釋淨土群疑論 6.3

6.3

Explanation: There are two explanations here. The first explanation: All sentient beings are caused to attain rebirth, because the Buddha's mind of great compassion is boundless, equally giving rise to compassionate thoughts to benefit all; his extensive universal vows do not discriminate between enemies and kin, so that among all sentient beings there are none who are not reborn. If so, how do we resolve the objection raised above? Answer: Although he enables all to be reborn, sentient beings have diverse aspirations: some do not believe in the true Dharma, some delight in and cling to the Hīnayāna, some love residing in defiled lands, some out of great compassion to pull out suffering abide in this defiled land to save living beings, and some take delight in going to be reborn in other Buddha-lands to cultivate offerings. With such varied practices and varied minds, they cannot all together be caused to be reborn in Sukhāvatī. Although all are eligible to be reborn, they are not reborn exhaustively; for example, all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, and although they will become Buddhas, they do not necessarily all become Buddhas [at once]; if they were all to do so, the realm of sentient beings would be exhausted. This case is also like that; the previous principle stands unhindered. Thus, seeing that the capacities and conditions of the group aspiring to be reborn in the West are temporarily exhausted, the bodhisattvas make their vows and the Tathāgata enters nirvāṇa.
The second explanation: There are also those who are not caused to be reborn in the West. As the sūtras state: "Those who should be saved have all been saved," and also: "When the conditions for transforming beings are exhausted, his spirit departs into nirvāṇa." Drawing from this, we know this is stated with reference to those who have karmic affinity, and does not speak generally of all sentient beings. Although the Buddha's vast mind encompasses the entire realm of sentient beings, in bestowing conversion he delivers only those with karmic affinity. Therefore, rebirth has a time when capacities are exhausted, the Tathāgata has a day of passing into cessation, bodhisattvas make their vow to be reborn last, and Avalokiteśvara attains the rank of ekajātipratibaddha. Therefore, the multitude of those who attain rebirth does not encompass everyone.