不肖古崑。愚癡下劣。染心熾盛。於諸法門。莫能希冀。唯持名一行。最極方便。惡逆愚人。悉皆收攝。省庵法師云。彼佛願力獨超卓。不遺五逆并十惡。信願持名苟不虧。他年定向蓮華託。因此發願。專持名號。無奈宿習偏強。心猿難制。謹將彌陀名號。及佛祖要言。述成四十八偈。以為鞭䇿。并深信佛願。決志求生。善導祖師云。唯有徑路修行。但念阿彌陀佛。故以西方徑路決疑䇿進名焉。智者十疑論問。決定求生西方。未知作何行業。以何為種子。得生彼國。答欲決定生西方者。具二種行。定得生彼。一厭離行。二欣願行。遵此謹述欣厭二門。為徑路之先導也。
I, humble Gu Kun, am foolish and inferior by nature. My mind burns with defilements, and I cannot aspire to the various Dharma doors. Only the single practice of reciting the Buddha's name is the most supremely convenient. It embraces even the most evil and foolish beings. Master Sheng'an said: "That Buddha's vow power stands uniquely supreme, not abandoning even the five grave offenses and ten evil deeds. If faith and vow, with name-recitation, are not lacking, in future lives one will certainly be entrusted to the lotus." Therefore, I make this vow to exclusively practice name-recitation. Yet my habitual obstructions are stubbornly strong, and my monkey-like mind is difficult to restrain. I respectfully take the name of Amitabha Buddha and the essential words of the Buddhas and patriarchs, composing them into forty-eight verses as a whip for self-encouragement. I deeply believe in the Buddha's vows and firmly resolve to seek rebirth. Master Shandao said: "There is only the direct path of practice—simply recite Amitabha Buddha." Hence, this work is named *The Direct Western Path: Resolving Doubts and Advancing Progress*. In the *Ten Doubts*, Master Zhi asked: "If one is determined to seek rebirth in the Western Land, what practices should one undertake, and what serves as the seed for attaining that rebirth?" The answer: "Those who are determined to be reborn in the West should possess two kinds of practice, and they will certainly be reborn there. The first is the practice of turning away from the Saha world; the second is the practice of gladly seeking the Pure Land." Following this, I respectfully present these two gates of aversion and aspiration as the preliminary guide for the direct path.