淨土論 2.25

2.25

Second, as the Guan jing says: "At that time the World-Honoured One addressed Vaidehī: 'Do you know now? Amitābha is not far from here; you should fix your mindfulness and clearly contemplate that land. For those whose pure karma is accomplished, I will now explain numerous similes at length for you, and also cause all ordinary beings in future ages who wish to cultivate pure karma to attain rebirth in the western land of Sukhāvatī. Those who wish to be reborn in that land should cultivate the three blessings: first, filial support of parents, serving teachers and elders, a compassionate mind that does not kill, and cultivating the ten wholesome karmas; second, receiving and upholding the three refuges, being fully endowed with the precepts, and not violating deportment; third, generating bodhicitta, deeply believing in cause and effect, reading and reciting the Mahāyāna, and encouraging practitioners to advance. These three matters are called pure karma.' The Buddha addressed Vaidehī: 'Do you know now? These three kinds of karma are the correct causes for the pure karma of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present three periods of time.' The Buddha addressed Ānanda and Vaidehī: 'As for those of the lowest birth of the lowest grade: there may be sentient beings who commit unwholesome karma—the five grave offenses and the ten unwholesome acts—and are fully endowed with all unwholesome things. Because of unwholesome karma, such foolish people should fall into the evil destinies, passing through many kalpas to suffer boundless torment. When such foolish people approach the end of life, they meet a good spiritual friend who consoles them in various ways, expounds the wondrous Dharma for them, and teaches them to be mindful of the Buddha. That person is pressed by suffering and has no leisure to be mindful of the Buddha. The good friend addresses them, saying: "If you cannot be mindful, you should invoke the Buddha of Immeasurable Life." With such sincere mind, causing the sound not to be interrupted, fully endowed with ten recitations, they invoke: "Homage to the Buddha." Because of invoking the Buddha's name, in every thought-moment the transgressions of birth and death for eighty billion kalpas are eliminated. After life ends, they see a golden lotus flower like the disk of the sun abiding before them, and in a single thought-moment they immediately attain rebirth in the world of Sukhāvatī. In the lotus flower, twelve great kalpas are completed, and only then does the lotus flower open. Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, with the sounds of great compassion, expound for them at length the true mark of all phenomena and the Dharma of eliminating and extinguishing transgressions. Having heard it, they rejoice and immediately generate bodhicitta. This is called the lowest birth of the lowest grade. This is called the mark of rebirth of the lowest grade. It is named the sixteenth contemplation.'" Explanation: According to the causes of rebirth in the nine grades, they all divide the previous three blessings of pure karma to serve as the causes for the nine grades; nor is it that a single person alone fully cultivates the three blessings of pure karma.