第三疑
Third Doubt
問：「十方諸佛，一切淨土，法性平等，功德亦等，行者普念一切功德，生一切淨土。今乃偏求一佛淨土，與平等性乖，云何生淨土？」
Question: "The Buddhas of the ten directions and all their pure lands are equal in the nature of Dharma, and their merits are equal too. If a practitioner universally recollects all merits, they will be born in all pure lands. But now you single out one Buddha's pure land to seek. Doesn't that go against the principle of equality? How then can one be born in a pure land?"
答：「一切諸佛土，實皆平等。但眾生根鈍，濁亂者多，若不專繫一心一境，三昧難成。專念阿彌陀佛，即是一相三昧，以心專至，得生彼國。如《隨願往生經》云：『普廣菩薩問佛：「十方悉有淨土，世尊何故偏讚西方彌陀淨土，專遣往生？」佛告普廣：「閻浮提眾生，心多濁亂，為此偏讚西方一佛淨土，使諸眾生，專心一境，即易得往生。」』若總念一切佛者，念佛境寬，則心散漫，三昧難成，故不得往生。又求一佛功德，與一切佛功德無異，以同一佛法性故。為此念阿彌陀佛，即念一切佛；生一淨土，即生一切淨土。故《華嚴經》云：『一切諸佛身，即是一佛身，一心一智慧，力、無畏亦然。』又云：『譬如淨滿月，普應一切水，影像雖無量，本月未曾二。如是無礙智，成就等正覺，應現一切剎，佛身無有二。』智者以譬喻得解，智者若能達一切月影即一月影，一月影即一切月影，月影無二；故一佛即一切佛，一切佛即一佛，法身無二。故熾然念一佛時，即是念一切佛也。」
Answer: All buddha-lands are in truth equally the same. But because the faculties of sentient beings are dull and most of them are turbid and confused, if one does not focus exclusively on one mind and one object, samadhi is hard to attain. To recite Amitabha Buddha exclusively is the samadhi of one mark, and by focusing the mind single-mindedly one attains birth in that land. As the *Sutra of Rebirth According to One's Vows* says: "The Bodhisattva Universal Wide asked the Buddha, 'The ten directions all have pure lands. Why does the World-Honored One praise only the pure land of Amitabha in the West and send beings there exclusively?' The Buddha told Universal Wide, 'The sentient beings of Jambudvipa have minds that are mostly turbid and confused. For this reason I praise exclusively the pure land of one Buddha in the West, so that all sentient beings may focus their minds on one object and thus easily attain rebirth.'" If one recites all buddhas in general, the scope of the buddha-recitation is broad, the mind becomes scattered, and samadhi is hard to attain, so one cannot attain rebirth. Moreover, seeking the merit of one buddha is no different from the merit of all buddhas, because they share the same Dharma-nature of buddhahood. For this reason, reciting Amitabha Buddha is reciting all buddhas; being born in one pure land is being born in all pure lands. Thus the *Flower Garland Sutra* says: "The bodies of all buddhas are the body of one buddha; one mind, one wisdom, and the powers and fearlessnesses are likewise." It also says: "It is like the pure full moon, universally reflecting in all waters. Though its reflections are immeasurable, the original moon is never two. In this way, with unobstructed wisdom, one accomplishes equal and perfect enlightenment and manifests in all lands; the buddha-body is without duality." The wise understand through analogy. If the wise can realize that all moon reflections are one moon reflection, and one moon reflection is all moon reflections, and the moon reflections are without duality, then one buddha is all buddhas, and all buddhas are one buddha, the Dharma-body being without duality. Therefore, when one vividly recites one buddha, one is reciting all buddhas.