無量壽經義記卷下 1.17

1.17

佛告阿難其下輩者亦有上中下品人也。假使不能作諸功德。當發無上菩提之心者。此明下品人願生彼國也。或作眾惡業雖不誹謗方等經典。如此愚人。多造惡法無有慚愧。命欲終時遇善知識。為讚大乘十二部經首題名字。得聞如是諸經名故。除千劫重罪。智者復教合掌叉手。稱南無阿彌陀佛名。除五十億劫生死之罪。爾時彼佛。遣化佛化觀世音化大勢志。至行人前讚言。善男子。汝稱佛名故眾罪消滅。我來迎汝。作是語已。行人即見化佛光明遍滿其室。見已歡喜即便命終。乘寶華。隨化佛後生七寶池中。經七七日蓮華乃敷。當華敷時。觀世音放大光明住其人前。為說甚深十二部經聞以信解發無上道心。經十小劫具百法明門。得入初地。是下輩上品人也。

The Buddha told Ānanda that the lowest class also has persons of the upper, middle, and lower tiers. “Supposing they are unable to perform all kinds of merit, they should generate the resolve for unexcelled bodhi” explains a person of the lowest class aspiring to be reborn in that land. They may commit various evil karmas, but although they do not slander the vaipulya scriptures, such foolish persons create much evil conduct without shame or remorse. When their life is about to end, they encounter a good friend who praises for them the titles and names of the twelve divisions of the Mahāyāna scriptures. Because they get to hear the names of such scriptures, heavy sins of a thousand kalpas are eliminated. The wise person further instructs them to join their palms, cross their hands, and recite the name “Namo Amitābha Buddha”; this eliminates sins of birth and death spanning fifty billion kalpas. At that time, that Buddha dispatches a transformation-buddha, a transformation-Avalokiteśvara, and a transformation-Mahāsthāmaprāpta, who arrive before the practitioner and praise him, saying: “Good man, because you recited the Buddha's name, all your sins are extinguished; I have come to welcome you!” Having spoken these words, the practitioner sees the radiance of the transformation-buddha fill his room. Having seen it, he is filled with joy and thereupon his life ends. Mounting a jewelled flower, he follows behind the transformation-buddha and is born in the seven-jewelled pond. After seven times seven days, the lotus flower opens. When the flower opens, Avalokiteśvara emits great light and stands before that person, expounding the profoundly deep twelve divisions of scriptures for him. Hearing this, he believes and understands, and generates the resolve for the unexcelled enlightenment. After ten minor kalpas, he is endowed with the hundred doors of illumination of the Dharmas and enters the first bhūmi. This is a person of the upper tier of the lowest class.