無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.49

1.49

Question: In examining Bodhisattva Dharmākara's fundamental vows and Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna's praises, both seem to regard the multitude of śrāvakas in that land as extraordinary. What is the meaning of this?
Answer: Śrāvakas take the limit of reality as their realization; by calculation, they should not be able to sprout again the roots and shoots of the Buddha path. Yet the Buddha, through the inconceivable supernatural power of his fundamental vow, gathers them to be born there, and will certainly use his supernatural power to give rise to their aspiration for the unexcelled path. For example, when a poison-bird enters water, the fish and mussels all die, but when a rhinoceros touches it, those who died all revive. Thus, that which should not be born is born—this is why it is extraordinary. However, among the five inconceivables, the Buddha-Dharma is the most inconceivable; that the Buddha can cause śrāvakas to give rise again to the aspiration for the unexcelled path is truly the height of the inconceivable.