阿彌陀經疏 1.59

1.59

答：「彼言不退者，但以彼地勝、緣強、時長、無間遂得不退，非亦生即是不退。言地勝者，眾生有宜安樂適悅即能發心，即有比丘願得七寶房舍臥具者是也。彼土既無三惡道，又無貧窮生老病死，國土清淨百寶莊嚴勝第六天，故是地勝。言緣強者，彼無五退具，如《婆沙》說：一無長病、二無遠行、三無常誦習、四無常營事、五無恒乖諍，此五因緣令心勞倦故多生退心。又無女人，無婬欲無迷愛，於六塵境雖見聞觸心全不染；又無惡友，常與諸菩薩每至平旦歷供諸佛，水流風樹皆演法音，以是緣強故令不作惡業更退三途。言時長者，娑婆一劫當彼一日一夜，又彼眾生壽命無量無邊阿僧祇劫，經爾許時修行，何為不至不退轉位。言無間者，勝人勝法無間資持受最後身，斯何可退。又不退轉者有其三處：一、若依《瓔珞本業經》，地前第七住名不退轉住，若修行者進退多在第六住末，若至第七住畢竟不退，是人入種性菩薩數。二者、依《彌勒問論》及《智度論》云：菩薩若未至初地正位，雖無量劫修習善根，而未能得不退轉；若至初地，以見道力離身見等諸煩惱，故斷發菩提心相違退因故更不退。三者、依《資糧論》云：若菩薩得無生忍時即住不動地，必當作佛更不退轉。此即當於八地，以無生忍在七地故，得無生忍已至八地中更不退轉。今準《觀經》，眾生生彼得不退轉者，但謂初地得生法二忍更不退轉，非取七地，究竟而論亦得成佛，何但七八地也。若言念佛非斷惑者，此非解煩惱性故不能斷，然能伏惑令其不起，且如人一心念佛，意地當更不起貪瞋嫉妬邪見也。由念佛故轉無始惡業、生無量功德、遮無量惡業、止無量三不善根。又縱不斷煩惱，但生到彼地方斷煩惱，然後漸漸乃得不退，於理何過。」

Answer: "When it says 'non-retrogressing', it is merely that because that ground is superior, the conditions are strong, the time is long, and there is no interruption, one thereby achieves non-retrogression; it is not that simply by being born one is immediately non-retrogressing. Regarding 'the ground is superior': there are sentient beings who are able to produce the aspiration only when suited by peace, bliss, and gratification—such as the monk who vowed to obtain a lodging and bedding made of the seven jewels. Since that land has neither the three evil destinies, nor poverty, birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the country is pure and adorned with a hundred jewels surpassing the sixth heaven, it is an excellent ground. Regarding 'the conditions are strong': it lacks the five conditions of retrogression, as the Vibhāṣā says: first, no prolonged illness; second, no traveling to distant places; third, no constant recitation and study; fourth, no constant managing of affairs; fifth, no continual discord and disputes—these five causes and conditions make the mind weary and exhausted, hence they mostly produce a mind of retrogression. Furthermore, there are no women, no sexual desire, and no infatuated attachment; toward the objects of the six sense-fields, though one sees, hears, and touches, the mind is entirely undefiled; furthermore, there are no bad friends, and one is constantly with the bodhisattvas, every day at dawn traveling to make offerings to all the Buddhas, while flowing waters and windblown trees all expound the sounds of the Dharma. Because these conditions are strong, they prevent one from creating evil karma and again retrogressing into the three destinies. Regarding 'the time is long': one kalpa in the Sahā world equals one day and one night there; furthermore, the lifespan of those sentient beings is immeasurable and limitless asaṃkhyeya kalpas; after cultivating for such an extent of time, why would they not arrive at the stage of non-retrogression? Regarding 'without interruption': superior persons and superior teachings uninterruptedly sustain them so that they receive their final body; how could this retrogress? Furthermore, non-retrogression has three stages: First, according to the Yingluo benye jing, the seventh dwelling prior to the bhūmis is called the non-retrogressing dwelling; if practitioners advance or retreat, it mostly occurs at the end of the sixth dwelling, but if they reach the seventh dwelling, they ultimately do not retrogress; this person is counted among the gotra bodhisattvas. Second, according to the Maitreya-paripṛcchā-śāstra and the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra: if a bodhisattva has not reached the correct position of the first bhūmi, although cultivating roots of goodness for immeasurable kalpas, they are not yet able to attain non-retrogression; if they reach the first bhūmi, by the power of the path of seeing they become free from afflictions such as the view of self, and therefore, having severed the causes of retrogression that run counter to generating the bodhicitta, they do not retrogress any further. Third, according to the Saṃbhāra-śāstra: when a bodhisattva attains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, they immediately abide in the immovable bhūmi, will certainly become a Buddha, and will never again retrogress. This corresponds to the eighth bhūmi, because the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas is in the seventh bhūmi; having attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, upon reaching the eighth bhūmi they never again retrogress. Now, basing on the Guan jing, when sentient beings born there attain non-retrogression, it merely means that on the first bhūmi they attain the two acceptances regarding sentient beings and dharmas and do not retrogress any further; it does not refer to the seventh bhūmi. Considered definitively, they also will attain Buddhahood; why only the seventh or eighth bhūmi? If it is said that reciting the Buddha's name does not sever afflictions: this is because one has not understood the nature of afflictions and thus cannot sever them; nevertheless, it can subdue afflictions and keep them from arising. For example, when a person single-mindedly recites the Buddha's name, in the mental ground greed, anger, jealousy, and wrong views will not arise. Due to reciting the Buddha's name, one transforms beginningless evil karma, produces immeasurable merit, prevents immeasurable evil karma, and ceases immeasurable three unwholesome roots. Moreover, even if one does not sever afflictions [here], upon merely being born in that place one severs afflictions, and thereafter gradually attains non-retrogression; what error is there in this principle?"