阿彌陀經義疏 1.30

1.30

第二、明正報中分二：初至十劫化主名號；舍利下，二、徒眾莊嚴。初中復二：初、徵問汝意云何，審其解否，既無所對故為釋通。阿彌陀此翻無量，一者、光明，二者、壽命。無量是通，光壽為別。初、光明無量者，佛光有二：一者、常光，二者、現起光。今此乃是彌陀常光，《大本》云：「無量壽佛威神光明最尊第一，諸佛光明所不能及，是故號為無量光佛。」乃至：「我說彼佛光明，晝夜一劫尚不能盡等。」又《佛觀》云：「身諸毛孔演出光明，如須彌山，彼佛圓光如百億三千大千世界」，又云：「彼佛有八萬四千相，一一相有八萬四千好，一一好有八萬四千光明，遍照十方世界念佛眾生，攝取不捨。」當知我輩處佛光中，都不覺知，佛光常攝，略無厭棄，猶如盲人居日輪下，又如溷蟲樂在穢處，撫膺自責實可悲痛！二、壽命無量又二：初明主伴壽量；舍利下，二、示果成劫數。初中佛壽有二：法、報二佛一向無量，應佛皆具長短二量。今此淨土彌陀應身，示其長量，《大本》云：「彼佛壽命長久不可稱計，假使十方無量眾生皆成聲聞緣覺，都共集會竭其智力，百千萬劫悉共推算計，不能窮盡。」又云：「聲聞菩薩天人之眾，壽命長短亦復如是。」故云及人民也。阿僧祇此云無數，或云阿僧祇耶，翻無央數。二、示劫數，言十劫者，準《法華》大通智勝佛時，彌陀乃是十六王子之一數，釋迦既經塵劫，彌陀豈得不然？《楞嚴．勢至章》云：「我於往昔恒河沙劫，有佛出世名無量光，十二如來相繼一劫。」準《大本》中，即阿彌陀也。今經大本皆言十劫，乃是一期赴機之說，不足疑矣。

Second, explaining the direct reward has two [parts]: first, up to 'ten kalpas', the names and titles of the transforming master; second, from 'Śāriputra' onward, the adornment of the disciples. In the first part, there are again two: first, inquiring 'What do you think?', examining whether he understands or not; since there was no response, he explains and clarifies it. 'Amitābha' is translated here as 'immeasurable': first, light; second, lifespan. 'Immeasurable' is the common [attribute], while light and life are the distinct [attributes]. First, regarding immeasurable light, a Buddha's light is of two kinds: 1. constant light, and 2. manifest light. Here, this is Amida's constant light. The Larger Sūtra states: 'The awe-inspiring light of Amitāyus Buddha is the most venerable and supreme, which the light of all Buddhas cannot match; hence he is titled Immeasurable Light Buddha,' up to: 'Even if I were to speak of that Buddha's light for a whole kalpa, day and night, I could not exhaust it,' and so on. Furthermore, the Contemplation Sūtra states: 'From all the pores of his body, light pours forth like Mount Sumeru; that Buddha's halo is like a hundred billion trichiliocosms.' It also states: 'That Buddha has eighty-four thousand major marks; each major mark has eighty-four thousand minor marks of excellence; each minor mark of excellence has eighty-four thousand rays of light, illuminating sentient beings mindful of the Buddha throughout the worlds of the ten directions, embracing them without forsaking.' One should know that we dwell within the Buddha's light yet are completely unaware of it; the Buddha's light constantly embraces us without the slightest disgust or abandonment, just as a blind person standing beneath the solar disc, or like maggots in a latrine delighting in filth. Beating one's breast and reproaching oneself is truly lamentable! Second, regarding immeasurable lifespan, there are also two [parts]: first, explaining the lifespans of the master and companions; second, from 'Śāriputra' onward, showing the number of kalpas since the fruit was attained. In the first part, a Buddha's lifespan is of two kinds: the dharmakāya and saṃbhogakāya Buddhas are entirely immeasurable, while nirmāṇakāya Buddhas all possess both long and short measures. Here in this Pure Land, Amida's nirmāṇakāya demonstrates the long measure. The Larger Sūtra states: 'That Buddha's lifespan is long and incalculable. Supposing all the immeasurable sentient beings in the ten directions became śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, gathered together, and exhausted their intellectual power, calculating together for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, they could not exhaust it.' It also states: 'The lifespans of the assemblies of śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, devas, and humans are also like this.' Hence it says: 'and his people.' 'Asaṃkhya' is translated here as 'innumerable' (wushu), or 'asaṃkhyeya', translated as 'without limit or count.' Second, showing the number of kalpas: regarding the mention of 'ten kalpas', according to the Lotus Sūtra, in the time of the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, Amida was one of the sixteen princes; since Śākya has already passed dust-mote kalpas, how could Amida not be likewise? The 'Chapter on Mahāsthāmaprāpta' in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra states: 'In the past, kalpas ago as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world named Immeasurable Light; twelve Tathāgatas succeeded one another in a single kalpa.' According to the Larger Sūtra, this is Amitābha. That both the present sūtra and the Larger Sūtra speak of ten kalpas is merely an explanation adapted to the capacities of a particular period; it is not worth doubting.