釋淨土群疑論 4.9

4.9

釋曰：彼雖念佛得生天宮、受天快樂，耽著五欲更不修善，念佛福盡，還落三途。如箭射空勢盡便墜，不乘本願，落惡趣中。今此往生極樂，蓮花開已見佛聞法，漸漸進修諸道品法，六波羅蜜念念恒行，無始罪愆悉皆消滅，殊勝行願念念增長，百千三昧皆悉現前，觀人法空逮無所得。豈比天宮五欲男女歡娛、放縱六情造十惡罪，同彼淨土往生有情？又彼雖念佛，不發無上菩提之心，求生淨土慇懃慚愧。又本願言「更經三惡道者，不取正覺」。又不至心，但依父命，故罪不滅，暫得生天，還沈惡趣。又謗法罪，准依《觀經》當下品下生，須具足十念罪始滅除。彼不至心，復唯一念，故罪不滅，生天還墜。譬如負債，強者先牽。念佛福強暫生天趣，謗法罪重還落惡趣。此彼兩經，有斯別也。

I explain: Although they recited the name of the Buddha and attained birth in a heavenly palace to enjoy heavenly pleasures, they were indulged in the five desires and did not cultivate further good; when the merit from reciting the Buddha's name was exhausted, they fell back into the three bad destinations. Like an arrow shot into the sky falling back once its force is exhausted, not relying on the original vow, they fell into the bad destinies. Here, however, those who attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī see the Buddha and hear the Dharma once their lotus flowers open, progressively cultivating all the factors of the path (bodhipakṣika-dharmas), constantly practicing the six pāramitās from moment to moment, so that sins from beginningless time are completely eliminated, extraordinary practices and vows increase from moment to moment, hundreds of thousands of samādhis all become manifest before them, and they contemplate the emptiness of both persons and dharmas, attaining the ungraspable. How could the heavenly palaces—with the pleasures of the five desires between men and women, giving free rein to the six sense faculties and committing the ten unwholesome deeds—be compared to those sentient beings reborn in that pure land? Furthermore, although they recited the Buddha's name, they did not bring forth the mind of unexcelled bodhi, nor did they earnestly and remorsefully seek rebirth in the Pure Land. Moreover, the original vow says: "If [those born there] should again undergo the three bad paths, may I not attain correct awakening." Furthermore, their minds were not sincere; they merely obeyed their father's command, so their sins were not eliminated; they only temporarily attained birth in heaven and sank back into the bad destinies. Moreover, regarding the sin of slandering the Dharma, according to the Guan jing, it corresponds to the lowest grade of the lowest class, where ten recitations must be fully completed before the sin is eliminated. They were not sincere, and had only a single recitation, so their sin was not eliminated, and having been born in heaven, they fell back. It is like being in debt: the stronger [creditor] pulls first. Because the merit of reciting the Buddha's name was strong, they were temporarily born in the heavenly destiny; because the sin of slandering the Dharma was heavy, they fell back into the bad destinies. Between this sūtra and that one, there is such a difference.