釋淨土群疑論 4.9

4.9

I explain: Although they recited the name of the Buddha and attained birth in a heavenly palace to enjoy heavenly pleasures, they were indulged in the five desires and did not cultivate further good; when the merit from reciting the Buddha's name was exhausted, they fell back into the three bad destinations. Like an arrow shot into the sky falling back once its force is exhausted, not relying on the original vow, they fell into the bad destinies. Here, however, those who attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī see the Buddha and hear the Dharma once their lotus flowers open, progressively cultivating all the factors of the path (bodhipakṣika-dharmas), constantly practicing the six pāramitās from moment to moment, so that sins from beginningless time are completely eliminated, extraordinary practices and vows increase from moment to moment, hundreds of thousands of samādhis all become manifest before them, and they contemplate the emptiness of both persons and dharmas, attaining the ungraspable. How could the heavenly palaces—with the pleasures of the five desires between men and women, giving free rein to the six sense faculties and committing the ten unwholesome deeds—be compared to those sentient beings reborn in that pure land? Furthermore, although they recited the Buddha's name, they did not bring forth the mind of unexcelled bodhi, nor did they earnestly and remorsefully seek rebirth in the Pure Land. Moreover, the original vow says: "If [those born there] should again undergo the three bad paths, may I not attain correct awakening." Furthermore, their minds were not sincere; they merely obeyed their father's command, so their sins were not eliminated; they only temporarily attained birth in heaven and sank back into the bad destinies. Moreover, regarding the sin of slandering the Dharma, according to the Guan jing, it corresponds to the lowest grade of the lowest class, where ten recitations must be fully completed before the sin is eliminated. They were not sincere, and had only a single recitation, so their sin was not eliminated, and having been born in heaven, they fell back. It is like being in debt: the stronger [creditor] pulls first. Because the merit of reciting the Buddha's name was strong, they were temporarily born in the heavenly destiny; because the sin of slandering the Dharma was heavy, they fell back into the bad destinies. Between this sūtra and that one, there is such a difference.