釋淨土群疑論 2.23

2.23

Answer: How could it be that just because the intermediate state enters that flower, it is immediately subsumed under that birth existence? Those born in that pure land have superior power of blessings and virtue; although it is an intermediate state, they mount the flower to go and be reborn, unlike the intermediate state of the defiled land which has no flower. Although both the intermediate and birth existences are within the flower, nevertheless their superiority and inferiority differ, and their brightness and darkness are distinct, thereby distinguishing the difference between the intermediate and birth existences; furthermore, there is a difference in meaning between heading toward birth and arriving at birth. The difference between intermediate and birth existences is distinguished in this way; it is not distinguished according to whether there is a flower or not. If one were to claim that because both are in the flower they are difficult to distinguish, and thus conclude that there is no intermediate state, then one could also say that since intermediate and birth existences in the defiled land both lack a flower, the two existences of intermediate and birth should not be distinguished. If one says that although intermediate existence and birth existence both lack a flower, there are distinctions such as entering the womb, then while distinctions may exist for the three modes of birth such as from an egg, how could the birth existence of apparitional birth be distinguished? By this we know that there is an intermediate state. Furthermore, just as the intermediate state of hell is already burned by fire, how could it be without distinction from the birth existence? Conversely, this clarifies that the wholesome karma of the pure land is similarly analogous to intermediate and birth existences. However, regarding what is expounded here about the intermediate state, since we have not yet seen any passage in the sūtras or treatises stating whether the body that departs when born in the pure land is or is not an intermediate state, it cannot be definitively determined as existing or not. Although there is no sūtra text, taking the view of its existence is superior. Otherwise, what could that departing body be said to be?