觀無量壽佛經義疏 1.7

1.7

Second, a specific account of the emergence of this sūtra's teaching. Vaidehī's capacity was triggered and the conditions for the Pure Land arose; thus Ajātaśatru openly committed rebellious harm and imprisoned his parents in bitter grief and distress, so that she gazed toward Gṛdhrakūṭa from afar, requesting the Buddha and seeking rescue. With great compassion and pity, [the Buddha] immediately went to the dark palace. First he set forth the three pure blessings to serve as conditions for mutual aid, and later he taught the sixteen wondrous contemplations to directly demonstrate the technique of attaining rebirth. Now, summarizing the various passages, I briefly set forth ten intentions. First, out of pity for sentient beings who endure numerous sufferings without means of escape. The sūtra says: 'If, after the Buddha's extinction, sentient beings are oppressed by the turbid, evil, unwholesome five sufferings,' and so forth. It also says: 'For all the great assembly of future ages who wish to escape suffering, I teach this method of contemplating the ground.' Second, out of pity for sentient beings bound by karma without means of liberation. As a subsequent passage of the sūtra says: 'It eradicates the heavy sins of birth-and-death of immeasurable kotis of kalpas, of eighty kotis of kalpas,' and so forth. Third, out of pity for sentient beings whose affliction-hindrances are heavy and cannot be severed. The sūtra says: 'The Tathāgata now teaches pure karma for all sentient beings of future ages who are harmed by the thieves of afflictions.' Fourth, out of pity for sentient beings whose blessings and virtue are shallow and who suffer poverty. The sūtra says: 'Merely conceiving the Buddha's image yields immeasurable blessings, how much more so contemplating the Buddha's complete physical marks!' It also says: 'For such a bodhisattva, merely hearing his name brings immeasurable blessings, how much more so viewing him attentively!' Fifth, out of pity for sentient beings who follow the heterodox and turn their backs on the correct, being far removed from the Buddha. The sūtra says: 'If one is mindful of the Buddha, one will sit in the bodhimanda and be born into the house of the Buddhas,' and so forth. Sixth, to cause sentient beings to abandon defiled attachments and dwell in a pure realm. The sūtra says: 'If one is mindful of the Buddha, one should know that this person is a puṇḍarīka among humans.' Seventh, to cause sentient beings' minds to easily attain samādhi. The sūtra says: 'One should single-mindedly fix one's mindfulness on a single place and think of the Western direction; for if one does not fix upon a single direction, samādhi is difficult to achieve.' Eighth, to enable one to achieve the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi in this very body. Ninth, to enable one to see the Buddha Amitāyus in this very body (both of these are in the sūtra text below). Tenth, to cause sentient beings to quickly attain Buddhahood. Below it says: 'When the mind conceives the Buddha, this mind is itself the thirty-two marks,' and so forth; which corresponds to the Amitābha Sūtra's statement: 'Those born in that land all attain non-retrogression toward anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.' The Buddha's intent is profound and subtle, beyond the measure of worldly sentiments. By using these ten intentions to outline the general course, the emergence and significance of this entire sūtra will be as clear as pointing to the palm of one's hand.