No. 1196-B自序
Author's Preface
夫大道自如。萬行之本。本元若二。吾教何歸。倘萬行同一真。奚自得分迷悟。由一真具萬行。故此有判升沉。人心自異。道本常然。一念未生。千途安有。故諸聖達此道。則生死虗寂。眾生昧此道。則輪迴宛然。以致大覺尊慈。不能自已。示生垂迹。為實施權。四辯宣揚。鑒機宜而與法。一音圓演。指空有以利生。佛應雖殊。理終無別。觀此萬敷之玅用。總為一性之相關。詳夫理事雙融。旨明毫端之上。善惡兩念。果招萬難之中。塞滿太虗盡無餘。填作法界無不徧。若達一心體用相即。便知萬法大小無生。其實返本歸源。隨緣不變也。是以無量法門之多。任他竪窮橫徧。一乘覺場之大。祇須意會神通。古所謂。心包太虗。量周沙界者。明矣。夫凡聖一體。感應靡差。不礙卷舒。不爭遠近。不隔事理。不妨去來。故知從東至西。十萬億土。無論上中下根。皆可往生見佛。祇緣兩土苦樂有異。淨穢不同。所以彼此欣厭。不可不肫切也。佛祖誠言。六方同讚。吾人果信願持名。未有不親證親到者。論位雖有高低。到彼俱無生死。可謂釋迦一代時教。彌陀六字洪名。旨無不該。機無不被者矣。然一生上聖。尚迷隔羅之光。五濁下凡。焉窮徹底之本。但不忍遺教。乃以露鄙懷。略展數言。聊申淺見。故迦葉菩薩云。從未登地已還。皆名邪見之人。此之謂也。非假如來之方便。曷到寶所之玄門。奈何眾生機由利鈍不同。如來法乃難易仍爾。所以非仗言說。何以決疑。非引證明。何以起信。述成佛祖之言教。同證自他之偏圓。願法界眾生。報惟心九品。三空頓證。親見十劫之彌陀。無量分身。並圓二嚴之福果。塵劫有盡。心願無窮云爾。
The Great Way is inherently natural, serving as the foundation of all practices. If this foundation were dualistic, where would our teachings lead? Since all practices return to a single truth, why distinguish between delusion and enlightenment? Because this one truth contains all practices, we find distinctions of rising and falling. People's minds differ, yet the Way remains constant. Before a single thought arises, how could there be a thousand paths? Thus, the sages who realize this Way see birth and death as empty and still. Beings who are ignorant of this Way experience the cycle of rebirth vividly.
Therefore, the Great Enlightened One, in his boundless compassion, could not remain silent. He manifested birth and taught skillfully, using expedient means for ultimate truth. His eloquence spread through fourfold discourse, matching capacities to give Dharma. With a single voice of perfect teaching, he pointed to both existence and emptiness for the benefit of beings. Though the Buddha's responses varied, the principle ultimately remains undivided.
Observe the myriad functions—all are interconnected through one nature. Examine how principle and phenomena merge perfectly, their meaning clear at the tip of a hair. Good and evil thoughts bring their own results amidst countless difficulties. This fills the vast void without remainder and pervades the dharma realm without exception.
If one realizes that the essence, characteristics, and functions of the mind are one, one understands that all phenomena, large and small, are inherently unborn. This truly means returning to the source and source, remaining unchanging while adapting to conditions. Thus, though there are countless dharma gates extending throughout time and space, the vast enlightenment field of the One Vehicle only requires intuitive understanding. As the ancients said: "The mind encompasses the vast void; its measure extends to all worlds." This is clear.
Sages and ordinary beings share one essence; their responses to each other are without error. This does not hinder rolling up or opening out, does not contend with distance or closeness, does not separate principle from phenomena, and does not obstruct coming or going. Therefore, know that from east to west, across billions of lands, regardless of superior, middling, or inferior capacities, all can achieve rebirth and see the Buddha. It is only because the two lands differ in suffering and happiness, purity and impurity, that we must urgently and sincerely examine our likes and dislikes.
The Buddha's true words are praised by all directions. If we genuinely have faith, vow, and recite the Name, we will surely personally realize and personally arrive. Though spiritual levels may be high or low, upon arrival, there is no birth or death. It can be said that the teachings of Shakyamuni's entire era and the six-character name of Amitabha encompass all principles without omission and reach all capacities without exclusion.
Yet even the highest saints remain deluded by the gauze-like light of subtle obstacles. How can ordinary beings in the five turbidities fathom the ultimate foundation? But unable to bear abandoning the teachings, I expose my shallow thoughts and briefly express a few words.
Therefore, the bodhisattva Kashyapa said, "Those who have not yet reached the level of ground-practitioners are all considered people of wrong views." This is such a case. Without the skillful means of the Tathagata, how could one reach the mysterious gate of the Jeweled Place? Yet it remains that beings' minds differ in sharpness and dullness, so the Tathagata's teachings employ both difficulty and ease as needed. Thus, without relying on words, how can doubts be resolved? Without citing evidence, how can faith be inspired?
Thus, I set forth the Buddha's and patriarchs' teachings to jointly realize completeness and partiality, self and other. May all sentient beings in the dharma realm have the nine grades as their own mind, realize the threefold emptiness, personally see Amitabha of ten kalpas, and multiply boundless emanations, fully perfect the twofold merit. Though eons may end, my vows remain inexhaustible.
時維大清光緒元年歲次乙亥孟春之月穀旦東甌釋卍蓮曉柔氏自序於約西精舍