觀無量壽佛經疏 1.11

1.11

「爾時世尊放眉間光」下，第二、正說。文為三：初明淨業、次辯妙觀、三利益。如來眉間有白毫相，猶如珂雪，長一丈五尺。毫有八楞，周圍五寸。其毫中空，右旋宛轉，如瑠璃筒。從此發光照無量國，還住佛頂變為金臺。廣現諸國，令韋提希樂生安養。初、放光酬前請於生處。次、「世尊微笑」下，酬前淨業近答。思惟正受三種淨業，散心思量名曰思惟，十六正觀說名正受。就初有二：第一、答其生處。「惟願」下，明見淨土，更請淨國之因。初、放光普示諸土。次、「或有」下，示土差別。「韋提」下，示生處。思惟是願，願思是業。正問其因。「正受」者，非邪曰正，領納名受，即第二問觀行。微笑中有二：初明三種淨業答思惟。「汝是凡夫」下，次明十六妙觀答正受。初業共凡夫、次共二乘、後是大乘不共之法。初淨業中有三：第一、明三種淨業。「告阿難」下，第二、歎其所問妙契佛心。從「阿難汝當受持」下，第三、略付阿難，令持獲利也。就初復三：初、明光照頻婆獲道。次、「世尊告韋提汝今知不」下，舉果勸修因。三、「欲生彼國者」下，明往生之因也。何以不直答其土因，而復放光微笑耶？解有二：初為次增道、次欲使王與夫人因光相見。王既覩光增道，知國非實，視死如眠。夫人見王無憂，觀法成果也。微笑如釋種被誅，如來光色益顯，正以如來善達因緣，業報無差對至叵避。王雖應死而獲道跡，夫人幽縶即是現淨土之緣，有此多緣，所以致笑也。「阿那含」者，第三不還果也。「去此不遠」者，安樂國土去此十萬億佛剎，一一剎恒沙世界，何言不遠？解云：以佛力故欲見即見。又光中現土顯於佛頂，一念能緣，言不遠也。第一「孝養父母奉事師長」，敬上接下，慈心行也。「修十善業」，是其止行，身除三邪、口離四過、意斷三惡也。第二「三歸」者，佛法僧也。在家戒亦即是十戒。「具足諸戒」者，道俗備受，微細不犯。「威儀」者，三千悉皆不缺也。第三「發菩提心」是願，起意趣向，名為發心。菩提是道，佛果圓通，說為菩提。「讀誦大乘」，明修解也。行能運通，說之為乘。餘二不及，是言大也。「佛告韋提：此三種業三世諸佛淨業正因」，是歎辭也。「諦聽諦聽善思念之」，諦聽令生聞慧，善思思慧念之修慧。「煩惱賊」者，此能損慧命、傷法身，故名為賊也。「即得無生忍」，是初住初地。《仁王經》說五忍：一伏、二信、三順、四無生、五寂滅。初明韋提見土之由。次一問答，明為未來眾生請見土之方法。「汝是凡夫」，彰其分齊，不能遠觀。韋提實大菩薩，此會即得無生忍，示同在凡夫。心想羸劣未得天眼，不能遠照見彼國土，有異方便令汝得見。「異方便」者，即十六觀。非直觀，名方便。「以佛力故見彼國」者，亦是方便也。「韋提白佛如我今者」下，為佛滅後眾生請也。濁者五濁，不善者十不善。「五苦」者，五道非樂，故云五苦。或是五惡五痛五燒。五惡，殺、盜、邪婬、妄語、飲酒，如《大經》現遭厄難，王法刑罰。是五痛也。五燒，即當來墮三途苦毒，名五燒。「云何當見阿彌陀極樂國土」，正為啟請。答中有十六觀：一日觀、二水觀、三地觀、四樹觀、五池觀、六總觀觀一切樓地池等、七華座觀、八佛菩薩像觀、九佛身觀、十觀音觀、十一勢至觀、十二普往生觀、十三雜明佛菩薩觀、十四上品生觀、十五中品生觀、十六下品生觀。就十六觀，分文為三，初六觀觀其依果，次七觀觀其正報，後三明三輩九品往生也。

From "At that time the World-Honoured One emitted a light from between his eyebrows" onwards is the second [major section], the main exposition. The text has three [parts]: first, explaining pure karma; next, distinguishing the wondrous contemplations; third, the benefits. Between the Tathāgata's eyebrows there is a white ūrṇā-lakṣaṇa, like cornelian or snow, one zhang and five chi in length. The hair has eight facets, and is five cun in circumference. Inside, the hair is hollow, curling to the right like a lapis lazuli tube. Emitting light from this, it illumined immeasurable lands, returned, rested upon the Buddha's crown, and transformed into a golden dais. Extensively displaying the lands, he caused Vaidehī to delight in being born in Anyang. First, emitting the light responds to her previous request regarding the place of birth. Next, from "The World-Honoured One smiled" onwards, he responds to the previous [inquiry on] pure karma, providing an immediate answer. Thinking and proper reception [refer to] the three kinds of pure karma: reflecting with a distracted mind is called "thinking", and the sixteen correct contemplations are called "proper reception". Concerning the first, there are two: first, answering about her place of birth; from "I only wish" onwards, explaining that having seen the pure lands, she further requests the cause for the pure lands. First, emitting light generally displays the various lands. Next, from "there were some" onwards, displaying the distinctions among the lands. From "Vaidehī" onwards, displaying the place of birth. Thinking is the vow, and vowed thinking is the karma; she specifically inquires about its cause. As for "proper reception", not being deviant is called "proper", and receiving and accepting is called "reception"; this is the second question, on contemplative practice. Within the smile there are two: first, explaining the three kinds of pure karma in response to "thinking"; from "You are a common mortal" onwards, next explaining the sixteen wondrous contemplations in response to "proper reception". The first karma is shared with common mortals; the next is shared with the two vehicles; the last is the uncommon dharma of the Mahāyāna. Within the first, pure karma, there are three: first, explaining the three kinds of pure karma; from "He addressed Ānanda" onwards, second, praising her question as wonderfully according with the Buddha's mind; from "Ānanda, you should accept and uphold" onwards, third, briefly entrusting it to Ānanda so that by upholding it they will attain benefit. Within the first there are again three: first, explaining that the light illumining Bimbisāra caused him to attain the path; next, from "The World-Honoured One addressed Vaidehī: 'Do you know now...'" onwards, presenting the result to encourage cultivating the cause; third, from "Those who wish to be born in that land" onwards, explaining the causes of rebirth. Why did he not directly answer about the cause of that land, but instead emitted light and smiled? The explanation has two [aspects]: first, sequentially to increase their realization of the path; next, wanting to cause the king and the consort to see each other by means of the light. Once the king saw the light and increased his realization of the path, he knew the kingdom was not real and viewed death as sleep. The consort, seeing that the king was free from sorrow, contemplated the Dharma and achieved the result. The smile was like [the occasion when] the Śākya clan was massacred and the Tathāgata's radiance and complexion became ever more radiant; precisely because the Tathāgata thoroughly penetrates causes and conditions, and karmic retribution does not err, so that when the retribution arrives it cannot be avoided. Although the king was due to die, he attained the traces of the path; the consort's imprisonment became the condition for manifesting the pure land. Because there were these many conditions, he smiled. "Anāgāmin" is the third [fruit], the fruit of non-returning. As for "not far from here": the Land of Peace and Bliss is a hundred thousand koṭis of Buddha-kṣetras away from here, each kṣetra having worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; why is it said to be "not far"? The explanation says: because of the Buddha's power, when one wishes to see it, one immediately sees it. Moreover, the lands manifested within the light were displayed atop the Buddha's crown; a single thought can take them as object, hence it is said to be not far. The first, "filially nourishing one's parents and serving teachers and elders", is respecting superiors and caring for subordinates, which is the practice of a compassionate mind. "Cultivating the ten good karmas" is the practice of cessation: ridding the body of the three evils, freeing speech from the four faults, and severing the three evils of mind. The second, "the three refuges", means Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. The lay precepts are also the ten precepts. "Being fully endowed with the precepts" means that monastics and laypersons completely receive them without violating even the subtle ones. "Comportments" means all three thousand are complete without deficiency. The third, "generating the bodhicitta", is the vow; giving rise to the intention to incline toward it is called "generating the aspiration". Bodhi is the path; the complete penetration of the Buddha-fruit is spoken of as bodhi. "Reading and reciting the Mahāyāna" explains cultivating understanding. Practice is able to transport and carry through, so it is called a vehicle. The other two [vehicles] cannot match it, hence it is called great. "The Buddha addressed Vaidehī: 'These three kinds of karma are the correct causes for the pure karma of the Buddhas of the three periods of time'" is words of praise. "Listen attentively, listen attentively, and reflect on it well": listening attentively causes the wisdom derived from hearing to arise; reflecting well is the wisdom derived from reflection; being mindful of it is the wisdom derived from cultivation. As for "the thieves of afflictions", these can damage the life of wisdom and harm the dharmakāya, hence they are called thieves. "Immediately attaining the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti)" corresponds to the first abodes or the first stage. The Renwang jing speaks of five acceptances: first, suppression; second, faith; third, compliance; fourth, non-arising; fifth, quietude. First, he explains the reason Vaidehī saw the land. Next is a question and answer, explaining her request for the method by which future sentient beings can see the land. "You are a common mortal" reveals her current status, being unable to contemplate from afar. Vaidehī was actually a great bodhisattva; in this assembly she immediately attained the acceptance of non-arising, [here] showing herself as identical to a common mortal. The thoughts of her mind were feeble and inferior and she had not yet attained the divine eye, so she could not illuminate afar to see that land; there are extraordinary expedients that will allow you to see it. "Extraordinary expedients" refers to the sixteen contemplations. Not being direct contemplation, they are called expedients. "By the Buddha's power, seeing that land" is also an expedient. From "Vaidehī said to the Buddha: 'Someone like myself now...'" onwards, she makes the request on behalf of sentient beings after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa. "Turbid" refers to the five turbidities; "unwholesome" refers to the ten unwholesome deeds. As for "five sufferings", the five destinies are not pleasant, hence they are called five sufferings. Or they are the five evils, five agonies, and five burnings. The five evils are killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and drinking liquor; as stated in the Great Sūtra, presently suffering disasters and punishments under the king's law are the five agonies. The five burnings are falling into the bitter poisons of the three evil paths in the future, called the five burnings. "How shall they see the Sukhāvatī land of Amitābha?" is the direct petition. In the response, there are sixteen contemplations: first, contemplation of the sun; second, contemplation of the water; third, contemplation of the ground; fourth, contemplation of the trees; fifth, contemplation of the ponds; sixth, comprehensive contemplation, contemplating all the towers, ground, ponds, and so forth; seventh, contemplation of the lotus throne; eighth, contemplation of the images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas; ninth, contemplation of the Buddha's body; tenth, contemplation of Avalokiteśvara; eleventh, contemplation of Mahāsthāmaprāpta; twelfth, contemplation of universal rebirth; thirteenth, miscellaneous contemplation of the Buddha and bodhisattvas; fourteenth, contemplation of birth of the upper grade; fifteenth, contemplation of birth of the middle grade; sixteenth, contemplation of birth of the lower grade. Regarding the sixteen contemplations, the text is divided into three: the first six contemplations contemplate its circumstantial retribution; the next seven contemplations contemplate its direct retribution; the last three explain the rebirth in three grades and nine classes.