第五禮請法(當更添香如前䠒跪。執香爐端意勤重。遍請三寶來入道場。不可輕率延屈至尊。當須三業併切一心奉請。若不爾者虛請無益。各想一一如來隨其方面。領諸眷屬入我道場。如住目前畟塞虛空。不得剎那起於雜念。但初八日迎請。餘時不用。首人唱云)
Fifth Invitation of the Dharma(At this time, add incense as before and kneel. Hold the incense burner with focused intention and great reverence. Invite the Three Jewels to enter the Dharma assembly. Do not treat the Most Honored Ones casually. You must unite body, speech, and mind in single-minded devotion. Otherwise, the invitation is empty and without benefit. Visualize each Tathagata according to their direction, leading their retinues into the assembly, filling the space before you like a vast presence. Do not allow scattered thoughts for even an instant. This is only done on the eighth day for welcoming; other times it is not used. The leader then chants:)
一心奉請。南無本師釋迦牟尼佛(釋迦是我等師。說諸大乘令我修淨土業。故須初請。當各運心感此恩德。如是三請。每一遍請時想云。我三業性如虛空。釋迦如來亦如是。不起真際為眾生。與眾俱來受供養。下共例為三請)。
With wholehearted devotion, we invite Shakyamuni Buddha, our original teacher.(Shakyamuni is our teacher, who taught the great vehicle scriptures so that we may practice the karma of rebirth in the Pure Land. Therefore we must invoke him first. Each should apply the mind to feel gratitude for this kindness. Invoke in this way three times. With each invocation, reflect: The nature of my three karmas is like empty space; Shakyamuni Tathāgata is likewise so. Without departing from the true reality, for the sake of sentient beings, he comes together with the assembly to receive our offerings. The following invocations likewise follow this pattern of three.)
一心奉請。南無過去久遠劫中。定光佛光遠佛龍音佛等五十三佛(五十三佛即法藏比丘未出世前。次第有此諸佛五十四。方是世自在王佛為法藏師。請時應知之想偈同前。但改佛名)。
Wholeheartedly we invite: Homage to the fifty-three buddhas of ages past, in distant kalpas — Dingguang Buddha, Guangyuan Buddha, Longyin Buddha, and the rest.(These fifty-three buddhas are the buddhas who appeared in succession before the monk Dharmākara (Fa Zang) was born into the world; the fifty-fourth is then Shizizaiwang Buddha (Lokēśvararāja), who was Dharmākara's teacher. This should be understood at the time of inviting. The verse of invitation is the same as before, only the buddhas' names are changed.)
一心奉請。南無過去久滅世自在王佛(世王佛即法藏本師。依彼佛所發四十八願。請時須知之。偈同前。改云自在王佛亦如是。此佛并前五十三佛。出大本無量壽佛經)。
Wholeheartedly we invoke: Homage to Lokeshvararaja Buddha of the distant past, long since entered Cessation.(Lokeshvararaja Buddha is Dharmakara's original teacher. It was before that Buddha that he made his forty-eight Vows. This should be kept in mind when invoking. The verses are the same as before, changed to read "Lokeshvararaja Buddha likewise." This Buddha together with the preceding fifty-three Buddhas comes from the larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra.)
一心奉請。南無十方現在不動佛等。盡十方河沙淨土一切諸佛(此十方諸佛。皆出廣長舌相。遍覆大千稱讚極樂。是故須請求護念故。出稱讚淨土經。請時應想。從彼十方來。改偈云。十方諸佛亦如是。餘皆同前)。
With single-minded devotion, we invite the presence of the Thus-Come One Akshobhya and all the other buddhas of the ten directions in the present, of every pure land throughout the ten directions as countless as the sands of the Ganges—all the buddhas.(All these buddhas of the ten directions extend their broad, long tongues, completely covering the great trichiliocosm as they praise the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, one must invoke their protective mindfulness. This comes from the Praise of the Pure Land Sutra. When inviting them, one should visualize them coming from the ten directions. The verse is changed to: "The buddhas of the ten directions are likewise so." The rest is the same as before.)
一心奉請。南無往世七佛。未來賢劫千佛。三世一切諸佛。
With a single, wholehearted invocation, we call upon the Seven Buddhas of the Past, the thousand Buddhas of the coming Auspicious Kalpa, and all the buddhas of the three times.
一心奉請。南無極樂世界阿彌陀佛(彌陀是懺願之主。應想領無邊眷屬。至我道場攝受護念。各各雨淚勤重三請。決定須來正坐道場。餘佛菩薩悉是證明。改偈如前。此最後請者。準普賢懺法應知)。
Single-mindedly we invite Amitabha Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss.(Amitabha is the lord to whom this repentance and vow are directed. One should visualize his boundless retinue arriving at our practice place to receive and protect us, each with tears of earnest devotion, sincerely invited three times. He will surely come and take the central seat at the practice place. All other buddhas and bodhisattvas are witnesses. The verse of invitation is changed as before. This final invitation should be understood in accordance with the Samantabhadra Repentance Method.)
一心奉請。南無大乘四十八願無量壽經。稱讚經等。及彼淨土所有經法。十方一切尊經。
With single-minded devotion, I invite the great Mahāyāna sutras—the Larger Sutra on Amitāyus with its forty-eight Vows, the sutras that praise it, and all the scriptures and teachings of that Pure Land—together with every revered scripture of the ten directions.
十二部真淨法寶(應想二處法寶。一十方法寶。二淨土法寶。想淨土法時。遍想佛菩薩水鳥樂樹皆說妙法。隨我請來顯現道場。令我道場如彼淨土無異。想云。法性如空無所見。二處法寶難思議。我今三業如法請。俱時顯現受供養)。
The true and pure Dharma treasure of the twelve divisions(One should visualize the Dharma treasure in two places: first, the Dharma treasure of the ten directions; second, the Dharma treasure of the Pure Land. When visualizing the Dharma of the Pure Land, visualize everywhere that Buddhas, bodhisattvas, waters, birds, music, and trees all proclaim the wondrous Dharma. Following my invitation, they appear and manifest the Bodhi-mandala, causing my Bodhi-mandala to be no different from that Pure Land. Visualize thus: "The Dharma-nature is like space, beyond all seeing; the Dharma treasure of the two places is inconceivable. I now invite according to the Dharma with my three karmas; may all at once appear and receive my offerings.")
一心奉請。南無文殊師利菩薩。普賢菩薩。無能勝菩薩。不休息菩薩等。一切菩薩摩訶薩(偈同請佛。但改云諸大菩薩亦如是。當請時想文殊普賢等皆在淨土。如願王經說)。
With single-minded devotion, I invite: Homage to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Invincible Bodhisattva, Never-Resting Bodhisattva, and all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.(The verse is the same as that for inviting the Buddhas, only changing the line to "All great bodhisattvas are likewise so." When inviting them, visualize Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, and the others all present in the Pure Land, as stated in the King of Vows Sutra.)
一心奉請。南無極樂世界觀世音菩薩摩訶薩(想此菩薩坐蓮華座侍佛左邊。威德光明悉皆無量。偈同前作)。
With single-minded devotion, we invite the presence of Namo Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva of the Land of Ultimate Bliss. (Visualize this bodhisattva seated on a lotus platform, attending upon the Buddha at his left side, with awe-inspiring virtue and radiance both immeasurable. Recite the verses as above.)
一心奉請。南無極樂世界大勢至菩薩摩訶薩(想此菩薩坐蓮華座侍佛右邊。亦如觀音不異)。
一心奉請。南無過去阿僧祇劫法藏比丘菩薩摩訶薩(即彌陀因身。修行四十八願攝化眾生。當念此恩德。偈如前說)。
一心奉請。南無極樂世界新發道意。無生不退一生補處諸大菩薩摩訶薩(經云不退及一生補處諸大菩薩。請時應如是想。偈如前)。
一心奉請。南無此土舍利弗等。一切聲聞緣覺得道賢聖僧(想遍法界請賢聖僧)。
一心奉請。此土梵釋四王一切天眾。摩羅天主。龍鬼諸王。閻羅五道主善罰惡守護正法護伽藍神。一切賢聖(例皆三請來此守護惟除禮拜應知)。
上所奉請彌陀世尊。觀世音菩薩。大勢至菩薩。清淨海眾一切賢聖。唯願不捨大慈大悲。他心道眼無礙見聞身通自在。降來道場安住法座。光明遍照攝取我等。哀憐覆護令得成就菩提願行。釋迦文佛。定光佛等。世自在王佛。十方三世一切正覺。及文殊師利菩薩。普賢菩薩。三乘聖眾。唯願悉來慈悲攝護。諸天魔梵龍鬼等眾。護法諸神一切賢聖。悉到道場安慰堅守同成淨行(三說)。