無量壽經連義述文贊 3.149

3.149

經曰「壽命終盡」至「痛不可言」者，述云：此後、釋燒也。有說：名言種子在賴耶神，業種引生必有趣向，故云名籍在神明，即違自許護世天神奏上帝釋記在惡籍故。今即壽命盡時惡業所引，鬼神促攝將入惡道，逐其名籍往受苦報。頓者至也，從者處也，得者依也。有說：天道者即天下之道。恐非也。苦報未必在天下故。今即天者業也，惡業之道故。《瑜伽》亦云「業天」，蓋同此矣。自然者，明了狀。蹉（千阿反）跌（徒結反），《通俗文》「失躡曰跌」，《廣雅》「差也，亦偃也」。業報運數終不參差故。即不違之義。

The sūtra says: 'When their lifespan comes to an end...' up to 'the pain is beyond words.' The commentary states: Afterwards, this explains the burning. There is an explanation: Nominal seeds (nāmasaṃjñā-bīja) reside in the consciousness of the ālaya-spirit; karmic seeds lead to birth and must have a destination; hence it says 'their names and registers are with the spiritual beings.' This contradicts the earlier acceptance that the world-protecting devas submit [the records] upward to Śakra to be recorded in the registry of evil. Now, when the lifespan ends, led by evil karma, ghosts and spirits urge and seize them to lead them into the evil destinies, following their names in the register to go and receive painful retribution. 'Dun' (頓) means to arrive; 'cong' (從) means place; 'de' (得) means to rely upon. There is an explanation: 'the path of heaven' (天道) is the path under heaven. This is feared to be incorrect, for painful retribution is not necessarily under heaven. Now, 'heaven' (天) means karma: it is the path of evil karma. The Yogācāra[-bhūmi] also speaks of 'karmic heaven,' which is presumably identical to this. 'Spontaneously' (自然) describes clear obviousness. 'Cuodie' (蹉跌, read as qian-a and tu-jie): the Tongsuwen says, 'Missing one's footing is called die (跌)'; the Guangya says, 'to err, also to fall prostrate.' Because the numerical progression of karmic retribution never errs or deviates, it has the sense of not being violated.