觀無量壽佛經疏 1.44

1.44

二、論中說云：「如人唯由發願生安樂土」者，久來通論之家不會論意，錯引下品下生，十聲稱佛，與此相似，未即得生。如一金錢得成千者，多日乃得，非一日即得成千。十聲稱佛亦復如是，但與遠生作因，是故未即得生。噵佛直為當來凡夫，欲令捨惡稱佛，誑言噵生，實未得生，名作別時意者。何故《阿彌陀經》云：「佛告舍利弗：『若有善男子、善女人，聞說阿彌陀佛，即應執持名號，一日乃至七日，一心願生。命欲終時，阿彌陀佛與諸聖眾迎接往生。』次下十方各如恒河沙等諸佛各出廣長舌相，遍覆三千大千世界說誠實言：『汝等眾生，皆應信是一切諸佛所護念經。』」言護念者，即是上文一日乃至七日稱佛之名也。今既有斯聖教以為明證，未審今時一切行者，不知何意，凡小之論乃加信受，諸佛誠言返將妄語。苦哉奈劇，能出如此不忍之言。雖然，仰願一切欲往生知識等，善自思量。寧傷今世錯信佛語，不可執菩薩論以為指南。若依此執者，即是自失誤他也。

Second, the treatise says: 'Just as a person merely vows to be born in the Land of Peace and Bliss.' For a long time, commentators on the treatises have failed to comprehend the treatise's intent, mistakenly citing the lowest-lowest rebirth where ten utterances of the Buddha's name are likened to this, claiming one does not attain rebirth immediately. Just as one gold coin can become a thousand, but only after many days, not becoming a thousand in a single day—so too is calling upon the Buddha ten times: it merely serves as a cause for a distant rebirth, and therefore one does not attain rebirth immediately. They say that the Buddha was merely speaking for future pṛthagjanas, wanting them to abandon evil and call upon the Buddha, deceitfully saying they would be reborn, when in truth they do not attain rebirth immediately, designating this as 'the intent regarding a different time.' Why, then, does the Amitābha Sūtra state: 'The Buddha told Śāriputra: "If there is a good man or good woman who hears of Amitābha Buddha and upholds his name for one day or up to seven days, single-mindedly vowing to be reborn; when their life is about to end, Amitābha Buddha and all the holy assembly will welcome them to rebirth"'? Next, the buddhas of the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, each extend their broad and long tongue covering the trichiliocosm and speak true words: 'You sentient beings should all believe this sūtra protected and remembered by all buddhas.' To 'protect and remember' means to uphold the Buddha's name for one day up to seven days as mentioned above. Now that there is such sacred teaching as clear proof, we wonder why practitioners today, for reasons unknown, place faith in the treatises of ordinary and lesser men, yet treat the truthful words of all the buddhas as false speech instead! How bitter and extreme that they can utter such unbearable words! Even so, we respectfully hope that all good spiritual friends who wish to be reborn will carefully reflect on their own. It is better to err in this present life by misplacing faith in the Buddha's words than to cling to the treatises of bodhisattvas as one's compass. If one clings to such views, one will harm oneself and mislead others.