釋淨土群疑論 7.27

7.27

Explanation: It neither extinguishes the seeds nor extinguishes the active consciousness. Sins of active consciousness extinguish themselves from moment to moment; they do not wait for buddhānusmṛti before being eradicated. Furthermore, good and evil do not coexist: at the time of buddhānusmṛti, the sin has already ceased previously; or sometimes, before it arises, when one is committing sin, buddhānusmṛti has already ceased. Buddhānusmṛti cannot extinguish its sins of active consciousness. It only extinguishes the function of the seeds, arising continuously thought-moment after thought-moment, to bring about the evil retributions of the three paths. If one does not practice buddhānusmṛti, these seeds of sin possess power and are able to bring about the retribution of the future fruit of the evil destinies. Through the power of buddhānusmṛti, the power and efficacy of the seeds to bring about fruitions are weakened so that they cannot invite retribution; hence it is called 'extinction of sins.' Although the seeds still exist in the fundamental consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) arising continuously, they lack the power to bring about retribution, just as an emaciated sick person, although their body still lies upon the bed, has no ability to get up and perform work. Sins are also like this: they lack the power to bring about the retribution of future evil destinies, and therefore it is called 'extinction.' This is extinguishing the power of the seeds, not extinguishing the substance of the seeds. Therefore, among the six kinds of transformation of the basis (āśrayaparivṛtti), it is called 'transformation by diminishing power and increasing efficacy.'