阿彌陀經通贊疏 3.85

3.85

The Praise states: The second praises the practice of converting [beings] in an impure world. 'Saying these words' is the narration of the compilers. 'Śākya' is Sanskrit; here it means 'capable of benevolence' (nengren). 'Muni' here means 'silent sage' (jimuo). The conditions for acquiring this clan name are as explained elsewhere. The words 'an extremely difficult and rare task' mean the task of enduring suffering to teach and transform sentient beings. 'Being able, within the Sahā world': in Sanskrit it is Sahā; here it means 'endurance', because He is capable of enduring suffering and afflictions. As for 'the evil world of the five turbidities', it is briefly [explained through] five gates: first, explaining the names; second, identifying the substance; third, antidotes; fourth, abandonment and establishment; fifth, mutual inclusion. First, explaining the names: 'turbidity' has the sense of dregs and defilement; like eating dregs and filth which are base, evil, and foul, it is named 'turbid'. The meaning of this statement is: during the kalpa of increase, the three disasters gradually lighten, defilements become progressively thinner, sentient beings turn toward goodness, wrong views gradually diminish, and the vital faculty becomes longer, gradually progressing toward superiority. The goodness above which is delightful is called 'pure'; sentient beings have no suffering, and transformation Buddhas do not appear in the world. The appearance of transformation Buddhas in the world must occur during the kalpa of decrease, when the minor three disasters gradually arise, defilements become progressively thicker, sentient beings turn toward evil, defiled views gradually increase, and the vital faculty becomes shorter, gradually degenerating toward inferiority; because what is base and evil is detestable, the name 'turbid' is established. 'Five' is a numeral; this is an appositional compound with a number (带数释). Next, when looking at the individual names, they are all karmadhāraya compounds (持业释). Or, taking the specific to qualify the general, they are also tatpuruṣa compounds (依主释).