阿彌陀經疏 1.13

1.13

阿彌陀，梵語也，茲言無量，阿之言無，彌陀言量也。何故名無量耶？以四義故得名：一、光明照耀無量；二、壽命數限無量；三、大小弟子無量；四、一生補處無量，由茲四事以無立尊號。諸經翻為無量壽佛者，乃下之一義耳，四義悉在經文。夫諸佛皆有生、法二身，則有兩種無量：一、生身無量，此則有量之無量；二、法身無量，此是無量之無量。法身譬虛空無生無滅，生身如水月有隱有顯，故釋迦、彌陀俱得法身之無量，但此土機劣故見生身是有量，彼土根勝故見生身是無量，但以人天莫數故言無量、若望法身定屬有量。當知釋迦亦能現無量以取淨土，彌陀亦能現有量以取穢土。故《大論》曰：釋迦文佛更有清淨國土，如阿彌陀佛國；阿彌陀佛亦有不嚴淨國，如釋迦文佛國。又云：此間閻浮提惡故佛壽應短，餘處好故佛壽應長。《涅槃》云：西方去此三十二恒河沙有無勝國，所有莊嚴如安樂世界，我於彼土出現於世。豈非釋迦現淨耶！《鼓音王經》云：阿彌陀佛，婆羅門種，母名殊勝妙顏，亦有惡逆弟子名為調達。既有女人及惡逆者，豈非彌陀現穢耶！故知二佛生身皆為兩重，若示淨穢隨緣不同。

'Amitābha' is Sanskrit; here it means 'immeasurable' (wuliang): a means 'un-' (wu), and mita means 'measurable' (liang). Why is he named 'Immeasurable'? He receives the name on account of four meanings: first, his light shines immeasurably; second, his lifespan and count of years are immeasurable; third, his Great and Small [Vehicle] disciples are immeasurable; fourth, [the bodhisattvas] in the stage of one more birth are immeasurable. Because of these four matters, his honorable title was established with 'immeasurable'. The rendering of various sūtras as 'Buddha of Immeasurable Life' (Wuliangshou Fo) is merely the second meaning among them; all four meanings are present in the text of the sūtra. Now, all Buddhas have both the manifestation body and the dharma body, and thus there are two kinds of immeasurable: first, the immeasurable of the manifestation body, which is the immeasurable of the measurable; second, the immeasurable of the dharma body, which is the immeasurable of the immeasurable. The dharma body is likened to empty space, without arising or ceasing; the manifestation body is like the moon in the water, having concealment and manifestation. Therefore Śākya and Amitābha both attain the immeasurable of the dharma body. However, because the capacity of this realm is inferior, they see the manifestation body as finite; because the roots of that land are superior, they see the manifestation body as immeasurable. But it is only because humans and gods cannot count it that it is called immeasurable; looking toward the dharma body, it definitely belongs to the finite. One should know that Śākya can also manifest the immeasurable to adopt a pure land, and Amitābha can also manifest the finite to adopt a defiled land. Therefore the Dàzhìdù Lùn says: 'Śākyamuni Buddha also has pure lands, like the land of Amitābha Buddha; Amitābha Buddha also has unadorned and defiled lands, like the land of Śākyamuni Buddha.' It also says: 'Because this Jambudvīpa is evil, the Buddha's lifespan should be short; because other places are good, the Buddha's lifespan should be long.' The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'To the west, past sands of thirty-two Ganges Rivers, there is the land Anupama (Incomparable). Its adornments are like the World of Utmost Bliss. I appeared in the world in that land.' Is this not Śākya manifesting purity? The Drum Sound King Sūtra (Māyopama-samādhi Sūtra) says: 'Amitābha Buddha was of the Brahmin caste; his mother's name was Superior Wondrous Countenance, and he also had an evildoing disciple named Devadatta.' Since there were women and evildoers, is this not Amitābha manifesting defilement? Therefore we know that the manifestation bodies of both Buddhas have two layers; their displays of purity or defilement differ in accord with conditions.