No. 1195-A念佛起緣觀偈直解敘
念佛一門。乃諸佛教網之宏綱。主掌淨土之要門也。初倡自靈山。接脉於震旦。則自晉時廬山始。至隋出有天台智者。弘通念佛之一法。於是宏綱揭。教網張。而我佛廣長舌相。遂即遍覆於震旦。隋時之智者。即天台第一代祖也。所作有十疑論。指歸淨土。成就出世三不退地。於末法眾生機緣易接處。要功則仗在念佛。一一論中。抉破羣疑。發明玄奧。實主掌淨土之大宗匠也。余思佛教之行。較難於儒。其欲振季世之頹綱。紹靈山之法脉。此一大事。決非聖人不能任。先賢以為天台第一代祖。即釋迦再來身者。洵屬可信。嗣是有繼天台而起者。如唐之飛錫。則有寶王論。宋之優曇有寶鑑。元之天如有或問。其餘若宗鏡若公據若合論。歷代傳人。著作甚富。余難盡述。迨到明時蕅益大師出自靈峰。集有淨土十要一書。𠃔可謂繼。天台而集其大成。第窮鄉委巷。老幼婦女。但知習得八句觀偈。未能達得大部全書。是可慨也。甚至有怖冥司乏資。直將念佛一句作錢抵者。噫。是把明珠彈雀耳。不知念佛一門。乃橫截生死之慧劍。徑出幽冥之快帆。作佛度生。在此一念。生蓮出劫。在此一念。肯將此念作錢抵乎。盖念無大小。要知圓解。觀經云。諸佛如來。是法界身。入一切眾生心想中。故知佛面向於一切眾生。念一句佛。則能摧敵一切眾生之業障。念一句佛。則能震動一切眾生之慧芽。業障摧。則土不期淨而自淨。是以有淨土出生。慧芽震。則華不期敷而自敷。是以有蓮華托體。世界廣無邊。則此一念之力亦無邊。眾生出無盡。則此一念之力亦無盡。當知能把佛號。但念一聲。則菩提種子。永劫長栽。巍巍功德。法界同量。由是一柱香一瓣華供在佛前。即能徧供一切眾生。能令眾生熏此華香。均獲未來作佛資糧。借幻求實。無幻非真。識是圓解。念佛方能得力。噫。此一法門。功德誠難思議。爾借八句觀偈。因所習而順導之。亦欲其儕儕齊超淨土。使信知有念佛一門也。惟願有志斯道者。閱吾是編。進以靈峰之十要。則淨土之趣。直可當下自悟矣。
The practice of reciting the Buddha’s name is the great guiding principle of all the Buddhas’ teachings and the essential gateway to the Pure Land. It was first taught at Vulture Peak and later transmitted to China, beginning in the Jin dynasty at Mount Lu. By the Sui dynasty, the Tiantai master Zhiyi widely propagated this method of Buddha-recitation. Thus, the great principle was revealed, and the net of teachings spread wide. The Buddha’s vast, far-reaching tongue of truth then covered all of China.
The Sui dynasty’s Zhiyi was the first patriarch of the Tiantai school. He wrote the *Ten Doubts Treatise*, which points directly to the Pure Land and establishes the three non-retrogressive stages of liberation. For sentient beings in the Dharma-ending age, whose karmic conditions make it easier to connect, the essential practice relies on reciting the Buddha’s name. In his treatise, he thoroughly resolves all doubts and reveals the profound mysteries, truly standing as a great master who holds the key to the Pure Land.
I reflect that the spread of Buddhism is more difficult than that of Confucianism. To revive the decaying principles of a declining age and continue the Dharma lineage from Vulture Peak—this great task is certainly one only a sage can undertake. Earlier worthies regarded the first Tiantai patriarch as a rebirth of Śākyamuni Buddha, and this is indeed credible.
After him, others followed in the Tiantai tradition: in the Tang dynasty, Feixi wrote the *Precious King Treatise*; in the Song dynasty, Youtan composed the *Precious Mirror*; in the Yuan dynasty, Tianru authored the *Questions and Answers*. There were also works like the *Mirror of the School*, *Public Testimony*, and *Combined Treatises*. Through successive generations, many transmitted the teaching and produced abundant writings—too many to list fully.
Then, in the Ming dynasty, Master Ouyi of Lingfeng compiled the *Ten Essentials of the Pure Land*, which can be said to have gathered and perfected the Tiantai legacy. Yet in remote villages and narrow lanes, the elderly, children, and women often only learn an eight-line contemplation verse and cannot access the complete, extensive texts. This is lamentable. Some even fear lacking resources in the underworld and treat the single phrase of Buddha-recitation as currency to pay their debts. Alas! This is like using a precious pearl to shoot down a sparrow.
They do not realize that Buddha-recitation is the wisdom sword that cuts straight across the cycle of birth and death, the swift sail that directly carries one out of the dark realms. To become a Buddha and deliver beings depends on this single thought. To be born from a lotus and escape the kalpas depends on this single thought. How could one trade this thought for mere coins?
The point is: the thought itself has no size; what matters is to understand it completely. The *Contemplation Sūtra* says: “All Buddhas, the Thus-Come Ones, are the Dharma-realm body, entering into the mental contemplations of all sentient beings.” Thus we know the Buddha’s face is turned toward every being. Reciting the Buddha’s name once can destroy the karmic obstacles of all beings. Reciting the Buddha’s name once can stir the wisdom sprouts of all beings. When karmic obstacles are destroyed, the land becomes pure without seeking purity—thus the Pure Land is born. When wisdom sprouts are stirred, the lotus blooms without waiting to open—thus one is received on a lotus throne.
The world is boundless, and so too is the power of this single thought. Sentient beings are inexhaustible, and so too is the power of this single thought. Understand that if you can recite the Buddha’s name just once, the seed of Bodhi is planted forever across kalpas, and its majestic merit fills the entire Dharma-realm.
Therefore, when you offer a stick of incense or a petal of flower before the Buddha, you are offering to all beings. You enable beings to be perfumed by this floral fragrance, all gaining provisions for future Buddhahood. Relying on the illusory to seek the real—there is no illusion that is not true. Recognizing this complete understanding, Buddha-recitation becomes truly effective.
Ah, this Dharma gate—its merit is truly inconceivable. I have borrowed the eight-line contemplation verse, guiding according to what people are familiar with, hoping that all may together transcend to the Pure Land and come to faithfully know there is this gate of Buddha-recitation. I only wish that those with aspiration on this path, after reading this compilation, will advance to Lingfeng’s *Ten Essentials*. Then the joy of the Pure Land can be directly realized in this very moment.
同治甲戌孟夏 剡南後學 張淵 謹識No. 1195
念佛起緣彌陀觀偈直解
剡南 張 淵潛室氏 述
Zhang Yuanqian of Shannan, from the Qian Room
章夢仙鹿遊氏 輯
剡西 樓仁深靜山氏趙洪文許齋氏衲 戒肅蓮芳 同校
Jiangxi, Lou Renshen of Jingshan, Zhao Hongwen of Xuzhai, and the nun Jiesu Lianfang