阿彌陀經要解 1.7

1.7

第四明力用者，往生不退為力用。往生有四土，各得論九品，今且略明得生四土之相。若執持名號未斷見思者，隨其或散或定，自於同居土中分三輩九品。若執持名號至於事一心不亂，見思任運先落者，則生方便有餘淨土。若執持名號至於理一心不亂，豁破無明一品乃至四十一品，則生實報莊嚴淨土，亦名分證常寂光土。若無明斷盡，則是上上實報亦是究竟寂光也。不退有四義：一、念不退；二、行不退；三、位不退；四、畢竟不退。一、念不退者，破無明顯佛性，徑生實報分證寂光。二、行不退者，見思既落塵沙亦破，生方便土進趨極果。三、位不退者，帶業往生在同居土，蓮華托質永離退緣。四、畢竟不退者，不論至心散心，有心無心，或解或不解，但令彌陀名號一歷耳根，或六方佛名、或此經名字一經於耳，假使千萬劫後畢竟因斯度脫，如聞塗毒鼓遠近皆喪，又如食少金剛決定不消也。

Fourth, clarifying the dynamic function: Rebirth and avivartika are the dynamic function. There are four lands of rebirth, each having nine grades; now I shall briefly clarify the marks of attaining rebirth in the four lands. If one holds firmly to the name without having severed view and thought [afflictions], according to whether one is scattered or focused, one naturally falls into the three tiers and nine grades within the Land of Common Residence. If one holds firmly to the name to the point of phenomenal one mind undisturbed, so that view and thought [afflictions] naturally fall away first, one is reborn in the Pure Land of Expediency with Remainder. If one holds firmly to the name to the point of noumenal one mind undisturbed, suddenly breaking through one grade up to forty-one grades of fundamental ignorance, one is reborn in the Pure Land of True Retribution and Adornment, also called partially realizing the land of eternally quiescent light. If fundamental ignorance is severed completely, that is the supreme-upper True Retribution, and also the ultimate Quiescent Light. Avivartika has four meanings: first, non-retrogression of thought; second, non-retrogression of practice; third, non-retrogression of position; fourth, ultimate non-retrogression. First, non-retrogression of thought means breaking through fundamental ignorance and revealing the Buddha-nature, directly being reborn in True Retribution and partially realizing Quiescent Light. Second, non-retrogression of practice means that since view and thought [afflictions] have fallen away, dust-and-sand [afflictions] are also broken, and one is reborn in the Land of Expediency to advance toward the ultimate fruit. Third, non-retrogression of position means rebirth carrying one's karma in the Land of Common Residence, relying on a lotus flower for physical birth, forever parted from conditions of retrogression. Fourth, ultimate non-retrogression means that regardless of utmost sincerity or a scattered mind, mindful or unmindful, understanding or not understanding, if the name of Amitābha once passes through the ear-root, or the names of the Buddhas of the six directions, or the name of this sūtra once passes through the ear, even after thousands of myriads of kalpas, one will ultimately attain deliverance due to this—just as hearing the poison-smeared drum kills both near and far, and just as consuming a tiny diamond will definitely not be digested.