無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.16

1.16

此二句名莊嚴性功德成就。佛本何故起此莊嚴？見有國土以愛欲故則有欲界，以攀厭禪定故則有色無色界，此三界皆是有漏邪道所生，長寢大夢莫知悕出。是故興大悲心，願我成佛，以無上正見道起清淨土出于三界。性是本義，言此淨土隨順法性不乖法本。事同《華嚴經》寶王如來性起義。又言積習成性，指法藏菩薩集諸波羅蜜積習所成。亦言性者是聖種性，序法藏菩薩於世自在王佛所悟無生法忍，爾時位名聖種性。於是性中發四十八大願修起此土，即曰安樂淨土。是彼因所得，果中說因故名為性。又言性是必然義、不改義。如海性一味，眾流入者必為一味，海味不隨彼改也。又如人身性不淨故，種種妙好色香美味入身皆為不淨。安樂淨土諸往生者，無不淨色、無不淨心，畢竟皆得清淨平等無為法身，以安樂國土清淨性成就故。正道大慈悲出世善根生者，平等大道也。平等道所以名為正道者，平等是諸法體相。以諸法平等故發心等，發心等故道等，道等故大慈悲等。大慈悲是佛道正因，故言正道大慈悲。慈悲有三緣：一者眾生緣，是小悲；二者法緣，是中悲；三者無緣，是大悲。大悲即出世善也。安樂淨土從此大悲生故，故謂此大悲為淨土之根，故曰出世善根生。

These two lines are named the perfection of the merit of adorned nature. Why did the Buddha originally give rise to this adornment? He saw that lands have the desire realm on account of craving and desire, and have the form and formless realms on account of clinging to or revulsion toward dhyāna concentration. These three realms are all born of the erroneous path with outflows; long asleep in a great dream, beings know not how to aspire to escape. Therefore, he gave rise to the mind of great compassion, vowing: "When I become a Buddha, through the path of unexcelled right view I shall give rise to a pure land that transcends the three realms." "Nature" has the meaning of origin; it means this pure land accords with the Dharma-nature and does not contradict the origin of dharmas. This matter is identical to the meaning of the "arising of the nature of the Treasure King Tathāgata" in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Furthermore, it is said that accumulating habits forms a nature, referring to what was formed by the accumulated practice of the various pāramitās by Bodhisattva Dharmākara. It is also said that "nature" is the lineage-nature of the noble ones (ārya-gotra), describing Bodhisattva Dharmākara's awakening to the patience of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti) in the presence of the Buddha Lokeśvararāja, at which time his stage was called the lineage-nature of the noble ones. Within this nature, he made the forty-eight great vows and cultivated and raised up this land, which is called the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss. Being obtained from that cause, the cause is spoken of within the fruit; hence it is called "nature." Furthermore, "nature" has the meaning of necessity and the meaning of immutability. Just as the nature of the ocean has a single taste, and the various streams entering it necessarily become of a single taste, the taste of the ocean not altering in accordance with them; and just as, because the nature of the human body is impure, all kinds of exquisite colors, fragrances, and delicious tastes entering the body all become impure—so too, of all those reborn in the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss, there is none with an impure form and none with an impure mind; all ultimately attain the pure, equal, unconditioned Dharma-body, because the pure nature of the Land of Peace and Bliss is perfected.

"Born of the great compassion of the correct path, / And the supramundane roots of goodness": this is the great equal path. The reason why the equal path is called the correct path is that equality is the substance and mark of all dharmas. Because all dharmas are equal, the arousal of the mind is equal; because the arousal of the mind is equal, the path is equal; because the path is equal, great compassion is equal. Great compassion is the correct cause of the Buddha path; therefore it is said to be "the great compassion of the correct path." Compassion has three conditions: first, conditioned by sentient beings, which is small compassion; second, conditioned by dharmas, which is intermediate compassion; third, unconditioned, which is great compassion. Great compassion is itself the supramundane good. Because the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss is born from this great compassion, this great compassion is called the root of the Pure Land; hence it is said to be "born of the supramundane roots of goodness."