乙三、正示行者执持名号以立行
B3: Main Guidance [For] Practitioners [To] Uphold [The] Name For Establishing Practice
分二：初、正示无上因果，二、重劝。
Divided [In] Two [Parts]: First, Main Guidance [On] Unsurpassable Cause [And] Effect, Second, Repeated Exhortation.
丙初、正示无上因果
C1: Main Guidance [On] Unsurpassable Cause [And] Effect
【经】: 舍利弗，不可以少善根、福德、因缘得生彼国。舍利弗，若有善男子、善女人，闻说阿弥陀佛，执持名号，若一日、若二日、若三日、若四日、若五日、 若六日、若七日，一心不乱，其人临命终时，阿弥陀佛与诸圣众，现在其前。是人终时，心不颠倒，即得往生阿弥陀佛极乐国土。
[Sūtra]: Śāriputra, [one] cannot, with few good roots [and] blessed virtues [as] cause and condition, attain birth [in] that land. Śāriputra, if [there] are good men [and] good women, [who] hear [this] said [about] Amitā Buddha, [faithfully and] firmly uphold [mindfulness of his] name [i.e. Āmítuófó], if [for] one day, if [for] two days, if [for] three days, if [for] four days, if [for] five days, if [for] six days, if [for] seven days, wholeheartedly without [being] scattered, when these persons approach life’s end, Amitā Buddha, with many [in his] noble assembly [will] appear before them. When these persons’ [lives are] end[ing, their] minds [will] not [be] inverted, [and they will] immediately attain rebirth [in] Amitā Buddha’s Land [Of] Ultimate Bliss.
【解】: 菩提正道名「善根」，即亲因。
[Explanation]: [Practising] Bodhi’s right path [is] named [as having] ‘good roots’, the same as [the] close cause.
种种助道施、 戒、禅等名「福德」，即助缘。
[Having] all kinds [of practices that] support [the] path, [such as] generosity, [upholding] precepts, meditative [concentration and] others [are] named [as] ‘blessed virtues’, [that are] the same as supportive conditions.
声闻独觉菩提善根少，人天有漏福业福德少，皆不可生净土。
Voice-Hearers [i.e. Śrāvakas] [and] Lone Awakeners [i.e. Pratyekabuddhas] [with] Bodhi’s good roots few, human [and] heavenly [beings with] blessed karmas having outflows [and] blessed virtues few, all cannot [be] born [in] Pure Land.
唯以信愿执持名号，则一一声悉具多善根福德。
Only with Faith [and] Aspiration firmly upholding [the] name [of Āmítuófó, is] then [with] each [and] every one recitation all complete [with] many good roots [and] blessed virtues.
散心称名，福善亦不可量，况一心不乱哉！
[With a] scattered mind reciting [the] name, bless[ed virtues and] good [roots] likewise cannot [be] measured, moreover [if with] wholeheartedness without [being] scattered!
故使感应道交，文成印坏。
Thus enabling connection [and] response [for] mutual interaction, [when the] text forms, [the] seal spoils.
弥陀圣众，不来而来，亲垂接引；
Āmítuófó [and his] noble assembly, [will] not come yet [also] come, personally approaching [to] receive [and] guide.
行人心识，不往而往，托质宝莲也。
Practitioners’ minds’ consciousnesses, [will be] not reborn yet reborn, [as] entrusted [to their] treasure lotuses.
善男女者，不论出家在家，贵贱老少，六趣四生，但闻佛名，即多劫善根成熟，五逆十恶皆名「善」也。
Those good men [and] women, regardless [of those who have] left [the] household [life or] in [the] household [life], noble [or] lowly, old [or] young, [of the] Six Realms [and] Four Births, only [by] listening [to the] Buddha’s name, [are] immediately [with] many kalpas’ good roots maturing. [Even those with the] Five Heinous [Transgressions [and] Ten Evil [Karmas, are] all named [as] ‘good’.
[Note 1:
Six Realms (六趣) /
Six Paths (六道):
(1) Hell-beings’ path (地狱道)
(2) Hungry ghosts’ path (饿鬼道)
(3) Animals’ path (畜生道)
(4) Human beings’ path (人道)
(5) Asuras’ path (阿修罗道)
(6) Heavenly beings’ path (天人道)
Four Births (四生):
(1) Egg birth (卵生)
(2) Womb birth (胎生)
(3) Moisture birth (湿生)
(4) Manifestation birth (化生)]
阿弥陀佛是万德洪名，以名召德，罄无不尽，故即以执持名号为正行，不必更涉观想、参究等行，至简易、至直捷也。
[As] Āmítuófó is ten thousand virtues’ great name, with [the] name summoning virtues, without exhausting [the] inexhaustible, thus then [is] with firmly upholding [of the] name as [the] Main Practice. Not needing [to] also involve [in] visualisation, contemplative investigation [and] other practices, [it is] utmost easy, [and] utmost straightforward.
闻而信，信而愿，乃肯执持。
[With] listening then [having] Faith, [having] Faith then [having] Aspiration, thus [is there] willingness [to] firmly uphold [the name].
不信不愿， 与不闻等，虽为远因，不名闻慧。
Not [having] Faith, not [having] Aspiration, with not listening [and] others, although as distant causes, [these are] not named [as] Wisdom [From] Listening.
执持则念念忆佛名号，故是思慧。
[To] firmly uphold, then [from] thought [to] thought recollecting [the] Buddha’s name, thus is Wisdom [From] Reflection.
[Note 2:
Three Wisdoms (三慧):
(1) Wisdom From Listening (闻慧)
(2) Wisdom From Reflection (思慧)
(3) Wisdom From Cultivation (修慧)]
然有事持理持。
However, [there] are [those with] Practice Upheld [and with] Principles Upheld.
事持者，信有西方阿弥陀佛，而未达「是心作佛、是心是佛」，但以决志愿求生故，「如子忆母」，无时暂忘。
Those [with] Practice Upheld, [have] Faith [that there] is [the] Western Āmítuófó, but [have] yet [to] reach [the state of ‘it] is [the] mind [that] becomes [Buddha, and it] is [the] mind [that] is Buddha’, however with determined Aspiration [to] seek birth thus, ‘like [a] child recollecting [the] mother’, with no time temporarily forgetting [this].
理持者，信西方阿弥陀佛，是我心具，是我心造，即以自心所具所造洪名为系心之境，令不暂忘也。
Those [with] Principles Upheld, [have] Faith [that the] Western Āmítuófó is [in] my mind complete, [and] is [by] my mind created, then with one’s mind, that complete [and] that created great name, as [the] realm [for] fastening [the] mind, enabling [it to] not [be] temporarily forgotten.
一日至七日者，克期办事也。
Those [upholding for] one day to seven days, [are] within [this] time frame carrying out [their] practice.
利根一日即不乱，
[Those of] sharp roots [with] one day [are] then not scattered.
钝根七日方不乱，
[Those of] dull roots [with] seven days [are] then not scattered.
中根二、三、四、五、六日不定。
[Those of] medium roots [are with] two, three, four, five [or] six days, not fixed.
又利根能七日不乱，
Also, [those of] sharp roots [are] able [to be with] seven days not scattered.
钝根仅一日不乱，
[Those of] dull roots, [are] only [with] one day not scattered.
中根六、五、四、三、二日不定。
[Those of] medium roots [are with] six, five, four, three [or] two days, not fixed.
一心亦二种。
Wholeheartedness likewise has two kinds.
不论事持、理持，持至伏除烦恼，乃至见思先尽，皆事一心。
Regardless [of with] Practice Upheld, [or] Principles Upheld, upholding until subduing [and] eliminating afflictions, even until [mistaken] views [and] thoughts [are] first exhausted, all [are with] Practice’s Wholeheartedness.
不论事持、理持， 持至心开见本性佛，皆理一心。
Regardless [of with] Practice Upheld, [or] Principles Upheld, upholding until [the] mind opens [to] see Original Nature’s Buddha, all [are with] Principles’ Wholeheartedness.
事一心不为见思所乱，理一心不为二边所乱，即修慧也。
[With] Practice’s Wholeheartedness, not by [mistaken] views [and] thoughts those scattered, [and with] Principles’ Wholeheartedness, not by [the] two [extreme] sides those scattered, is the same as Wisdom [From] Cultivation.
不为见思乱，故感变化身佛及诸圣众现前，心不复起娑婆界中三有颠倒，往生同居、方便二种极乐世界。
[Those] not by [mistaken] views [and] thinking scattered, thus connect [to a] Manifestation Body’s Buddha and many [in his] noble assembly, [who] appear before [them. With their] minds not again giving rise [to the] Three Existences’ inversions within [the] Sahā World, [they will be] reborn in the] Together Dwelling [Land, and the] Expedience [Land, these] two kinds [in the] Land [Of] Ultimate Bliss.
[Note 3:
Three Existences (三有) /
Three Realms (三界)：
(1) Desire Realm (欲界)
(2) Form Realm (色界)
(3) Formless Realm (无色界)]
不为二边乱，故感受用身佛及诸圣众现前， 心不复起生死涅槃二见颠倒，往生实报、寂光二种极乐世界。
[Those] not by [the] two [extreme] sides scattered, thus connect [to the] Enjoyment Body’s Buddha and many [in his] noble assembly, [who] appear before [them. With their] minds not again giving rise [to the] two views inverted [on forms of the cycle of] births [and] deaths, [and emptiness of] Nirvāṇa, [they will be] reborn [in the] True Reward [Land, and the] Still Light [Land, these] two kinds [in the] Land [Of] Ultimate Bliss.
当知执持名号，既简易直捷，仍至顿至圆。
[It] should [be] known [that] upholding [the] name, [is] both easy [and] straightforward, yet [able to lead to] utmost sudden [and] utmost complete [awakening].
以念念即佛故，不劳观想，不必参究，当下圆明，无余无欠。
With thought [to] thought the same as [the] Buddha thus, not exhausting [with] visualisation, not needing contemplative investigation, at once completely understanding, without remainder [and] without lack.
上上根不能踰其阃，下下根亦能臻其域。
[Those] highest [of] high [spiritual] roots [are] not able [to] exceed its threshold, [and those] lowest [of] low [spiritual] roots [are] likewise able [to] reach its land[s].
其所感佛，所生土，往往胜进，亦不一概。
[As] their that connected Buddha, [and] that born land, [are] often [with] Superior Entry, [they are] also not all [the same].
[Note 4: This refers to those with Superior Entry Received (胜进接), who are the opposite of those According (To) Position (Received) (按位接).]
可谓横该八教，竖彻五时。
[This] can [be] said [to be] horizontally complete [with the] Eight Teachings, [and to] vertically pervade [the] Five Periods.
[Note 5:
Five Periods (五时):
(1) Flower Adornment (Avataṃsaka) Period (华严时)
(2) Āgama Period (阿含时)
(3) Vaipulya (Right [And] Equal) Period (方等时)
(4) Prajñā Period (般若时)
(5) Dharma Flower [And] Nirvāṇa Period (法华涅槃时)
Eight Teachings (八教):
Transformative Methods’ Four Teachings (化仪四教):
(1) Sudden Teaching (顿教)
(2) Gradual Teaching (渐教)
(3) Secret Teaching (秘密教)
(4) Indefinite Teaching (不定教)
Transformative Dharma’s Four Teachings (化法四教)：
(5) Tripiṭaka Teaching (藏教)
(6) CommonTeaching (通教)
(7) Separate Teaching (别教)
(8) Complete Teaching (圆教)]
所以彻底悲心，无问自说，且深叹其难信也。
Therefore with [the] complete heart [of] compassion, without [being] asked self spoken, further profoundly exclaiming it [to be] difficult [to have] Faith [in].
– 净土宗九祖澫益大师
《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 notes by Shen Shi’an
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Next Section: Why Focus On Buddha Recitation & Not Visualisation?
https://purelanders.com/2019/09/29/why-focus-on-buddha-recitation-not-visualisation
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
《佛说阿弥陀经要解》全英译
Complete English Translation Of ‘The Essential Explanation On The Amitābha Sūtra As Spoken By The Buddha’
https://purelanders.com/yaojie
以上讲解: 《佛说阿弥陀经要解讲记》第 310-335 页
http://www.donglin.org/wenku/4/4-05%E5%BC%A5%E9%99%80%E8%A6%81%E8%A7%A3%E8%AE%B2%E8%AE%B0%E2%80%94%E5%AE%97%E6%9F%B1%E6%B3%95%E5%B8%88%2020160630.pdf
