無量壽經義疏 2.3.1

2.3.1

From here below is the second [section], exhorting people to attain rebirth. "The Buddha told Maitreya" states whom he was addressing. "All the heavenly and human beings, and so forth" brings up those for whose sake it is spoken. "The merits and prajñā of the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas in the land of Amitāyus cannot be adequately weighed..." and so forth reiterates what was analyzed above. "The merits and prajñā of the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas cannot be adequately spoken of" reiterates the persons analyzed in the preceding text. "Furthermore, that land is delicate, wondrous, peaceful, joyful, and pure like this" reiterates the land analyzed in the preceding text. From "Why do you not strive..." below, he directly exhorts rebirth. In this there are three [parts]: first, directly exhorting rebirth; second, from "It is easy to go..." below, the Tathāgata's sorrowful lament; third, from "Why do you not abandon..." below, repeatedly exhorting rebirth. In the previous direct exhortation, "Why do you not strive to do good" directly exhorts cultivating the cause. Why do you not exert effort to do good and seek rebirth? This is called striving to do good. From "Mindful of the path" downward, he clarifies the benefit of cultivation. Those who are mindful of the path are naturally reborn, which is called mindfully [attaining the] spontaneous. Merely being able to be mindful of the path, the virtue of one's practice becomes manifest; without discriminating between higher or lower, all alike attain rebirth, which is why it says "manifesting beyond high or low". If one attains rebirth there, one's supernatural penetrations will be thoroughly unobstructed, having no boundaries; hence it says "thoroughly unobstructed without boundary". "Each should be vigorous, exerting effort to seek it" repeatedly exhorts cultivating the cause. From "You will surely transcend..." below, he repeatedly clarifies the benefits of cultivation. "You will surely transcend" clarifies that from which one departs. "Be reborn in the Land of Peace and Sustenance" reveals that to which one arrives. "Crosswise cutting off the five evil realms, the evil destinies will close on their own" clarifies that which one leaves behind. The three [unfortunate] paths, humans, and devas are the five destinies. Distinguishing among them here, the lower three evil paths are named evil destinies, and the two paths of humans and devas are named good destinies. Now here, in contrast to Amitābha's Pure Land, all five paths of the Sahā world alike are called evil destinies. The hells, hungry ghosts, and animals are where pure evil leads, so they are named evil destinies; humans and devas of the Sahā world are where mixed evils lead, so they are also named evil destinies. If one cultivates and severs according to this realm, one first severs delusions of view, abandoning the cause of the three paths and extinguishing the fruition of the three paths, and later severs delusions of cultivation, abandoning the cause of humans and devas and ending the fruition of humans and devas. Gradual elimination is not called "crosswise cutting off"; but if one attains rebirth in Amitābha's Pure Land, the five paths of the Sahā world are abandoned all at once, hence it is called "crosswise cutting off". "Cutting off the five evil destinies" cuts off their fruition. "The evil destinies will close on their own" closes their cause. This clarifies that which is left behind. "Ascending the path without end" reveals that which is attained. Attaining the path is deep and vast, hence it has no end. The above is the first [part], directly exhorting rebirth. From here below is the second, the Tathāgata's sorrowful lament, wishing to cause the people of the world to exert effort toward rebirth. First, saying "It is easy to go, yet there are no people" is directly the sorrowful lament. Cultivating the cause, one goes immediately; this is called "easy to go". Since no one cultivates the cause, those who attain rebirth are few; hence it says "there are no people". "That land does not resist or oppose" reveals the preceding "easy to go". "Spontaneously drawn" shows the preceding "there are no people". Sentient beings of the Sahā world, bound by their long habits and afflictive coverings, are spontaneously bound and drawn by them, unable to go; hence there are no people there. From here below is the third, repeatedly exhorting rebirth. "Why do you not cast aside worldly affairs, diligently seeking the path and virtue?" exhorts them to cultivate the cause. "You can attain long life, with pleasure and longevity without limit" clarifies the fruition attained by cultivation. The above is the first [section], bringing up the supreme joys of Amitābha's land to cause people to aspire and seek [it]. From here below is the second [section], showing that the Sahā realm is filled with defilement and evil to cause people to feel aversion and abandon [it]. In this there are four [parts]: first, bringing up the faults of the afflictions of the three poisons; second, exhorting people to cultivate renunciation; third, bringing up the faults of the sufferings of the five evils, the five agonies, and the five burnings; fourth, exhorting people to cultivate renunciation. In the first section, he first clarifies the fault of greed; from "The people, fathers, and sons of the world..." downward, he clarifies the fault of hatred; from "Such worldly people do not believe..." downward, he clarifies the fault of delusion. Under greed there are three [parts]: first, universally addressing worldly people to clarify the fault of greed; second, from "The noble and wealthy..." below, specifically addressing the wealthy and noble to clarify the fault of greed; third, from "The poor and destitute..." below, specifically addressing the poor and lowly to clarify the fault of greed. In the first part, "Worldly people are petty in their customs, disputing over non-urgent matters" clarifies that they have evil. This means that these worldly people are vulgar in their customs, contending together over non-urgent matters in the world. From "In the midst of this intense..." below, he reveals that they have suffering. In suffering there are three [aspects]: first, the suffering of seeking wealth; second, from "Having fields..." below, clarifying the suffering of guarding it; third, from "Unexpectedly, due to..." below, clarifying the suffering of loss and dissipation. In the first, the suffering of seeking: "In the midst of this intense suffering, laboring their bodies in affairs to sustain themselves" is seeking for oneself. "Without [distinction of] noble or lowly..." and so forth is seeking for others. "Without noble or lowly, without poor or wealthy" brings up those who are able to seek. "Young and old, men..." and so forth brings up those for whom it is done. Below, he clarifies that there is suffering. "Anxious together about wealth..." and so forth clarifies mental suffering. "Driven by their minds..." and so forth clarifies physical suffering. Under the suffering of guarding: "Having fields, they worry about fields; having houses, they worry about houses"—matters such as these specifically clarify its suffering. From "Pondering repeatedly..." below concludes it. Under the suffering of loss and dissipation: "Unexpectedly subjected to the impermanence of floods, fires, bandits..." and so forth clarifies the suffering of losing wealth. "Or in their circumstances being ruined..." and so forth clarifies the suffering of losing the body. Next, addressing the rich and noble to clarify the fault of greed, the text is clear and can be understood. In clarifying the fault of greed with respect to the poor and lowly, the text distinctively has three [parts]: first, the suffering of seeking wealth; second, from "Or sometimes in their circumstances..." below, clarifying the suffering of losing the body; third, from "Refusing to..." below, clarifying future suffering. In the suffering of seeking wealth, the text distinctively has five [aspects]: first, the suffering arising from worrying when currently lacking things; second, from "Just when they have one..." below, clarifying the suffering of insufficiency when having a little; third, from "Just when wishing to complete..." below, clarifying the suffering of loss when already having obtained things; fourth, from "Then they must seek again..." below, clarifying the suffering of failure to obtain when proceeding to seek; fifth, from "Also gathering various..." below, clarifying the sufferings of cold, heat, and so forth when pursuing [wealth]. These five combine to constitute the suffering of seeking wealth. The suffering of losing the body and future suffering are clear in the text and can be understood. In clarifying the fault of hatred, the text distinctively has three [parts]: first, exhorting with reason and teaching: "You should be affectionate and loving toward one another, without mutual jealousy, sharing what you have and do not have, not being greedy or stingy, speaking and appearing always harmonious, never contrary to one another"; second, from "Or when their minds contend..." below, broadly clarifying the fault of hatred; third, from "Why not abandon..." below, exhorting the cultivation of renunciation. In the second fault, there are three distinct types: first, clarifying the fault of future enmity and harm; second, from "When a person is in the world..." below, clarifying the fault of future evil destinies;