修十善業
Cultivating the Ten Good Deeds
夫大乘玄要。元不離於一心。淨業正因必先修於十善。斷身口七重之罪。七行斯成。滅意識三毒之根。三學自備。彌陀經內求淨土者之所當修。華嚴經中離垢地者乃能親證。人天至於有頂以十善為受生之緣。聲聞以至佛乘由十善為入道之本。弗遵佛制墮三塗之要門。縱得人身獲二種之惡報。不修乃十不善道。奉持為十戒法門實乃淨土鎡基。普勸常修此行。是菩薩之法苑。宜令安住其中可以至無畏大城。可以登不退轉地。功德詎可思量。佛子所以當學。
The profound essence of the Mahayana is never separate from the single mind. The true cause of the pure path must begin with cultivating the ten wholesome deeds. Sever the seven grave offenses of body and speech—these seven practices then come to perfection. Extinguish the three poisons rooted in the conscious mind—these three trainings naturally become complete. In the Amitabha Sutra, these are what seekers of the Pure Land should cultivate. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the ground of freedom from defilement is what one can directly realize. From human and heavenly beings up to the peak of existence, the ten wholesome deeds serve as the condition for rebirth. From Hearers up to the Buddha Vehicle, the ten wholesome deeds are the foundation for entering the path. Failing to follow the Buddha's guidance is the gate to the three lower realms. Even if one gains a human body, two kinds of bad retributions follow. Not cultivating these is the ten unwholesome paths; upholding them is the practice of the ten precepts. Truly, this is the groundwork for the Pure Land. I urge all to constantly cultivate these practices. This is the garden of the Bodhisattva path—one should dwell firmly within it. There one can reach the fearless great city and ascend to the ground of non-retrogression. Its merits are beyond measure. Thus, children of the Buddha should learn this.