English
English version Question: Is this ultimately a further clarification of the Mahayana (大乘，Great Vehicle) Dharma? Answer: It is explained that attaining the fruit (得果) comes after cultivation, so one should focus on the present practice. Moreover, the three grades of rebirth (三辈往生) mentioned now are based on present actions, not on the attained fruit. Present actions are divided into three grades: superior, intermediate, and inferior. The first grade is cultivating Mahayana good deeds without doing evil. The second grade is cultivating Hinayana (小乘，Lesser Vehicle) good deeds without doing evil. The third grade is not cultivating good deeds but doing evil. Cultivating Mahayana good deeds is considered the superior grade, cultivating Hinayana good deeds is the intermediate grade, and beings who do evil without good deeds are the inferior grade. The three grades are judged based on this standard. Question: Why are Mahayana and Hinayana practices explained together instead of keeping Mahayana practices in one place and Hinayana practices in another? Answer: As answered before, it is not based on the order of attained fruits but on the sequence of cultivation. First, Mahayana good deeds are explained, then Hinayana good deeds, and finally, having evil deeds without good deeds. First, good is explained, then evil. Among good deeds, first, Mahayana good deeds are explained, then Hinayana good deeds. The good mentioned earlier includes the good deeds of the five vehicles. The superior grade is Mahayana good deeds, the intermediate grade is the good deeds of Śrāvakayāna (声闻乘，the vehicle of those who hear the Dharma and practice) and the human-deva vehicle. The eight precepts, Śrāmaṇera (沙弥) precepts, and Bhikṣu (具足) precepts mentioned earlier are the good deeds of the three vehicles. Filial piety to parents and performing worldly benevolence are the good deeds of the human-deva vehicle. This fully explains the meaning of good. Question: Since good has been fully explained, has evil also been fully explained? Answer: It is explained that the third grade describes three types of people who commit evil. First, those who commit the ten evil deeds (十恶). Second, those who commit the four grave offenses (四重). Third, those who commit the five rebellious acts (五逆). It does not mention those who slander the Dharma (谤法) and those who have severed their roots of goodness (阐提). Therefore, the explanation of evil is not complete. Those who commit the ten evil deeds, four grave offenses, and five rebellious acts can still be reborn in the Western Pure Land. However, those who slander the Dharma and those who have severed their roots of goodness cannot be reborn. The reason why those who slander the Dharma and those who have severed their roots of goodness cannot be reborn is that those who have severed their roots of goodness do not believe in the Dharma. Even if Amitābha (无量寿佛) is mentioned to them at the time of death, they will not believe, so they cannot be reborn. The same is true for those who slander the Dharma. For example, Hinayana practitioners do not believe in the existence of Buddhas in the ten directions, so they cannot be reborn. Because the causes cultivated in the present have superior and inferior distinctions, it is said that the three grades are different. Question: What kind of fruit will be attained by cultivating such causes? Since the causes have varying depths, although the differences in the attained fruits are shown, the meaning is not yet clear. The superior grade attains the Mahayana fruit, the intermediate grade attains the Hinayana fruit, but the inferior grade attains the Mahayana fruit. Why is this? Answer: It is explained that the fruits attained vary in size according to the causes cultivated. The superior grade cultivates the causes of Mahayana, so they attain the Mahayana fruit. The intermediate grade cultivates the causes of Hinayana, so they still attain the Hinayana fruit. The inferior grade now... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
在虽不修大乘善及小乘善。但彼临终时遇善知识为说大乘妙法。以闻大乘故得大乘果也。上品人善强果强。中品人善强果弱。下品人善弱果强。上品人修大乘善得大乘果也。善强果亦强也。中品人善强果弱者。修行禁戒世间等善而得小乘果。故善强果弱也。下品善弱果强者。下品人都不修善而得大果。故善弱果强也。又下品所以得大果者。明彼现在虽不修善过去或经发心。今闻大乘复得发心等也。说是语时下正说中为二。第一神通轮利益父王。第二说法轮利益夫人。神通轮利益父王中二。第一放光照父王。第二父王得益。说法轮利益夫人亦二。第一正为夫人说法第二夫人及眷属得益。正说竟今即第二夫人得益如文。尔时阿难即从座起下大段第三流通。此中文句可知。此中应有二句。第一宫内付属流通。第二佛还崛山阿难重说流通也。 观无量寿经义疏(终) 现代汉语译本 即使没有修习大乘的善行或小乘的善行，但那人在临终时遇到善知识为他说大乘的微妙佛法，因为听闻大乘佛法，所以得到大乘的果报。上品之人善行强，果报也强；中品之人善行强，果报却弱；下品之人善行弱，果报却强。上品之人修习大乘的善行，得到大乘的果报，所以善行强，果报也强。中品之人善行强，果报却弱，是因为修行禁戒、世间等善行，却只得到小乘的果报，所以善行强，果报却弱。下品之人善行弱，果报却强，是因为下品之人根本没有修习善行，却得到大的果报，所以善行弱，果报却强。另外，下品之人之所以能得到大的果报，是因为说明此人现在虽然没有修习善行，过去或许已经发过菩提心，现在听闻大乘佛法，又再次发起菩提心等等。说这些话的时候，下面正式宣说，分为两部分：第一，以神通轮利益父王；第二，以说法轮利益夫人。以神通轮利益父王又分为两部分：第一，放光照耀父王；第二，父王得到利益。以说法轮利益夫人也分为两部分：第一，正式为夫人说法；第二，夫人及眷属得到利益。正式宣说完毕，现在是第二部分，夫人得到利益，如经文所示。这时，阿难（Ananda）即从座位站起，下面是第三大段的流通分。这段经文的文句可以理解。这段经文应该有两句：第一，在宫内嘱咐流通；第二，佛陀（Buddha）返回耆阇崛山（Grdhakuta），阿难（Ananda）重新宣说流通。 《观无量寿经义疏》完
English
English version Even if one does not cultivate the good of the Mahayana or the good of the Hinayana, if at the time of death, they encounter a virtuous friend who speaks the wonderful Dharma of the Mahayana, they attain the fruit of the Mahayana because of hearing the Mahayana. For a person of the highest grade, their good deeds are strong, and their karmic results are also strong. For a person of the middle grade, their good deeds are strong, but their karmic results are weak. For a person of the lowest grade, their good deeds are weak, but their karmic results are strong. A person of the highest grade cultivates the good of the Mahayana and attains the fruit of the Mahayana; therefore, their good deeds are strong, and their karmic results are also strong. A person of the middle grade whose good deeds are strong but whose karmic results are weak attains the fruit of the Hinayana by cultivating precepts, worldly good, and so on; therefore, their good deeds are strong, but their karmic results are weak. A person of the lowest grade whose good deeds are weak but whose karmic results are strong is a person of the lowest grade who does not cultivate good deeds at all but attains great karmic results; therefore, their good deeds are weak, but their karmic results are strong. Furthermore, the reason why a person of the lowest grade can attain great karmic results is because, although they do not cultivate good deeds in the present, they may have generated the aspiration for enlightenment (Bodhi-citta) in the past, and now, upon hearing the Mahayana Dharma, they generate the aspiration for enlightenment again, and so on. While these words are being spoken, the following is the formal exposition, divided into two parts: first, benefiting King Bimbisara (Father King) with the wheel of miraculous powers; second, benefiting Lady Vaidehi (Queen) with the wheel of Dharma. Benefiting King Bimbisara (Father King) with the wheel of miraculous powers is also divided into two parts: first, emitting light to illuminate King Bimbisara (Father King); second, King Bimbisara (Father King) receiving benefit. Benefiting Lady Vaidehi (Queen) with the wheel of Dharma is also divided into two parts: first, formally expounding the Dharma for Lady Vaidehi (Queen); second, Lady Vaidehi (Queen) and her retinue receiving benefit. After the formal exposition is completed, the second part is now, Lady Vaidehi (Queen) receiving benefit, as stated in the text. At that time, Ananda (Ananda) immediately rose from his seat; the following is the third major section, the transmission section. The wording of this passage can be understood. There should be two sentences in this passage: first, entrusting the transmission within the palace; second, the Buddha (Buddha) returning to Grdhrakuta Mountain (Grdhakuta), and Ananda (Ananda) re-expounding the transmission. Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra (End) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------