《末灯钞》双语对照学习

末灯钞

Lamp for the Latter Ages

笠间之念佛者所疑问之事 Response to an Inquiry from the Nembutsu People of Kasama

2．自力他力之事

     Concerning Self-Power and Other-Power

夫净土真宗之意者，往生之根机，有他力，有自力。此事天竺论家、净土祖师已言之矣。

According to Shin Buddhism, there are two kinds of people who seek birth in the Pure Land: those of Other

Power and those of self-power. This has been taught by the Indian masters and Pure Land teachers.

言自力者∶行者各随己缘，称念馀佛号，修行馀善根，凭此身，以我计度之心，调摄身口意之乱心，以殊胜之行，思欲往生净土，此谓之自力也。

Self-power is the effort to attain birth, whether by invoking the names of Buddhas other than Amida and practicing good acts other than the nembutsu, in accordance with your particular circumstances and opportunities; or by endeavoring to make yourself worthy through mending the confusion in your acts, words, and thoughts, confident of your own powers and guided by your own calculation.

又他力者∶信乐弥陀如来誓愿中选择摄取之第十八念佛往生本愿，此谓之他力也。

Other Power is the entrusting of yourself to the Eighteenth among Amida Tathagata's Vows, the Primal Vow of birth through the nembutsu, which Amida selected and adopted from among all other practices.

如来之誓愿故，法然上人言∶「他力者，以无义为义。」义者计度之语也，行者之计度者，乃是自力，故谓之义也。他力者信乐本愿，往生必定故，完全无义也。

Since this is the Vow of Tathagata, Honen said: "In Other Power, no working is true working." "Working" [that is negated] is a term connoting calculation. Since the calculation of the person seeking birth is self-power, it is "working." Other Power is entrusting ourselves to the Primal Vow and our birth becoming firmly settled; hence it is altogether without one's own working.

故不可以为「我身恶故，如来不来迎。」应思∶「凡夫本来烦恼具足故，是以恶也。」又不可以为「我心善故，得往生。」 自力之计度者，不能生真实之报土也。

Thus, on the one hand, you should not be anxious that Tathagata will not receive you because you do wrong. A foolish being is by nature possessed of blind passions, so you must recognize yourself as a being of karmic evil. On the other hand, you should not think that you deserve to attain birth because you are good. You cannot be born into the true and real fulfilled land through such self-power calculation.

我闻「行者各以自力之计度者，当受懈慢、边地之往生；胎生、疑城净土之往生。」

I have been taught that with shinjin of self-power a person can attain birth only in the realm of indolence, the borderland, the womb-palace, or the city of doubt.

第十八之本愿成就故，成为阿弥陀如来，不可思议之利益无极之形相者，天亲菩萨谓之「尽十方无碍光如来」。故应知「不嫌善人、恶人，不简不隔烦恼之心，往生必定也。」

Through the fulfillment of the Eighteenth Primal Vow, Bodhisattva Dharmakara has become Amida Tathagata, and the benefit that surpasses conceptual understanding has come to transcend all bounds; to express this, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu uses the words, "Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters." Truly know, therefore, that without any differentiation between people good and bad, and regardless of one's having a heart of blind passions, all beings are certain to attain birth.

故惠心院之和尚（信源）所著之《往生要集》，明示信乐本愿念佛之状态言∶「不简行住坐卧，不嫌时处诸缘。」确然显明∶「获真实信心之人，被摄取之光明所摄取不舍。」

Describing the manner of entrusting in the nembutsu of the Primal Vow, Genshin, Master of Eshin-in, states in his Essentials for Attaining Birth: "It makes no difference whether you are walking, standing still, sitting, or reclining, nor is there a choice to be made among times, places, or other circumstances." He affirms beyond question that the person who has attained true shinjin has been grasped by the compassionate light.

故释迦如来言∶「虽具足无明烦恼，若往生安养净土者，即到无上佛果也。」

And so, Sakyamuni has taught, at the very moment that we, possessed of ignorance and blind passions, are born into the Pure Land of peace, we attain the supreme fruit of Buddhahood.

然而「五浊恶世之我等，难以信受释迦一佛之言，故十方恒沙之诸佛，共为证人。」（《法事赞》）之文善导和尚作此解释。

Yet, it is very rare that people of this corrupt world of the five defilements embrace the teaching of the one Buddha, Sakyamuni, alone, and for this reason al the Buddhas throughout the ten quarters, countless as the sands of the Ganges, have become witnesses to the attainment of birth through the nembutsu that embodies Amida's Primal Vow; this Master Shan-tao has written in his commentary.

又证言∶「释迦、弥陀、及十方诸佛，皆共同心，守护本愿念佛众生，如影随形而不舍」（《观念法门》之文意）

He explains that Sakyamuni, Amida, and the Buddhas of the ten quarters, all with the same mind, are no more apart from sentient beings of the nembutsu than shadows from things.

然则此信心之人，释迦如来欢喜而言∶「我善亲友」，又言此信心之人，谓之「真佛弟子」；以此人为「住正念之人」；摄取此人而不舍故，谓之「获金刚心之人」；此人亦名「上上人」、 「好人」、「妙好人」、「最胜人」、「希有人」。

Hence it is that Sakyamuni rejoices in persons of shinjin, saying, "They are my true companions." Persons of shinjin are the true disciples of the Buddha; they are the ones who abide in right-mindedness. Since they have been grasped never to be abandoned, they are said to have attained the diamondlike mind. They are called "the best among the best," "excellent persons" "wondrous, excellent persons," "the very finest persons," "rare persons."

当知此人定於正定聚之位也，故言「与弥勒佛等之人」。此是获真实信心故，当知必往生真实报土也。

Such people have become established in the stage of the truly settled and are declared, therefore, to be the equal of Maitreya Buddha. This means that since they have realized true shinjin, they will necessarily be born in the true and real fulfilled land.

得此信心者，当知由释迦、弥陀、十方诸佛之方便所赐也。故法然上人言∶「不谤诸佛之教，不谤行馀善根之人；憎念佛之人者，亦不憎之；应怀怜愍，抱持悲心。」

You should know that this shinjin is bestowed through the compassionate means of Sakyamuni, Amida, and all the Buddhas in the quarters. Therefore you should not disparage the teachings of other Buddhas or the people who perform good acts other than nembutsu. Neither should you despise those who scorn and slander people of nembutsu; rather, you should have compassion and care for them. This was Honen's teaching.

佛恩之深故，即虽往生懈慢、边地，往生疑城、胎宫，以弥陀誓愿中之第十九、二十愿之慈悲故，得遇不可思议之喜乐也。佛恩之深无际，何况往生真实报土，开大涅槃之证者，则其佛恩，应深思之。此更非性信房或亲鸾所能计量而言也。

The depth of the Buddha's benevolence is such that even with birth in the realm of indolence and pride, the borderland, the city of doubt or the womb-palace, which is brought about only through the compassion revealed in Amida's Nineteenth and Twentieth Vows, we meet with a happiness that surpasses understanding. Thus the depth of the Buddha's benevolence is without bound. But how much more should we realize the benevolence of the Buddha with birth into the true and real fulfilled land and attainment of the enlightenment of the supreme nirvana. This is not a matter that Shoshin-bo or I have decided ourselves. Not in any way at all.

建长七岁乙卯十月三日 愚秃 亲鸾 八十三岁书之

Kencho 7 [1255], Tenth month, 3rd day