無量壽經連義述文贊 3.86

3.86

經曰「何不力為」至「昇道無窮極」者，述云：第二、正勸往生。有二：此初、直勸往生也。何不力為善者，勸脩往生之因。力者盡力。人聖國妙，詎不盡力作善願生故。又力者力勵。道之自然者，脩所得之利。因善既成，不自獲果，故云念自然。唯能念道行德著，不簡貴賤皆得往生，故云著於無上下。念字長讀，流至此故。有說：洞達者，洞解了達。無邊際者，實相。非三際可尋故。實相既是淨土之本，往生者要須窮其原，故須解達。非也。窮實相之原，非凡夫所能，往生淨土唯應聖故。今即得生彼土，神智洞達無有邊際故。去者，棄棄穢土故。有說：五惡道者，三途非天及以女人，女人是惡趣本故。又下文五惡，即名五道。非也。無有處說名女人趣故。五惡是因，不可言趣故。今即人天雖名善趣，對於淨土亦名惡道，云五惡道。在此穢土先斷見惑，離三途因果，後斷修惑，絕人天因果。若生淨土，五道頓捨，故云橫截。截者其果，自閉其因，獲道深廣，故無窮極。

On the passage in the sūtra from "Why do you not strive" to "ascending the path without limit?": The commentary states: The second part directly exhorts rebirth. It has two parts: this first directly exhorts rebirth. "Why do you not strive to do good?" exhorts the cultivation of the cause of rebirth. "Strive" (li) means to exert one's strength. Since the persons are holy and the land is wondrous, how could one not exert one's strength to do good and vow to be reborn there? Moreover, "strive" means to make vigorous effort. "The spontaneous nature of the path" refers to the benefit attained through cultivation. When the causal good is accomplished, does one not spontaneously obtain the fruit? Thus it says "mindfulness of the spontaneous." If only one can be mindful of the path and manifest virtue, without distinguishing noble from lowly, all can attain rebirth; hence it says "manifesting beyond high or low." The word "mindful" (nian) is read through to extend its sense down to here. Some say: "Thoroughly comprehending" means thoroughly understanding and penetrating. "Without boundaries" refers to the true nature of reality, which cannot be traced across the three temporal boundaries. Since the true nature of reality is the root of the Pure Land, those who seek rebirth must fathom its source, and therefore they must understand and penetrate it. This is incorrect. Fathoming the source of the true nature of reality is not something an ordinary being can do; rebirth in the Pure Land would then apply only to the holy. Here it means that once reborn in that land, one's spiritual wisdom thoroughly comprehends without any boundary. "To go" means to abandon the impure land. Some say: The five evil destinies are the three wretched destinies, asuras, and women, because women are the root of evil destinies. Moreover, the five evils below are named the five destinies. This is incorrect. Nowhere is there mention of a "destiny of women." The five evils are causes and cannot be called destinies. Here it means that although humans and devas are called wholesome destinies, in contrast to the Pure Land they are also called evil destinies; hence they are called the "five evil destinies." In this impure land, one first cuts off the delusions of view, departing from the causes and fruits of the three wretched paths, and later cuts off the delusions of cultivation, severing the causes and fruits of humans and devas. If one is reborn in the Pure Land, the five destinies are abandoned all at once; hence it says "cutting across." "Cutting across" cuts off their fruits and spontaneously closes their causes; and the path obtained is deep and vast, hence "without limit."