念佛鏡 1.57

1.57

「又挍量念佛功德，分為三等：一、挍量一念；二、挍量十念；三、挍量念一日、七日。准《觀經》中，念佛一口滅八十億劫生死之罪，還得八十億劫微妙功德。唯一劫功德尚不可思議，何況百劫？百劫功德尚不可思議，何況千劫？千劫功德尚不可思議，何況萬劫？萬劫功德尚不可思議，何況一億劫？乃至八十億劫功德，不可知數，故言不可思議功德。所以《觀無量壽經》中，廣造五逆、謗方等經罪，臨命終時，念阿彌陀佛十口，即生淨土。此是下品下生法。一念功德尚自無量，何況二念乃至十念。准《觀經》中，其人謗方等經，用常住僧物，廣破諸戒，世間惡業盡造。臨命終時，稱念一口阿彌陀佛功德，所造罪業總皆消滅盡，往生淨土。所以經言：『於一念中滅八十億劫生死之罪。』此是下品中生法。」

"Furthermore, comparing the merits of buddhānusmṛti, they are divided into three grades: first, comparing a single mindfulness; second, comparing ten mindfulnesses; third, comparing mindfulness for one day to seven days. According to the Guan jing, a single utterance of the Buddha's name eradicates the transgressions of birth and death for eighty kotis of kalpas, and in return one obtains the wondrous merits of eighty kotis of kalpas. The merit of only a single kalpa is already inconceivable, how much more so for a hundred kalpas? The merit of a hundred kalpas is already inconceivable, how much more so for a thousand kalpas? The merit of a thousand kalpas is already inconceivable, how much more so for ten thousand kalpas? The merit of ten thousand kalpas is already inconceivable, how much more so for a koti of kalpas? Up to the merit of eighty kotis of kalpas, its number cannot be known, hence it is called inconceivable merit. Therefore, in the Guan Wuliangshou jing, one who widely committed the five heinous sins and the sin of slandering the Vaipulya sūtras, at the time of death, utters Amitābha Buddha ten times and is immediately reborn in the pure land. This is the method of the lowest level of the lowest grade. The merit of a single mindfulness is already immeasurable, how much more so for two mindfulnesses, up to ten mindfulnesses? According to the Guan jing, if a person slandered the Vaipulya sūtras, misappropriated the permanent property of the Saṅgha, widely broke all precepts, and completely committed all worldly evil deeds, at the time of death, by the merit of reciting Amitābha Buddha with a single utterance, all the transgressive deeds committed are completely eradicated, and he attains rebirth in the pure land. Therefore, the sūtra says: 'Within a single mindfulness, the transgressions of birth and death for eighty kotis of kalpas are eradicated.' This is the method of the middle level of the lowest grade."