釋淨土群疑論 7.13

7.13

釋曰：以四義故知非火車，一以行、二以相、三以語、四以佛，此四義異火花。一以行者，《觀佛三昧經》說「罪人造罪，犯四重禁，乃至毀辱所親，不生悔過。」不遇善友教令念佛，故所見花是地獄相。今此下品等三人，雖復生來造罪，終時遇善知識至心念佛。以念佛故滅多劫罪，成勝功德，感得寶池中花來迎，豈同前花也？二相者，彼經說「風刀解身，偃臥不定，如被楚撻，其心荒越發狂癡想。見己室宅男女大小，一切皆是不淨之物，屎尿臭處盈流于外。」今此念佛身心安穩、惡想都滅，唯見聖眾、聞有異香，故不類也。三語者，彼經中說「地獄痛聲如詠歌音，罪人聞已，如此好處吾當遊中。」《觀經》中讚言「善男子！汝稱佛名，故諸罪消滅，我來迎汝。」彼是詠歌之音，此陳滅罪之語，二音既別，故不同也。四佛者，彼經「一切火焰化為玉女，罪人遙見心生歡喜，我欲往中。坐金車已，顧瞻玉女，皆捉鐵斧斬截其身。」《觀經》言「爾時彼佛即遣化佛、化觀世音、化大勢至至行者前。」以此四義，准知蓮花來迎不同《觀佛三昧海經》說也。

I explain: By four criteria we know it is not the fiery carriage: first, by the practice; second, by the signs; third, by the words; fourth, by the Buddha. These four criteria differ from the fiery flower. First, by the practice: the Guanfo sanmei hai jing says that the sinner committed sins, violated the four grave prohibitions, and even disgraced their kin, without giving rise to repentance. They did not encounter a good friend who taught them to practice buddhānusmṛti; therefore, the flower they saw was an appearance of hell. Now, these three kinds of people of the lowest grade, although they committed sins throughout their lives, encountered a good spiritual friend at the end and recited the Buddha's name with a sincere mind. Because of buddhānusmṛti, they eradicate the sins of many kalpas and accomplish supreme merit, which induces the flower in the jeweled pond to come and welcome them; how could it be the same as the former flower? Second, regarding the signs: that sūtra says that wind-knives dismembered their body, they tossed and turned without rest as though beaten with whips, and their mind was deranged, giving rise to mad and deluded perceptions; they saw the rooms of their house and all the men, women, young and old, to be foul things, with the stench of feces and urine overflowing outside. Now, in this buddhānusmṛti, body and mind are tranquil and settled, evil perceptions are completely eliminated, and they only behold the assembly of sages and smell an unusual fragrance; hence they are not of the same kind. Third, regarding the words: that sūtra says that the agonizing sounds of hell resemble the singing of songs, and when the sinner hears this: 'In such a fine place, I should roam and play!' In the Guan jing, [the Buddha] praises them, saying: 'Good son! Because you recited the Buddha's name, all sins are eliminated; I have come to welcome you.' That is the sound of singing, whereas this is the utterance of the eradication of sins; since the two sounds are different, they are not the same. Fourth, regarding the Buddha: that sūtra states that all the flames transformed into jade maidens, and the sinner, seeing them from afar, rejoiced in their heart: 'I want to go inside.' After sitting in the golden cart, looking at the jade maidens, they were all holding iron axes and chopping up their bodies. The Guan jing states: 'At that time, that Buddha immediately dispatched transformed Buddhas, transformed Avalokiteśvara, and transformed Mahāsthāmaprāpta to arrive before the practitioner.' By these four criteria, one accordingly knows that the lotus coming to welcome [the practitioner] is not the same as what is expounded in the Guanfo sanmei hai jing.