..续本文上一页ately. I could not return sooner because a day and night in the Tushita Heaven is equivalent to four hundred years on earth.”

　　又闻西国传云。有三菩萨。一名无着。二名世亲。三名师子觉。此三人契志同生兜率。愿见弥勒。若先亡者。得见弥勒。誓来相报。师子觉前亡。一去数年不来。后世亲无常。临终之时。无着语云。汝见弥勒。即来相报。世亲去已。三年始来。无着问曰。何意如许多时始来。世亲报云。至彼天中。听弥勒菩萨一座说法。旋绕即来相报。为彼天日长故。此处已经三年。

　　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.”

　　又问。师子觉今在何处。世亲报云。师子觉为受天乐。五欲自娱。在外眷属。从去已来。总不见弥勒。

　　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.

　　诸小菩萨生彼。尚着五欲。何况凡夫。为此愿生西方定得不退。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”

　　问。众生无始已来。造无量业。今生一形。不逢善知识。又复作一切罪业。无恶不造。云何临终。十念成就。即得往生。出过三界。结业之事。云何可通。

　　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。众生无始已来。善恶业种。多少强弱。并不得知。但能临终。遇善知识。十念成就者。皆是宿善业强。始得遇善知识。十念成就。若恶业多者。善知识尚不可逢。何可论十念成就。

　　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.

　　又汝以无始已来。恶业为重。临终十念为轻者。今以道理。三种校量。轻重不定。不在时节久近多少。云何为三。一者在心。二者在缘。三者在决定。

　　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。造罪之时。从自虚妄颠倒生。念佛者。从善知识。闻说阿弥陀佛。真实功德名号生。一虚一实岂得相比。譬如万年闇室。日光暂至。而闇顿灭。岂以久来之闇。不肯灭耶。

　　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!

　　在缘者。造罪之时。从虚妄痴闇心。缘虚妄境界颠倒生。念佛之心。从闻佛清净真实功德名号。缘无上菩提心生。一真一伪岂得相比。

　　This is analogous to a person struck by a poisoned arrow. The arrow has penetrated deep …

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