無量壽經義疏 1.9.3

1.9.3

「我當愍哀度一切」者，明己當來成佛道時度脫一切。 「十方來生心悅淨」等，明於當來生我國者齊獲勝益。 十方來生，生人多也。 心悅清淨，歸心純也。 「已到我」等，獲利勝也。 上來十偈，正起願心； 下有三偈，請佛證知。 於此文中，初有半偈，請世自在佛為己作證； 次有半偈，更興願心； 次有一偈，請十方佛為己作證； 下有一偈，重起願心。 初半偈中，「幸」猶願也，願佛信我所求不虛。 明我當來定必得果，是故請言「幸佛信明」。 佛證不虛，是故言「是我真證」。 其次半偈更興願中，「發願於彼」，所求之事。 力勵精勤修習所欲法身淨土，各願於彼「力精所欲」。 其次一偈，請十方佛作證，可知。 末後一偈重起願中，結誓自要，故云「假令身止諸苦忍終不悔」。 上來明其世間之行，下明出世。 於中初略； 「如是修已諸彼佛」下，廣明所行。 略中有三：初法藏請，如來反答，彰彼先知，不為宣說； 二法藏重請，如來為說； 三法藏聞說，依之奉行。 初中先請，後佛反答。 請中「法藏說此頌已」，結前起後。 「而白佛」下，彰彼請辭。 「我發無上正覺之心」，牒前起後。 向前偈中求身求土，名發無上正覺之心。 心為行本，彰己有本，明堪起行，生彼請也。 「願佛為我廣說經法」，正請宣說。 「我當修」等，彰請所為。 所為有三：一是所行、二是所成、三是所攝。 「我當修行」，是其初門，修行法身淨土之因。 「攝取」已下，是第二門，明己所成。 身所成土，「攝取佛國清淨莊嚴」等，是所成土。 「於世速成」，是所成身。 「拔生死」等，是第三門，明己所攝。 攝取眾生，教化令出生死苦本。 拔生死者，出生死果、拔懃苦本、離生死因。 由因數受生死之苦，故名彼因為勤苦本。 下佛返答。 「饒王佛」者，世自在王之別名也。 「告法藏」等，返請之辭。 此初段竟。 第二段中，初法藏請。 「斯義弘深非我境界」，彰己不知。 前佛據其自分所修，道言自知。 法藏今就勝進所習，言非己境。 不相乖違，斯謂此也。 弘謂大也。 此前所請出世之行，其義大深，非我境界，為是次請。 「唯願廣」等，請佛宣說。 文中偏求淨土之行，身行略無。 「我聞此」下，彰請所為。 下佛為說。 「知高明志願深廣」，知其心大。 下佛授法，「即為法藏而說經言」，總明所說； 「譬如」下，別。 別中初先教其堅心，先喻、後合； 「於是世」已下，正為宣說淨土之法。 「即為廣說二百一十億諸佛剎土、天人善惡」，汎說一切諸土之因、國土粗妙，汎宣一切諸土之果。 粗猶麁也。 說惡說麁，令其捨遠； 說善說妙，使其修習。 於諸說中隨欲廣教，名「應其心願悉現與之」。 此第二竟。 自下第三法藏聞說依法修行。 於中初別，「法藏比丘攝取」下結。 別中初先見上所說淨土之果； 「超發」已下，修上所說淨土之因。 因中初先更發勝願； 「其心寂」下，依願起行。 「其心寂靜志無所著世無及者」，明修證行。 理絕眾相，故無所著。 求入名志。 證深離相，故世無及。 「具五劫」下，明修教行。 於中初明法藏比丘五劫起行； 「阿難白」下，彰彼如來壽命長久，成前法藏於彼佛所五劫修行。 阿難先問，後佛答之。 「彼佛壽命四十二劫」，法藏壽命亦應如是。 故彼法藏於一身中，在彼佛所五劫修行。 問曰：若彼得壽多劫，劫盡之時居住何處而得修行？ 釋言：餘人見其劫盡，其法藏等見彼國土安隱不動，故得起修。 與《法華》中「眾生見劫盡，大火所燒時，我此土安隱，天人常充滿。 」其義相似。 上來別竟。 「法藏比丘攝取」下，結。 一人具修無量土行，未來還得無量種土，隨人異現。 上來略竟。 自下第二廣明所修。 於中初先廣前大願； 「時彼比丘於其佛所諸天魔」下，廣前所行。

"I shall have compassion and deliver all beings" clarifies that when he attains the path to buddhahood in the future, he will deliver and liberate all beings. "Those who come from the ten directions to be born [here] with rejoicing and pure hearts" and so forth clarifies that those in the future who are born in my land will equally obtain superior benefit. That they "come from the ten directions to be born" means that those who are born are many. That their "hearts are rejoicing and pure" means that their mind of taking refuge is unadulterated. "Having arrived at my [land]" and so forth means that the benefit they obtain is superior. The preceding ten verses directly aroused the aspirational mind; the three verses below request the Buddha to bear witness and know it. In this passage, there is first half a verse requesting the Buddha Lokeśvararāja to bear witness for him; next is half a verse that further raises the aspirational mind; next is one verse requesting the buddhas of the ten directions to bear witness for him; and below is one verse that once again raises the aspirational mind. In the first half-verse, *xing* ("fortunately / please") is like wishing: he wishes the Buddha to believe that what he seeks is not in vain. Clarifying that in the future he will certainly obtain the fruition, he therefore asks, "May the Buddha fortunately believe and illuminate." The Buddha's witnessing is not in vain, which is why it says, "is my true witness." In the subsequent half-verse that further raises the aspiration, "making vows toward that" refers to the matter he seeks. Exerting vigorous diligence to cultivate and practice the desired dharmakāya and pure land, each vows toward that to "exert effort in what is desired." In the subsequent one verse, requesting the buddhas of the ten directions to bear witness can be understood. In the final one verse that once again raises the aspiration, he concludes his pledge and makes a personal vow; thus it says, "Even if my body should dwell in all sufferings, I will endure them to the end without regret." The above clarifies his mundane practices; below clarifies the supramundane. Within this, it is first brief; from "Having cultivated in this way, in those buddhas' [presence]" onward, it extensively clarifies what he practiced. Within the brief part, there are three sections: first, Dharmākara requests, and the Tathāgata responds with a counter-question, showing that he already knows it and does not expound it for him; second, Dharmākara requests again, and the Tathāgata expounds it for him; third, Dharmākara hears the exposition and practices in accordance with it. In the first section, there is first the request, and afterward the Buddha's counter-question. In the request, "When Dharmākara had spoken this hymn" concludes the preceding and introduces what follows. From "and addressed the Buddha" onward shows his words of request. "I have aroused the mind of unexcelled correct awakening" restates the preceding and introduces what follows. Seeking the body and seeking the land in the preceding verses is called arousing the mind of unexcelled correct awakening. The mind is the root of practice; showing that he has the root makes clear that he is capable of undertaking practice, which gives rise to that request. "May the Buddha extensively expound the sūtra-teachings for me" directly requests the exposition. "I shall cultivate" and so forth shows what the request is for. What it is for has three aspects: first, what is practiced; second, what is accomplished; third, what is gathered. "I shall cultivate" is the first gate: the causes for cultivating the dharmakāya and the pure land. From "Gathering" onward is the second gate, clarifying what he accomplishes. The land accomplished by the body: "Gathering a buddha-land pure and adorned" and so forth is the accomplished land. "Quickly accomplishing in the world" is the accomplished body. "Uprooting birth and death" and so forth is the third gate, clarifying what he gathers. Gathering sentient beings, he teaches and transforms them so that they escape the root of suffering in birth and death. Uprooting birth and death means escaping the fruition of birth and death; uprooting the root of diligence and pain means parting from the cause of birth and death. Because one repeatedly undergoes the suffering of birth and death on account of causes, those causes are called the root of diligence and pain. Below is the Buddha's counter-question. "The Buddha Raoking" (*Rāoking fo*) is another name for Lokeśvararāja. "Addressing Dharmākara" and so forth are words of counter-request. This concludes the first section. In the second section, first Dharmākara requests. "This meaning is vast and profound, not within my realm" shows that he does not know it. Previously, the Buddha relied on what [Dharmākara] had cultivated in his own capacity and spoke, saying that he knew it himself. Dharmākara now refers to what is practiced in superior progression and says it is not his realm. They do not contradict each other; *si* means "this." *Hong* means "vast." The supramundane practice requested previously—its meaning is vast and deep, not within my realm; therefore he requests again. "I only wish that [you] extensively..." and so forth requests the Buddha to expound it. In the passage, he exclusively seeks the practices of the pure land; the bodily practices are omitted. From "Having heard this, I..." onward shows what the request is for. Below, the Buddha expounds it for him. "Knowing that his high and luminous aspiration was deep and vast" means knowing the greatness of his mind. Below, the Buddha confers the Dharma: "Immediately expounded the sūtra for Dharmākara, saying" generally clarifies what was expounded; from "For example" onward, it is detailed. In the detailed part, he first teaches him to make his mind firm, first by metaphor and then by application; from "Thereupon the World..." onward, he directly expounds the Dharma of the pure land for him. "Immediately expounded extensively two hundred and ten billion buddha-lands, and the goodness and evil of their devas and humans" generally expounds the causes of all lands, and the coarse and subtle aspects of the lands, generally proclaiming the fruitions of all lands. *Cu* is the same as coarse. Expounding the evil and coarse causes him to abandon them and keep far from them; expounding the good and subtle causes him to cultivate them. Extensively teaching according to his wishes among the various expositions is called "manifesting and giving them all to him in accordance with his heart's desire." This concludes the second part. From here below is the third: Dharmākara hears the exposition and cultivates practice in accordance with the Dharma. Within this, there is first the detailed, and from "Bhikṣu Dharmākara gathered" onward, the conclusion. In the detailed part, he first sees the fruitions of the pure land expounded above; from "Transcendently giving rise to..." onward, he cultivates the causes of the pure land expounded above. Among the causes, he first further arouses superior vows; from "His mind was quiescent..." onward, he undertakes practice based on the vows. "His mind was quiescent and his aspiration had no attachment, unequaled in the world" clarifies cultivating the practice of realization. The principle transcends all marks, hence there is no attachment. Seeking entrance is called aspiration. The realization is deep and free of marks, hence unequaled in the world. From "Fulfilling five kalpas" onward clarifies cultivating the practice of teaching. Within this, it first clarifies that the monk Dharmākara undertook practice for five kalpas; from "Ānanda addressed..." onward shows that that Tathāgata's lifespan was long, confirming the preceding [statement that] Dharmākara cultivated for five kalpas in the presence of that buddha. Ānanda asks first, and afterward the Buddha answers him. "That buddha's lifespan was forty-two kalpas," and Dharmākara's lifespan must also have been like this. Therefore, Dharmākara, in a single lifetime, cultivated practice for five kalpas in that buddha's presence. Question: If he attained a life of many kalpas, when the kalpa ended, where did he reside and manage to cultivate? Explanation: Other people saw the kalpa end, but Dharmākara and the others saw that land peaceful, secure, and unmoving, and therefore were able to engage in cultivation. This is similar in meaning to [the verse] in the *Lotus Sūtra*: "When sentient beings see the kalpa end / and being consumed by a great fire, / this land of mine is peaceful and secure, / constantly full of devas and humans." This concludes the detailed part above. From "Bhikṣu Dharmākara gathered" onward is the conclusion. A single person completely cultivates the practices for immeasurable lands, and in the future in turn obtains immeasurable kinds of lands, which manifest differently according to the person. This concludes the brief part above. From here below, the second part extensively clarifies what he cultivated. Within this, it first expands the previous great vows; from "At that time, that bhikṣu, in the presence of that buddha, among all the devas, māras..." onward, it expands his previous practices.