觀無量壽佛經疏 1.34

1.34

Next, to address the three kinds of persons of the lowest rank: various masters say that such persons are pṛthagjanas beginning to study the Great Vehicle, divided into three ranks according to the gravity of their transgressions, and since they do not yet have a stage on the path, it is difficult to distinguish their grades. We take this to be not so. Why? These three ranks of persons possess neither of the two kinds of good roots—the Buddha-Dharma or the worldly; they only know how to commit evil. How is this known? As the text below says regarding the lowest-upper rank: they merely do not commit the five heinous sins or slander the Dharma, yet all other evils they commit completely, devoid of shame or remorse. Even up to the time when their life is about to end, in a single thought-moment they meet a good spiritual friend who explains the Great Vehicle to them and instructs them to utter the Buddha's name once. At that time, Amitābha Buddha immediately sends transformed buddhas and bodhisattvas to welcome this person, and they immediately attain rebirth. Indeed, such evil persons are seen everywhere one looks. If they meet a good condition, they immediately attain rebirth. If they do not meet with goodness, they will certainly enter the three evil paths, with no way out.