole support of your practice. Learn his resolve, his practice, and his attainment: how he helps others, how he cultivates himself and teaches others. His establishment of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is the fruit of his own cultivation. The main purpose of this attainment is to provide beings of the ten directions with a perfect environment for practice—it is his gift and kindness to all sentient beings. If we speak of generosity, he is the greatest of all donors. We should constantly reflect on these things: that one day our own wisdom and virtuous capacities may equal Amitābha’s, and that we too may make the same contribution to all sentient beings across the dharma realm. This is what every Buddha-reciter’s heart should constantly aspire to.

"Furthermore, with a sincere heart, the karma of mind holds in contempt and detests the proper and dependent rewards of self and others in the three realms of birth and death." The Sahā world is an extremely harsh environment, full of difficulties: afflictions arise within, adverse conditions surround us without, good spiritual friends are hard to find, and people with wrong views are all around us. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says, "False teachers expounding the Dharma are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges." Spiritual practice here is extremely difficult. Other worlds are better than the Sahā, but none are perfect, because worlds across the ten directions arise from the combined power of three factors: first, the Buddha’s vows; second, the wholesome karma of sentient beings; third, the unwholesome karma of sentient beings.

The Western Pure Land is not like this. It is a new world created solely by Amitābha’s vows. It has been only ten kalpas since he attained Buddhahood, so all its environments are new, untouched by unwholesome karma. All who are reborn there are "immigrants," and the entry requirements are very strict: one’s mind must be pure to gain admittance. When the mind is pure, the land is pure. That is why its world is the purest and most supreme of all—this is the principle behind it. Its environment for practice is the finest; no other buddha-land can compare. All Buddhas praise Amitābha as foremost—this refers to his provision of an ideal practice environment, not to the karmic merit of his land. When it comes to karmic merit and worldly enjoyment, there are many buddha-lands that surpass the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

We must not cling to or crave the Sahā world we live in now, or we will be bound in shackles. The cosmos originally offers unlimited space for activity, perfect freedom. But if you cling to a particular environment, you confine yourself to a tiny, narrow realm. We should treat this world as a roadside inn, where we rest only briefly. As for all the material and sensory conditions around us, we have the right to use them, but not to own them—this is how we attain great freedom. Our true homeland is the Land of Ultimate Bliss. When we return there, our lifespan is measureless. We must not cling to this body and mind, or to this world. But we should not recklessly destroy them either: we must use the false to cultivate the true. This body of ours and the world we live in are both illusory—we must use this illusory environment to cultivate our true nature. Our true goal is rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Without the false, the true cannot be cultivated at all.

"Unwholesome actions of body, speech, and mind must be abandoned with a sincere heart. If wholesome actions of body, speech, and mind arise, they must be performed with a sincere heart. This applies whether you are alone or in company, in light or in darkness—all must be sincere. That is why it is called the 'sincere mind.'" In other words, any unwholesome action of body, speech, or mind must never be done; remind yourself of this at all times. Cutting off evil requires a sincere heart to do it; cultivating goodness also requires a sincere heart to do it. Neither good nor evil can be separated from the sincere heart. In practicing the Buddha’s path, apply a sincere heart to all people, all affairs, and all things. This world is a world of deception: you may think acting sincerely will lead to loss. But even knowing you will suffer loss, you must still act this way. Even if you do suffer loss, how many years can it last? A few years from now, you will certainly stop suffering loss—you will have gained a far greater advantage. If you refuse to suffer even the smallest loss now, you will have no share in the adornments of the Western Pure Land, and in your next life you will continue to cycle through the six paths of samsara. That is not worth it. While others may be false and insincere, we must be sincere in all we do. The sincere heart accords with the minds of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Recognize this clearly, and put it into practice earnestly. This concludes the explanation of the sincere mind.

The second quality is the deep mind. This is the mind of unwavering faith, and it also has two aspects. First, you must decisively and deeply believe that you are now a sinful, mortal ordinary being. Since beginningless kalpas, you have constantly sunk and wandered through the six paths of samsara, with no condition for escape on your own. Second, you must decisively and deeply believe that Amitābha Buddha’s Forty-Eight Vows embrace and receive all sentient beings. Have no doubt or worry: by the power of his vows, you will certainly attain rebirth [in the Pure Land].

The sincere mind is the essence of the true mind; the deep mind is its function. "Deep mind" is the mind of deep faith: deep faith that one is a vessel of sin, a mortal ordinary being. We ordinary beings have a ceaseless stream of thoughts from morning to night—few are wholesome, most are unwholesome. Any thought that benefits the many is a wholesome thought; any thought that is selfish and self-serving is an unwholesome thought. This is the clearest standard for distinguishing good from evil.

Why do ordinary beings cycle through the six paths? Because they have two attachments: attachment to self, and attachment to dharmas. With these two attachments, one can never attain Buddhahood. Every thought centered on the self strengthens self-attachment, making escape from the six-path cycle impossible. When self-attachment is broken, one attains the arhat fruit; when dharma-attachment is broken, one awakens to the true mind and sees one’s Buddha-nature—seeing the nature, one becomes a Buddha. These two obstacles are thus the greatest hindrances to awakening.

An awakened person, in every thought and every action, acts for the benefit of all sentient beings, never for the self. You must first recognize that you are a sinful, mortal ordinary being: all your thoughts, views, and actions are flawed. Through immeasurable kalpas, you have sunk in the sea of suffering. Your time in the three wholesome paths is short, while your time in the three evil paths is long. When you take a body in the human or heavenly realm, it is like sticking your head out of the water to take a breath—in an instant, you plunge back under, your head emerging and submerging again and again, with no chance to escape the three realms. The Amitābha Sūtra says, "One cannot be born in that land with few roots of goodness, merit, and conditions." These three conditions must be fully complete to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Even if you encounter Mahāyāna or Hīnayāna teachings, rejoice in them, accept them in faith, practice accordingly, and attain a small fruit such as stream-enterer, once-returner, or arhat, you must still have substantial roots of goodness, merit, and conditions. If these three are not complete, even when you encounter the Dharma you may not be able to receive it—you may pass it by face to face and miss it entirely. Truly, the conditions for escape from samsara are not easy to come by.

As mentioned earlier, if you can deeply believe in the fruit of this practice, you are qualified to study the Buddha’s path. By cutting off evil and cultivating goodness, in this life you will not fall short of the status of a worthy or virtuous person; in your next life you will certainly not fall into the three evil paths.

The second aspect is to decisively and deeply believe that Amitābha’s Forty-Eight Vows embrace and receive all sentient beings, without doubt or hesitation. Not only will you transcend the six-path cycle in this very life, but you will also fully complete bodhi and attain the unsurpassed way. "Embrace and receive" means to help and guide. Through his Forty-Eight Vows, Amitābha guides sentient beings and helps them attain Buddhahood. You must believe in the Buddha’s capacity, and believe that your own three karmas can align with his teachings. This sūtra teaches us the methods of practice—the causes and effects of the nine grades of rebirth—and we must practice them one by one according to the teachings, without worrying that our heavy karmic obstacles will prevent us from being reborn.

Ordinary beings who have not encountered the True Dharma cannot help but create karmic offenses. If you can sincerely repent, you do not need to dwell on or even remember your past unwholesome deeds. To think of them again is to recreate the offense again—focus your mind entirely on Amitābha. True repentance is sincere Buddha-recitation; reciting the Buddha’s name is itself repentance. At the moment of death, ten recitations, even one recitation, assures rebirth in the Pure Land. Amitābha’s original vows and spiritual powers are always at work. So long as your own vows, understanding, and practice align with his, he will certainly come to receive you at the end of your life. This fact must be believed decisively and deeply, without doubt: it is the most important matter of your entire life.

You must also decisively and deeply believe that Śākyamuni Buddha, in expounding this Contemplation Sūtra, taught the threefold merit and nine grades of rebirth, the two wholesome practices of concentrated and scattered good, and certified and praised the adornments of Amitābha’s proper and dependent rewards, inspiring beings to rejoice in and aspire to them. You must also decisively and deeply believe that the innumerable Buddhas of the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, as recorded in the Amitābha Sūtra, certify and urge all ordinary beings that they will certainly attain rebirth.

Śākyamuni Buddha is our original teacher. Born in the royal palace, by worldly standards he was the crown prince set to inherit the throne, with both wealth and status. He awakened to the fact that worldly fame, fortune, and rank are illusory and unreal, like the night-blooming cereus that appears for a single moment. He saw through the true nature of all things, gave up everything, and left home to pursue practice. During his time in this world, the Buddha lived with only three robes and one alms bowl, the most minimal standard of life, contending with no one, seeking nothing from the world, and leaving no deceptions for future generations. The sūtras and teachings he left behind should be believed deeply and without doubt. In this sūtra, the Buddha teaches the threefold merit and nine grades of rebirth, and the two wholesome practices of concentrated and scattered good. The threefold merit and nine grades are scattered good; the practice of concentration is Buddha-recitation. The method of practicing concentration is cultivating the samādhi of Buddha-recitation, of which three types are taught: contemplative Buddha-recitation, image-contemplation Buddha-recitation, and name-recitation Buddha-recitation.

In both the Amitabha Sutra and the Infinite Life Sutra, the Buddha especially champions the practice of reciting his name. From this we can see that among the many methods of mindfulness of the Buddha, holding to the name is supreme. To single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name with pure, unbroken remembrance is called ding shan—"concentrated good." Within the pairing of primary and auxiliary practice, this is the primary; san shan, "scattered good," is the auxiliary. "Witness" (zheng) means the Buddhas bear witness for us; "praise" (zan) means they expound and extol. They vigorously praise the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, unfolding the adornments of Amitabha's person and environment so that beings are moved to delight and longing. All the Tathagatas share one heart and one vow: they hope that every suffering being throughout the boundless lands of the ten directions may quickly break through delusion, awaken, leave suffering behind, and find happiness. Today, Amitabha's way of nianfo has fulfilled this aspiration of all the Tathagatas, so every Buddha, with one voice, comes to encourage all ordinary beings of the ten directions to recite the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Pure Land.

In Kumarajiva's translation of the Amitabha Sutra, the praises of the Buddhas of the ten directions were simplified to six, omitting the four intermediate directions. Though the wording is abbreviated, the meaning still covers all ten. Master Xuanzang's translation preserves the original Sanskrit and keeps the full ten, as does the Infinite Life Sutra. These sutras all confirm that the Western Land introduced by Shakyamuni Buddha is utterly real, and together they urge us to recite the Buddha's name, seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and be assured of attaining it. This is tantamount to all the Buddhas offering us a prediction—a guarantee of our certain rebirth.

Now, about "deep faith": we humbly hope that all practitioners may single-mindedly trust only the Buddha's words, heedless of their very lives, and firmly rely on them and practice accordingly. What the Buddha tells us to give up, we give up; what he tells us to do, we do; where he tells us to go, we go. This is called following the Buddha's teaching. It is called accordance with the Buddha's intent. It is called accordance with the Buddha's vow. It is called being a true disciple of the Buddha. These are the words of Master Shandao. In the history of Chinese Buddhism, Master Shandao is said to have been an incarnation of Amitabha. The people of China have the deepest karmic affinities; nowhere have Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested so often. Among the known incarnations of Amitabha are Shandao, Yongming Yanshou, and Master Fenggan. There must be others whose identities remain undisclosed and beyond our guessing. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas often appear in the human world, but sadly we ordinary folk with fleshly eyes cannot see them.

The phrase "仰願" (yang yuan—"we humbly hope") here is spoken with the deepest reverence. It matches the spirit of the Avatamsaka Sutra, where in the Ten Great Vows Universal Worthy Bodhisattva says, "I revere all Buddhas"—for we are the Buddhas of the future. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pay reverence to sentient beings, yet sentient beings do not pay reverence to all Buddhas. "Single-mindedly trust only the Buddha's words"—the five Pure Land sutras are all spoken by the Buddha; we must certainly have faith in them. Heedless of life, family, and possessions, we must resolve decisively and put into practice the principles, methods, and instructions laid out in the sutras. What the Buddha tells us to renounce, we renounce; what he tells us to do, we do; what he tells us to let go of, we let go. When he tells us to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, we go. Only this is truly following the Buddha's will and teaching. The Buddha's intention is to help us break through delusion, awaken, and quickly attain Buddhahood. Rebirth in the Western Land is the fastest path to Buddhahood. To become a Buddha is to perfect our own ultimate, complete wisdom and virtuous capacities—to know the truth of the universe and of life without omission as to past, present, or future. If we can carry out this instruction, the Buddha will acknowledge us as his disciples.

"Furthermore, all practitioners, so long as they deeply believe in and practice according to this sutra, will never mislead sentient beings. Why? Because the Buddha is one whose great compassion is complete, and his words are true. Apart from the Buddha, the wisdom and conduct of all others remain incomplete; they are still in the stage of learning. They have not yet removed the two obstacles of zheng (manifest) and xi (habitual), nor brought their vows and fruitions to full ripeness. Though such ordinary and saintly beings may try to fathom the Buddha's intent, they cannot resolve it with certainty. Even if they offer their deliberations, they must still request the Buddha's confirmation as the final word. When one's words accord with the Buddha's intent, he affirms them: 'So it is, so it is.' When they do not, he says, 'What you have said is not so.' What he does not affirm is like idle chatter—neither here nor there, of no benefit."

"All practitioners" includes the nine realms of sentient beings: upward to Bodhisattvas of Equal Enlightenment like Manjushri and Universal Worthy, and downward to beings in the evil paths—even those who commit the five grave offenses and the ten evil deeds. "So long as they rely on this sutra"—"this sutra" refers to the scriptures on rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and non-retrogression unto Buddhahood, such as any of the five Pure Land sutras. Deeply believing without doubt and cultivating accordingly, one will surely accomplish something in this very life; practicing in this way will never mislead beings. Why should we trust the Buddha's words so firmly? Because the Buddha is one of complete, perfect great compassion—how could he mislead us? Moreover, the Diamond Sutra says: "The Tathagata is a speaker of truth, a speaker of reality, a speaker of suchness; he does not deceive, nor does he speak differently." The Buddha's words are utterly trustworthy. Those below the Buddha—Bodhisattvas of Equal Enlightenment, the three grades of Worthy Ones, the ten stages of Saints, Arhats, and Pratyekabuddhas—have not yet reached perfect wisdom. They are still in the stage of learning, still carrying the two obstacles of zheng and xi that have not been removed. These "two obstacles" are the affliction obstacle and the cognitive obstacle. Zheng refers to the currently active functioning; xi refers to residual habits. Even an Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva still has a fraction of "born-original ignorance" unbroken; he still has the two obstacles, though only faintly. Faint as they are, they are still obstacles that prevent Buddhahood—once removed, bodhi is complete. Here the text urges us to trust the Buddha's words; from this, faith takes root, and rebirth in this very life becomes a real hope.

These ordinary and saintly beings of the fifty-one grades of Bodhisattvas, including Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, have long received the Buddha's teaching, yet they don't necessarily grasp his meaning fully; there are still things they don't know. "Though they offer their deliberations" (ping zhang)—"ping" means "equal," that their understanding equals the Buddha's; "zhang" means "manifest," that their thoughts, views, and practice are openly the same as the Buddha's. Even so, they must still have the Buddha confirm it. When Bodhisattvas preach sutras, they need the Buddha's approval to be authoritative. The Bodhisattvas' words are, in the end, not equal to the Buddha's. Students of the Path should rely on the Buddha. The three Pure Land sutras were spoken by the Buddha himself; even the Avatamsaka and Shurangama cannot compare. What's more, these sutras have been confirmed and praised by all the Buddhas of the ten directions. No matter who criticizes the three sutras, pay no heed. Even if a Bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment says otherwise, don't believe it.

When a Bodhisattva's words meet with the Buddha's approval, the Buddha affirms them: "So it is, so it is." Such words are equal to the Buddha's own and may be passed down to later generations. Whenever the Buddha approves, the speech becomes "correct teaching" (zheng jiao)—"teaching" is instruction; "correct principle" (zheng yi) is doctrine without error; "correct practice" (zheng xing) is proper conduct; "correct understanding" (zheng jie) is right view; "correct livelihood" (zheng ye) is right action; "correct wisdom" (zheng zhi) is wisdom untainted by heterodox views. These six serve as the standard of the true Dharma. Apart from the Buddha, the words of four other kinds of people may also be recognized as Buddhist sutras; the Buddhist canon is open. If their meaning and intent accord with the Buddha's, they too are equal to the Buddha's words. Hence in Buddhism we have the "Three Dharma Seals" and the "One Dharma Seal"; "Dharma Seal" means "standard." For the Hinayana there are three seals: impermanence, non-self, and nirvana. If the words of the Buddha's disciples, celestial beings, or humans conform to these three seals, the Buddha approves them as no different from his own. The Mahayana has only one standard: "true reality" (shi xiang). True reality means the actual fact; whatever the Buddha teaches in the Mahayana sutras is true reality. The assembly need not ask Bodhisattvas to settle right and wrong; there's no need to ask the Bodhisattvas, let alone those below them. We're to make our faith firm, unwavering through all our study and practice, never disturbed by outward circumstances. For the practice of nianfo seeking rebirth in the Pure Land, even Bodhisattvas need not be consulted. Reciting the Buddha's name to attain rebirth is the realm of all the Tathagatas; only a Buddha with a Buddha can fully fathom it. The Buddha is no longer in the world today, but his sutras remain. When we read the sutras, it's no different from hearing the Buddha preach in person. "Therefore, at this time we humbly exhort all who have karmic affinity and seek rebirth to deeply trust only the Buddha's words and single-mindedly put them into practice." This is the second time we meet the words "仰勸" (yang quan—"humbly exhort"), spoken with the deepest respect and sincerity. We exhort all who have karmic affinity and seek rebirth—those who can believe, aspire, and practice in regard to this sutra—they are people of karmic affinity. If a Bodhisattva's teaching doesn't accord with the three Pure Land sutras, don't believe it either, lest it create obstacles and shake your faith, causing you to miss the supreme benefit of rebirth in the Pure Land and the certainty of Buddhahood in this very life. If you don't attain rebirth, you're certain to go on cycling through samsara, because the afflictions of views and thoughts cannot be cut off. The eighty-four thousand dharma gates all require severing views and thoughts to escape the three realms; the three realms and six paths are themselves the manifestation of those afflictions. Only this one dharma gate, through the blessing power of Amitabha's original vow, doesn't require cutting off afflictions—you need only subdue them. This is called "rebirth with residual karma" (dai ye wang sheng).

The Chan school, in the end, at the moment of death recites the Buddha's name and seeks rebirth in the Pure Land. This is clear from the Chanmen Risong and the Baizhang Qinggui. The Esoteric school, in the end, also recites the Buddha's name; the doctrinal schools go without saying. Why, at the moment of death, do they all recite the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Pure Land? Because they know the other dharma gates can't get them through. In the Infinite Life Sutra, the final passage on the three grades of rebirth mentions such people who don't exclusively cultivate the Pure Land yet can still attain rebirth; the grade, high or low, depends on the depth of their practice. Master Cizhou interprets this as the "three grades of single-minded cultivation," referring to those who don't exclusively cultivate the Pure Land. Can one who exclusively cultivates the Mahayana be relied on for rebirth? If one has real skill, whether exclusively cultivating or not, it's reliable; if one lacks real skill, then exclusive cultivation is reliable. For us ordinary beings burdened with heavy karmic obstacles, it's safer to cultivate exclusively; don't mix practices.

"Deep faith of the deep mind means decisively establishing one's own mind and cultivating in accordance with the teachings, forever removing doubt and error, never being turned back or shaken by all other interpretations, practices, learnings, views, and graspings." Whatever is said, if the Buddha agrees and gives his seal of approval, saying "So it is, so it is," it's equal to the Buddha's word and may be passed down to later generations. Whenever the Buddha approves, all such speech becomes "correct teaching"—"teaching" is instruction; "correct principle" is doctrine without error; "correct practice" is proper conduct; "correct understanding" is right view; "correct livelihood" is right action; "correct wisdom" is wisdom untainted by heterodox views. These six are the standard of the true Dharma. Apart from the Buddha, there are four kinds of people whose words are recognized as Buddhist sutras. The Buddhist canon is open; if the purport and intent accord with the Buddha's, it's also equal to the Buddha's word. So in Buddhism there are the "Three Dharma Seals" and the "One Dharma Seal"; "Dharma Seal" means "standard." For the Hinayana, three seals: impermanence, non-self, nirvana. If the Buddha's disciples, celestial beings, or humans speak in accordance with these three seals, the Buddha approves them as no different from his own. The Mahayana has one standard: "true reality" (shi xiang). True reality means the actual fact; whatever the Buddha teaches in the Mahayana sutras is true reality. The assembly need not ask Bodhisattvas to settle right and wrong; even the Bodhisattvas don't need to be consulted, let alone those below them. We're to make our faith firm, and through all our study and practice, never shaken, never obstructed by external conditions. For reciting the Buddha's name to seek rebirth in the Pure Land, even the Bodhisattvas need not be consulted. Recitation of the Buddha's name leading to rebirth is the realm of all the Tathagatas; only a Buddha with a Buddha can fully fathom it. The Buddha is no longer in the world today, but his sutras remain. When we read the sutras, it's no different from hearing the Buddha preach in person. "Therefore, at this time we humbly exhort all who have karmic affinity and seek rebirth to deeply trust only the Buddha's words and single-mindedly put them into practice." This is the second occurrence of "仰勸" (yang quan—"humbly exhort"), spoken with the deepest respect and sincerity. We exhort all who have karmic affinity and seek rebirth—those who can believe, aspire, and practice regarding this sutra—they are people of karmic affinity. If a Bodhisattva's teaching doesn't accord with the three Pure Land sutras, don't believe it, lest it cause obstacles and loss of faith, causing you to miss the supreme benefit of rebirth in the Pure Land and certain attainment of Buddhahood in this very life. If you don't attain rebirth, you're certain to keep cycling in samsara, because the afflictions of views and thoughts cannot be severed. The eighty-four thousand dharma gates all require severing views and thoughts to escape the three realms; the three realms and six paths are themselves the manifestation of those afflictions. Only this one dharma gate, through the blessing power of Amitabha's original vow, doesn't require cutting off afflictions—you only need to subdue them. This is called "rebirth with residual karma."

"Deep faith of the deep mind means decisively establishing one's own mind"—this "self-mind" means self-confidence. We must completely trust ourselves so we won't be swayed by others. Master Ouyi said: in faith, aspiration, and practice, faith means believing that we are Buddhas not yet perfected, and Amitabha is a Buddha already perfected. Borrowing Amitabha's help, we'll perfectly attain Buddhahood in this very life. Following the Buddha's teaching in the sutras, we cultivate earnestly. Forever remove doubt and error, never turned back or shaken by other interpretations, other practices, other learnings, other views, other graspings. Among these doubts and errors, a few deserve special caution. "Other interpretations" (bie jie): though all study the Buddha's teaching, they rely on different sutras and different dharma gates, so their understanding differs. "Other practices" (bie xing) means different methods. We choose holding to the name; others take up the contemplation method of the Contemplation Sutra. Different practices inevitably cause interference. Other sutras can be referenced for their principles, methods, and causes and effects, but in our own practice we exclusively hold to the name and never let their influence reach us—this is correct. "Other learnings" (yi xue) means different studies. "Other views" (yi jian) means different views. "Other graspings" (yi zhi) means different attachments. This sutra teaches us to let go of everything and exclusively hold to the name, never shaken by outward circumstances, never retreating from our original vows. Otherwise, this life will pass in vain.

Question: Ordinary beings have shallow wisdom and deep afflictions and obstacles. If they encounter people whose understanding and practice differ from theirs, these people will often cite sutras and treatises to obstruct them, claiming that karmically burdened ordinary beings cannot attain rebirth. How should one counter such challenges, fulfill one's faith, and advance with resolve, without discouragement or retreat?

The meaning here is: ordinary beings have shallow wisdom and heavy afflictions and obstacles. If they encounter people of different schools and dharma gates who deliberately create difficulties, citing sutras to prove that karmically burdened ordinary beings cannot attain rebirth—I think fellow cultivators of nianfo will often meet this in their practice. How should we deal with these deliberate obstructers while holding to our position? In the passage that follows, the Master gives a thorough and essential response.

Answer: If anyone cites many sutras and treatises to prove that one cannot attain rebirth, the practitioner should reply: "Reverent one, although you bring sutras and treatises to prove that one cannot attain rebirth, in my view I will certainly not be shaken by you. Why? It's not that I don't trust those sutras and treatises—I revere and believe in them all. But when the Buddha spoke those sutras, the place was different, the time was different, the audience was different, and the benefit was different. Moreover, when he spoke those sutras, it wasn't the same as when he spoke the Contemplation Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra. The Buddha's teaching is suited to the audience; the times were also different. Those sutras speak generally of the practices and understandings for humans, devas, and Bodhisattvas. Now the Contemplation Sutra speaks of the two goods of ding and san—concentrated and scattered—solely for Vaidehi and for all ordinary beings after the Buddha's passing who are subject to the five turbidities and five sufferings. It bears witness that rebirth can be attained. For this reason, I now single-mindedly rely on this Buddha-teaching and firmly put it into practice."

The Master's answer is quite thorough. In the past, the elder layman Chen Jianmin spent a great deal of time searching through many sutras and treatises and couldn't find the phrase "rebirth with karma" anywhere. He published his view in a journal, and many elder laypeople who had practiced for years were shaken by his words. Master Shandao, more than a thousand years ago, saw through this clearly—hence his reply: "Reverent one, although you bring sutras and treatises to prove that one cannot attain rebirth, in my view I will certainly not be shaken by you." "仁者" (ren zhe—"reverent one") is a term of respect, usually used for Bodhisattvas—those of great compassion. He says: although you use many sutras and treatises to prove that ordinary beings with karma cannot attain rebirth, my view, my faith and aspiration, will absolutely not be broken by you. This isn't because I disbelieve; the sutras you cite are indeed spoken by the Buddha. When the Buddha was alive, he didn't teach a fixed dharma; he taught in response to his listeners' capacity. Sentient beings differ in faculties, wisdom, and obstacles. The Buddha could read his audience and teach accordingly; his listeners would gain immediate benefit, even awakening and attaining the fruit. We in this latter age have only the many teachings the Buddha gave to certain kinds of audiences during his lifetime. The time, place, and audience all differed, as did the benefits attained. Some wanted human and celestial happiness; the sutras the Buddha gave them were precisely those seeking such happiness. When he spoke those sutras, it wasn't the time of the Contemplation Sutra or the Amitabha Sutra. The Buddha's teaching must suit the faculties, level, and aspirations of his listeners. Most Mahayana sutras speak of the human and celestial vehicles, the Two Vehicles, and the Bodhisattva vehicle. But when the Buddha spoke the Contemplation Sutra, he primarily spoke of the two goods of ding and san—"concentrated good" is single-minded holding to the name; "scattered good" is the threefold goodness and nine grades. Concentrated good is the primary practice; scattered good is the auxiliary. To whom did the Buddha speak the three Pure Land sutras? The Contemplation Sutra was spoken for Vaidehi when she encountered great suffering, and at the same time for all ordinary beings subject to the five turbidities and five sufferings after the Buddha's passing—which certainly includes us. When the Buddha spoke other sutras, they had specific audiences and don't necessarily include us. This Contemplation Sutra is spoken precisely for us.

The practice of the Pure Land Dharma-door also has a solid basis. What you study has its basis, and what I have does too. Those sutras you study were spoken by the Buddha for the sake of heavenly and human bodhisattvas. My sutras were spoken by the Buddha for ordinary beings burdened with grave karmic offenses in the Dharma-ending age. Therefore, I have resolved to follow the teachings and put them into practice.

"Even if hundreds, thousands, myriads, millions, billions of you say I cannot be reborn, it only strengthens the confidence in my rebirth." The practitioner continues: "Good friend, listen well. Let me now explain to you the sign of resolute faith. Even if the bodhisattvas below the Ground stages, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and others—whether one or many, filling all ten directions—all cite sutras to argue that rebirth is not possible, I will not give rise to a single thought of doubt. It only strengthens and perfects my pure faith." Why? "Because the Buddha's words are decisive and perfect in their ultimate meaning, and cannot be destroyed by anything." This passage takes the meaning one step deeper. It means: even if hundreds of thousands of millions tell me that rebirth with karma remaining is not possible, I will not waver or retreat. I will only grow in confidence. Even if the bodhisattvas of the three worthiness stages—the Ten Dwellings, Ten Practices, and Ten Dedications—numbering so many they fill the ten directions, all cite sutras and reasonings to tell me that reciting the Buddha's name cannot lead to rebirth, I will not give rise to a single thought of doubt. I will only strengthen my pure faith. This faith can withstand testing, because the Buddha's words are sincere and true, decisively accomplishing the ultimate meaning, and nothing can overturn them. So the Patriarch said to us: "If a bodhisattva's teaching accords with what the Buddha said, we may believe it. If it does not accord with the Buddha's words, we need not listen." Being able to do this, in this very life one can resolve to attain rebirth.

"Furthermore, practitioner, listen well. Even if those from the First Ground to the Tenth Ground—whether one or many, filling the ten directions—all speak with one voice, saying: 'Shakyamuni Buddha praises Amitabha, disparages this Triple Realm of Six Paths, and urges sentient beings to single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name and cultivate other merits. After the end of this life, they will surely be reborn in that land.' These words are surely false and cannot be relied upon." "Although I hear such statements, I do not give rise to a single thought of doubt. I only strengthen my resolve of the highest, supreme faith." Why? "Because the Buddha's words are the true treasure of decisive ultimate meaning. The Buddha truly knows, truly understands, truly sees, and truly realizes. These are not words spoken from a mind of doubt." Furthermore, they cannot be overturned by the different views and understandings of any bodhisattvas. "If one is truly a bodhisattva, one would not contradict the Buddha's teachings."

The level is raised once more. We previously spoke of the bodhisattvas of the three worthiness stages, whose cultivation of spiritual power and wisdom is not yet complete. As for the great bodhisattvas, from the First Ground to the Tenth—the Tenth is the Dharma Cloud Ground, above which is the Equal Enlightenment bodhisattva, only two stages removed from Buddhahood—whether one or many, countless and boundless, all speak with one voice, saying: "Shakyamuni Buddha praises Amitabha, always saying that this Sahā world of the Triple Realm and Six Paths is not good and must be left. He urges practitioners to cultivate both primary and auxiliary practices, and assures that at the end of this life they will surely be born in the Buddha-land. The Buddha's words are all false and unreal and cannot be believed." Countless and boundless Tenth Ground bodhisattvas come to tell me these things, but I see that they all differ from the Buddha's teaching. What the Buddha says is that rebirth is certainly attained; what these Ground-stage bodhisattvas say is that rebirth cannot be attained. Their words don't match the Buddha's. This Dharma-door belongs to the Tathāgata's fruit-ground; only a Buddha with a Buddha can fully comprehend it. No wonder bodhisattvas often have doubts. The "difficult-to-believe Dharma" in the sutras refers to the difficulty bodhisattvas have in believing—not ordinary beings. Even Tenth Ground bodhisattvas find it very hard to believe. Although I hear these great bodhisattvas speak in this way, I do not give rise to a single thought of doubt. I only strengthen my resolve of the highest, supreme faith. Why? Because the Buddha's words are the true decisive ultimate meaning. Only the Buddha has thoroughly understood the truth of life and the universe. Everything he says is completely factual—hence called "the true, decisive, ultimate meaning." From this we give rise to resolute faith. The Buddha truly knows, truly understands, truly sees, and truly realizes—nothing is unreal. The Buddha's mind-nature has not a single obstruction; all afflictions and ignorance are completely severed. The Equal Enlightenment bodhisattva still has one final subtle trace of manifestation-arising ignorance; his "truth" approaches but is not genuine truth. "The Buddha's knowing" is the most complete and perfect knowing. "The Buddha's understanding" is the ultimate understanding. "The Buddha's seeing" is the seeing of the five eyes fully illumined. The Buddha bears witness for us; there is absolutely no error. Those below the Buddha, because their ignorance is not yet completely severed and their mind-nature is not yet fully revealed, still rely on inference, and what they see is not the truth. Their knowledge, views, understanding, and words absolutely cannot shake my faith. If one is truly a bodhisattva, no matter what Dharma-door one cultivates, one will certainly respect and praise the Pure Land school and never speak ill of it.

"Set this aside. Practitioner, you should know that even if transformation Buddhas and reward Buddhas—whether one or many, filling the ten directions—each radiate light and extend their tongues covering the ten directions, each one saying: 'What Shakyamuni has said—praising, encouraging, and inspiring all sentient beings to single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name and cultivate other merits, and to dedicate their merit toward rebirth in that Pure Land—is false. Such a thing is absolutely impossible.' Although I hear these words spoken by these Buddhas, I will not give rise to a single thought of doubt or retreat, nor will I fear that I cannot be reborn in that Buddha-land." Why? "One Buddha, all Buddhas. Their knowledge, views, understanding, conduct, realization, and great compassion are all equal, without the slightest difference. Therefore, what one Buddha establishes, all Buddhas equally establish. Just as the ancient Buddha established the precept against killing and the ten evils, never to be committed or practiced, this is called the meaning of the ten good deeds, the ten practices, and conformance with the six pāramitās. If a later Buddha were to appear in the world, how could he change the ten good deeds into the ten evils? By this reasoning, we see clearly that the Buddhas' words and deeds do not contradict each other."

This passage of text reaches the ultimate point. The Master says: practitioners of Buddha-recitation should know that if the Buddhas of the ten directions were to come now and say, "What Shakyamuni has said—praising, encouraging, and inspiring all sentient beings to single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name and cultivate other merits, and to dedicate merit toward rebirth in that Pure Land—is false. Such a thing is absolutely impossible"—this is hypothetical. A wise person meeting these Buddhas would refute them with a single sentence: "Didn't you all praise this in the Amitābha Sūtra? Why do you deny it now?" If the Buddhas' words were ambiguous and indecisive—worse even than ordinary people—how could they be called the Truth-Speaker and the Real-Speaker? Whoever says this is certainly not a true Buddha; they must be impostors. Even if all Buddhas came, I would not waver or retreat. I would not fear being unable to be reborn in that Buddha-land. This is because all Buddhas are equal. Their delusive thoughts and attachments are completely severed, and all their knowledge, views, understanding, conduct, realization, fruit-stage, and great compassion are identical, without the slightest difference. This is what the Buddhas often say in the Mahāyāna sutras. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "All sentient beings possess the Tathāgata's wisdom and virtuous characteristics, but because of delusive thoughts and attachments, they cannot realize them." Sentient beings of the nine dharma realms—bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, śrāvakas, and the six-path ordinary beings—differ only in the thickness of their delusive thoughts and attachments. Those heavy with them fall; those light with them ascend. When all are severed, one becomes a Buddha. Buddhahood is the complete manifestation of the wisdom and virtue of one's own nature. Their knowledge, views, understanding, conduct, realization, fruit-stage, and great compassion are certainly equal, without higher or lower. Since they are identical, what one Buddha says is what all Buddhas say, and what all Buddhas say is what one Buddha says. Our unshakeable resolute faith is founded on this basis. The principles established by one Buddha are also established by all Buddhas. For example, when the ancient Buddhas taught sentient beings, they established the bodhisattva precepts and conduct as the Five Precepts, the Ten Good Deeds, the Six Pāramitās, and so forth. When later Buddhas appear in the world, their delusive thoughts and attachments are also completely severed—how could they change the ten good deeds into the ten evils? This is the natural law, without the slightest element of force. Because the Five Precepts, Ten Good Deeds, and Six Pāramitās are one's own nature-virtue, naturally flowing forth from the inherent capabilities of one's nature, they are certainly the same. Buddhas possess ten epithets; the first is "Tathāgata," which means "the present Buddha returning just as the ancient Buddhas." All Buddhas share the same Way; there are absolutely not two different teachings. Therefore, under any circumstances, this faith is absolutely unshakeable.

"Suppose Śākyamuni urges all sentient beings to devote this single life to single-minded recitation and cultivation, declaring that upon death they will surely be born in that land. Then all Buddhas of the ten directions will unanimously approve, encourage, and bear witness." Why? "Because of the great compassion of shared essence. What one Buddha transforms, all Buddhas transform. What all Buddhas transform, one Buddha transforms." This refers to the Amitābha Sūtra, in which Śākyamuni praises the various adornments of the Land of Ultimate Bliss and urges all sentient beings to single-mindedly recite Amitābha's name for one day or seven days, assuring them they will certainly attain rebirth. The text that follows says: "In each of the ten directions there are Buddhas as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, all unanimously praising Śākyamuni for being able, in an evil age, in an evil world, among evil sentient beings, amid evil views, evil afflictions, and the flourishing of evil, perverse, faithless times, to point to and praise Amitābha's name, encouraging sentient beings to recite it, assuring them they will certainly attain rebirth." This is the proof.

Śākyamuni Buddha, in the Infinite Life Sūtra, the Amitābha Sūtra, and the Contemplation of Amitāyus Sūtra, urges us to single-mindedly recite and cultivate, assuring us that at the moment of death we will be born in the Buddha-land. This is the teaching of our Original Teacher, the One Buddha, and all Buddhas of the ten directions unanimously approve, encourage, and bear witness to it. They praise Śākyamuni Buddha for manifesting Buddhahood in the evil Sahā world of the Five Turbidities and for speaking this difficult-to-believe Dharma for sentient beings of an evil age. All Buddhas bear witness for us that those who study and cultivate according to Śākyamuni Buddha's Three Pure Land Sūtras will certainly be born in that land. The Three Sūtras are certainly not forged. Yet some people deliberately try to obstruct others' rebirth, claiming that the Amitābha Sūtra is forged and not spoken by the Buddha. They too offer many arguments, and many people believe them. Therefore, we as Buddhist practitioners must keep our minds clear and not give credence to false words. When Buddhist sutras were transmitted to China, very careful records were kept for verification: who brought the sutra to China, where it was translated, the year, month, and day of translation, when it was completed, who translated it, who presided over the translation hall, and who assisted. All was clearly recorded for later generations. The Three Pure Land Sūtras are not lengthy and have been widely circulated in China. Countless practitioners have achieved accomplishment. The Jìngtǔ Shèngxián Lù (Records of Pure Land Saints and Worthies), the Wǎngshēng Zhuàn (Records of Rebirth), and the rebirth accounts recorded throughout the ages, both ancient and modern, are too numerous to enumerate. If these were false, could they have been transmitted to the present day? When Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang vowed to go to India for study, his main motivation was to suspect that earlier translations of sutras were not sufficiently faithful, expressive, or elegant—not to suspect that the sutras themselves were false. He stayed in India for seventeen years, and after returning, he never uttered a word of criticism about the sutras translated by the ancient great worthies. This is the rule in Buddhist circles: if one completely agrees, one need not say anything—silence indicates tacit approval. Especially with the Amitābha Sūtra, Master Xuanzang also had his own translation. His foremost successor, the Great Master Kuiji, wrote a commentary on the Amitābha Sūtra called the Tōngzàn Shū (Commentary of Universal Praise), adopting Master Kumārajīva's translation rather than his teacher Xuanzang's new translation. This further strengthens our confidence in Master Kumārajīva's translation. With the verification of both Master Xuanzang and his disciple, how could it be false? Why do all Buddhas unanimously praise? It is because of the great compassion of shared essence. The mind-nature is fully revealed; there is only one vow—that all sentient beings may perfect Buddhahood. Buddhas and bodhisattvas fully understand that all sentient beings throughout empty space and the dharma realm are transformations of one's own mind-nature, and so they are completely equal. This is termed "the great compassion of shared essence." "What one Buddha transforms is what all Buddhas transform"—this "transform" means "to teach and transform sentient beings." "What all Buddhas transform is what one Buddha transforms." The Avataṃsaka says: "The one is all, and all is one." In the broadest sense, "one" means "any one," not "only one." All dharmas are equal, hence the saying "all dharmas are but one suchness," and again "all dharmas are equal, without higher or lower." But sentient beings' faculties are not equal, their karmic obstacles and habitual tendencies are not equal, and their good roots and merits are not equal. Dharma-doors are equal, yet some dharma-doors may not suit our faculties. This obstacle arises in us, not in the dharma-door. In the Avataṃsaka, at the very end, the fifty-three virtuous friends cultivated different dharma-doors, yet each attained the supreme Way. One should revere and trust every dharma-door, but in one's own cultivation one should go deep into a single gate. The Infinite Life Sūtra explains this very clearly: those who single-mindedly cultivate the Buddha-recitation Dharma-door will certainly be reborn; those who single-mindedly cultivate other dharma-doors and dedicate the merit toward rebirth in the Pure Land will also certainly be reborn. This is the Buddha's knowing and the Buddha's seeing. Some people single-mindedly recite the Earth Store Sūtra for many years—should they change? No need. Reciting the Earth Store Sūtra, one can still be reborn, but one must dedicate the merit toward rebirth in the Pure Land. The same applies to reciting the Great Compassion Mantra. If one likes to recite the Great Compassion Mantra, one must have a karmic affinity with Avalokiteśvara, so one may single-mindedly recite the Great Compassion Mantra and not change, but one must definitely dedicate the merit toward rebirth in the Pure Land; one can be reborn just the same. The final passage of the "Three Classes of Rebirth" chapter in the Infinite Life Sūtra explains precisely this matter. The Buddha-Dharma is entirely based on principle, not on emotional sentiment. We must show respect to all the different schools, different sutras, and different treatises. We must not praise ourselves while disparaging others. All other dharma-doors are spoken by the Buddha. To criticize them is to slander the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha—the offense is enormous beyond measure. Those who praise themselves and disparage others must certainly be arrogant. Their minds cannot be equal, they absolutely cannot attain samādhi, the threefold samādhi cannot be accomplished, and their karmic retribution remains within the six paths of saṃsāra. To transcend the three realms, one must cultivate the nine successive stages of samādhi. Based on this reasoning, we can see the level of cultivation one can attain. Look again at the fifty-three great virtuous friends in the Avataṃsaka—each one is extremely humble about himself and praises others. He praises their dharma-doors but does not himself practice them, saying those dharma-doors are good but do not suit his own faculties. Their faculties are better than his, and they can study and achieve accomplishment. In ancient China, even scholars with a slight understanding of reason knew that a gentleman, when severing ties, does not speak of others' faults. Even good people of the world know this, let alone cultivators of the Way. Toward those with different knowledge, views, and understandings, one should show respect and must not slander. One should understand that all are studying the Buddha-Dharma; they are simply studying in different "departments." "What one Buddha transforms, all Buddhas transform"—the Master cites the example of the Amitābha Sūtra. In the Amitābha Sūtra, the Buddha praises the various adornments of the Land of Ultimate Bliss and urges all sentient beings to single-mindedly recite Amitābha's name for one day or seven days, assuring them they will certainly attain rebirth. What is most convenient about this Dharma-door is that it does not require a long time. As for individual achievement, it depends on one's karmic conditions. Those who encounter this Dharma-door early and have a long time to cultivate will be more assured. Some hear this Dharma-door only at the moment of death. A few years ago, the layperson Zhou Guangda in Washington D.C. heard this Buddha-recitation Dharma-door only three days before his death. He had good roots, heard it and believed, and recited the Buddha's name continuously day and night for three days. Then he was reborn. The Amitābha Sūtra records that the countless Buddhas of the six directions, as many as the sands of the Ganges, unanimously praise Śākyamuni Buddha for performing this difficult task in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, declaring it to be exceedingly rare and difficult. The Master explains this passage of commentary in great detail. He does not quote the sutra text directly, but quotes its meaning. "Evil age" means a bad time—what is called a dark age. In reality, the time itself is neither good nor bad. When there are many evil people, the age is bad. "Evil world" refers to a region, and also to the people. "Evil sentient beings" means that the majority of people commit the ten evils. If a certain region is full of evil people, with not a single one cultivating goodness, the evil retribution in that region manifests immediately. It is precisely because there is still a portion of people cultivating goodness that evil karmic retribution is not all-encompassing. If those cultivating goodness are many, the world becomes increasingly safe and beautiful.

Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats manifest in the world for one purpose alone: to take pity on suffering beings, urging them to correct their faults and cultivate goodness—not for themselves. An Arhat has already transcended the Three Realms; he is free and at ease, coming and going as he pleases, and the Three Realms have nothing to do with him.

Many people in the world reject Buddhism. In former times, Confucian scholars regarded Buddhism as heterodoxy and would read nothing outside the works of Confucius and Mencius. Today, students of science don't believe in Buddhism, and Christianity rejects other religions. Only Catholicism is comparatively open-minded—its priests all read Buddhist scriptures. Some years ago, the Pope issued an order calling on priests worldwide to engage with Buddhism. Archbishop Yu Bin in Taiwan once established the Catholic East Asian Institute of Spiritual Life Research, located behind Fu Jen Catholic University at the Thomas Monastery. The students were priests and nuns, and the course of study lasted two years. I taught one semester there, the course being "Buddhist Spiritual Life." Archbishop Yu had originally invited me to teach for two years, but after one semester conditions for propagating the Dharma abroad ripened, so I resigned. Their spirit of learning is truly admirable.

When people stubbornly reject Buddhism, we must use skillful and appropriate means to explain things in detail, so they come to understand that creating evil karma inevitably brings evil retribution, while performing good deeds inevitably yields good results. Once they grasp this truth, they can abandon evil and turn toward goodness, and at the very least won't fall into the Three Evil Paths.

In the late Qing and early Republican era, Master Yinguang, according to tradition, was the manifestation of Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta. While he primarily emphasized reciting the Buddha's name in teaching his disciples, the books he printed and distributed were overwhelmingly morality books—especially Four Lessons for Changing Destiny (了凡四训), Book of Cause and Effect (感应篇), and Complete Works of Anshi (安士全书)—which enjoyed the widest circulation. Their content is entirely devoted to urging people to cut off evil and cultivate goodness, and to recite the Buddha's name with sincerity and earnestness.

"Evil views"—erroneous thoughts, erroneous understanding—must be corrected through skillful and appropriate means. "Evil afflictions" refers to greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. People with wrong ideas absolutely refuse to admit they're mistaken; on the contrary, they consider themselves progressive, while our right knowledge and right view strikes them as outdated. The most fundamental of right views is profound faith in karmic cause and effect, and profound faith that sentient beings in the world are not equal. The gap between rich and poor, noble and lowly, is vast, because each person has created different karma, and their good roots, merit, and causal conditions are not the same. Only upon attaining Buddhahood can equality be reached, because once one becomes a Buddha, one no longer creates karma, and without karma there is no karmic bondage of suffering. Bodhisattvas cultivate different Dharma methods, and their karmic habits and the depth of their realization differ as well—so they too are not equal. The perfect equality of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss comes from the merit and virtue of Amitabha Buddha's Original Vows, a most extraordinary circumstance, hence it is called "the Dharma that is difficult to believe." Knowing this brings great benefit. The poor can be content with their lot and keep to their proper station, free from jealousy and malicious thoughts. They won't act rashly; they cut off evil and cultivate goodness, and in their next life will reap a good rebirth. The wealthy and noble will think: "My wealth and nobility were cultivated in past lives; in this life I should do even more good, help the poor, and benefit society at large, so that I may preserve this beautiful environment from life to life without decline." This is the truth of reality, not a ruling-class scheme to delude the common people—some story cooked up to keep the masses from rebelling. The ancient sages and worthies gathered the precious wisdom and experience accumulated over thousands of years, compiled them into books, and passed their teachings down to posterity. These are the essence of Chinese culture, and we should receive and uphold them with utmost sincerity, inherit the legacy of the ancients, and carry it forward. Ensuring that our descendants may all benefit from this is the responsibility of our generation.

"Evil heterodoxy and lack of faith" refers to the complete denial of the Buddha Dharma and the authentic teachings of sages and worthies. In this age when such evil thoughts run rampant, Shakyamuni Buddha can still exhort all sentient beings to recite the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Pure Land. All the Tathagatas lend Shakyamuni Buddha a helping hand, jointly bearing witness for him, and our minds are thus settled. If this were not the most supreme and true Dharma, how could it earn the praise and certification of all the Tathagatas? If, in such a state, our faith still cannot arise, then we truly are the icchantika without good roots spoken of in the sutra.

"Furthermore, the Buddhas of the ten directions, fearing that sentient beings would not believe what a single Buddha—Shakyamuni—has said, all with one mind and at the same time each extended their tongues to cover the entire Three-Thousand Great Thousand World, speaking these truthful words: 'You sentient beings should all believe that what Shakyamuni has spoken, praised, and certified is true. All ordinary beings, regardless of the amount of sin or merit, or how recent or long ago, provided they can—for the longest, an entire hundred years, or for the shortest, one day or seven days—single-mindedly recite the name of Amitabha, will surely attain rebirth. There must be no doubt.' Therefore, what one Buddha proclaims is jointly certified by all Buddhas. This is indeed a factual matter. This is called 'establishing faith through the person.'"

Master Shandao clearly points out that this Dharma method is supremely extraordinary. To fail to encounter it is a life's misfortune; to encounter it and truly be able to believe, aspire, and practice—none will fail to attain rebirth. Rebirth in the Buddha-land is truly in accord with the Buddha's original intention. The Buddha's vow is to hope that sentient beings will perfectly complete the Buddha Way in a single lifetime, and the method is reciting the Buddha's name. So when the Buddha sees sentient beings encounter this Dharma method and generate the aspiration to seek rebirth in the Pure Land, how could he fail to rejoice?

In both the longer and shorter Sutra of Amitabha, it says that the Dharma method of reciting the Buddha's name requires mature good roots, merit, and causal conditions to attain rebirth. The Buddha's help is only a contributory condition; but when one's good roots, merit, and conditions are about to ripen, if the Buddha offers a little help, it's remarkably effective—one momentary return of light, one moment of pure faith, and attainment is immediate. All the Buddhas fear that sentient beings won't believe when they hear this. That's why they come to bear witness. You can see this in the twenty-third chapter of the Infinite Life Sutra, "The Praise of the Buddhas of the Ten Directions," and it's also stated very clearly in the shorter sutra, "The Praise of the Buddhas of the Six Directions": with one mind and at the same time, each extended a broad and long tongue covering the entire Three-Thousand Great Thousand World, speaking these truthful words: "You sentient beings should all believe that what Shakyamuni has spoken, praised, and certified is true." The word "true" is very emphatic—it amounts to saying there's not the slightest error in what Shakyamuni Buddha spoke, praised, and certified.

"All ordinary beings, regardless of the amount of sin or merit, or how recent or long ago, provided they can—for the longest, an entire hundred years, or for the shortest, one day or seven days—single-mindedly recite the name of Amitabha, will surely attain rebirth. There must be no doubt."

We, upon hearing this, often give rise to doubt: a person who committed evil deeds throughout life can also be reborn—doesn't this confuse good and evil? How can it be fair? As the saying goes, "A prodigal's return is more precious than gold." If a wastrel truly turns back, even good and virtuous people cannot compare. The Buddha Dharma is the same way. Having created all kinds of evil karma in this and past lives, if today one is willing to turn back and hold fast to the Name, this Name is the supreme among the good—it deeply awakens one's own nature, and the measureless wisdom and virtue inherent in the nature immediately manifest. Turning to look at all the karma created from beginningless time, it appears like a dream. The question is whether one can awaken. Knowing this principle and fact, one will harbor no doubt.

Moreover, the Buddha says in the sutra that there are two kinds of karmic causes for rebirth in the Pure Land. First, for an entire lifetime practicing according to the teachings, accumulating merit and virtue. Second, fortunately encountering a virtuous friend at the moment of death who offers guidance, only then beginning to repent, knowing the evils of one's life, and with repentance of faults and recitation of the Buddha's name seeking rebirth—this is the second type of karmic cause. If asked which is more extraordinary, it's hard to say—it depends on the degree of sincerity in one's heart. Those who have committed evil karma, relying on a single thought of sincere repentance, often attain a grade higher than would seem possible. Take King Ajatashatru, who committed the five heinous crimes and ten evils, yet at the moment of death sincerely repented, recited the Buddha's name, and was reborn—his grade was Upper-Grade Middle-Birth. The power of repentance elevated his grade. This teaches us not to look down on those who have committed offenses.

"For the shortest, one day or seven days, single-mindedly reciting the name of Amitabha, will surely attain rebirth. There must be no doubt."

This "one day to seven days" has two interpretations. One refers to the moment of death; the other, to ordinary times. Most people have busy lives and many obstacles; they can't spare time to recite the Buddha's name. They may cultivate one day each month or seven days each year, never interrupting—this also accords with single-minded recitation. A true Buddha-seven means seven days and seven nights without interruption; what matters most is having those who assist the seven-day session. Single-mindedly reciting Amitabha Buddha, rebirth in the Pure Land is certainly attained—this is the certification the Buddhas give us; there's no need for doubt. Therefore, what one Buddha proclaims, all Buddhas bear witness.

The passage spoken above, from "heterodox views and heterodox understanding" all the way to here, is entirely about establishing faith through the person, enabling us to build firm faith, unshaken by external conditions.

"Next, regarding the establishment of faith through practice. Practice is of two kinds. The first is right practice. The second is miscellaneous practice. Speaking of right practice: to practice solely in accordance with the sutras on rebirth—this is called right practice. What is it? To single-mindedly read and recite the Contemplation Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Infinite Life Sutra, and so forth. To single-mindedly focus the mind in contemplating, observing, and recalling the two kinds of adornment of that land—the reward land of the Buddha and the reward land of sentient beings. If bowing, then to single-mindedly bow to that Buddha. If verbal recitation, then to single-mindedly recite that Buddha. If praising and making offerings, then to single-mindedly praise and make offerings. This is called right."

This passage is also very important. Practice is of two kinds: right practice and miscellaneous practice. Right practice is the practice of samadhi (concentration), while miscellaneous practice is the practice of goodness in scattered form. Generally, in the Pure Land tradition, we speak of cultivating both right and auxiliary practices: right practice is the primary cultivation, and miscellaneous practice is the auxiliary. This is entirely consistent with the doctrine of our school.

"Speaking of right practice: to practice solely in accordance with the sutras on rebirth—this is called right practice." Practitioners who solely rely on the sutras spoken by the Buddha regarding rebirth in the Western Pure Land are called those of right practice. The patriarchs and great masters translated, compiled, and assembled the Five Sutras and One Treatise for us, which exclusively discuss the methods of cultivating rebirth in the Pure Land. In Master Shandao's time, the sutras and treatises relied upon by the Pure Land school were the Three Sutras and One Treatise. The "Three Sutras" are the Contemplation Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, and the Infinite Life Sutra. The fourth sutra was added by the layman Wei Yuan during the Xianfeng era of the Qing dynasty, who incorporated the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Chapter on Practices and Vows, making it the "Pure Land Four Sutras." The fifth sutra was added by Master Yinguang in the early Republic of China, who appended the Chapter of Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta on Perfect Penetration through Buddha Recitation from the Surangama Sutra after the Four Sutras, making it the "Pure Land Five Sutras."

"To single-mindedly focus the mind in contemplating, observing, and recalling the two kinds of adornment of that land"—the principle of single-minded cultivation taught by Master Shandao is to single-mindedly and exclusively contemplate and imagine the adornment of the two rewards of the Western world: the Buddha's reward-body and the land's reward-environment. For the Buddha's reward-body, contemplate Amitabha Buddha; for the land's reward-environment, contemplate the surroundings of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Ordinary beings cannot be without thoughts; whatever the thought, it's a thought of the six realms of samsara, so they cannot transcend the Three Realms. The Buddha tells us to single-mindedly contemplate the Western Pure Land—to contemplate Amitabha Buddha, his resolve, his cultivation, his wisdom, his merit, his compassion, his vast merit in welcoming and guiding sentient beings of the ten directions. This is contemplating the Buddha's reward-body. Contemplating the various adornments of the Western land—the jeweled pools, the springs, the birds, the six-period Dharma teaching, the flow of Dharma sounds—this is contemplating the land's reward-environment.

"If bowing, then to single-mindedly bow to that Buddha"—bowing is one of the cultivation methods, and it's quite important. It's often said that we borrow the false to cultivate the true: the body is false, the true is the true nature. Bowing cultivates purity, and purity is the most important among the virtues of the nature. It arises from within as reverence toward all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then extends to equal reverence toward all people, and toward all matters and things, with a sincere and respectful heart. Bowing not only cultivates purity—paying respect to the Buddha is also a way of nourishing life. When it comes to nourishing life, everyone's interested, but few know how to do it properly; often their methods backfire. A human being is a composite of mind and body—flesh and spirit. The mind must be pure. All eighty-four thousand Dharma methods cultivate samadhi; if it isn't the cultivation of samadhi, it isn't the Buddha Dharma. The purpose of reciting the Buddha's name is to attain one-mind-without-confusion, which is samadhi. Paying respect to the Buddha—bowing with utmost sincerity and reverence—nourishes the mind. Bowing also nourishes the body: the body is a machine; it must move, or it breaks down. The body moves, but the mind shouldn't. There are those who specialize in this Dharma method, bowing three thousand times a day. When I first studied the Buddha Dharma, before becoming a monk, I lived in a thatched hut in Puli with Master Chanyun. Every day we bowed eight hundred times: three hundred in the morning service, two hundred at noon, and three hundred in the evening service.

"If verbal recitation, then to single-mindedly recite that Buddha. If praising and making offerings, then to single-mindedly praise and make offerings. This is called right." When reciting the Buddha's name, single-mindedly recite Amitabha Buddha. Praising means propagating—specifically, propagating the Five Sutras and One Treatise of the Pure Land school. Making offerings means specifically printing and gifting the sutras and treatises on rebirth. This is specialized cultivation and specialized propagation.

"Furthermore, within this right practice there are again two kinds. The first is to single-mindedly recite the name of Amitabha—whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, without regard to how long or short the period, with not a single moment of relinquishing—this is called the karma of right concentration, because it accords with that Buddha's vow. If one relies on bowing, reciting, and so forth, these are called auxiliary karma. Apart from these two practices of right and auxiliary, all other forms of goodness are called miscellaneous practice. If one cultivates the right and auxiliary practices mentioned above, with the mind constantly drawing near and recalling without interruption, this is called 'uninterrupted.' If one practices the later miscellaneous practices, the mind is constantly interrupted. Although one may dedicate the merit toward rebirth, they are called the practice of sparse and miscellaneous, hence called 'deep mind.'"

As was said earlier: if verbal recitation, then single-mindedly recite that Buddha. When the mouth does not recite, what's said here makes it clear: reciting the Buddha's name must be continuous and uninterrupted; in the four comportments of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, one is always reciting. This Buddha-name must be maintained continuously, moment by moment. Verbal recitation can be tiring; the mind must constantly hold the Buddha-name, whether aloud, softly, or with silent movement of the lips—adjust as suits you, without fatigue or weariness. When very tired, one may rest briefly, but don't undress and sleep. Whether an experienced practitioner or a beginner, one should not relinquish or interrupt, moment by moment. This is called "the karma of right concentration." "Right concentration" is "Buddha-recitation samadhi," which is the "one-mind-without-confusion" spoken of in the Amitabha Sutra. The wish of all the Buddhas of the ten directions toward us is the same as Amitabha Buddha's. To act in this way is to accord with the Buddha's vow, and it is the right within the right. Among the three karmas—body, speech, and mind—holding the Name in recitation is the right within the right. The contemplation of the mental karma and the bowing of the bodily karma are called "auxiliary karma." This is Master Shandao's instruction in the Contemplation Sutra. Among the many methods of reciting the Buddha's name, holding the Name in recitation is especially emphasized because it is advocated by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Apart from the right and auxiliary practices mentioned above, all other forms of goodness—such as the Three Merits and Nine Grades—are called "miscellaneous practice." If one cultivates the right and auxiliary practices above, with the mind constantly drawing near and recalling without interruption, this is called "uninterrupted." This accords with the essence of Buddha-recitation taught by Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta in the Surangama Sutra: "gather in the six sense organs, with pure mindfulness in unbroken succession." If one practices miscellaneous practices like the Three Merits, the recitation of the Buddha's name may be cut off. Although one may dedicate the merit toward rebirth, it still belongs to miscellaneous practice. In sum, reciting the Buddha's name is the right; the three karmas single-mindedly focused on the two kinds of adornment is the right. Apart from these, all methods taught in the sutras and treatises belong to miscellaneous or auxiliary practice. For example, chapters thirty-two through thirty-seven of the Infinite Life Sutra all belong to miscellaneous practice, but they are very important. Because we cannot single-mindedly concentrate, and body, speech, and mind are not uninterruptedly focused on the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, there will be fault. Since we cannot concentrate, we often give rise to idle interruptions, so the Three Merits and Nine Grades become necessary—they can support the right cultivation. All that has been spoken above belongs to "deep mind."

"The third is the mind of transference and aspiration. Speaking of the mind of transference and aspiration: all worldly and supramundary good roots cultivated through the bodily, verbal, and mental karma of the past and present, as well as the worldly and supramundary good roots cultivated through the bodily, verbal, and mental karma of all ordinary and saintly beings that one rejoices along with—all these good roots cultivated by oneself and others, with a mind of genuine and profound faith, are transferred and dedicated with the aspiration to be reborn in that land. Therefore it is called the mind of transference and aspiration."

"Deep mind" belongs entirely to self-benefit—it is the self-enjoyment of the sincere mind.

The mind of dedicating merit and vowing for rebirth is the sincere mind benefiting sentient beings in its application—the benefit received by others, meaning how we conduct ourselves, treat people, and engage with the world. "Past lives" refers to previous existences; "this life" refers to the present one. That's one interpretation. A second reading takes both terms as referring to this present life: "past" means everything before today, and "this life" means what we do today. Both explanations work. If someone creates evil through body, speech, and mind yet doesn't repent, they certainly cannot be reborn in the Pure Land. The Western Realm is purely good, without a trace of evil—how could it possibly accommodate such a person?

The good roots of worldly dharmas, put simply, are endeavors that benefit all sentient beings. Veteran Buddhist practitioners, long steeped in the Dharma, understand that the true nature of the universe and of human life is nothing other than the workings of karmic cause and effect. Within cause there is already effect; within effect there is already cause. The Ten Dharma Realms cannot be separated from this law. The ancients said: "It's not that retribution won't come—its time simply hasn't arrived." A cause without the right condition will not produce its effect. And cause and effect span all three periods of time. If retribution doesn't manifest in this life, it may come in the next; if not in the next, it will surely come in a future one. As the Buddhist saying goes: "Bodhisattvas fear the cause; ordinary beings fear the effect." When karmic results finally appear, people panic—but fear is useless; they still have to bear it. Bodhisattvas are the opposite. In every thought and every action, they are careful and cautious, never overstepping bounds, because they dread the karmic consequences. This is a universal truth. Doing good is what we should do; committing offenses is what we should not. Sentient beings commit evil because they are confused and deluded. And while the degree of delusion varies, the general trend is downward—one life worse than the last—making escape from the Three Realms extraordinarily difficult.

How fortunate we are today to encounter the Buddhadharma. Our gratitude for the teachings of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is truly boundless. Without the Buddhadharma, this life would have been wasted once more. Among all wholesome endeavors, helping others awaken is the most valuable. There is no greater good root, whether worldly or transcendent. And the foremost good root of the transcendent path is to single-mindedly cultivate and propagate the Pure Land method. Beyond that, one should rejoice in all wholesome roots—worldly and transcendent—cultivated by ordinary and noble beings through body, speech, and mind. Whatever good roots we've cultivated, whether in past lives or this one, and whatever good roots of others we rejoice in—we seek nothing from any of them. Not the blessings of human or heavenly rebirth in this life or the next, not wisdom, virtue, or ability. We seek only rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. With a mind single and focused, rebirth is certain.

When cultivation reaches this level, one's spiritual strength becomes formidable. If you want to help family members from past lives, or even your karmic creditors, a single thought is all it takes. In Old Master Tanxu's autobiography, Reminiscences of Shadows and Dust, there is a true story. Before Tanxu became a monk, he and a friend ran a Chinese medicine shop. A colleague there, Mr. Liu, had spent many years studying the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. One day, while dozing at the counter, he suddenly found himself in a vision. Two figures walked up to him—and he recognized them. They were old enemies, now dead. He assumed they'd come to make trouble. He asked them what they wanted. Calmly and gently, they replied: "We've come to ask you to deliver us." He asked how. They said all he had to do was consent. "I consent," he said. And with that, the two climbed up along his knees and shoulders and rose into the heavens. Later, two more people appeared—his late wife and daughter, also seeking deliverance. He agreed just the same, and they too ascended together. The title of this story is "Eight Years at the Cold Window, Reading the Śūraṅgama." The point is clear: when your cultivation has genuine depth, you needn't hire monks to chant sūtras for the deceased—a thought of your own will do. This power flows entirely from a mind of true, deep faith, and it carries inconceivable force.

"Furthermore, in dedicating merit and making the vow to seek rebirth, one must, with a resolute and sincere mind, dedicate the merit and make the vow, firmly holding the thought that rebirth will be attained. This mind of deep faith is like vajra—not to be shaken or destroyed by anyone of differing views, heterodox learning, divergent understanding, or divergent practice. It is solely a resolute, single-pointed mind, pressing straight forward. One must not heed such people's words and start advancing and retreating, letting the mind grow timid and weak, turning back and falling away—thereby forfeiting the great benefit of rebirth."

The passage above—"one must, with a resolute and sincere mind, dedicate the merit and make the vow, firmly holding the thought that rebirth will be attained"—is unambiguous in its conviction. You must dedicate merit with a sincere mind and genuine faith, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land without the slightest doubt. Such faith is as firm as vajra, unmoved by anyone of differing views, heterodox learning, divergent understanding, or divergent practice. Some practitioners, the moment they gain a little skill, grow arrogant and self-important, generating divergent views. As the saying goes, "When one's understanding is incomplete, both view and practice become lopsided." And then they want you to switch to their method.

One year, at the Taiwan College and University Buddhist Studies Lecture Series, I taught a course on the Treatise on Response and Retribution (Gan Ying Pian), which isn't a Buddhist scripture. After class one day, in the rest room, a Dharma Master came over and gave me a scolding. He said: "You're a sūtra lecturer, and a good one. Why are you lecturing on a non-Buddhist text instead of a Buddhist sūtra?" I said I wasn't teaching a non-Buddhist text. "Then what is the Treatise on Response and Retribution if not non-Buddhist?" he asked. I said that while it may not be a Buddhist scripture, it's sealed by the Dharma Seal, which makes it equivalent to one. "What Dharma Seal?" he demanded. I replied: "'Refrain from all evil, practice all good, and purify the mind—this is the teaching of all Buddhas.' Does that count as a Dharma Seal?" He turned on his heel and walked away.

The Buddhadharma is extraordinarily open. Whatever anyone teaches, so long as it meets this standard, it bears the Buddha's own seal. Promoting the Dharma through the Treatise on Response and Retribution wasn't my idea—Master Yinguang was the first to champion it. When Master Yinguang lived on Mount Putuo, the magistrate of Dinghai County invited him to come propagate the Dharma. He sent someone in his place, who lectured on the Lord Wenchang's Tract on Hidden Merit—a Daoist scripture. That shows the old monk's discerning wisdom. The most fundamental teaching for saving sentient beings is to make them deeply believe in cause and effect, turn from evil, and cultivate good. That's the foundation. Master Yinguang's earnest, patient instruction was truly full of both wisdom and expedient means—something shallow students cannot appreciate.

Those who genuinely awaken the bodhi mind possess true wisdom. They are resolute and single-pointed—one direction, one goal—pressing forward vigorously. You must not, on hearing a few casual remarks from others, grow indecisive or even fall back, losing the chance for rebirth in this very life. That would be the ultimate form of self-abandonment. We've read in the great sūtras that many Bodhisattvas long for this moment by moment and still can't attain it. If we let it pass us by today, wouldn't that be a terrible waste? And you can't blame those with divergent views—you can only blame yourself for lacking firm faith, for failing to take charge of your own mind.

Question: "If there are those of different understanding and practice—heterodox and mixed practitioners—who come to confuse and disturb you, raising various doubts and saying you cannot attain rebirth; or who say: 'You sentient beings, from countless kalpas ago through this present life, have through body, speech, and mind, committed against all ordinary and noble beings the ten evils, the five heinous acts, the four grave offenses, slandering the Dharma, being icchantika, breaking precepts, and holding wrong views—and you have not eradicated them. These offenses tether you to the evil paths of the Three Realms. How can a single life of cultivating merit and reciting the Buddha's name gain you entry into that land of no-outflow and no-birth, where you eternally realize the stage of non-retrogression?'"

Questions like these often linger in the mind and become the real obstacle to rebirth. Master Shandao, in his great compassion, addressed them directly for our benefit. There are fellow Buddhists of different schools and methods—Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, Esoteric—whose understanding and practice differ from ours. There are also those with heterodox views who raise all sorts of doubts. Ultimately, what they're saying is: reciting the Buddha's name won't lead to rebirth; you're wasting your time. From beginningless kalpas right up to today, through the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, you've slighted ordinary and noble beings, slandered Mahāyāna scriptures, maliciously harmed practitioners, and committed the ten evils and the five heinous acts. You've broken the four grave precepts, slandered the Three Jewels, severed your good roots, and given rise to grossly distorted views—broken precepts and broken views alike. With karmic obstacles that heavy, how could you possibly attain rebirth in the Buddha Land and fully realize the three non-retrogressions after just one lifetime of cultivating merit and reciting the Buddha's name? They sound perfectly reasonable. And if your faith wavers as a result, what's broken isn't your precepts—it's your views. And that is far more dangerous.

Answer: "The teachings and practices of the Buddhas outnumber the grains of sand and dust. Each one accords with the faculties and conditions of those who receive it, varying with their dispositions—no two are the same. Take the things in this world that people can see and believe with their own eyes: light dispels darkness, space contains, the earth supports and nourishes, water generates and moistens, fire creates and destroys. These are all relational phenomena, visible to the eye, endlessly diverse. How much more so the inconceivable power of the Buddhadharma—how could it fail to bring manifold benefits?"

The Master begins his reply by speaking of causes and conditions. It's not just Śākyamuni Buddha—the Buddhas throughout the ten directions are countless, and the methods they use to teach beings to practice are simply beyond reckoning. Why did the Buddha teach so many methods? Because he taught according to capacity. Sentient beings have different causes and conditions, different faculties, and so the methods differ accordingly. Take what people see with their own eyes in the everyday world: light dispels darkness, space contains, the earth supports and nourishes, water generates and moistens, fire creates and destroys. These relational phenomena, endlessly diverse, are beyond dispute. The Buddhadharma is what the Tathāgata has directly realized at the level of fruition. The Buddha possesses the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, and various inconceivable states—things utterly beyond what ordinary people can fathom. How can anyone claim it brings no benefit?

"To exit through one gate is to exit through one gate of affliction. To enter through one gate is to enter through one gate of liberation and wisdom. Therefore, following one's own conditions, one takes up practice, each seeking liberation. Why, then, do you take what is essential practice for someone else's conditions and use it to obstruct and confuse me? What I love is the practice that accords with my conditions—it is not what you seek. What you love is the practice that accords with your conditions—it is not what I seek. Therefore, each following their own joy in cultivation will swiftly attain liberation. The practitioner should know: if you wish to learn understanding, from ordinary being to sage all the way to buddhahood, you may study everything without obstruction. But if you wish to learn practice, you must rely on the dharma that accords with your own conditions—a little effort yields great benefit."

"To exit through one gate"—"exit" means to leave behind. The dharma gates are immeasurable, and each one counteracts a specific affliction. To exit through one gate is to be freed from one kind of affliction. "To enter through one gate"—"enter" means to directly realize. Realize one fraction, and you gain one fraction of wisdom and freedom. The Buddha taught many different dharma gates so that each person could gain wisdom, each could gain liberation. The doubts you raise are simply throwing an obstacle in my path. If you're drawn to a particular dharma gate, you have an affinity with it; if not, you don't. I'm drawn to the Pure Land dharma gate—I have that affinity, and having it, I will be liberated. Each person cultivates their own path without interference. Following each person's inclination, liberation comes swiftly.

If the goal of studying Buddhism is understanding, then you should explore all the dharma gates, sūtras, and treatises—from the human and heavenly vehicles through Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas all the way to buddhahood. Studying all of it poses no obstacle. But if the goal is practice—cultivating samādhi and seeking awakening—then using that broad approach becomes an impediment. It has nothing to do with cutting off your afflictions, purifying your mind, awakening, or realizing the fruit. Studying Buddhism and doing Buddhist scholarship are two very different things.

Furthermore, [Shandao] addressed all who seek rebirth, saying: "Now I will give the practitioner another analogy, to guard the mind of faith and protect against the assaults of external heterodox views. What is it?

"It is like this: Suppose someone wishes to travel west a hundred thousand li. Suddenly, mid-journey, they see two rivers—one a river of fire to the south, the other a river of water to the north. Each river is a hundred paces wide and bottomless, stretching endlessly north and south. Right between the water and the fire, there is a white path, perhaps four or five inches across. It runs from the east bank to the west bank, also about a hundred paces long. The waves of water constantly wash over and wet the path; the flames of fire constantly sweep across and burn it. Water and fire clash without ceasing. This person has reached a vast, desolate stretch—no people, no dwellings—but many bandits and savage beasts. Seeing the person alone, they close in to kill. Terrified of death, the person runs straight west. Then, suddenly catching sight of these great rivers, they think: 'These rivers stretch north and south without end. Between them runs this white path, extremely narrow. The two banks may be close, but how can anyone possibly cross? Today I will certainly die.' Just as they're about to turn back, the bandits and beasts press closer. Just as they think of fleeing north or south, the savage beasts and venomous creatures come rushing at them. Just as they resolve to follow the path westward, they fear falling into the rivers of water and fire. Their terror is beyond words. Then they think: 'If I turn back, I die. If I stay, I die. If I go forward, I die. Since none of these escapes death, I would rather follow this path ahead. Since this path exists, it must be possible to cross.' At that very moment, a voice calls from the east bank: 'Good friend, just resolutely follow this path. There will be no danger of death. If you stay, you will die.' And from the west bank, someone calls: 'Come straight to me with one-pointed, right mindfulness. I will protect you. Do not fear falling into the perils of water and fire.' Hearing this sending from one side and that calling from the other, the person steadies body and mind and resolutely follows the path straight ahead—no doubt, no timidity, no thought of turning back. After walking a short way, the bandits on the east bank shout: 'Good friend, come back! This path is treacherous—you can't possibly cross. You'll die for certain. We mean you no harm.' Though the person hears their calls, there is no looking back. Single-mindedly, pressing straight ahead along the path, in an instant they reach the west bank, forever free of all peril. They meet their good friends, and the rejoicing is boundless.

"This is the analogy. Now the correspondence: The east bank represents this Sahā world, the burning house. The west bank represents the Precious Land of Ultimate Bliss. The bandits, savage beasts, and false friends represent sentient beings' six sense organs, six consciousnesses, six sense objects, five aggregates, and four great elements. The desolate wasteland with no one in sight represents constantly following evil companions and never encountering true spiritual friends. The two rivers of water and fire represent sentient beings' greed and craving like water, anger and aversion like fire. The white path of four or five inches in the middle represents how, within sentient beings' greed and anger, a pure mind of aspiration for rebirth can still arise. Because greed and anger are powerful, they are likened to water and fire; because the good mind is slight, it is likened to the white path. The water constantly wetting the path represents how craving keeps arising, staining the good mind. The fire constantly burning the path represents how anger and resentment can burn away the wealth of merit and virtue. The person walking the path straight west represents turning all karmic activity directly toward the West. The voice from the east bank urging the person forward represents Śākyamuni, who has already passed into nirvāṇa and whom later generations cannot see—but whose teachings can still be followed, hence likened to a voice. The bandits calling one to come back after a step or two represents those of divergent understanding and practice and people of wrong views, who recklessly spin out interpretations to confuse and disturb others—and who themselves create offenses and fall away. The voice calling from the west bank represents Amitābha's vow and intent. Reaching the west bank in an instant and rejoicing at meeting good friends represents sentient beings, long drowned in birth and death, wandering through countless kalpas, entangled in delusion, with no way out—now looking up to Śākyamuni's sending them forth, pointing to the West, and sustained by Amitābha's compassionate call. Trusting and following the intent of these two Honored Ones, heedless of the two rivers of water and fire, every thought held to the path without lapse, riding the power of that vow—after this life ends, they are born in that land, meet the Buddha face to face, and the rejoicing is beyond measure."

In the sūtras we often see a Bodhisattva's disciple "addressing" (bái) the Buddha. Now Master Shandao, in expounding the Dharma for us, uses the same word bái—which shows the utmost sincerity and respect he holds toward us. He offers this analogy to help us guard against heterodox teachers and those of divergent views who would shake our confidence. He tells of someone traveling west who reaches a vast, desolate place and encounters two rivers—water and fire—with a narrow white path running between them, constantly assailed by both. Behind, bandits and beasts give chase. Terrified, unable to advance or retreat, the person can only press forward along this path. And just then, a voice comes from the east bank: "Good friend, follow this path with resolve—you will certainly be safe. Do not doubt." And from the west bank: "Come to me with one-pointed, right mindfulness. I will protect you from all harm."

This person, having heard the voice urging him onward, resolved then and there to follow the white path straight ahead. Before long, the bandits called out again: "That road is far too dangerous. Come back—we won't harm you." He didn't even turn his head. Pressing forward with single-minded determination, he soon reached the western shore, free from every danger, where he met his good friend, and their joy knew no end.

This is an analogy. The "eastern shore" stands for the Sahā world; the "western shore" stands for the Western Pure Land. The "bandits and fierce beasts" represent beings' six sense faculties, six consciousnesses, six sense objects, five aggregates, and four elements—all of them demonic obstacles. The "vast empty marsh with no one in sight" means encountering no virtuous teacher, only harmful companions, again and again. The "two rivers of water and fire" represent beings' craving, which is like water, and their anger, which is like fire. The "white path in the middle, four or five inches wide" represents that single thought of pure mind that can arise amid greed and hatred, along with the aspiration for rebirth. Because the forces of greed and hatred run strong—like the two rivers—the good mind is weak, like that narrow white path.

"The water constantly washing over the path" represents how craving keeps welling up, staining the good mind. "The fire constantly scorching the path" represents how anger can burn away one's store of merit and virtue. "The person walking the path straight toward the west" represents turning all one's karmic actions directly toward the West. "Hearing a voice on the eastern shore urging one to seek the path and head straight west" represents the fact that Śākyamuni has already passed into nirvana—later generations cannot see him—yet the teachings remain and can be followed, so they are likened to a voice. "Going one or two steps along the way and having the bandits call one back" represents those with distorted interpretations and deviant practices, people who preach false views and confuse one another, creating karma, falling back, and losing their way. "Someone on the western shore calling out" represents Amitābha's compassionate vow. "Arriving at the western shore in an instant and joyfully meeting the good friend" represents how beings have long been submerged in birth and death, drifting through endless kalpas of rebirth, tangled in confusion and delusion, with no way to free themselves—until, looking upward, they receive Śākyamuni's urging, pointing them toward the West. And through Amitābha's Forty-Eight Vows, each one a compassionate call, we develop firm faith in the two Honored Ones, Śākyamuni and Amitābha. We follow the teachings of both Buddhas, set down greed, hatred, delusion, and pride all at once, and no matter what temptations appear, we refuse to be swayed. Whatever situations arise before us, we recognize them for what they are: attempts to keep us in the Sahā world and block our departure.

When we finally behold the Western Pure Land and gather with all the supreme good people—having failed to escape the Three Realms since beginningless time, yet today arriving in the Land of Ultimate Bliss—we will find ourselves in the finest place for practice in all of space and the entire dharma realm. How fortunate! Reflecting carefully on this extended analogy can help us cultivate with one-pointed focus and never look back.

Furthermore, all practitioners—whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—in everything they do with body, speech, and mind, regardless of the hour or season, should constantly hold this understanding and constantly dwell on this thought. This is what is called the Mind of Dedication and Aspiration. "Dedication" also means that after being born in that land, one again arouses great compassion, returns to the realm of birth and death, and teaches and transforms sentient beings; this too is called dedication. When the three minds are fully present, there is no practice that won't be accomplished. If one's vow and practice are fulfilled yet one is not reborn—that simply cannot happen. Moreover, these three minds also encompass the meaning of "fixed goodness." One should understand that all practitioners—walking, standing, sitting, lying down, in the three karmic actions of body, speech, and mind, at all times, in all places, amid all circumstances and connections ("circumstances" meaning the material environment, "connections" meaning the human environment)—whether favorable or adverse, should constantly think in this way: single-mindedly yearning for the Western Pure Land, single-mindedly reciting Amitābha Buddha's name. This is called the "Mind of Dedication and Aspiration."

"Furthermore, 'dedication' means that after being born in that land, one again arouses great compassion, returns to birth and death, and teaches and transforms sentient beings; this too is called dedication"—this carries another sense. Dedicating merit toward rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is dedication toward the Buddha-way, dedication toward ultimate reality—the first and third of the three kinds of dedication. What is spoken of here is something different: after reaching the West, one turns the ship of compassion around, re-enters the realm of birth and death, and teaches sentient beings. This is dedication toward sentient beings. So we know that going to the West is not fleeing disaster, nor seeking comfort—it is solely to accomplish one's own cultivation. According to the Sūtra of Infinite Life, we have already practiced for immeasurable kalpas and made offerings to countless Buddhas and Tathāgatas, yet here we are today, still the same as ever. Only now do we realize how hard it is to practice in this world. Never mind the afflictions of views and thoughts—we can't even let go of the view of self. We see now that we haven't been earnest about reciting the Buddha's name and seeking the Pure Land. Dabbling in all eighty-four thousand dharma gates, attracted to each and every one—that's what has held us back. If we could set everything else aside and devote this one life exclusively to reciting, practicing, and sharing the teaching, we would certainly achieve rebirth.

Today our karmic conditions are truly excellent; we have a very clear understanding of the Pure Land teaching's theory, methods, and states. The only question is how to put it into practice. If we're genuinely willing, all Buddhas and Tathāgatas will congratulate us—for we will soon become Buddhas ourselves. After attaining Buddhahood, we'll arouse the great compassion of shared identity and the great unconditional loving-kindness, then return to the Three Realms and the six paths to teach sentient beings, helping them take up the practice of Buddha-recitation and perfectly accomplish the Buddha-way.

"When the three minds are fully present, there is no practice that will not be accomplished." The "three minds" are the Sincere Mind, the Deep Mind, and the Mind of Dedication and Aspiration. The ancient masters said: when the three minds are fully aroused, no practice fails to bear fruit; once vow and practice are complete, there is no one who won't be reborn. Furthermore, these three minds also encompass the meaning of "fixed goodness." "Fixed goodness" is single-minded recitation of the Buddha's name, and its foundation rests upon the three minds. Cultivating the three blessings with these three minds perfected will surely lead to rebirth.

Fifth, beginning from "Furthermore, there are three types of sentient beings"—this passage identifies the suitable practitioners, those capable of honoring the Dharma and cultivating according to the teachings.

Sixth, from "What are the three?" through "the six recollections"—this passage explains the different ways of receiving the Dharma, of which there are three. The first is "compassionate mind, not killing." Now, the karma of killing takes many forms: killing by speech, killing by body, and killing by mind. Killing by speech means issuing orders or giving permission—that is killing by speech. Killing by body means physically directing with one's hands and gestures—that is killing by body. Killing by mind means thinking, scheming, and calculating—that is killing by mind. When it comes to the karma of killing, it makes no distinction among the four kinds of birth—all alike can generate offenses that obstruct rebirth in the Pure Land. But if one arouses a compassionate heart toward all living beings, that is tantamount to bestowing long life and peace upon them—the supreme and wondrous precept. This matches the third phrase of the first blessing cited earlier: "compassionate mind, not killing." Here we have two kinds of goodness: the goodness of restraint and the goodness of action. Refraining from killing oneself is the goodness of restraint. Teaching others not to kill is the goodness of action. The initial decision to stop is the goodness of restraint; permanent, complete eradication is the goodness of action. Though there are these two kinds, together they constitute the practice of compassion.

Let us turn back to the sūtra text. Fifth: "Furthermore, there are three types of sentient beings who will attain rebirth." Sixth: "What are the three? First, a compassionate mind that does not kill, possessing all precepts. Second, reading and reciting the Mahāyāna Vaipulya sūtras. Third, practicing the six recollections." Reading the commentary alongside, the connection becomes clear. Here it explains that practicing this dharma gate requires three conditions. The first is "compassionate mind, not killing." The karma of killing has three forms: body, speech, and mind. Killing by speech means ordering someone else to kill a living creature for one's own kitchen. Directing another person to carry out the killing is called "killing by body." As for the thought of killing arising in the mind—in the Hīnayāna precepts, merely having the thought without acting on it doesn't count as a violation. In the Mahāyāna precepts, however, even without carrying out the act, the mere thought of killing counts as a violation. Mahāyāna precepts judge the mind, not merely the deed.

"When it comes to the karma of killing, it makes no distinction among the four kinds of birth; all can create obstacles that hinder rebirth in the Pure Land." The "four kinds of birth" are egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born. Even insects and ants should not be killed, because constantly harboring thoughts of killing obstructs the samādhi of Buddha-recitation. Not killing small, defenseless animals amounts to bestowing long life and peace upon sentient beings—the most supreme and wondrous precept, a form of giving fearlessness. As for small creatures like cockroaches and ants, if you speak to them with a sincere, compassionate heart and earnestly urge them to move along, it can actually work. There's a story in the biography of Master Yìnguāng. In his earlier years, the room where he lived had fleas, mosquitoes, and the like. His young attendant wanted to clear them out, but he wouldn't allow it. He said, "My virtue isn't sufficient yet—let them stay, as a reminder to me." After the master turned seventy, all the insects in his room disappeared. This corresponds to the third phrase of the first of the Three Blessings: "compassionate mind, not killing." Wholesome actions come in two kinds: restraint and performance. Not killing is the goodness of restraint. Bearing no thought of killing toward any being—and encouraging others to do the same—is the goodness of performance. Severing the impulse to kill is restraint; under no circumstances allowing the killing thought to arise is a performance sustained by great compassion and loving-kindness.

"Possessing all precepts"—if we're speaking of those with the capacity of humans, devas, or the Two Vehicles, these are called lesser precepts. If we're speaking of someone with a great heart and great practice, these are called bodhisattva precepts. If we classify by stage, then corresponding to the three levels of the upper grade, they are called bodhisattva precepts. Because the person's stage is determined, it naturally follows. This matches the precept-related wholesome root in the second blessing. Precepts are divided into Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna—not by the precept text or the sūtra of precepts, but by the person's mind. If someone has the disposition of a human, deva, or practitioner of the Two Vehicles, then every precept they hold counts as a Hīnayāna precept. Even if they formally receive bodhisattva precepts, they're still Hīnayāna precepts. But if someone has a great heart and great practice—their mind is the bodhisattva mind, their conduct is bodhisattva conduct—then every precept they take is a Mahāyāna bodhisattva precept. In terms of the stages of rebirth, when someone's mind is free of discrimination and attachment, when they genuinely treat everyone with purity and equality, that is a person of great heart and great practice. Such a person, reborn in the West, will certainly be placed in the upper three grades. The ancients said, "Aim for the highest and you may attain only the middle." We should set our standard high; if we fall short, we can still hope for the next level. The second of the Three Blessings is "taking refuge in the Three Jewels, fully upholding all precepts, and not violating dignified conduct." Even if a Buddhist hasn't formally received the five precepts or bodhisattva precepts, their precepts may still be complete. The transmission of precepts at an ordination platform is a formality. Whether one actually obtains the precepts after receiving them is another matter entirely—going through the ceremony doesn't guarantee you've truly received them. If we understand this principle, then genuinely maintaining a compassionate mind of not killing and upholding all precepts yields the highest grade of precepts. Among the precepts, only the bhikṣu and bhikṣuṇī precepts must be transmitted by a teacher. The others—the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, the ten śrāmaṇera precepts, and the bodhisattva precepts—can all be received by a practitioner making a vow before a Buddha image. As long as one makes a sincere vow and upholds it for life, one can obtain the precepts. For bhikṣu and bhikṣuṇī precepts, three preceptors and ten witnesses are required; at least five bhikṣus must transmit them for the precepts to be validly obtained.

Second, the text explains "reading and reciting the Mahāyāna." This clarifies that beings have different inherent natures and habitual tendencies; they hold to the Dharma in different ways. The first person described above relied solely on cultivating compassion and upholding precepts as their practice. The second person regards only the reading and recitation of Mahāyāna sūtras as the way. Yet precepts can sustain practitioners across the Five Vehicles and the three stages of Buddhahood, while the Dharma cultivates the wisdom of the three worthy stages, the ten grounds, and the ten thousand practices. If we compare them by function, each has its particular strength. This matches the third phrase of the third blessing: "reading and reciting the Mahāyāna." This commentary passage explains that those who recite the Buddha's name should also read and recite the Mahāyāna Vaipulya sūtras. Sentient beings have different root natures. The habitual tendencies from past lives are carried into this life. People in the world don't realize this and assume it's genetics—but it isn't. Generally speaking, after death, in the intermediate state, one tends to seek out parents whose tendencies are similar and with whom one has karmic affinity. The Buddha said in the sūtras that consciousness enters the womb through four kinds of karmic bonds: to repay kindness, to repay enmity, to collect a debt, or to repay a debt. Without such bonds, people would not become family. At the time of rebirth, craving is the primary force—as it is said, without deep attachment, one is not born in the Sahā world. Because of impure attachment toward the parents, one's appearance may resemble the father or the mother. Yet appearance can also be altered after birth through the karmic force of one's own good and evil deeds—this is what is meant by differing acquired tendencies. Choosing a dharma gate is likewise connected to past habits. Among the many practices available, if a practitioner studied a particular one in a past life, they'll feel immediately at home with it; otherwise, it's hard to accept. Ordinary beings lack the ability to read others' capacities. Arhats can perceive five hundred lifetimes of a being's karma. Bodhisattvas' capacity for reading others varies with their stage—but if they can read a being's disposition, their teaching will naturally suit them. So, because beings differ in nature and habit, the Buddha spoke an immeasurable number of dharma gates to suit every kind of capacity. The first person mentioned above relied solely on cultivating compassion and upholding precepts as their practice, and they can achieve results through that gate. If they don't read Mahāyāna sūtras, upholding precepts alone can still lead to accomplishment.

The Buddha said in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra that the Buddhist teaching passes through three periods. In the first, the Age of the True Dharma, precepts bring accomplishment: they can sever afflictions, cut through habitual tendencies, open wisdom, and certify bodhi. By the Age of Semblance Dharma, people's capacities have declined; relying on precepts alone no longer suffices. The problem isn't with the precepts—it's with the people. Those upholding precepts no longer bring the same sincerity of heart as before, so attainment is difficult. They must rely on meditative concentration; hence it's said that in that age, concentration brings accomplishment. In the Age of the Dharma's Decline, people's capacities are worse still, afflictions and habits heavier, and even meditation can't bring accomplishment. As the elder Master Tánxū once said, in his entire life he had seen practitioners achieve meditative concentration, but never once did he see anyone clarify the mind and see their nature—attain true awakening. For meditation to count as accomplishment, one must clarify the mind and see the nature. Merely attaining concentration leads to rebirth in the four dhyāna heavens; when that heavenly blessing runs out, one falls back into saṃsāra. In the Age of the Dharma's Decline, it is Buddha-recitation that brings accomplishment. Can we today truly obtain the precepts when we uphold them? Can our minds settle into meditative concentration? The facts are right before our eyes. We should honestly follow the Buddha's instructions: recite single-mindedly, and achieve rebirth carrying our karmic obstacles. The accomplishment spoken of in the Age of the True Dharma means attaining the fruit of an Arhat. In the Age of Semblance Dharma, it means clarifying the mind and seeing the nature. In the Age of the Dharma's Decline, it means achieving rebirth with karmic obstacles intact.

The second type of person has the habit of reading and reciting the Mahāyāna. Their fondness for it is innate—a carryover from the habit of studying in past lives. There are many Mahāyāna sūtras. Some people pick them up and immediately understand them, evidence that they studied Mahāyāna sūtras in previous lives. If someone has never encountered them before, reading them in this life feels foreign and uncomfortable. Buddhist practice isn't the work of a single lifetime—it's the accumulation of merit across many lives. If someone has a special fondness for a particular sūtra, let them focus on that one. Go deep into a single gate; there's no need to switch. By dedicating that focused practice toward the Pure Land, they too can achieve accomplishment. Upholding precepts also depends on root nature. People who naturally prefer an orderly, rule-abiding life carry seeds of precept practice from past lives. When they see a disciplined way of living, it brings them joy. Without those seeds, the same regulated life feels stifling.

Doctrine is understanding and view; upholding precepts is practice. Doctrine without practice inevitably becomes hollow—the two are inseparable. Doctrine provides the foundation for thought and insight, the standard of right understanding. Precepts are the guidelines for conduct. The two are truly one body. If one cultivates with a focused mind, perfecting one side means the other is attained simultaneously. Take Buddha-recitation: even someone who can't read, as long as they're free of delusive thoughts and attachments and recite to the point of single-minded concentration, can awaken. Someone might ask, "If they've awakened, why don't they lecture on the sūtras?" The answer is that lecturing requires karmic affinity. Without it, no matter how good the teaching, no one comes to listen. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, there was a Master Bǎoxiāng in Sichuan who taught throughout the region—but no one came to hear him. One day a lay disciple of his traveled to the capital on business and paid a visit to Bǎozhì Gōng (traditionally regarded as an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara). Bǎozhì Gōng asked him, "How is the price of incense in your Sichuan—expensive or cheap?" He replied, "Incense in our Sichuan is very cheap!" Bǎozhì Gōng said, "If it's so cheap, why hasn't he left yet?" When the man returned to Sichuan and saw Master Bǎoxiāng, he relayed the exchange. A few days later, the master had someone dig a large pit in front of the temple, fill it with water, and turn it into a pond. The master had always strictly observed the precepts and often urged people to uphold them, refrain from killing, and eat a vegetarian diet. One day the temple held a feast for the faithful, and a spread of chicken, duck, and fish was served. After the meal, the master led the devotees to the pond. He spat out every creature he had eaten—and in the water, they all came back to life.

After vomiting, he passed away. He had heard Reverend Baozhi's question—"If you know you're worthless, why not leave?"—and so he went. Only then did people realize he was a realized monk. The tradition says the Buddha does not save those without affinity. It's not that the Buddha refuses them; they don't accept the teaching, and the Buddha can do nothing about it.

In the precepts there are the "Five Vehicles and Three Buddhas." The Three Buddhas are the Dharmakaya Buddha, the Sambhogakaya Buddha, and the Nirmanakaya Buddha. The Five Vehicles are Buddha, Bodhisattva, Sravaka, Deva, and Human.

When precepts are explained through the texts of our own tradition, the first of the Three Blessings in the Contemplation Sutra reads: "Be filial to parents, serve one's teachers, nurture compassion without killing, and cultivate the ten virtuous deeds." If these four lines are perfectly fulfilled, in the next life one will definitely not fall into the three evil realms. Even so, the six realms are not real—like a dream. Knowing they're illusory and unreal, why take them seriously? Once we see the truth, the mind opens and we feel relieved, and most of our afflictions fall away. We stop scheming for ourselves moment by moment. If we truly have wisdom, we can universally give all our wealth to sentient beings and never selfishly cling to comforts—otherwise we'll be utterly wrong, beyond remedy.

When our circumstances are good and life is comfortable, we should use the chance to practice giving and offering, cultivating a pure mind, an equanimous mind, and a great compassion that expresses itself in deeds. These are real. Ordinary beings are confused and deluded. Even when opportunity comes, they don't cultivate what is true; they create karmic offenses instead, abusing power, lording it over others, oppressing the good, amassing boundless evil karma. Awakened ones know the three realms and six paths aren't places to settle in for long—dragged along by karmic forces, we can't be masters of ourselves. But the virtuous dharmas of the human and deva realms still need to be cultivated. After cultivating them, we must not cling to the resulting rewards; we dedicate those wholesome fruits toward rebirth in the Pure Land.

Hinayana precepts transcend the three realms—they're world-transcending and purely self-benefiting. Bodhisattva precepts benefit both self and other; they belong to the Mahayana. Mahayana precepts are built upon the foundation of Hinayana precepts. After achieving transcendence, one returns to liberate sentient beings—it's not just doing good in the world. Without transcendence, it remains the precept of an ordinary person, not a Bodhisattva precept.

Hinayana precepts are the Bhikshu and Bhikshuni precepts. The actual precept rules aren't many. Bhikshu precepts that are purely rules of conduct total only seventeen: four gravest offenses (parajika) first, then thirteen sangharamas—second only to the gravest, requiring confession before the assembly to spare the offender. Below these are over two hundred rules concerning deportment, etiquette, and bearing. Among the precepts, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech are the four root precepts. These four appear in the Five Precepts, the Ten Precepts, the Bhikshu and Bhikshuni precepts, and the Bodhisattva precepts.

In modern society, you hear lectures on sutras and treatises, but hardly any on precepts. First, if you don't yourself keep the precepts strictly, it's hard to teach others. Second, once someone undertakes the precepts, they fall short in this way and that—and people don't want to hear it. So the foundation is missing in the threefold training, creating serious obstacles to accomplishment.

If chanting the Buddha's name in the Pure Land path doesn't succeed, it's because the precepts aren't kept. Without precepts, the mind can't be pure, samadhi can't be reached, and one-mindedness can't arise. The three non-outflow trainings arise from precepts leading to samadhi. Chapters thirty-two through thirty-seven of the Infinite Life Sutra cover the precepts; those who chant the Buddha's name should read and recite these chapters often and keep them in mind.

"The Dharma gradually ripens the wisdom of the three sages, ten grounds, and the myriad practices." The "Dharma" here is the theory, method, and state within the sutras. Its function is to gradually cultivate the wisdom of the three sages, ten grounds, and myriad practices. The "three sages" are the Bodhisattva's ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications—thirty stages in all, called the wise. The "ten grounds" are called the sagely. From the first to the tenth ground, there are ten stations. The wise and sagely together number forty positions; adding the Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva makes forty-one—called the three sages and the ten sages. The stages differ in wisdom and in what is severed and certified. "Upholding the precepts" means reforming oneself, cutting off evil and cultivating good, preventing wrong at its source—so cultivating samadhi has no obstacle and meditative absorption can be attained smoothly. "Samadhi" is the pure mind and equanimous mind. Its function is the illumination of wisdom—using wisdom to illuminate external states. As the Heart Sutra says: "When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara practiced the profound Prajnaparamita, he illuminated the five aggregates as empty and transcended all suffering." The depth of samadhi differs among the three sages and ten sages, and the wisdom differs in scope. From this, the forty-one stages are established. These forty-one are the Buddha's skillful teaching for us. The saints themselves have no discrimination or attachment—if you asked one what stage he'd reached, he could not answer. If he claims to have reached a certain stage, he still has discrimination and attachment, and is an ordinary person. Their minds are pure and equanimous, without discrimination or attachment—this is the "One True Dharma Realm." A Bodhisattva at the first abode of the three sages has already entered the One True Dharma Realm.

When reading and reciting Mahayana sutras, know the essentials—what Bodhisattva Maming teaches in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana: to be apart from the characteristic of speech, the characteristic of names, and the characteristic of mental engagement. Reading sutras this way is cultivating samadhi; reciting is cultivating wisdom. With samadhi and wisdom, understanding and practice naturally appear. This method completes the threefold training of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom in one go. The principle of the precept training is "Cease all evil, practice all good." Sutras are the true words flowing from the Buddha's true suchness nature; nothing is more excellent. So reading sutras is "practicing all good." And keeping a single evil thought from the mind while reading is "ceasing all evil." The Infinite Life Sutra in particular fulfills the precept training of all five vehicles when read and recited. Reading with one-pointed focus, without analyzing, is cultivating samadhi. Discerning each character clearly is cultivating wisdom. This brings forth the fundamental wisdom, which in the Prajna Sutra is called "Prajna without knowledge." When "without knowledge" functions, it becomes "all-knowing." What we have now is "with knowledge"—and because we have knowledge, there's something we don't know. "Without knowledge" is the true wisdom, without false thinking or discrimination. The Heart Sutra ends with "no wisdom and no attainment." "No wisdom" is the true wisdom. "No attainment"—what is certified and attained is originally complete within one's own nature. Upon rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, beholding the perfect adornments of environment and self, one suddenly realizes these were one's own from the start, not something gained from outside. There is no Dharma outside the mind; perfect Bodhi returns to non-attainment—everything is originally one's own. It was simply that obstacles prevented one's inherent virtue and ability from showing. Now with the obstacles removed, the inherent wisdom and virtue emerge. Nothing is truly gained.

When reading sutras, don't investigate the meaning of the text—this is a major taboo. If you do, you fall into the conscious mind. Ordinary people reading books fail to awaken because they read with the discriminating mind, full of false thoughts and attachment. This only increases worldly intelligence and clever debate, not genuine wisdom. The world admires talented poets, but in Buddhism there's a saying: "Since ancient times, poets have many false thoughts"—all of it producing six-realm samsara, having nothing to do with ending birth and death or transcending the three realms.

True awakening comes from a capacity inherent in the nature. When that capacity shows itself, it can be used as a means to guide sentient beings. So there are poems and literary works in Buddhism too, used to propagate the Dharma and benefit sentient beings, not to delude them. When reading sutras, if an insight arises, it's not something you figured out—it emerges naturally. But don't get excited, for fear of becoming obsessed. Don't write it down. Once it happens, it'll happen again. When the mind is settled, insights arise at any time.

In learning Buddhism, the sutras come first. Commentaries are the views of Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and disciples—they're reference material, not something to lean on entirely. If a commentary doesn't correspond to the text, you can skip it; don't waste your time. Ancient worthies in their later years, feeling their days were few, would devote themselves to one sutra and one Buddha-name alone. When concentration reaches that point, accomplishment follows. Remember: "On the road to the Yellow Springs there is no old or young." Time is most precious—be vigilant yourself.

"If comparing what is gained and what is used, each has one ability. This corresponds with the third phrase of the third blessing above: 'reading and reciting the Mahayana.'" Here the character "de" has the meaning of "de"—the point is that, considering what's gained from one's cultivation and how it's used, those who keep the precepts can attain samadhi, while those who read and recite the Mahayana can open wisdom. Each has one ability. When that ability is real, samadhi and wisdom can flow through. This corresponds with the third phrase of the third blessing: "Bring forth the Bodhi mind, deeply believe in cause and effect, read and recite the Mahayana, encourage those who practice."

Three: explaining the practice of the six remembrances—remembrance of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; remembrance of precepts, renunciation, and devas. This also corresponds with the meaning of Mahayana in the third blessing above.

"Remembrance of the Buddha" means single-mindedly remembering the merits of Amitabha Buddha's deeds of body, speech, and mind. The same is true for all Buddhas. One also single-mindedly remembers the Dharma certified by all Buddhas, together with the Bodhisattvas of their retinue. One remembers the precepts of all Buddhas, and remembers past Buddhas and present Bodhisattvas who could do what is hard to do, give up what is hard to give up—internal renunciation, external renunciation, both. These Bodhisattvas want only the Dharma and spare nothing, not body, not wealth. The "six remembrances" are: the Three Jewels first, then precepts, renunciation, and devas. In every Hinayana and Mahayana sutra, the Buddha urges people to cultivate the six remembrances—this is right remembrance.

The merits of Amitabha's body, speech, and mind are described in detail in the Infinite Life Sutra. Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, at the Shurangama Assembly, teaches us to "remember the Buddha and chant the Buddha." In the great sutra, we see Amitabha from his first arousing of the mind, through cultivation on the causal ground, all the way to Buddhahood—and then universally saving sentient beings. Practicing with his own body is bodily action. Praising with words, reading, reciting, and exhorting is verbal action. The forty-eight vows, each one universally saving sentient beings and perfecting the Buddha-way, are mental action. Amitabha's deeds can be seen in nearly every one of the forty-eight chapters—many are his instructions, conveyed to us by the World-Honored One. The same applies to all Buddhas. Take Shakyamuni: his verbal action was teaching the Dharma for forty-nine years, over three hundred assemblies. His bodily action was the eight great deeds, culminating in enlightenment, six years of ascetic practice. He appeared in ancient India, born in Nepal near the Himalayas, his footsteps reaching as far south as Ceylon. His whole life was spent teaching without rest. His mental action was the hope that we would accept Amitabha's Dharma gate, hold the name single-mindedly, and seek rebirth in the Pure Land.

Master Shandao said: "The Thus Come One's appearance in the world is solely to speak of Amitabha's ocean of original vows." For sentient beings who haven't yet been reborn in the West, retrogression can happen at any time, with much further suffering—so they must be constantly cared for. Once reborn, Shakyamuni can be released from his responsibility, and Amitabha takes over. When we chant the Buddha's name, it shouldn't be empty shouting of a title. At the very least, it should be embodied in our bodily, verbal, and mental deeds. A sincere heart arises naturally; true respect and reverence are the flow of the nature's own virtue.

"Single-mindedly remembering the Dharma certified by all Buddhas"—this says "certified," not "spoken" or "cultivated." If it referred to what the Buddha spoke or practiced, the whole Canon would be included. The "Dharma certified by the Buddha" means the Buddha's own method of attaining Buddhahood. Master Ouyi says in the Essential Explanation that Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood using the gate of chanting Amitabha's name—he certified supreme Bodhi through the practice of Buddha-recitation. The Dharma "single-mindedly remembered by all Buddhas" is the three Pure Land sutras.

"Together with the Bodhisattva retinue"—the Bodhisattvas of the Western Land were all reborn there within the past ten kalpas, coming from worlds in the ten directions. We, too, cultivated this gate in the past ten kalpas but didn't make it, while many of our fellow practitioners did. We feel admiration tinged with shame at our own inadequacy. If in this life we can be reborn, among the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who come to receive us, there will be many familiar faces.

"Also remembering the precepts of all Buddhas"—here "precepts" means admonition, not precepts of morality. The Buddha's teachings for us are all in the sutras, vinaya, and shastras. We should constantly remember and follow the instructions of Buddhas and patriarchs: going deep into one teaching, specializing in cultivation and propagation—the five Pure Land sutras' teachings will benefit us throughout life. This is remembrance of the precepts.

"Remembering past Buddhas and present Bodhisattvas who could do what is hard to do, give up what is hard to give up—internal, external, and both renunciation. These Bodhisattvas want only the Dharma and spare nothing." This passage speaks of remembrance of renunciation. Why were past Buddhas and present Bodhisattvas able to accomplish? Because they could let go. We still wander through the six realms endlessly—because we can't let go. If we want to accomplish, we must set down everything: body, mind, and the whole world. Practitioners who know this must constantly look up to and emulate the sages of past and present who gave body and life for this path.

"Remembrance of devas" refers to Bodhisattvas on the grounds in their final life. Their difficult practices are complete, the three asamkhya kalpas have been transcended, the myriad virtuous deeds are perfected, the coronation-stage position has been certified. When practitioners remember and know this, they reflect on themselves: since beginningless time, we've made vows together with them to cut off evil and walk the Bodhisattva path. They spared nothing—neither body nor life. Walking the path, advancing through stages, their causes complete and fruits matured, they achieved sagehood, their numbers exceeding the dust motes of the earth. But we ordinary beings, even now, have wandered in vain. Afflictions and evil obstacles multiply. Our merit and wisdom are faint—it's like facing a bright mirror in deep darkness. Suddenly contemplating this, how can one not feel startled in the heart and sigh in grief?

Seven: from "and dedicate" onward, explains each practitioner's dedication of the karma previously cultivated toward the place sought.

Eight: from "possessing these merits" onward, explains the duration of practice—lengthened or shortened. At most a whole lifetime; at least one day, one hour, one thought, and so on. From one thought to ten thoughts; to one hour, one day, one lifetime. The general meaning: once the mind is set, one vows to complete this life without turning back, taking only the Pure Land as the goal.

Further, regarding "possessing these merits"—some possess the upper two, some the lower two, some all three, some none. The last are called "beasts wearing human skin," not people. Whether one possesses all three, some, or none, as long as one dedicates, rebirth is possible. This should be understood.

Nine: from "at the time of rebirth in that land" to "rebirth in that land," explains how, at the moment of death, the holy ones come to receive the practitioner in different ways. The speed of departure varies, with eleven points:

1. clearly marking the land of return;
2. again displaying one's practice, showing the determined and diligent, also comparing the strength of merit;
3. the transformed lord Amitabha personally coming;
4. beginning with Avalokiteshvara, further displaying countless members of the great assembly, all coming from Amitabha to welcome the practitioner;
5. the jeweled palace accompanying the assembly;
6. again showing Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta jointly bringing the golden platform before the practitioner;
7. Amitabha emitting light to illuminate the practitioner's body;
8. the Buddha's extended light joining hands with the transformation Buddhas;
9. once lifted onto the platform, Avalokiteshvara and others simultaneously praise and encourage the practitioner's mind;
10. one sees oneself riding the platform following the Buddha;
11. clearly explaining the speed of departure.

Ten: from "rebirth in that land" onward, explains the golden platform's arrival there, with no further obstacle of lotus enclosure.

Eleven: from "seeing the Buddha's form body" to "the Dharani Gate," explains the different benefits after the platform's arrival, with three points:

1. upon first hearing the wondrous Dharma, one immediately awakens to non-arising;
2. in an instant, one passes through the stages and successively receives prediction;
3. in one's native land and other lands, one further certifies two benefits of hearing and retention.

Twelve: from "this is called" onward, the summary.

Yesterday the passage we covered last was remembrance of renunciation—"giving up what is hard to give up, internal, external, and both renunciation." The meaning of renunciation is extremely deep and vast.

Generally, the sūtras and treatises commonly speak of six pāramitās in the bodhisattva path, and the first of these is dāna, or giving—which is simply letting go. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows include “widely cultivating offerings,” and offering too is a form of letting go. The first of the Four Means of Drawing Beings In is also giving. This makes clear that whether in the Mahāyāna or Hīnayāna, letting go comes first in practice.

The true purpose of the Buddha’s teaching is to reveal the actual nature of the universe and of life. Once this truth is clearly understood, the question becomes how to recover the innate qualities of our self-nature—this is the goal of Buddhist practice. All sentient beings who practice Buddhism fall short of this goal because they cannot let go. That is why letting go is ranked first in Buddhist training. If you cannot let go of selfish, self-serving thoughts, you cannot escape the cycle of rebirth; if you cannot let go of dharmas, their characteristics, and the labels and terminology we attach to them, you cannot see your true nature. We must relinquish not only the sense of a personal self, but also the sense of a dharma-self. The Diamond Sūtra says, “Even dharmas must be relinquished, let alone what is not dharma.” Attaining Buddhahood means letting go of all dharmas completely, down to the last trace. If even a single dharma remains unrelinquished, one cannot be called a Buddha. The highest stage of bodhisattvas is Equal Enlightenment, where one still has one final subtle arising of ignorance to sever. Once that is cut off, merit and virtue are fully perfected, and one attains Buddhahood.

Earlier in the text we encounter the phrases “able to relinquish what is hard to relinquish; relinquishing internally, relinquishing externally, relinquishing both internal and external.” The Avataṃsaka Sūtra contains a lengthy passage explaining this, which you may refer to for more detail.

Reciting the Buddha’s name to seek rebirth in the Pure Land is widely called the easiest of all Buddhist paths. But this “ease” is only relative to other methods; in truth, it is far from easy. If it were truly simple, we would have been reborn in the Pure Land long ago—why would we still be lingering here? The Buddhas and patriarchs repeatedly urge those who practice Buddha-recitation to let go of body, mind, and the entire world. The benefit of this is that even a temporary letting go allows rebirth while still carrying karmic residue. This kind of letting go is like pressing weeds down with a stone: the roots are not cut, only held down. Through the power of your vow for rebirth and the concentration of Buddha-recitation, all attachments are temporarily suppressed and prevented from arising. The Pure Land path relies entirely on this effort to bring about its great effect. Applied in a single instant at the moment of death, it allows you to receive the Buddha’s welcome and ascend directly to the Land of Peace and Sustenance. If any attachment arises and causes distraction at the moment of death, it will no longer work.

We need to look honestly at ourselves. Of all the world’s dharmas—the five desires, the six sense objects, fame, profit—which do you cling to most tightly? That is the root of your affliction, and it is the first thing you must let go of. Everyone is different: some are attached to wealth, others to fame. You need to be clear about this in your own mind.

“Recollecting the devas” here means recollecting the bodhisattvas of the tenth, or final, ground. The devas spoken of here are not the devas of the Desire Realm or Form Realm, but the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds, from the first through the tenth. Bodhisattvas of the ten grounds mostly practice in the heavenly realms, and often serve as heavenly kings, cultivating themselves while transforming others. The Mahāyāna sūtras speak of this at length. The highest of these is the bodhisattva of the Dharma Cloud Ground. The bodhisattva causal stage requires three great asamkhya kalpas of practice; once these are completed, one reaches the highest rank. The Buddha tells us to recollect the devas because he is referring to these beings.

Now turn your reflection inward. Since countless kalpas ago, we made vows alongside these bodhisattvas. They have practiced for only three great asamkhya kalpas, while we have been on the Buddha’s path for countless asamkhya kalpas already. These bodhisattvas are, of course, our fellow practitioners; indeed, all Buddhas and Tathāgatas were our fellow cultivators in past lives. Today they have attained Buddhahood or high bodhisattva ranks, while we are still tumbling through the six realms of the cycle of birth and death. “Recollecting the devas” means recollecting these very beings.

“They did not spare their bodies or lives; they walked the Path and advanced in stage. When their causes were perfected and results ripened, they realized sagehood—more numerous than the motes of dust on the earth.” They strove with all their might in practice, truly able to let go, and attained great sagehood, their numbers exceeding the dust motes of the earth. Yet to this day, we are still caught in birth and death within the six realms, wandering aimlessly with no real accomplishment. Even if we spend lifetimes in the heavenly or human realms, it is all in vain: our afflictions and karmic obstacles grow ever heavier, while our merit and wisdom grow ever thinner. If we never turn our minds to these truths, we muddle through in confusion. But if we truly reflect on them, the reality is genuinely terrifying. Birth and death themselves are not the true danger; what is terrifying is that with each turn of the cycle, we sink lower and lower. It is like trying to see your reflection in a mirror in the dark: you cannot make it out clearly. When you truly take this to heart, a sharp sense of vigilance arises of its own accord.

Fortunately, we have now encountered this dharmic affinity. If we can seize this opportunity and cultivate with sincerity, there is no reason we cannot catch up to them. We have now explained the commentary up to this point, so let us turn back to the first page of the sūtra text. After six days of teaching, we have only reached the sixth line of the sūtra: “third, the cultivation of the six recollections,” and have finished explaining it. Let us now look at the sūtra text that follows; there is no need to refer to the commentary any further. “Dedication of merit and making of vow, aspiring to be born in that land”—this explains the three minds mentioned earlier. There are three types of beings who will attain rebirth: first, those with a kind heart who refrain from killing and fully uphold the precepts; second, those who read and recite Mahāyāna vaipulya sūtras; third, those who cultivate the six recollections. This passage of the sūtra mentions six points in total, and the three minds must be fully and perfectly aroused. The three types of beings described next are part of auxiliary practice. Practicing just one of these is also acceptable: some devote themselves solely to cultivating kindness, refraining from killing, and fully upholding the precepts; some focus only on reading Mahāyāna sūtras; some practice only the six recollections; some practice two or three of these. But all must include dedication of merit.

“Possessing these merits, one may attain rebirth in as little as a single day, up to seven days.” The sūtra also explains the length of practice needed: those of superior capacity practice for their entire lives, even if that is a full hundred years, practicing every day without admixture or interruption. If your work is very busy, you can still find small pockets of time to practice the Ten-Recitation method: hold the Buddha’s name, counting one recitation per breath, regardless of how many times you recite the name; while reciting, let go of everything—body, mind, and the world. Practicing this once each morning and evening, without interruption for your entire life, also accords with what the Infinite Life Sūtra calls “single-minded exclusive recitation.”

Those who are retired and have more time may extend the length of their practice sessions. They should still make Buddha-recitation their primary practice, and may additionally recite the Amitābha Sūtra and the Rebirth Mantra three times, as an aid to cultivating the mind. Buddha-recitation must be done with single-minded focus on the Buddha’s name, to settle the mind. The “one day up to seven days” mentioned refers to what is commonly called a Buddha-recitation seven. You can take advantage of a long holiday—three days, five days, or even a single day—to hold one.

The one goal we pursue our entire lives is that, at the moment of death, the Buddha will come to receive us and we will be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. True diligence means reciting the Buddha’s name with sincerity, advancing without ever retreating, practicing without admixture of other methods. The sūtras are the foundation of faith, but if your faith is genuine, you can even set the sūtras aside: simply recite the four characters “Namo Amitābha.” At the moment of rebirth, the Buddha comes personally to receive you. Those reborn in the highest grade of the highest level see countless Buddhas at the moment of death; those in the middle grade of the highest level are received by one thousand Buddhas; those in the lowest grade of the highest level are received by five hundred Buddhas. All who come to receive you are beings you have karmic affinity with. At the moment of reception, Amitābha Buddha emits light to shine upon you, and through the awesome spiritual power of his Original Vows, your karmic obstacles are eliminated and your innate six penetrations are restored. You will see that all those who come to receive you are former fellow practitioners, relatives, and family members from past lives, all of whom arrived in the Western World long ago. You will also see the Seven Jewel Palaces: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva holds the Vajra Platform, and Mahāsthamaprapta Bodhisattva extends a hand to welcome you. In the span of a finger-snap, you are reborn by transformation within a lotus flower in that land. The lotus is manifested from your own vows and the power of your recitation. When you truly resolve your mind in this world to be reborn in the Pure Land, a lotus bud immediately grows in one of the Seven Jewel Ponds outside Amitābha Buddha’s lecture hall. The more diligent your practice and the more sincere and pure your mind, the larger the lotus grows each day, its radiance and color growing ever more vivid. When the day of your rebirth arrives, Amitābha Buddha takes this very lotus to receive you. The lotus is one you have cultivated yourself, and your name is inscribed upon it. If you retreat in your resolve or switch to another practice method, the lotus will gradually wither. This is entirely unlike the states described in all other Mahāyāna sūtras.

Master Shandao has given us an extraordinarily detailed exposition in this commentary, leaving no room for even the slightest doubt. The single most important matter in any person’s life is reciting the Buddha’s name. Nothing in this world can truly be obtained—everything is illusory. Even birth in the heavenly realms only extends your lifespan a little. Even in the Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, where lifespan reaches eighty thousand great kalpas, you must still fall back into the cycle of rebirth in the end. The six realms are all illusory. This is why we are told to let go. Once you truly understand this principle, you will be willing to recite the Buddha’s name with sincerity.

The original Sanskrit text of the Amitābha Sūtra does not contain the phrase “single-minded without confusion” (yīxīn bù luàn). Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation is an interpretive rendering; it includes this phrase, but he did not mistranslate it—if he had, Master Xuanzang would certainly have corrected him. We should understand that “single-minded without confusion” is extremely difficult to achieve. Some Pure Land practitioners feel afraid when they encounter this phrase, thinking the path is impossible to practice. In fact, reciting until, in every moment and every state, only the phrase “Namo Amitābha” remains in your mind, with no other delusive thoughts or scattered notions, is what is called “continuous pure mindfulness” (gōngfu chéng piàn). At the moment of death, when Amitābha Buddha comes to receive you, the shining of the Buddha’s light instantly elevates you to the state of “single-minded without confusion.” At the same time, countless Buddhas, Avalokitesvara, Mahāsthamaprapta, and innumerable bodhisattvas all extend welcoming hands to bring you into the Western World. When you see this, overjoyed, you see your own body riding the Vajra Platform, following right after the Buddha, and in an instant you are reborn in that land. Everything you have aspired to your entire life is now fully realized. Rebirth happens while you are still alive: you see this state clearly, then follow the Buddhas and bodhisattvas away. This is why Buddha-recitation leading to rebirth is called “the Dharma of not dying.” You leave, and only then does the body die; you do not die first and then depart.

After arriving in the Western Land, Avalokitesvara, Mahāsthamaprapta, and countless bodhisattvas praise and encourage you, strengthening your resolve at every turn. This praise never ceases, all the way until you attain Buddhahood. In such a wonderful environment of human relationships, how could you ever fall back? Once born in the Western World, there is not the slightest obstruction, for there is no doubt or scattered thought. If you had doubt, you would be born in the Border Land.

“After being born in that land, one sees the Buddha’s physical body with all its perfections of marks.” The Śūraṅgama Sūtra, in the chapter “Mahāsthamaprapta’s Perfect Penetration through Buddha-Recitation,” says: “Recollecting the Buddha, reciting the Buddha, you will surely see the Buddha either in this life or in the next.” Seeing the Buddha come to receive you at the moment of death is seeing the Buddha in this life; after being born in the Western Land, seeing the Buddha’s physical body with all its perfect marks is seeing the Buddha in the next life.

A few years ago, Upāsaka Zhou Guangda of Washington, D.C. passed away. At the moment of death, he told everyone he saw Amitābha Buddha together with Avalokitesvara and Mahāsthamaprapta coming through the clouds to receive him. He said, “I am going with them.” This event took place in America. Mr. Zhou Guangda was not a Buddhist: he had not taken the Three Refuges or the Five Precepts, nor had he ever recited the Amitābha Sūtra. Only when his illness became critical did he meet Upāsikā Gong, who told him to let go of everything and single-mindedly recite “Namo Amitābha.” Upon hearing this, he generated faith, and after reciting continuously for three days and three nights, he immediately received the Buddha’s welcome. This is an undeniably true account. If you still refuse to believe it, you will miss this incomparably supreme benefit right before your eyes—what a pity! What kalpa, what lifetime, will you have to wait through to encounter another such example of rebirth?

“One sees bodhisattvas with all their perfect marks and features.” The bodhisattvas spoken of here are Amitābha Buddha’s disciples—that is, all beings reborn in the Western Land from the ten directions are bodhisattvas. “The radiant jewel forests”: the figures seen previously are the proper reward (the bodily environment); what is seen now, the jewel forests, is the dependent reward, the material environment. A defining feature of the Western Land is that every single material thing emits light. Not only do the Buddhas and bodhisattvas radiate light; even the human beings there radiate light.

“They expound the wonderful Dharma”: the Buddhas and bodhisattvas preach the Dharma, the birds preach the Dharma, the wind and trees preach the Dharma, the flowing water preaches the Dharma.

“Upon hearing this, one immediately awakens to the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.” Upon hearing the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and even the six sense objects expound the Dharma, the practitioner awakens at once. In the Sahā World, karmic obstacles are heavy and block the innate nature of enlightenment, so awakening is impossible. But at the moment of rebirth, when the Buddha comes to receive you, the shining of the Buddha’s light eliminates your karmic obstacles and elevates your grade of rebirth. After being born in the Western Land, you witness these truths directly, and awakening comes quickly.

The Humane Kings Sūtra states that “the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas” is realized by bodhisattvas of the seventh ground and above in the Complete Teaching. This patient acceptance has upper, middle, and lower grades: what the seventh ground realizes is the lower grade, the eighth ground the middle, the ninth ground the upper. This corresponds with what the Great Sūtra says: “all are non-retrogressing.” What is the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas? It is “the true reality of all dharmas.” The true reality of all dharmas is unarisen and unextinguished. But we today see all dharmas as having birth and cessation. Human beings are born, age, sicken, and die; plants are born, abide, change, and decay; minerals are formed, abide, disintegrate, and vanish. All natural phenomena are dharmas of arising and ceasing. If you realize the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, you see that all dharmas are unarisen and unextinguished. This is very difficult for us to comprehend, for it is beyond our ordinary experience and cannot be deduced by our everyday reasoning. The Buddha tells us this is the truth; what we see as arising and ceasing phenomena is simply our own delusion. The six realms of rebirth and the ten dharma realms are all dharmas of arising and ceasing, not true reality. Once you realize the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, you see true reality as it is: unarisen and unextinguished. After this realization, this very world transforms into the One True Dharma Realm. But if you cling to the idea that there is a separate One True Dharma Realm, that too is a mistake.

The Buddha spoke of the One True Dharma Realm only as a skillful means; we have all completely misunderstood what “the One True” refers to. If you ask why we misunderstand it, the answer is that we use the arising-and-ceasing mind: one thought arises, one thought ceases, and what we see is also arising-and-ceasing phenomena. The Buddha uses the single mind, which has no discrimination, so the realm he sees becomes the unarisen, unextinguished One True Dharma Realm. Take a movie camera as an analogy: the shutter opens and closes twenty-four times per second, capturing twenty-four frames per second. The footage that results seems real, but it is actually a continuous sequence of arising and ceasing. The eye can be compared to the true mind. The true mind sees true reality; the delusive mind, with its arising and ceasing, sees only delusive appearances.

The overarching principle of Buddhist practice is the cultivation of samādhi. No matter which method you use, as long as it is an authentic Buddhist method, you do not need to rely on the arising-and-ceasing mind. Both the arising-and-ceasing mind and the non-arising-and-non-ceasing mind are innate to us; it is simply a matter of how we use them. Those who know how to use them correctly are Buddhas and bodhisattvas; those who do not are ordinary beings.

The Śūraṅgama Sūtra is a great sūtra. Master Jiāoguāng said that the essential teaching of the Śūraṅgama is to instruct us to “abandon the discriminating consciousness and use the true nature of the sense faculties.” The “consciousness” here is the arising-and-ceasing mind; the “faculties” are the unarisen, unextinguished true nature. To relinquish the arising-and-ceasing mind and use the unarisen, unextinguished faculty-nature is precisely the state of the bodhisattva who has realized the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. These are words of truth. In principle there is no error, but in actual practice they are impossible for most people to apply. That is why the Śūraṅgama still advocates Buddha-recitation.

If you are born in the Western Land, the moment you step into the lotus, the “Great Samādhi of the Śūraṅgama” manifests directly. What we are unable to learn in the Sahā World is naturally and perfectly accomplished in the Western World of its own accord. That is why if you wish to cultivate the Great Samādhi of the Śūraṅgama, you must go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss to do so.

“In an instant, one visits and serves all Buddhas, traverses the realms of the ten directions, and receives prediction from each Buddha in turn.” This fully accords with what the Amitābha Sūtra describes. That sūtra says that beings of the Western World go each morning to the ten directions to make offerings to the Buddhas; when they return, they find that only the time it takes to eat a single meal has passed, and yet they have already visited every Buddha land. “Receiving prediction” means being told in advance when you will attain Buddhahood, which direction your world will be in, and where you will guide and transform sentient beings with whom you have karmic affinities. “Returning to one’s native land, one obtains the gateway of innumerable hundreds and thousands of dhāraṇīs.” After listening to the Buddhas expound sūtras in the Buddha-lands, and after receiving their predictions, you return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. You first pay homage to Amitābha Buddha, and also listen to him expound sūtras and preach the Dharma. “Obtaining the gateway of innumerable hundreds and thousands of dhāraṇīs”: “dhāraṇī” is a Sanskrit term, translated into Chinese as “total retention” (zǒngchí), meaning to retain all dharmas and uphold all meanings. In modern terms, it refers to “the essential principles.”

There is not a single dharma, whether mundane or transcendental, that you will not thoroughly penetrate—this is the perfect manifestation of subsequent wisdom. The Prajñā Sūtra says that prajñā consists of fundamental wisdom and subsequent wisdom. Fundamental wisdom is non-knowing, the pure mind, and is also the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. “Obtaining the gateway of hundreds and thousands of dhāraṇīs” is subsequent wisdom, knowing all dharmas without exception. This is naturally and perfectly accomplished upon arriving in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. These beings completed their cultivation of three great asamkhya kalpas and have already been reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We should feel humbled by comparison. But if we are willing to let go, using this very method of Buddha-recitation, we too can catch up. The only question is whether we are willing to let go. We must let go not only of worldly dharmas, but of Buddhist dharmas as well—only then can we truly receive such supreme benefit.

“This is the one of the highest grade of supreme rebirth.” This sentence wraps up this chapter.