阿彌陀經疏 1.73

1.73

舍利弗下，三、舉難勸信。又二：一、明我讚彼；二、明彼讚我。初文今者稱讚，即所舉六方是也。彼諸下，二、明彼讚我。又二：一、舉彼讚；二、顯不虛。初文釋迦翻能仁，牟尼翻寂默，能仁則大悲應物，寂默則大智冥理。能為甚難希有之事者，一於五濁得菩提，二為眾生說難信法。娑婆云堪忍，以眾生堪任忍受三毒故。劫濁者，梵語劫波，此云時分，下四濁聚在此時，名為劫濁。見濁者，即身邊等五利使。煩惱濁，即貪瞋等五鈍使。眾生濁者，攬利鈍果報而立假名，催年促壽，謂之命濁。通言濁者，譬如沙土投之清水，土失留昇水亡清潔汩然渾濁。今由此五濁，理水亡清。說是難信之法者，說一日執持名號命終即生極樂而得不退菩提，以茲少善根獲此利，是為難信也。然則凡夫賢聖等無高下，心淨土淨超越須臾，若生極樂甚易可信，但為迷深執重聞而不受，故云難信耳。

From “Śāriputra” onward, [part] three: pointing out what is difficult to encourage faith. This also has two [parts]: first, explaining that I praise them; second, explaining that they praise me. In the first passage, “now praising” refers to the six directions mentioned [above]. From “Those various [buddhas]” onward, [part] two: explaining that they praise me. This also has two [parts]: first, presenting their praise; second, revealing that it is not in vain. In the first passage, “Śākya” translates as “capable of benevolence,” and “Muni” translates as “silent.” Being capable of benevolence means responding to beings with great compassion; being silent means merging with principle through great wisdom. “Able to accomplish an extremely difficult and rare task” refers, first, to attaining bodhi in the five defilements, and second, to expounding the Dharma difficult to believe for the sake of sentient beings. “Sahā” translates as “endurance,” because sentient beings are able to endure the three poisons. As for the “kalpa defilement,” the Sanskrit kalpa translates here as “time period”; the gathering of the four defilements below in this time is called the kalpa defilement. The “view defilement” refers to the five sharp propensities, such as [the views of] the body and extremes. The “affliction defilement” refers to the five dull propensities, such as greed and anger. As for the “sentient-being defilement,” it is the provisional designation established by grasping the retributions of the sharp and dull [propensities]; the shortening of years and reduction of lifespan is called the “lifespan defilement.” As a general term, “defilement” is like throwing sand and earth into clear water: the earth loses its staying power and rises up, while the water loses its clarity, becoming turbid and murky. Now, because of these five defilements, the water of principle loses its clarity. Expounding this “Dharma difficult to believe” means expounding that by upholding the name for even a single day, one will be reborn in Sukhāvatī at the end of life and attain non-retrogressing bodhi; that one obtains such great benefit from these few roots of good is what makes it difficult to believe. Nevertheless, ordinary beings, worthies, and sages are all equal with no higher or lower; when the mind is pure, the land is pure, transcending [all distance] in an instant. That one may be reborn in Sukhāvatī is very easy to believe, yet because delusions are deep and attachments are heavy, [people] hear it but do not accept it; therefore it is said to be “difficult to believe.”