觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 4.3.4

4.3.4

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.