藥師經疏 1.17

1.17

Sūtra: “In the hells ... they will be reborn again in the human realm.” / Seventh, their wishes are fulfilled in due time: because the five kinds of karmic action, such as breaking the precepts, differ in gravity. That is to say, although in the present they hear the name of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata, they are unable to abandon evil and practice good; when, due to evil karma, they fall into the bad destinies, by the augmented sovereign power of that Tathāgata, and furthermore because of the causal force of the seed from having heard the Tathāgata’s name in the past while in the human world, when they first enter the bad destinies it is made to manifest before them: temporarily hearing the name of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata, when their lives end in that bad destiny, they are reborn again in the human realm. / Question: Both equally heard the Buddha's name; why is there falling and not falling? / Answer: Karma has light and heavy, and faculties have sharp and dull. If the karma is light and faculties sharp, upon hearing the Buddha's name in the present they are immediately able to abandon evil and practice good, not falling into the bad destinies. If the karma is heavy and faculties dull, they must first fall into the bad destinies and deeply generate aversion and detachment; only when they hear the Buddha's name again will they be reborn in the human realm. / The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: “When icchantikas and the like accumulate roots of goodness, there are two kinds: first, in the present they are able to accumulate roots of goodness; second, after dying and being born in the hells, they are able to accumulate roots of goodness. Regarding accumulating roots of goodness when born in the hells, there are further two kinds: first, when entering the hells, they are able to accumulate roots of goodness; second, when already born in the hells, they are able to accumulate roots of goodness.”