無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.16

1.16

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."