遊心安樂道 1.78

1.78

Answer: 'What that treatise clarifies includes both another time and not another time. If one only makes a vow in vain, that is another time; if one cultivates both practice and vow together, it is not another time. If Bodhisattva Vasubandhu judged the practice of ten recitations to be an intention regarding another time, why did he compose the Rebirth Treatise to encourage people to attain rebirth? Furthermore, as for the intention behind the arising of the teaching of the Contemplation Sutra: because Vaidehī gave birth to the rebellious son King Ajātaśatru, disgusted with the five defilements, she vowed to be reborn in Sukhāvatī. The Buddha then taught for her sake the karma of the three meritorious deeds and the sixteen contemplation gates, encouraging those without birth to attain rebirth, and even encouraging those of the ten non-virtues and the five heinous crimes to attain rebirth. Since the petitioner for the pure land was herself residing in the five defilements and had given birth to a rebellious son, and the Buddha declared that all such beings can attain rebirth, we know that ordinary beings currently residing in the five defilements can all attain rebirth.'