釋淨土群疑論 7.5

7.5

釋曰：各有一意，所據不同，不相違也。《無量壽經》言少者，言數少也。《阿彌陀經》言多用也。彼人唯念阿彌陀佛，更不修餘六波羅蜜諸道品法，長時長劫難行苦行，唯有念佛功德，無餘修道之福，故名少也。此念阿彌陀佛，一聲已上即是無量無邊殊勝功德，故名多也。故《無量壽經》下卷云「十方恒沙諸佛如來，皆共讚歎無量壽佛威神功德不可思議。諸有眾生聞其名號，信心歡喜，乃至一念即得往生，住不退轉。」又言「其有得聞彼佛名號，歡喜踊躍乃至一念，當知此人為得大利，即是具足無上功德。」《稱讚淨土經》言「得聞如是無量壽佛無量無邊不可思議功德名號。」以此等經文證知，即是多功德也。故約數約用，名少名多不相違也。如一摩尼珠亦名為少亦名為多。言少者，此珠唯一，其量不大，愚人不別將為少，故輕而不取。亦名為大，此一寶珠價越三千大千世界，識者所重，故言多也。念佛亦如是，名多名少據義不同也。

The explanation says: Each has its own intention, and what they base themselves on is different, so they do not contradict each other. What the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra calls "small" refers to quantity being small. What the Amitābha Sūtra calls "great" refers to function. That person solely contemplates Amitābha and does not cultivate the other six pāramitās and the factors of the Path, nor difficult and painful practices over long times and kalpas; having only the merit of buddhānusmṛti and lacking the merit of other cultivation of the Path, it is called "small". This contemplation of Amitābha, from a single utterance upwards, is immeasurable, boundless, and extraordinary merit, so it is called "great". Therefore, the lower fascicle of the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra says: "All the Tathāgatas, buddhas of the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, together praise the inconceivable majesty and merit of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. If living beings hear his name, rejoice with faithful mind, and even down to a single thought, they will immediately attain rebirth and abide in non-retrogression." It also says: "If there are those who hear that buddha's name, leap with joy, and even down to a single thought, you should know that this person attains great benefit, which means being fully endowed with supreme merit." The Sūtra Praising the Pure Land says: "Hearing such a name endowed with the immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable merit of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life." By these sūtra passages we know by verification that it is indeed great merit. Therefore, considered in terms of quantity and in terms of function, the names "small" and "great" do not contradict each other. It is like a single maṇi jewel, which is called both "small" and "great". It is called "small" because this jewel is only one and its size is not large; foolish people, not discerning it, take it to be small and thus belittle it and do not take it. It is also called "great" because the value of this single precious jewel surpasses a trichiliocosm; those who recognize it value it, so it is called "great". Buddhānusmṛti is also like this: the names "great" and "small" are based on different meanings.