略論安樂淨土義 1.16

1.16

答曰：「經喻云：『譬如轉輪王子，得罪於王，內於後宮，繫以金鎖，一切供具無所乏少，猶如王。王子于時，雖有好妙種種自娛樂具，心不受樂，但念設諸方便，求免悕出。』彼胎生者亦復如是，雖處七寶宮殿，有好色、香、味、觸，不以為樂；但不見三寶，不得供養、修諸善本，以之為苦。識其本罪，深自責悔，求離彼處，即得如意。還同三輩生者，當是五百年末，方識罪悔耳。」

Answer: "The sūtra's metaphor says: 'Just like a prince of a cakravartin who offends the king and is placed in the inner palace, bound with golden chains, with nothing lacking among all his requisites, just like the king. At that time, although the prince has various fine and marvelous things to enjoy and entertain himself with, his mind does not experience joy; he thinks only of devising various means to seek release and yearning to get out.' Those womb-born are also just like this: although they dwell in seven-jeweled palaces and have fine forms, scents, tastes, and tactile sensations, they do not consider them pleasurable; simply because they do not see the Three Jewels and cannot make offerings or cultivate wholesome roots, they consider this suffering. Recognizing their original offense, they deeply reproach and repent themselves, seeking to leave that place, and they immediately obtain their wish. They become again like those born in the three grades; it is at the end of the five hundred years that they only then recognize their offense and repent."