無量壽經義記卷下 1.19

1.19

若聞深法歡憙信樂不生疑惑者。此是下輩下品之人願生彼國也。明此行人。先作不善業五逆十惡。具諸不善。必墮惡道。經歷多劫受苦無窮。如此惡人臨命終時。遇善知識種種安慰者。說妙法教令念佛。行人見苦逼切不暇念佛。善知識語其人言。若不能默念。但舉聲稱無量壽佛。如是至心令聲不絕。具足十念。於念念中除八十億劫生死之罪。命終之後見金蓮華猶如日輪住其人前。如一念頃即得往生極樂世界。於蓮華中滿十二大劫。蓮華方開。觀世音大勢志以大悲音聲。為其人廣說實相之法。除滅罪法。行人聞已生歡憙。即發無上菩提之心。是名下輩下品之人也。不生疑惑。乃至一念者。明一念心沒定明了不生狐疑。若有狐疑無量壽佛眉間白豪苑轉如五須彌山。起心疑言。為有此白豪如五須彌。為當無耶。起如此心便墮狐疑城中。十二劫懃苦懺悔行道。滿十二劫便得出狐疑城。始登不退位也。此人臨終夢見彼佛者。此下總明三品人願生彼國也。

“If they hear the profound Dharma, rejoice with faith and delight, and give rise to no doubts” refers to a person of the lowest tier of the lowest class who aspires to be reborn in that land. This explains that this practitioner previously committed unwholesome karma—the five heinous crimes and the ten unwholesome acts—possessing every kind of unwholesomeness. They are bound to fall into evil destinies, undergoing boundless suffering through many kalpas. When such an evil person's life is about to end, they encounter a good friend who consoles them in various ways, expounding the marvelous Dharma and teaching them to be mindful of the Buddha. The practitioner, pressed by suffering, has no leisure to be mindful of the Buddha. The good friend says to him: “If you cannot be mindful silently, simply raise your voice and recite 'Amitāyus'!” With such a sincere mind, keeping the voice uninterrupted, they complete ten thoughts. In thought after thought, sins of birth and death spanning eight billion kalpas are eliminated. After their life ends, they see a golden lotus flower like the disk of the sun standing before them; in as little as a single thought-moment, they immediately attain rebirth in the Sukhāvatī realm. Remaining within the lotus flower for a full twelve great kalpas, the lotus flower finally opens. Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, with voices of great compassion, extensively expound the Dharma of true reality and the Dharma of extinguishing sins for that person. Having heard it, the practitioner rejoices and immediately generates the resolve for unexcelled bodhi. This is called a person of the lowest tier of the lowest class. “Not giving rise to doubt, even down to a single thought” explains that in a single thought-moment, the mind is settled, clear, and does not harbor doubts. If one harbors doubts, [wondering whether] the white curl between Amitāyus's brows, coiling like five Sumeru mountains—if one gives rise to a doubting mind saying: “Does this white curl really exist like five Sumerus, or is it non-existent?”—giving rise to such a thought, one falls into the Borderland of Doubt. For twelve kalpas of diligent and painful repentance and walking the path, once the twelve kalpas are complete, one can leave the Borderland of Doubt and only then ascend to the non-retrograde stage. The text from “this person on the verge of death dreams of that Buddha” onward generally explains the three tiers of persons who aspire to be reborn in that land.