---
title: "無量壽經起信論 · 一明教體"
description: "清代彭际清所著《無量壽經起信論》是净土宗重要注疏之一。作者以华严与净土融合的视角，阐释《无量寿经》深义，涵盖弥陀愿海、极乐庄严、往生正因等核心教理。此书立足于清代佛教复兴背景，融通性相二宗，强调信愿行三资粮，为净土修行提供系统理论依据。在汉传佛教中具有崇高地位，被誉为净土经典研究的关键论著，至今仍为学修者所重。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmex2jgme0rz5jp04t3dn2rip"
---

### 一明教體

> Clarifying the Nature of the Teaching

欲明教體。當觀法性。夫法性者，不生不滅，不斷不常，心亦強名，土於何寄。然非心非土，而即土即心，取舍俱捐，見聞絕待，豈可橫生計較，妄說是非。略標四義，以究法源。一自他不二義。二性相不二義。三因果不二義。四生佛不二義。

> To understand the essence of the teaching, one must contemplate the nature of reality. The nature of reality is neither born nor extinguished, neither interrupted nor constant. Even "mind" is but a forced label—where then can "land" be placed? Yet it is neither mind nor land, while simultaneously being both land and mind. Let go of grasping and rejecting; transcend seeing and hearing. How can one indulge in arbitrary calculations and falsely speak of right and wrong? Briefly outlined are four principles to investigate the source of reality: 1. The non-duality of self and others. 2. The non-duality of nature and appearance. 3. The non-duality of cause and effect. 4. The non-duality of sentient beings and buddhas.

一、自他不二義者，諸佛法身徧周沙界，全自全他不相違礙，約化儀中現有主伴。如毗盧遮那為主，則十方諸佛為伴，乃至不可說不可說微塵數佛剎無不是毗盧遮那法界。如無量壽為主，則十方諸佛為伴，乃至不可說不可說微塵數佛剎無不是無量壽法界。故此經言：無量壽佛光照東方恒沙佛剎，南西北方、四維、上、下亦復如是。法性實爾，無有分齊。如首楞嚴經言：我以妙明不滅不生合如來藏，而如來藏唯妙覺明圓照法界。是故於中一為無量、無量為一，小中現大、大中現小，不動道場徧十方界，身含十方無盡虗空，於一毛端現寶王剎，坐微塵裏轉大法輪。是故當知，無量壽佛普現十方一切眾生之前，不可以有思惟心而生分別。或言：華嚴為實，極樂為權。當知不爾，諸佛法身非自他故。問：然則何故舍毗盧而念無量？答：釋迦指示故，無量本願故，十念往生故，疾登不退故。

> \*\*I. The Principle of Non-Duality Between Self and Others\*\* The Dharma-body of all Buddhas pervades the entire universe of worlds like grains of sand. It is wholly oneself and wholly others, without any conflict or obstruction. Within the framework of their transformative manifestations, there exists a distinction of principal and attendant figures. For instance, when Vairocana Buddha is the principal figure, the Buddhas of the ten directions are his attendants. Even further, all the immeasurable, inconceivable Buddha-lands, numerous as dust motes, are none other than the Dharma-realm of Vairocana. When Amitāyus (Infinite Life) Buddha is the principal figure, the Buddhas of the ten directions are his attendants. Likewise, all the immeasurable, inconceivable Buddha-lands, numerous as dust motes, are none other than the Dharma-realm of Amitāyus. Therefore, this sutra states: "The light of Amitāyus Buddha illuminates Buddha-lands in the east as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River. It is the same in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, and below." The nature of Dharma-reality is truly like this, without boundaries or divisions. As the \*Śūraṅgama Sūtra\* says: "With my wondrous, luminous, unextinguished, unborn \[mind\], I unite with the Tathāgata-garbha (Buddha-nature). And this Tathāgata-garbha is precisely the wondrous, enlightened luminosity that perfectly illuminates the Dharma-realm." Therefore, within it, one becomes the immeasurable, and the immeasurable becomes one. The small manifests within the great, and the great manifests within the small. Without moving from the seat of enlightenment, it pervades all worlds of the ten directions. The body contains the boundless void of the ten directions. Upon the tip of a single hair, a jeweled king's land appears. Sitting within a minute dust mote, the great Dharma-wheel is turned. Therefore, one should understand that Amitāyus Buddha universally manifests before all beings of the ten directions. One should not use a conceptualizing mind to make distinctions about this. Some may say: "The \*Avataṃsaka (Flower Garland) Sūtra\* presents the ultimate reality, while the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a skillful means." One should understand this is not so, for the Dharma-body of the Buddhas is not a matter of self or other. \*\*Question:\*\* If so, then why forsake Vairocana and recite the name of Amitāyus (Infinite Life)? \*\*Answer:\*\* Because Śākyamuni Buddha instructed us to do so; because of Amitāyus's original vows; because rebirth is attained through ten recitations; and because it enables one to swiftly reach the stage of non-retrogression.

二、性相不二義者，大乘起信論云：從本以來，色心不二。以色性即智故，色體無形，說名智身；以智性即色故，說名法身。徧一切處所現之色，無有分齊，隨心能示十方世界無量菩薩、無量報身、無量莊嚴，各各差別，皆無分齊，而不相妨故。如華嚴經中，器界塵毛，形無形物，皆悉演出妙法言音，具足十方法界諸莊嚴具。此經亦言：一一華中，一一光中，風聲、水聲、諸音樂聲，若見若聞，無一物而非佛身，無一音而非佛法。何以故？有情無情，非一非異，真如界中無彼此故。問：法性既爾，娑婆界中何故不聞諸佛現身說法？答：常說法無，不說法時，只為情生智隔，不見不聞。若一念證入佛法界者，不離娑婆，徑登極樂。如妙法蓮華經云：眾生見劫盡，大火所燒時，我此土安隱，天人常充滿。維摩經云：我此土淨，而汝不見。此是諸佛自受用地，一切眾生所同具足。問：然則何用求生淨土？答：生即無生，土亦非土，行布不礙圓融故，相非性外故。

> \*\*Second, The Meaning of the Non-Duality of Nature and Form.\*\* The \*Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana\* states: "From the very beginning, form and mind are not two. Because the nature of form is wisdom, the substance of form is without shape; it is called the Wisdom Body. Because the nature of wisdom is form, it is called the Dharma Body. The forms manifested everywhere have no boundaries. They can reveal, in accordance with the mind, immeasurable bodhisattvas, immeasurable reward bodies, and immeasurable adornments in the ten directions, each distinct, yet without boundaries and without obstructing one another." As in the \*Flower Garland Sutra\*, the vessel-worlds, dust motes, forms, and formless things all expound the wondrous sounds of the Dharma, fully endowed with all adornments of the dharmadhatu in the ten directions. This sutra also states: "In each flower, in each ray of light—the sounds of wind, water, and all kinds of music—whether seen or heard, there is not a single thing that is not the Buddha's body, not a single sound that is not the Buddha's Dharma. Why? Because sentient beings and insentient things are neither one nor different; in the realm of true suchness, there is no 'this' or 'that.'" \*\*Question:\*\* If the nature of dharmas is like this, why in this Saha world do we not see the Buddhas manifesting and hear them expounding the Dharma? \*\*Answer:\*\* They are constantly expounding the Dharma without ever not expounding it. It is only because our emotions give rise to a barrier of wisdom that we do not see or hear. If, in a single thought, one realizes and enters the Dharma Realm, then without leaving this Saha world, one directly ascends to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. As the \*Lotus Sutra\* says: "When beings see the kalpa ending, consumed by great fire, this land of mine remains peaceful and secure, always filled with gods and humans." The \*Vimalakirti Sutra\* states: "My land is pure, but you do not see it." This is the self-enjoyment ground of all Buddhas, which all sentient beings equally and fully possess. \*\*Question:\*\* If so, then why is there a need to seek rebirth in a Pure Land? \*\*Answer:\*\* Rebirth is no-rebirth, and the land is not a land. The sequential practice does not obstruct perfect harmony, for forms are not outside of nature.

三、因果不二義者，此經言：法藏比丘方發願已，空中讚言：決定必成無上正覺。又言：眾生一念念佛，則是具足無上功德。當知因該果海，果徹因原，還因華嚴初發心時即成正覺，以法性中因果不異故，究竟不可得故。大般若經善現言：菩薩摩訶薩為用初心證得無上正等菩提？為用後心證得無上正等菩提？佛言：如然燈時，為初焰能焦炷？為後焰能焦炷？世尊！如我意解，非初焰能焦炷，亦不離初焰；非後焰能焦炷，亦不離後焰。佛言：諸菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，非用初心證得無上正等菩提，亦不離初心證得無上正等菩提；非用後心證得無上正等菩提，亦不離後心證得無上正等菩提。若能如是信入淨土法門，一剎那間即已嚴淨諸佛國土，即已具足無上功德，成佛度生一時究竟，與法藏比丘無二無別。具如經說，真實不虗故。

> \*\*Third, The Meaning of Cause and Effect Being Non-Dual\*\* This scripture states: As soon as the monk Dharmakara made his vow, a voice from the sky praised him, saying: "You shall certainly attain Supreme Enlightenment." It also says: "If sentient beings single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name for even one moment of thought, they are fully endowed with supreme merit." We should understand: The cause encompasses the ocean of the fruit; the fruit penetrates to the origin of the cause. This is also like the teaching in the \*Avatamsaka Sutra\* that "at the very moment of first arousing the Bodhi-mind, one attains perfect enlightenment." This is because within the nature of reality, cause and effect are not separate; ultimately, they are ungraspable. In the \*Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra\*, the Venerable Subhuti asked: "Do the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment by means of the initial mind or by means of the final mind?" The Buddha replied: "When a lamp is lit, is it the first flame that chars the wick, or is it the final flame that chars the wick?" "World-Honored One, as I understand it, it is not the first flame alone that chars the wick, yet it does not happen apart from the first flame. It is not the final flame alone that chars the wick, yet it does not happen apart from the final flame." The Buddha said: "So it is with the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas. They do not attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment by means of the initial mind alone, yet they do not attain it apart from the initial mind. They do not attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment by means of the final mind alone, yet they do not attain it apart from the final mind." If one can have faith and enter the Pure Land teaching in this way, then in a single instant, one has already adorned and purified all Buddha-lands, is already fully endowed with supreme merit, and accomplishes Buddhahood and the liberation of beings completely and simultaneously. In this, there is no difference from the monk Dharmakara. As the scriptures fully explain, this is true and not false.

四、生佛不二義者，大涅槃經云：我以摩訶般若徧觀三界，一切六道、諸山、大海、大地含生，如是三界根本性離，畢竟寂滅，同虗空相，無名無識，永斷諸有，本來平等，無高下想，無見無聞，無覺無知，不可繫縛，不可解脫，無眾生，無壽命，不生不起，不盡不滅，非世間，非非世間，涅槃、生死皆不可得，二際平等，等諸法故。是知無量不居極樂，眾生不住娑婆，本自無穢，從何取淨？特以眾生不守自性，於一體中妄生同異，爰以大悲方便而度脫之。故此經言：如是諸佛，各各安立無量眾生於佛正道。問：既生佛不可得者，何故諸佛現身接引眾生？答：華嚴經云：譬如日出，普照世間，於一切淨水器中，影無不現，普徧眾處，而無來往。或一器破，便不現影。如來智日亦復如是，普現法界，無前無後，一切眾生淨心器中，佛無不現。心器常淨，常見佛身；若心濁器破，則不得見。是則佛本不來而來，眾實不往而往，隨眾生心現往來故。

> 4\. The Principle of the Non-Duality of Living Beings and Buddhahood: The Great Nirvana Sutra states: "I, with Mahaprajna, have thoroughly observed the three realms—all six paths of existence, mountains, oceans, and the great earth with all living beings. These three realms are fundamentally separate in nature, ultimately tranquil and extinct, like empty space. They have no name or cognition, are forever free from all existence, inherently equal, with no concept of high or low. There is no seeing, no hearing, no awareness, no knowing; they cannot be bound nor liberated. There is no sentient being, no life span; they neither arise nor originate, nor are they exhausted or extinguished. They are neither the worldly nor the non-worldly; both nirvana and samsara are unobtainable. The two extremes are equal, because all phenomena are equal." Thus, we understand that the Infinite does not dwell in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and sentient beings do not reside in this Saha world. Inherently there is no impurity, so whence can purity be obtained? Yet it is solely because sentient beings fail to abide by their own true nature, falsely creating distinctions of sameness and difference within the One Body. Therefore, out of great compassion and skillful means, we guide them to liberation. Hence, this sutra says: "Thus, each and every Buddha establishes countless sentient beings on the right path of Buddhahood." Question: Since both living beings and Buddhahood are unobtainable, why do the Buddhas manifest bodies to guide sentient beings? Answer: The Avatamsaka Sutra says: "For example, when the sun rises, it universally shines upon the world. In all vessels of clear water, its reflection appears without fail, appearing in all locations, yet it neither comes nor goes. If one vessel is broken, the reflection will no longer appear. The sun of the Tathagata's wisdom is likewise; it universally manifests in the Dharma realm, without before or after. In the pure vessels of the minds of all sentient beings, the Buddha never fails to manifest. If the mind-vessel is constantly pure, one will always see the Buddha's body. If the mind is turbid and the vessel broken, then one cannot see it." Thus, the Buddha originally does not come, yet comes; sentient beings do not originally go, yet go. This coming and going manifests according to the minds of sentient beings.