龍舒增廣淨土文 3.14

3.14

下品下生者，乃臨終時地獄形相已現，能至心十念南謨阿彌陀佛，則變地獄形相為蓮華，亦生淨土。此佛慈悲至深、威力至大，故能如此。是所謂十念者，乃生前自念十聲念阿彌陀佛，非謂身後請人念也。生前自念者，臨命終時，佛與菩薩自來迎接，故必生淨土。身後請人念者，未可知也。經云「身後人為作功，果七分得一」，生前自作者，得千百倍報。人何苦不於生前每日十聲念佛，必待死而請人念乎？又云「譬如銕石雖重，賴舟船力可以渡江。一針雖輕，不賴舟船江不可渡。」蓋謂人有重罪，仗佛力者可生淨土；罪惡雖輕，不仗佛力亦不得生。又如平生為惡，一日招安遂為良民。仗佛力而消罪惡者，亦復如是。又如蟣蟲萬死萬生不能一里，若附人身千里可至。仗佛力而生淨土者，亦復如是，切勿疑也。有罪惡念佛而不可以往生，但起見佛得道還度一切冤親之心，則無不生也。或云：人平生為惡，殺害眾生、苦虐人民，臨死念佛，亦得往生。其所殺所苦之眾生懷冤枉之心，何時而可解乎？答云：生淨土得道之後，皆度脫一切冤親，豈不勝冤冤相報彼此無出期者乎？

As for the lowest birth of the lowest grade, when the apparitions of hell have already appeared at the end of life, if one can with utmost sincerity make ten recitations of 'Namo Amitābha Buddha', the apparitions of hell will transform into lotuses, and one will also be born in the Pure Land. This is because the Buddha's compassion is supremely deep and his majestic power is supremely great, so that he can accomplish this. These so-called ten recitations mean that while alive one recites the name of Amitābha Buddha ten times oneself; it does not mean inviting others to recite on one's behalf after death. If one recites oneself during life, at the end of life the Buddha and bodhisattvas will come in person to welcome one, so rebirth in the Pure Land is certain. If one has others recite after death, it is uncertain. A sūtra says: 'When people perform merit on behalf of the deceased after their death, [the deceased] obtains only one part out of seven.' If one performs it oneself during life, one receives a hundredfold or thousandfold reward. Why should people trouble themselves not to recite the Buddha ten times every day during life, but insist on waiting until death to invite others to recite? It is also said: 'For instance, though iron and stone are heavy, by relying on the power of a boat they can cross a river. Though a single needle is light, without relying on a boat it cannot cross the river.' This means that though a person has heavy sins, by relying on the Buddha's power he can be born in the Pure Land; though one's sins and evils are light, without relying on the Buddha's power one cannot be born there. Again, it is like someone who has done evil all his life: upon receiving an amnesty one day, he thereupon becomes an upright citizen. Those who extinguish sins and evils by relying on the Buddha's power are also like this. Again, it is like a louse: dying ten thousand deaths and living ten thousand lives, it cannot travel a single li; yet if it attaches to a human body, it can reach a thousand li. Those who are born in the Pure Land by relying on the Buddha's power are also like this; by no means should you doubt it. If someone with sins and evils recites the Buddha and fears he cannot attain rebirth, he need only give rise to the aspiration to see the Buddha, attain the Way, and return to deliver all enemies and kin, and then there will be none who are not reborn. Some may say: 'A person has done evil all his life, killing sentient beings and tormenting the people; if he recites the Buddha at the point of death, he also attains rebirth. When can the resentment harbored by the sentient beings he killed and tormented ever be resolved?' The answer is: 'After being born in the Pure Land and attaining the Way, he delivers all enemies and kin; how could that not be superior to mutual retaliation where neither side ever finds release?'