---
title: "西方合論標註 · No. 1165-C 西方合論敘"
description: "西方合論標註是明代高僧袁宏道所著淨土宗重要論著由明教法師進行標註闡釋該論成書於晚明佛教復興時期旨在融會諸宗思想導歸淨土袁宏道以華嚴十門架構系統論述淨土信仰與修行方法涵攝禪教律各宗精義強調唯心淨土與西方淨土不二明教法師的標註使其義理更加明晰易懂此論被譽為中國淨土宗集大成之作對後世淨土思想發展影響深遠是研究明清佛教及淨土法門的核心典籍之一"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmcy8wbqp02d0l704nuo8450c"
---

### No. 1165-C西方合論敘

香光子避嚻山剎修習淨業有一禪人濶視高步過舍而譚見案上有石頭居士新撰淨土合論閱未終篇抗聲言曰若論此之法門原用接引中下之根何者中下根人智慧輕微業力深量以憶佛念佛獲生淨土如頑石附舟可以到岸誠宜念佛至於吾輩洞了本源此心即是佛更于何處覔佛此心即是土更于何處見土于實際理中覔生佛去來生死三世之相無一毛頭可得纔說成佛已是剩語何得更有分淨分穢捨此生彼之事若於此處悟得是自在閒人即淫怒痴皆是阿彌平等道場如如不動何乃舍却己佛拜彼金銅且謂悟與未悟皆宜修習無事生事吾所不曉香光子聞而太息曰若汝所言止圖口角圓滑不知一舉足將墜于火坑也生死無常轉盻即至如何熟記宗門見成相似之語以為究竟都云我已成佛不必念佛若約理而言世間一𤼭一虱皆具有如來清淨覺體無二無別乃至諸佛成等正覺證大涅槃本體未甞增得一分眾生墮三塗趨生死海本體未甞減却一分如如之體常自不動生死涅槃等是妄見亦無如來亦無眾生於此證入亦無能證之人亦無所證之法泯絕心量超越情有大地無寸土佛之一字向何處安著至方進修法門於無修證中修證於無等級中等級千差萬別雖位至等覺尚不知如來舉足下足之處從上祖師所以呵佛斥教一切皆遮者止因人心執滯教相隨語生解不悟言外之本體漫執語中之方便一向說心說性說空說幻說頓說漸說因說果千經萬論無不通曉及問渠本命元辰便將經論見成語言抵對除却見成語言依舊茫然無措所謂數他家寶己無分文其或有真實修行之人不見佛性辛苦行持如盲無導止獲人天之果不生如來之家於是諸祖知其流弊遂用毒手剗其語言塞其解路拶其情識令其苦參密究逆生滅流生滅情盡取捨念空始識得親生父母歷劫寶藏却來看經看教一一如道家中事然後如說進修以佛知見淨治餘習拜空花之如來修水月之梵行登陽𦦨之階級度谷響之眾生不取寂證是謂佛種正如杲日當空行大王路不同長夜趨走攀荊墮棘豈謂一悟之後即同極果如供奉問岑大虫果上涅槃天下善知識證否岑曰未證奉曰何以未證岑曰功未齊於諸聖奉曰若爾何得名為善知識岑曰明見佛性亦得名為善知識也弘辨禪師曰頓明自性與佛同儔然有無始染習故假對治令順性起用如人喫飯不一口便飽溈山曰初心從緣頓悟自理猶有無始曠劫習氣未能頓淨須教渠淨除現業流識即修也不可別有法教渠修行趣向若論諸祖師為人之處壁立萬仞大火聚中觸之即爛刀鎗林裡動著便燒未曾開口已隔千里萬里至機緣之外平實商量未甞盡絕階級盡遮修行傳燈錄中分明詳悉大慧中峯言教尤為緊切血誠勸勉惟恐空解著人墮落魔事何曾言一悟之後不假修行頓同兩足之尊盡滿涅槃之果後世不識教意不達祖機乃取喝佛罵祖破膽險句以為行持昔之人為經論所障猶是襍食米麥不能運化後之人飽記禪宗語句排因撥果越分過頭是日取大黃巴豆以為茶飯也自悞悞人弊豈有極是以纔入此門便輕十方如來莫不自云無佛可成無行可修見人念佛則曰自性是佛見人修淨土則曰即心是淨言參禪則尊之九天之上言念佛則蹂之九地之下全不思參禪念佛總之為了生死同是出苦海之橋梁越界有之寶筏事同一家何勝何劣參門之中所悟亦有淺深念佛之眾所修亦有高下如何執定參者即是上根念者便為中下自達摩西來立此宗門已云二百年後明道者多行道者少說理者多通理者少今傳燈錄中如麻似粟同云入悟其實逈別至如般若緣深霛根夙檀伽陵破卵香象截流或見根宗於片言或顯威用於一喝一聞千悟得大總持或有懷出世之心具丈夫之志舍彼塵情究此大事不怙小解惟求實知臥薪甞膽飲冰吞檗如此三十年四十年後或遇明師痛與針劄偷心死盡心華始開此後又須潛行密修銷融餘習法見尚捨何況非法若趙州除粥飯是襍用心湧泉四十年尚有走作香林四十年打成一片競競業業如護頭目直至烟銷灰滅自然一念不生業不能繫生死之際隨意自在詰其所證恐亦未能超於上品上生之上何以明之龍樹菩薩宗門之鼻祖也得大智慧具大辯才住持佛法故世尊數百年前於楞伽會上遙為授記然亦不過曰證初歡喜地往生安樂國而已而觀經中上品上生生於彼間一剎那頃亦證初地今宗門諸大祖師縱使見離盖纏語出窩臼豈能即過龍樹龍樹已悟無生無相之義已具不墮階級之見而生於安養與上品上生所證之果正等則禪門諸人所證豈能獨過良以上品上生解第一義還同禪門之悟深信因果還同禪門之修止是念佛往生別耳然吾以為禪門悟修之士既不能取無餘涅槃同於如來又不肯取有餘涅槃同於二乘必入普賢行願之海若不捨一身受一身濟度眾生則當從一剎至一剎供養諸佛既見諸佛還同往生究竟與上品上生止在鴈行伯仲之間何以高視祖師輕言淨侶其或悟門已入休歇太早智不入微道難勝習一念不盡即是生死之根業風所牽復入胞胎如五祖戒出為東坡青草堂再作魯公隔陰之後隨緣流轉道有消而無長業有加而無減縱般若緣深不落三塗而出房入房亦太辛苦還視中下往生之眾已天地不足喻其否泰矣況後世宗風日衰人之根器亦日以劣發心既多不真功夫又不純一偶於佛祖機鋒知識語言或悟得本來成佛處當下即是處意識行不到語言說不及處一切不可得即不可得亦不可得處將古人語句和會無不相似既得此相似之解即云馳求已歇我是無事道人識得煩惱如幻則恣情以肆煩惱識得修行本空輙任意以壞修行謂檀本空也反舍檀而取慳謂忍本空也反聽隨而寘忍言戒則曰本無持犯何必重持輕犯言禪則曰本無定亂何必舍亂取定聽情順意踏有譚空既云法尚應捨何為復取非法既云真亦不求胡為舍之求妄既云修觀習定皆屬有為之迹何獨貪名求利偏合無為之道愛憎毀譽之火纔觸之而即高生老病死之風微吹之而已動爭人爭我說是說非甚至以火性為氣魄以我慢為承當以譎詐為機用以誑語為方便以放恣為遊戲以穢言為解粘讚歎破律無行之人侮弄繩趨尺步之士偏顯理路故窮玄極妙莫之踪跡盡剗行門故縱意任心無復規矩口言往生是小乘法令人修習已乃晏然或至經年不拜一佛經年不禮一懺經年不轉一經反看世間不必有之書行道人不宜行之事使後生小子專逞聦明惟尋見解纔有所知即為一超直入更復何事輕狂傲慢貢高恣唯口無擇言身無擇行父既報讐子遂行劫寫烏成馬展轉差謬不念世間情欲無涯隄之尚溢如何日以圓滑之語大破因果之門決其防藩導以必流自悞悞人安免淪墜若不為魔所攝定當永陷三途刀山劍樹報其前因披毛戴角酬還宿債莫云我是悟達之人業不能繫夫謂業不能繫非謂有而不有正以無而自無生既隨境即動死安得不隨業受生眼前一念嗔相即是怪蟒之形眼前一念貪相即是餓鬼之種無形之因念甚小有形之果報甚大一念之微識田持之歷千萬劫終不遺失如一比丘以智慧故身有光明以妄語故口流蛆虫一言之微得此惡果雖有智慧終不能消況今無明煩惱熾然不斷欲以相似見解消其惡業冀出三塗無有是處嚮使此等不得少以為足常如說以修行終不自言我已悟了即心是佛豈可復同中下念佛求生了達生本無生不妨熾然求生即心是土蓮󳬛不屬心外不釋禮拜不舍念誦智力行力雙轂並進方當踞上品之蓮臺坐空中之寶閣朝飯香積久遊滿月回視胎生之品彳亍寶地不聞法語不見法身象馬難羣鷄鳳非類何況人天小果甕中蚊虻者哉而乃空腹高心著空破有卒以偏執之妄解攖非常之果報不與阿彌作子却為閻羅之因不與淨眾為朋却與阿旁為伍棄寶林而行劍樹舍梵音而聽呌號究其所受尚不能與世間無知無見之人行少善事作少功德生於人天者等毫髮有差天地縣隔可不哀歟然則宗門中人上之未必能超於上品上生而下之已墮三塗故知此道險難未易行遊成則為佛敗則為魔王虜分於彈指卿烹別於絲毫苦樂之分宜早擇矣況今代悟門一脉不絕如綫禪門之中寂寥無人止有二三在家居士路途端直可以流通此法然既為居士不同沙門釋子猶有戒律縛身方寘身大火之中浸心煩惱之海雖於營幹世事內依稀得一入門而道力甚淺業力甚深即極粗莫如淫殺之業猶不能折身不行何況其細生死之間安能脫然徒見豪奢如于頔奸惡如呂惠卿夏竦躁進如張天覺風流豓冶如白樂天蘇子瞻等皆列於傳燈便謂一切無礙不知從上諸人雖具正見若謂其從此不受分段業不能繫吾未敢許方當長夜受報未有了期故知念佛一門於居士尤為喫緊業力雖重仰借佛力免於沉淪如負債人藏於王宮不得抵償既生佛土生平所悟所解皆不唐捐生死催人出息難保早尋歸路免致忙亂縱使志在參禪不妨兼以念佛世間作官作家猶云不礙況早晚禮拜念誦乎且借念佛之警切可以提醒參禪之心借參門之洞徹可以金固淨土之信適兩相資最為穩實如此不信真同下愚石頭居士少志參禪根性猛利十年之內洞有所入機鋒迅利語言圓轉尋常與人論及此事下筆千言不踏祖師語句直從𮌎臆流出活虎生龍無一死語遂亦自謂了悟無所事事雖世情減少不入塵勞然嘲風弄月登山玩水流連文酒之場沉酣騷雅之業嬾慢疎狂未免縱意如前之病未能全脫所幸生死心切不長陷溺痛念見境生心觸途成滯浮解實情未能相勝悟不脩行必墮魔境佛魔之分只在頃刻始約其偏空之見涉入普賢之海又思行門端的莫如念佛而權引中下之疑未之盡破及後博觀經論始知此門原攝一乘悟與未悟皆宜修習於是採金口之所宣揚菩薩之所闡明諸大善知識之所發揮附以己意千波競起萬派橫流詰其滙歸皆同一源其論以不思議第一義為宗以悟為導以十二時中持佛名號一心不亂念念相續為行持以六度萬行為助因以深信因果為入門此論甫成而同參發心持戒念佛者遂得五人共欲流通以解宗教之惑香光識劣根微久為空見所醉縱情肆志有若狂象去年沉湎之夜親遊鬲子地獄烈火洞然見所熟譚空破戒亡僧形容尫羸跛足而過哭聲震地殆不忍聞及寤身毛為竪遂亦發心歸依淨土後讀此論宿疑冰釋所以今日不憚苦口病夫知醫浪子憐客汝宜盡剗舊日知見虗心誦習自當有入生死事大莫久遲疑於是禪人悲淚交集自云若不遇子幾以空見賺過一生子生我矣懇求案集作禮而去。

> Fragrant Light Master was cultivating the practice of the Pure Land in a tranquil mountain hermitage. One day, a Chan practitioner, with a lofty gaze and proud stride, visited his dwelling for a discussion. Seeing a copy of \*The Pure Land Treatise\* by Layman Stone on the table, he had not finished reading it when he raised his voice and declared: "If we are to discuss this Dharma-gate, it was originally intended to guide those of medium and low capacities. Why? Because people of medium and low capacities have weak wisdom and deep karmic obstacles. Relying on mindfulness of the Buddha and recollection of the Buddha, they can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, just like a heavy stone attached to a boat can reach the shore. It is indeed appropriate for them to recite the Buddha's name. But for those like us, who have fully realized the original source, this very mind is the Buddha. Where else could we seek a Buddha? This very mind is the Pure Land. Where else could we see a Pure Land? In ultimate reality, there is not even a hair's breadth of conceptions about birth, Buddhahood, coming and going, birth and death, past, present, and future. To even speak of 'attaining Buddhahood' is already redundant. How could there be any distinction between pure and impure, or any matter of abandoning this and seeking that? If one awakens to this truth, one becomes an unbound, carefree person. Even desires, anger, and ignorance are all Amitabha's equal Samadhi, Thusness, unmoving. Why, then, abandon your own inherent Buddha and bow to a golden or bronze statue? And to say that both the awakened and the unawakened should practice, creating trouble where there is none—this I cannot understand!" Fragrant Light Master sighed deeply upon hearing this and said: "What you say is merely clever talk. You do not realize that with your very next step, you might fall into a fiery pit. Birth and death are impermanent; in the blink of an eye, they are upon us. How can you cling to ready-made, seemingly enlightened phrases from the Chan school, taking them as the ultimate truth? You say, 'I have already become a Buddha; there is no need to recite the Buddha's name.' But if we speak in terms of principle, even a single hair or a single louse possesses the pure, clear, enlightened essence of the Tathagata, without difference. Even all the Buddhas, when they realize Perfect Enlightenment and attain Great Nirvana, have not increased this original essence by a single atom. When sentient beings fall into the three evil realms and rush into the sea of birth and death, this original essence has not been diminished by a single atom. The Thusness essence is eternally unmoving. Birth, death, and nirvana are all deluded views. There is no Tathagata and no sentient being. To realize this, there is also no person who realizes and no Dharma that is realized. All mental constructs are extinguished, transcending emotional existence. The great earth has not a speck of dirt. Where could the word 'Buddha' be placed? As for the Dharma-gates of cultivation, one cultivates within non-cultivation and non-realization, with countless levels within non-levels. Differences are as vast as the sky. Even a bodhisattva at the stage of 'Equal Enlightenment' does not know where the Tathagata puts his foot down. Therefore, the patriarchs of old rejected the Buddha and criticized the teachings. This was only because people's minds were attached to the words of the teachings, interpreting them superficially, failing to awaken to the essence beyond words, and stubbornly clinging to the expedient means within the words. They endlessly discuss mind, nature, emptiness, illusion, sudden, gradual, cause, and effect. They are well-versed in all scriptures and commentaries. Yet, when asked about their fundamental nature, they reply with ready-made words from scriptures. Without those ready-made words, they are still completely lost. This is what is meant by 'counting others' treasures, but having no money of their own.' There are some genuine cultivators who, without seeing the Buddha-nature, practice diligently like the blind without a guide. They only attain the fruits of human or celestial realms, and are not born into the Tathagata's family. So the patriarchs, seeing this defect, used harsh methods: stripping away language, blocking intellectual understanding, pressing their emotional consciousness. They forced them to practice earnestly, to investigate secretly, to reverse the flow of birth and death. When the emotions of birth and death are exhausted, and the thoughts of grasping and rejecting are empty, then one finally recognizes one's true, birthless parents and the treasure of countless kalpas. Then, looking at the scriptures and teachings, each one appears as if from one's own family. After this, one cultivates accordingly, using the Buddha's knowledge and vision to purify remaining habits, bowing to flowers-in-the-sky Tathagatas, cultivating Brahma-conduct as insubstantial as the moon, ascending the stages as illusory as a mirage, and saving beings as empty as an echo. One does not grasp ultimate realization. This is called the Buddha-seed. It is like the bright sun shining in the sky, walking on the King's Highway. It is not like wandering in the long night, crawling through thorns and falling into ditches. How could it be that after one awakening, one is immediately equal to the ultimate fruit? For example, when Minister Feng asked Master Cen Da Chong, 'Have the good and wise teachers of the world realized the nirvana of the fruit?' Cen replied, 'No.' Feng asked, 'Why not?' Cen said, 'My merits are not yet equal to those of the saints.' Feng asked, 'If so, why are you called a good and wise teacher?' Cen said, 'Seeing the Buddha-nature clearly, I may also be called a good and wise teacher.' Master Hong Bian said: 'One who suddenly understands self-nature is equal to the Buddha. However, there are beginningless habitual defilements. Therefore, one must use methods to counter them, causing them to accord with one's nature and function. It is like eating a meal: one is not full with a single mouthful.' Guishan said: 'A beginner, having awakened to the principle from conditions, still has beginningless, ancient kalpas of habitual energy that are not immediately purified. They must be taught to purify their present karma, flow, and consciousness. This is cultivation. There is no other Dharma that can be taught to them to cultivate and approach.' As for the patriarchs' manner of helping people, it is like a sheer cliff ten thousand feet high, a mass of fire where touching it burns, a forest of swords and spears where moving against it cuts. Before a word is spoken, they are already a thousand miles away. But besides these moments of living interaction, in their practical, gentle guidance, they never completely eliminated stages or entirely forbade cultivation. The \*Transmission of the Lamp\* records this in detail. The teachings of Dahui and Zhongfeng are particularly earnest and urgent. They admonish and encourage with heartfelt sincerity, fearing only that empty understanding would ensnare people and cause them to fall into demonic states. Did they ever say that after a single awakening, no further cultivation is needed, and one is instantly equal to the Supremely Enlightened One, fully possessing the fruit of nirvana? Later generations, not understanding the intent of the teachings or the intent of the patriarchs, take the terrifying, iconoclastic words, like 'scold the Buddha and revile the patriarchs,' as their practice. In the past, people were obstructed by the scriptures and treatises, like eating only grains and rice which could not be digested. Later people memorized Chan school sayings, rejected causation, and went beyond their bounds. This is like taking rhubarb and croton seeds as everyday meals. Harming oneself and misleading others, the evil consequences are endless. Therefore, as soon as a person enters this school, they immediately look down on the ten-direction Tathagatas and say, 'No Buddha to attain, no practice to cultivate.' Seeing someone reciting the Buddha's name, they say, 'Self-nature is the Buddha.' Seeing someone cultivating the Pure Land, they say, 'This mind is the Pure Land.' They exalt Chan above the ninth heaven and trample Buddha-name recitation below the ninth earth. They entirely fail to consider that both Chan and Buddha-recitation are for ending birth and death. Both are bridges for crossing the ocean of suffering, and precious rafts for crossing. They are of one family. Which is superior, which inferior? Within the Chan school, realization has depths. Among practitioners of Buddha-recitation, cultivation has levels. How can one insist that Chan practitioners are always of superior capacity and Buddha-recitation practitioners always of medium and low capacity? Since Bodhidharma came from the West to establish this school, he already said, 'After two hundred years, there will be many who understand the Path, but few who practice it; many who speak of principle, but few who penetrate it.' Today, the \*Transmission of the Lamp\* records countless people, all said to have entered enlightenment. Yet their realizations are vastly different. For example, those with deep Prajna causes and pure spiritual roots from the past may break out of their shell like a kalavinka bird, or cross the stream like an elephant. Some see the root-source through a single phrase, or display awesome function through a single shout. Hearing once, they understand a thousand things and attain great total retention. Or there are those with a mind of renunciation, who possess the will of a great man, who set aside worldly emotions and investigate this great matter. They are not satisfied with small understandings; they seek only real knowledge. They sleep on firewood and taste gall, drink icy water and swallow bitter herbs. After thirty or forty years of such practice, they might meet a good teacher who gives them a sharp poke. Their scheming mind dies completely, and their mind-flower begins to bloom. After this, they must practice in secret, melting away residual habits. Dharma-views must be abandoned; how much more so non-Dharma? Zhaozhou said that besides rice and porridge, everything else is mixed attention. Yongquan said that even after forty years, he still had lapses. Xianglin took forty years to knit his mind into a single mass. They were careful and cautious, like protecting the eye of their head. Only when the smoke clears and the ashes are cold does samadhi arise naturally, and karma can no longer bind them. At the moment of death, they are free and at ease. If we examine their realization, I doubt it can surpass the highest grade of the highest level of rebirth. How can I prove this? Nagarjuna Bodhisattva was the founder of the Chan school. He possessed great wisdom and great eloquence, upholding the Buddhadharma. The World-Honored One had foretold his birth hundreds of years earlier in the \*Lankavatara Sutra\*, but even he is said to have only attained the first Bhumi and was reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss. In the \*Visualization Sutra\*, those of the highest grade of the highest level, reborn there, also attain the first Bhumi in an instant. The great patriarchs of the Chan school today, even if their insight transcends all attachment and entanglements, and their speech is not trapped in old nests, can they surpass Nagarjuna? Nagarjuna had already awakened to the truth of no-birth and no-form, and already possessed the vision of no-stages. Yet he was reborn in An-yang \[An-lo-yang, i.e., Sukhavati\]. The fruit of his realization was equal to that of the highest grade of the highest level. So how could the realization of Chan practitioners be uniquely superior? The reason is that those of the highest grade of the highest level understand the first principle, which is the same as the realization of the Chan school. They deeply believe in cause and effect, which is the same as the cultivation of the Chan school. The only difference is their method of rebirth through Buddha-recitation. However, I think that Chan practitioners who have realized and cultivate, since they cannot attain the unconditioned nirvana like the Tathagata, and are unwilling to attain the conditioned nirvana like the Shravakas, must enter the ocean of Samantabhadra's vows. If they do not wish to abandon one body to receive another to save sentient beings, they will go from one land to another, making offerings to the Buddhas. Seeing the Buddhas is the same as rebirth. Ultimately, they are on par with those of the highest grade of the highest level, as close as geese and horses are. Why, then, should they look down on the patriarchs and speak lightly of the Pure Land practitioners? Or suppose a person has entered the gate of awakening but rests too early. Their wisdom is not yet subtle; their path is difficult to conquer habitual energy. A single unexhausted thought is the root of birth and death. Driven by the wind of karma, they fall again into the womb. For example, the fifth Patriarch Jie was reborn as Dongpo; Qingcaotang was reborn as Huang Lugong. After the darkness of the intermediate state, they flowed and turned according to conditions. Their Path weakened and their karma increased. Even if their Prajna conditions were deep, so that they did not fall into the three evil paths, going in and out of the womb was still very painful. Compared to those of medium and low capacities reborn in the Pure Land, it is like comparing heaven and earth! Moreover, as the tradition of the Chan school declined, people's spiritual faculties also deteriorated daily. Their initial resolve was often insincere, and their effort was not pure or single-minded. Occasionally, from the patriarchs' live words or teachers' knowledge, they would realize that they were originally Buddha, that the present moment is enough, that consciousness cannot reach it, that words cannot express it, that the mind cannot grasp it. They would grasp the feeling of 'nothing can be attained, not even that nothing.' They would understand the old sayings of the patriarchs and make them all fit their own ideas. Having obtained this partial, intellectual understanding, they would say, 'My seeking is at rest. I am an unconditioned person. I realize that afflictions are illusory, so I indulge in afflictions. I realize cultivation is originally empty, so I recklessly destroy cultivation. I say giving is empty, so I take stinginess instead of giving. I say patience is empty, so I let anger ruin patience. I speak of the precepts, saying there is fundamentally no keeping or breaking, so why keep minor precepts? I speak of Dhyana, saying there is fundamentally no stillness or disturbance, so why abandon disturbance for stillness? They follow their feelings, speak of emptiness while being attached to existence. They say, 'Even the Dharma should be abandoned,' yet why grasp the non-Dharma? They say, 'The truth is not to be sought,' yet why abandon it for the false? They say, 'Cultivating insight and meditative concentration are traces of conditioned action.' Then why is greed for fame and profit uniquely in accord with the unconditioned Path? The fires of love, hate, praise, and blame rise up as soon as touched. The winds of birth, old age, sickness, and death stir at the slightest breeze. They argue with others, say 'I am right, you are wrong.' Some even mistake fire-nature for spirit, arrogance for responsibility, deceit for function, lies for skill, indulgence for play, dirty words for liberating others. They praise those who break precepts and have no conduct, and mock those who abide by rules and standards. They talk only of the path of principle, so they seem deep and mysterious, leaving no trace. They cut off all practice, so they act willfully, carelessly, with no rules. They say, 'Rebirth in the Pure Land is a Hinayana teaching,' and tell others to practice it, but they themselves sit idly. Some do not bow to a Buddha for a whole year, do not repent for a whole year, do not read a sutra for a whole year. Instead, they read books that the world does not need, and do things a practitioner should not do. They cause juniors to rely solely on cleverness, only seeking intellectual understanding. As soon as they know something, they say they have leaped over everything at once, and need nothing more. They become flippant, arrogant, self-important. Their speech is undiscerning, their actions uncontrolled. The father seeks revenge, so the son commits robbery. One stroke changes 'Wu' into 'Ma' \[Chinese saying meaning to confuse characters\]. Error multiplies error. They do not consider that worldly desires are boundless, and even a dam will overflow. How can they use glib words daily, greatly destroying the gate of cause and effect, breaking the floodgates and leading people to inevitable ruin? Harming oneself and misleading others, how can they escape sinking? If they are not possessed by demons, they will surely fall into the three evil paths forever. The knife-tree mountain of swords will repay their former actions. They will be reborn covered in fur and horns to pay back past debts. Do not say, 'I am an enlightened person; karma cannot bind me.' To say 'karma cannot bind' does not mean that karma exists but one is unaffected. It means that karma is fundamentally non-existent, so how can one be bound? Since, while alive, one's mind moves immediately with conditions, how can one, at death, not be reborn according to karma? A single thought of anger is the form of a giant serpent. A single thought of greed is the seed of a hungry ghost. A formless thought is very small; the physical retribution is very large. The subtle trace of a thought is held by the field of consciousness and will not be lost, even after thousands of kalpas. For example, one Bhikshu, due to his wisdom, had a radiant body. Due to his false speech, his mouth produced maggots. Such an evil fruit from such a small utterance. Even with wisdom, he could not burn it away. How much more so when ignorance and afflictions blaze unceasingly? With a partial, intellectual understanding, one hopes to burn away evil karma and escape the three evil paths—impossible! If such people had not been satisfied with little, and had practiced as the teachings say, always thinking, 'I have already realized. This very mind is the Buddha. So how can I be the same as those of medium and low capacity who recite the Buddha's name?' They would realize that birth is fundamentally no-birth, yet they diligently seek rebirth. This mind is the Pure Land, yet the lotus does not lie outside the mind! They would not abandon worship or recitation. They would advance with the twin wheels of wisdom and effort. Then they would sit on the lotus of the highest grade, dwell in jeweled pavilions in the sky, eat the morning meal of fragrant offerings, and play in the full moon \[i.e., dwell in perfect enlightenment\]. They would look back on those born from the womb, creeping around the jeweled ground, not hearing the Dharma, not seeing the Dharma-body. They would be as far apart as a swan is from a sparrow, or an elephant from a horse. How much more so are the small fruits of the human and celestial realms like insects in a jar? But these people are empty-bellied and high-minded, attached to emptiness and refuting existence. In the end, because of their partial, wrong understanding, they reap a most extraordinary retribution. They will not be children of Amitabha but servants of King Yama. They will not be companions of the pure assembly but associates of the demon-guards. They will abandon the jeweled forest for the forest of swords. They will leave behind the sound of Brahma for wailing screams. If we investigate what they receive, it is not even equal to that of worldly ignorant people who do a few good deeds or perform a little merit, who are reborn in the human or celestial realms. The slightest differentiation becomes a vast gulf. Is this not lamentable? Therefore, among Chan followers, the superior ones may not surpass the highest grade of the highest level, and the inferior ones have already fallen into the three evil paths. Therefore, this path is dangerous and difficult to travel. If one succeeds, one becomes a Buddha; if one fails, one becomes a

時萬曆庚子仲春之二十有三日也袁宗道伯修甫書於白蘇齋

> Written on the twenty-third day of the second month of spring in the gengzi year of Wanli \[1600 CE\], by Yuan Zongdao, styled Boxiu, at the Baisu Studio.