樂邦文類 4.58

4.58

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.