釋淨土群疑論 2.13

2.13

釋曰：諸經論文說生淨土，各據一義，取捨不同。或上人下人義論，淨土既有麁妙勝劣種種殊異不同，得生亦有種種上下階降。亦如《仁王經》說「唯佛一人居淨土，三賢十聖住果報土。」此即十地已還並不得生於淨土，以佛大圓鏡智所現淨土是無漏故，名之為淨。十地已還本識所變諸淨妙土，是有漏故，不名為淨。以第八識是果報識故，所變之土名果報土也。若約行施戒修離無漏定障，能以定力處處淨土受生自在，即三地菩薩得定自在。故《瑜伽論》言「三地菩薩方生淨土」。若以得無分別智，斷人法二執見道煩惱，證得遍滿法界，悟百法明門，得生諸佛淨土，則初地已上得生淨土。若以本願大悲引一切凡愚眾生，乃至下品下生五逆十惡，但發菩提心悉得往生，具如經說。不可直依《瑜伽論》言三地得生，即謂初二地菩薩亦不得生淨土。龍樹菩薩佛記位登初地，生於西方極樂世界。豈為未至三地，言不得生淨土，便與此經相違也。又初地菩薩，依《仁王經》說「得百法明門、見百佛淨土」，如何言不得生淨土也？又《華嚴經》說「初發心凡夫菩薩願生淨土，即得往生。」故知《瑜伽論》文，別據一相得定自在離障而說也。

I explain: When the various sūtras and treatises speak of birth in the pure land, each relies on a particular meaning, differing in what they accept or set aside. Some discuss it in terms of superior persons or inferior persons. Since pure lands have various distinctions and differences—coarse or subtle, superior or inferior—attaining birth also has various higher and lower gradations. It is also as the Renwang jing says: 'Only the Buddha alone dwells in the pure land; the three classes of worthy ones and ten classes of noble ones reside in the retribution land.' This means that those from the tenth bhūmi downward cannot be born in the pure land at all, because the pure land manifested by the Buddha's ādarśajñāna is uncontaminated, and therefore it is called 'pure.' The various pure and wonderful lands transformed by the fundamental consciousness of those from the tenth bhūmi downward are contaminated, and therefore are not called 'pure.' Because the eighth consciousness is the retribution consciousness, the lands transformed by it are called retribution lands. If we consider the practice of giving, morality, and cultivation [of meditation] to be free from the hindrances to uncontaminated samādhi, being able by the power of samādhi to take birth at will in various pure lands, then it is bodhisattvas of the third bhūmi who attain mastery of samādhi. Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'Only bodhisattvas of the third bhūmi are born in the pure land.' If we consider attaining non-conceptual wisdom, severing the two clingings to person and phenomena which are the afflictions of the path of seeing, realizing pervasive entry into the dharmadhātu, and awakening to the hundred gates of bright phenomena, so as to attain birth in the pure lands of the buddhas, then those from the prathamā bhūmi upward attain birth in the pure land. If it is by means of the fundamental vow and great compassion leading all ordinary, foolish sentient beings, even down to the lowest grade of the lowest class who have committed the five heinous crimes and the ten unwholesome deeds, so long as they generate the bodhicitta they will all attain rebirth, fully as spoken in the sūtra. One must not simply rely on the Yogācārabhūmi's statement that the third bhūmi attains birth, and immediately claim that bodhisattvas of the first and second bhūmis cannot be born in the pure land either. Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna was prophesied by the Buddha to ascend to the prathamā bhūmi and be born in the Western Sukhāvatī. How could it be that because he had not yet reached the third bhūmi, one should say he could not be born in the pure land, which would then contradict this sūtra? Furthermore, as for a bodhisattva of the prathamā bhūmi, according to the Renwang jing, which says: 'They attain the hundred gates of bright phenomena and see the pure lands of a hundred buddhas,' how could one say they cannot be born in the pure land? Moreover, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: 'Ordinary bodhisattvas who have just generated the aspiration, if they vow to be born in the pure land, will immediately attain rebirth.' Thus we know that the text of the Yogācārabhūmi spoke specifically based on one particular aspect: attaining mastery of samādhi and being free from hindrances.