觀念阿彌陀佛相海三昧功德法門 1.71

1.71

問曰：釋迦出現，為度五濁凡夫，即以慈悲開示十惡之因報果三塗之苦，又以平等智慧悟入人天迴生彌陀佛國。諸經頓教文義歷然。今乃有人，公然不信共相誹毀者，未知此人現生及死後得何罪報？具引佛經與其作證，令生改悔信佛大乘迴生淨土，即為利益也。答曰：依佛經答者，又此惡人如上五惡性分中已說竟，今直引佛經以為明證。即如《十往生經》云，佛告山海慧菩薩：「汝今為度一切眾生，應當受持是經。」佛又告山海慧：「是經名為觀阿彌陀佛色身正念解脫三昧經，亦名度諸有流生死八難有緣眾生經，如是受持。眾生未有念佛三昧緣者，是經能與作開大三昧門，是經能與眾生閉地獄門，是經能與眾生除害人惡鬼殄滅，四向悉皆安穩。」佛告山海慧：「如我所說，其義如是。」山海慧白佛言：「未來眾生多有誹謗，如是之人於後云何？」佛言：「於後閻浮提，或有比丘、比丘尼、若男若女，見有讀誦是經，或相瞋恚心懷誹謗。緣是謗正法故，是人現身得諸惡重病，身根不具。或得聾病盲病、失陰病、鬼魅邪狂、風冷熱痔、水腫失心。如是等諸惡重病世世在身，如是受苦坐臥不安，大小便利亦皆不通，求生求死不得，謗是經故受苦如是。或時死後墮於地獄，八萬劫中受大苦惱，百千萬世未曾聞水食之名，謗是經故得罪如是。或時得出，生在人中，作牛馬猪羊，為人所殺，受大苦惱，為謗是經故。後得人身，常生下賤，百千萬世不得自在，百千萬世不見三寶名字，為謗是經故受苦如是。是故無智人中莫說是經，正觀正念如是之人然後與說。彼此不敬是經，墮於地獄；彼此敬重，得正解脫，往生阿彌陀佛國。」今又以此經證，故知毀敬之者佛記損益不虛。應知。具答前問竟。

Question: Śākyamuni appeared in order to deliver pṛthagjanas of the five turbidities; thus, with compassion, he revealed the causes, retributions, effects of the ten unwholesome actions, and the sufferings of the three wretched realms. Furthermore, with impartial wisdom, he awakened [beings of] the human and heavenly realms to turn towards rebirth in Amitābha Buddha's land. The texts and meanings of the sudden teaching in the various sūtras are clearly evident. Yet nowadays there are people who openly disbelieve and join together in slandering and defaming it. What sinful retribution will such a person receive in this present life and after death? Provide extensive citations from the Buddha's sūtras to serve as proof for them, so that they may give rise to repentance, believe in the Buddha's Great Vehicle, and turn towards rebirth in the Pure Land, which would be of great benefit. Answer: Replying according to the Buddha's sūtras, the dispositions of these evil persons have already been fully explained above in the section on the five evil natures. Now I shall directly cite the Buddha's sūtras as clear proof. Thus the Sūtra on the Ten Rebirths states that the Buddha addressed Mountain Sea Wisdom Bodhisattva (Śailasamudramati): “In order to deliver all sentient beings now, you should accept and uphold this sūtra.” The Buddha further addressed Mountain Sea Wisdom: “This sūtra is named the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Right Mindfulness and Liberation by Contemplating the Physical Body of Amitābha Buddha, and also named the Sūtra on Delivering Sentient Beings Who Have Conditions [for Liberation] Among the Torrents of Existence, Birth-and-Death, and the Eight Difficulties; thus should you accept and uphold it. For sentient beings who do not yet have the causal conditions for the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi, this sūtra can open the gate to the great samādhi for them; this sūtra can close the gates of hell for sentient beings; this sūtra can eradicate and destroy evil ghosts that harm people for sentient beings; and in the four directions all will be peaceful and secure.” The Buddha addressed Mountain Sea Wisdom: “As I have spoken, its meaning is like this.” Mountain Sea Wisdom said to the Buddha: “Future sentient beings will often slander it. What will become of such persons afterward?” The Buddha said: “In Jambudvīpa in the future, there may be monks, nuns, or men and women who, upon seeing someone reading and reciting this sūtra, either become angry with each other or harbour slander in their hearts. Because of slandering the True Dharma, such persons in their present bodies will contract various evil, severe diseases, and their physical faculties will become defective. They may contract deafness or blindness; contract the disease of losing their private parts; be afflicted by demonic possession and unwholesome madness; or suffer from wind, cold, feverish hemorrhoids, dropsy, and loss of mind. Such evil, severe diseases will remain with their bodies for life after life. Suffering thus, they will find no rest whether sitting or lying down, their urination and defecation will be obstructed, and seeking life or seeking death, they will obtain neither—such is the suffering they endure due to slandering this sūtra. Or after death they may fall into the hells, enduring immense anguish for eighty thousand kalpas, never once hearing the names of water or food for hundreds of thousands of myriads of lives—such are the sins they incur due to slandering this sūtra. Or when they manage to emerge and are born among humans, they will become oxen, horses, pigs, and sheep, slaughtered by others and enduring immense anguish due to having slandered this sūtra. Later, when they obtain a human body, they will always be born base and lowly, lacking freedom for hundreds of thousands of myriads of lives, and not seeing the names of the Three Jewels for hundreds of thousands of myriads of lives—such is the suffering they endure due to slandering this sūtra. Therefore, do not preach this sūtra among people lacking wisdom; only preach it to such persons who practice right contemplation and right mindfulness. If people mutually disrespect this sūtra, they will fall into the hells; if they mutually revere it, they will attain right liberation and be reborn in Amitābha Buddha's land.” Now, relying again on the proof of this sūtra, one should know that the Buddha's predictions of loss and gain regarding defaming or revering [it] are not empty. You should know this. This fully answers the previous question.