第一疑
First Doubt
問曰：「諸佛、菩薩以大悲為業，若欲救度眾生，秖應願生三界，於五濁三塗中救苦眾生。因何求生淨土自安其身，捨離眾生則是無大慈悲，專為自利，障菩提道。」
Question: "The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas take great compassion as their work. If they wish to save and liberate sentient beings, they should only vow to be born in the three realms, and in the five turbidities and three evil paths save suffering beings. Why do they seek birth in the Pure Land to secure themselves, abandoning sentient beings? That would be lacking in great compassion, devoted only to self-benefit, and an obstacle to the path of Enlightenment."
答曰：「菩薩有二種：一者、久修行菩薩道，得無生忍者，實當所責；二者、未得已還，及初發心凡夫。凡夫菩薩者，要須常不離佛，忍力成就方堪處三界內，於惡世中救苦眾生。故《智度論》云：『具縛凡夫，有大悲心願生惡世，救苦眾生者，無有是處。』何以故？惡世界煩惱強，自無忍力，心隨境轉，聲、色所縛，自墮三塗，焉能救眾生？假令得生人中，聖道難得，或因施、戒、修福，得生人中，得作國王、大臣，富貴自在。縱遇善知識，不肯信用，貪迷放逸，廣造眾罪，乘此惡業，一入三塗，經無量劫，從地獄出，受貧賤身；若不逢善知識，還墮地獄。如此輪迴，至於今日，人人皆如是，此名難行道也。故《維摩經》云：『自疾不能救，而能救諸疾人？』又《智度論》云：『譬如二人各有親眷，為水所溺，一人情急，直入水救，為無方便力故，彼此俱沒；一人有方便，往取船筏，乘之救接，悉皆得脫水溺之難。』新發意菩薩，亦復如是。如是，未得忍力，不能救眾生。為此常須近佛，得無生忍已，方能救眾生，如得船者。又論云：『譬如嬰兒不得離母，若也離母，或墮坑井，渴乳而死；又如鳥子翅羽未成，秖得依樹傅枝，不能遠去，翅翮成就，方能飛空，自在無礙。』凡夫無力，唯得專念阿彌陀佛，使成三昧，以業成故，臨終斂念得生，決定不疑。見彌陀佛，證無生忍已，還來三界，乘無生忍船，救苦眾生，廣施佛事，任意自在。故論云：『遊戲地獄，行者生彼國，得無生忍已，還入生死國，教化地獄，救苦眾生。』以是因緣，求生淨土，願識其教。故《十住婆沙論》，名易行道也。」
Answer: There are two kinds of bodhisattvas. First, those who have long practiced the bodhisattva path and attained the patient acceptance of non-arising—they truly deserve such criticism. Second, those who have not yet attained it, and ordinary beings who have just resolved to attain enlightenment.
An ordinary being who is a bodhisattva must always stay close to a Buddha. Only when their power of patient acceptance is fully developed can they bear to remain within the three realms and save suffering beings in an evil age.
Therefore, the Treatise on the Perfection of Great Wisdom says: "It is impossible for an ordinary being still bound by afflictions, even with great compassion and the wish to be born in an evil world to save suffering beings, to actually succeed."
Why? In an evil world, afflictions are overpowering. Without the power of patient acceptance, the mind follows circumstances and is bound by sounds and sights. Such a person falls into the three lower realms—how could they save other beings?
Even if they are born as a human, the noble path is hard to attain. Or through giving, keeping precepts, and cultivating merit, they may be born human and become a king or minister, wealthy and unrestrained. Even if they meet a good teacher, they refuse to trust and follow. Blinded by greed and heedlessness, they commit many evil deeds. Carried by this evil karma, once they fall into the three lower realms, they endure countless eons. Emerging from hell, they receive a poor and lowly body. If they do not meet a good teacher, they fall back into hell. Thus they cycle endlessly, even to this day. Everyone is like this. This is called the path of difficult practice.
Therefore, the Vimalakirti Sutra says: "If you cannot save yourself from illness, how can you save others who are ill?"
The Treatise on the Perfection of Great Wisdom also says: "Suppose two people each have a relative drowning in water. One, in panic, plunges straight in to rescue them, but lacking skillful means, both drown. The other uses skillful means, goes to fetch a boat or raft, and rides it to rescue them, so all escape the disaster of drowning."
A newly resolved bodhisattva is like this too. Thus, without the power of patient acceptance, one cannot save other beings. For this reason, one must always stay close to a Buddha. Only after attaining the patient acceptance of non-arising can one save other beings, like the one who obtained a boat.
The treatise also says: "Just as an infant must not leave its mother—if it leaves her, it may fall into a pit or well, or die from thirst for milk—and just as a young bird whose wings are not yet formed can only cling to branches in a tree and cannot fly far, but once its wings are fully grown can fly through the sky freely and without obstruction."
Ordinary beings lack power. They can only single-mindedly recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and bring about samadhi. When this karma is accomplished, at the end of life they gather their thoughts and are reborn there, with no doubt. After seeing Amitabha Buddha and realizing the patient acceptance of non-arising, they return to the three realms, riding the boat of non-arising patient acceptance, to save suffering beings, widely carrying out the Buddha's work, freely and as they wish.
Therefore, the treatise says: "Playing in hell—the practitioner is born in that land, and after attaining the patient acceptance of non-arising, returns to the realm of birth and death, teaches and transforms in hell, and saves suffering beings."
For this reason, one should seek rebirth in the Pure Land, and aspire to understand its teachings. Thus, the Treatise on the Stages of the Ten Dwellings calls it the path of easy practice.