为何《阿弥陀经》名为《称赞不可思议功德，一切诸佛所护念经》?
Why Is [The] Amitā[bha] Sūtra Named As [The] Sūtra [With] Praises [Of] Inconceivable Meritorious Virtues [And] All Buddhas’ Mindful Protection?
△ 三发言劝信
△ Thrice Making Statements [To] Encourage Faith
【经】：说诚实言：『汝等众生当信是《称赞不可思议功德，一切诸佛所护念经》。』
[Sūtra]: Speaking [these] truthful words, “You [and] other sentient beings, should believe this ‘Sūtra [With] Praises [Of] Inconceivable Meritorious Virtues [And] All Buddhas’ Mindful Protection’.”
【疏】：「诚实」，明必可信，以是广长舌端出诚实语，谓此《称赞不可思议功德，一切诸佛所护念经》，汝当谛信，莫怀疑也，信义详后。
[Commentary]: [As that] ‘truthful’, clearly must [be] believable, for this [reason] extending [the] long [and] broad tongue’s auspicious [sign to] speak truthful words, calling this [the] ‘Sūtra [With] Praises [Of] Inconceivable Meritorious Virtues [And] All Buddhas’ Mindful Protection’, you should firmly believe [it, and] not doubt too, believing [its] meaning completely after.
【钞】：「必可信」者，以诚则真恳无伪，实则审谛不虚，所谓师子吼，无畏说，千圣复起不能易，万世守之则为楷者也。
[Collected Writings]: That [which] ‘must [be] believable’, [is] with truthfulness, thus truly sincere [and] without falsehood, real, then examined carefully [to be] not false, so-called [the] lion’s roar, without fear spoken, [that a] thousand noble [ones] again arising [are] not able [to do] easily, that ten thousand generations protect then, thus as [their] model too.
「称赞不可思议功德」，连下十六字，此经原名也，唐译止言《称赞净土佛摄受经》，欲文省便，以「不可思议功德」摄「净土」中故。此「不可思议」，上文赞佛，今乃赞经，其义一也，故不重释。
‘Praises [Of] Inconceivable Meritorious Virtues’, connecting [with the] below [as] sixteen words, [is] this sūtra’s original name too, [with the] Táng [Dynasty’s] translation stopping [with the] words, ‘Sūtra [On] Praises [Of The] Pure Land [With] Buddhas’ Protection [And] Reception’, desiring text [to be] reduced [for] convenience, with ‘inconceivable’ gathered [in] ‘Pure Land’ within thus. This ‘inconceivable’, [is with the] above text praising [the] Buddhas, now thus praising [this] sūtra, their meanings [are] one too, thus not repeatedly explaining [it].
[Note 1: The Sūtra On Praises Of The Pure Land With Buddhas’ Protection And Reception《称赞净土佛摄受经》can be read at purelanders.com/tang.]
「护念」者，念佛之人，佛力保护，令其安隐，无诸障难故；佛心忆念，令其精进，无有退堕故。
Those [with] ‘mindful protection’, [are] of people mindful [of the] Buddha, [with the] Buddhas’ power protecting, enabling them [to have] peaceful tranquillity, without all obstacles [and] difficulties thus. [The] Buddhas’ minds recollect [them] mindfully, enabling their diligence, without having retrogression thus.
《观经》云：「念佛众生摄取不舍。」
[1] [The] Contemplation Sūtra says, ‘[of] sentient beings [who are] mindful [of the] Buddha, gathering [and] receiving, not forsaking [them].’
又经云：「念佛之人，阿弥陀佛常住其顶。」
[2] Also, [a] sūtra says, ‘Of people mindful [of the] Buddha, Amitā[bha] Buddha constantly abides [above] their crowns.’
又《十种利益》云：「念佛之人，阿弥陀佛常放光明，摄受此人。」
[3] Also, [the] Ten Kinds [Of] Benefits say, ‘Of people mindful [of the] Buddha, Amitā[bha] Buddha constantly emits bright light [to] gather [and] receive these persons.’
此本师护念，而十方诸佛同此护念，当知念佛佛念，感应自然，不可诬也。
[As] this [land’s] fundamental teacher [i.e. Śākyamuni Buddha] [has] mindful protection, and [the] ten directions’ all Buddhas together [have] this mindful protection, [it] should [be] known [that with] mindfulness [of the] Buddha [and the] Buddhas’ mindfulness, connections [and] responses [are] natural, [and] cannot [be] falsified too.
[Note 2: Pure Land Doubts And Questions《净土或问》lists the ten benefits, and can be read at https://purelanders.com/2018/07/ten-great-benefits-in-this-present-life-from-mindfulness-of-buddha.]
【疏】：又地始蒙佛护，故知往生，地位非浅。
[Commentary]: Also, [as those on the] grounds then receive Buddhas’ protection, thus know [that] rebirth [in Pure Land, is with] ground’s position [that is] not shallow.
【钞】：八地佛护者，《华严》谓八地菩萨常为如来之所护念，今此顿超胜地，故曰非浅。
[Collected Writings]: [Of] those [of the] eighth ground, [whom the] Buddhas protect, [the] Flower Adornment [Sūtra]《华严经》says eighth ground Bodhisattvas [are] constantly by Thus Come [Ones], those mindfully protected. Now [with] this suddenly transcending [to reach] superior ground, [this is] thus said [to be] not shallow.
【疏】：诸佛告语众生，古有二说：一谓转引，一谓同时。今兼用之。
[Commentary]: [On] all Buddhas saying words [to] sentient beings, [the] ancients have two [ways of] speaking. One [is] called conveying [a] quote, [and] one [is] called [speaking at the] same time. Now [is] simultaneously using them.
【钞】：「转引」者，慈恩谓六方诸佛告本国中之语，释迦转引以证己言；灵芝谓是释迦说此经时，六方诸佛同时赞叹。今兼用者，以此广大最要法门，诸佛平时必所常赞，而正当释迦说此经时，十方诸佛齐赞，亦复何碍？弥显此经乃普眼法门，遍乎法界，一说一切说也。
[Collected Writings]: [On] that ‘conveying [a] quote’, [Great Master] Cí’ēn said [they are] words of [the] six directions’ all Buddhas, telling [them to those of this] original land, [with] Śākya[muni Buddha] conveying [a] quote, with [this] confirming [his] words. [Great Master] Língzhī said [they] are when Śākya[muni Buddha] spoke this sūtra, [with the] six directions’ all Buddhas [at the] same time praising highly. Now [is] simultaneously using them, with this vast [and] great most essential Dharma door, all Buddhas [in] ordinary times must [have] that constantly praised, and just when Śākya[muni Buddha] spoke this sūtra, [the] ten directions’ all Buddhas altogether praise [it too]. Likewise, what obstruction [is there]? Extensively showing this sūtra, thus [with this] universal eye’s Dharma door, everywhere in [the] Dharma realm, [with] one speaking, [is with] all speaking too.
【疏】：称理，则自性不变，是「诚实」义；自性不离，是「护念」义。
[Commentary]: [As with] matching [of] principle, thus [with] self-nature not changing, [this] is ‘truthful’s meaning. [With] self-nature not departed [from, this] is ‘mindful protection’s meaning.
【钞】：纯真绝妄，万劫如然，言「诚实」者，孰过于是？即今一视一听、一言一动，莫不与俱，亘古亘今，常护常念，行住坐卧不离这个，何得诚言不信，护我偏违？可谓自诳自欺，自逃自逝。
[Collected Writings]: [That] purely true, [that] cuts [the] false, [is for] ten thousand kalpas like thus, [of] those ‘truthful’ words, what surpasses thus? Immediately now, [of every] one seeing [and every] one hearing [this, of every] one word [and every] one deed, none [is] not with [that] together, extending [from] ancient [times], extending [to] now, [with] constant protection [and] constant mindfulness, [when] walking, standing, sitting [and] lying down, not departing [from] this, how can [these] truthful words not [be] believed, [with] protecting me [being] partial [and] disregarded? [This] can [be] called self-delusion [and] self-deceit, [to] personally flee [and] personally run away.
净土宗八祖莲池大师
《佛说阿弥陀经疏钞》
Pure Land Tradition’s 8th Patriarch Great Master Liánchí
(Collected Writings [On] Commentary [On The] Sūtra [In Which The] Buddha Speaks [Of] Amitā[bha Buddha])
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
