無量壽經連義述文贊 2.53

2.53

The sūtra says: from “Why is this?” to “and attains mastery.” The commentary states: This is the second part, revealing superiority through the cause. Concentration is cessation (śamatha), and wisdom is contemplation (vipaśyanā). “Exhaustively penetrated” means the sense of being thoroughly and completely unobstructed. “Limitless” is the term for being vast, far-reaching, and boundless. The reason the Tathāgata attains the five virtues of wisdom and the three marks of the body is that because wisdom is exhaustive, he attains the five virtues that were recollected; and because concentration is exhaustive, he attains the three marks that were manifested. Although the causes are numerous, the two practices of cessation and contemplation are the path to the Pure Land, and are what the myriad practices rely upon and what guides all practices. By speaking of these two practices, the rest are included. When these two causes are fulfilled, no virtue is not perfected; hence he attains mastery over all resultant dharmas, just as Sthiramati states: “attaining mastery over all dharmas.” Some say: Concentration and wisdom being exhaustively limitless is the practice of mastery of mind; attaining mastery over all dharmas is the practice of mastery of dharmas, because one skillfully enters all doors of the Dharma-realm and there is nothing one does not manifest. This is not correct. If attaining mastery over all dharmas were not the fruit, it would certainly not be mastery. The former explanation is better.