釋淨土群疑論 6.49

6.49

釋曰：功德無量，豈要須藉長時多修方成無量也？自有長時多修而是少福、自有少時少修而是多福。其義如何？如《金剛般若》言「初日分、中日分、後日分，各各以恒河沙等身命布施，如是無量百千萬億劫以身布施。若復有人聞此經典，信心不逆，其福勝彼等。」無量百千萬億劫，時長也；捨恒河沙等身，修多也；一一皆害其命，苦多也。雖復具有三多，而其福少。若復有人，身少也；聞此經典，時少也；信心不逆，行少也。而得功德過逾前福。此是上聖校量，非是下凡測度，豈不信也？今此一念念佛，即是具無上功德，亦是大師真語，何得懷疑也？又以一念念佛，即過百千萬億劫修道，故成功德多也。如《法華經》說「若復有人，受持六十二億恒河沙菩薩名字，復盡形供養飲食衣服臥具醫藥。於意云何？是善男子善女人功德多不？無盡意言：『甚多。世尊！』佛言：『若有人受持觀世音菩薩名號，乃至一時禮拜供養，是二人福正等無異。』」若受持六十二億恒河沙菩薩名號，復供養四事，計用時即已經百千萬億劫。始爾暫時稱觀世音菩薩名號，供養一種，此多時功德同於少時之福。《十輪經》說「若人於百大劫，至心念觀世音菩薩等，不如一食頃念地藏菩薩。」若百大劫念觀世音菩薩，況前校量，即當過百千萬億不可說恒河沙菩薩名號供養也。若多劫中念地藏菩薩，不如一聲至心念阿彌陀佛，功德無量無邊也。如是將佛比地藏菩薩，將地藏菩薩比觀世音菩薩，將觀世音菩薩比餘菩薩六十二億恒河沙等挍量，即當念佛一聲功德勝無量阿僧祇恒河沙數菩薩名號供養四事。此即一念念佛，即過念餘菩薩一阿僧祇二阿僧祇劫修道。如何念佛而功德少耶？可須以此校量知多功德也。

The explanation says: Merit is limitless; why must it depend on long duration and extensive cultivation before it becomes limitless? There is cultivation that spans a long duration and is extensive, yet results in little merit; and there is cultivation that spans a short duration and is limited, yet results in much merit. What does this mean? As the Diamond Prajñā says: "If a person in the morning, at noon, and in the evening gives away their body and life as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and thus gives away their body for immeasurable hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of kalpas; yet if another person hears this sūtra and has faithful mind without opposing it, their merit surpasses the former." Immeasurable hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of kalpas means the time is long; giving away bodies as numerous as the sands of the Ganges means the cultivation is extensive; each time bringing about the destruction of their life means the suffering is great. Although it possesses all three kinds of greatness, yet its merit is small. In the case of the other person: their body is single; hearing this sūtra takes little time; and having faithful mind without opposition is a small practice; yet the merit obtained surpasses the former merit. This is the comparative appraisal of superior sages, not the speculation of inferior ordinary people—how could one not believe it? Now, this single thought of buddhānusmṛti is indeed endowed with supreme merit; this too is the true word of the Great Master. How can one harbor doubts? Furthermore, because a single thought of buddhānusmṛti surpasses the cultivation of the Path for hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of kalpas, it accomplishes great merit. As the Lotus Sūtra says: "If another person receives and upholds the names of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two kotis of Ganges Rivers, and for their whole life makes offerings to them of food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine. What do you think? Would the merit of this good son or good daughter be great or not? Akṣayamati said: 'Extremely great, World-Honoured One!' The Buddha said: 'If a person receives and upholds the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and even for a single moment pays homage and makes offerings, the merits of these two persons are equal and not different.'" If one receives and upholds the names of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two kotis of Ganges Rivers and makes offerings of the four requisites, calculating the time spent, it has already passed through hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of kalpas. Yet if one merely invokes the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara for a brief moment and makes a single offering, the merit of that long time is equal to the merit of this brief time. The Daśacakra Sūtra says: "If a person for a hundred great kalpas single-mindedly contemplates Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and others, it is not as good as contemplating Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha for the duration of a meal." If contemplating Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara for a hundred great kalpas, by analogy to the previous comparative appraisal, already surpasses making offerings to the names of bodhisattvas as numerous as the ineffable sands of hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of Ganges Rivers; then if one contemplates Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha for many kalpas, it is not as good as single-mindedly invoking Amitābha with a single utterance, the merit of which is immeasurable and boundless. In this way, comparing the Buddha to Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, comparing Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and comparing Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara to the other bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two kotis of Ganges Rivers: the merit of invoking the Buddha with a single utterance surpasses making offerings of the four requisites to the names of bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of immeasurable asaṃkhyeya Ganges Rivers. This means that a single thought of buddhānusmṛti surpasses the cultivation of the Path through contemplating other bodhisattvas for one or two asaṃkhyeya kalpas. How could buddhānusmṛti yield little merit? One should know by this comparative appraisal that it has great merit.