觀無量壽佛經疏 1.12

1.12

第一日觀。示令繫心。「佛告」下，略明繫念，總勸修觀。「云何」下，正明作日觀。「一切有目皆見日沒」下，舉所觀境。「當起想」下，正教觀察。「是為」下，結也。教令正觀，為除疑心。大本所明，以疑惑心修諸功德生彼國者，落在邊地，復受胎生。故作此觀，令除疑惑也。障者，大本言「唯除五逆誹謗正法」，故須作觀。五逆重罪，除六十劫生死罪等，下輩自論。

First is the contemplation of the sun, showing how to focus the mind. From "The Buddha addressed..." onwards, it briefly explains fixing the thought and generally encourages cultivating contemplation. From "How..." onwards, it directly explains performing the contemplation of the sun. From "All those with eyes see the setting sun" onwards, it presents the objective realm to be contemplated. From "You should give rise to the thought..." onwards, it directly instructs the observation. From "This is..." onwards, it concludes. Instructing them to contemplate correctly is to remove doubtful minds. As the Larger Sūtra explains, those who cultivate various merits with a doubtful mind and are born in that land fall into the border land and further receive birth in a womb. Therefore, performing this contemplation causes doubts to be eliminated. Regarding hindrances, the Larger Sūtra states: "Excepting only those who commit the five heinous sins and slander the correct Dharma"; therefore, one must perform contemplation. Regarding heavy sins of the five heinous deeds, eliminating the sins of birth and death for sixty kalpas and so on will be discussed below under the lower grade.