無量壽經義疏 1.3

1.3

今言「佛說無量壽經」者，蓋乃標經部別名也。諸經所以皆首題其名，為示所明法。此經宗顯無量壽佛所行、所成及所攝化，故始舉之。但彼諸經得名不同，或但就法，如《涅槃》等；或唯就人，如《提謂經》、《太子經》等；或單就事，如《枯樹經》等；或偏就喻，如《大雲經》、《寶篋經》等；或有就時，如《時非時經》；或就處所，如《楞伽經》、《伽耶山頂經》等。或人法雙題，如《維摩經》、《勝鬘經》等；或事法並舉，如彼方等《大集經》等；或法喻並彰，如《華嚴》、《法華經》等；或人法雙舉，如《舍利子問疾經》等。如是非一。今此經者，就人為名。初列人，凡有四種：一舉說人，如《維摩》等；二舉問人，如《文殊問》等；三舉所說之人。如《太子經》等；四舉所化之人，如《須摩提女》、《玉瑘經》等。今此經首，通舉能說及所說人。初言「佛」者，舉能說人。「無量壽佛」者，舉所說人。起說不同，凡有五種，如龍樹說：一佛自說、二聖資說、三諸天說、四神仙等說、五變化人說。此經佛說，為簡餘四，是故舉佛。佛者，外國語也，此翻名覺。覺有兩義：一覺察名覺，對煩惱障。煩惱侵害，事等如賊，唯聖覺知，不為其害，故名為覺。此之一義，如《涅槃》釋。二覺悟名覺，對其智障。無明眠寢，事等如睡，聖慧一起，朗然大悟，如睡得悟，故名為覺。所對無明，有其二種：一是迷理性、結無明，迷覆實性。對除於彼，變妄契真，悟實名覺。二事中無知，迷諸法相。對除於彼，悟解一切善、惡、無記三聚等法，故名為覺。故《持地》云「於義饒益聚、非義饒益聚、非非義饒益聚，平等開覺，故名為佛。」義益是善、非義是不善、非非義是無記，於此悉知，故名為覺。既能自覺，復能覺他，覺行窮滿，故名為佛。言自覺者，簡異凡夫；導言覺他，別異二乘；覺行窮滿，分異菩薩。是故獨此偏名為佛。口音陳唱，目之為說。「無量壽」者，是其所說。此經宣說無量壽佛所行、所成及所攝化。言所行者，宣說彼佛本所起願、本所修行。言所成者，說今所成法身、淨土二種之果。言所攝者，普攝十方有緣眾生同往彼國，道法化益，名為所攝。又今一切諸菩薩等，學其所行、得彼所成、同其所攝，名所攝矣。此等差別，不可備舉。攝德從人，是故但云說無量壽。佛名有二種：一通、二別。如來、應供等，是其通名。釋迦、彌勒、無量壽等，是其別稱。別中立名，乃有種種，或從種性，如釋迦佛、迦葉佛等；或從色身，如身尊佛、身上佛等。或從音聲，如妙音佛、妙聲佛等；或從光明，如普光佛等；或從內德、或就譬說，如是非一。此佛從其壽命彰名。壽有真、應，真即常住，性同虛空；應壽不定，或長或短。今此所論，是應非真。於應壽中，此佛壽長，凡夫二乘不能測度知其限算，故曰無量。命限稱壽。云何得知是應非真？如觀世音及大勢至授記經說「無量壽佛壽雖長遠，亦有終盡。彼佛滅後，觀音、大勢至次第作佛。」故知是應。「經」者，外國名脩多羅，此翻名綖。聖人言說，能貫諸法，如綖貫華，故名為綖。而言經者，綖能貫華、經能持緯，其用相似，故名為經。若依俗訓，經者常也。人別古今、教儀常楷，故名為常。經之與常，何相開顧。將常釋經。釋言經者，是經歷義。凡是一法，經古歷今恒有不斷，是其常義，故得名常。

Now, the phrase 'The Sūtra of Immeasurable Life Spoken by the Buddha' designates the specific title of this sūtra. The reason all sūtras head their texts with titles is to show the Dharma they elucidate. This sūtra primarily reveals the practices, attainments, and embraced conversions of Amitāyus; therefore, it is raised at the beginning. However, those various sūtras derive their titles differently: some refer solely to Dharma, such as the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], etc.; some refer solely to persons, such as the Tiwei jing, Taizi jing, etc.; some refer singly to events, such as the Kushu jing, etc.; some refer exclusively to metaphors, such as the Dayun jing, Baoqie jing, etc.; some refer to times, such as the Shi feishi jing; some refer to places, such as the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, Gayāśīrṣa-sūtra, etc. Some refer to both person and Dharma, such as the Vimalakīrti-sūtra, Śrīmālā-sūtra, etc.; some raise both event and Dharma, such as the Vaipulya Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, etc.; some manifest both Dharma and metaphor, such as the Avataṃsaka, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, etc.; some raise both person and Dharma, such as the Śāriputra-paripṛcchā-sūtra, etc. Cases such as these are not singular. Now, this sūtra takes its title from persons. In listing persons, there are four kinds in all: first, raising the speaker, as in the Vimalakīrti, etc.; second, raising the questioner, as in the Mañjuśrī-paripṛcchā, etc.; third, raising the person spoken of, as in the Taizi jing, etc.; fourth, raising the person converted, as in the Sumatidārikā, Yuye jing, etc. Now, the head of this sūtra comprehensively raises both the one who can speak and the one who is spoken of. The initial word 'Buddha' raises the speaker. 'Amitāyus' raises the one spoken of. There are five different modes of origin for what is spoken, as Nāgārjuna says: first, spoken by the Buddha himself; second, spoken by sacred disciples; third, spoken by devas; fourth, spoken by ṛṣis and the like; fifth, spoken by apparitional persons. This sūtra was spoken by the Buddha; to distinguish it from the other four, 'Buddha' is therefore raised. 'Buddha' is a foreign word, translated here as 'Awakened One.' Awakening has two meanings: first, awakening as examination, which opposes afflictive obscurations. Afflictions invade and harm, acting just like thieves; only the sage examines and knows them, and is not harmed by them, hence named 'awakening.' This single meaning is explained as in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]. Second, awakening as enlightenment, which opposes cognitive obscurations. The slumber of ignorance acts just like sleep; when sacred prajñā arises, one brightly has a great awakening, just like awakening from sleep, hence named 'awakening.' The ignorance opposed by this is of two kinds: first, the ignorance of delusion regarding the nature of reality and defilement, which deludes and veils the true nature; opposing and eliminating this, one transforms delusion and accords with the true, and awakening to the real is named 'awakening.' Second, lack of knowledge concerning phenomenal matters, deluded about the characteristics of all phenomena; opposing and eliminating this, one awakens to and understands all phenomena of the three collections of good, bad, and indeterminate, hence named 'awakening.' Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi says: 'Equally illuminating and awakening to the collection of beneficial meaning, the collection of non-beneficial meaning, and the collection of neither-beneficial-nor-non-beneficial meaning, one is therefore named Buddha.' Beneficial meaning is good, non-beneficial is unwholesome, and neither-beneficial-nor-non-beneficial is indeterminate; knowing all of these, one is therefore named 'awakened.' Having already awakened oneself, being further able to awaken others, and with the practice of awakening perfected and complete, one is therefore named 'Buddha.' Saying 'awakening oneself' distinguishes him from ordinary beings; saying 'awakening others' differentiates him from the two vehicles; 'with the practice of awakening perfected and complete' distinguishes him from bodhisattvas. Therefore, he alone is specifically named 'Buddha.' Uttering and proclaiming with the mouth is designated as 'spoken.' 'Amitāyus' is what is spoken of. This sūtra expounds the practices, attainments, and embraced conversions of Amitāyus. As for 'practices': it expounds the vows that Buddha originally made and the practices he originally cultivated. As for 'attainments': it expounds the two kinds of fruition, dharmakāya and Pure Land, which he has now attained. As for 'embraced conversions': it universally embraces sentient beings of the ten directions who possess karmic conditions, leading them together to that land; the benefit of transforming them through the path and Dharma is named 'embraced.' Furthermore, that all bodhisattvas and others now learn his practices, attain his realizations, and share in what he embraces is called 'embraced.' Such differences cannot be fully enumerated. Subsuming virtues under the person, it is therefore merely called 'speaking of Amitāyus.' The names of buddhas are of two kinds: first, general; second, specific. 'Tathāgata,' 'Arhat,' and so forth are their general names. 'Śākyamuni,' 'Maitreya,' 'Amitāyus,' and so forth are their specific designations. Establishing names within the specific is of various kinds: some derive from lineage, such as Buddha Śākyamuni, Buddha Kāśyapa, etc.; some derive from the physical body, such as Buddha Shenzun, Buddha Shenshang, etc.; some derive from voice, such as Buddha Miāoyīn, Buddha Miāoshēng, etc.; some derive from radiance, such as Buddha Puguāng, etc.; some derive from internal virtue, or are expounded in terms of metaphor—cases such as these are not singular. This Buddha manifests his name from his lifespan. Lifespan has the true body and the manifested body: the true is eternally abiding, its nature identical to space; the manifested lifespan is indeterminate, either long or short. What is discussed here is the manifested, not the true. Among manifested lifespans, this Buddha's lifespan is long, so that ordinary beings and the two vehicles cannot measure or calculate its limits; hence it is called 'immeasurable.' A boundary of life is called 'lifespan.' How is it known to be manifested and not true? As the Sūtra on the Prediction of Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta says: 'Although the lifespan of Amitāyus is long, it also has an end. After that Buddha passes away, Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta will become buddhas in succession.' Therefore, we know it is the manifested body. As for 'sūtra': in foreign languages it is called sūtra, translated here as 'thread.' The words of the sage can thread all phenomena together, just as a thread strings flowers, hence named 'thread.' Saying 'scripture' (jing): a thread can string flowers, and the warp (jing) can hold the weft; their functions are similar, hence named 'scripture.' If based on conventional etymology, jing means 'constant.' Persons differ between past and present, but the ritual model of teaching is an enduring standard; hence it is called 'constant.' How do jing and chang (constant) relate to and illuminate one another? One explains jing by means of 'constant.' In explaining it, jing means 'to pass through.' For any single phenomenon, passing through antiquity and experiencing the present continually without interruption is its meaning of constancy; therefore, it can be named 'constant.'