觀無量壽佛經疏 3.123

3.123

答曰：「此有三義。一明親緣。眾生起行，口常稱佛，佛即聞之；身常禮敬佛，佛即見之；心常念佛，佛即知之。眾生憶念佛者，佛亦憶念眾生，彼此三業不相捨離，故名親緣也。二明近緣。眾生願見佛，佛即應念現在目前，故名近緣也。三明增上緣。眾生稱念，即除多劫罪。命欲終時，佛與聖眾自來迎接。諸邪業繫無能礙者，故名增上緣也。自餘眾行，雖名是善，若比念佛者，全非比校也，是故諸經中處處廣讚念佛功能。如《無量壽經》四十八願中，唯明專念彌陀名號得生。又如《彌陀經》中，一日七日專念彌陀名號得生。又十方恒沙諸佛證，誠不虛也。又此經定散文中，唯標專念名號得生。此例非一也。廣顯念佛三昧竟。」

Answer: "This has three meanings. First, it explains the intimate condition (pratyaya). When sentient beings perform practice, their mouths constantly recite the Buddha's name, and the Buddha hears it; their bodies constantly pay homage to the Buddha, and the Buddha sees it; their minds constantly think of the Buddha, and the Buddha knows it. When sentient beings remember and recite the Buddha, the Buddha also remembers sentient beings; the three karmas of both do not abandon or part from each other; hence it is called the intimate condition. Second, it explains the close condition. When sentient beings wish to see the Buddha, the Buddha immediately responds to their thought and appears before their eyes; hence it is called the close condition. Third, it explains the sovereign condition (adhipati-pratyaya). When sentient beings recite [the name], it immediately eliminates the sins of many kalpas. When their lives are about to end, the Buddha and the assembly of sages personally come to welcome them. None of the bonds of evil karma can obstruct them; hence it is called the sovereign condition. All other various practices, although called good, if compared with recollecting the Buddha, simply cannot bear comparison at all. Therefore, throughout the sūtras, the efficacy of recollecting the Buddha is widely praised. For example, among the forty-eight vows in the Larger Sūtra, it solely explains that by exclusively recollecting the name of Amitābha one attains rebirth. Again, as in the Amitābha Sūtra, by exclusively recollecting the name of Amitābha for one day or seven days, one attains rebirth. Furthermore, the buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions bear witness that this is truly not false. Moreover, in both the meditative and non-meditative passages of this sūtra, it exclusively marks that by exclusively reciting the name one attains rebirth. Examples such as these are not just one. The extensive demonstration of the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha is concluded."