無量壽經義記卷下 1.15

1.15

一向專念無量壽佛者。此是中輩中品之人願生彼國。明此行人。若一日一夜受持八戒齋。若一日一夜持沙彌戒。及具足戒。威儀無缺。以此功德迴向願求生極樂國。戒香勳修。此行人臨欲終時。見阿彌陀佛與諸眷屬放金色光。持七寶蓮華至其人前行人。自見空中有聲讚言。善男子。如汝善人。隨順三世諸佛教。我來迎汝。行人即自見身坐蓮華中。蓮華即合生於西方在寶池中。經於七日。蓮華乃敷。華既敷已。開目合掌讚嘆世尊。聞法歡憙得須陀洹道。經半劫已成阿羅漢道。是中輩中品人也。

“Exclusively concentrating on mindfulness of Amitāyus” refers to a person of the middle tier of the middle class who aspires to be reborn in that land. This explains that if this practitioner upholds the eight precepts and the fast for one day and one night, or upholds the novice precepts for one day and one night, as well as the full precepts, with unblemished deportment, and dedicates these merits aspiring to be reborn in the realm of Sukhāvatī, perfumed and cultivated by the fragrance of the precepts, then when this practitioner is on the verge of death, they see Amitābha and his retinue emitting golden light and holding a seven-jewelled lotus flower as they arrive before that person. The practitioner himself sees a voice in the sky praising him, saying: “Good man, a good person like you who accords with the teachings of all buddhas of the three periods of time—I have come to welcome you!” The practitioner then sees his own body seated within the lotus flower. The lotus flower then closes, and he is born in the West within a jewelled pond. After seven days, the lotus flower opens. Once the flower has opened, he opens his eyes, joins his palms, and praises the Bhagavat. Hearing the Dharma, he is filled with joy and attains the stage of a srotāpanna; after half a kalpa, he completes the arhat path. This is a person of the middle tier of the middle class.