釋淨土群疑論 7.27

7.27

釋曰：非滅種子、非滅上心。上心之罪剎那自滅，不須念佛方始滅除。又善惡不俱，念佛之時罪已先滅，或時未起正造罪時念佛已滅，念佛不可滅其上心罪也，唯滅種子念念相續能感三途惡報功能。若不念佛，此罪種子有勢力，能感當果惡趣之報。由念佛力，令其種子感果功能勢力衰微不能招報，故名罪滅。雖有種子在本識中相續而起，無感報勢力，猶如羸瘦病人，雖身復有在於床上，無有起動執作功能。罪亦如是，無有勢力能感當來惡趣之報，故名滅也。此滅種子勢力，非滅種子之體，故六種轉依中名損力益能轉。

Explanation: It neither extinguishes the seeds nor extinguishes the active consciousness. Sins of active consciousness extinguish themselves from moment to moment; they do not wait for buddhānusmṛti before being eradicated. Furthermore, good and evil do not coexist: at the time of buddhānusmṛti, the sin has already ceased previously; or sometimes, before it arises, when one is committing sin, buddhānusmṛti has already ceased. Buddhānusmṛti cannot extinguish its sins of active consciousness. It only extinguishes the function of the seeds, arising continuously thought-moment after thought-moment, to bring about the evil retributions of the three paths. If one does not practice buddhānusmṛti, these seeds of sin possess power and are able to bring about the retribution of the future fruit of the evil destinies. Through the power of buddhānusmṛti, the power and efficacy of the seeds to bring about fruitions are weakened so that they cannot invite retribution; hence it is called 'extinction of sins.' Although the seeds still exist in the fundamental consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) arising continuously, they lack the power to bring about retribution, just as an emaciated sick person, although their body still lies upon the bed, has no ability to get up and perform work. Sins are also like this: they lack the power to bring about the retribution of future evil destinies, and therefore it is called 'extinction.' This is extinguishing the power of the seeds, not extinguishing the substance of the seeds. Therefore, among the six kinds of transformation of the basis (āśrayaparivṛtti), it is called 'transformation by diminishing power and increasing efficacy.'