釋淨土群疑論 4.13

4.13

釋曰：此處之優劣，其事顯然，有識咸知，詎勞更問？然前德已有淨土之論，具言優劣，無勞此釋。然前德所製猶有未喻，今更略辨顯其優劣。以十二義彰其優劣：一主、二處、三眷屬、四壽命、五內外、六身色、七相好、八五通、九不善、十滅罪、十一受樂、十二受生。言主者，都率天主跡現凡夫，雖名補處，未成妙覺，縱當成道只現化身。阿彌陀佛已成正覺，居處淨土，多現受用身。據實而論，故無優劣；降跡化物，師弟道殊。當成現成、化佛報佛、覺滿未滿、現麁現妙，優劣不同，其義一也。言處者，兜率是娑婆穢土，欲界劣天。極樂是淨土勝方，超眾妙剎。論其勝劣，無可比方。美醜顯然，其義二也。言眷屬者，兜率天宮多間男女，極樂淨剎少說女人。以此相形，自分好惡，勝負懸隔，其義三也。言壽命者，兜率天壽用人間四百年，為彼一日一夜。即以彼之日夜三十日為一月，十二月為一年，壽命四千歲，然有中夭不盡天壽。詎比西方壽命無量阿僧祇劫？以斯相並，無以相儔。長短不同，其義四也。言內外者，兜率天宮有內外院，內即親近補處永無退轉，外即耽茲五欲不免輪迴。覺師子道亞世親，猶生外院，婆藪般豆德隣無著，誕質內院。故知內院難生，多居外院，還造十惡，退沒三塗。未若得生西方，縱令下品蓮華啟發得遇觀音，聞說甚深諸法實相除滅罪法，永免循環。以此相形，豈為比挍？其義五也。言身色者，兜率天身色雖是天形，清淨微妙實為殊特。然其終時，五衰相現，或兩腋汗出、或光明隱蔽。詎類西方純真金色，光明照曜百千由旬。故《無量壽經》以其貧窮乞士類粟散諸王，將至六欲諸天，方於淨土生者，顏容相貌威光自在，同夫聚墨況以金山。美醜不同，其義六也。言相好者，諸天身相雖復端嚴，豈有四八殊姿、無諸美醜？西方淨土乘佛本願，悉有三十二丈夫相，無有美醜。勝負若斯，其義七也。言五通者，如四十八弘誓願言「設我得佛，國中眾生所得五通，或見惑聞，下至百千萬億諸佛國土。」兜率諸天縱有報通，飛騰往來，豈能越界？縱生內院，未階聖果，無經說彼歷事十方。以此挍量，其義八也。言不善者，彌勒天宮諸往生者，既是凡夫生居欲界，縱逢補處、親聞大乘，具惑凡夫更無願攝，還起諸惑不善之心。淨土眾生無斯惡境，故乘本願不善永亡，其義九也。言滅罪者，《彌勒上生經》言「若一念頃稱彌勒名，此人除却千二百劫生死之罪。但聞彌勒名合掌恭敬，此人除却五十劫生死之罪。若有敬禮彌勒者，除却百劫生死之罪。」豈比一聲稱阿彌陀佛，即滅八十億劫生死重罪，得生西方？其義十也。言受樂者，兜率五受間生；極樂無有憂苦。其義十一也。言受生者，兜率受生，或在男女膝上懷中；淨土受生，唯居花裏或寶殿中。其義十二也。略以十二種義，顯其得失。廣無邊，不可具說。雖二處勝劣，其義如斯。然此二處往生，並是佛經勸讚，隨人所願，依教修行，並得往生咸蒙利益。如願志求兜率者，勿毀西方行人。願生西方者，莫謗兜率之業。各隨性欲任情修學，莫相是非，即為佛法；遞相非撥，便行魔業也，何但不生勝處，亦乃輪轉三塗。諸修學士當思勉勵也。

Answer: The superiority and inferiority of these places are obvious; everyone of discernment knows them, so why labour to ask further? However, virtuous predecessors have already composed treatises on the Pure Land, setting forth in full their superiority and inferiority, so there is no need for this explanation. Yet, as what those virtuous predecessors composed still leaves things unclarified, I shall now briefly distinguish and reveal their superiority and inferiority. I demonstrate their superiority and inferiority by twelve points: first, the host; second, the place; third, the retinue; fourth, the lifespan; fifth, inner and outer; sixth, bodily color; seventh, major and minor marks; eighth, the five superknowledges; ninth, non-virtue; tenth, the eradication of transgressions; eleventh, the experience of pleasure; twelfth, the mode of rebirth. As for the host: the lord of Tuṣita Heaven manifests as a pṛthagjana; though called an ekajātipratibaddha, he has not yet attained wondrous enlightenment, and even when he achieves awakening, he will merely manifest as a nirmāṇakāya. Amitābha Buddha has already attained true awakening, dwells in a pure land, and mostly manifests as a sambhogakāya. To speak of it in terms of ultimate reality, there is no superiority or inferiority; yet descending to transform beings, the paths of master and disciple are distinct. Attaining in the future versus having already attained, a nirmāṇabuddha versus a sambhogabuddha, complete versus incomplete awakening, manifesting coarse versus manifesting wondrous [forms]—the superiority and inferiority are distinct: this is the first point. As for the place: Tuṣita is an impure land in the Sahā world, an inferior heaven in the desire realm. Sukhāvatī is an extraordinary pure land, transcending all wondrous lands. In discussing their superiority and inferiority, there is no comparison. Beauty and ugliness are obvious: this is the second point. As for the retinue: the Tuṣita heavenly palace has both men and women interspersed, whereas the pure land of Sukhāvatī is said to have no women. Comparing them in this way, good and bad are clearly divided, and their superiority and inferiority are worlds apart: this is the third point. As for the lifespan: the lifespan in Tuṣita Heaven takes four hundred human years as one of its days and nights. Thirty of its days and nights make a month, twelve months make a year, and the lifespan is four thousand years; yet there are untimely deaths where one does not live out the heavenly lifespan. How can this compare to the lifespan in the West, which is immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas? Placing them side by side, there is no equal. Long and short are distinct: this is the fourth point. As for inner and outer: the Tuṣita heavenly palace has an inner and an outer court. In the inner [court], one is intimate with the ekajātipratibaddha and never retrogresses; in the outer [court], one indulges in the five desires and cannot escape saṃsāra. Buddhasiṃha's path was second only to Vasubandhu's, yet he was born into the outer court; Vasubandhu's virtue was close to Asaṅga's, and he took birth in the inner court. Thus one knows that it is difficult to be born into the inner court, and most dwell in the outer court, committing the ten non-virtuous actions again and retrogressing into the three destinies. This is not like attaining rebirth in the Western [land], where even for the lowest grade, once the lotus flower opens, one encounters Avalokiteśvara, hears the profound, real mark of all phenomena expounded, eliminates the dharmas of transgression, and forever avoids transmigration. Comparing them in this way, how can they even be likened? This is the fifth point. As for bodily color: although the bodily color in Tuṣita Heaven is a heavenly form, pure, subtle, and truly extraordinary, when their end comes, the five signs of decay appear—either sweat flows from their armpits, or their radiance fades. How could it resemble the pure, genuine golden color of the West, whose radiance illumines hundreds of thousands of yojanas? Therefore, the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra compares an impoverished beggar to a common monarch, and extends this up to the heavens of the six desire realms, comparing them to those born in the Pure Land: their countenance, features, prestige, and light are as different as a heap of ink is to a mountain of gold. Beauty and ugliness are distinct: this is the sixth point. As for the major and minor marks: although the bodily forms of the devas are dignified, how could they possess the thirty-two extraordinary marks without any beauty or ugliness? By relying on the Buddha's original vows, all in the Western Pure Land possess the thirty-two marks of a great man, without any beauty or ugliness. Their superiority and inferiority are like this: this is the seventh point. As for the five superknowledges: as stated in the forty-eight universal vows, 'If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings in my land who attain the five superknowledges should not see or hear down to hundreds of thousands of koṭis of Buddha-lands...' Although the devas of Tuṣita possess retribution-born superknowledges and can soar back and forth, how could they cross the boundaries of the world? Even if born into the inner court, having not yet stepped into the noble fruits, no sūtra says that they travel to serve [the Buddhas of] the ten directions. By this comparison, this is the eighth point. As for non-virtue: those reborn in Maitreya's heavenly palace, being pṛthagjanas born into the desire realm, even if they encounter the ekajātipratibaddha and personally hear the Mahāyāna, being pṛthagjanas complete with defilements and without vows to hold them, will again give rise to defilements and non-virtuous minds. Sentient beings in the Pure Land are without these evil conditions, and therefore, relying on the original vows, non-virtue is forever extinguished: this is the ninth point. As for the eradication of transgressions: the Maitreya Ascent Sūtra states, 'If, for the space of a single thought, one recites the name of Maitreya, this person removes the transgressions of birth-and-death of one thousand two hundred kalpas. If one merely hears the name of Maitreya and joins one's palms in reverence, this person removes the transgressions of birth-and-death of fifty kalpas. If anyone reveres and bows to Maitreya, they remove the transgressions of birth-and-death of one hundred kalpas.' How can this compare to a single invocation of Amitābha Buddha's name, which immediately eradicates the grave transgressions of birth-and-death of eighty billion kalpas and grants rebirth in the West? This is the tenth point. As for the experience of pleasure: in Tuṣita, the five feelings arise intermittently; in Sukhāvatī, there is neither grief nor suffering: this is the eleventh point. As for the mode of rebirth: rebirth in Tuṣita takes place either upon the lap or in the bosom of men and women; rebirth in the Pure Land takes place exclusively inside flowers or jeweled halls: this is the twelfth point. I have briefly revealed the merits and shortcomings through these twelve points; they are vast and boundless, impossible to expound completely. Although the superiority and inferiority of these two places are like this, rebirth in both of these two places is encouraged and praised by the Buddha's sūtras. In accordance with what people aspire to, if they practice according to the teachings, they will both attain rebirth and all receive benefit. Those whose vows aspire to Tuṣita should not disparage practitioners of the Western [land]; those who vow to be reborn in the West should not slander the practice of Tuṣita. Let each follow their disposition and study according to their inclination without criticizing one another, and that will be the Buddha Dharma. If you slander and refute each other, you are practicing the deeds of Māra; not only will you fail to be born in an extraordinary place, you will also transmigrate in the three destinies. You practitioners should reflect on this and exert yourselves.