觀無量壽佛經疏 1.56

1.56

答曰：「入不入義者，唯是諸佛境界。尚非三乘淺智所闚，豈況小凡輒能知也。雖然，必欲知者，敢引佛經以為明證。何者？如《大品經．涅槃非化品》中說云：『佛告須菩提：「於汝意云何，若有化人作化人，是化頗有實事不空者不？」須菩提言：「不也，世尊！」佛告須菩提：「色即是化，受想行識即是化，乃至一切種智即是化。」須菩提白佛言：「世尊！若世間法是化，出世間法亦是化。所謂四念處、四正勤、四如意足、五根、五力、七覺分、八聖道分、三解脫門，佛十力、四無所畏、四無礙智、十八不共法，并諸法果，及賢聖人，所謂須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛、菩薩摩訶薩、諸佛世尊，是法亦是化不？」佛告須菩提：「一切法皆是化。於是法中有聲聞法變化，有辟支佛法變化，有菩薩法變化，有諸佛法變化，有煩惱法變化，有業因緣法變化。以是因緣故，須菩提！一切法皆是化。」須菩提白佛言：「世尊！是諸煩惱斷，所謂須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果、辟支佛道，斷諸煩惱習，皆是變化不？」佛告須菩提：「若有法生滅相者皆是變化。」須菩提言：「世尊！何等法非變化？」佛言：「若法無生無滅是非變化。」須菩提言：「何等是不生不滅非變化？」佛言：「無誑相涅槃，是法非變化。世尊！如佛自說，諸法平等，非聲聞作，非辟支佛作，非諸菩薩摩訶薩作，非諸佛作，有佛無佛諸法性常空，性空即是涅槃。云何涅槃一法非如化？」佛告須菩提：「如是，如是！諸法平等，非聲聞所作乃至性空即是涅槃。若新發意菩薩聞是一切法皆畢竟性空乃至涅槃亦皆如化者，心則驚怖。為是新發意菩薩故，分別生滅者如化、不生不滅者不如化耶。」』今既以斯聖教驗知彌陀定是報也。縱使後入涅槃，其義無妨，諸有智者應知。」

I answer: The matter of entering or not entering is solely the realm of the buddhas. It is not something that the shallow wisdom of the three vehicles can fathom, much less something ordinary mortals can casually know! Nevertheless, if you must know, I venture to cite a buddha-sūtra as clear proof. What is it? As the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, in the chapter 'Nirvāṇa Is Not a Transformation', says: 'The Buddha addressed Subhūti: "What do you think? If a conjured person creates a conjured person, is this conjuration in any way real and non-empty?" Subhūti said: "No, World-Honoured One!" The Buddha addressed Subhūti: "Form is a conjuration; sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are conjurations; up to omniscience, all are conjurations." Subhūti addressed the Buddha: "World-Honoured One! If mundane dharmas are conjurations, are supramundane dharmas also conjurations? That is to say, the four stations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five spiritual faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of enlightenment, the eightfold noble path, the three doors of liberation, the Buddha's ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, together with the fruits of all dharmas, and the worthies and sages—namely the srotāpanna, sakṛdāgāmin, anāgāmin, arhat, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva-mahāsattva, and the buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones—are these dharmas also conjurations?" The Buddha addressed Subhūti: "All dharmas are conjurations. Among these dharmas, there are transformations of the śrāvaka dharmas, transformations of the pratyekabuddha dharmas, transformations of the bodhisattva dharmas, transformations of the buddhas' dharmas, transformations of the affliction dharmas, and transformations of the karma-and-conditioning dharmas. Because of these causes and conditions, Subhūti, all dharmas are conjurations." Subhūti addressed the Buddha: "World-Honoured One! Are the severing of these afflictions—namely the fruit of the srotāpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, and the path of the pratyekabuddha—and the severing of all affliction-habits, all transformations?" The Buddha addressed Subhūti: "Any dharma that has the characteristic of arising and ceasing is a transformation." Subhūti said: "World-Honoured One! What dharma is not a transformation?" The Buddha said: "If a dharma is without arising and without ceasing, this is not a transformation." Subhūti said: "What is unarisen, unceasing, and not a transformation?" The Buddha said: "Nirvāṇa, whose characteristic is undeceptive—this dharma is not a transformation. World-Honoured One! As the Buddha himself has said, all dharmas are equal; they are not made by śrāvakas, not made by pratyekabuddhas, not made by bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, and not made by buddhas; whether buddhas exist or do not exist, the nature of all dharmas is eternally empty, and emptiness of nature is nirvāṇa. How then is the single dharma of nirvāṇa not like a conjuration?" The Buddha addressed Subhūti: "So it is, so it is! All dharmas are equal, not made by śrāvakas... up to: the emptiness of nature is nirvāṇa. If newly resolved bodhisattvas hear that all these dharmas are ultimately empty by nature, up to nirvāṇa also being like a conjuration, their minds would be startled and terrified. It is for the sake of these newly resolved bodhisattvas that I distinguish that what arises and ceases is like a conjuration, while what is unarisen and unceasing is not like a conjuration."' Now, having verified by this sacred teaching, we know Amitābha is definitely saṃbhoga. Even if he later enters nirvāṇa, it poses no hindrance to this meaning, as the wise should understand.