念佛鏡 1.57

1.57

"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."