阿彌陀經要解 1.51

1.51

種種奇妙雜色之鳥，言其多且美也。且寄此間所愛賞者，以言其似。舍利即鶖鷺，及白鶴、孔雀、鸚鵡四種，皆此地所有，人所共珍。迦陵頻伽此云妙音，未出㲉時已有音聲超眾鳥故，此地所無。共命鳥，一身兩頭識別報同，亦此地所無。西土雪山等處有此二種，然皆不可比於極樂奇妙眾鳥，特言其似而已。言晝夜六時出和雅音，則知淨土亦不以鳥棲為夜，當知實無晝夜假說晝夜，良以蓮華化生之身本無昏睡不假夜臥故也。五根五力等者，三十七道品也。不言四念處、四正勤、四如意足者，文省略耳。三十七品通於四教。四念處者：一、身念處；二、受念處；三、心念處；四、法念處。四正勤者：一、已生惡法令斷；二、未生惡法不令生；三、未生善法令生；四、已生善法令增長。四如意足者：一、欲如意足；二、進如意足；三、心如意足；四、思惟如意足。五根者，信、進、念、定、慧也。信正道及助道法名信根；行正道及諸助道善法勤求不息名精進根；念正道及諸助道善法更無他念名念根；攝心在正道及諸助道善法中相應不散是名定根；為正道及諸助道善法觀於苦等四諦名慧根。五力者：信根增長，能破疑惑破諸邪信及破煩惱，名信力；精進根增長，破種種身心懈怠，成辦出世大事，名精進力；念根增長，破諸邪念，成就一切出世正念功德，是為念力；定根增長，能破亂想，發諸事理禪定，是為定力；慧根增長，能遮通別諸惑，發真無漏，是為慧力。七菩提分者亦名七覺分：一、智慧觀諸法時，善能簡別真偽，不謬取諸虛偽法，名擇法覺分；二、精進修諸道法時，善能覺了，不謬行於無益苦行，常勤心在真法中行，名精進覺分；三、若心得法喜，善能覺了此喜不依顛倒之法而生，歡喜住真法喜，名喜覺分；四、若斷除諸見煩惱之時，善能覺了除諸虛偽不損真正善根，名除覺分；五、若捨所見念著境時，善能覺了所捨之境虛偽不實永不追憶，名捨覺分；六、若發諸禪定之時，善能覺了諸禪虛假不生愛見妄想，名定覺分；七、若修出世道時，善能覺了常使定慧均平，或心沈沒當念用擇法、精進、喜三覺分以察起之，或心浮動當念用除、捨、定三覺分以攝持之，調和適中，名念覺分。八聖道分者亦名八正道分：一、修無漏行觀見四諦分明，名正見；二、以無漏心相應思惟動發覺知籌量，為令增長入大涅槃，名正思惟；三、以無漏慧除四邪命，攝諸口業住一切正語中，名正語；四、以無漏慧除身一切邪業，住清淨正身業中，名正業；五、以無漏慧通除三業中五種邪命，住清淨正命中，是為正命（五邪命者：一、為利養故詐現異相奇特；二、為利養故自說功德；三、為利養故占相吉凶為人說法；四、為利養故高聲現威令人敬畏；五、為利養故說所得供養以動人心）；六、以無漏慧相應勤精進修涅槃道，名正精進；七、以無漏慧相應念正道及助道法，名正念；八、以無漏慧相應入定，名正定。

'Various kinds of wondrous birds of multicolored plumage' speaks of their abundance and beauty. Here, those admired and appreciated in this realm are borrowed to speak of their likeness. The śārika is the myna; along with the white crane, peacock, and parrot, these four kinds are all found in this realm and collectively treasured by people. Kalaviṅka is translated here as 'wondrous voice'; because before it has emerged from its eggshell its voice already surpasses that of other birds, it does not exist in this realm. The bird of shared life has one body with two heads; their individual consciousnesses differ but their retributive body is the same; this also does not exist in this realm. In the Western regions such as the Snowy Mountains, these two kinds exist, yet none can compare to the wondrous birds of Sukhāvatī; it merely speaks of their likeness. By saying that 'throughout the six periods of the day and night they produce harmonious and elegant sounds,' one knows that the Pure Land also does not regard the roosting of birds as night; one should know that in reality there is neither day nor night, and day and night are spoken of provisionally. This is truly because bodies born transformationally from lotus flowers fundamentally have no drowsiness and do not need to sleep at night. 'The five faculties, the five powers, and so forth' refers to the thirty-seven limbs of awakening. That it does not mention the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, and the four bases of spiritual power is merely an abbreviation of the text. The thirty-seven limbs pervade the four teachings. The four foundations of mindfulness are: first, mindfulness of the body; second, mindfulness of feelings; third, mindfulness of the mind; fourth, mindfulness of phenomena. The four right exertions are: first, causing unwholesome states that have arisen to be abandoned; second, preventing unwholesome states that have not yet arisen from arising; third, causing wholesome states that have not yet arisen to arise; fourth, causing wholesome states that have arisen to increase and grow. The four bases of spiritual power are: first, the base of spiritual power of desire; second, the base of spiritual power of vigor; third, the base of spiritual power of mind; fourth, the base of spiritual power of investigation. The five faculties are faith, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Faith in the right path and the auxiliary factors of the path is called the faculty of faith. Practicing the right path and the various wholesome factors auxiliary to the path, diligently seeking without ceasing, is called the faculty of vigor. Being mindful of the right path and the various wholesome factors auxiliary to the path without any other thoughts is called the faculty of mindfulness. Gathering the mind within the right path and the various wholesome factors auxiliary to the path so that it corresponds without scattering is called the faculty of concentration. For the sake of the right path and the various wholesome factors auxiliary to the path, contemplating the four truths of suffering and so forth is called the faculty of wisdom. The five powers are: when the faculty of faith grows, it can shatter doubt, shatter various wrong beliefs, and shatter afflictions; this is called the power of faith. When the faculty of vigor grows, it shatters various physical and mental indolences and accomplishes the great matter of transcending the world; this is called the power of vigor. When the faculty of mindfulness grows, it shatters various wrong thoughts and accomplishes all merits and virtues of supramundane right mindfulness; this is the power of mindfulness. When the faculty of concentration grows, it can shatter scattered thoughts and generate various samādhis of phenomena and noumenon; this is the power of concentration. When the faculty of wisdom grows, it can obstruct the various delusions of the shared and distinctive [teachings] and generate true outflowless [wisdom]; this is the power of wisdom. The seven factors of bodhi are also called the seven factors of awakening: first, when contemplating all dharmas with wisdom, being skilled in discerning the true from the false and not mistakenly adopting empty and false dharmas is called the factor of awakening of investigation of dharmas. Second, when cultivating the various factors of the path with vigor, being skilled in awakening and discerning, not mistakenly practicing unbeneficial austerities, but constantly and diligently practicing with the mind in the true Dharma, is called the factor of awakening of vigor. Third, if the mind attains the joy of the Dharma, being skilled in awakening and discerning that this joy does not arise depending on inverted dharmas, but abiding joyfully in the true joy of the Dharma, is called the factor of awakening of joy. Fourth, when eliminating the afflictions of views, being skilled in awakening and discerning that eliminating falsehood does not harm genuine wholesome roots is called the factor of awakening of pliancy. Fifth, when relinquishing the objects one views and clings to, being skilled in awakening and discerning that the objects relinquished are empty and untrue, never recalling them, is called the factor of awakening of equanimity. Sixth, when generating various meditative concentrations, being skilled in awakening and discerning that the concentrations are provisional and false, not giving rise to the vain thoughts of attachment and views, is called the factor of awakening of concentration. Seventh, when cultivating the supramundane path, being skilled in awakening and discerning so as to constantly keep concentration and wisdom balanced: if the mind sinks, one should mindfully apply the three factors of awakening—investigation of dharmas, vigor, and joy—to inspect and raise it; if the mind is agitated, one should mindfully apply the three factors of awakening—pliancy, equanimity, and concentration—to gather and hold it, tuning it to proper moderation; this is called the factor of awakening of mindfulness. The eight factors of the noble path are also called the eightfold right path: first, cultivating outflowless practice and contemplating the four truths clearly is called right view. Second, contemplating, moving, awakening, discerning, and deliberating in correspondence with the outflowless mind so as to cause them to increase and enter great nirvāṇa is called right thought. Third, using outflowless wisdom to eliminate the four kinds of wrong livelihood and gathering all vocal karma to abide in all right speech is called right speech. Fourth, using outflowless wisdom to eliminate all bodily wrong actions and abiding in pure, right bodily karma is called right action. Fifth, using outflowless wisdom to eliminate throughout the three karmas the five kinds of wrong livelihood, abiding in pure right livelihood, is right livelihood (the five kinds of wrong livelihood are: 1. pretending to manifest strange and extraordinary signs for the sake of profit; 2. speaking of one's own merits and virtues for the sake of profit; 3. divining auspiciousness and inauspiciousness and preaching the Dharma for people for the sake of profit; 4. speaking loudly and manifesting authority to inspire awe in people for the sake of profit; 5. speaking of the offerings one has received to sway people's minds). Sixth, diligently and vigorously cultivating the path to nirvāṇa in correspondence with outflowless wisdom is called right vigor. Seventh, being mindful of the right path and the auxiliary factors of the path in correspondence with outflowless wisdom is called right mindfulness. Eighth, entering concentration in correspondence with outflowless wisdom is called right concentration.