第八疑
Question 8
問：「眾生無始已來，造無量業，今生一形，不逢善知識，又復作一切罪業，無惡不造。云何臨終，十念成就，即得往生，出過三界？結業之事，云何可通？」
Question: "Sentient beings, from beginningless time, have committed countless deeds and offenses. In this one life, they may never encounter good spiritual teachers and may continue to commit all kinds of wrongdoing—no evil they do not do. How is it that at the moment of death, if they are able to recite the Buddha's name just ten times, they can achieve rebirth in the Pure Land and escape the three realms of existence? How can this be reconciled with the principle of karmic consequences?"
釋曰：「眾生無始已來，善惡業種多少強弱，並不得知。但能臨終遇善知識，十念成就者，皆是宿善業強，始得遇善知識，十念成就。若惡業多者，善知識尚不可逢，何可論十念成就？又汝以無始已來，惡業為重，臨終十念為輕者。今以道理，三種校量，輕、重、不定，不在時節久近、多少。云何為三？一者、在心；二者、在緣；三者、在決定。在心者，造罪之時，從自虛妄、顛倒生；念佛者，從善知識，聞說阿彌陀佛，真實功德名號生，一虛、一實豈得相比？譬如萬年闇室，日光暫至而闇頓滅，豈以久來之闇，不肯滅耶？在緣者，造罪之時，從虛妄、癡闇心，緣虛妄境界，顛倒生；念佛之心，從聞佛清淨真實功德名號，緣無上菩提心生，一真、一偽豈得相比？譬如有人被毒箭中，箭深毒磣，傷肌破骨，一聞滅除藥鼓，即箭出毒除。豈以箭深毒磣，而不肯出也？在決定者，造罪之時以有間心、有後心也；念佛之時，以無間心、無後心，遂即捨命，善心猛利，是以即生。譬如十圍之索，千夫不制；童子揮劍，須臾兩分。又如千年積柴，以一豆火焚，少時即盡。又如有人，一生已來，修十善業，應得生天，臨終之時，起一念決定邪見，即墮阿鼻地獄。惡業虛妄，以猛利故，尚能排一生之善業，令墮惡道。豈況臨終猛心念佛，真實無間善業，不能排無始惡業，得生淨土？無有是處。又云：『一念念佛，滅八十億劫生死之罪。』為念佛時，心猛利故，伏滅惡業，決定得生，不須疑也。上古相傳，判十念成就，作別時意者，此定不可。何以得知？《攝論》云：『由唯發願故。』全無有行。《雜集論》云：『若願生安樂國土，即得往生；若聞無垢佛名，即得阿耨菩提者，並是別時之因。』全無有行。若將臨終，無間十念猛利善行，是別時意者，幾許誤哉！願諸行者，深思此理，自牢其心，莫信異見，自墜陷也。」
Explanation: Since beginningless time, sentient beings have carried an unknowable mix of good and evil karmic seeds—some strong, some weak, many or few. However, those who encounter a good spiritual teacher at the moment of death and accomplish ten recitations are able to do so only because their past good karma is strong enough to allow them to meet such a teacher and complete these ten recitations. If their evil karma were heavier, they would not even meet a good teacher, let alone accomplish ten recitations.
You might argue that evil karma from beginningless time is heavy, while the ten recitations at death are light. But let us compare these three aspects according to principle: weight is not determined by duration or quantity. What are these three?
First, in terms of mind: When we create evil karma, it arises from our own distorted, deluded thoughts. When we recite the Buddha's name, it arises from hearing through a good teacher the truly virtuous name of Amitabha Buddha. One is false, the other real—how can they be compared? It is like a room that has been dark for ten thousand years: when sunlight suddenly enters, the darkness instantly vanishes. Does the darkness refuse to disappear because it has been there so long?
Second, in terms of conditions: When we create evil karma, it arises from a confused, ignorant mind that clings to delusive, false states. When we recite the Buddha's name, it arises from hearing the pure, true, virtuous name of the Buddha and connecting with the mind of unsurpassed enlightenment. One is true, the other false—how can they be compared? It is like someone struck by a poisoned arrow: though the arrow is deeply embedded, the wound festering, and the poison has entered the bone, as soon as they hear the sound of the healing drum, the arrow comes out and the poison is eliminated. Does the poison refuse to leave because the arrow is deeply embedded and the wound severe?
Third, in terms of determination: When we create evil karma, we do so with an intermittent mind, one that allows for future hesitation. When we recite the Buddha's name, we do so with an uninterrupted mind, without any lingering thought, and at the moment of death, we relinquish our life. Because this good mind is sharp and powerful, we are reborn instantly. It is like a rope ten arm-spans thick that a thousand men cannot break: a child wielding a sword can cut it in two in an instant. Or like a pile of firewood accumulated for a thousand years: a single bean-sized flame can burn it all to ash in a short time. Or consider someone who has cultivated ten wholesome deeds throughout life and deserves rebirth in heaven, yet at death gives rise to one single moment of determined wrong view—they fall immediately into the Avici Hell. Even false evil karma, because it is sharp and forceful, can override a lifetime of good karma and send someone to the lower realms. How much more so, then, can a mind reciting the Buddha's name with sharp determination at death—a true, uninterrupted wholesome karma—override evil karma from beginningless time and achieve rebirth in the Pure Land? There is no reason it cannot.
Furthermore, it is said: "One recitation of the Buddha's name eliminates the sins of eighty billion kalpas of birth and death." This is because at the moment of recitation, the mind is so sharp and powerful that it subdues and eliminates evil karma. Therefore, rebirth is certainly attained—do not doubt it.
An ancient tradition interprets the accomplishment of ten recitations as merely a cause for a future time, having nothing to do with immediate practice. This is certainly incorrect. Why do we say so? The *Compilation of the Mahayana* says: "By merely making a vow, there is no actual practice." The *Miscellaneous Treatise* says: "If one wishes to be reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss and thus attains rebirth, or if one hears the name of the Stainless Buddha and thereby attains supreme enlightenment, both are causes for a future time—they involve no actual practice." If we were to classify the sharp, continuous, ten-recitation virtuous practice at death as merely a cause for a future time, how mistaken this would be! I hope all practitioners will deeply contemplate this principle, steady their own minds, and not be misled by differing views that cause their own downfall.