七期念佛普說
Seven-Day Recitation Dharma Talk
夫所謂七者。乃行人入道之期限也。或二七。三七。至七七日等。大集經云。若人專念一方佛。或行或坐。至七七日。現身見佛。即得往生。乃至小本云。七日執持名號。一心不亂。至臨終佛及聖眾。來迎往生。此皆指尅期之驗也。蓋千經萬論。都勸求生者。由娑婆眾生。八苦交煎。諸緣逼惱。無一順適。故大悲出此一門。正為吾人未證無生。大可哀愍。即現前種種小苦。尚不能忍何論生死。乎但生死二苦。尚有已去未至。不曾知者。況復是後末劫。疾疫饑饉刀兵。三災之苦乎。孔子曰。人無遠慮。必有近憂。然不思則已。思之則畏甚矣。故目連所問經云。佛告目連。世間人雖有豪貴富樂自在。悉不得免生老病死。祇由不信佛經。後世為人。更甚困劇不能得生千佛國土。是故我說無量壽佛國。易往易取。而人不能修行往生。反事九十六種邪道我說是人。名無眼人。名無耳人。所以淨土法門。真乃心境圓顯。彼此同源。振古如斯。於今為烈。可謂秘藏之津梁也。以樂境勝。故六方同讚蓮花托體。壽命無窮。無生死二苦也。既以蓮花化生。而無愛念。故冤親無待。無愛別怨會二苦也。又無寒暑遷改。故心神順適。無老病二苦也。萬事所願如意而至。彼虗無妙體。稱性受用。無求不得與五陰熾盛二苦也。何況更有天垂羅網。地佈金沙。七寶欄圍。四色蓮炬。照徹空中瓊樓翠聳。及見頂上珠樹矗雲。間飾莊嚴種種挺峙。此等境界。豈可思議。以持名易生。故不須參習三乘教典等行。單提六字聖號。則萬修萬去。有如此捷徑。故龍舒居士文云。而人或不知者。可痛惜也。知而猶不行者。更可痛惜也。時有女眾在傍問曰。西方有如此快樂逍遙自在。我等念佛亦可生否。答曰。佛世龍女八歲。即往南方無垢世界。坐寶蓮花。成等正覺。所以汝等。雖是女人。切不可自欺也。況昔日韋提希。又是女人。其乃淨土啟請之主。彼時有五百侍女。一聞佛說。應時即見極樂世界。阿彌陀佛。及觀世音。大勢至。心生歡喜。皆發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。願生彼國。世尊悉記皆當往生。生彼國已。獲得諸佛現前三昧。然女人無別法門。但知一心念佛便是。故往生集。聖賢錄。諸書所載。往生者多。無他簡易故也。
The so-called "seven" refers to the time period for practitioners to enter the path. It could be two sevens, three sevens, or up to seven sevens of days. As the *Mahāvaipulya Mahāsamnipāta Sūtra* states: "If a person single-mindedly recites the name of a Buddha from one direction, whether walking or sitting, for seven sevens of days, they will see the Buddha appear before them in this very life and be reborn in that Buddha's land." Even the *Smaller Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra* says: "If one holds the name for seven days with a mind undisturbed, at the end of life, the Buddha and his holy assembly will come to welcome them for rebirth." These all point to the efficacy of setting a fixed period.
Indeed, all the thousands of sūtras and treatises urge beings to seek rebirth. Why? Because beings in this Saha world are tormented by the eight sufferings, oppressed by all kinds of conditions, with not a single moment of ease. Thus, out of great compassion, the Buddha revealed this one gate. It is precisely because we have not yet realized the unborn nature and are deeply pitiable. Even the minor sufferings before us are hard to bear, let alone the sufferings of birth and death.
However, the two sufferings of birth and death may be something one has not yet experienced or has forgotten. How much more so the three calamities of the final age: epidemics, famine, and war? Confucius said, "If a person gives no thought to the future, they will soon have worries close at hand." If one does not think about it, that's one thing. But if one does, the fear is immense.
Therefore, in the *Sūtra of Maudgalyāyana's Questions*, the Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "People in the world, though they may have wealth, nobility, pleasure, and freedom, cannot avoid birth, old age, sickness, and death. It is only because they do not believe in the Buddha's sūtras that in future lives they will face even greater hardships and will not be able to be reborn in the lands of a thousand Buddhas. Therefore, I speak of the land of Amitābha Buddha, which is easy to go to and easy to attain. Yet people do not practice to be reborn there, but instead serve the ninety-six kinds of heretical paths. I say such people are called people without eyes, people without ears."
Thus, the Pure Land Dharma gate truly reveals the perfection of mind and realm, where self and other share the same source. It has been so since ancient times and is even more vital today. It can be called the bridge to the secret treasury.
Because the land is blissful and superior, the Buddhas of the six directions all praise it. One is born from a lotus, with infinite life span, free from the two sufferings of birth and death. Since one is born transformed from a lotus, there is no attachment or longing, thus no need to deal with enemies or loved ones, free from the two sufferings of separation from the loved and meeting with the hated. Furthermore, there is no change of cold and heat, so the mind and spirit are at ease, free from the two sufferings of old age and sickness. All things are as one wishes, arriving spontaneously. That wondrous, empty substance accords with one's nature in enjoyment; there is nothing sought that is not obtained, free from the suffering of the five aggregates being in turmoil.
Moreover, there are nets hanging from the sky, golden sands spread on the ground, railings of seven treasures, lotus torches of four colors illuminating the air, jade towers rising high, and jeweled trees seen towering into the clouds above, adorned with all kinds of majestic, upright decorations. Such realms are truly inconceivable.
Because holding the name makes rebirth easy, one does not need to study the teachings of the three vehicles and so on. Simply upholding the six-syllable holy name ensures that ten thousand who practice, ten thousand will go. With such a shortcut, as Layman Longshu's text says: "If people do not know this, it is deeply regrettable. If they know it and still do not practice, it is even more regrettable."
At that time, a woman among the assembly asked: "If the Western Land has such happiness, freedom, and ease, can we women who recite the Buddha's name also be reborn there?"
The answer: "During the Buddha's time, the dragon girl, at eight years old, went to the Stainless World in the south, sat on a precious lotus, and attained perfect enlightenment. Therefore, you, though women, must absolutely not deceive yourselves. Moreover, in the past, Queen Vaidehī was also a woman, and she was the very one who requested the teaching on the Pure Land. At that time, five hundred maidservants, upon hearing the Buddha's discourse, immediately saw the Land of Ultimate Bliss, Amitābha Buddha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. Their minds filled with joy, and they all resolved to attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi and vowed to be reborn in that land. The World-Honored One predicted that all would be reborn there. After being reborn in that land, they attained the samādhi of all Buddhas appearing before them. For women, there is no other Dharma gate; simply knowing to recite the Buddha's name single-mindedly is enough. Therefore, as recorded in the *Rebirth Anthology*, *Records of Sages and Worthies*, and other texts, many have been reborn. There is no other reason than its simplicity and ease."