無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.90

1.90

問曰：《業道經》言「業道如秤，重者先牽。」如《觀無量壽經》言「有人造五逆十惡具諸不善，應墮惡道經歷多劫受無量苦。臨命終時，遇善知識教稱南無無量壽佛。如是至心令聲不絕具足十念，便得往生安樂淨土，即入大乘正定之聚畢竟不退，與三塗諸苦永隔。」先牽之義於理如何？又曠劫已來備造諸行，有漏之法繫屬三界，但以十念念阿彌陀佛便出三界繫業之義復欲云何？答曰：汝謂五逆十惡繫業等為重，以下下品人十念為輕，應為罪所牽先墮地獄繫在三界者，今當以義校量，輕重之義在心、在緣、在決定，不在時節久近多少也。云何在心？彼造罪人自依止虛妄顛倒見生；此十念者，依善知識方便安慰聞實相法生。一實一虛，豈得相比？譬如千歲闇室，光若暫至即便明朗，豈得言闇在室千歲而不去耶？是名在心。云何在緣？彼造罪人自依止妄想心、依煩惱虛妄果報眾生生。此十念者，依止無上信心、依阿彌陀如來方便莊嚴真實清淨無量功德名號生。譬如有人被毒箭所中截筋破骨，聞滅除藥鼓，即箭出毒除（《首楞嚴經》言「譬如有藥名曰滅除，若鬪戰時用以塗鼓，聞鼓聲者箭出除毒。菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住首楞嚴三昧，聞其名者三毒之箭自然拔出」）。豈可得言彼箭深毒厲，聞鼓音聲不能拔箭去毒耶？是名在緣。云何在決定？彼造罪人依止有後心、有間心生。此十念者，依止無後心、無間心生，是名決定。校量三義，十念者重。重者先牽能出三有，兩經一義耳。

Question: The Karmapathasūtra says: 'The path of karma is like a balance: that which is heavier pulls first.' And as the Contemplation Sūtra of Immeasurable Life says: 'There is a person who has committed the five heinous crimes and ten unvirtuous actions, possessing all unwholesome deeds, who ought to fall into the evil destinies and experience boundless suffering through many kalpas. When approaching the end of life, he meets a spiritual friend who teaches him to call Namo Amitābha Buddha. In this way, with a sincere mind, keeping his voice uninterrupted, he completes ten recitations, and immediately attains rebirth in the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss, entering the Mahāyāna group of correct determination, never to retrogress ultimately, and forever separated from all the sufferings of the three evil destinies.' How does the principle of 'pulling first' stand in reason? Furthermore, having performed all kinds of actions since time immemorial, these defiled dharmas bind one to the three realms; how can the principle of binding karma in the three realms be undone merely by ten recitations of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha? Answer: You consider the binding karma of the five heinous crimes and ten unvirtuous actions to be heavy, and the ten recitations of a person of the lowest of the low grade to be light, so that he should be pulled by his sins to fall first into hell and remain bound in the three realms. Now I shall measure them according to their significance: the meaning of heavy and light lies in the mind, in the conditions, and in determination; it does not lie in the duration of time or the number [of acts]. How does it lie in the mind? That person who committed sins acted relying on false and inverted views; these ten recitations arise relying on the skillful means and consolation of a spiritual friend and on hearing the Dharma of true reality. How can one that is real and one that is false be compared? For instance, in a room that has been dark for a thousand years, if light enters even briefly, it immediately becomes bright; how could one say that because darkness has been in the room for a thousand years it cannot leave? This is called 'lying in the mind.' How does it lie in the conditions? That person who committed sins acted relying on a mind of conceptual proliferation, relying on sentient beings that are the false retributions of afflictions. These ten recitations arise relying on supreme faith and relying on the name of Amitābha Tathāgata, which is adorned with skillful means and possesses real, pure, and boundless merits. For example, if someone is struck by a poisoned arrow that cuts the sinews and breaks the bone, upon hearing the drum of the counter-acting medicine, the arrow comes out and the poison is removed. (The Śūraṅgama-sūtra says: 'For example, there is a medicine called "Counter-action." If it is smeared on a drum in battle, when one hears the sound of the drum, the arrow comes out and the poison is eradicated. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are also like this: dwelling in the śūraṅgama-samādhi, when someone hears their names, the arrows of the three poisons are naturally plucked out.') How could one say that because the arrow is deep and the poison severe, hearing the sound of the drum cannot pluck out the arrow and eliminate the poison? This is called 'lying in the conditions.' How does it lie in determination? That person who committed sins acted relying on a mind with a future [thought of continuing] and an interrupted mind. These ten recitations arise relying on a mind with no subsequent thought and an uninterrupted mind; this is called determination. Comparing these three meanings, the ten recitations are heavier. What is heavy pulls first and can lead one out of the three realms of existence. The two sūtras share one and the same meaning.