釋淨土群疑論 7.19

7.19

釋曰：准依下品下生經十二大劫蓮華方開，觀世音大勢至以大悲音聲，為其廣說諸法實相除滅罪法。以此准知，彼亦有罪障，由斯罪障故經劫華開。不然者，何因九品行業不同，華開早晚各有差降也？

I explain: Basing ourselves upon the lower birth of the lowest grade, where the lotus flower only opens after twelve great kalpas, and Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, with voices of great compassion, expound extensively for them the real mark of all dharmas and the method for eradicating sins—by this we accordingly know that they also have sinful obstacles, and due to these sinful obstacles the flower opens only after passing through kalpas. Were it not so, for what reason would the karmic practices of the nine grades differ, with each having gradations in whether the flower opens early or late?