無量壽經義記卷下 1.40

1.40

第十明解。或勸修。從爾時慈氏菩薩何因何緣訖我今略說之耳也。就此章中有四段明義也。第一章從初訖謂之胎生也。何因何緣彼國人民胎生化生者。彌勒請問胎生化生之法用也。願生彼國不了佛智者。此人願生彼國唯疑佛智為深為淺。有此疑故命終生在狐疑城中。經五百歲。此是鈍根人也。利根者或一百乃至五三十歲也。自下釋胎生之所以也。第二明化生也。從若有眾生明信佛智訖無有智慧疑惑所致。明彼國淳是化生身相光明智慧如諸菩薩具是無異也。第三段與胎生人作譬。從譬如轉輪聖王別有宮室訖無上智慧。轉輪聖者。譬佛也。若有諸小王子得罪於王者。與胎生人作譬明胎生也。不見佛不聞法如王子犯於大王繫在宮中也。但種種方便求諸大力欲自免出者。明胎生人在狐疑城中。雖復行道懺悔不樂在此城中。恒欲出此城求至佛邊也。雖有餘樂猶不樂彼處者。在狐疑城中雖脫此間石沙之苦。猶不樂住在城中欲求出此城也。為失大利者。若不疑惑佛智即得生在佛邊。聞法悟道故為大利。只由狐疑故失此大利益也。第四段明釋迦引證也。從於此世界有幾數不退菩薩生彼佛國訖略說之耳。此引證所以來者。寔由上彼佛放光照十方世界。此土諸菩薩悉見彼佛國土清淨長受妙樂。是以我國土諸菩薩悉往生彼國。何但我諸弟子往生。亦有他方十四佛國土諸菩薩往生彼國。乃至十方世界諸菩薩亦爾。是以引證得知彼土淳淨妙樂也。於此世界六十七億不退菩薩往彼國者。此是釋迦國土菩薩位階。七地悉往生西方無量壽佛國也　一一菩薩已曾供養無數諸佛者。明此菩薩德量甚高與彌勒同類位階十地。諸小行菩薩者。諸言不一。此小行菩薩是住下三十心人。初十心是習種性人也。初六心有退。至第七心不退。此人作四念處觀。在外凡夫位中也。中十心者。是性種性人也。在軟頂忍位中也。最後三十心者。是解行地人也。在世第一法位中也。不但我剎土諸菩薩往生彼國他方佛土亦復如是者。此是正明引證由。彼佛國土清淨妙樂致使我諸弟子及諸他方諸菩薩悉往生彼土也。其第一佛名曰遠照有百八十億菩薩皆當往生者。所以列他方十四名佛者。欲令出十方諸佛弟子悉往生彼國。諸佛證明彼土清淨妙樂也。自下諸佛弟子類可知也。十方世界無量佛國其往生者。亦復如是者。何但十四佛國菩薩往生乃至十方世界諸菩薩眾皆當往生彼國也。佛告彌勒其有得聞彼佛名號歡喜踊躍者。此是第三分流通門也。上說序正已竟。次說付囑流通。就流通中有三段明義。第一從其有得聞彼佛名號訖應當信順如法修行。明說此經既竟便付囑流通令後代使不斷絕也。特留此經正住百歲者。像法將滅龍王舐一切經字悉盡。唯留此無量壽經文字在世經百年流通。後代受持讀誦也。自得隨意所願度危難也。如來興世難值難聞者。此下凡有五難得。聞此經已乃至信樂受持此之甚難也。第二從爾時世尊說此經法無量眾生皆發無上正覺之心訖經。明無量眾生諸天人民及諸菩薩聞說經竟。皆悟道得果也。萬二千那由他人得清淨法眼者。得悟須陀洹果也。八十萬比丘漏盡意解者。得阿羅漢道也。四十億菩薩得不退轉者。得七地不退也。第三何。但有情之類得悟道。亦使無情之物六種震動降於妙華也。

Tenth is the clarification of resolving doubts and urging cultivation, from Maitreya Bodhisattva asking, "By what causes and conditions..." down to "I have now briefly spoken of it." Within this chapter there are four sections clarifying the meaning. The first section runs from the beginning down to "this is called womb-birth." As for "By what causes and conditions are the people of that land born by womb or born apparitionality?": Maitreya requests an explanation of the principles and functions of womb-birth and apparitional birth. As for "wishing to be born in that land, yet not understanding the Buddha's wisdom": this person vows to be born in that land, but doubts whether the Buddha's wisdom is deep or shallow; because of having this doubt, at the end of life they are born in the Borderland of Doubt for five hundred years. This refers to persons of dull faculties; those of sharp faculties take a hundred years, or even fifty or thirty years. From here down, the reasons for womb-birth are explained. The second section clarifies apparitional birth, from "If there are sentient beings who clearly believe in the Buddha's wisdom..." down to "resulting from lack of wisdom and having doubts." This shows that that land is purely composed of apparitional birth, whose bodily marks, light, and wisdom are like those of the bodhisattvas, complete and without distinction. The third section offers a parable for those taking womb-birth, from "Just as when a cakravartin has separate palaces..." down to "unexcelled wisdom." The cakravartin is a metaphor for the Buddha. "If there are young princes who offend against the king": this is a metaphor for those of womb-birth, illustrating womb-birth. Not seeing the Buddha and not hearing the Dharma is like a prince who offends the great king and is confined within the palace. As for "only seeking by various expedient means those of great power, wishing to extricate themselves": this shows that although those of womb-birth in the Borderland of Doubt practice the Path and repent, they do not delight in being in this city, and constantly wish to leave this city to seek to reach the Buddha's side. As for "though there are other pleasures, they still do not delight in that place": although in the Borderland of Doubt they have escaped the suffering of the stones and sand of this realm, they still do not delight in dwelling within the city, and seek to exit this city. As for "losing great benefit": if they do not doubt the Buddha's wisdom, they directly attain birth at the Buddha's side, hearing the Dharma and awakening to the Path, which is why it is a great benefit; simply because of doubt, they lose this great benefit. The fourth section clarifies Śākyamuni citing proof, from "How many non-retrogressing bodhisattvas from this world are born in that Buddha's land?" down to "having briefly spoken of it." The reason this citation of proof comes forward is truly because, as above, that Buddha radiates light illuminating the worlds of the ten directions, and all the bodhisattvas of this land behold that Buddha's land as pure and eternally enjoying wondrous bliss. Therefore, all the bodhisattvas of our land go to be born in that land. Not only do my disciples go to be born there, but there are also bodhisattvas from fourteen buddha lands in other regions who go to be born in that land, and even the bodhisattvas of the worlds of the ten directions are likewise so. Therefore, by citing proof we come to know that that land is purely clean and wondrously blissful. As for "sixty-seven koṭis of non-retrogressing bodhisattvas from this world go to that land": these are bodhisattvas of Śākyamuni's realm whose stage corresponds to the seventh bhūmi, all going to be born in the Western land of Amitāyus. As for "each bodhisattva has already made offerings to countless buddhas": this shows that the measure of virtue of these bodhisattvas is extremely lofty, of the same category as Maitreya, whose stage is the tenth bhūmi. As for "bodhisattvas of lesser practice": opinions vary. These bodhisattvas of lesser practice are persons abiding in the thirty lower mental states. The first ten minds belong to persons of the lineage of practice-nature: the first six minds involve retrogressing, but upon reaching the seventh mind they do not retrogress; such persons practice contemplation on the four stations of mindfulness, being in the rank of external worldlings. The middle ten minds belong to persons of the innate-nature lineage, who are in the stages of heat, summit, and patience. The final ten minds belong to persons of the stage of understanding and practice, who are in the stage of worldly supreme dharmas. As for "Not only do the bodhisattvas of my realm go to be born in that land, but other Buddha-lands are also like this": this directly presents the citation of proof, that because that Buddha's land is pure and wondrously blissful, it causes my disciples and all the bodhisattvas of other regions to go to be born in that land. As for "The first Buddha is named Remote Radiance; there are one hundred and eighty koṭis of bodhisattvas who shall all go to be born": the reason the names of fourteen other buddhas are listed is to demonstrate that the disciples of the buddhas of the ten directions all go to be born in that land, and all buddhas verify that that land is pure and wondrously blissful. From here down, the categories of disciples of the other buddhas may be understood by analogy. As for "Those who go to be born from the immeasurable buddha lands in the worlds of the ten directions are also like this": not only do bodhisattvas from fourteen buddha lands go to be born there, but all the assemblies of bodhisattvas in the worlds of the ten directions shall also go to be born in that land. As for the Buddha telling Maitreya, "If there are those who, hearing that Buddha's name, leap with joy...": this is the third section, the gate of dissemination. Above, the preface and main parts have already ended; next is expounded the entrustment and dissemination. Within the dissemination there are three sections clarifying the meaning. The first runs from "If there are those who, hearing that Buddha's name..." down to "they should faithfully comply and practice in accordance with the Dharma." This clarifies that having finished preaching this sūtra, he then entrusts it for dissemination so that in future generations it will not be discontinued. As for "specifically retaining this sūtra to abide for a hundred years": when the Semblance Dharma is on the verge of extinction, the Dragon King will lick away the written characters of all sūtras completely; only the text of this Sūtra of Immeasurable Life will remain in the world, circulating for a hundred years, to be received, held, read, and recited by later generations. They will naturally attain whatever they desire, crossing over perils and difficulties. As for "a Tathāgata arising in the world is rare to encounter and rare to hear": from here down there are altogether five difficulties. Having heard this sūtra, even to have faith and delight in receiving and maintaining it—this is extremely difficult. The second section runs from "At that time, when the Bhagavat expounded this Dharma of the sūtra, immeasurable sentient beings all gave rise to the aspiration for unexcelled, correct enlightenment..." down to "[end of the] sūtra." It clarifies that immeasurable sentient beings, gods, humans, and bodhisattvas, having heard the preaching of the sūtra, all awakened to the Path and attained the fruits. As for "twelve thousand nayutas of persons attained the pure Dharma-eye": they attained awakening to the fruit of srotāpanna. As for "eighty myriads of bhikṣus extinguished their outflows and their minds were liberated": they attained the path of the arhat. As for "forty koṭis of bodhisattvas attained non-retrogression": they attained the non-retrogression of the seventh bhūmi. Third: not only did classes of sentient beings attain awakening to the Path, but insentient things were also made to shake in six ways and rain down wonderful flowers.