阿彌陀經要解 1.145

1.145

答：「此義有局有通。所言局者，如《占察經》云：若雜亂垢心，雖復稱誦我之名字，而不名為聞，以不能生決定信解，但獲世間善報，不得廣大深妙利益。若到一行三昧，則成廣大微妙行心，名得相似無生法忍，乃為得聞十方佛名。此亦應爾，故須聞是經已受持此經所示執持名號之法，持至一心不亂方得聞諸佛名，方為一切諸佛所護念也。所言通者，諸佛慈悲不可思議，名號功德亦不思議，故一聞佛名，不論有心無心、若信若謗，皆成緣種。譬如入栴檀林，若拜若打皆染香氣，況佛度眾生不簡怨親恒無疲倦，苟聞佛名佛必護念，又何疑焉？然據《金剛般若》三論皆云：根熟菩薩方為佛所護念，准位須在別地圓住，蓋是惟約自力，故必入同生性乃可護念。今仗他力，故相似位即蒙護念，即能圓得三種不退。下至一聞佛名，亦於同體法性有資發力，亦得遠因終不退也。聞名功德如此之大，釋迦及六方佛同所宣說可不信乎。」

Answer: "This meaning has both a restricted and a pervasive sense. What is called restricted: as the *Sūtra on the Divination of Good and Evil Actions* says, 'If one has a scattered and defiled mind, even though reciting my name, it is not called hearing, because one cannot generate definitive faith and understanding; one only obtains worldly good retribution and does not attain vast, profound, and wondrous benefit. If one reaches the single-practice samādhi, one achieves a vast and subtly wondrous practicing mind, called attaining the resemblance tolerance of the non-arising of dharmas, and only then is it called hearing the names of the buddhas of the ten directions.' Here it should also be like this: one must hear this sūtra and then uphold the method of holding firmly to the name demonstrated in this sūtra; holding it until one mind is undisturbed, one then truly hears the names of the buddhas and is then protected and remembered by all buddhas. What is called pervasive: the compassion of the buddhas is inconceivable, and the merit of their names is also inconceivable. Therefore, once one hears a buddha's name, whether with mind or without mind, whether believing or slandering, it becomes a causal seed. For example, when entering a sandalwood forest, whether bowing or striking, one is always perfumed by the fragrance. Moreover, buddhas deliver sentient beings without distinguishing between enemy and kin, perpetually without weariness. If one hears a buddha's name, the buddha will certainly protect and remember one—what doubt could there be? However, according to the three treatises on the *Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā*, all say that only bodhisattvas of mature faculties are protected and remembered by the buddhas; in terms of stage, they must be at the stages of the Distinctive [Teaching] or the abodes of the Perfect [Teaching]. That is only in terms of self-power, so one must enter the nature of common birth before one can be protected and remembered. Now, relying on other-power, even those in the stage of resemblance receive protection and remembrance, and are able to perfectly attain the three kinds of non-retrogression. Even down to hearing a buddha's name once, it has the power to nurture and arouse the dharmatā of identical substance, and also obtains a distant cause that ultimately will not retrogress. Since the merit of hearing the name is so great, and Śākyamuni and the buddhas of the six directions have proclaimed it together, how could one not believe it?"