阿彌陀經疏 1.196

1.196

經曰：「其佛壽命及其人民無量無邊阿僧祇劫，故名阿彌陀」，次釋第二答壽命無量故名阿彌陀。《無量壽經》云：彼佛壽命長久不可稱計，假使十方世界無量眾生皆成阿羅漢，共盡思惟百千萬劫不知壽限，菩薩天人壽命亦爾。《清淨覺經》云：阿彌陀佛欲令十方一切有情之類皆生其國、悉至于泥洹，若諸作菩薩者皆欲令悉作佛，作佛已更轉教十方眾生之類得作佛，作佛已復教一切眾生悉至泥洹，是故菩薩壽命無量。《十住婆沙》云：壽謂受業報因緣，故得命根相續，一期得住故名壽命。《大品經》云：量不可得名無量，邊不可得名無邊。《大法炬陀羅尼經》云：不可算數故名無量，不可窮其際限故名無邊。《智度論》云：阿之言無，僧祇言數，劫言時也，謂無數時。《攝論》云：不可數有二：一、阿僧祇劫，謂年月歲數不可數，菩薩修道以此是小劫；二、劫阿僧祇，謂菩薩修道以劫為量，此劫又不可數，故名劫阿僧祇，此是大劫。今阿彌陀壽劫者，是年歲阿僧祇也，其劫義如別章。人聞彼佛壽越僧祇，未知作佛已來于今久近？若久則恐臨滅度，雖十念而難逢；近則固未涅槃，終百年而可望。良有斯問，故下答云。

The sūtra says: "The lifespan of that Buddha and his people lasts for immeasurable, boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas; therefore he is named Amitābha." Next, this explains the second answer, that he is named Amitābha because of immeasurable lifespan. The *Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra* says: That Buddha's lifespan is long and cannot be calculated. Even if immeasurable sentient beings in the worlds of the ten directions all became arhats and together exhausted their thoughts for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, they could not know the limit of his lifespan; the lifespan of the bodhisattvas, devas, and humans is also like this. The *Sūtra of Pure Enlightenment* says: Amitābha Buddha wishes to cause all types of sentient beings in the ten directions to be born in his land and all reach nirvāṇa; if there are those who act as bodhisattvas, he wishes to cause them all to become Buddhas; having become Buddhas, they in turn teach the classes of sentient beings in the ten directions so they can become Buddhas; having become Buddhas, they again teach all sentient beings to all reach nirvāṇa; therefore, the lifespan of the bodhisattvas is immeasurable. The *Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā* says: 'Lifespan' means receiving the causes and conditions of karmic retribution, thereby obtaining the continuation of the life-faculty; sustaining it for one period is therefore called lifespan. The *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: What cannot be measured is called immeasurable; what has no boundaries is called boundless. The *Mahādharma-ulkā-dhāraṇī Sūtra* says: Because it cannot be calculated, it is called immeasurable; because its limits cannot be exhausted, it is called boundless. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'A' means without, 'saṃkhyeya' means number, and 'kalpa' means time, referring to a countless time. The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* says: Incalculability is of two kinds: first, an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas, meaning that the number of months and years is incalculable, which bodhisattvas use to practice the Path—this is a small kalpa; second, a kalpa of asaṃkhyeyas, meaning that bodhisattvas use kalpas as a measure in practicing the Path, and these kalpas are again incalculable, hence called a kalpa of asaṃkhyeyas—this is a great kalpa. Here, Amitābha's lifespan kalpas are asaṃkhyeyas of years; the meaning of kalpa is as explained in a separate chapter. When people hear that that Buddha's lifespan exceeds an asaṃkhyeya, they do not know whether it has been long or recent since he became a Buddha until now. If it has been long, they fear he is approaching extinction, and though one might have ten recitations, it would be hard to meet him; if it has been recent, then he has certainly not entered nirvāṇa, and within the end of a hundred years one may hope [to see him]. Truly because there is such a question, the text below answers it.