觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 4.3.4

4.3.4

此諸眾生，生彼宮殿，壽五百歲，常不見佛、不聞法、不見僧。 於彼國土而受胎生。 」此人宿世無有智慧，疑惑所致，乃至生彼宮殿，無有一念惡事，但於五百歲中不見三寶。 「故作此觀令除疑惑」者，經云「不了佛智則生疑惑」，疏云「故作此觀令除疑惑」，即顯此觀能了佛智。 若其不用一心三觀觀落日者，則迷佛智，那名此觀能除疑惑？ 日觀既爾，餘觀例然，故知大師依乎佛智立今觀法。 然十六觀屬頓教故，原始要終皆用佛智。 若凡小善乃於臨終迴向佛智，作眾惡者須依佛智求滅罪障，此等亦名了於佛智不生疑惑。 既有乘種生彼，速得見佛聞法預於海眾，不生邊地及胎宮也。 二、「障者」下，滅障。 即五逆重罪也。 彼經散善力弱，故逆謗不生。 故彼經云「若有眾生聞其名字信心歡喜，乃至一念至心迴向願生彼國，即得往生，住不退轉； 唯除五逆誹謗正法。 」若依今經修正觀者，下至日想，即能滅除五逆重罪。 是知逆罪得生，必由修觀。 「下輩自論」者，下品下生觀云「除八十億劫生死之罪」，今言「六十」者，恐「六」字誤。 問：既用法界以為心境顯法界日，令閉目開目常得見日，即是觀行見法界理當中三品。 今何判位在名字初，屬下下品？ 答：理觀事定相，即修者心雖不二，事雜凡情，故未伏惑，事定可成。 理觀忘情，伏惑方發，故別惑初伏名觀行位見法界理，深伏乃名相似位見，分斷方得真見法界。 今之行者觀日觀氷及觀瑠璃，雖用法界心境而觀，而惑全未伏、凡情尚濃，方得名字見法界日，非觀行位。 作此判者，蓋約鈍根，於日等觀且得定心假想之益，故在名字也。 若利根者，法界日顯，便能圓伏及任運除二種麁惑，豈非日觀歷九品邪？ 問：今用理解想日現前，縱未斷惑事定已成。 據下經說「下下品人以苦逼故不遑念佛，但十念頃稱彼佛名」，心雖相續，終不可類見日定心。 因何同在第九品位？ 答：彼由造逆及作眾惡，臨終苦逼，得遇善友為說妙法。 雖不能念彼佛三身，怖地獄故，苦切稱名具足十念。 既絕後惡，即乘此念託彼蓮中，名下下品。 今論始行，樂習三昧親善知識，聞法了心本具淨土依正諸法，標心具修十六觀法，故先觀日令心堅住。 望後諸觀，此當末品。 彼人雖即不成事定，而能十念稱佛不散，亦為定攝，復兼臨終勇決之力，故得預於第九品也。 是故行相雖少不同，品位無別。 三、「是為」下，結。

these sentient beings will be born in the palaces there, with a lifespan of five hundred years, constantly not seeing the Buddha, not hearing the Dharma, and not seeing the Saṅgha. They receive womb-birth in that realm.' This person in past lives lacked wisdom, which was brought about by doubt, leading to being born in those palaces; without a single thought of evil deeds, they merely do not see the Three Jewels for five hundred years. 'Therefore, practicing this contemplation causes one to remove doubts': the sūtra says, 'Not comprehending the Buddha's wisdom, they give rise to doubt,' and the commentary says, 'Therefore, practicing this contemplation causes one to remove doubts'; this demonstrates that this contemplation can comprehend the Buddha's wisdom. If one does not employ the threefold contemplation in a single mind to contemplate the setting sun, one is deluded regarding the Buddha's wisdom; how could this contemplation then be called removing doubts? The contemplation of the sun being thus, the other contemplations are likewise by analogy; therefore we know that the Great Master established the present contemplation methods relying upon the Buddha's wisdom. However, because the sixteen contemplations belong to the sudden teaching, from beginning to end they all employ the Buddha's wisdom. If it is the ordinary or Hinayāna goods, they dedicate them to the Buddha's wisdom at the point of death; those who commit various evils must rely on the Buddha's wisdom to seek the eradication of sinful obstacles. These are also called comprehending the Buddha's wisdom and not giving rise to doubt. Since they possess the seed of the Vehicle, being born there, they quickly get to see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and participate in the oceanic assembly, not being born in the borderland or the womb palace. Second, from 'Those with obstacles' downward, eradicating obstacles. That is, the grave sin of the five heinous acts. In that sūtra, the power of scattered good deeds is weak; therefore, those guilty of the heinous acts and slander are not born. Hence that sūtra states: 'If there are sentient beings who, hearing his name, believe and rejoice, even for a single thought-moment, and with utmost sincerity dedicate it, aspiring to be born in that land, they immediately attain rebirth and dwell in non-retrogression; excluded only are those who commit the five heinous acts and slander the True Dharma.' If, relying on the present sūtra, one cultivates the correct contemplation, down to the visualization of the sun, one can eradicate the grave sins of the five heinous acts. Thus we know that those with heinous sins attaining rebirth must be through cultivating contemplation. 'The lower grades are discussed separately': the contemplation of the lowest birth of the lower grade states, 'eradicates the sins of birth and death of eighty koṭis of kalpas'; mentioning 'sixty' now is likely an error for the character 'six'. Question: Since one uses the dharmadhātu as mind and object to manifest the dharmadhātu sun, enabling one to see the sun constantly whether eyes are closed or open, this is the contemplation-practice stage seeing the dharmadhātu noumenon, which should correspond to the middle three grades. Why is its rank now judged to be at the beginning of the verbal stage, belonging to the lowest of the low grade? Answer: Phenomenal concentration and noumenal contemplation are mutually identical; although the practitioner's mind is non-dual, phenomena are mixed with ordinary sentiments, so delusions are not yet subdued, yet phenomenal concentration can be accomplished. Noumenal contemplation forgets sentiments, and only then is the subduing of delusions initiated; therefore, when the specific delusions are first subdued, it is named seeing the dharmadhātu noumenon at the contemplation-practice stage; when deeply subdued, it is named seeing at the stage of resemblance; when partially severed, one only then attains true seeing of the dharmadhātu. Today's practitioners, contemplating the sun, contemplating the ice, and contemplating the lapis lazuli, although contemplating with the mind and object of the dharmadhātu, delusions are wholly un-subdued and ordinary sentiments are still dense, so they only attain seeing the dharmadhātu sun at the verbal stage, not the contemplation-practice stage. Making this judgment is generally with respect to dull faculties, who merely attain the benefit of a concentrated mind and provisional visualization in the contemplation of the sun and so forth, and thus reside at the verbal stage. If one has sharp faculties, when the dharmadhātu sun is manifested, they are immediately able to subdue completely and naturally eliminate the two kinds of coarse delusions; would the contemplation of the sun not then span the nine grades? Question: Now, employing noumenal understanding to visualize the sun's presence, even if delusions are not severed, phenomenal concentration is already accomplished. According to the sūtra below, 'The person of the lowest of the low grade, being oppressed by suffering, has no leisure to practice buddhamanasikāra, but merely recites that Buddha's name for ten recitations.' Although the mind is continuous, it ultimately cannot be equated with the concentrated mind of seeing the sun. For what reason are they together in the ninth grade? Answer: That person, due to committing heinous acts and doing various evils, is oppressed by suffering at the end of life; encountering a good friend who explains the wondrous Dharma for them, although unable to be mindful of that Buddha's three bodies, because of terror of hell, they recite the name with desperate urgency, fully completing ten recitations. Since subsequent evils are cut off, they immediately mount this mindfulness to be lodged in that lotus, which is called the lowest of the low grade. Now we discuss the beginner who delights in practicing samādhi and being close to good spiritual friends, who hearing the Dharma understands that the mind fundamentally possesses all phenomena of the Pure Land's environment and self, and sets their mind to cultivate fully the sixteen contemplation methods; therefore, they first contemplate the sun to make the mind firm and stable. Viewed in contrast to the subsequent contemplations, this corresponds to the final grade. Although that person does not accomplish phenomenal concentration, being able to recite the Buddha's name for ten recitations without distraction is also subsumed under concentration; furthermore, combined with the power of resolute determination at the end of life, they therefore attain inclusion in the ninth grade. Therefore, although the marks of practice are slightly different, their grades are not distinct. Third, from 'This is' downward, conclusion.