阿弥陀佛净土何故名为极乐？
[19] Why Is Amitābha Buddha’s Pure Land Named As Ultimate Bliss?
乙初、广陈彼土依正妙果以启信
B1: Extensive Stating [Of] That Land’s Circumstantial [And] Direct [Rewards’] Wonderful Fruits, With [Then] For Awakening Faith
文为二：初、依报妙，二、正报妙。
Text As Two [Parts]: First, Circumstantial Rewards’ Wonders, Second, Direct Rewards’ Wonders.
丙初、依报妙
C1: Circumstantial Rewards’ Wonders
又二：初、征释，二、广释。
Also [In] Two [Parts]: First, Inquiry [And] Explanation, Second, Extensive Explanation.
丁初、征释
D1: Inquiry [And] Explanation
又二：初、征，二、释。
Also [In] Two [Parts]: First, Inquiry, Second, Explanation.
戊初、征
E1: Inquiry
【经】: 舍利弗，彼土何故名为极乐？
[Sūtra]: Śāriputra, that land, [for] what reason, [is] named as Ultimate Bliss?
戊二、释
E2: Explanation
又二：初、约能受用释，二、约所受用释。
Also [In] Two [Parts]: First, Restricted [To Those] Able [To] Receive [And] Use Benefits’ Explanation, Second, Restricted [To] Those Received [And] Used Benefits’ Explanation.
己初、约能受用释
F1: Restricted [To Those] Able [To] Receive [And] Use Benefits’ Explanation
【经】：其国众生，无有众苦，但受诸乐，故名极乐。
[Sūtra]: [As] that land’s sentient beings, [do] not have all [kinds of] suffering, [and] only receive all [kinds of] bliss, [it is] therefore named Ultimate Bliss.
【解】：「众生」是能受用人，等觉以还皆可名。
[Explanation]: ‘Sentient beings’ are [those] persons [who are] able [to] receive [and] use benefits, [those with] Equal Awakening, with [those] below, all [who] can [be] named.
今且约人民言，以下下例上上也。
Now moreover, restricted [to its] people speaking, [are] with [those] lowest [of the] low [grades’] without exception [to those] highest [of the] high [grades] too.
娑婆苦乐杂，其实，苦是苦苦，逼身心故；
[The] Sahā [World’s] suffering [and] bliss [are] mixed. Actually, [its] suffering is Suffering [From] Suffering [i.e. of external circumstances], [with it] compelling body [and] mind thus.
乐是坏苦，不久住故；
Bliss is Suffering [From] Impermanence, [with it] not long abiding thus.
非苦非乐是行苦，性迁流故。
‘Not suffering [and] not blissful’ is Suffering [From] Actions, [with its] nature [of] changing circularly thus.
[Note:
Three Sufferings (三苦)
(1) Suffering From Suffering (苦苦):
(i) Suffering From Birth (生苦)
(ii) Suffering From Ageing (老苦)
(iii) Suffering From Sickness (病苦)
(iv) Suffering From Death (死苦)
(v) Suffering From Meeting The Resented And Hated (怨憎会苦)
(2) Suffering From Impermanence (坏苦):
(vi) Suffering From Not Attaining The Sought (求不得苦)
(vii) Suffering Of Departure From The Beloved (爱别离苦)
(3) Suffering From Actions (行苦):
(viii) Suffering From The Five Aggregates* Blazing (Burning Vigorously)** (五蕴炽盛苦)
The Eight Sufferings (八苦) are (i) to (viii),
with (i) to (iv) being Physical Sufferings (身苦)
and (v) to (viii) being Mental Sufferings (心苦).
Five Aggregates (五蕴)*
(a) Form (色): Of matter (身: body), of the Four Great Elements (四大) of earth (地), which is solidity, water (水), which is fluidity, fire (火), which is warmth, and wind (风), which is flow of air, forming our physical aspects, while the other four aggregates form our mental aspects.
(b) Feelings (受): Of pleasure, displeasure and neither pleasure nor displeasure.
(c) Perceptions (想): With which we perceive according to past experiences and present attitude.
(d) Mental Formations (行): Or Volitions, which are intentions, that create karmas accordingly.
(e) Consciousness (识): Awareness that functions through the Five Senses and the mind.
All Five Aggregates are impermanent (无常) and unsubstantial (无我: without self), though habitually mistaken as our true self, while our Buddha-nature (佛性) as the potential for Buddhahood (that is beyond the above mind and matter) is what truly endures.
** The (viii) eighth suffering is all-pervasive subtle suffering through the Five Aggregates, that arises all the time in the background and/or foreground of experience, due to unskilful reaction to all conditioned phenomena, with such ‘blazing’ or being harmed, as fuelled by the Three Poisons (三毒: attachment [贪], aversion [瞋] and delusion [痴]).
Attachment and aversion are caused by delusional thinking of impermanent and unsubstantial mind and matter as permanent and substantial, not realising them to be empty (空) in nature.]
彼土永离三苦，不同此土对苦之乐，乃名「极乐」。
[As] that land [is] forever departed [from these] Three Sufferings, not [the] same [as] this land’s bliss that [is] relative [to] suffering, [it is] thus named [as] ‘Ultimate Bliss’.
一往分别，同居五浊轻，无分段八苦，但受不病不老、自在游行、天食天衣、诸善聚会等乐。
Once reborn, [there are] differences. [In the] Together Dwelling [Land, with the] Five Defilements lighter, without fragmented [births and deaths’] Eight Sufferings, only receives not [becoming] sick [and] not ageing, ease [of] travelling, heavenly food [and] heavenly clothing, [with] all [the] good gathering [and] meeting, [and other] kinds [of] bliss.
方便体观巧，无沉空滞寂之苦，但受游戏神通等乐；
[In the] Skilful Means [Land, with] essence’s contemplation skilful, without suffering of sinking [into] emptiness [and] stagnating [in] stillness, only receives travel [with] ‘play’ [of] supernormal [powers and other] kinds [of] bliss.
实报心观圆，无隔别不融之苦，但受无碍不思议乐；
[In the] True Reward [Land, with the] mind’s contemplation perfect, without suffering of [being] separated [and] not [being] interpenetrated, only receives unobstructed [and] inconceivable bliss.
寂光究竟等，无法身渗漏、真常流注之苦，但受称性圆满究竟乐。
[In the] Still Light [Land, with the] ultimate equal, without suffering of [the] Dharma Body’s seeping [Dharma-nature’s water (法性之水), and the] true constant’s flow pouring [in], only receives Matching Nature’s perfect [and] ultimate bliss.
然同居众生，以持名善根福德同佛故，圆净四土，圆受诸乐也。
However, [the] Together Dwelling [Land’s] sentient beings, with upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name’s good roots [and] blessed virtues [the] same [as the] Buddha’s thus, [are able to] completely purify [the] Four Lands, [and] completely receive all [kinds of] bliss.
复次，极乐最胜，不在上三土，而在同居。
Furthermore, [the Land Of] Ultimate Bliss’ most supreme [wonder, is] not in [the] above three lands, but in [the] Together Dwelling [Land].
良以上之，则十方同居，逊其殊特，下又可与此土较量。
Really with that superior, then [are the] ten directions’ [other] Together Dwelling [Lands], inferior to its special [nature, while those] inferior also can [be] with this land compared.
所以凡夫优入而从容，横超而度越。
Therefore, ordinary beings [have] superior entering, yet calmly [and] unhurriedly, horizontally transcending, yet [with] deliverance surpassing.
佛说苦乐，意在于此。
[The] Buddha’s spoken suffering [and] bliss’ meanings depend on these.
– 净土宗九祖蕅益大师
《佛说阿弥陀经要解》
– Pure Land Tradition’s 9th Patriarch Great Master Ǒuyì
(Essential Explanation [Of The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitā[bha] Buddha)
Namo Amituofo : Translation and note by Shen Shi’an
相关教理
Related Teachings:
下文：净土之七重、四宝与四土
Next Section: Pure Land’s Seven Layers, Four Treasures And Four Lands
https://purelanders.com/2019/09/26/the-land-of-ultimate-bliss-seven-layers-four-treasures-four-lands
《佛说阿弥陀经要解》全英译
Complete English Translation Of The Essential Explanation Of The Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of Amitābha Buddha
https://purelanders.com/yaojie
何为得生阿弥陀佛净土的善根与福德？:
What Are Good Roots And Blessed Virtues For Birth In Āmítuófó’s Pure Land? :
《佛说弥陀经要解》对善根福德的解释
Good Roots And Blessed Virtues As Explained In The Essential Explanation On The Amitābha Sūtra As Spoken By The Buddha
https://purelanders.com/2024/04/25/what-are-good-roots-and-blessed-virtues
