Doctrinal Classification, and the Two Gates of Practice

Third, distinguishing this sūtra's own governing purpose from the greater and lesser vehicles of other teachings. As the Vimalakīrti Sūtra takes the inconceivable liberation as its governing purpose, and the Larger Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra takes the wisdom of emptiness as its governing purpose — there are many such examples, not just one — so this Contemplation Sūtra takes the samādhi of contemplating the Buddha as its governing purpose, and also takes the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha as its governing purpose, with the single-minded dedication of the vow to be reborn in the Pure Land as its own substance. As for the greater and lesser vehicles of its teaching: someone asks, "Among the two canonical divisions, which does this sūtra belong to? Among the two categories of teaching, which does it fall under?" The answer: "This Contemplation Sūtra belongs to the bodhisattva canon, and falls under the sudden teaching."

Fourth, distinguishing among those who speak such teachings. In general, every sūtra's own teaching arises from no more than five sources: first, spoken by the Buddha; second, spoken by a noble disciple; third, spoken by a heavenly sage; fourth, spoken by a spirit; and fifth, spoken by a transformation-body. This Contemplation Sūtra is spoken by the Buddha himself. Someone asks: "Where did the Buddha speak it? For whom did he speak it?" The answer: "The Buddha spoke it in the royal palace, for Vaidehī and the others there."

Fifth, analyzing the two gates of the contemplative and the dispersed — there are six matters here: first, making plain who requested the teaching, which is Vaidehī; second, who was requested, which is the World-Honored One; third, who actually spoke it, which is the Tathāgata; fourth, what was spoken, which is the two forms of goodness, contemplative and dispersed, in the sixteen contemplations; fifth, who carried this out, which is the Tathāgata; and sixth, for whose sake it was carried out, which is Vaidehī and the others.

Question: "On whose account were these two forms of goodness, contemplative and dispersed, requested?" Answer: "The gate of contemplative goodness was requested by Vaidehī; the gate of dispersed goodness was spoken by the Buddha entirely on his own."

Question: "It is not yet clear where, in the text, these two forms of goodness actually appear. And now that this teaching is fully provided and not made in vain, what kind of capacity is actually able to receive it?"

Answer: "This resolves into two points. First: those who slander the Dharma, those without faith, those in the eight difficult conditions, and non-human beings — these do not receive it. They are like rotten timber or stubborn stone, with no season in which they could ever be brought to life or moistened. For beings such as these, there is simply no possibility of being transformed by this teaching. Apart from these, anyone at all who, with a single mind, believes in and delights in seeking the vow to be reborn there — whether it be the very fullest exertion of an entire lifetime, or, at the very least, ten thoughts alone — riding upon the power of the Buddha's own vow, without exception, all of them go there. This concludes the answer to the question of what capacity is able to receive this teaching.

"As for the second point, where in the text this appears: there is both a general and a specific request. As for the general, there are three distinct points. What are they? First, from where Vaidehī says to the Buddha, 'I beg only that you fully explain for me a place free of sorrow and vexation' — this is Vaidehī marking out, in her own mind, her general request for what she seeks. Second, from where she says, 'I beg only that the Buddha, the sun, teach me to contemplate a place of pure karma' — this is Vaidehī's own general request for a practice to carry out. Third, from where 'the World-Honored One's own radiant platform displays the lands' — this is the response to her prior general request, fully explaining it for her sake. Though these are three distinct points, this answers the general request in full. As for the specific, there are two points: first, from where Vaidehī says to the Buddha, 'I now wish to be born in the world of Ultimate Bliss, at Amitābha Buddha's own place' — this is Vaidehī's own specific selection of what she seeks; and second, from where she says, 'I beg only that you teach me to contemplate, teach me to attain right reception of it' — this is Vaidehī's own specific request to cultivate a particular practice. Though these are two distinct points, this answers the specific request in full."

From this point on, the meaning of these two gates, the contemplative and the dispersed, is answered in turn.

Question: "What is called contemplative goodness? What is called dispersed goodness?" Answer: "From the sun-contemplation down through the thirteenth contemplation, this is called contemplative goodness. The three blessings and the nine grades are called dispersed goodness."

Question: "Within contemplative goodness, what distinctions are there? Where in the text do they appear?"

Answer: "As for where in the text: the sūtra says, 'teach me to contemplate, teach me to attain right reception of it' — this is exactly the text. As for the distinction: there are two points, called contemplation and right reception. 'Contemplation' is exactly the preliminary skillful means before actual contemplation, the thinking-through of that land's general and specific marks, both its retributive support and its direct retribution. This is exactly what the text on the earth-contemplation means when it says, 'one who contemplates in this way is said to see the land of Ultimate Bliss only roughly' — this corresponds to the phrase above, 'teach me to contemplate.' 'Right reception' is when every thinking thought and every entangled concern is entirely stilled, and one accords with samādhi — this is called right reception. This is exactly what the text on the earth-contemplation means when it says, 'once one attains samādhi, one sees that land's own ground perfectly clear and distinct' — this corresponds to the phrase above, 'teach me to attain right reception of it.' Though the contemplative and the dispersed involve these two distinct points, this concludes the full answer to the question above.

"And further, my own reading here differs from that of other masters. Other masters take the single phrase 'contemplation' and apply it to the three blessings and the nine grades, treating this as dispersed goodness; and take the phrase 'right reception' and apply it generally to all sixteen contemplations, treating this as contemplative goodness. I take this reading to be mistaken. Why is this so?

"As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, 'contemplation and right reception are simply alternate names for samādhi' — this matches exactly what the text on the earth-contemplation says. Taking this text as proof, how could this phrase possibly extend generally to dispersed goodness at all? And further, in her request above, Vaidehī says only, 'teach me to contemplate a place of pure karma,' and then, further on, requests again, 'teach me to contemplate, and attain right reception of it' — though these are two separate requests, both concern contemplative goodness alone.

"And further, the text concerning dispersed goodness has no place where it is requested at all — it is opened entirely by the Buddha himself, on his own initiative. This is exactly the text found further on, in the passage on the causes of dispersed goodness, beginning: 'and also causing every ordinary being of future ages...'"