English
English version Sentient beings are the objects of transformation by the Tathagata (如来, Thus Come One). The *Mahābherīhārakaparivarta Sūtra* (*大法鼓经*) says: 'All dharmas (法, teachings) combined and designated are called sentient beings,' referring to the combination of the four elements (四大, earth, water, fire, wind), the five skandhas (五阴, aggregates of existence), the twelve nidānas (十二因缘, links of dependent origination), the eighteen dhātus (十八界, realms of sense), etc., falsely named as a person, called sentient beings. The *Prajñāpradīpa* (*般若灯论*) says: 'Those who are sentient are born again and again, hence they are called sentient beings.' The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra* (*大品经*) says: 'There is no dharma that can be called sentient beings, but it is a false name, hence it is called sentient beings. This name originally has no real dharma, but is forcibly established as a name called sentient beings.' The *Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśa Sūtra* (*不增不减经*) says: 'This Dharmakāya (法身, Dharma body) is inherently pure, but it is entangled by countless sands of afflictions, following the world to go back and forth in birth and death, and is called sentient beings.' 'Without any suffering,' the *Amitāyus Sūtra* (*无量寿经*) says: 'There is no name of suffering there, nor are there the three evil paths (三恶道, realms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals), but only natural happiness, and there is no slightest suffering.' The *Aṅgulimālīya Sūtra* (*央掘魔经*) says: 'There is no slightest suffering, only pure happiness, hence it is called Sukhāvatī (极乐, Land of Utmost Bliss), and there are no eight sufferings (八苦, birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, meeting with those you hate, unfulfilled wishes, and the suffering of the five aggregates), because being born from a lotus flower means there is no suffering of birth; there is no old age or sickness in the country, so there is no suffering of sickness; when life is about to end, one wishes to be reborn in the pure lands of the ten directions, and is reborn at will, free from the extinction of thoughts, called no suffering of death; joy and happiness accompany each other, there is no suffering of meeting with those you hate; the minds are all equal, and there is no resentment, even if leaving or staying, there is no suffering of separation from loved ones; what is desired is as desired, there is no suffering of not getting what you want and the suffering of poverty; moreover, the body is golden, upright like the devas (天, gods), with unobstructed supernatural powers, fragrant winds blow the bowls, and heavenly flavors are naturally full, there is no suffering of the five flourishing skandhas.' The eyes see the Buddhas (佛, enlightened ones) shining brightly, the ears hear the sounds of the tree nets, wind chimes, and flowing water, and heavenly music is heard and seen at will, hence it is called Sukhāvatī. Next, the second part extensively explains the two retributions of that land, the dependent and the principal: first, it explains the pure dependent retribution of the container world (器世间, physical world), and then it explains the pure principal retribution of the Tathagata's merits and virtues. In the first part, there are eight aspects: 1. Jeweled forests shining brightly; 2. Virtuous waters clear and rippling; 3. Wonderful musicians singing in the heavens; 4. Sandalwood gold adorning the ground; 5. Seasonal flowers dancing and swirling; 6. Feathered carriages traveling in all directions; 7. Bird songs as Dharma sounds; 8. Wind generating good thoughts. The first part will discuss five aspects: 1. Golden railings surrounding below; 2. Jeweled nets covering above. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
；三、树同严饰；四、国遍周围；五、结成极乐。 经曰：“极乐国土七重栏楯”，次释第一下绕金栏也。《无量寿论》云：此即地庄严，宝栏周匝围绕。《说文》云：栏，门遮也，楯，木栏也。按彼所释，楯即遮遏之体，栏即防护之名，此即形净土也。若第一义土，《华严经》云：清净心为楯，即意无三恶为楯之体，七业不生即为栏之用。 经曰：“七重罗网”，次释第二上罗珠网也。《无量寿论》云：空庄严也，无量宝绞络罗网遍虚空。若《观经》云：以妙真珠弥覆树上。《无量寿经》云：总覆佛土，何但树上，其网四边皆垂宝铎，网用真珠金百千宝饰。 经曰：“七重行树皆是四宝”，次释第三树同严饰，谓皆七宝庄严也。若《无量寿经》云：皆以七宝间错。《清净觉经》或以四宝百宝一宝庄严，随念即现。若《观经》云：一一树皆高八千由旬，其叶华果一一皆作异宝色也。若《无量寿经》说权不言大小，唯佛菩提树高四百万里，其本周围五十由旬，枝叶四布二十万里，一切众宝自然合成，彼土天人闻此树动演出法音，皆得无生深法忍，住不退转，见嗅及触皆得适悦，此且形相净土也。第一义土者，《净名经》云：无漏法林树，敷觉意妙华，解脱智慧果。 经曰：“周匝围绕”，次释 现代汉语译本：三、树木同样庄严修饰；四、国土四面环绕；五、最终成就极乐世界。 《佛说阿弥陀经》说：‘极乐国土有七重栏楯’，接下来解释第一重，即环绕下方的金色栏楯。《无量寿经论》中说：这属于地面的庄严，珍宝栏楯周匝围绕。《说文解字》中说：栏，是门前的遮挡；楯，是木制的栏杆。按照其中的解释，楯是遮挡遏制的主体，栏是防护的名称，这指的是形相上的净土。如果从第一义谛的角度来说，《华严经》说：清净心是楯，也就是意念中没有贪嗔痴三恶，作为楯的主体，七种恶业不产生，就是栏的作用。 《佛说阿弥陀经》说：‘七重罗网’，接下来解释第二重，即上方的珠网。《无量寿经论》中说：这是虚空的庄严，无数珍宝交织成罗网遍布虚空。如果按照《观无量寿经》所说：用美妙的真珠覆盖在树上。《无量寿经》说：总共覆盖佛土，不仅仅是树上，罗网的四边都悬挂着宝铎，罗网用真珠、黄金以及成百上千种珍宝装饰。 《佛说阿弥陀经》说：‘七重行树都是四宝’，接下来解释第三重，树木同样庄严修饰，指的是都是用七宝来庄严。如果按照《无量寿经》所说：都是用七宝交错排列。《清净觉经》中或者用四宝、百宝、一种宝来庄严，随着意念立即显现。如果按照《观无量寿经》所说：每一棵树都高达八千由旬（Yojana，长度单位），树叶、花朵、果实，每一个都呈现出不同的珍宝颜色。如果按照《无量寿经》所说，为了方便教化而不说大小，只有佛的菩提树高达四百万里，树根周围五十由旬，树枝树叶向四面八方延伸二十万里，一切众宝自然合成，那个国土的天人听到这棵树摇动发出的声音，都能领悟无生法忍（Anutpattika-dharma-kshanti，对诸法不生不灭的深刻理解），安住于不退转的境界，看到、闻到以及触摸到都能感到舒适喜悦，这只是形相上的净土。从第一义谛的角度来说，《维摩诘经》说：无漏法林树，散发觉悟的意念之花，结出解脱智慧的果实。 《佛说阿弥陀经》说：‘周匝围绕’，接下来解释
English
English version: Three, the trees are equally adorned; four, the country is surrounded on all sides; five, ultimately achieving the Land of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhavati). The Sutra says: 'The Land of Ultimate Bliss has seven layers of railings,' next explaining the first layer, which is the golden railing surrounding the bottom. The Treatise on the Sutra of Immeasurable Life says: This belongs to the adornment of the ground, with precious railings encircling it all around. The 'Shuowen Jiezi' (an ancient Chinese dictionary) says: 'Lan' (欄) means a barrier at the door; 'Shun' (楯) means a wooden railing. According to that explanation, 'Shun' is the main body of blocking and restraining, and 'Lan' is the name of protection. This refers to the Pure Land in its physical form. If from the perspective of the First Principle, the Avatamsaka Sutra says: A pure mind is the 'Shun,' which means that the mind is free from the three evils of greed, anger, and ignorance, serving as the body of the 'Shun,' and the non-arising of the seven evil karmas is the function of the 'Lan'. The Sutra says: 'Seven layers of nets,' next explaining the second layer, which is the pearl net above. The Treatise on the Sutra of Immeasurable Life says: This is the adornment of the sky, with countless treasures intertwined into nets covering the entire sky. According to the Contemplation Sutra: Wonderful true pearls cover the trees. The Sutra of Immeasurable Life says: It covers the entire Buddha Land, not just the trees. The four sides of the net are hung with jeweled bells, and the net is adorned with pearls, gold, and hundreds of thousands of treasures. The Sutra says: 'The seven rows of trees are all made of the four treasures,' next explaining the third layer, the trees are equally adorned, meaning they are all adorned with the seven treasures. According to the Sutra of Immeasurable Life: They are all interspersed with the seven treasures. The Sutra of Pure Awakening may adorn them with four treasures, hundreds of treasures, or one treasure, appearing immediately according to one's thoughts. According to the Contemplation Sutra: Each tree is eight thousand Yojana (Yojana, a unit of length) high, and each of its leaves, flowers, and fruits displays different colors of treasures. According to the Sutra of Immeasurable Life, for the sake of convenient teaching, it does not specify the size, only that the Bodhi tree (Bodhi tree, the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment) of the Buddha is four million Li (Li, a unit of length) high, with a circumference of fifty Yojana at its base, and its branches and leaves extend two hundred thousand Li in all directions, naturally formed from all kinds of treasures. The gods and humans in that land, upon hearing the sound of this tree shaking, can comprehend the Anutpattika-dharma-kshanti (Anutpattika-dharma-kshanti, profound understanding of the non-arising and non-ceasing of all dharmas), abide in the state of non-retrogression, and feel comfortable and joyful upon seeing, hearing, and touching it. This is only the Pure Land in its physical form. From the perspective of the First Principle, the Vimalakirti Sutra says: The forest of non-outflow dharmas, spreading the wonderful flowers of awakening, bearing the fruits of liberation and wisdom. The Sutra says: 'Surrounded on all sides,' next explaining --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
第四国遍周围也。《无量寿经》云：七宝诸树周满世界，国之四境及随所在绕池绕舍，皆七重行树及以栏楯。 经曰：“是故名为极乐”，次释第五结成。 次明第二德水澄澜。《无量寿论》云：水庄严也。文有七：一、池莹七珍；二、水含八德；三、下填宝砾；四、上匝玉阶；五、珠台际天；六、鲜华吐褥；七、结成极乐。 经曰：“有七宝池”，次释第一池莹七珍也。准《观经》但有八池，此应据大者胜者说。若《清净觉经》等，处处皆有浴池，或绕佛讲堂，或绕罗汉菩萨讲堂，如来浴池最大，纵广四万八千由旬，其诸菩萨声闻及天人等各洗浴已，或于堂中诵经说法坐禅者，或在虚空中讲法诵经入定者，于是未得道者悉皆得道，或得初果四果及不退转，彼无大海江河溪涧，但有诸池及小芙渠，其池四边皆七宝间错，令水亦作诸异宝色。 经曰：“八功德水充满其中”，次释第二水含八德也。《称赞净土经》云：一、澄净；二、清冷；三、甘美；四、轻软；五、润泽；六、安和；七、饮时除饥渴等；八、饮已长养诸根四大。准此水即具四尘，清净即色入，冷软触入，甘美味入，余三水之用，阙无香尘。《成实论》云：一、轻；二、冷；三、软是触也；四、美是味；五、清净是色；六、不臭 现代汉语译本：第四重围绕着整个国土。《无量寿经》中说：‘七宝所成的树木遍布整个世界，在国土的四个边界以及任何地方，都围绕着水池和住所，有七重排列的树木以及栏杆。’ 经文说：‘因此名为极乐’，接下来解释第五点，总结完成。 接下来阐明第二点，德水澄澜。《无量寿论》中说：‘这是水的庄严。’ 文中包含七个方面：一、水池晶莹剔透，由七宝构成；二、水中含有八种功德；三、池底铺满宝贵的沙砾；四、水池四周环绕着玉石阶梯；五、珠光宝气的高台直达天际；六、鲜艳的花朵吐露芬芳；七、共同构成了极乐世界。 经文说：‘有七宝池’，接下来解释第一点，水池晶莹剔透，由七宝构成。参照《观经》，只有八个水池，这里应该是根据更大、更殊胜的来说的。如果参照《清净觉经》等，处处都有浴池，或者围绕着佛的讲堂，或者围绕着罗汉菩萨的讲堂，如来的浴池最大，纵横四万八千由旬（yóu xún，长度单位），那些菩萨、声闻（shēng wén，佛教术语，指听闻佛陀教诲而得道的修行者）以及天人等各自洗浴完毕后，或者在讲堂中诵经说法坐禅，或者在虚空中讲法诵经入定，于是那些未得道者都能够得道，或者得到初果、四果以及不退转的境界，那里没有大海、江河、溪涧，只有各种水池以及小的芙蕖（fú qú，荷花的别称），水池的四周都用七宝交错装饰，使得水也呈现出各种不同的宝物颜色。 经文说：‘八功德水充满其中’，接下来解释第二点，水中含有八种功德。《称赞净土经》中说：一、澄净；二、清冷；三、甘美；四、轻软；五、润泽；六、安和；七、饮用时能消除饥渴等；八、饮用后能滋养诸根四大。按照这个标准，这种水具备四种‘尘’（chén，佛教术语，指色、声、香、味、触、法六种感官对象），清净即是色入，冷软是触入，甘美是味入，其余三种是水的功用，缺少香尘。《成实论》中说：一、轻；二、冷；三、软，这是触；四、美，这是味；五、清净，这是色；六、不臭。