起信論疏筆削記 20.31

20.31

今疏約三位者，但就九品中前六品說，初位即彼中三品人也，第二位即彼上下品人，第三位即彼上中、上上品人也。以是料揀不退義故，故此判也。無退緣者，以彼壽命長遠，又無女人、無三塗、無寒暑、無饑渴、無冤親、無老病，所欲隨心，常與聲聞大菩薩等而為伴侶，常見佛聞法，水鳥樹林皆演苦空無常無我，念佛念法。由是善業則自然增長，塵勞則任運消除，直至菩提，更無退轉，故《彌陀經》云：若有人已發願、今發願、當發願，欲生彌陀佛國者，皆得不退於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。與此穢土修行霄壤有隔，猶如二人共至前所，一則徒步、一則乘載，如是二人難易可見。彼此二境修行等差，亦復如是。

Now, the commentary's reference to the 'three positions' speaks only with respect to the first six grades among the nine grades: the first position is the people of the middle three grades; the second position is the people of the highest of the lower grade; the third position is the people of the highest of the middle and highest of the highest grades. Because this categorizes and differentiates the meaning of non-retrogression, it is classified thus. 'Lacking conditions for regression' means that their lifespan there is long, and moreover there are no women, no three evil destinies, no cold or heat, no hunger or thirst, no enemies or kin, and no old age or sickness; whatever they desire accords with their minds; they are constantly companions to śrāvakas, great bodhisattvas, and the like; they constantly see the Buddha and hear the Dharma; the waters, birds, and groves all expound suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, and mindfulness of the Buddha and mindfulness of the Dharma. As a result, wholesome karmas naturally increase, and afflictive toils are eliminated of their own accord, straight through to bodhi without any further regression. Therefore the Amitābha-sūtra states: 'If there are people who have already vowed, are now vowing, or will vow, wishing to be born in the Buddha land of Amitābha, they all attain non-retrogression from anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.' Compared to cultivating in this defiled land, there is a gulf as vast as heaven and earth, just as when two people journey together to a destination ahead: one walks on foot, while the other rides in a conveyance; the difficulty and ease of these two people can be clearly seen. The graded differences in cultivation between those two spheres are also like this.