English
English version: This clarifies the aspect of resolving to attain Bodhi-citta (the mind of enlightenment) in accordance with the truth. Resolving to attain Bodhi-citta based on circumstances may lead to regression, and even those with unstable minds can initiate it; resolving to attain Bodhi-citta in accordance with the truth will not lead to regression, and only those with the nature of a Bodhisattva (enlightenment being) can initiate it. The merits of such a resolution are boundless, and even if all the Buddhas (enlightened beings) were to expound upon them for endless kalpas (eons), they could not fully describe them. The aspects of the primary cause have been briefly explained as such. Next, the auxiliary causes will be clarified. There are many kinds of auxiliary causes, which are often mentioned in sutras and treatises, so there is no need to describe them in detail; understand them by referring to them individually. Now, let's explain the ten recitations of the lower grade. The ten recitations of the lower grade in this sutra contain two meanings within a single statement: namely, the explicit meaning and the implicit meaning. The implicit meaning refers to the merits of the ten recitations of the lower grade in relation to the pure land result of the third category. This is as stated in the 'Maitreya's Questions Sutra': 'At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva (the future Buddha) said to the Buddha: 'As the Buddha has said, regarding the merits and benefits of Amitābha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Light), if one can recite Amitābha Buddha with ten continuous thoughts, one will be reborn in the Pure Land. How should one recite?' The Buddha said: 'It is not the recitation of ordinary people, not the recitation of unwholesome thoughts, not the recitation mixed with afflictions; possessing such recitation, one will be reborn in the Land of Bliss. There are ten recitations of ordinary people, what are the ten? First, constantly generate loving-kindness towards all sentient beings, and do not destroy their conduct; if one destroys their conduct, one will ultimately not be reborn; second, deeply generate compassion towards all sentient beings, and eliminate the intention to harm; third, generate the mind to protect the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), not sparing one's life, and do not slander any Dharma; fourth, generate a resolute mind in forbearance; fifth, have a deep and pure mind, not greedy for profit and offerings; sixth, generate the mind of all-knowing wisdom, constantly reciting it daily, without abandoning or forgetting; seventh, generate respect towards all sentient beings, eliminate the intention of arrogance, and speak humbly; eighth, do not generate attachment to worldly conversations; ninth, be close to the intention of enlightenment, deeply generate various roots of goodness and causes, and stay away from noisy and distracting minds; tenth, contemplate the Buddha with right mindfulness, and eliminate all doubts.' Explanation: Since such ten recitations are not attainable by ordinary people, it should be known that --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
初地以上菩萨乃能具足如是十念。于纯净土为下辈因，是为隐密义之十念。 言显了义十念相者，望第四对净而说。如《观经》言：“下品下生者，或有众生作不善业，五逆十恶，具诸不善。临命终时，遇善知识，为说妙法，教令念佛。若不能念者，应称无量寿佛，故于念念中除八十亿劫生死之罪，命终之后，即得往生”，乃至广说以何等心名为至心？云何名为十念相续者？什公说言：“譬如有人，于旷野中值遇恶贼，挥戈拔剑，直来断杀。其人勤走，视度一河，尔时但念渡河方便，既至河岸，为着衣度？为脱衣度？若着衣纳，恐不得过；若脱衣纳，恐不得暇。但有此念，更无他意，当念度河，即是一念。此等十念，不杂余念，行者亦尔。若念佛名，若念佛相，无间念佛，乃至十念，如是至心，名为十念。”此是显了义十念相也。 今此两卷虽说十念，亦此隐密、显了二义，然于其中显了十念与《观经》意少有不同。彼《观经》中，不除五逆，唯除诽谤方等之罪；此两卷经，除其五逆，诽谤正法，如是相违，云何通者？彼经说其虽作五逆，依大乘教，得忏悔者；此经中说不忏悔者，由是义故，不相违也。或有说言：“《弥勒所问经》十念者，非而纯净土说，亦同《观经》第四对净土而说。所以然者，所说 现代汉语译本：初地（菩萨修行阶位的第一阶段）以上的菩萨才能完全具备这样的十念。在纯净土中，这是下辈往生的原因，这就是隐密义的十念。 所谓显了义的十念相，是针对《观经》中的第四对净土而说的。如《观经》所说：‘下品下生的人，或许有众生造作不善的业，犯下五逆十恶，具备各种不善。临命终时，遇到善知识，为他说微妙的佛法，教导他念佛。如果不能念佛，应当称念无量寿佛，所以在念念之中消除八十亿劫生死之罪，命终之后，就能往生’，乃至广说以什么样的心称为至心？怎样称为十念相续？’鸠摩罗什（译经大师）说：‘譬如有人在旷野中遇到恶贼，挥舞刀剑，直接来要杀他。这个人努力奔跑，想要渡过一条河，这时只想着渡河的办法，到了河边，想着是穿着衣服渡河？还是脱了衣服渡河？如果穿着衣服下水，恐怕不能过去；如果脱了衣服下水，恐怕没有时间。只有这个念头，没有其他的想法，一心想着渡河，这就是一念。这样的十念，不夹杂其他的念头，修行人也是这样。如果念佛的名号，如果念佛的形象，不间断地念佛，乃至十念，这样至诚恳切的心，就称为十念。’这就是显了义的十念相。 现在这两卷经虽然说了十念，也包含隐密义和显了义两种含义，然而其中显了义的十念与《观经》的含义略有不同。《观经》中，不排除五逆罪，只排除诽谤方等经典的罪；这两卷经，排除五逆罪和诽谤正法的罪，这样互相矛盾，应该如何解释呢？《观经》说即使造作了五逆罪，依靠大乘佛法，也能得到忏悔；这两卷经中说的是不忏悔的人，因为这个缘故，所以不矛盾。或者有人说：‘《弥勒所问经》中的十念，不是针对纯净土说的，也和《观经》中的第四对净土一样。’之所以这样说，是因为所说...
English
English version: Only Bodhisattvas above the first Bhumi (the first stage of a Bodhisattva's path) can fully possess these ten recitations (ten thoughts). In the pure land, this is the cause for rebirth in the lower ranks, and these are the ten recitations with a hidden meaning. The aspect of the ten recitations with a manifest meaning is spoken of in relation to the fourth contemplation of purity in the Visualization Sutra (Amitayurdhyana Sutra). As the Visualization Sutra says: 'Those born in the lowest rank of the lowest class are those beings who commit evil deeds, the five rebellious acts, the ten evil acts, and possess all kinds of evil. When they are about to die, they meet a good teacher who speaks the wonderful Dharma for them and teaches them to recite the Buddha's name. If they cannot recite, they should call upon Amitayus Buddha (the Buddha of immeasurable life). Therefore, in each recitation, they eliminate the sins of eighty billion kalpas (an immense period of time) of birth and death, and after death, they will be reborn,' and so on, explaining what kind of mind is called the utmost sincerity, and how it is called the continuous ten recitations. Kumarajiva (a famous translator of Buddhist scriptures) said: 'For example, if someone encounters evil thieves in the wilderness, brandishing swords and directly coming to kill him. That person runs diligently, wanting to cross a river. At that time, he only thinks about the means of crossing the river. When he reaches the riverbank, he thinks about whether to cross the river with his clothes on or to take them off. If he enters the water with his clothes on, he may not be able to cross; if he takes off his clothes, he may not have time. He only has this thought, and no other ideas. He is single-mindedly thinking about crossing the river, and this is one recitation. These ten recitations are not mixed with other thoughts, and the practitioner is also like this. If he recites the Buddha's name, if he contemplates the Buddha's image, he recites the Buddha's name without interruption, even for ten recitations. Such a sincere mind is called ten recitations.' This is the aspect of the ten recitations with a manifest meaning. Now, although these two volumes speak of ten recitations, they also contain the two meanings of hidden and manifest. However, the ten recitations with a manifest meaning in them are slightly different from the meaning in the Visualization Sutra. In the Visualization Sutra, the five rebellious acts are not excluded, only the sin of slandering Vaipulya sutras (Mahayana sutras) is excluded; these two volumes exclude the five rebellious acts and the sin of slandering the correct Dharma. Since they contradict each other, how should they be explained? The Visualization Sutra says that even if one commits the five rebellious acts, one can obtain repentance by relying on the Mahayana teachings; these two volumes speak of those who do not repent, and for this reason, they do not contradict each other. Or some say: 'The ten recitations in the Maitreya Questions Sutra (a sutra where Maitreya answers questions) are not spoken of in relation to the pure land, but are also spoken of in relation to the fourth contemplation of purity in the Visualization Sutra.' The reason for this is that what is said... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
十念，虽言非凡夫念，而是十信、三贤菩萨之所修习慈悲心等以为十念。”故《大宝积经．发胜志乐会》说：“尔时弥勒菩萨白佛言：‘世尊！如佛所说阿弥陀佛极乐世界功德利益，若有众生发十种心，随一一心专念向阿弥陀佛，是人命终，当得往生彼佛世界。世尊！何等名为发十种心，由是心故，当得往生彼佛世界？’佛告弥勒菩萨言：‘弥勒！如是十心，非诸凡愚、不善丈夫具烦恼者之所能发。何等为十？一者、于诸众生起于大慈，无损害心；二者、于诸众生起于大慈，无逼恼心；三者、于佛正法不惜身，命乐守护心；四者、于一切法发生胜忍，无执着心；五者、不贪利养，恭敬、尊重，净意乐心；六者、求佛种智，于一切时无忘失心；七者、于诸众生尊重、恭敬，无下劣心；八者、不着世论，于菩提分生决定心；九者、种诸善根，无有杂染，清净之心；十者、于诸如来舍离诸相，起随念心。弥勒！是名菩萨发十种心，由是心故，当得往生阿弥陀佛极乐世界。弥勒！若人于此十种心中，随成一心，乐欲往生彼佛世界，若不得生，无有是处。’” 解云： 即此经者，与《弥勒所问》同本异译。所言非诸凡愚、不善丈夫具烦恼之者所能发者，凡谓无性一阐提者；愚谓趣寂二乘种性；诽谤正法，造五逆等 现代汉语译本： 所谓的‘十念’，虽然说不是凡夫俗子的念头，而是十信位、三贤位的菩萨们所修习的慈悲心等等，以此作为十念。”所以《大宝积经．发胜志乐会》中说：‘那时，弥勒菩萨（Maitreya Bodhisattva，未来佛）对佛说：‘世尊！如您所说的阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha，西方极乐世界的佛）极乐世界（Sukhavati，阿弥陀佛的净土）的功德利益，如果有众生发起十种心，随其中任何一种心，专心念向阿弥陀佛，这个人命终之后，应当能够往生到那个佛的世界。世尊！什么叫做发起十种心，因为这些心的缘故，能够往生到那个佛的世界？’佛告诉弥勒菩萨说：‘弥勒！这十种心，不是那些凡夫愚昧、不善良的男子，以及具有烦恼的人所能够发起的。哪十种呢？第一，对于一切众生生起大慈悲心，没有损害众生的心；第二，对于一切众生生起大慈悲心，没有逼迫恼乱众生的心；第三，对于佛的正法，不吝惜身命，快乐地守护的心；第四，对于一切法，生起殊胜的忍耐，没有执着的心；第五，不贪图利养，恭敬、尊重，清净意乐的心；第六，寻求佛的种智（Buddha-gnana，佛的一切智慧），在一切时候都没有忘失的心；第七，对于一切众生尊重、恭敬，没有轻视卑贱的心；第八，不执着于世俗的言论，对于菩提分（bodhi-paksa，通往觉悟的要素）生起决定的信心；第九，种植各种善根，没有夹杂污染，清净的心；第十，对于诸如来（Tathagata，佛的称号），舍离各种表相，生起随念的心。弥勒！这叫做菩萨发起十种心，因为这些心的缘故，应当能够往生到阿弥陀佛的极乐世界。弥勒！如果有人对于这十种心中，成就任何一种心，并且乐意想要往生到那个佛的世界，如果不能够往生，那是绝对不可能的。’ 解释说： 这部经，与《弥勒所问经》是同本不同译。所说的不是那些凡夫愚昧、不善良的男子，以及具有烦恼的人所能够发起的，所谓的‘凡’，是指没有佛性的一阐提（icchantika，断绝善根的人）；所谓的‘愚’，是指趣向寂灭的二乘（sravaka-yana and pratyeka-buddha-yana，声闻乘和缘觉乘）种性；诽谤正法，造作五逆罪等。