淨土或問 1.17

1.17

問曰：既云此土四土具足，只消就此展轉修行，反欲捨此而生彼國，何耶？答曰：此方雖具四土，奈何穢業難除。夫欲捨穢取淨，勢須彼國求生。四明云「此土濁重，十信方出苦輪。彼土境勝，九品悉皆不退。」豈不聞大通佛世受教之徒，已經塵點劫來尚在聲聞之地，皆因退轉，故涉長時。如身子已證六心，猶自退落五道，況悠悠修行者乎。蓋由此土多值退緣，故云魚子、菴羅華、菩薩初發心，三事因中多，及其結果少。若生極樂，藉彼勝緣，博地凡夫便階不退。以是之故，求生彼國。

Question: Since it is said that this land is complete with the four lands, one need only cultivate progressively right here; why instead wish to abandon this and be born in that realm? Answer: Although this region is endowed with the four lands, unfortunately defiled karma is difficult to eliminate. If one wishes to abandon defilement and choose purity, circumstances make it imperative to seek rebirth in that realm. Siming said: “This land is heavily defiled; only at the ten faiths does one escape the wheel of suffering. That land has a superior environment; all nine grades are non-retrogressing (avaivartika).” Have you not heard that the disciples who received the teaching in the era of the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, having passed dust-mote kalpas, are still in the stage of śrāvakas? All because of retrogression, they endured so long a time. Even Śāriputra, having already attained the sixth mind, still regressed into the five destinies; how much more so for ordinary practitioners! Because this land encounters many conditions of retrogression, it is said that fish eggs, mango blossoms, and a bodhisattva's initial aspiration—these three things are plentiful in the cause, but rare when it comes to the fruit. If one is born in Sukhāvatī, relying on those superior conditions, even an ordinary person bound to the earth will step into non-retrogression (avaivartika). For this reason, we seek rebirth in that land.