無量壽經優波提舍 長行總說及五念門Treatise on Birth in That Land: The Upadeśa on the Sūtra of Measureless Life · The Prose Commentary: General Statement and the Five Gates of Mindful Practice

Placement of the passage as a whole. This unit is the head of the treatise’s prose. It first closes the general statement made in the verses with a single sentence; next, under 「論曰」 (the treatise says), it asks what meaning the verses of aspiration make clear, and answers: to contemplate that world, to see the Buddha Amitābha there, and to aspire to be born in that land. It then asks 「云何觀？云何生信心？」—“How is one to contemplate? How is faith to arise?”—and answers that one who practices the five gates of mindful practice to accomplishment will in the end certainly be born there. Next it lists the names of the five gates of mindful practice, and then sets out the substance of each gate in turn: worship belongs to bodily action; praise to verbal action; making the vow belongs to the mind and is śamatha; contemplation belongs to wisdom and is vipaśyanā; dedication and direction puts great compassion first. Under the gate of contemplation it first marks the three kinds of object to be contemplated, whose extensive exposition passes to the next unit. In the second fascicle of the Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land, Tanluan judges the prose to be the 「解義分」 (the division explaining the meaning) and sets up ten sections within it; this unit is the whole of his first section, 「願偈大意」 (the general intent of the verses of aspiration), and of his second, 「起觀生信」 (raising contemplation and giving rise to faith). The treatise’s first sentence, 「無量壽修多羅章句，我以偈總說竟。」—“The chapters and lines of the Sūtra of Measureless Life I have finished stating as a whole in verse,” Tanluan attaches to the end of his first fascicle, so that his boundary and the boundary of this unit differ by one sentence; see the first topic. For the gates of making the vow and of contemplation, Tanluan judges each translated name 「於義未滿」 (not yet full in meaning) and sets up three senses and two senses respectively; see the fourth and fifth topics.

I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement

The second of the treatise’s two parts — Tanluan’s judgment of the treatise from beginning to end:

「此論始終凡有二重：一是總說分、二是解義分。總說分者，前五言偈盡是。解義分者，「論曰」已下長行盡是。」—“This treatise, from beginning to end, has two parts in all: first, the division of the general statement; second, the division explaining the meaning. The division of the general statement is the whole of the five-character verses in front. The division explaining the meaning is the whole of the prose from ‘the treatise says’ onward.” 〔T40n1819 0826b28〕

The ten sections of the division explaining the meaning — at the head of the second fascicle, Tanluan sets them out in general:

「論曰。已下，此是解義分。此分中義有十重：一者願偈大意、二者起觀生信、三者觀行體相、四者淨入願心、五者善巧攝化、六者離菩提障、七者順菩提門、八者名義攝對、九者願事成就、十者利行滿足。」—“‘The treatise says’: from here on is the division explaining the meaning. Within this division the meaning has ten sections: first, the general intent of the verses of aspiration; second, raising contemplation and giving rise to faith; third, the substance and characteristics of the practice of contemplation; fourth, the mind of the vow entering into purity; fifth, skillful gathering in and transforming; sixth, departing from the obstacles to bodhi; seventh, according with the gate of bodhi; eighth, the gathering and matching of names and meanings; ninth, the accomplishment of the vowed undertaking; tenth, the fulfillment of benefiting through practice.” 〔T40n1819 0835a06〕 「論者議也，言議偈所以也。曰者詞也，指下諸句，是議釋偈詞也。故言論曰。」—“‘Treatise’ means to discuss: it discusses why the verses say what they say. ‘Says’ means words: it points to the sentences below, which discuss and explain the words of the verses. Hence ‘the treatise says.’” 〔T40n1819 0835a10〕

The third section, 「觀行體相」 (the substance and characteristics of the practice of contemplation), begins at 「觀察體相者，此分中有二體」—“As for the substance and characteristics of contemplation, within this division there are two substances” 〔T40n1819 0836a28〕—and the sentence just before it is the close of his explanation of the gate of dedication and direction: 「若往若還皆為拔眾生渡生死海，是故言迴向為首得成就大悲心故。」—“Whether going forth or returning, it is all in order to pull beings out across the sea of birth and death; therefore it says that dedication and direction is put first, so as to accomplish the mind of great compassion.” 〔T40n1819 0836a26〕 The end of Tanluan’s second section coincides with the end of this unit.

The name in the general list of ten sections is not wholly the same as the heading in the later text: the general list has 「三者觀行體相」 (third, the substance and characteristics of the practice of contemplation), the later heading has 「觀察體相者」 (as for the substance and characteristics of contemplation), and its closing words have again 「觀行體相竟」 (the substance and characteristics of the practice of contemplation are finished). Recorded side by side; see the next unit for details.

The place of the sentence 「總說竟」 (finished stating it as a whole) — the first sentence of this unit in the treatise: 「無量壽修多羅章句，我以偈總說竟。」—“The chapters and lines of the Sūtra of Measureless Life I have finished stating as a whole in verse.” 〔T26n1524 0231b07〕 Tanluan attaches this sentence to the end of his line-by-line explanation of the verses in the first fascicle, with one additional character, 「誦」 (recitation): 「無量壽修多羅章句，我以偈誦總說竟。」—“The chapters and lines of the Sūtra of Measureless Life I have finished stating as a whole in verse-recitation.” 〔T40n1819 0833c19〕 His second fascicle begins directly from 「論曰」 (the treatise says) and does not cite this sentence again. Tanluan’s division of the general statement therefore ends with this sentence, and his division explaining the meaning begins at 「論曰」 (the treatise says); the present unit boundary falls before this sentence. The two boundaries differ by one sentence. Recorded without adjudication.

Start and end of this unit — it begins at 「無量壽修多羅章句」—“the chapters and lines of the Sūtra of Measureless Life” 〔T26n1524 0231b07〕 and ends at 「不捨一切苦惱眾生，心常作願迴向為首，成就大悲心故。」—“Not abandoning any being who suffers affliction, the mind constantly makes the vow, putting dedication and direction first, in order to accomplish the mind of great compassion.” 〔T26n1524 0231b23〕 (What follows on the same line, 「云何觀察彼佛國土功德莊嚴」—“How does one contemplate the adornment of merit of that buddha-land,” belongs to the next unit.) The whole unit runs to three hundred and thirty characters including punctuation, two hundred and eighty-three Chinese characters alone.

II. Collation with the Alternate Translations — recorded without adjudication

There is no alternate translation of this treatise; for the text of the Sūtra of Measureless Life on which the verses rely, see the third topic of the unit on the verses. The five gates of mindful practice set out in this passage of prose have no text of the same name in the sūtra; what they rely on is given in the third topic.

III. Scriptural and Treatise Grounding (the “eye”)

The correspondence of the five gates of mindful practice with the verses — having finished explaining the title in his first fascicle, Tanluan says at once that the verses already contain the five gates of mindful practice, and that the prose explains them extensively:

「偈中分為五念門，如下長行所釋。」—“Within the verses they are divided into the five gates of mindful practice, as the prose below explains them.” 〔T40n1819 0826c18〕

The meaning of “gate” — Tanluan explains 「門」 (gate) as entering and exiting, and divides the entering from the exiting:

「門者入出義也，如人得門則入出無礙。前四念是入安樂淨土門，後一念是出慈悲教化門。」—“‘Gate’ means entering and exiting: as when a person finds the gate, he goes in and out without obstruction. The first four mindful practices are the gate of entering the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss; the last one is the gate of going out in compassionate teaching.” 〔T40n1819 0835a21〕

The scriptural warrant for the gate of praise — the name and meaning to which 「如彼名義」 (in keeping with the meaning of that name) points, Tanluan says, were explained in the verses earlier: 「無礙光義，如前偈中解。」—“The meaning of Unobstructed Light is as explained in the verses earlier.” 〔T40n1819 0835b06〕 What the earlier verses explained is the sūtra passage in which the Buddha himself explains Amitābha’s name: 「依舍衛國所說《無量壽經》，佛解阿彌陀如來名號「何故號阿彌陀？彼佛光明無量，照十方國無所障礙，是故號阿彌陀。又彼佛壽命及其人民，無量無邊阿僧祇劫，故名阿彌陀。」」—“According to the Sūtra of Measureless Life spoken in Śrāvastī, the Buddha explains the name of the Tathāgata Amitābha: ‘Why is he called Amitābha? That Buddha’s light is measureless and shines on the lands of the ten directions without obstruction; therefore he is called Amitābha. Again, the life of that Buddha and of his people is measureless and boundless, for asaṃkhyeya kalpas; therefore he is named Amitābha.’” 〔T40n1819 0827b02〕 The sūtra itself reads: 「舍利弗！彼佛光明無量，照十方國無所障礙，是故號為阿彌陀。」—“Śāriputra! That Buddha’s light is measureless and shines on the lands of the ten directions without obstruction; therefore he is called Amitābha.” 〔T12n0366 0347a26〕 In his first fascicle Tanluan further matches the gate of praise named in this sentence with the first verse: 「何以知盡十方無礙光如來是讚歎門？下長行中言「云何讚歎門？謂稱彼如來名，如彼如來光明智相、如彼名義，欲如實修行相應故。」」—“How does one know that ‘the Tathāgata of Unobstructed Light throughout the ten directions’ is the gate of praise? The prose below says, ‘What is the gate of praise? It is to call the name of that Tathāgata, in keeping with that Tathāgata’s light, which is the mark of wisdom, and in keeping with the meaning of that name, wishing to practice in accordance with reality and so to be in accord.’” 〔T40n1819 0827a28〕—the prose he cites reads 「云何讚歎門？謂稱彼如來名」—“What is the gate of praise? It is to call the name of that Tathāgata,” which differs in fullness from the treatise’s own 「云何讚歎？口業讚歎，稱彼如來名」—“How does one praise? With verbal action one praises, calling the name of that Tathāgata” (see the ninth topic).

What the gates of making the vow and of contemplation rest on — stilling and contemplation: Tanluan matches making the vow with śamatha and contemplation with vipaśyanā, and ties the three senses and the two senses alike to the Tathāgata’s merit and to that land:

「此三種止，從如來如實功德生，是故言欲如實修行奢摩他故。」—“These three kinds of stilling arise from the Tathāgata’s merit, which is in accordance with reality; therefore it says, ‘because one wishes to practice śamatha in accordance with reality.’” 〔T40n1819 0836a02〕 「一者在此作想觀彼三種莊嚴功德，此功德如實，故修行者亦得如實功德，如實功德者決定得生彼土；」—“First, here one forms the image and contemplates the three kinds of adornment of merit there. Because this merit is in accordance with reality, the practitioner likewise attains merit in accordance with reality; and one who has merit in accordance with reality is certain to be born in that land;” 〔T40n1819 0836a09〕

Raising contemplation, giving rise to faith, and the mind of faith — on 「云何生信心」 (how is faith to arise), Tanluan, explaining the gate of praise, sets out three kinds of non-accord, and takes the mind of faith being pure, single, and continuous as the key to practicing in accordance with reality and being in accord:

「又有三種不相應：一者信心不淳，若存若亡故；二者信心不一，無決定故；三者信心不相續，餘念間故。」—“Again there are three kinds of non-accord: first, the mind of faith is not pure, for it is now present and now absent; second, the mind of faith is not single, for it has no certainty; third, the mind of faith is not continuous, for other thoughts break in.” 〔T40n1819 0835b24〕

What the gate of dedication and direction rests on — great compassion: the treatise closes the gate of dedication and direction with 「成就大悲心」 (to accomplish the mind of great compassion); in his first fascicle Tanluan also takes great compassion to be the root of the pure land: 「大悲即出世善也。安樂淨土從此大悲生故，故謂此大悲為淨土之根，故曰出世善根生。」—“Great compassion is itself supramundane good. Since the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss is born from this great compassion, this great compassion is said to be the root of the pure land; hence it says ‘born from supramundane roots of good.’” 〔T40n1819 0828c16〕

The doctrinal attachment of the treatise — the first four of the five gates of mindful practice enter and the last exits, corresponding to the five gates of entering and exiting in the later text: 「此五種門，初四種門成就入功德，第五門成就出功德。」—“Of these five kinds of gate, the first four accomplish the merit of entering; the fifth gate accomplishes the merit of exiting.” 〔T40n1819 0843a29〕 (This belongs to the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting.)

IV. Essentials of the Commentary on This Passage (the Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land, line by line)

〔一〕The general statement concluded — Tanluan’s explanation stands at the end of the first fascicle: 「無量壽修多羅章句，我以偈誦總說竟。」—“The chapters and lines of the Sūtra of Measureless Life I have finished stating as a whole in verse-recitation.” 〔T40n1819 0833c19〕 The second fascicle does not cite it again.

〔二〕The general intent of the verses of aspiration — Tanluan cites the treatise:

「此願偈明何義？示現觀彼安樂世界、見阿彌陀如來、願生彼國故。」—“What meaning do these verses of aspiration make clear? They show contemplating that world of Peace and Bliss, seeing the Tathāgata Amitābha, and aspiring to be born in that land.” 〔T40n1819 0835a13〕

The treatise has 「觀安樂世界，見阿彌陀佛，願生彼國土故」—“contemplating the world of Peace and Bliss, seeing the Buddha Amitābha, aspiring to be born in that land”; the mirror’s citation adds 「示現」 (show) and 「彼」 (that) in two places, reads 「佛」 (Buddha) as 「如來」 (Tathāgata), and 「國土」 (land) as 「國」 (land); see the ninth topic.

〔三〕Showing the power of the fivefold mindful practice —

「云何觀？云何生信心？若善男子善女人修五念門行成就，畢竟得生安樂國土，見彼阿彌陀佛。」—“How is one to contemplate? How is faith to arise? If a good man or good woman practices the five gates of mindful practice to accomplishment, he will in the end attain birth in the land of Peace and Bliss and see that Buddha Amitābha.” 〔T40n1819 0835a17〕

〔四〕Setting out the five gates of mindful practice —

「何等五念門？一者禮拜門、二者讚歎門、三者作願門、四者觀察門、五者迴向門。」—“What are the five gates of mindful practice? The first is the gate of worship; the second, the gate of praise; the third, the gate of making the vow; the fourth, the gate of contemplation; the fifth, the gate of dedication and direction.” 〔T40n1819 0835a20〕 「門者入出義也，如人得門則入出無礙。前四念是入安樂淨土門，後一念是出慈悲教化門。」—“‘Gate’ means entering and exiting: as when a person finds the gate, he goes in and out without obstruction. The first four mindful practices are the gate of entering the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss; the last one is the gate of going out in compassionate teaching.” 〔T40n1819 0835a21〕

〔五〕The gate of worship — Tanluan divides the treatise’s sentence in two, first explaining the three titles, then explaining 「為生彼國意」 (the intention of being born in that land):

「云何禮拜？身業禮拜阿彌陀如來、應、正遍知。」—“How does one worship? With bodily action one worships the Tathāgata Amitābha, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Universally Knowing.” 〔T40n1819 0835a24〕 「諸佛如來德有無量，德無量故德號亦無量。若欲具談，紙筆不能載也。是以諸經或舉十名或騰三號，蓋存至宗而已，豈此盡耶！」—“The virtues of the buddhas, the tathāgatas, are measureless; because their virtues are measureless, their titles of virtue too are measureless. To speak of them all, paper and brush could not carry it. Therefore the sūtras cite ten names or lift up three titles, keeping only what is most essential—how could this exhaust them!” 〔T40n1819 0835a25〕 「如來者，如法相解、如法相說，如諸佛安穩道來，此佛亦如是來，更不去後有中，故名如來。」—“‘Tathāgata’: one who understands according to the mark of things and speaks according to the mark of things; as all the buddhas came by the path of peace, this Buddha likewise came, and goes no more into a later existence; hence he is called Tathāgata.” 〔T40n1819 0835a28〕 「應者，應供也。佛結使除盡，得一切智慧，應受一切天地眾生供養，故曰應也。」—“‘Worthy’ means worthy of offerings. The Buddha’s bonds are wholly removed and he has attained all wisdom; he is worthy to receive the offerings of all beings of heaven and earth; hence he is called Worthy.” 〔T40n1819 0835b01〕 「正遍知者，知一切諸法實不壞相，不增不減。云何不壞？心行處滅、言語道過，諸法如涅槃相不動，故名正遍知。」—“‘Perfectly and Universally Knowing’: knowing the truly indestructible mark of all dharmas, neither increasing nor decreasing. How indestructible? Where the activity of the mind is extinguished and the way of words is passed beyond, all dharmas are, like the mark of nirvāṇa, unmoving; hence he is called Perfectly and Universally Knowing.” 〔T40n1819 0835b03〕 「為生彼國意故。何故言此？菩薩之法，常以晝三時夜三時禮十方一切諸佛，不必有願生意；今應常作願生意，故禮阿彌陀如來也。」—“‘Because of the intention of being born in that land.’ Why does it say this? It is the way of bodhisattvas constantly to worship all the buddhas of the ten directions three times by day and three times by night, without necessarily having the intention of aspiring to be born; now one should constantly hold the intention of aspiring to be born, and therefore one worships the Tathāgata Amitābha.” 〔T40n1819 0835b07〕

〔六〕The gate of praise —

「云何讚歎？口業讚歎。讚者讚揚也，歎者歌歎也。讚歎非口不宣，故曰口業也。」—“How does one praise? With verbal action one praises. ‘Praise’ is to extol; ‘laud’ is to sing in admiration. Praise is not proclaimed except by the mouth; hence it says verbal action.” 〔T40n1819 0835b11〕 「稱彼如來名者，謂稱無礙光如來名也。如彼如來光明智相者，佛光明是智慧相也。此光明照十方世界無有障礙，能除十方眾生無明黑闇，非如日月珠光但破空穴中闇也。」—“‘Calling the name of that Tathāgata’ means calling the name of the Tathāgata of Unobstructed Light. ‘In keeping with that Tathāgata’s light, which is the mark of wisdom’: the Buddha’s light is the mark of wisdom. This light shines on the worlds of the ten directions without obstruction and can dispel the black darkness of ignorance of the beings of the ten directions—not like the light of the sun, the moon, or a jewel, which dispels only the darkness in empty caves.” 〔T40n1819 0835b14〕 「如彼名義欲如實修行相應者，彼無礙光如來名號，能破眾生一切無明、能滿眾生一切志願。然有稱名憶念而無明猶在而不滿所願者。何者？由不如實修行，與名義不相應故也。」—“‘In keeping with the meaning of that name, wishing to practice in accordance with reality and so to be in accord’: the name of the Tathāgata of Unobstructed Light can break through all the ignorance of beings and can fulfill all the aspirations of beings. Yet there are those who call the name and keep it in mind, and still their ignorance remains and their aspirations are not fulfilled. Why? Because they do not practice in accordance with reality and are not in accord with the meaning of the name.” 〔T40n1819 0835b18〕 「云何為不如實修行與名義不相應？謂不知如來是實相身、是為物身。」—“What is it not to practice in accordance with reality and not to be in accord with the meaning of the name? It is not to know that the Tathāgata is the body of the real mark and the body for the sake of beings.” 〔T40n1819 0835b22〕 「此三句展轉相成，以信心不淳故無決定，無決定故念不相續。亦可念不相續故不得決定信，不得決定信故心不淳。」—“These three sentences complete one another in turn: because the mind of faith is not pure, there is no certainty; because there is no certainty, thought is not continuous. Again, because thought is not continuous, one does not attain certain faith; because one does not attain certain faith, the mind is not pure.” 〔T40n1819 0835b27〕 「與此相違，名如實修行相應。是故論主建言我一心。」—“What is contrary to this is called practicing in accordance with reality and being in accord. Therefore the author of the treatise begins by saying, ‘I, with one mind.’” 〔T40n1819 0835c01〕

Question and answer twenty-one (Tanluan poses the question and answers it himself; whether the name can fulfill aspirations):

「問曰：名為法指，如指指月。若稱佛名號便得滿願者，指月之指應能破闇。若指月之指不能破闇，稱佛名號亦何能滿願耶？」—“Question: A name is a finger pointing to a dharma, like a finger pointing at the moon. If calling the Buddha’s name brought fulfillment of one’s aspirations, the finger pointing at the moon ought to be able to dispel darkness. If the finger pointing at the moon cannot dispel darkness, how can calling the Buddha’s name fulfill aspirations?” 〔T40n1819 0835c02〕 「答曰：諸法萬差，不可一概，有名即法、有名異法。名即法者，諸佛菩薩名號、般若波羅蜜，及陀羅尼章句禁呪音辭等是也。」—“Answer: Dharmas differ in ten thousand ways and cannot be treated as one. There are names that are the very dharma, and names that are different from the dharma. Names that are the very dharma are the names of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, the prajñāpāramitā, and the phrases of dhāraṇīs, the sounds and words of spells, and the like.” 〔T40n1819 0835c05〕 「如斯近事世間共知，況不可思議境界者乎。滅除藥塗鼓之喻復是一事，此喻已彰於前，故不重引。」—“Near-at-hand things like these the world knows in common—how much more a realm beyond conceiving! The simile of the drum smeared with the dispelling medicine is another such matter; this simile has already been made plain earlier, so it is not cited again.” 〔T40n1819 0835c14〕 「有名異法者，如指指月等名也。」—“Names different from the dharma are names like the finger pointing at the moon.” 〔T40n1819 0835c16〕

〔七〕The gate of making the vow —

「云何作願？心常作願，一心專念，畢竟往生安樂國土，欲如實修行奢摩他故。」—“How does one make the vow? The mind constantly makes the vow, single-mindedly intent, that in the end one will be born in the land of Peace and Bliss—because one wishes to practice śamatha in accordance with reality.” 〔T40n1819 0835c18〕 「譯奢摩他曰止，止者止心一處不作惡也。此譯名乃不乖大意，於義未滿。」—“Śamatha is translated as ‘stilling’; ‘stilling’ means stilling the mind in one place so that it does no evil. This translated name does not depart from the general sense, but it is not yet full in meaning.” 〔T40n1819 0835c19〕 「是知止語浮漫，不正得奢摩他名也。」—“Thus it is known that the word ‘stilling’ is loose and diffuse, and does not properly render the name śamatha.” 〔T40n1819 0835c24〕 「奢摩他云止者，今有三義：一者一心專念阿彌陀如來，願生彼土，此如來名號及彼國土名號能止一切惡；二者彼安樂土過三界道，若人亦生彼國，自然止身口意惡；三者阿彌陀如來正覺住持力，自然止求聲聞辟支佛心。」—“As for śamatha being called ‘stilling,’ there are now three senses: first, single-mindedly keeping the Tathāgata Amitābha in mind and aspiring to be born in that land—the name of this Tathāgata and the name of that land can still all evil; second, that land of Peace and Bliss surpasses the paths of the three realms, and if a person too is born in that land, the evils of body, speech, and mind are stilled of themselves; third, the sustaining power of the right awakening of the Tathāgata Amitābha stills of itself the mind that seeks to be a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha.” 〔T40n1819 0835c26〕

〔八〕The gate of contemplation —

「云何觀察？智慧觀察，正念觀彼，欲如實修行毘婆舍那故。」—“How does one contemplate? With wisdom one contemplates; with right mindfulness one contemplates that land—because one wishes to practice vipaśyanā in accordance with reality.” 〔T40n1819 0836a05〕 「譯毘婆舍那曰觀。但汎言觀，義亦未滿。」—“Vipaśyanā is translated as ‘contemplation.’ But to speak only broadly of contemplation is likewise not yet full in meaning.” 〔T40n1819 0836a06〕 「毘婆舍那云觀者，亦有二義：一者在此作想觀彼三種莊嚴功德，此功德如實，故修行者亦得如實功德，如實功德者決定得生彼土；二者亦得生彼淨土即見阿彌陀佛，未證淨心菩薩畢竟得證平等法身，與淨心菩薩與上地菩薩畢竟同得寂滅平等。」—“As for vipaśyanā being called ‘contemplation,’ there are likewise two senses: first, here one forms the image and contemplates the three kinds of adornment of merit there; because this merit is in accordance with reality, the practitioner likewise attains merit in accordance with reality, and one who has merit in accordance with reality is certain to be born in that land; second, one also attains birth in that pure land and at once sees the Buddha Amitābha, and bodhisattvas who have not yet realized the pure mind in the end realize the dharma-body of equality, and in the end attain, together with the bodhisattvas of pure mind and the bodhisattvas of the higher grounds, the equality of quiescence.” 〔T40n1819 0836a09〕 「彼觀察有三種。何等三種？一者觀察彼佛國土莊嚴功德、二者觀察阿彌陀佛莊嚴功德、三者觀察彼諸菩薩莊嚴功德。」—“That contemplation is of three kinds. What are the three? First, contemplating the adornment of merit of that buddha-land; second, contemplating the adornment of merit of the Buddha Amitābha; third, contemplating the adornment of merit of the bodhisattvas there.” 〔T40n1819 0836a16〕 「心緣其事曰觀，觀心分明曰察。」—“The mind taking the matter as its object is called contemplating; the contemplating mind being clear and distinct is called examining.” 〔T40n1819 0836a18〕

〔九〕The gate of dedication and direction —

「云何迴向？不捨一切苦惱眾生，心常作願迴向為首，得成就大悲心故。」—“How does one dedicate and direct? Not abandoning any being who suffers affliction, the mind constantly makes the vow, putting dedication and direction first, so as to accomplish the mind of great compassion.” 〔T40n1819 0836a20〕 「迴向有二種相：一者往相、二者還相。往相者，以己功德迴施一切眾生，作願共往生彼阿彌陀如來安樂淨土。還相者，生彼土已，得奢摩他、毘婆舍那方便力成就，迴入生死稠林，教化一切眾生共向佛道。」—“Dedication and direction has two aspects: first, the aspect of going forth; second, the aspect of returning. The aspect of going forth is to turn one’s own merit and bestow it on all beings, vowing to go together to be born in the Tathāgata Amitābha’s Pure Land of Peace and Bliss. The aspect of returning is, having been born in that land and attained the accomplishment of the power of skillful means of śamatha and vipaśyanā, to turn back into the dense forest of birth and death and teach all beings, so that together they turn toward the path of the Buddha.” 〔T40n1819 0836a21〕 「若往若還皆為拔眾生渡生死海，是故言迴向為首得成就大悲心故。」—“Whether going forth or returning, it is all in order to pull beings out across the sea of birth and death; therefore it says that dedication and direction is put first, so as to accomplish the mind of great compassion.” 〔T40n1819 0836a26〕

Who asks and who answers — the only question and answer in this passage (question and answer twenty-one) is posed and answered by Tanluan himself; no other speaker intervenes. The five questions of the treatise in the form “How does one …?” are all asked and answered by the author of the treatise himself.

V. Divergent Readings of the Commentators (in parallel columns — recorded without adjudication)

This treatise has Tanluan alone as its mirror; the places in this passage where Tanluan discusses a translated term himself, or cites a worldly saying himself, are listed verbatim.

Recorded: Tanluan judges the two translated names 「於義未滿」 (not yet full in meaning), yet still uses 「止」 (stilling) and 「觀」 (contemplation) in his explanation and does not alter the characters of the treatise. The spell for swellings, the nine characters 「臨兵鬪者皆陳列在前」 (“those who face the troops in battle all stand arrayed in front”), and the cure by the quince that he cites are all worldly matters; Tanluan himself says 「如斯近事世間共知」—“near-at-hand things like these the world knows in common,” using them to set off the name, which is beyond conceiving. Recorded as they stand, without adjudication.

VI. Terms (first occurrences — all glosses drawn from the mirror commentary)

Sanskrit: for the two names in the treatise, 「奢摩他」 (śamatha) and 「毘婆舍那」 (vipaśyanā), Tanluan gives their translations, 「止」 (stilling) and 「觀」 (contemplation), and judges them not yet full; the table above adds the IAST as an aid to pronunciation. In one place Tanluan’s text has 「毘婆奢那」 (see the ninth topic).

The treatise has no term “gates of the five merits”: the fruit of the five gates of mindful practice the treatise names in its later text as 「五種門」 (the five kinds of gate) and 「五種功德」 (the five kinds of merit) (in the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting); this passage does not give it.

「善男子善女人」 (good man or good woman): both the treatise and the mirror use it; Tanluan does not gloss it separately in this passage.

VII. Similes and Rhetoric

Similes the treatise uses of itself: none in this passage.

Similes set up by the mirror commentary:

Two things may be recorded as rhetoric. First, the treatise asks itself about each of the five gates in the form “How does one …?” and closes each answer with “because …”: the first three gates close with 「為生彼國意」 (the intention of being born in that land), 「如實修行相應」 (practicing in accordance with reality and being in accord), and 「如實修行奢摩他」 (practicing śamatha in accordance with reality), contemplation closes with 「如實修行毘婆舍那」 (practicing vipaśyanā in accordance with reality), and dedication and direction closes with 「成就大悲心」 (accomplishing the mind of great compassion) — the three gates of praise, making the vow, and contemplation speak of 「如實修行」 (practicing in accordance with reality), worship speaks of 「為生彼國意」 (the intention to be born in that land), and dedication and direction alone speaks of 「大悲」 (great compassion). Second, in explaining the three kinds of non-accord under the gate of praise, Tanluan first reasons forward (not pure, hence no certainty; no certainty, hence thought not continuous), then reasons backward (thought not continuous, hence no certain faith; no certain faith, hence the mind not pure): 「此三句展轉相成」—“these three sentences complete one another in turn.”

VIII. Citation and Carrying Forward

• Kuiji (Commentary on the Amitābha Sūtra) gives the full list of the five gates of mindful practice, together with the kind of action each belongs to: 「若《無量壽論》修五念門成就亦得往生：一、禮拜門，謂身業禮拜；二、讚嘆門，謂口業讚嘆也；三、發願門，心常願往生；四、觀察門，以智慧觀察彼國佛及菩薩故；五、迴向門，不捨一切苦惱眾生故。」—“According to the Treatise on Measureless Life, one who practices the five gates of mindful practice to accomplishment also attains birth there: first, the gate of worship, that is, worship by bodily action; second, the gate of praise, that is, praise by verbal action; third, the gate of the vow, the mind constantly vowing to be born there; fourth, the gate of contemplation, contemplating with wisdom that land’s Buddha and bodhisattvas; fifth, the gate of dedication and direction, not abandoning any being who suffers affliction.” 〔T37n1757 0326b04〕 In it, 「作願門」 (the gate of making the vow) appears as 「發願門」 (the gate of the vow), and 「讚歎」 (praise) as 「讚嘆」 (praise, in a variant form); recorded as it stands.
• The apparatus of the introduction of The Sūtra of Measureless Life in this series has already cited Tanluan’s 「前四念是入安樂淨土門，後一念是出慈悲教化門」—“the first four mindful practices are the gate of entering the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss; the last one is the gate of going out in compassionate teaching,” to explain the going and returning of the bodhisattvas in that sūtra.
• Tanluan’s own echoes, earlier and later: in explaining the first verse in his first fascicle he already anticipates the gate of praise in the prose — 「何以知盡十方無礙光如來是讚歎門？下長行中言「云何讚歎門？謂稱彼如來名，如彼如來光明智相、如彼名義，欲如實修行相應故。」」—“How does one know that ‘the Tathāgata of Unobstructed Light throughout the ten directions’ is the gate of praise? The prose below says, ‘What is the gate of praise? It is to call the name of that Tathāgata, in keeping with that Tathāgata’s light, which is the mark of wisdom, and in keeping with the meaning of that name, wishing to practice in accordance with reality and so to be in accord.’” 〔T40n1819 0827a28〕; and in the section on the five gates of entering and exiting in his second fascicle he matches the five gates of mindful practice with the five gates of merit (in the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting): 「身業者，禮拜也。口業者，讚歎也。意業者，作願也。智業者，觀察也。方便智業者，迴向也。」—“Bodily action is worship. Verbal action is praise. Mental action is making the vow. The action of wisdom is contemplation. The action of the wisdom of skillful means is dedication and direction.” 〔T40n1819 0843a15〕

IX. Placement Among the Recensions

The collation notes (<app>) to the treatise within the domain of this unit come to ten in all:

Recorded without adjudication: in the eighth note the three witnesses of the Song, Yuan, and Ming read 「偈頌」 (verse-hymn), while the mirror reads 「偈誦」 〔T40n1819 0833c19〕 (verse-recitation); the three forms are recorded together. In the ninth to thirteenth notes, the three witnesses lack the character 「門」 (gate) in all five names of the gates. The fifteenth to seventeenth notes run together: the three witnesses’ sentence on the gate of dedication and direction differs entirely from the base text, while the base text agrees with what the mirror cites (「不捨一切苦惱眾生，心常作願迴向為首」—“not abandoning any being who suffers affliction, the mind constantly makes the vow, putting dedication and direction first”). Recorded as it stands; no judgment is made in their stead as to the original text.

Agreements and differences between the treatise and the mirror’s citation:

Further: at the close of his explanation of the gate of contemplation, the mirror reads 「是故言欲如實修行毘婆奢那故。」—“Therefore it says, ‘because one wishes to practice vipaśyanā in accordance with reality.’” 〔T40n1819 0836a15〕, with 「舍」 written as 「奢」, differing from 「毘婆舍那」 in the treatise and elsewhere in the mirror. The prose of the gate of praise that Tanluan cites in his first fascicle reads 「云何讚歎門？謂稱彼如來名」—“What is the gate of praise? It is to call the name of that Tathāgata” 〔T40n1819 0827a29〕, which differs in fullness from the treatise and from the citation in the second fascicle, 「云何讚歎？口業讚歎」—“How does one praise? With verbal action one praises.” Recorded side by side.

Gaiji: none in the treatise within this unit. Inline notes: none in the treatise within this unit; nor are there bracketed inline notes in the mirror within this passage.