觀無量壽經義疏 1.8.4

1.8.4

In order to cause worldly people to know the hierarchy and distinctions of karma leading to rebirth [there], and to cultivate [it] and attain rebirth, he therefore encourages contemplation. Herein, first distinction is made through six sections, and afterwards the text is explained. The six sections are: first, determining the categories of persons; second, discerning their causes; third, clarifying the differences in seeing the Buddha at the time of departure; fourth, clarifying the distinctions at the time of arriving and being born there; fifth, demonstrating the differences in the benefits gained upon rebirth there; sixth, interpreting and reconciling the sūtras and treatises. First, regarding determining the persons: roughly divided, there are three; finely divided, there are nine. Regarding the rough division into three, they are called the superior, intermediate, and inferior. Among people of the Great Vehicle, those from the lineage-nature (gotra) and above are called the superior grade; among people of the Lesser Vehicle, from ordinary beings up to the noble ones, those who uphold the precepts without transgression are called the intermediate grade; among people of the Great Vehicle, external ordinary beings who have transgressions are called the inferior grade. Regarding the fine division into nine: the superior grade has three, namely, superior-superior, superior-intermediate, and superior-inferior. Among people of the Great Vehicle, those of the fourth bhūmi and above are called the superior-superior; upon rebirth there they immediately attain the forbearance of the non-arising of phenomena (anutpattikadharmakṣānti), which is the stage of non-arising. In actual truth, among them there are also those who attain non-arising after a long time, but the sūtra says "immediately attain" speaking in terms of the preeminent. Bodhisattvas of the first, second, and third bhūmis endowed with the forbearance of faith are called the superior-intermediate, because the sūtra explains that upon rebirth there, after passing one small kalpa, they attain non-arising. In actual truth, among them there are also those who attain it in two kalpas or three kalpas, but the sūtra says "one kalpa" speaking in terms of the proximate. Question: The Bodhisattvabhūmi (*Di chi) says that from the first bhūmi one must pass one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa before reaching the eighth bhūmi; why does this sūtra say that in one small kalpa one immediately attains non-arising? The explanation has three meanings: First, the temporal kalpas are different. As the Avataṃsaka states: "One kalpa in the Sahā world equals one day and one night of Amitāyus; one kalpa therein equals immeasurable, boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas of this Sahā world." The Bodhisattvabhūmi is based on this [Sahā reckoning], and therefore says one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa before reaching the eighth bhūmi. The Contemplation Sūtra speaks in terms of the long kalpas of that realm of Amitābha, and therefore says that in one kalpa one attains the forbearance of non-arising. Second, the points of departure differ. What the Bodhisattvabhūmi explains as one great asaṃkhyeya reaching the eighth bhūmi refers to departing from the first bhūmi. What the Contemplation Sūtra speaks of as passing one small kalpa to arrive at non-arising is said in terms of the culminating stage within the forbearance of faith; the culmination of the forbearance of faith is in the third bhūmi. If speaking in terms of the first bhūmi, it is not only in one kalpa that one can attain non-arising. Third, the stages arrived at are distinct. What the Bodhisattvabhūmi explains as one great asaṃkhyeya arrives at the eighth bhūmi; what the Contemplation Sūtra discusses as passing one small kalpa to attain non-arising arrives at the seventh bhūmi, because the initial attainment of non-arising is on the seventh bhūmi. Such is the superior-intermediate. Those of the lineage-nature (gotra) and the stage of resolute conduct (adhimukticaryābhūmi) are called the superior-inferior, because the sūtra explains that this person, after passing three small kalpas, attains the clarity of the hundred dharmas and arrives at the first bhūmi. Question: The Bodhisattvabhūmi says that from the lineage-nature, it takes one great asaṃkhyeya before reaching the first bhūmi; why does the Contemplation Sūtra say that after three small kalpas one already reaches the first bhūmi? Explanation: It is because the temporal kalpas are different. The Bodhisattvabhūmi is based on the short kalpas of this Sahā world, saying one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa before reaching the first bhūmi; the Contemplation Sūtra takes the long kalpas of that [realm of] Amitābha, and therefore says that in three kalpas one can reach the first bhūmi. Question: The Bodhisattvabhūmi says that from the lineage-nature to the first bhūmi one passes one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa, and from the first bhūmi to the eighth bhūmi one also passes one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa. Now why does this [sūtra] proclaim that the superior-intermediate passes one small kalpa and immediately attains non-arising, while proclaiming that the superior-inferior passes three small kalpas before reaching the first bhūmi? In actual truth they are equal, but they are presented with varying emphases. What was previously said—that the superior-intermediate passes one small kalpa to attain the forbearance of non-arising—is stated with reference to the final point of the forbearance of faith. What is said of the superior-inferior—passing three small kalpas to reach the first bhūmi—is stated with reference to the initial point of the forbearance of subduing [afflictions]. This is one variation of emphasis. Furthermore, what was previously proclaimed—passing one small kalpa to attain non-arising—is viewed with respect to the inception of non-arising on the seventh bhūmi, not reaching beyond it. What is said later—three kalpas to reach the first bhūmi—arrives beyond that stage. This is a second variation of emphasis. The demarcations of the three persons of the superior grade are roughly thus. The intermediate grade also has three, namely, intermediate-superior, intermediate-intermediate, and intermediate-inferior; what are their demarcations? Among people of the Lesser Vehicle, those of the prior three fruits are called the intermediate-superior, because upon rebirth there they immediately attain arhatship. In actual truth, among them there are also those who attain arhatship after a long time, but the sūtra says "immediately attain" speaking in terms of the preeminent. Question: Do arhats take rebirth or not? This sūtra does not say, because arhats do not take rebirth anymore. Question: Nāgārjuna says that arhats also take rebirth in the pure land, for his text states: "There is a marvelous pure land beyond the three realms, devoid of the name of afflictions; those arhats shall be born therein and hear the Lotus Sūtra." Why would they not take rebirth? The explanation has two meanings: First, it is explained in terms of the śrāvakas who are foolish regarding the Dharma. Clinging to the lesser and confused about the great is called 'foolish regarding the Dharma'; these persons foolish regarding the Dharma abandon their present aggregate-form without immediately receiving a body, entering the extinction without remainder for inconceivable kalpas; in the future, after nirvāṇa without remainder, when thought arises in their minds, only then do they receive a body in a pure land and hear the Dharma. Nāgārjuna speaks of being born in the pure land on the basis of the culmination, whereas this sūtra speaks on the basis of the inception, and therefore does not speak of being born [there]. Second, it is explained in terms of those who are not foolish regarding the Dharma. Among arhats, understanding the lesser and knowing the great is named 'not foolish regarding the Dharma'; when such persons die, they immediately receive a body in a pure land and hear the sūtra, but this does not apply to all. What does this mean? Lands have the coarse and the marvelous; coarse places mix the lesser, while marvelous places have only the great. Furthermore, coarse lands generally have ordinary beings of fragmented life-cycles reborn [there], whereas marvelous lands have only noble ones of transformationally-modified life-cycles. Amitābha's buddha-land is the coarse among pure lands; there are further marvelous lands, which this sūtra does not discuss, but the Avataṃsaka explains in detail. Those arhats who are not foolish regarding the Dharma, having exhausted the bond of attachment and single-mindedly seeking the great, are born in marvelous lands and are not born in coarse lands. Nāgārjuna relies on the marvelous, and therefore says that arhats shall be born in the pure land. Thus his text states: "There is a marvelous pure land beyond the three realms, devoid of the name of afflictions, where arhats shall be born." The Contemplation Sūtra relies on the coarse, and therefore does not speak of their being born [there]; for this reason, it speaks exclusively of persons of the prior three fruits as the intermediate-superior. Prior to the path of seeing, both internal and external ordinary beings who strictly uphold the pure precepts and seek liberation are called the intermediate-intermediate. For the sūtra says: "Reborn there, after seven days they hear the Dharma and attain srotāpanna; after half a kalpa, they attain arhatship." In actual truth, among them there are also those who hear the Dharma and attain the fruits after a long time, but the sūtra says "seven days" and "half a kalpa" speaking in terms of the preeminent. Worldly ordinary beings prior to the path of seeing who cultivate other worldly merit and seek liberation are called the intermediate-inferior, because the sūtra says: "Reborn there, after passing one small kalpa they attain arhatship." In actual truth, among them there are also those who attain arhatship after many kalpas, but the sūtra speaks in terms of the preeminent. The intermediate grade is thus.