觀無量壽佛經疏 4.3

4.3

Now, concerning the three meritorious deeds: The first meritorious deed is the worldly roots of goodness. Having never heard the Buddha-Dharma before, one merely practices on one's own filial care, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness; hence it is called worldly goodness. The second meritorious deed is called the goodness of precepts. Within these precepts are human, deva, śrāvaka, and bodhisattva precepts, among which some receive them fully or not fully, and some uphold them fully or not fully; but if they can dedicate [the merit], all will attain rebirth. The third meritorious deed is called the goodness of practice. This refers to ordinary beings who give rise to the Mahāyāna mind, are personally able to perform practices while also exhorting those with karmic affinity, abandoning evil and guarding the mind, dedicating it to be reborn in the Pure Land.