为何闻净土利者应当发愿往生？
[54] Why Should Those Who Hear Pure Land’s Benefits Aspire To Be Born There?
丙二、重劝
C2: Repeated Exhortation
【经】: 舍利弗，我见是利，故说此言。若有众生，闻是说者，应当发愿，生彼国土。
[Sūtra]: Śāriputra, [as] I see these benefits, therefore [do I] speak these words. If [there] are sentient beings, who hear this spoken, [they] should give rise [to the] Aspiration [i.e. Vow], [to be] born [in] that land.
【解】:「我见」者，佛眼所见，究尽明了也。
[Explanation]: That ‘I see’, [is by the] Buddha’s eyes that seen, [with] understanding all clearly understood.
「是利」者， 横出五浊，圆净四土，直至不退位尽，是为不可思议功德之利也。
That [of] ‘these benefits’, [are being able to] horizontally exit [from the] Five Defilements, [to reach the] completely pure Four Lands, [and] directly reach Non-Retrogression’s Position completely. These are those benefits’ inconceivable meritorious virtues.
复次，「是利」，约命终时心不颠倒而言。
Furthermore, ‘these benefits’, [are] restricted [to] when life ends, [with the] mind not [being] inverted then said.
盖秽土自力修行，生死关头，最难得力。
Because [in this] Defiled Land [with] Self-Power cultivating practice, [at] life [or] death’s [critical] juncture, [it is] most difficult [to be] capable.
无论顽修狂慧，懡㦬无功；即悟门深远，操履潜确之人，倘分毫习气未除，未免随强偏坠。
Regardless [of those with] stubborn cultivation [or those with] crazy wisdom, [who should be] ashamed [to be] without achievements; even if [with] awakening’s door profound [and] far-reaching, of people [who] managed [to] fulfil concentrated [cultivation] correctly, if [with a] hairsbreadth [of] habitual tendency yet [to be] eliminated, [they have] yet [to] avoid [the] following [of] powerful [karmas, to] lean [towards] falling [in their future lives].
永明祖师所谓「十人九蹉路，阴境若现前，瞥尔随他去」，此诚可寒心者也！
[On the] Patriarch [Great Master] Yǒngmíng’s so-called, ‘[Of] ten persons, nine [will] detour [on the] path. [The] intermediate state [between death and rebirth], if appearing before [them], quickly following it [to] go’. This truly [is] that terrifying!
初果昧于出胎，菩萨昏于隔阴。
[Even those with the] First Fruit [of Sagehood are] muddled from exiting [the] womb, [and] Bodhisattvas [yet to realise the First Abode (初住) are] obscured from separation [in the] intermediate [state].
者里岂容强作主宰，侥幸颟顸？
Here, how [can we] tolerate [letting] powerful [karmas] be [the] dictators [of where we are reborn], by ‘luck’, muddle-headedly [and] carelessly?
唯有信愿持名，仗他力故，佛慈悲愿，定不唐捐。
Only having Faith [and] Aspiration upholding [Āmítuófó’s] name, [to] rely on [his] Other-power thus, [to connect to the] Buddha’s vows [of] loving-kindness [and] compassion, [is] definitely not in vain.
弥陀圣众，现前慰导，故得无倒，自在往生。
[Ā]mítuó[fó and his] noble assembly, [will] appear before [us to] comfort [and] guide, therefore attaining non-inversion, [with] ease [for] rebirth.
佛见众生临终倒乱之苦，特为保任此事，所以殷勤再劝发愿，以愿能导行故也。
[As the] Buddha sees sentient beings’ suffering of approaching [life’s] end [with] inversion [and] scatteredness, specially for protecting [their] undertaking [of] this matter, therefore earnestly [and] diligently, repeated [the] exhortation [to] give rise [to] Aspiration, [as it is] with Aspiration, [that he is] able [to] guide [our] Practice thus.
– 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
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《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
