樂邦文類 4.58

4.58

問：慈氏天宮快樂不少、勝侶頗多，何須堅勸往生西方？答：若論兜率，即勝人間；乃並西方，全成微劣。勸生西方，捨劣求勝也。勝劣者，淨土十勝、天宮十劣。淨土十勝者，一化主所居勝、二所化命長勝、三國非界繫勝、四淨方無欲勝、五女人不居勝、六修行不退勝、七淨方非穢勝、八國土莊嚴勝、九念佛攝情勝、十十念往生勝。天宮十劣者，一所居國土劣、二所化壽促劣、三界繫攝屬劣、四彼天有欲劣、五男女雜居劣、六修行有退劣、七穢方非淨劣、八國土莊嚴劣、九善念攝情劣、十修行勞苦劣。有斯十勝十劣，所以勸生樂國。

Question: The heavenly palace of Maitreya has no small amount of pleasure and many superior companions; why is it necessary to firmly urge rebirth in the west? Answer: As for Tuṣita, it is indeed superior to the human world; yet compared with the west, it becomes completely inferior. Urging rebirth in the west is abandoning the inferior and seeking the superior. Concerning the superior and inferior, the Pure Land has ten superiorities and the heavenly palace has ten inferiorities. The ten superiorities of the Pure Land are: 1. the superiority of the dwelling of the transforming master; 2. the superiority of the long lifespan of those transformed; 3. the superiority of the land not being bound to the [three] realms; 4. the superiority of the pure realm having no desire; 5. the superiority of women not dwelling there; 6. the superiority of cultivation without retrogression; 7. the superiority of the pure realm not being defiled; 8. the superiority of the land's adornments; 9. the superiority of mindfulness of the Buddha in gathering emotional thoughts; and 10. the superiority of attaining rebirth through ten recitations. The ten inferiorities of the heavenly palace are: 1. the inferiority of the land inhabited; 2. the inferiority of the short lifespan of those transformed; 3. the inferiority of being bound to and subsumed within the realms; 4. the inferiority of that heaven having desire; 5. the inferiority of men and women dwelling together; 6. the inferiority of cultivation having retrogression; 7. the inferiority of a defiled realm not being pure; 8. the inferiority of the land's adornments; 9. the inferiority of good thoughts in gathering emotional thoughts; and 10. the inferiority of cultivation being toilsome and painful. Having these ten superiorities and ten inferiorities, one is therefore urged to be born in the Land of Bliss.