釋淨土群疑論 3.2

3.2

問曰：如《無量壽經》四十八弘誓言「設我得佛，十方眾生至心信樂欲生我國，乃至十念，若不生者，不取正覺。唯除五逆誹謗正法。」《觀經》言「下品下生者，或有眾生造五逆十惡，無惡不造，經歷地獄受苦無窮。臨命終時，逢善知識教令稱佛，如是至心令聲不絕，具足十念，得生西方。」何意二經俱造五逆，並有十念得生淨土，有取有除，兩文不同，有何義也？

Question: As the forty-eight universal vows of the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra state: 'If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully believe, desiring to be born in my land, even down to ten recitations, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect awakening; excluded only are those who commit the five heinous acts and slander the true Dharma.' The Guan jing states: 'Those of the lowest birth of the lowest grade: there may be sentient beings who commit the five heinous acts and the ten evils, committing every evil without exception, who would undergo endless suffering through the hells. At the time of death, they encounter a good friend who teaches them to recite the Buddha's name; thus with utmost sincerity, keeping the sound unbroken, completing ten recitations, they attain rebirth in the Western realm.' Why is it that in both sūtras they commit the five heinous acts and have ten recitations to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, yet one admits them and one excludes them? The two texts are not the same; what is the meaning of this?