觀無量壽佛經疏 1.44

1.44

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.