English
English version V. The classifiers of teachings are further divided into two aspects: 1. Distinguishing the flavors of the teachings; 2. The causes and origins of the sutra and its commentary. Firstly, regarding the distinction of the flavors of the teachings: Since this sutra is addressed to the Shravaka (Śrāvaka) disciples, it proves that it is not a sudden teaching like the initial milk. Moreover, since it discusses that all sentient beings can become Buddhas, it is not a small vehicle teaching like curds. Since it does not speak of all dharmas being empty, it is not a ripe butter-like Prajna (Prajñā) teaching. Furthermore, since it does not open up the possibility for the two vehicles to attain Buddhahood, it differs from the Lotus Sutra (Fahua Jing) and the Nirvana Sutra (Nirvana Sutra). The teachings of this sutra are genuine and reliable, and should belong to the third stage of the Shengsu-Fangdeng (生苏方等) Mahayana (Mahāyāna) teaching. Examining in detail what the sutra encourages, it encompasses the initial aspirations of humans, devas (deva), and the four teachings. Comparing it to the Visualization Sutra (Guan Jing), the latter speaks of fixed karma, while this sutra speaks only of scattered good deeds; the former is for those with sharp, complete faculties, while this sutra is accessible to those with partial and gradual faculties. In terms of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, the Visualization Sutra only states that one can be reborn if the mind is not confused, how can this be compared to riding a Vajra (Vajra) platform and realizing the non-origination forbearance? In terms of the adornments of the Pure Land, the Visualization Sutra only states that the lotus flowers are as large as chariot wheels, how can this be compared to the lotus leaves, the smaller of which are twenty-five yojanas (yojana, an ancient Indian unit of distance) in length and width? From this comparison, the superiority and inferiority of the two can be known. 2. The causes and origins of the sutra and its commentary: This sutra has two translations, an old and a new: one is the old translation by the Qin dynasty Dharma Master Kumarajiva (Kumarajiva), named the Amitabha Sutra (Amitabha Sutra); the other is the new translation by the Tang dynasty Tripitaka (Tripiṭaka) Master Xuanzang (Xuanzang), named the Sutra of Praise of the Pure Land Accepted by All Buddhas (Praise of the Pure Land Sutra Accepted by All Buddhas). The title of Kumarajiva's version is based on the sutra's statement: 'As I now praise the benefits of the inconceivable merits of Amitabha Buddha.' The title of Xuanzang's version is based on the sutra's statement: 'One should believe that this is the sutra praised for its inconceivable merits and protected by all Buddhas.' 'Protection' is another name for 'acceptance,' thus it is known that the titles of the two translations each have textual evidence. The one being explained now is Kumarajiva's version. As for the origin of this commentary, because I have studied the teachings of the Tiantai (Tiantai) school, I vowed to use the three contemplations to write ten commentaries to elucidate ten sutras, as resources for Dharma giving. The work of writing and editing had already completed seven, when I fell ill for many years, considering that life is fleeting and time is difficult to retain, I feared that I would fail to live up to my previous aspirations, therefore, I reluctantly supported my ailing body and, leaning on the desk, completed the remaining three, which are the Commentary on the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings (Commentary on the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings), the Commentary on the Sutra of Visualization of Samantabhadra (Commentary on the Sutra of Visualization of Samantabhadra), and the commentary on this sutra. Each of those two commentaries has a chapter on the causes and origins, this article began writing on the last day of the tenth month of the Xin You year of the Tianxi (天禧) era of the Great Song (Song) dynasty, and was completed in the afternoon of the second day of the eleventh month. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。虽辞理无取，庶填本誓且为往生之先容也。十疏既毕，一生几何，空华之躯、谷响之言于我何有哉！是时予行年四十六也。世有弥陀经疏，自日东传来，言智者说者，非也。词俚义疏，谅倭人之假托乎！判教竟。 释经为三：一、从“如是”讫列众为序；二、从“尔时”讫“生彼国土”为正宗；三、从“舍利弗如我今者”讫经为流通。诸经皆有通、别两序，六事同有故言通，发起事异故言别；此经存通而阙别。 问：“佛说诸经皆有发起，或因献盖、或由放光、或饭讫收衣、或晡时禅起，何于此经全无由藉乎？” 答：“夫大圣垂范皆有兴致，但事非特异，故译者略而不叙耳。何者？以此众集，知必请法，是故如来无问自说，应知集众义兼发起。新译则有其词，故彼经集众之末乃云：为闻法故俱来会座。是也。而诸经咸有如是等六事者，《大论》明佛将灭度，阿难咨问：‘一切经首当安何语？’答云：‘当言如是我闻佛住某国与某大众等。岂唯我然？三世诸佛经初皆尔也。’” 今释六事，作二意分之：前三彰阿难，后三显教主。前三者：一、阿难示所闻，如是故；二、阿难显能闻，我闻故；三、阿难指闻时，一时故。后三者：一、称教主美号，佛故；二、明教主所居，住舍卫等故；三、 现代汉语译本：即使我的言辞和义理不值得称道，也希望能完成我最初的誓愿，并且作为往生的一个先导。十疏已经完成，我这一生还有多少时间呢？这如空中花朵般虚幻的身体，如山谷回响般空洞的言语，对于我又有什么意义呢！这时我四十六岁。世上流传着一部《弥陀经疏》，是从日本传来的，说是智者大师所说，其实不是。它的言辞粗俗，义理疏漏，恐怕是日本人假托的吧！判教到此结束。 解释这部经分为三个部分：第一部分，从‘如是’到列出听众，是序分；第二部分，从‘尔时’到‘生彼国土’，是正宗分；第三部分，从‘舍利弗如我今者’到经文结束，是流通分。所有的经都有通序和别序两种序分，六事相同所以说是通序，发起的原因不同所以说是别序；这部经保留了通序而缺少别序。 问：‘佛所说的所有经都有发起的原因，有的因为献上宝盖，有的因为放出光明，有的因为吃完饭后收起衣钵，有的因为傍晚禅定后起身，为什么这部经完全没有原因呢？’ 答：‘诸佛圣人垂示教范，都有其兴起的原因，只是这件事并不特别，所以译者省略而不记载罢了。为什么呢？因为这些大众聚集在一起，就知道他们必定是来请求佛法的，所以如来没有被询问就自己说了出来，应该知道聚集大众这件事就兼有发起的含义。新的译本则有这样的说法，所以在经文聚集大众的结尾说：为了听闻佛法，所以一起来到这个法会。就是这个意思。而各部经都有如是等六事，《大智度论》中说明佛将要涅槃时，阿难请问：‘一切经的首句应当安放什么话语？’佛回答说：‘应当说如是我闻，佛住在某个国家，与某个大众等等。岂止是我这样？过去、现在、未来三世诸佛的经文开头都是这样的。’ 现在解释六事，分为两种意义：前三事彰显阿难，后三事显示教主。前三事是：第一，阿难表示自己所听到的，因为有‘如是’；第二，阿难显示自己能听闻，因为有‘我闻’；第三，阿难指明听闻的时间，因为有‘一时’。后三事是：第一，称赞教主的美号，因为有‘佛’；第二，说明教主所居住的地方，因为有‘住在舍卫’等等；第三，
English
English version: Although my words and reasoning may not be worthy, I hope to fulfill my original vow and serve as a precursor to rebirth [in the Pure Land]. Now that the Ten Commentaries are completed, how much time do I have left in this life? What meaning do these empty, flower-like bodies and valley-echoing words have for me! At this time, I am forty-six years old. There is a commentary on the Amitabha Sutra circulating in the world, said to have come from Japan, attributed to Zhiyi (智者, refers to Zhiyi, the founder of the Tiantai school), but it is not. Its language is vulgar and its meaning is sparse; it is likely a fabrication by the Japanese! The classification of teachings ends here. The explanation of this sutra is divided into three parts: First, from 'Thus have I heard' (如是) to the listing of the assembly, is the introduction (序分); second, from 'At one time' (尔时) to 'be born in that Buddha-land' (生彼国土), is the main teaching (正宗分); third, from 'Shariputra, as I now' (舍利弗如我今者) to the end of the sutra, is the transmission (流通分). All sutras have both a general introduction (通序) and a specific introduction (别序). The six factors are the same, so it is called the general introduction; the reasons for arising are different, so it is called the specific introduction; this sutra retains the general introduction but lacks the specific introduction. Question: 'All the sutras spoken by the Buddha have a cause for arising, some because of offering a canopy, some because of emitting light, some because of putting away robes after a meal, some because of rising from meditation in the evening. Why does this sutra have no cause at all?' Answer: 'The great sages' teachings all have a cause for arising, but this matter is not particularly unique, so the translator omitted it and did not record it. Why? Because this assembly gathered together, it is known that they must be here to request the Dharma, so the Tathagata spoke without being asked. It should be known that the gathering of the assembly also includes the meaning of arising. The new translation has such a statement, so at the end of the sutra's gathering of the assembly, it says: 'For the sake of hearing the Dharma, they all came to this assembly.' That is the meaning. And all sutras have these six factors, the *Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra* (*大论*, refers to the *Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra*) explains that when the Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, Ananda (阿难) asked: 'What words should be placed at the beginning of all sutras?' The Buddha replied: 'You should say, 'Thus have I heard, the Buddha dwelt in such and such a country, with such and such a great assembly, etc.' Is it only me who is like this? The beginnings of the sutras of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future are all like this.' Now, explaining the six factors, they are divided into two meanings: the first three factors reveal Ananda (阿难), and the last three factors reveal the teaching master. The first three factors are: First, Ananda indicates what he heard, because there is 'Thus' (如是); second, Ananda shows that he is able to hear, because there is 'I heard' (我闻); third, Ananda indicates the time of hearing, because there is 'At one time' (一时). The last three factors are: First, praising the beautiful name of the teaching master, because there is 'Buddha' (佛); second, explaining where the teaching master dwells, because there is 'dwelling in Shravasti' (住舍卫) etc.; third, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
示化主徒众，与大比丘等故。虽离成二意，终成阿难之证信也。 言如是者，实相之理无二相称如，绝百非曰是，经诠此理故云如是。又如是，只是指事之词，谓如是净土之教是我亲闻故，次句即云我闻也。 我闻者，我有三种：一、见；二、慢；三、名字。阿难于结集时已是无学人，则见慢俱尽，但为传化故顺世间名字称我也。闻者，《大论》云：耳根不坏，声在可闻处，因缘和合作意欲闻即闻也。然则理本无闻，顺世称闻尔。 一时者，谓如是净土之教，我闻当于某年某月某日也，而不言年等但云一时者，以诸国王制立时各不同故。如此土四时、彼三际；东夏以合朔为月旦、西干以既望为月旦，两方尚尔，四夷可知。既难以准定，故通言一时耳。 佛者，夫法通四人所说，今指亲从佛闻，非从弟子、诸仙、诸天化人而闻也。天竺言佛陀，此翻觉者，谓究竟觉了诸法唯只是心，如此觉了之人故号觉者。 在舍卫国等者，谓我从佛闻乃有其处，即在舍卫祇园闻佛说也。在者住也。如来本住寂光，怜悯众生故迹住舍卫。梵语舍卫，此翻闻物，谓具足欲尘财宝之物、闻解脱之人故也。 祇树等者，即祇陀太子所施之树、给孤长者所施之园。祇陀此云战胜，波斯匿王太子生时，王与外 现代汉语译本： 示现化导众弟子，以及大比丘等等。虽然离开了成就和二乘的意念，最终成就了阿难的证信。 ‘如是’的意思是，实相的道理没有两种相，与真如相称，断绝一切错误称为‘是’，经典诠释这个道理所以说‘如是’。而且，‘如是’只是指代事情的词语，意思是说，这样的净土教法是我亲自听闻的，所以下一句就说‘我闻’。 ‘我闻’的意思是，‘我’有三种：一、见解；二、傲慢；三、名字。阿难在结集经典的时候已经是无学之人，那么见解和傲慢都已断尽，只是为了传法教化，所以顺应世间的习惯，用名字称‘我’。‘闻’，《大智度论》中说：耳根没有损坏，声音在可以听到的地方，因缘和合，心里想听就听到了。然而，道理本身是没有听闻的，只是顺应世俗才说听闻罢了。 ‘一时’的意思是，像这样的净土教法，我听闻应当在某年某月某日，但是不说年等，只说‘一时’，是因为各个国王制定历法的时间各不相同。比如我们这里的四季，他们那里的三际；东夏以朔日为月初，西干以望日为月初，两个地方尚且如此，四夷就更不用说了。既然难以确定，所以统称为‘一时’罢了。 ‘佛’的意思是，佛法可以由四种人宣说，现在指亲自从佛那里听闻，不是从弟子、诸仙、诸天化人那里听闻。天竺语称‘佛陀’（Buddha），这里翻译为‘觉者’，意思是究竟觉悟了一切法都只是心，像这样觉悟的人所以称为‘觉者’。 ‘在舍卫国’等等，意思是说，我从佛那里听闻是有地点的，就是在舍卫祇园听佛说的。‘在’是居住的意思。如来本来住在寂光净土，怜悯众生所以示现在舍卫国。梵语‘舍卫’（Śrāvastī），这里翻译为‘闻物’，意思是具有充足的欲尘财宝之物，听闻解脱的人的缘故。 ‘祇树’等等，就是祇陀（Jetā）太子所布施的树，给孤（Anāthapiṇḍada）长者所布施的园林。祇陀（Jetā）这里翻译为‘战胜’，波斯匿（Prasenajit）王太子出生的时候，国王与外国