無量壽經連義述文贊 3.179

3.179

經曰「爾時佛告」至「對曰已見」者，述云：此第五、彰彼失令求令捨。有二：此初、彰德令求。有三問答也。諸說淨土無天地異者，即違此文「從地以上至淨居天」。然帛延經云「即諸佛國中，從第一四天王，上至三十六天上，諸菩薩阿羅漢天人，皆復於虛空中大共作眾音伎樂」，下云則「第一四天王諸天人，第二忉利天上諸天人，第三天上諸天人，第四天上諸天人，第五天上諸天人，第六天上諸天人，第七梵天上諸天人，上至第十六天上諸天人，上至三十六天上諸天人」。支謙經亦云「即諸佛國中，從第一四天上至三十二天上諸天人」，後云「阿彌陀佛為諸菩薩阿羅漢說經。菩薩阿羅漢及諸天人民無央數，皆飛到阿彌陀佛所聞法歡喜。即第一四天王，第二忉利天，上至三十二天上諸天人，各持天上萬種自然之物來下，為阿彌陀佛作禮，供養佛及諸菩薩阿羅漢」。准此二經，諸世界中皆有三十六天及三十三天。雖復一本，譯家異故。依《密嚴經》有二十六天，謂六欲天、梵天有十、淨居有五、無色及有四無想天故。彼頌曰「欲色無色界，無想等天宮，佛超過彼已，而依密嚴住。」依《本業經》有二十八天，即欲界有六、禪各有四、淨居為一，不說無想，加大靜天及無色四也。依《華嚴經》有三十二天，謂六欲天、初禪有五、上三各四、淨居亦五，及四無色，不說無想故。總而言之，支謙本即同《華嚴》，故雖不說無想、大靜，有三十二。而帛延云三十六者，蓋是訛也。將其謙本撿帛延經，延經多訛故。雖有無色天，而依欲色住，更無別處故。今唯問乃至淨居所有莊嚴。雖有淨居天，而定性那含必不生淨土。而《密嚴》云「或生欲自在，及以色界天，乃至無想宮，阿迦尼吒處，空識無所有，非想非非想。如是諸地中，漸次除貪欲，住彼非究竟，尋來生密嚴」者，彼密嚴之土，既十地菩薩所生之處，故不相違。前文自云淨居諸天與阿加尼吒螺髻梵王同會一處，咸於此土佛及菩薩生希有心，故即知彼天生密嚴土，是菩薩也。傍論且止，應釋本文。

On the passage from the sūtra beginning "At that time the Buddha told" to "replied: I have already seen": the commentary states: This is the fifth part, manifesting the defects of that [birth] to cause them to seek and abandon. There are two parts: this first manifests the virtues to cause them to seek. There are three questions and answers. Those explanations claiming that in the Pure Land there is no distinction between earth and heavens contradict this text's statement, 'from the earth up to the Śuddhāvāsa Heavens'. However, Bai Yan's sūtra says: 'Within the Buddha lands, from the first, the Four Heavenly Kings, up to the thirty-sixth heaven, the bodhisattvas, arhats, gods, and humans all together make various musical performances in mid-air', and below it says, 'the gods of the first, the Four Heavenly Kings; the gods of the second, Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; the gods of the third heaven; the gods of the fourth heaven; the gods of the fifth heaven; the gods of the sixth heaven; the gods of the seventh, the Brahmā Heaven; up to the gods of the sixteenth heaven; up to the gods of the thirty-sixth heaven.' Zhi Qian's sūtra also says: 'Within the Buddha lands, from the first, the Four Heavens, up to the gods of the thirty-second heaven', and later says: 'The Buddha Amitāyus expounds the sūtras for the bodhisattvas and arhats. Innumerable bodhisattvas, arhats, gods, and people all fly to the Buddha Amitāyus' place, hear the Dharma, and rejoice. Then the gods of the first, the Four Heavenly Kings; the second, Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; up to the thirty-second heaven, each holding ten thousand kinds of natural celestial goods, descend to pay homage to Amitāyus and make offerings to the Buddha and the bodhisattvas and arhats.' Following these two sūtras, all worlds contain thirty-six and thirty-two heavens. Although they derive from one original, the translators differed. According to the Ghanavyūha Sūtra, there are twenty-six heavens: namely, the six heavens of the desire realm, ten of the Brahmā heavens, five Śuddhāvāsa heavens, four formless realms, and the Heaven of Non-conception. Its verse states: 'Above the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, / and the heavenly palaces such as that of Non-conception, / the Buddha has transcended them, / and dwells relying on Ghanavyūha.' According to the Benye jing, there are twenty-eight heavens: the desire realm has six, each of the [four] dhyānas has four, Śuddhāvāsa counts as one; it does not speak of Non-conception, but adds the Great Quiescence Heaven and the four formless realms. According to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, there are thirty-two heavens: namely, the six heavens of the desire realm, the first dhyāna has five, the upper three dhyānas each have four, Śuddhāvāsa also has five, and the four formless realms, without speaking of Non-conception. In summary, Zhi Qian's version agrees with the Avataṃsaka; thus, although it does not speak of Non-conception and Great Quiescence, it has thirty-two. Bai Yan's statement of thirty-six is likely an error. Examining Bai Yan's sūtra against Zhi Qian's version, Yan's sūtra has many errors. Although there are formless heavens, they dwell relying on the realms of desire and form, with no separate place. Here it only asks about the adornments up to the Śuddhāvāsa. Although there are Śuddhāvāsa Heavens, ananāgāmins of fixed nature definitely do not take birth in the Pure Land. Yet the Ghanavyūha states: 'Or they are born in Vaśavartin / and the heavens of the form realm, / up to the Palace of Non-conception, / the station of Akaniṣṭha, / [the realms of] Space, Consciousness, Nothingness, / Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception. / In these various stages / they gradually eliminate greed and desire; / dwelling there is not ultimate, / and soon they come to be born in Ghanavyūha.' That land of Ghanavyūha is the place where tenth-stage bodhisattvas are born, so there is no contradiction. The previous text itself says that the gods of Śuddhāvāsa and the Brahmā king Śikhin of Akaniṣṭha assemble in one place, and all give rise to a rare and wondrous mind toward the Buddha and bodhisattvas of this land; thus we know that those gods born in the land of Ghanavyūha are bodhisattvas. Leaving aside this digression, we should explain the text proper.