阿彌陀經通贊疏 2.50

2.50

而者助句也。雨者，從空飄落謂之雨也。曼陀羅華者是梵語，此云適意華也。光潔異香，聞者見者身心適悅長道情故。風飄萎者，地裂受之，更雨新華莊嚴金地故。《法華經》云：香風吹萎華，更雨新好者。華有四德：一、嚴淨國土，表生彼國善法飾身故；二、敷榮見臺，表勝二乘真實法故；三、先華後果，表生彼國先因後果故；四、香氣遠騰聞者歡悅，表生歸彼者德業馨香名振十方故，故雨華也。

'And' (而) is an auxiliary particle. 'Raining' refers to drifting and falling from empty space. 'Māndārava flowers' is Sanskrit; here it means 'flowers that delight the mind'. With their brilliant purity and extraordinary fragrance, those who smell them and see them find body and mind joyful and pleased, growing in their inclination for the Way. When withered flowers are blown away by the wind, the ground opens to receive them, and fresh flowers rain down anew to adorn the golden ground. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'Fragrant breezes blow away the withered flowers, and fresh, beautiful ones rain down again.' Flowers have four virtues: first, they adorn and purify the land, representing that those born in that land adorn their bodies with wholesome dharmas; second, they bloom to reveal the calyx, representing the true Dharma that surpasses the two vehicles; third, flowers precede the fruit, representing that for those born in that land, cause precedes effect; fourth, their fragrance wafts afar and makes those who smell it rejoice, representing that the virtuous deeds of those born in that realm are fragrant and their names resound throughout the ten directions. Therefore it rains flowers.