安樂集 2.68

2.68

又勸雖與眾生作善知識，必須歸西。何以故？由住斯火界違、順境多，多有退沒，難出故也。是故舍利弗於此發心，修菩薩行，已經六十劫。逢惡知識乞眼因緣，遂即退轉。故知火界修道甚難，故勸歸西方，一得往生，三學自然勝進萬行普備。故《大經》云：「彌陀淨國，無造惡之地如毛髮許也。」

Furthermore, it encourages that even while acting as a spiritual friend to sentient beings, one must take refuge in the West. Why so? Because dwelling in this realm of fire, adverse and favorable conditions are many, so retrogression and drowning are frequent, making escape difficult. For this reason, Śāriputra aroused the aspiration here and cultivated the bodhisattva practices for sixty kalpas; encountering the condition of an evil friend begging for his eye, he thereupon retrogressed. Thus, we know that cultivating the path in the realm of fire is exceedingly difficult; therefore, one is urged to take refuge in the West. Once rebirth is attained, the three trainings naturally advance superiorly, and the myriad practices are universally fulfilled. Hence the Larger Sūtra states: 'In Amitābha’s Pure Land, there is not even a hair’s breadth of ground where evil is created.'