---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 持名念佛歷九品淨四土說"
description: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論是明末高僧智旭的著作。明末佛教面臨內部僵化與外部挑戰，智旭大師立足天台宗，主張禪教律淨融合，回應時代弊病。該書匯集其書信、註疏與開示，系統闡述性相融通、淨土為歸的佛學思想，強調解行並進與實踐修行。作為中國佛教史上承先啟後的巨著，它深刻影響了後世漢傳佛教的發展，尤其對淨土宗的推廣貢獻卓著，被尊為淨土宗第九祖的智旭，其思想透過此論成為明清佛教的重要指南。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn46fpf0npbk104vkj2eg2b"
---

### 持名念佛歷九品淨四土說

> Reciting the Buddha's Name to Traverse the Nine Grades and Purify the Four Lands

若欲速脫輪迴之苦，莫如持名念佛，求生極樂世界。若欲決定得生極樂世界，又莫如以信為前導，願為後鞭，信得決，願得切，雖散心念佛，亦必往生。信不真，願不猛，雖一心不亂，亦不得生。云何為信？一者信阿彌陀佛願力，二者信釋迦文佛教語，三者信六方諸佛讚歎。夫世閒正人君子，便無妄語，況彌陀釋迦六方諸佛，豈有妄語？此而不信，真不可救。故須先生深信，勿起疑惑。云何為願？一切時中，厭惡娑婆生死之苦，欣慕淨土菩提之樂，隨有所作，若善若惡，善則迴向求生，惡則懺願求生，更無二志，是名為願。信願既具，則念佛方為正行，改惡修善，皆為助行。隨功力之淺深，以分九品四土，纖毫不濫。只須自己簡察，不必旁問他人。謂深信切願念佛，而念佛時心多散亂者，即是下品下生。深信切願念佛，而念佛時散亂漸少者，即是下品中生。深信切願念佛，而念佛時便不散亂者，即是下品上生。念到事一心不亂，不起貪瞋癡者，即是中三品生。念到事一心不亂，任運先斷見思塵沙，亦能伏斷無明者，即是上三品生。故信願持名念佛，能歷九品，的確不謬也。又信願持名，消伏業障，帶惑往生者，即是凡聖同居淨土。信願持名見思斷盡而往生者，即是方便有餘淨土。信願持名豁破一分無明而往生者，即是實報莊嚴淨土。信願持名持到究竟之處，無明斷盡而往生者，即是常寂光淨土。故持名能淨四土，亦的確不謬也。問曰：如何持名能斷無明？荅曰：所持之佛名，無論悟與不悟，無非一境三諦；能持之念心，無論達與不達，無非一心三觀。只為眾生妄想執著，情見分別，所以不契圓常。殊不知能持者，即是始覺，所持者即是本覺，今直下持去，持外無佛、佛外無持，能所不二，則始覺合乎本覺，名究竟覺矣。問曰：既始覺合本，則當下即常寂光，如何亦說往生？荅曰：若達當下即常寂光，又何妨說箇往生。蓋往即非往，非往而往，生即無生，無生而生。文殊、善財之生西方者，此也。咄哉男子，無措思惟。

> If you wish to swiftly escape the suffering of the cycle of rebirth, nothing surpasses reciting the Buddha's name and seeking rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you wish to be certain of rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, nothing surpasses taking faith as your guide and vow as your driving force. If your faith is resolute and your vow is fervent, even if your mind is scattered while reciting the Buddha's name, you will surely be reborn there. If your faith is not genuine and your vow is not powerful, even if your mind achieves single-pointed concentration, you will not attain rebirth. What is meant by faith? First, faith in the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows. Second, faith in the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Third, faith in the praises of the Buddhas of the six directions. In this world, even an upright gentleman does not speak falsely—how much more so for Amitabha Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Buddhas of the six directions? Could they speak falsely? If you do not believe this, you are truly beyond help. Therefore, you must first develop deep faith and not give rise to doubts. What is meant by vow? At all times, to loathe the suffering of birth and death in this Saha world and to yearn for the joy of enlightenment in the Pure Land. Whatever actions you undertake, whether good or bad—dedicate the merits of good actions toward seeking rebirth, and repent and vow to seek rebirth for your bad actions—with no other aim. This is called vow. Once faith and vow are complete, then reciting the Buddha's name becomes the primary practice. Reforming your faults and cultivating virtue all become supportive practices. According to the depth of your effort, you will be assigned among the nine grades and four lands, with not the slightest error. You need only examine yourself; there is no need to ask others. If you have deep faith and fervent vow while reciting the Buddha's name, but your mind is often scattered, this corresponds to the lowest grade of the lowest level of rebirth. If you have deep faith and fervent vow while reciting, and your mind becomes gradually less scattered, this corresponds to the middle grade of the lowest level. If you have deep faith and fervent vow while reciting, and your mind is not scattered, this corresponds to the highest grade of the lowest level. If you recite until your mind achieves single-pointed concentration in practice, without giving rise to greed, anger, or delusion, this corresponds to rebirth in the three middle grades. If you recite until your mind achieves single-pointed concentration in practice, naturally severing the view and thought afflictions and the dust-like and sand-like obstructions, and can also subdue and sever fundamental ignorance, this corresponds to rebirth in the three highest grades. Therefore, it is indeed true that reciting the Buddha's name with faith and vow can lead you through all nine grades. Furthermore, reciting with faith and vow can subdue karmic obstacles, enabling rebirth while still carrying residual afflictions—this is rebirth in the Pure Land of Common Beings and Sages. Reciting with faith and vow until the view and thought afflictions are completely severed before rebirth—this is rebirth in the Pure Land of Expedient Liberation. Reciting with faith and vow until a portion of fundamental ignorance is shattered before rebirth—this is rebirth in the Pure Land of True Reward. Reciting with faith and vow to the ultimate point, with fundamental ignorance completely severed before rebirth—this is rebirth in the Pure Land of Eternal Stillness and Light. Therefore, it is indeed true that reciting the Buddha's name can purify all four lands. Question: How can reciting the Buddha's name sever fundamental ignorance? Answer: The Buddha's name that is recited, whether one is awakened to it or not, is none other than the single realm of the Three Truths. The mind that recites, whether it comprehends or not, is none other than the single mind of the Three Contemplations. It is only because sentient beings have deluded thoughts, attachments, emotional views, and discriminations that they do not accord with the perfect and constant reality. They fail to realize that the mind that recites is the initial awakening, and the name that is recited is the original awakening. Now, simply recite directly. There is no Buddha outside the reciting, and no reciting outside the Buddha. Subject and object are not two. Thus, the initial awakening merges with the original awakening, which is called ultimate awakening. Question: If the initial awakening merges with the original, then the present moment is itself the Pure Land of Eternal Stillness and Light. Why then do we also speak of "rebirth"? Answer: If you realize that the present moment is itself the Pure Land of Eternal Stillness and Light, what harm is there in also speaking of "rebirth"? For "going" is not going, yet not going there is going. "Birth" is non-birth, yet non-birth gives birth. This is how Manjushri and Sudhana were reborn in the Western Pure Land. Ah, practitioner! Do not entangle yourself in thought.