[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [觀無量壽佛經疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750) › 1.25 # 觀無量壽佛經疏 1.25 觀無量壽佛經疏 1.25 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1.25) 第十四上品生觀。此下三觀，觀往生人者。有二義：一、為令識三品往生，捨於中下，修習上品。二、為令識位之上中下，即是大本中三品也。釋會經論者，問：依《往生論》二乘不得生，此經中輩小乘得生。答：正處小行不生，要由垂終發大乘種，爾乃得生。經說現今，論舉本始。何故復證小果？釋：雖復垂終發大心，先多學小。至彼聞苦空無常，發其本解，先證小果。得小果已，於小不住，必還入大。問：《論》女人根缺不生，此經韋提希及五百侍女同皆往生。釋言：論說女人根缺不生者，就彼為言，生彼國者，淨根離欲故無女人身、根精上故無根缺。經語初往故，有善心一切得往。問：大本五逆謗法不得生，此經逆罪得生。釋：有兩義。約人，造罪有上有下。上根者，如世王造逆，必有重悔，令罪消薄，容使得生。下根人造逆，多無重悔，故不得生。二者約行。行有定散，觀佛三昧名定，修餘善業說以為散。散善力微，不能滅除五逆，不得往生，大本就此故言不生。此經明觀，故說得生。就三品中更為九，上品之人，始從習種，終至解行菩薩。中品者，從外凡十信已下。下品，即是今時悠悠凡夫。何以得知？上品見佛聞法便悟無生故，是道種人。下品備造四重眾罪亦得往生。類此似爾，上品位當道種，中品位當性種，下品位當習種。一、得道有遲疾；二、所乘有異。初則金剛臺，中紫金臺，下金蓮華。就初中，文為三：第一、標；第二、「若有眾生願生彼國」下，正釋；第三、從「是名」下，結。釋中復四：初、明修因；第二、從「生彼國時」下，明值緣；第三、從「行者見已」下，正明得生；第四、從「生彼國」下，生後利益。「至誠心」者，即實行眾生。至之言專，誠之言實。「深」者，佛果深高，以心往求，故云深心。亦從深理生，亦從厚樂善根生。故《十地經》言「入深廣心」，《涅槃經》云「根深難拔故言深心」。「六念」者，佛、法、僧、施、戒、天。六事安心不動，稱之為念也。「無生忍」，言登初地也。「陀羅尼」者，一、能持善，二、能遮惡，是總持也。上品中生者有三：第一、標；第二、釋；第三、結。釋中有四：初、往生因。第二、「行此」下，明值緣。第三、「行者自見」下，得生。第四、「行者身作紫磨金色」下，往生利益。「甚深第一義」者，謂諸法實相，言語道絕、心行處滅，名之深妙精進最稱第一。「阿耨不退轉」者，謂道種菩提，亦通是道種地不退位。「現前受記」者，四種受記一往現前也。上品下生中有三：初、標；第二、「亦信因果」下，釋；第三、「是名」下，結。釋中有四：第一、明往生之因；第二、「行者命欲終時」下，值緣；第三、「見此事時」下，得生；第四、「一日一夜」下，生後利益。「得百法明門」者，《地論》云「入百法明門，增長智慧，思惟種種法門義故。」「歡喜地」者，初證聖處，多生歡喜也。 > The fourteenth is the contemplation of birth of the upper grade. These three subsequent contemplations contemplate those who are reborn \[there\]. There are two meanings: first, to cause one to recognize the three grades of rebirth, so as to abandon the middle and lower \[grades\] and cultivate the upper grade; second, to cause one to recognize the upper, middle, and lower \[ranks\] of stages, which are the three grades in the larger text. > To explain and reconcile the sūtras and treatises: Question: According to the Treatise on Rebirth (\*Sukhāvatīvyūhopadeśa\*), those of the two vehicles cannot be reborn \[there\], but in this sūtra, the middle grade of the Small Vehicle attains rebirth. Answer: One who remains directly in Small \[Vehicle\] practice is not reborn; it is only through generating the Mahāyāna seed when approaching death that one is then able to attain rebirth. The sūtra speaks of the present; the treatise brings up the original beginning. Why do they still realize the lesser fruit? Explanation: Although when approaching death they generate the great mind, they previously studied the Small \[Vehicle\] extensively. Arriving there, upon hearing \[the teachings on\] suffering, emptiness, and impermanence, they awaken to their original understanding and first realize the lesser fruit. Having attained the lesser fruit, they do not abide in the lesser, but inevitably return and enter the Great. > Question: The Treatise says that women and those with defective sense-faculties are not reborn, yet in this sūtra Vaidehī and her five hundred female attendants all attain rebirth together. Explanation: The treatise's statement that women and those with defective sense-faculties are not reborn speaks in reference to that \[land\]. Those who are born in that land have pure sense-faculties and are free from desire, so they have no female bodies; their sense-faculties are refined and superior, so there are no defective sense-faculties. The sūtra speaks of initial going; therefore, if one possesses a wholesome mind, all may go. > Question: In the larger text, those who commit the five heinous sins and slander the Dharma cannot be reborn, yet in this sūtra, those who have committed heinous sins attain rebirth. Explanation: There are two meanings. In terms of persons, committing sins has superior and inferior \[degrees\]. Those of superior faculties, like King Ajātaśatru who committed a heinous sin, inevitably experience deep repentance, causing their sins to diminish and thin, tolerating that they are enabled to attain rebirth. People of inferior faculties who commit heinous sins mostly lack deep repentance; hence they cannot be reborn. Second is in terms of practice. Practices have the focused and the scattered: the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi is called focused, whereas cultivating other wholesome karmas is said to be scattered. The power of scattered wholesomeness is slight, unable to extinguish and eradicate the five heinous sins, so one cannot attain rebirth; the larger text, referring to this, therefore says they are not reborn. This sūtra explains contemplation; hence it says they attain rebirth. > Within the three grades, there are further nine. Persons of the upper grade range from the seed of practice (\*cāritragotra\*) at the beginning up to bodhisattvas of understanding and practice (\*adhimukticaryā-bhūmi\*). Those of the middle grade range from external worldlings of the ten faiths on down. The lower grade refers to the ordinary worldlings of the present day who drift along. How is this known? Because those of the upper grade, upon seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma, immediately awaken to anutpāda, they are people of the path-seed (\*mārgagotra\*). Those of the lower grade, even having fully committed the four grave offenses and manifold sins, also attain rebirth. Reasoning similarly, the rank of the upper grade corresponds to the path-seed; the rank of the middle grade corresponds to the nature-seed (\*prakṛtigotra\*); the rank of the lower grade corresponds to the practice-seed (\*cāritragotra\*). First, attaining the path has slowness and speed; second, the platforms mounted are different: the first is the vajra platform, the middle is the purple-gold platform, and the lower is the golden lotus flower. > Regarding the first \[grade\], the text has three parts: first, the heading; second, from "If there are sentient beings who vow to be born in that land" onward, the direct explanation; third, from "This is called" onward, the conclusion. Within the explanation there are further four parts: first, explaining the cultivation of causes; second, from "when born in that land" onward, explaining the encounter with conditions; third, from "having seen this, the practitioner" onward, directly explaining the attainment of rebirth; fourth, from "born in that land" onward, the benefits after birth. > "The mind of utmost sincerity" refers to sentient beings of true practice. "Utmost" speaks of exclusivity; "sincerity" speaks of truthfulness. Regarding "deep": the Buddha-fruit is deep and exalted; seeking it with the mind is called the "deep mind." It also arises from profound principle, and also arises from deep delight in wholesome roots. Thus the \*Daśabhūmika-sūtra\* says: "entering the deep and vast mind"; the \*Nirvāṇa Sūtra\* says: "Because the roots are deep and difficult to uproot, it is called the deep mind." > "Six mindfulnesses" refers to the Buddha, Dharma, Saṃgha, giving, precepts, and gods. Settling the mind unmovingly on these six matters is called mindfulness. "Patience of anutpāda" refers to ascending to the first bhūmi. "Dhāraṇī": first, being able to retain the wholesome; second, being able to block the unwholesome; this is total retention. > For the birth of the middle of the upper grade, there are three parts: first, the heading; second, the explanation; third, the conclusion. Within the explanation there are four parts: first, the causes of rebirth; second, from "practicing this" onward, explaining the encounter with conditions; third, from "the practitioner himself sees" onward, the attainment of rebirth; fourth, from "the practitioner's body becomes purple-burnished gold" onward, the benefits of rebirth. > "Profound supreme ultimate truth" refers to the true reality of all dharmas, where the path of speech is cut off and the workings of the mind are extinguished; it is called deep and wondrous, and vigorous exertion matches it as foremost. "Irreversibility toward anuttara" refers to the bodhi of the path-seed, and also generally refers to the non-retrogressing stage of the path-seed ground. "Receiving prediction face to face" means that one receives the prediction face to face once and for all among the four kinds of predictions. > In the birth of the lower of the upper grade, there are three parts: first, the heading; second, from "also believing in cause and effect" onward, the explanation; third, from "this is called" onward, the conclusion. Within the explanation there are four parts: first, explaining the causes of rebirth; second, from "when the practitioner's life is about to end" onward, encountering conditions; third, from "when seeing this matter" onward, the attainment of rebirth; fourth, from "one day and one night" onward, the benefits after birth. > "Attaining the gate of clarifying a hundred dharmas": the \*Daśabhūmika-śāstra\* says, "Entering the gate of clarifying a hundred dharmas increases wisdom, because one contemplates the meanings of various Dharma-gates." "Joyful Ground" refers to the initial realization of the place of the sages, where much joy arises. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1.24) - [Next: 1.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1.26) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750~en-mt.1.25) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1750.1.25) · Pramāṇa