English
English version Appearance. Exclusively and attentively reciting the Buddha's name without ceasing. In doing so, one can see all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future within the recitation itself. Furthermore, this sutra serves as proof that it is the compassionate power of all Buddhas, being of one essence, that empowers one to see. This is also a superior condition (增上缘, zēngshàngyuán) for ordinary beings to see the Buddha through the Samadhi of perceiving the Buddha. Moreover, regarding the 'superior condition for embracing beings,' it is as stated in the Forty-Eight Vows of the 《无量寿经》 (Amitabha Sutra). The Buddha said, 'If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the ten directions aspire to be born in my land and call my name, even if only ten times, relying on the power of my vows, should they not be born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.' This means that when practitioners who wish to be reborn in the Pure Land are about to die, they are embraced and reborn by the power of the Buddha's vows. Therefore, it is called the superior condition for embracing beings. Furthermore, the upper volume of this sutra states, 'If there are sentient beings who are born in the Land of Amitabha Buddha (弥陀佛, Mítuó Fó) in the Western Pure Land (西方极乐世界, Xīfāng Jílè Shìjiè), they all rely on the power of Amitabha Buddha's great vows and other karmic forces as a superior condition.' This serves as proof. It is also a superior condition for embracing beings. Moreover, the beginning of the lower volume of this sutra states, 'The Buddha said, 'All sentient beings have different capacities, superior, middling, and inferior. According to their capacities, the Buddha encourages them to exclusively recite the name of Amitabha Buddha (无量寿佛, Wúliángshòu Fó). When these people are about to die, the Buddha and the holy assembly will personally come to welcome them, and they will all be reborn in the Pure Land.' This is also a superior condition for embracing beings. Furthermore, as in the Eleventh Contemplation and the subsequent Nine Grades in the 《观经》 (Contemplation Sutra), the Buddha himself said that when practitioners of both meditative and discursive practices are about to die, Amitabha Buddha (弥陀世尊, Mítuó Shìzūn) personally comes with the holy assembly, holding a lotus pedestal to welcome them to be reborn in the Pure Land. This is also a superior condition for embracing beings. Moreover, as stated in the four-sheet 《弥陀经》 (Amitabha Sutra), the Buddha said, 'If there are men and women who, for one day or seven days, single-mindedly recite the name of Amitabha Buddha (弥陀佛, Mítuó Fó), when these people are about to die, Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛, Āmítuó Fó) and the holy assembly will personally come to welcome them, and they will be reborn in the Western Pure Land (西方极乐世界, Xīfāng Jílè Shìjiè).' Sakyamuni Buddha (释迦佛, Shìjiā Fó) said, 'I say these words because I see this benefit.' This serves as proof. This is also a superior condition for embracing beings. Moreover, as stated in the Forty-Eight Vows, 'Suppose I attain Buddhahood, and sentient beings in the ten directions generate Bodhicitta (菩提心, Pútíxīn), cultivate various merits, and sincerely aspire to be born in my land, when they are about to die, I will not with --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
大众现其前者。不取正觉。此亦是摄生增上缘。 又如下愿云。设我得佛。十方众生闻我名号。计念我国。至心回向愿生我国。不果遂者。不取正觉。此亦是摄生增上缘。 又如下愿云。设我得佛。十方世界其有女人。闻我名字。欢喜信乐。发菩提心。厌恶女身。命终之后。复为女身者。不取正觉。义曰。乃由弥陀本愿力故。女人称佛名号。正命终时。即转女身得成男子。弥陀接手。菩萨扶身。坐宝华上。随佛往生。入佛大会。证悟无生。又一切女人若不因弥陀名愿力者。千劫万劫恒河沙等劫终不可得转女身。应知。今或有道俗。云女人不得生净土者。此是妄说。不可信也。又以此经证。亦是摄生增上缘。 又言证生增上缘者。问曰。今既言弥陀四十八愿摄一切众生得生净土者。未知摄何等众生得生。又是何人保证得生也。答曰。即如观经说云。佛告韦提。汝今知不。阿弥陀佛去此不远。汝当计念谛观彼国。净业成者。亦令未来世一切凡夫得生西方极乐国土。今以此经证。但是佛灭后凡夫乘佛愿力定得往生。即是证生增上缘。 又问曰。释迦说教示悟众生。何故一种佛法即有信不信共相讥毁者。有何所以。答曰。凡夫机性有其二种。一者善性人。二者恶性人。其善性人。一闻即舍恶行善善人 大众如果显现于他之前，却不能使他获得正觉（Sammasambuddha，完全觉悟），那这也是一种摄受众生的增上缘。 又如下面的誓愿所说：‘假设我成佛时，十方世界的众生听闻我的名号，忆念我的国土，以至诚之心回向，愿生到我的国土，如果不能如愿，我就不证得正觉。’ 这也是一种摄受众生的增上缘。 又如下面的誓愿所说：‘假设我成佛时，十方世界如果有女人，听闻我的名字，欢喜信乐，发起菩提心，厌恶女身，命终之后，如果再次转生为女身，我就不证得正觉。’ 其含义是：乃是由于阿弥陀佛（Amitabha，无量光佛）的本愿力，女人称念佛的名号，在临命终时，就能转女身而成为男子。阿弥陀佛会亲自接引，菩萨（Bodhisattva，觉有情）会扶持其身，让她坐于宝莲华上，跟随佛往生，进入佛的大会，证悟无生法忍。而且，一切女人如果不依靠阿弥陀佛的名号愿力，即使经历千劫万劫乃至恒河沙数劫，也终究不可能转女身。应当知道，现在或许有一些道士俗人说女人不能往生净土，这是妄语，不可相信。’ 又以此经文来证明，这也是一种摄受众生的增上缘。 又说‘证生增上缘’，有人问：‘现在既然说阿弥陀佛的四十八愿摄受一切众生得生净土，那么，不知道摄受的是哪一类众生才能得生？又是什么人保证能够得生呢？’ 回答说：‘就像《观经》（Visualization Sutra）所说：佛告诉韦提希（Vaidehi，人名）：‘你现在知道吗？阿弥陀佛离这里不远。你应该忆念并仔细观察那个国土。净业成就的人，也能令未来世的一切凡夫得生西方极乐国土。’ 现在以此经文来证明，只要是佛灭度后的凡夫，依靠佛的愿力，必定能够往生，这就是证生增上缘。 又有人问：‘释迦牟尼佛（Sakyamuni Buddha，释迦族圣人）说法教化开悟众生，为什么同一种佛法，却有相信和不相信的人互相讥讽毁谤呢？这是什么原因呢？’ 回答说：‘凡夫的根性有两种：一种是善性的人，一种是恶性的人。对于善性的人来说，一听闻佛法，就立刻舍弃恶行，奉行善事，成为善人。
English
If the assembly appears before him, but cannot enable him to attain Sammasambuddha (perfect enlightenment), this is also a condition of increasing affinity for embracing beings. Furthermore, as the following vow states: 'Suppose I attain Buddhahood, and sentient beings in the ten directions hear my name, contemplate my land, and sincerely dedicate their merit, wishing to be born in my land. If this is not fulfilled, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.' This is also a condition of increasing affinity for embracing beings. Furthermore, as the following vow states: 'Suppose I attain Buddhahood, and in the ten directions, if there are women who hear my name, rejoice and believe, generate Bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), and detest the female body, if after death they are reborn as women again, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.' The meaning is: It is due to the fundamental vow power of Amitabha (Infinite Light Buddha) that women who recite the Buddha's name, at the moment of death, can transform from a female body into a male body. Amitabha will personally receive them, and Bodhisattvas (enlightenment beings) will support their bodies, allowing them to sit on jeweled lotuses, follow the Buddha to be reborn, enter the Buddha's assembly, and realize the non-arising. Moreover, if all women do not rely on the power of Amitabha's name and vow, even after thousands of kalpas, or even as many kalpas as the sands of the Ganges River, they will ultimately not be able to transform from a female body. It should be known that there are now some Daoists and laypeople who say that women cannot be reborn in the Pure Land. This is false speech and should not be believed.' Furthermore, as proven by this sutra, this is also a condition of increasing affinity for embracing beings. Furthermore, regarding 'the condition of increasing affinity for guaranteeing rebirth,' someone asks: 'Now that it is said that Amitabha's forty-eight vows embrace all sentient beings, enabling them to be reborn in the Pure Land, then which kind of sentient beings are embraced to be reborn? And who guarantees that they can be reborn?' The answer is: 'Just as the Visualization Sutra states: The Buddha told Vaidehi (a person's name): 'Do you know now? Amitabha Buddha is not far from here. You should contemplate and carefully observe that land. Those who have accomplished pure karma can also enable all ordinary beings in the future to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.' Now, as proven by this sutra, as long as they are ordinary beings after the Buddha's passing, relying on the Buddha's vow power, they will definitely be able to be reborn. This is the condition of increasing affinity for guaranteeing rebirth. Furthermore, someone asks: 'Sakyamuni Buddha (Sage of the Sakya clan) speaks the Dharma to teach and enlighten sentient beings, why is it that with the same Dharma, there are those who believe and those who do not, mutually ridiculing and slandering each other? What is the reason for this?' The answer is: 'The nature of ordinary beings is of two kinds: one is the person of good nature, and the other is the person of evil nature. For the person of good nature, upon hearing the Dharma, they immediately abandon evil deeds and practice good deeds, becoming good people. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。二者舍邪行正善人。三者舍虚行实善人。四者舍非行是善人。五者舍伪行真善人。此五种人若能归佛。即能自利利他。在家行孝。在外亦利他人。在望行信。在朝名君子。事君能尽忠节。故名自性善人也。言恶性人者。一即谤真行伪恶人。二者谤正行邪恶人。三者谤是行非恶人。四者谤实行虚恶人。五者谤善行恶恶人。又此五种人若欲愿归佛。不能自利。亦不利他人。又在家不孝。在望无信。在朝名小儿。事君则常怀谄佞。谓之不忠。又此人等于他贤德善人身上。唯能败是成非。但见他恶。故名自性恶人也。又上至诸佛贤圣。人天六道一切良善。此等恶人所讥耻辱也。诸有智者应知。今一一具引善恶二性人。道理显然。答上问竟。 又下经云。佛告韦提。汝及众生专心计念一处。想于西方地下金幢地上众宝庄严。下至十三观已来。总答上韦提二请。以为明证。欲使善恶凡夫回心起行尽得往生。此亦是证生增上缘。 又如下经云。众宝国土有五百亿宝楼。其楼阁中有无量天人作天伎乐。此众音中皆说念佛法僧。此想成已。命欲终时定生彼国。又以此经证。亦是证生增上缘。 又如下经云。佛告阿难。如此妙华是本法藏比丘愿力所成。若欲念彼佛者。当先作此华座想。一一观之。皆令分明。此想成者 现代汉语译本：第二种是舍弃邪恶而行正道的善良之人。第三种是舍弃虚伪而行真实的善良之人。第四种是舍弃错误而行正确的善良之人。第五种是舍弃虚假而行真诚的善良之人。这五种人如果能够归依佛陀，就能自利利他。在家能行孝道，在外也能利益他人。在交往中讲求信用，在朝廷上可称为君子。侍奉君主能够竭尽忠诚节义，所以称为自性善良之人。说到恶性之人，第一种就是诽谤真理而行虚伪的恶人。第二种是诽谤正道而行邪恶之事的恶人。第三种是诽谤正确而行错误的恶人。第四种是诽谤真实而行虚假的恶人。第五种是诽谤善良而行邪恶之事的恶人。这五种人如果想要归依佛陀，不能自利，也不能利益他人。而且在家不孝顺，在交往中没有信用，在朝廷上被称为小人。侍奉君主常常怀有谄媚奸佞之心，这就是不忠。这些人对于其他贤德善良之人，只会破坏好事，促成坏事，只会看到别人的缺点，所以称为自性恶人。甚至上至诸佛贤圣，人天六道一切善良之人，都会被这些恶人所讥讽羞辱。所有有智慧的人都应当知道。现在一一列举善恶二性之人，道理非常明显。回答上面的提问完毕。 下经又说，佛陀告诉韦提希夫人（Vaidehi，佛陀时期一位王后）：‘你和众生专心致志地将意念集中在一处，观想西方极乐世界的地下是金色的幢幡，地上是各种珍宝装饰。’从观想的开始到第十三观，总共回答了上面韦提希夫人的两个请求，以此作为明确的证据，想要使善良和邪恶的凡夫都能回心转意，开始修行，最终都能往生到西方极乐世界。这也是证明往生的一种增上缘。 下经又说：‘在极乐世界的珍宝国土中有五百亿座宝楼，这些楼阁中有无数的天人在演奏天上的音乐。这些音乐声中都在宣说念佛、念法、念僧。’这种观想如果成功，临命终时必定往生到极乐世界。又用这部经来证明，这也是证明往生的一种增上缘。 下经又说：‘佛陀告诉阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一）：这些美妙的莲花是本法藏比丘（Dharmakara，阿弥陀佛成佛前的名字）的愿力所成就的。如果想要忆念阿弥陀佛，应当先观想这种莲花座，一一仔细地观察，都要清楚明白。’这种观想如果成功，