阿彌陀經疏 1.219

1.219

經曰：「善男子、善女人！聞說阿彌陀佛執持名號，若一日乃至七日，一心不亂」，次明第二陳多行也。《優婆塞戒經》云：若受三歸名近住男女，兼受一戒乃至五戒不作惡業，故名之為善，即修行人。聞說阿彌陀佛者，所修行也；執持名號，誦念無忘也；若一日等者，行所經時也；一心不亂者，專注無散也。故《十住毘婆沙》云：一心者用意，即是念佛。《念佛三昧經》云：此是諸佛要法，二乘所無。《占察經》、《文殊般若》竝云：若人欲生他方現在淨妙國土，應當隨彼國土佛名一心誦念，願往生者必得往生。《觀佛三昧經》云：此念佛三昧欲成就，有五因緣：一、持戒不犯；二、不起邪見；三、不憍慢；四、不恚不嫉；五、勇健精進。《鼓音經》云：令念彼佛名，十日十夜六時禮拜。《賢護經》云：能持戒者，專念阿彌陀佛，七日即得往生。《清淨平等覺經》及《大阿彌陀經》竝說三輩得生：一、上品者，捨家業棄俗，行作沙門修無為道，奉行菩薩六度修戒忍慈，專念彼願生；彼佛不捨，其人現身眠夢，得見彼佛菩薩聲聞。若命終時，彼佛菩薩必親自來迎，於七寶池中蓮華臺上化生，受身長大即作阿惟越致菩薩，與諸菩薩飛行十方，供佛聽法。二、中品者，是人在家不捨妻子，常持經戒，至誠忠信飲食沙門，作佛造寺起塔，燒香散華然燈懸繒幡蓋，行慈斷欲，願生彼國，一日一夜念佛不斷，其人現在亦夢見彼佛。若臨終時，彼佛更化作佛來迎，即得往生寶池華上。若人雖念彼佛及願往生，然狐疑不信，是人終時亦遣化佛來迎現其人前。彼人見佛心生慚愧悔昔疑惑，亦願往生。雖至彼國，不得到於佛所，彼邊界七寶城中歡喜便止，即於彼城寶池華上化生，於五百歲不見佛不聞法不見僧，彼名聖胎生。故《成實論》云：如經所說，輕心布施，生於邊地受少果報。是知念彼佛者疑心亦然。所生之城縱橫二千里，舍宅園林床衣皆眾寶所成，百味飲食應念而生，所受快樂如忉利天，然不得出彼城，但時時見佛光明。以不見聞三寶故心生惱恨，經五百歲已乃得出城，至於佛所見佛菩薩，雖得聞法心不開解，亦不得在彼菩薩比丘僧眾中聽法，以去所居舍宅遠故，又不能令舍宅在空隨身來去。久久已後亦得如彼上品。其下品者無一切功德，但一心念彼佛願得往生，晝夜不絕經於十日是人亦生。若其狐疑亦如前說，復過五百歲得出城見佛，於舍宅去佛亦遠。又彼經云：當作十種善業：一、不殺；二、不盜；三、不邪婬；四、不調欺；五、不飲酒食肉；六、不兩舌；七、不惡口；八、不妄語；九、不嫉妬；十、不貪欲、不慳惜、不瞋怒、不愚癡、不隨心嗜欲、不中悔、不狐疑，常孝順忠信，能善奉戒持齋，勿共婦人同床，斷愛欲心專念彼佛，經一日一夜乃至十日十夜不絕，必得往生。若《觀經》云：當修三行：一、孝養父母奉仕師長，慈心不殺修十善業；二、受持三歸，具足眾戒不犯威儀；三、發菩提心深信因果，讀誦大乘勸進行者。修此三業亦得往生。又九品修行皆得往生，如彼經說。若《無量壽論》修五念門成就亦得往生：一、禮拜門，謂身業禮拜；二、讚嘆門，謂口業讚嘆也；三、發願門，心常願往生；四、觀察門，以智慧觀察彼國佛及菩薩故；五、迴向門，不捨一切苦惱眾生故。《無量壽經》云：設我得佛，十方眾生至心信樂欲生我國，乃至十念，若不生者不取正覺，唯除五逆誹謗正法。又《法華經》云：若人得聞藥王菩薩品願生西方，亦得往生。《藥師經》云：念藥師如來，亦得生於西方極樂。《涅槃經》云：曠路造作井，橋梁樹蔭僧房佛塔，回願往生悉得生彼。

The sūtra says: “Good men and good women, if you hear Amitābha Buddha mentioned and uphold his name, whether for one day … or up to seven days, single-mindedly and without distraction”—next, this clarifies the second [point], setting forth the manifold practices. The *Upāsakaśīla Sūtra* says: If one receives the three refuges, one is called an upasaka/upasika layman or laywoman; if in addition one receives one precept or up to five precepts and commits no evil karma, one is therefore termed 'good'—that is, a practitioner. 'Hearing Amitābha Buddha mentioned' is the practice that is cultivated. 'Upholding the name' means reciting and recollecting without forgetfulness. 'Whether for one day', and so forth, is the time elapsed in the practice. 'Single-mindedly and without distraction' means concentrated without scatteredness. Therefore, the *Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā* says: “Single-mindedness means employing the mind; that is just mindfulness of the Buddha.” The *Buddha-anusmṛti-samādhi Sūtra* says: “This is an essential teaching of all Buddhas, not possessed by the two vehicles.” The *Divination Sūtra* and the *Mañjuśrī-prajñā* both say: If a person wishes to be born in the present, pure, and exquisite lands of other directions, they should single-mindedly recite the name of the Buddha of that land in accordance with it; those who vow to be reborn will certainly attain rebirth. The *Buddha-dhyāna-samādhi-sāgara Sūtra* says: If one wishes to accomplish this Buddha-remembrance samādhi, there are five causes and conditions: first, keeping the precepts without violation; second, not giving rise to wrong views; third, not being arrogant; fourth, not being angry or envious; fifth, being heroic and vigorous. The *Dundubhī-svara-rāja Sūtra* says: “Cause them to be mindful of that Buddha’s name, bowing six times [a day] for ten days and ten nights.” The *Bhadrapāla Sūtra* says: “One who can maintain the precepts, exclusively mindful of Amitābha Buddha, will attain rebirth in seven days.” The *Qingjing pingdeng jue jing* and the *Larger Amitābha Sūtra* both speak of three grades attaining rebirth. First, the superior grade: one abandons the household livelihood, casts off the secular world, goes forth to become a śramaṇa and cultivate the unconditioned Path, practices the bodhisattva’s six perfections, cultivates precepts, forbearance, and compassion, and exclusively focuses on that [Buddha] with the vow to be reborn. That Buddha does not abandon them; in this very life, while asleep and dreaming, that person is able to see that Buddha, bodhisattvas, and śrāvakas. When their life comes to an end, that Buddha and the bodhisattvas will certainly come in person to welcome them; they are born by transformation upon a lotus pedestal within the seven-jewel pond, their body receiving a tall and vast form, and immediately become an avaivartika bodhisattva, flying to the ten directions with all the bodhisattvas to make offerings to the Buddhas and listen to the Dharma. Second, the middle grade: this person remains at home and does not abandon wife and children, constantly upholds the sūtras and precepts, is utterly sincere, loyal, and trustworthy, provides food and drink to śramaṇas, makes Buddha images, builds monasteries, erects stūpas, burns incense, scatters flowers, lights lamps, hangs silk banners and canopies, practices compassion and severs desire, vows to be born in that land, and is mindful of the Buddha without interruption for one day and one night; this person in the present also sees that Buddha in dreams. When approaching the end of life, that Buddha further transforms into a Buddha who comes to welcome them, and they immediately attain rebirth upon a flower in the jeweled pond. If a person, though mindful of that Buddha and vowing to be reborn, nonetheless harbors doubts and does not believe, when this person dies [the Buddha] also dispatches a transformation Buddha to come and appear before them to welcome them. Seeing the Buddha, that person generates shame in their mind and repents of their former doubt, also vowing to be reborn. Although they reach that land, they cannot reach the place of the Buddha; in the seven-jewel city on that border, they rejoice and then halt, immediately born by transformation upon a flower in the jeweled pond of that city; for five hundred years they do not see the Buddha, do not hear the Dharma, and do not see the Saṅgha; this is called birth in a holy womb. Therefore, the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra* says: “As the sūtra explains, giving with a slight mind leads to birth in a borderland where one receives a small retribution.” Thus we know that those who are mindful of that Buddha with a doubting mind are also like this. The city in which they are born is two thousand li square; its dwellings, gardens, groves, beds, and clothing are all made of numerous jewels; delicacies of a hundred flavors appear in response to thought; the pleasure enjoyed is like that of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Yet they cannot leave that city, only seeing the Buddha's light from time to time. Because they do not see or hear the Three Jewels, resentment and sorrow arise in their minds; only after five hundred years have passed are they able to leave the city, go to the Buddha's place, and see the Buddha and bodhisattvas; although they get to hear the Dharma, their minds are not opened or awakened, nor can they listen to the Dharma among that assembly of bodhisattvas and bhikṣu saṅghas, because it is far from the dwellings where they reside, and also because they cannot cause their dwellings to accompany their bodies in the air coming and going. Long after, they also come to be like those of the superior grade. As for those of the inferior grade, they possess no merits whatsoever, but merely single-mindedly recollect that Buddha and vow to attain rebirth, day and night without interruption for ten days—this person will also be born. If they harbored doubts, it is also as explained above: after five hundred years they are able to leave the city to see the Buddha, yet their dwellings remain far from the Buddha. Moreover, that sūtra says: One should perform ten kinds of wholesome karma: first, not killing; second, not stealing; third, not committing sexual misconduct; fourth, not cheating or deceit; fifth, not drinking alcohol or eating meat; sixth, no double-tongued speech; seventh, no harsh speech; eighth, no false speech; ninth, no envy; tenth, no greed, no stinginess, no anger, no delusion, not following the desires of one’s mind, no repenting halfway, and no doubting; always being filial, loyal, and trustworthy, ably observing the precepts and keeping the fasts, not sharing a bed with a woman, severing the mind of attachment and lust, and exclusively recollecting that Buddha, continuously for one day and one night up to ten days and ten nights—they will certainly attain rebirth. If according to the *Contemplation Sūtra*, one should cultivate three practices: first, filially supporting one's parents, serving teachers and elders, having a compassionate mind without killing, and cultivating the ten wholesome karmas; second, receiving and upholding the three refuges, being fully endowed with all the precepts, and not violating the deportments; third, generating the bodhicitta, having deep faith in cause and effect, reading and reciting the Mahāyāna, and encouraging practitioners to advance. Cultivating these three karmas, one also attains rebirth. Furthermore, cultivating the nine grades, all attain rebirth, as that sūtra explains. If according to the *Treatise on the Sūtra of Limitless Life*, by accomplishing the cultivation of the five gates of mindfulness one also attains rebirth: first, the gate of worship, meaning worship through bodily karma; second, the gate of praise, meaning praise through verbal karma; third, the gate of making vows, where the mind constantly vows to be reborn; fourth, the gate of observation, because one observes with wisdom the Buddha and bodhisattvas of that land; fifth, the gate of dedication, because one does not abandon any suffering sentient beings. The *Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra* says: “If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the ten directions with sincere faith and desire to be born in my land, even down to ten recitations, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect awakening—excepting only those who commit the five heinous sins and slander the true Dharma.” Moreover, the *Lotus Sūtra* says: If a person hears the Chapter on Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and vows to be born in the West, they will also attain rebirth. The *Bhaiṣajyaguru Sūtra* says: Recollecting Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata, one can also be born in the Western Sukhāvatī. The *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: Constructing wells, bridges, shaded trees, monastic quarters, and Buddha stūpas along open roads, and dedicating [the merit] with the vow to be reborn, all will attain rebirth there.