無量壽經連義述文贊 3.180

3.180

經曰「彼國人民」至「亦皆自然」者，述云：此後、顯彼土失令厭令捨。有二：初、彰彼胎生之失；後、勸發脩捨之意。初又有四：此初、寄問彰彼胎生之果也。百由旬者，即下輩疑佛所生之宮。五百由旬者，即中輩疑智所止之宮。而帛謙經若中若下皆云二千里城者，蓋是略舉不盡之言。不爾，中下輩應無參差，故此文為勝。量之大小，思之可會。五百歲，即此方年數故。餘本皆云「於是間五百歲」也。

On the passage from the sūtra beginning "The people of that country" to "likewise all natural": the commentary states: This is the latter part, revealing the defects of that land to induce revulsion and abandonment. There are two parts: first, revealing the defects of womb-birth there; second, exhorting the intention to cultivate and abandon. The first has four parts: this first relies on a question to reveal the retribution of womb-birth there. One hundred yojanas is the palace where those of the lower grade who doubted the Buddha are born. Five hundred yojanas is the palace where those of the middle grade who doubted wisdom dwell. As for both Bai Yan's and Zhi Qian's sūtras stating a city of two thousand li for both the middle and lower grades, that is likely an incomplete, brief mention. If not so, there would be no distinction between the middle and lower grades, so this text is superior. The size of the measure can be understood upon reflection. Five hundred years is the count of years in this realm; therefore the other versions all state 'five hundred years in this realm'.