06/18/2026
◎ 致銘光居士書
淨土法門．為佛法中最平常．最高深之法門．若非宿具慧根．實難深生正信。勿道儒者不易生信．即通宗通敎之知識．亦每每以宗敎之義論判之。致於此令博地凡夫．未斷煩惑．即於現生了生脫死．超凡入聖之不思議法．不但不肯自修．而且不肯敎人修。以不知此法．乃佛法中之特別法門．彼以宗敎之義為準．故致有此過咎也。使彼最初即知此義．則其利大矣。聰明人．多以明理悟心為志事．而不知念佛．乃明理悟心之捷徑。念念若能相應．自可明理悟心。即未做到．而仗佛慈力．往生西方．校彼明理悟心．未斷煩惑．仍復輪迴生死．了無出期者．已天地不足以喻其否泰。况既往生已．親炙彌陀聖眾．當即親證無生法忍．豈止明理悟心而已哉。淨土法門．唯上上根人．與愚夫愚婦．能得實益。而通宗通敎之聰明人．多以志大言大．不肯仗佛慈力．而以仗己道力為志事．甘讓愚夫愚婦早預聖流也。貴邑或有此種見解之人．故為稍說其所以耳。既欲皈依．今為取法名為契光。梵語阿彌陀．此云無量壽．亦云無量光。果能一心念佛．即是以果地覺．為因地心。若能心心相應．則因該果海．果徹因源。極平常．極玄妙．若能信受．可謂超格大丈夫。光以宿業．生即病目．幸猶見天七十多年。今則目極衰昏．拒絕一切筆墨應酬。恐汝或為他宗倡導所搖奪．故特略說特別、通途、二義．庶不至弄巧成拙．求升反墜耳。當常看淨土五經．則知淨土法門．為十方三世一切諸佛．上成佛道．下化眾生之總持法門。其有所未喻者．當常看淨土十要．則羣疑冰釋．一心月朗矣。文鈔．語雖拙樸．於禪淨之所以然．與日用倫常之互相益．稍有發明．亦可以作自利利他之一助。
~印光法師文鈔 續編 卷上
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◎ Letter to Lay Disciple Mingguang
The Pure Land Dharma Door is at once the most ordinary and the most profound of all Buddhadharma. Unless one possesses wisdom roots cultivated over past lives, it is truly difficult to give rise to deep and proper faith.
It is not only Confucian scholars who find it difficult to believe. Even those learned in both the Chan School and the doctrinal teachings often judge the Pure Land teaching according to the principles of Chan and doctrine. As a result, they fail to appreciate this inconceivable Dharma by which ordinary beings who have not eradicated afflictions can, in this very lifetime, transcend birth and death, leave the ordinary state, and enter the stage of sages.
Not only are they unwilling to cultivate it themselves, they are also unwilling to encourage others to cultivate it. This is because they do not understand that the Pure Land teaching is a Special Dharma Door (特別法門) within Buddhism. Measuring it solely by the standards of the general paths of self-powered cultivation found in Chan and the doctrinal schools, they inevitably fall into such error. Had they understood this principle from the outset, the benefit would have been immeasurable.
Intelligent people often aspire to understand the Dharma and awaken the mind. Yet they do not realize that Buddha-recitation is the most direct path to understanding the Dharma and awakening the mind. If one's recitation accords with the Buddha thought after thought, one will naturally come to understand the principles and awaken the mind.
Even if one does not attain such realization in this life, by relying upon the Buddha's compassionate power and attaining rebirth in the Western Pure Land, one's situation is vastly superior to that of those who have understood principles and awakened the mind, yet have not severed afflictions and therefore continue to revolve within saṃsāra, with no definite prospect of liberation. The contrast between these two outcomes is so great that heaven and earth are insufficient to describe it.
Furthermore, after rebirth in the Pure Land, one personally attends upon Amitābha Buddha and the assembly of sages, and will directly realize the Patience of the Unproduced Dharmas (無生法忍, Anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti). How could the benefit be limited merely to understanding principles and awakening the mind?
The Pure Land Dharma Door brings genuine benefit primarily to two kinds of people: those of the highest faculties and the simple, unlearned men and women. Many intelligent people who are proficient in Chan and doctrinal studies tend to speak lofty words and harbor grand ambitions. Unwilling to rely upon the Buddha's compassionate power, they insist on relying solely upon their own self-power. Thus, they willingly allow simple men and women to enter the stream of sages before them.
Perhaps there are people in your locality who hold such views; therefore, I have briefly explained the reasons here.
Since you wish to take refuge, I bestow upon you the Dharma name Qiguang (契光).
The Sanskrit name Amitābha means "Infinite Light," and is also rendered as "Infinite Life" (Amitāyus).
If one can single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name, this is what is meant by taking the enlightenment of the Buddha's fruition-ground as the mind of cultivation on the causal ground (以果地覺，為因地心). If thought after thought corresponds with the Buddha, then:
"The cause encompasses the ocean of the fruit,
The fruit penetrates the source of the cause."
This Dharma is at once utterly ordinary and supremely wondrous. One who can truly believe and accept it may be called an exceptional and heroic practitioner.
As for me, Guang, due to karmic obstructions from previous lives, I was born with diseased eyes. Fortunately, I was still able to see for more than seventy years. Now my eyesight has become exceedingly dim, and I have ceased virtually all correspondence involving writing.
Fearing that you might be swayed by proponents of other schools, I have therefore briefly explained the distinction between the Special Path and the General Path, hoping to prevent you from becoming clever only to make mistakes, seeking elevation yet instead falling lower.
You should regularly study the Five Pure Land Scriptures. Then you will understand that the Pure Land Dharma Door is the all-embracing teaching by which all Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three periods of time accomplish Buddhahood above and liberate sentient beings below.
Should there remain anything you do not fully understand, frequently study the Ten Essentials of Pure Land (淨土十要). Then all doubts will melt away like ice, and the moon of single-minded clarity will shine forth.
As for the Collected Writings (文鈔), although the language is plain and unsophisticated, it does offer some clarification regarding the principles of both Chan and Pure Land, as well as how Buddhist cultivation and ethical conduct in everyday life mutually support one another. It may therefore serve as a modest aid for benefiting both oneself and others.
~Collected Letters and Essays of Master Yinguang (Continued Collection), Volume I
(Translation by ChatGPT)
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