淨土十疑論 1.33

1.33

答：「求生兜率，一日聞道見佛，勢欲相似，若細比校，大有優、劣。且論二種：一者、縱持十善，恐不得生。何以得知？《彌勒上生經》云：『行眾三昧，深入正定，方始得生。』更無方便接引之義。不如阿彌陀佛本願力、光明力，但有念佛眾生，攝取不捨。又釋迦佛說九品教門，方便接引，殷勤發遣，生彼淨土。但眾生能念彌陀佛者，機、感相應，必得生也。如世間慕人，能受慕者，機會相投，必成其事。二者、兜率天宮是欲界，退位者多——無有水鳥、樹林、風聲、樂響，眾生聞者，悉念佛發菩提心，伏滅煩惱；又有女人，皆長諸天愛著五欲之心，又天女微妙，諸天耽玩，不能自勉。不如彌陀淨土，水鳥、樹林，風聲、樂響，眾生聞者，皆生念佛，發菩提心，伏滅煩惱。又無女人、二乘之心，純一大乘，清淨良伴。為此煩惱惡業，畢竟不起，遂至無生之位。如此比校，優、劣顯然，何須致疑也？如釋迦佛在世之時，大有眾生見佛，不得聖果者如恒沙；彌勒出世亦爾，大有不得聖果者。未如彌陀淨土，但生彼國已，悉得無生法忍，未有一人退落三界，為生死業縛也。

Answer: "Seeking rebirth in Tuṣita, hearing the Dharma and seeing the Buddha in a single day, seems similar in its prospect, but if compared carefully, there is a great difference between their superior and inferior aspects. Let us discuss two points: First, even if one observes the ten wholesome actions, it is feared that one will not attain rebirth. How do we know this? The Mile shangsheng jing says: 'Only by practicing the various samādhis and entering deeply into correct absorption can one then attain rebirth.' There is no meaning of expedients to receive and guide. This is not like Amitābha Buddha's fundamental vow-power and light-power, which take in and never forsake any sentient being who practices buddhānusmṛti. Furthermore, Śākyamuni Buddha taught the teachings of the nine grades, using expedients to receive and guide, earnestly dispatching beings to be reborn in that pure land. If sentient beings can only be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, their capacity and the response will correspond, and they are certain to attain rebirth. Just like people in the world seeking someone: if the seeker is matched with one receptive to being sought, when opportunity and affinity coincide, the affair is sure to succeed. Second, the Tuṣita heaven palace belongs to the desire realm, where those who fall back are many. There are no water, birds, groves of trees, wind sounds, or musical resonances that, upon being heard by sentient beings, cause them all to be mindful of the Buddha, generate bodhicitta, and subdue and extinguish defilements. Furthermore, there are women, all of whom foster the devas' attachment to the five desires; moreover, heavenly maidens are subtle and wondrous, and the devas indulge in pleasure and cannot exert themselves. This is not like Amitābha's pure land, where with the water, birds, groves of trees, sound of the wind, and music, all sentient beings who hear them give rise to mindfulness of the Buddha, generate bodhicitta, and subdue and eliminate defilements. Moreover, there is no woman, nor the mind of the two vehicles, but purely the single Great Vehicle and pure, good companions. For this reason, defilements and evil karma never arise at all, and one proceeds to the stage of non-arising. When compared like this, the superior and inferior are obvious; why should one harbor doubts? Just as when Śākyamuni Buddha was in the world, there were many sentient beings who saw the Buddha yet did not attain the noble fruit, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, so too when Maitreya appears in the world, there will be many who do not attain the noble fruit. It is not like Amitābha's pure land, where once reborn in that land, all attain anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, and not a single person ever falls back into the three realms to be bound by the karma of birth and death."