淨土十疑論後序
Afterword to the Ten Doubts on the Pure Land
人心無常，法亦無定，心法萬差，其本在此。信此則遍信，《華嚴》所以說十信；疑此則遍疑，智者所以說十疑。出疑入信，一入永入，不離於此，得究竟處。淨土者，究竟處也，此處有說法之主名無量壽。此佛說法，未嘗間斷。疑障其耳，則聾而不聞；疑障其心，則昧而不覺，不聞、不覺，安住惡習，讚歎不念，隨喜麁心，妄指蓮胞，以為虛誕。終不自念，此分段身，從何而得？自何而來？胎獄穢濁，真實安在？信憑業識，自隔真際，於一幻境，非彼執此，生生不靈，永絕聖路。
The human mind is ever-changing, and phenomena have no fixed nature. Though mind and phenomena differ in countless ways, their root lies right here. If you believe this, then you believe everywhere—this is why the Avatamsaka Sutra speaks of the Ten Stages of Faith. If you doubt this, then you doubt everywhere—this is why the wise speak of the Ten Doubts. Leaving doubt and entering faith, once entered, always entered, never apart from this, you reach the ultimate ground. The Pure Land is that ultimate ground, and in that place there is a teacher of the Dharma named Infinite Life. This Buddha's teaching never ceases. Doubt blocks your ears, so you are deaf and do not hear; doubt blocks your mind, so you are dull and do not awaken. Not hearing, not awakening, you dwell comfortably in bad habits, praising what should not be remembered, rejoicing with a coarse mind, and foolishly dismissing the lotus womb as a lie. You never stop to ask yourself: this body of birth-and-death—where does it come from? Where did it originate? In the prison of the womb, foul and impure—where is anything real? Trusting in your karmic consciousness, you cut yourself off from the true reality. Within a single illusion, you cling to this and reject that, life after life without insight, forever severed from the noble path.
以如是故，釋迦如來，起大慈愍，於穢濁中，發大音聲，讚彼淨土上妙之樂。於生死中，為大船師，載以法船，令趨彼岸，晝夜度生，無有休息。然而彌陀之岸，本無彼此，釋迦之船，實非往來。譬如一燈分照八鏡，鏡有東西，光影無二。彌陀說法，遍光影中，而釋迦方便，獨指西鏡。故已到彼岸者，乃可以忘彼此；未入法界者，何自而泯東西。於此法中，若未究竟，勿滯方隅，勿分彼此，但當正念，諦信而已。此二聖之意，而智者之所以信也。
For this reason, Shakyamuni Tathagata arose with great compassion and, in this defiled and turbid world, spoke with a great voice, praising the wondrous joy of that Pure Land. Amid birth and death, he is like a great ship's captain, carrying beings across on the Dharma ship and leading them to the far shore, working day and night without rest to save living beings.
Yet Amitabha's shore knows no "here" or "there," and Shakyamuni's ship truly does not come or go. It is like a single lamp shining into eight mirrors at once: the mirrors may face east or west, but the light and its reflection are not two. Amitabha teaches throughout that light and reflection, while Shakyamuni, as a skillful means, points to the western mirror alone.
So only those who have already reached the far shore can forget "here" and "there"; those who have not yet entered the realm of Dharma—how could they simply erase east and west? In this teaching, if you have not yet reached the ultimate, do not cling to directions or divide "here" and "there." Simply hold to Right Mindfulness and sincerely have Faith. This is the intent of these two sages, and the reason the wise place their faith in it.
信者萬善之母；疑者眾惡之根，能順其母，能耡其根，則向之所謂障緣眾生，聾可復聞、昧可復覺，未出生死得出生死，未生淨土得生淨土；順釋迦之誨往面彌陀，隨彌陀之願來助釋迦；在此而遍歷十方，即西而普入諸鏡。自二聖建立以來，如是之人，如河沙數，云何不信？云何而疑？能自信己，又作方便令諸未信無不信者，此則智者之所以為悲也。
Faith is the mother of all good deeds; doubt is the root of all evil. If you can follow this mother and uproot this root, then even the beings who seemed blocked by obstacles—the deaf can hear again, the deluded can awaken again. Those not yet free from birth and death can become free; those not yet born in the Pure Land can be born there. Following Shakyamuni's guidance, you go to meet Amitabha; following Amitabha's vow, you return to help Shakyamuni. Standing here, you journey through the ten directions; right here in the West, you enter every realm. Since these two sages established their teachings, people like this have been as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Why not believe? Why doubt? To have faith in yourself and also create skillful means so that those who have not yet believed may all come to believe—this is what the wise call compassion.
明智大師，中立學智者之道，不順其文而順其悲，所以又印此論，冠以次公之序，予乃申廣其說，以助其傳。
Master Mingzhi, a neutral scholar who follows the way of the wise, did not conform to its literal wording but instead followed its compassionate intent. That is why he reprinted this treatise and placed Master Cigong's preface at its beginning. I therefore expand upon his explanation to help spread its message.
元祐八年七月十一日左宣義郎前簽書鎮東軍節度判官廳公事陳瓘序
On the eleventh day of the seventh month, in the eighth year of the Yuanyou era, Chen Guan, Left Gentleman for Propagation of Ceremony and former Administrative Secretary of the Zhen Dong Military Commission, composed this preface.