..續本文上一頁ately. I could not return sooner because a day and night in the Tushita Heaven is equivalent to four hundred years on earth.”
又聞西國傳雲。有叁菩薩。一名無著。二名世親。叁名師子覺。此叁人契志同生兜率。願見彌勒。若先亡者。得見彌勒。誓來相報。師子覺前亡。一去數年不來。後世親無常。臨終之時。無著語雲。汝見彌勒。即來相報。世親去已。叁年始來。無著問曰。何意如許多時始來。世親報雲。至彼天中。聽彌勒菩薩一座說法。旋繞即來相報。爲彼天日長故。此處已經叁年。
Asanga then asked, “Where is Simhabhadra now
” Vasubandhu replied, “He has strayed into the Outer Court of the Tushita Heaven, and is now entangled in the five pleasures. From the time of his death to now, he has been unable to see Maitreya.”
又問。師子覺今在何處。世親報雲。師子覺爲受天樂。五欲自娛。在外眷屬。從去已來。總不見彌勒。
We can deduce from this anecdote that even lesser Bodhisattvas who are reborn in the Tushita Heaven are subject to delusion, not to mention common mortals. Therefore, practitioners who wish to be assured of non-retrogression should seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land rather than the Tushita Heaven.
諸小菩薩生彼。尚著五欲。何況凡夫。爲此願生西方定得不退。不求生兜率也。
Question 8 第八疑
From time immemorial, sentient beings have committed countless transgressions. Moreover, in this life, from infancy to old age, they create additional evil karma because they do not have the opportunity to encounter good spiritual advisors. Under these circumstances, how can it be said that “At the time of death, they will achieve rebirth with only ten perfect utterances of the Buddha”s name”
Furthermore, how do you satisfactorily explain the teaching that such practitioners “transcend the binding karma of the Triple Realm”
問。衆生無始已來。造無量業。今生一形。不逢善知識。又複作一切罪業。無惡不造。雲何臨終。十念成就。即得往生。出過叁界。結業之事。雲何可通。
Answer
In truth, it is difficult to assess the number or the strength of the good and evil kamic seeds that sentient beings have created from time immemorial. However, those who, at the time of death, encounter a good spiritual advisor and accomplish ten utterances, must have created good karma in the past. Otherwise, they could not even meet a good spiritual advisor, let alone accomplish ten pure recitations!
答。衆生無始已來。善惡業種。多少強弱。並不得知。但能臨終。遇善知識。十念成就者。皆是宿善業強。始得遇善知識。十念成就。若惡業多者。善知識尚不可逢。何可論十念成就。
Now, lest you think that the evil karma from beginningless time is heavy while ten utterances at the time of death are light, I shall cite three reasons why rebirth in the Pure Land does not necessarily depend on the weight of bad karma, the amount of practice or the duration of cultivation. The three reasons concern a) the Mind, b) the conditions and c) the issue of certainty.
又汝以無始已來。惡業爲重。臨終十念爲輕者。今以道理。叁種校量。輕重不定。不在時節久近多少。雲何爲叁。一者在心。二者在緣。叁者在決定。
a) Mind
The transgressions committed by sentient beings spring from deluded, perverse thought. Recitation of the Buddha”s name, on the other hand, arises from right thought, that is, hearing of Amitabha Buddha”s name and true virtues. One is false and the other is true. There is no possible comparison between them! This is similar to a house which has been boarded up for ten thousand years. If the windows are suddenly opened to let the sunlight in, all darkness immediately dissipates. However long the period of darkness may have been, how can it fail to disappear
It is likewise for sentient beings who have committed transgressions for many eons but achieve rebirth at the time of death through ten pure recitations.
在心者。造罪之時。從自虛妄顛倒生。念佛者。從善知識。聞說阿彌陀佛。真實功德名號生。一虛一實豈得相比。譬如萬年闇室。日光暫至。而闇頓滅。豈以久來之闇。不肯滅耶。
b) Conditions
Transgressions grow out of dark, inverted thoughts, combined with illusory circumstances and environments. Buddha Recitation, on the contrary, arises from hearing of Amitabha Buddha”s name and pure virtues, combined with the aspiration for enlightenment. One is false and the other is true. There is no possible comparison between them!
在緣者。造罪之時。從虛妄癡闇心。緣虛妄境界顛倒生。念佛之心。從聞佛清淨真實功德名號。緣無上菩提心生。一真一僞豈得相比。
This is analogous to a person struck by a poisoned arrow. The arrow has penetrated deep …
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