阿彌陀經義疏 1.6

1.6

初中，《大本經》云：「佛言：『如來以無量大悲矜哀三界，所以出興於世，光闡道教，普令群萌獲其法利，開示五趣度未度者，決正生死泥洹之道。』」此明出世大意，該於眾典，是謂通明教興也。次據今經略言五意：一、欲令眾生知娑婆苦求出離，故經云：「彼國眾生無有眾苦。」二、令知佛境界生忻慕，故下明依正莊嚴，勸生彼國。三、令攝心安住念佛三昧，故下云：「聞說阿彌陀佛執持名號，一心不亂」等。四、令破障脫苦得清淨樂，故下云：「是人終時心不顛倒，即得往生」等。五、令生彼國成就菩提，故下云：「是諸人等，皆得不退轉」等。此明說經正意局在今文，所謂別敘教興也。

Under the first, the Larger Sūtra states: "The Buddha said: 'The Tathāgata, with immeasurable great compassion, pities the three realms. For this reason he appears in the world, shedding light upon and expounding the teaching of the Path, universally causing all living beings to obtain its Dharma-benefits, opening and revealing [the truth to beings of] the five destinies to deliver those yet undelivered, and determining the correct path between birth-and-death and nirvāṇa.'" This explains the general intent of his appearance in the world, which extends to all scriptures; this is called generally explaining the arising of the teaching. Next, according to the present sūtra, five intents are briefly stated: First, desiring to cause sentient beings to know the sufferings of Sahā and seek departure; thus the sūtra states, "Sentient beings in that land have none of the sufferings." Second, to cause them to know the Buddha's realm and give rise to joyful longing; thus below it explains the adornments of circumstantial and direct rewards, encouraging rebirth in that land. Third, to cause them to collect the mind and abide peacefully in the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi; thus below it states, "Hearing of Amitābha, they firmly hold the name single-mindedly and without distraction," and so on. Fourth, to cause them to shatter obstacles, escape suffering, and obtain pure joy; thus below it states, "When this person's life ends, their mind is not inverted, and they immediately attain rebirth," and so on. Fifth, to cause them to be born in that land and accomplish bodhi; thus below it states, "All these people attain the stage of avaivartika," and so on. This clarifies that the primary intent of expounding the sūtra is restricted to the present text; this is called specifically relating the arising of the teaching.