阿彌陀經要解 1.48

1.48

諸天所作微妙樂音恒無間斷，故云常作天樂。七寶所嚴清淨地界體是黃金，故云黃金為地。初日分、後日分名晝三時，初夜分、中夜分、後夜分名夜三時，故云晝夜六時。然彼土佛及菩薩各有身光，眾生生者亦有身光，常明不闇，不假日月光明，安分晝夜？或以華開鳥鳴為晝，華合鳥棲為夜。或雖實無晝夜，且順此方常習假說晝夜耳。曼陀羅者，天華之名，此云適意亦云白華。從空而下故名為雨。眾生者，上自等覺下至凡夫。衣裓者，盛華之器。眾妙華者，即所雨天華，明其非止曼陀羅一種而已，應如《法華經》所明四華，以表住、行、向、地四因位也。供養他方佛者，即表真因會趨極果、果德無所不遍也。僅言十萬億者，且據極樂去此娑婆十萬億土，意顯得生極樂國已，欲還供釋迦彌勒皆不難耳。若據彌陀神力所加，則何遠不到哉？即以食時還到本國者，明其神足自在不假逾時也。飯食經行者，既云食時故云飯食，念食則食自至，不俟造作安排，食畢則鉢自去，不勞洗拭收舉，故但經行寶地任運進修而已。凡聖同居淨土其樂已自如此，況即於彼土又可橫超方便、實報、寂光，其樂又當何如！

The exquisite musical tones produced by the gods are constantly uninterrupted; hence it says: 'celestial music is constantly played.' The pure ground adorned with the seven jewels is fundamentally made of yellow gold; hence it says: 'its ground is of yellow gold.' The early part of the day and the later part of the day are called the three periods of the day; the early part of the night, the middle part of the night, and the later part of the night are called the three periods of the night; hence it says: 'six periods of the day and night.' However, the Buddha and bodhisattvas in that land each have their own bodily radiance, and the sentient beings born there also have bodily radiance, being constantly bright and never dark, requiring neither the light of the sun nor the moon; how then are day and night distinguished? It may be that the blossoming of flowers and singing of birds constitute day, while the closing of flowers and roosting of birds constitute night. Or, though in reality there is neither day nor night, it merely accommodates the conventions of this realm by provisionally speaking of day and night. 'Māndārava' is the name of a heavenly flower, translated here as 'pleasing' and also as 'white flower.' Because they descend from the sky, it is called 'raining.' 'Sentient beings' ranges from equal enlightenment above down to ordinary mortals below. A 'flower-receptacle' is an implement for holding flowers. 'Multitudes of wondrous flowers' refers to the celestial flowers that rain down, making clear that they are not limited to just the single kind, the māndārava; they should be like the four flowers explained in the Lotus Sūtra, representing the four causal stages of the abodes, practices, dedications, and grounds. 'Making offerings to the Buddhas of other directions' represents that the true causes will inevitably tend toward the ultimate fruit, and that the virtues of the fruit are omnipresent. Merely saying 'a hundred thousand koṭis' is just based on Sukhāvatī being a hundred thousand koṭis of lands away from this Sahā world, its intent being to reveal that once one attains rebirth in the land of Sukhāvatī, if one wishes to return to make offerings to Śākyamuni and Maitreya, it is not difficult at all. If one relies on the empowerment of Amitābha's spiritual powers, what distance could not be reached? 'Returning to their own land by mealtime' makes clear that their spiritual foot [of supranormal power] is unhindered and does not require exceeding that time. 'Taking their meal and walking in meditation': since it speaks of 'mealtime,' it therefore speaks of 'taking their meal.' When one thinks of food, the food spontaneously arrives, without waiting for preparation or arrangement; when the meal is finished, the bowls spontaneously depart, without labor of washing, wiping, collecting, or putting away. Thus they merely walk in meditation upon the jeweled ground, spontaneously advancing in cultivation. In the Pure Land where ordinary mortals and sages dwell together, its bliss is already like this; how much more so when one can, right within that land, horizontally transcend to [the lands of] expedient means, true reward, and quiescent light—what must that bliss be like!