English
English version Nine, the Bodhisattvas in the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati), without moving their bodies, reach all directions, manifesting in various forms, practicing diligently, and constantly performing Buddha-deeds. Ten, these manifested bodies of Bodhisattvas, at all times neither preceding nor lagging behind, with one mind and one thought emit great light, capable of reaching all worlds in the ten directions, teaching sentient beings, using various skillful means, accomplishing through practice, and eliminating the suffering of all sentient beings. Eleven, these Bodhisattvas, without exception, illuminate all worlds and all Buddha assemblies, offering, revering, and praising the merits and virtues of all Buddhas Tathagatas (Tathagata) with vast and immeasurable offerings. Twelve, these Bodhisattvas, in all worlds of the ten directions where there are no Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), uphold and adorn the ocean of merits and virtues of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha Jewels, universally revealing them for understanding and practicing accordingly. Such are the eight kinds of adornment of the Dharma Raja (Dharma Raja) accomplished, and such are the four kinds of adornment of the Bodhisattvas accomplished; this is called the purity of the world of sentient beings. 'The Land of Bliss (Sukhavati) possesses such twenty-nine kinds of adornment and meritorious accomplishments, therefore it is called a Pure Land.' Question: 'Those who are born in the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati), generally speaking, how many grades are there? How many causes and conditions are there?' Answer: 'In the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life), there are only three grades: upper, middle, and lower; in the Contemplation Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Contemplation Sutra of Immeasurable Life), each grade is further divided into upper, middle, and lower, three times three making nine, totaling nine grades. Now, relying on the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life) for praise, let us discuss the three grades according to this sutra.' 'Those born in the upper grade have five causes and conditions: First, renouncing home and leaving desires, becoming a Shramana (Shramana). Second, generating the unsurpassed Bodhi mind (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-citta). Third, single-mindedly reciting the name of Amitayus Buddha (Amitayus Buddha). Fourth, cultivating all merits and virtues. Fifth, vowing to be born in the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati). Possessing these causes and conditions, at the time of death, Amitayus Buddha (Amitayus Buddha) and the great assembly appear before them, and they immediately follow the Buddha, being born in the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati), naturally arising from a seven-jeweled lotus flower, abiding in the state of non-retrogression, with courageous wisdom and unobstructed supernatural powers.' 'Those born in the middle grade have seven causes and conditions: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
：一者、发无上菩提心。二者、一向专念无量寿佛。三者、多少修善，奉持斋戒。四者、起立塔像。五者、饭食沙门。六者、悬缯然灯，散华烧香。七者、以此回向愿生安乐。临命终时，无量寿佛化现其身，光明相好具如真佛，与诸大众现其人前，即随化佛往生安乐，住不退转，功德智慧次如上辈。 “下辈生者，有三因缘：一者、假使不能作诸功德，当发无上菩提心。二者、一向专意乃至十念，念无量寿佛。三者、以至诚心愿生安乐。临命终时，梦见无量寿佛，亦得往生，功德智慧次如中辈。 “又有一种往生安乐，不入三辈中：谓以疑惑心，修诸功德，愿生安乐。不了佛智、不思议智、不可称智、大乘广智、无等无伦最上胜智，于此诸智疑惑不信，然犹信罪福，修习善本，生安乐。生安乐国七宝宫殿，或百由旬，或五百由旬，各于其中受诸快乐，如忉利天，亦皆自然。于五百岁中，常不见佛，不闻经法，不见菩萨、声闻圣众。安乐国土谓之边地，亦曰胎生。边地者，言其五百岁中不见闻三宝，义同边地之难；或亦于安乐国土最在其边。胎生者，譬如胎生人初生之时，人法未成。边言其难，胎言其闇，此二名皆借此况彼耳，非是八难中边地，亦非胞胎中胎生。何以知之？安乐国土一向化生故，故知非实 现代汉语译本： ‘上品往生之人，有七种因缘：第一，发起无上菩提心（Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-citta，即追求无上正等正觉的心）。第二，一心专念阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）。第三，随自己的能力修习善行，奉行斋戒。第四，建造佛塔佛像。第五，供养斋饭给僧人（沙门，Shramana）。第六，悬挂幡幢，点燃灯火，散布鲜花，焚烧香。第七，将这些功德回向，发愿往生西方极乐世界（Sukhavati）。临命终时，阿弥陀佛会化现其身，光明和相好与真佛一样，与诸位菩萨大众显现在这个人面前，此人便跟随化佛往生西方极乐世界，住在不退转的境界，其功德和智慧仅次于上品往生者。 ‘下品往生之人，有三种因缘：第一，即使不能做各种功德，也应当发起无上菩提心。第二，一心专念，乃至临终十念，念阿弥陀佛。第三，以至诚恳切的心发愿往生西方极乐世界。临命终时，梦中见到阿弥陀佛，也能往生，其功德和智慧仅次于中品往生者。 ‘还有一种往生西方极乐世界的情况，不属于以上三种品位：就是以疑惑的心，修习各种功德，发愿往生西方极乐世界。不了解佛的智慧（Buddha-jnana）、不可思议的智慧（Acintya-jnana）、不可称量的智慧（Aprameya-jnana）、大乘广大的智慧（Mahayana-vipula-jnana）、无与伦比最殊胜的智慧（Anuttara-visista-jnana），对于这些智慧疑惑不信，然而仍然相信罪福报应，修习善的根本，也能往生西方极乐世界。往生到西方极乐世界后，住在七宝宫殿中，宫殿或者一百由旬（Yojana），或者五百由旬，各自在其中享受各种快乐，如同忉利天（Trayastrimsa）一样，一切都是自然而有的。在五百年的时间里，常常见不到佛，听不到经法，见不到菩萨和声闻等圣众。在西方极乐世界中，这被称为边地，也叫做胎生。所谓边地，是指五百年中见不到听不到佛法僧三宝，意义如同边地的苦难；或者也是在西方极乐世界最边缘的地方。所谓胎生，譬如胎生的人刚出生的时候，人的能力还没有形成。边地是说其苦难，胎生是说其蒙昧，这两个名称都是借此来比喻那种情况，并非是八难中的边地，也不是胞胎中的胎生。为什么知道不是真正的胎生呢？因为西方极乐世界都是莲花化生，所以知道不是真实的胎生。
English
English version: ‘Those who are born in the highest grade have seven causes: First, they arouse the unsurpassed Bodhi mind (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-citta, the mind seeking supreme perfect enlightenment). Second, they single-mindedly and exclusively recite the name of Amitabha Buddha (Amitabha). Third, they cultivate good deeds to the best of their ability and uphold the precepts of abstinence. Fourth, they erect pagodas and images. Fifth, they offer food to the Shramanas (Shramana, monks). Sixth, they hang banners, light lamps, scatter flowers, and burn incense. Seventh, they dedicate these merits and vow to be born in the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati). When approaching the end of their lives, Amitabha Buddha will manifest his body, with light and auspicious marks just like a true Buddha, and appear before these people with all the great assembly. They will then follow the manifested Buddha and be reborn in the Land of Bliss, dwelling in the state of non-retrogression, with merits and wisdom next to those born in the highest grade. ‘Those who are born in the lowest grade have three causes: First, even if they cannot perform various meritorious deeds, they should arouse the unsurpassed Bodhi mind. Second, they should single-mindedly and exclusively, even up to ten recitations at the end of their lives, recite the name of Amitabha Buddha. Third, they should sincerely vow to be born in the Land of Bliss. When approaching the end of their lives, they may dream of seeing Amitabha Buddha and also be reborn, with merits and wisdom next to those born in the middle grade. ‘There is also a kind of rebirth in the Land of Bliss that does not fall into the above three grades: This refers to those who cultivate various meritorious deeds with a doubting mind and vow to be born in the Land of Bliss. They do not understand the Buddha's wisdom (Buddha-jnana), inconceivable wisdom (Acintya-jnana), immeasurable wisdom (Aprameya-jnana), the vast wisdom of the Mahayana (Mahayana-vipula-jnana), and the unsurpassed and most excellent wisdom (Anuttara-visista-jnana). They doubt and disbelieve in these wisdoms, but they still believe in the retribution of sins and blessings, and cultivate the roots of goodness, and can also be born in the Land of Bliss. After being born in the Land of Bliss, they live in jeweled palaces, either one hundred yojanas (Yojana) or five hundred yojanas in size, and each enjoys various pleasures within them, like the Trayastrimsa (Trayastrimsa) heaven, where everything is natural. For five hundred years, they often do not see the Buddha, do not hear the Dharma, and do not see the Bodhisattvas and the assembly of Shravakas. In the Land of Bliss, this is called the borderland, and also called womb-born. The so-called borderland means that for five hundred years, they do not see or hear the Three Jewels, which is similar to the difficulty of the borderland; or it is also the most remote place in the Land of Bliss. The so-called womb-born is like a person born from a womb, whose human faculties have not yet developed at the time of birth. 'Border' refers to its difficulty, and 'womb' refers to its darkness. These two names are used to describe that situation, but it is not the borderland among the eight difficulties, nor is it the womb-born in a womb. How do we know this? Because the Land of Bliss is entirely born from lotuses, so we know it is not a real womb-birth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
胎生；五百年后还得见闻三宝故，故知非八难中边地也。” 问曰：“彼胎生者，处七宝宫殿中，受快乐否？复何所忆念？” 答曰：“经喻云：‘譬如转轮王子，得罪于王，内于后宫，系以金锁，一切供具无所乏少，犹如王。王子于时，虽有好妙种种自娱乐具，心不受乐，但念设诸方便，求免悕出。’彼胎生者亦复如是，虽处七宝宫殿，有好色、香、味、触，不以为乐；但不见三宝，不得供养、修诸善本，以之为苦。识其本罪，深自责悔，求离彼处，即得如意。还同三辈生者，当是五百年末，方识罪悔耳。” 问曰：“以疑惑心往生安乐，名曰胎生者。云何起疑？” 答曰： “经中但云：‘疑惑不信’，不出所以疑意。寻不了五句，敢以对治言之。不了佛智者，谓不能信了佛一切种智，不了故故起疑。此一句，总辨所疑；下四句，一一对治所疑。 “疑有四意：一者、疑但忆念阿弥陀佛，不必得往生安乐。何以故？经言：‘业道如秤，重者先牵。’云何一生或百年，或十年或一月，无恶不造，但以十念相续，便得往生，即入正定聚，毕竟不退，与三途诸苦永隔乎？若尔，先牵之义，何以所信？又旷劫已来，俱造诸行有漏之法，系属三界，云何不断三界结惑，直以少时念阿弥 现代汉语译本：‘胎生’，是因为五百年后还能见到听闻三宝（佛、法、僧），所以知道不是八难（指没有机会修行佛法的八种障碍）中的边地（指文化落后、缺乏佛法的地方）。” 问：‘那些胎生的人，住在七宝宫殿中，享受快乐吗？又会忆念什么呢？’ 答：‘经书比喻说：‘譬如转轮王的王子，得罪了国王，被关在后宫，用金锁锁着，一切生活用品都不缺乏，如同国王一样。王子这时，虽然有美好奇妙的各种娱乐用具，心里却不快乐，只想尽各种办法，求得赦免，希望出去。’那些胎生的人也像这样，虽然住在七宝宫殿，有美好的色、香、味、触，却不觉得快乐；只是因为见不到三宝，不能供养、修习各种善行，而感到痛苦。认识到自己原本的罪过，深深地责备自己，忏悔过错，求得离开那个地方，就能如愿以偿。和上品、中品、下品往生的人一样，要到五百年末，才能认识到自己的罪过，忏悔过错。’ 问：‘因为疑惑心而往生安乐世界，被称为胎生的人，是怎么产生疑惑的呢？’ 答： ‘经中只是说：‘疑惑不信’，没有说疑惑的原因。我试着根据不了解的五句经文，勉强用对治的方法来解释。不了解佛智的人，就是不能相信和了解佛的一切种智（指佛所具有的彻底、圆满的智慧），因为不了解所以产生疑惑。这一句，总的说明了所疑惑的内容；下面四句，一一对应地解释所疑惑的内容。 ‘疑惑有四种意思：第一，疑惑只是忆念阿弥陀佛（Amitabha），不一定能往生安乐世界（Sukhavati）。为什么呢？经书上说：‘业道的法则就像秤一样，重的先牵引。’怎么能一生或百年，或十年或一月，无恶不作，却只凭十念相续，就能往生，立即进入正定聚（指不会退转的群体），永远和三途（地狱、饿鬼、畜生）的诸苦隔绝呢？如果这样，先牵引的道理，又怎么能让人相信呢？又旷劫（极长的时间）以来，都造作各种有漏（不清净）的行为，属于三界（欲界、色界、无色界），怎么能不断除三界的烦恼迷惑，只凭短时间念阿弥陀佛’