釋淨土群疑論 4.8

4.8

Question: The Guanfo sanmei hai jing says: 'Five hundred Śākyan youths were all brothers in past lives. They studied non-Buddhist texts and did not believe in the Buddha-dharma. Their father felt pity and taught them the profound Buddha-dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, but they slandered and reviled it. At the time of their deaths, they suffered various kinds of pain. Their father took pity on them, fearing they would fall into Avīci, and instructed them to call upon the Buddha. As the sons were about to die, they gave rise to a mind of respect for their father, complied with their father's words, and called: "Namo buddhāya." The father further instructed them to call: "Namo dharmāya, namo saṅghāya." The sons had already died, and by virtue of the good karma of reciting the Buddha, they were born in heaven and enjoyed heavenly pleasures. When their heavenly retribution was exhausted, because of their old fault of slandering the Dharma, they fell into the Avīci Hell and suffered excruciating torments.' If we judge by this sūtra, although one attains birth in heaven by reciting the Buddha at death, sins are not extinguished and one still falls into hell. How is it that beings of the lowest class, by calling upon the Buddha's name a single time, immediately extinguish all sins and attain rebirth in the West, forever ending their drowning and transmigration, never being born into evil paths, and constantly experiencing bliss up until bodhi? Both call upon the Buddha's name, so why is there a difference between rising and falling?