觀無量壽佛經義疏 3.174

3.174

「『是名上品下生者。是名上輩生想，名第十四觀。』」三品行相如上已明，今更重分，淺深有異。一臨終接引異，上生佛菩薩接、中生與千化佛接、下品下生五百化佛接。二所乘華座異，上生金剛臺、中生紫金臺、下生金蓮花。三見佛聞法異，上生到即見聞、中生經宿、下生七日至三七日。四花開異，上生已開、中生經宿、下生一日一夜。五證入異，上生到彼即證、中生一小劫、下生三小劫。尋文可見。第十五、中輩三品，此攝四果聲聞眾。經云「彼佛有無量無邊聲聞弟子，皆阿羅漢」等。問：彼國純一大乘清淨良伴，何有小乘聲聞耶？答：此土聲聞則有二種，一者定性，謂沈空滯寂取滅度者。《往生論》云「二乘種不生」，即此類也。二不定性，謂中間迴向。已經開顯，知常獲記，雖是聲聞，不住小果。《法華》真阿羅漢，《涅槃》出家菩薩淨土聲聞，即同此類。已聞大教發菩提心，但先學小乘，聞說苦空無常無我發其本習，先證小果，終歸大乘。此三品中，上生常持五、八、十、具四種戒行；中生亦持四戒，但一日一夜；下生孝養仁慈。上二專持佛戒，並有迴向願求；下一止依世教，故但臨終遇善。三階行別，故分高下。第十五、中輩，三：初、中品上生；二、中品中生；三、中品下生。初、中品上生，三：初、標；二、釋；三、結。初、標。

"‘This is named the lower birth of the higher grade. This is named the contemplation of the births of the higher class, named the fourteenth contemplation.’" The characteristics of practice of the three grades have been made clear above; now to distinguish them again, there are differences in shallowness and depth: First, difference in reception at the end of life: the higher birth is received by the Buddha and bodhisattvas; the middle birth is received with a thousand manifested Buddhas; the lower birth of the higher grade is received with five hundred manifested Buddhas. Second, difference in the flower-seats mounted: the higher birth is a vajra dais; the middle birth is a purple-gold dais; the lower birth is a golden lotus flower. Third, difference in seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma: the higher birth sees and hears upon arrival; the middle birth passes overnight; the lower birth takes seven days up to three times seven days. Fourth, difference in the flower opening: the higher birth is already open; the middle birth passes overnight; the lower birth takes one day and one night. Fifth, difference in realization and entry: the higher birth realizes upon arriving there; the middle birth takes one minor kalpa; the lower birth takes three minor kalpas. Examining the text, this can be seen. Fifteenth, the three grades of the middle class: this encompasses the four fruitions of the śrāvaka assembly. The sūtra says: "That Buddha has boundless and limitless śrāvaka disciples, all of whom are arhats," and so forth. Question: That land consists purely of Mahāyāna, pure and good companions; how could there be Hīnayāna śrāvakas? Answer: The śrāvakas of this land are of two kinds: first, those of fixed nature, meaning those who sink into emptiness and dwell in tranquility to take extinction. The Wang sheng lun says: "The seed of the two vehicles is not born [there]"—this refers to this category. Second, those of unfixed nature, meaning those who redirect [their minds] halfway. Having already experienced the revelation and knowing the permanent, they receive prediction; although they are śrāvakas, they do not abide in the lesser fruition. The true arhats of the Lotus Sūtra and the renunciant bodhisattvas and Pure Land śrāvakas of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra are of this same category. Having already heard the Great Teaching and generated the bodhi-mind, they previously learned the Hīnayāna; hearing the teaching of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self arouses their original habituation, so they first realize the lesser fruition and ultimately return to the Mahāyāna. Among these three grades: the higher birth constantly upholds the four kinds of moral precepts—the five, the eight, the ten, and the full [precepts]; the middle birth also upholds the four precepts, but only for one day and one night; the lower birth is filial, nourishing, humane, and compassionate. The upper two exclusively uphold the Buddha's precepts, and both have dedication and aspiration; the lower one merely relies on worldly teachings, and therefore only encounters a good friend at the end of life. Because the practices of the three steps differ, they are divided into higher and lower. Fifteenth, the middle class, in three parts: first, the higher birth of the middle grade; second, the middle birth of the middle grade; third, the lower birth of the middle grade. First, the higher birth of the middle grade, in three parts: first, stating; second, explaining; third, concluding. First, stating.