佛說無量壽經The Sūtra of Measureless Life
這部經先讓阿難看見佛的容光，再讓他開口發問。佛的回答沒有從一條方法開始，而是把目光送回極久遠處：一位國王聞法出家，名為法藏；他見諸佛國土，思惟、選擇、修習，然後在佛前一願一願地說，若所願不能成就，自己便「不取正覺」〔T12n0360 0267c17〕。
四十八次拒絕獨自完成，構成全經最深的聲音。法藏所求的佛果，從一開始就把眾生放在其中：離惡趣、得光明、聞名、願生、不退、供佛、教化。願不是把未來描得好看，而是把成佛繫在眾生能否真正得益之上。
願後還有長劫之行。經沒有讓感瑞代替修行，也沒有讓莊嚴憑空出現。當法藏已成無量壽佛，昔日所願便成為今日可以遇見的佛、國土、光明、法音、池水、寶樹與清淨大眾。那些莊嚴不只供人觀看；它們使人聞法、起善、住於正定，並向不退轉而去。
卷下把道路交到眾生面前。聞名之後有信、有喜、有至心、有迴向、有願生；三輩雖因行不同，同以菩提心與願生為向。上輩、中輩、下輩不是三張高下名牌，而是三條各有因、緣與所得的完整路。經把門開得很近，也把五逆與誹謗正法的難文留在門邊，不替後人悄悄刪去。
往生也不是故事的終點。彼土菩薩往覲十方、供養諸佛、聞法受行；一生補處之外，仍有人因本願披弘誓鎧，回入眾生之中。被攝受者，終將能攝受他人。淨土之安穩，不是把世界關在門外，而是使利生之行不再失去方向。
經又長說此土的忙亂、爭逐、五惡、五痛與五燒。那一大段不是離開淨土另說世間倫理，而是問：門已開，為何人仍不往？答案落在習氣、業果與心的方向。佛說世間如此，祂皆哀之；勸止惡修善，始終沒有把受苦者逐出悲心之外。
到了見土與胎化問答，經把尺度再推深一層：有樂不等於見佛，有安居不等於能聞法修善。疑佛智慧者雖得生彼國，仍因疑而隔；明信者於蓮華中化生，見佛聞法。最後所交付的，不只是抵達一處國土，而是心對佛智由疑轉信、由封閉轉向見聞與修行。
所以，全經從一個問題開始，以大眾歡喜終結；從法藏不肯獨成正覺，走到眾生聞名、願生、不退，再走到菩薩回向十方。它所守住的只有一個方向：願成佛，不離眾生；願往生，不止於自己；願得安穩，是為了不再退失通向覺悟與利他的路。
Why does the Buddha shine with a radiance Ānanda has never seen before? The question opens more than a vision. It opens the causes by which awakening turns toward sentient beings, the vows by which a land is formed, and the practices by which beings may answer that compassionate direction.
Dharmākara does not begin with a finished realm. He hears the Dharma, sees the qualities and limits of many buddha-lands, makes forty-eight vows, and carries them through long cultivation. The resulting land is therefore neither a reward detached from causes nor a refuge imposed by an external maker. Its adornments are the ripening of vow and practice; their meaning is measured by what they enable for beings.
Hearing the Name belongs inside that fulfilled relationship. It is joined to joyful trust, aspiration for birth, dedication, the aspiration for awakening, and the power of the Buddha’s vows. The three grades preserve different capacities without erasing their common direction. Even the shortest course is not reduced to a number emptied of mind, object, sincerity, or aspiration.
Birth in that land is not the end of the bodhisattva path. The sūtra moves from arrival to hearing Dharma, non-retrogression, honoring buddhas, accomplishing lands, and bearing sentient beings. Tanluan’s ancient mirror gives this movement a sharp form: entry reaches fulfillment only when it opens again as return.
The long teaching on the five evils turns the gaze back to this world. It does not blame suffering on its victims, posit a separate judge, or erase causal responsibility. It asks how greed, anger, delusion, deception, violence, and heedlessness become suffering—and how compassion, restraint, wisdom, and truthful practice interrupt that course.
At the end, the Buddha entrusts the sūtra to Maitreya, promises its preservation for a hundred years after the Dharma has disappeared, and lets the assembly rejoice. The text closes where it began: radiance becomes speech, speech becomes hearing, and hearing asks to become a vow carried in a life.
一、本經與底本範圍
《佛說無量壽經》二卷，本編以《大正新脩大藏經》T12n0360 為底本。本文範圍自上卷題「佛說無量壽經卷上」〔T12n0360 0265c03〕起，至下卷尾題「無量壽經卷下」〔T12n0360 0279a29〕止，即 0265c03–0279a29。範圍內含兩卷卷題、兩處署譯與兩處尾題；藏本後附校勘記不混入本文。
此一範圍共 20,854 個字元，其中純漢字 17,423 字，分屬 302 個藏本正文區塊。卷端署「曹魏天竺三藏康僧鎧譯」〔T12n0360 0265c05〕；本編照錄題署，但不把卷端署名擴張為歷史歸屬的唯一結論。相關疑議與 T361 的傳譯歸屬一併保留。
二、上下兩卷的經文大勢
上卷先列法會大眾，由阿難見佛容光而發問。佛遂追述過去諸佛、世自在王如來與法藏比丘的因地，說法藏見諸國土、思惟選擇、發四十八願並長劫修行。願成之後，經文轉說無量壽佛、彼國光壽、聖眾、寶樹、宮池、法音、衣食與德風等成就，至華光化佛安立眾生於佛道而收上卷。
下卷先說生彼國者皆住正定之聚，再由十方諸佛共讚、眾生聞名信喜，展開上、中、下三輩。其後說十方菩薩往覲與彼土菩薩德行，轉入勸善、五惡五痛五燒、禮佛見土、胎生化生與五智問答，最後以聞名得益、特留此經與大眾歡喜收束。
這個次第使『本願』與『往生』不成兩件分離的事：前半說佛國如何由願行而成，後半說眾生如何受其攝持、如何發心修善，又如何在不退中繼續走向菩提。
三、四譯一會
本編的對讀格局為四譯一會：以康僧鎧本 T12n0360 為底本，並讀支婁迦讖本《佛說無量清淨平等覺經》T12n0361、支謙本《阿彌陀三耶三佛薩樓佛檀過度人道經》T12n0362、法賢本《佛說大乘無量壽莊嚴經》T12n0363，以及菩提流志譯《大寶積經》〈無量壽如來會〉T11n0310。
各本並非只在字詞上增減。願數與開合有二十四、三十六、四十八等不同形態；T361、T362 對成就與菩薩往覲材料有重排；T363、T310 會五在勸善與五惡兩段沒有同場景平行段；三輩在 T363、T310 則以三組修因呈現，而不標上、中、下之名。這些差異逐本記其場景與語句，不把一本文字補入另一本，也不以詳略判高下。
四、慧遠、憬興與曇鸞
本編以三面古鏡照讀經文，而不把三家聲音合成一家。
慧遠《無量壽經義疏》T37n1745，長於全經大分、義理綱領與逐段簡釋；本編用作義疏見證。憬興《無量壽經連義述文贊》T37n1748，逐文分科最密，十三單元的經文界與多數子科均可由此對讀；本編以之為逐文主鏡。曇鸞《無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈》T40n1819，所註對象是世親願生偈，不是逐句注 T360，卻以本願力、三種莊嚴、五念門、往還迴向與正定聚深照全經；本編依相應義位引入。
三家對法藏位階、三忍、逆謗除文、意力、自然與五智等處並不總是一致。能確定的歸各家名下，不能調停的並列保留。
五、十三單元與五層讀本
全經依義段分為十三單元，依次為題名署譯及序、法藏因地、四十八願、願成與上卷成就、下卷題及聞名正定、上輩、中輩、下輩、菩薩往覲及彼土菩薩、勸善、五惡段、禮佛見土及胎化、流通。十三段順次串接，完整覆蓋上述 T360 範圍。
每一單元有原典、白話、考據、義疏、心要五層。原典守字，白話守句，考據守證，義疏開義，心要收心。讀者不必每次五層全讀；可依下篇〈讀法導引〉選擇入口，再隨疑問返回原典與考據。
I. What This Sūtra Asks
The Sūtra of Measureless Life tells how Dharmākara hears a buddha’s teaching, awakens the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect awakening, surveys buddha-lands, makes forty-eight vows, cultivates across immeasurable time, and fulfills a land ordered toward the liberation of beings. Its second fascicle turns from the qualities of that land to the three grades of birth, bodhisattva activity, the exhortation to good, the five evils, the problem of doubt, and the transmission of the teaching.
The governing question is not simply where the land lies. It is how vow becomes world, how hearing becomes trust and practice, how birth becomes non-retrogressive bodhisattva activity, and how a person living amid the five turbidities begins to answer that movement now.
II. Base Text and Thirteen Units
The Chinese Source Text follows T12n0360, Foshuo Wuliangshou Jing, in two fascicles. Its fascicle-front attribution names Kang Sengkai under the Cao Wei. This edition preserves that transmitted attribution as part of the textual record; it does not turn it into a judgment about historical authorship.
The continuous reading stream has been divided into thirteen substantive units, from the assembly and Ānanda’s question through the closing transmission. Together they preserve 302 textual blocks and 20,854 code points. Each unit shares one Chinese Source Text and unfolds into four authored layers in Chinese and four in English: Plain Reading, Apparatus, Exposition, and Essentials. No separate English source layer is created.
III. Four Translations and One Assembly
Four additional canonical witnesses are read alongside the base text: T12n0361 associated with Lokakṣema, T12n0362 associated with Zhi Qian, T12n0363 associated with Faxian, and Assembly Five of T11n0310 translated by Bodhiruci. They do not form a single composite text. Differences in wording, sequence, vow count, division, omission, and emphasis remain attached to the witness that transmits them.
These witnesses are especially important where the surviving recensions give twenty-four, thirty-six, or forty-eight vows; where they arrange the three grades differently; and where later portions found in T360 have no corresponding passage in T363 or Assembly Five. Absence is reported within a defined comparison range and is not converted into a universal claim.
IV. Three Ancient Mirrors
Three ancient works guide the reading without replacing the sūtra. Huiyuan’s T37n1745 offers an early Chinese outline and doctrinal exposition. Jingxing’s T37n1748 supplies a detailed passage-by-passage analysis, frequently comparing recensions and alternative interpretations. Tanluan’s T40n1819 reads Vasubandhu’s treatise through the five gates of mindful practice, the relation of entry and emergence, and the power of the original vow.
When the mirrors agree, their convergence clarifies a transmitted reading. When they differ, each reading remains attributed. A commentary may name, classify, or infer what the sūtra itself leaves unnamed; the distinction between scriptural statement and ancient interpretation is maintained throughout.
V. Limits Kept Open
Several questions remain open by design. The historical attribution of T360 is preserved but not adjudicated. The recensions differ over the number and opening of the vows. The stage of Dharmākara, the names of the two patiences, the two explanations of intention-power, the two readings of what “naturally binds,” and the two ancient five-wisdom classifications are recorded at their proper level rather than harmonized.
No modern Sanskrit form is supplied where the canonical or ancient Chinese witnesses do not transmit one. No conflated recension fills a gap in the base text. Where scripture and the ancient masters do not answer, this edition says that they do not answer.
讀法How to read
一、先選入口
只有一刻鐘——先讀〈卷首心要〉，再讀 02〈四十八願〉、04〈下卷題及聞名正定〉與 12〈流通〉的心要。三處分別守住願、受攝與付囑。
想知道淨土如何成就——01 → 02 → 03。從法藏見土、選願，讀到四十八願，再讀長劫修行與今日國土成就。
想知道眾生如何往生——04 → 05 → 06 → 07。先讀共同的正定、聞名、信喜與願生，再分讀三輩各自的因行、臨終緣與所得。
想知道往生以後是否止於安樂——08 一段先讀。彼土菩薩往覲十方、供養聞法，一生補處之外又有披弘誓鎧者；安穩與利生在此相接。
想知道經為何長說此土之惡——09 → 10。前段問門既易往，何以無人；後段把五惡、五痛、五燒與五善逐項說開。
想讀疑與信的最後關口——11 → 12。先看見土、胎化與五智，再讀聞名、留經與大眾歡喜。
二、十三單元的閱讀地圖
| 單元 | 名 | 閱讀焦點 |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | 題名署譯及序 | 阿難為何發問；大眾與佛容光如何開經 |
| 01 | 法藏因地 | 聞法、出家、見土、選擇與五劫思惟 |
| 02 | 四十八願 | 每一願如何把佛果繫於眾生所得 |
| 03 | 願成與上卷成就 | 願如何經長劫之行成為佛、國土與佛事 |
| 04 | 下卷題及聞名正定 | 正定、諸佛共讚、聞名信喜、一念迴向與除限 |
| 05 | 上輩 | 五因、佛眾現前、隨佛、華中化生與三益 |
| 06 | 中輩 | 在家修善、迴向願生、化佛來迎與不退 |
| 07 | 下輩 | 不能廣修時，菩提心、專意、十念與願生如何仍須具足 |
| 08 | 菩薩往覲及彼土菩薩 | 十方供佛、聞法受行、授記與弘誓利生 |
| 09 | 勸善 | 易往而無人、世務牽纏、自度與轉相拯濟 |
| 10 | 五惡段 | 五惡、五痛、五燒的因果次第及五善對治 |
| 11 | 禮佛見土及胎化 | 見土、疑佛智慧、胎生化生與五智 |
| 12 | 流通 | 聞名所得、難聞、留經、付囑與歡喜奉行 |
三、四條主題讀路
一、願與成就之路：01 法藏因地 → 02 四十八願 → 03 願成與國土 → 08 菩薩本願利生。這條路看見願不是說完即成，而須由行成力；願力成熟後，又使所攝眾生能發願、能行。
二、聞名與往生之路：04 諸佛共讚與聞名 → 05–07 三輩 → 11 疑信與胎化 → 12 聞名流通。這條路不把『聞』停在耳邊；信、喜、菩提心、迴向與願生都使名號取得方向。
三、安樂與利生之路：03 國土莊嚴 → 08 往覲供佛 → 09 自度濟他 → 10 止惡修善。這條路問的不是如何只為自己離苦，而是如何在不退中把善與悲心帶向眾生。
四、疑問與智慧之路：00 阿難之問 → 04 逆謗難文 → 09 自然之所牽 → 11 五智疑信 → 12 難聞而得聞。各處疑問不必勉強收成一個答案；先看經說到哪裡，再看古德如何分讀。
四、五層怎麼用
| 層 | 所守 | 適合何時讀 |
|---|---|---|
| 原典 | T360 底本文字與頁錨 | 要看經文究竟說了什麼 |
| 白話 | 依原序逐句轉成今語，不以解說代替原句 | 初讀全段，或確認長列與條件是否讀全 |
| 考據 | 九目並列科判、異譯、經論、古釋、名相、修辭、承衍與校本 | 要核一個引文、差異、歸屬或未決問題 |
| 義疏 | 以經為主語展開義理，末節另交代古鏡承衍 | 白話已通，想知道各句如何連成一條法義 |
| 心要 | 取本單元最可帶走的一心，不作義疏摘要 | 時間少，或讀完後收攏方向 |
初讀可依白話、心要、義疏的次序前行；遇到疑難，再入考據。原典不是只留到最後核查，任何一層讀得太快，都可立即回到原典重看句序與限語。
I. Choose an Entrance
For a first encounter, begin with the Opening Essentials, then read the Essentials of each of the thirteen units in order. This gives the sūtra’s governing movement without asking the reader to master every textual question at once.
For close reading, enter a unit through its Source Text and Plain Reading. Turn to the Apparatus when a wording, witness, doctrine, or ancient interpretation needs evidence. Read the Exposition for a sustained unfolding of the passage, and return to the Essentials for the sentence or question that can be carried into practice.
II. Follow a Thematic Route
The thirteen units support several continuous routes:
- Vow and fulfillment: units 01–03, from Dharmākara’s causal ground through the forty-eight vows and their fulfillment.
- Hearing and birth: units 04–07, from hearing the Name and right fixity through the highest, middle, and lowest grades.
- Bodhisattva activity: unit 08, from honoring buddhas and hearing Dharma to the virtues and responsibilities of bodhisattvas in that land.
- Ethical urgency: units 09–10, from the exhortation to practice good through the five evils, their painful maturation, and their remedies.
- Doubt, vision, and transmission: units 11–12, from seeing the land and the two modes of birth to hearing, preservation, benefit, and entrustment.
III. Use the Five Layers
The Source Text preserves the Chinese wording and loci. Plain Reading transmits every semantic movement in contemporary language. Apparatus presents nine fixed topics: outline, alternate witnesses, canonical grounding, ancient commentary, comparative readings, terms, rhetoric, carrying forward, and textual placement. Exposition teaches the passage from scripture and the ancient mirrors without speaking in a commentator’s borrowed voice. Essentials distills the governing eye in an independent structure.
The layers are complementary, not interchangeable. A smooth reading does not prove a textual claim; an apparatus entry does not replace teaching; an exposition does not silently become scripture; and an essential sentence does not cancel the qualifications that support it.
IV. Read Divergence without Forcing Agreement
When two ancient readings differ, first ask who says each one and what words each explains. Do not make the sūtra choose between interpretations it never names. This is crucial for Dharmākara’s stage, the two patiences, intention-power and vow-power, “naturally bound,” and the five wisdoms.
The five evils should likewise be read without collapsing causality into punishment or moral injury into blame. The text names actions, habits, social harms, suffering, and remedies. The commentaries explain relations among them, but neither a creator nor an arbitrary judge is inserted. Causal seriousness and compassion must remain together.
凡例Conventions
一、底本、範圍與字形
底本為《大正新脩大藏經》T12n0360。本文只取藏本正文，自 0265c03 上卷題起，至 0279a29 下卷尾題止；兩卷卷題、署譯與尾題俱在其內，後附校勘記不混入正文。底本文字照錄，不據異譯或古疏改字。
正文無夾注。缺字顯示依藏本現有字形保存：𤦲 十三見，䗍 一見，㒋 一見；不以通行字替換。藏本行界所給頁、欄、行，是原典與引文頁錨的根據。
二、十三單元與五層分工
十三單元依經文次序相接，完整覆蓋 T360 兩卷，不重疊、不缺段。每一單元均有五層：
原典——照錄底本，保留題署、標點與頁錨。
白話——逐句轉成現代漢語，原有條件、列舉、次序與反覆均不省略。
考據——列證據、歸屬與界線，不把異說調成一說。
義疏——以經為主語開講；古鏡的判釋集中於開篇定位與末節承衍。
心要——獨立承住一段之眼，不掛疏家名，不縮寫成義疏摘要。
三、白話、義疏與心要
白話的任務是傳出原句，不先替原句講道理。凡數目、願次、因果次第、除限與長列，皆須逐項保留；需要幫助讀通的關係詞，只能使原義清楚，不能另添教義。
義疏所展開的每一項實質義理，須能回到本經或具名古德。經沒有說明的時間、位次、內心與結果，不代佛補作保證。心要則從同一單元取一條心線；它可以不逐項重述，卻不可離開該段所獨有的經義。
四、考據九目
每一單元的考據層固定九目：①科判定位；②異譯對勘；③經論宗依；④本段釋要；⑤諸家異釋；⑥術語；⑦譬喻·修辭；⑧徵引承衍；⑨校本定位。
九目按同一順序出現。某段確無譬喻、異讀或梵語音寫時，明說其無，不以沉默代替。第二目逐本對讀四譯一會；第五目把慧遠、憬興、曇鸞等人的異釋分欄歸屬；第九目只處理 T360 本段的校本文字與範圍。
五、逐字引文與頁錨
雙角引號只放逐字引文；單角引號只作今語提挈。逐字引文的字形、內層引號與原有夾注照來源保留，不把節譯放進雙角引號。
每一逐字引文附自己的全式頁錨，如〔T37n1748 0150b24〕。頁錨取所引首字之前最近的藏本行界，不取整段首行，也不因同一段已有一錨便省去後引之錨。原典層可用短式〔T12 0267c17〕標示段首；考據與承衍引文用含冊號、部號的全式。
六、四譯一會與三面古鏡
T360、T361、T362、T363 與 T310 會五各守自身的名稱、願數、次第與場景。對讀的目的在看見同一教說如何於不同傳本中展開，不以一本文字修補另一本文字，也不把無同位段誤寫成全經無此功能。
慧遠 T1745、憬興 T1748、曇鸞 T1819 均具名歸屬。憬興為逐文主鏡，慧遠為義疏見證，曇鸞為義理總鏡；三者用途不同。古德的位次判斷、會通與術語展開，只在相應位置照錄，不倒寫成 T360 自己已明說。
七、十三項存疑並錄
下列問題保留證據與歸屬，不強作一解：
- T360／T361 傳譯歸屬：T360 卷端繫康僧鎧，T361 傳繫支婁迦讖；兩者歷史歸屬疑議各守所據。
- 十六正士與十四菩薩：總別一組或兩類，古有兩讀。
- 無盡／無蓋：藏本異讀並錄，不以一字消去另一字。
- 法藏位階：憬興判十向滿位；慧遠以頌前地前、頌後地上；經無明標。
- 四十八願開合：T361、T362 各二十四願，T363 結構實見三十六，T310 會五四十八；開合與次第差異不作優劣判。
- 三忍配位：諸家位次安排不同，分欄保留。
- T1748
0161a22–a24：文脈疑有脫落，借 T1745 旁證結構而不擅補文字。 - T363、T310 會五的 09／10 平行段：勸善與五惡兩個原生場景零命中，只記詳略差，不推定缺失原因。
- 憬興問說／聞說喜行分：總判與逐文用字不同，兩處照錄。
- 五惡段校記枚數：先有五十之記，原始藏本結構另見五十三；各依其計數口徑存錄。
- 意力：慧遠釋求佛之心，憬興釋如理作意，兩說不合併。
- 自然之所牽：慧遠與憬興一讀為久習牽縛而不往，憬興另許因滿果熟而自然招致；兩讀並存。
- 五智古釋：慧遠作總別簡釋，憬興作五法細配；經自身固定的是疑惑與明信的對舉。
八、梵形、引據與語言
引據以經、論與古德注疏為限。梵形只依古德實際傳出的音形與解釋；古德未傳者，不以現代梵本補造，也不以現代重構抹平不同漢譯的名形。
異譯的人名、佛名與術語各守本譯。今語若為幫助閱讀，須明確是今語；古說若有作者，須留下作者；未決之處須留下未決。這三項共同守住本文、承衍與本編撰述之間的界線。
I. Base Text
T12n0360 is the sole base text for the Source layer. Page-register-line references follow the Taishō loci displayed in the files. Fascicle titles and the transmitted attribution are preserved as textual data. Corrections are not silently imported from another recension.
II. Unit Division
The two fascicles are divided into thirteen units at substantive turns in speaker, subject, or inherited outline. Unit boundaries are reading divisions, not claims that the received sūtra originally circulated in thirteen chapters. The complete sequence restores the base reading stream without omission or overlap.
III. Five Layers
Each unit contains one Chinese Source Text and four authored layers in each reading language: Plain Reading, Apparatus, Exposition, and Essentials. English mirrors the four authored layers only. The common Chinese source remains the object of reference for both languages.
IV. Quotations and Loci
Chinese text within corner brackets is reproduced byte for byte from the named canonical stream and is followed by its own full citation. An English rendering immediately follows every such quotation in the English Apparatus. Semantic labels in Plain Reading carry a short source locus; they guide navigation and are not additional scriptural headings.
V. Alternate Witnesses and Collation
T361, T362, T363, and Assembly Five of T310 are alternate witnesses, not interchangeable reservoirs of preferred wording. A zero-hit statement is limited to an expressly searched scene or range. Variant graphs, uncertain divisions, and suspected lacunae are reported without creating a synthetic recension.
VI. Doctrine and Attribution
Scripture, ancient commentary, and present exposition are kept distinct. A doctrinal claim is grounded in the sūtra or in an identified ancient source. Where Huiyuan, Jingxing, or Tanluan differ, the difference is retained. A name or classification supplied by a commentary is not rewritten as though T360 stated it.
VII. English Rendering
Standing forms are used consistently for recurrent names and doctrinal terms. Sanskrit is retained only where an ancient witness transmits it or an established corpus form governs it; otherwise the Chinese is rendered without speculative reconstruction. Plain Reading favors clarity, Apparatus precision, Exposition sustained teaching, and Essentials directness.
VIII. Attribution and License
The annotated translation is by Shi Huijing. Canonical source texts retain their existing rights and conditions of use. The authored translation and annotation are made available under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International.
譯者Translator
一、卷端署譯與歷史邊界
T12n0360 上、下兩卷卷端皆署「曹魏天竺三藏康僧鎧譯」〔T12n0360 0265c05〕〔T12n0360 0272b07〕。本編以此署名指稱底本傳譯者，正文與題署一字不改。
卷端署名是藏本所傳的文字，卻不自動解決傳譯史上的歸屬問題。相關經錄疑議與 T361 的署譯問題並存；本編記錄所據與疑點，不在讀者不見證據之處替古本作最後判定。
二、四譯一會的傳譯者
四譯以 T360 康僧鎧本、T361 支婁迦讖本、T362 支謙本、T363 法賢本並列；一會則是菩提流志譯《大寶積經》〈無量壽如來會〉T11n0310。四譯一會的稱名，先用來識別傳本，不表示五者必出同一底本，也不表示其先後、開合與增減可以互相改寫。
支婁迦讖本保存二十四願與早期譯語，傳譯歸屬另有疑議；支謙本同為二十四願而願次、合願與敘事安排自具一格；法賢本的願段結構實見三十六項，勸善與五惡場景無同位段；菩提流志會五保存四十八願，頂層願次與 T360 相近，個別願內仍有增減。各家姓名只負責標明所據傳本，不用來判某一本必然優於另一本。
三、承衍三鏡
慧遠——《無量壽經義疏》T37n1745，藏本署「沙門慧遠撰」〔T37n1745 0091a05〕。其疏以序、正宗、流通三分統攝全經，於所行、所成、所攝與三輩、五惡、胎化等處多作義理綱要。本編以之為義疏見證。
憬興——《無量壽經連義述文贊》T37n1748，藏本題署作「釋璟興撰」〔T37n1748 0131c06〕。其書逐段標「經曰」而細分子科，完整覆蓋 T360 兩卷；本編十三單元的科界與多數段內轉折，以之為逐文主鏡。其與慧遠在法藏位階、三忍、意力與五智等處的差異，各歸本人。
曇鸞——《無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈》T40n1819，藏本署「沙門曇鸞註解」〔T40n1819 0826a27〕。所註為世親願生偈，並非依 T360 次第逐句作疏；其本願力、三種莊嚴、五念門、往還迴向、正定聚與胎化會通，則在相應義位照見全經。本編稱《往生論註》時，所指即此。
三鏡不是三份可互換的解答。逐文科判、義疏綱領與論註宗依各有職分；同一難處有異說時，並錄姓名、原句與頁錨，不抹去歧異。
四、本編譯注者
譯者 釋慧鏡——AI 輔助譯寫，譯者裁定。
本編的白話、考據、義疏、心要與英文姊妹本，均由釋慧鏡負責最後取捨。底本文字與古德硬引不因今語改寫；今語的句法、段落與說明，則以是否忠於本文、是否守住歸屬與限界為準。
I. The Fascicle-Front Attribution
The received T360 text places beneath its first fascicle title the attribution “translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kang Sengkai of India under the Cao Wei.” This edition preserves that wording as part of the transmitted witness. Questions about the history of the translation are not settled by repeating the attribution, and the reader is not asked to treat preservation as historical adjudication.
II. Translators of the Alternate Witnesses
The comparison set includes four distinct canonical lines: T361 associated with Lokakṣema, T362 associated with Zhi Qian, T363 associated with Faxian, and the fifth assembly of T310 translated by Bodhiruci. Each witness is allowed to keep its own title, order, vow count, phrasing, and omissions. Their translators are named to preserve provenance, not to collapse the texts into a composite “best” version.
III. Three Ancient Mirrors
Huiyuan’s Commentary on the Meaning of the Sūtra of Measureless Life (T1745), Jingxing’s Linked-Meaning Exposition and Praise on the Sūtra of Measureless Life (T1748), and Tanluan’s Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land (T1819) form three different mirrors. Huiyuan and Jingxing read the sūtra through distinct outlines and explanations; Tanluan opens the practice and purpose of birth through Vasubandhu’s treatise. None is made to speak for the others.
Their presence in this edition is a form of carrying forward: inherited readings illuminate the text while remaining visibly attributed. Agreement is not manufactured, and disagreement is not treated as a defect to be erased.
IV. Present Translator
Shi Huijing translates and annotates within the 指月 project, joining source fidelity, explicit doctrinal attribution, and a reader-facing path from evidence to understanding and practice.
Translator · Shi Huijing — with AI-assisted rendering, translator-ruled
Responsibility for wording, selection, doctrinal limits, and the shape of the reading edition belongs to the translator. The canonical source and ancient mirrors remain the authorities for what they transmit; the present rendering does not claim their voice as its own.
書目Bibliography
一、本編底本
- 《佛說無量壽經》 二卷 · 卷端署曹魏天竺三藏康僧鎧譯 · T12n0360。本編所取範圍為
0265c03–0279a29，含上下卷題、署譯與尾題。
二、四譯一會
- 《佛說無量壽經》 二卷 · 康僧鎧本 · T12n0360（四譯之一；本編底本）。
- 《佛說無量清淨平等覺經》 四卷 · 支婁迦讖本 · T12n0361（二十四願；署譯疑議保留）。
- 《阿彌陀三耶三佛薩樓佛檀過度人道經》 二卷 · 支謙本 · T12n0362（二十四願）。
- 《佛說大乘無量壽莊嚴經》 三卷 · 法賢本 · T12n0363（願段結構實見三十六項）。
- 《大寶積經》〈無量壽如來會〉 · 菩提流志譯 · T11n0310（會五；四十八願）。
以上五本按四譯一會分欄對讀。願數、願次、三輩名稱、場景有無與敘事重排，各守其本，不會同為單一經文。
三、逐文與義疏古鏡
- 慧遠《無量壽經義疏》 二卷 · T37n1745（全經大分、義疏綱領與諸段見證）。
- 憬興《無量壽經連義述文贊》 三卷 · 藏本署「釋璟興撰」〔T37n1748 0131c06〕 · T37n1748（逐文主鏡、科判與逐句釋義）。
兩疏對法藏位階、三忍、逆謗會通、意力與五智等處的判釋不盡相同；引用時各具作者與頁錨。
四、論註與所釋論本
- 《無量壽經優波提舍》 一卷 · 婆藪槃豆菩薩造、元魏菩提流支譯 · T26n1524（世親願生偈與長行）。
- 《無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈》 二卷 · 沙門曇鸞註解 · T40n1819（通稱《往生論註》；本願力、三種莊嚴、五念門與往還迴向之義理總鏡）。
T1819 所註對象為 T1524 一系的願生論，不冒作 T360 的逐句注本；本編只在義位相應處引入。
五、同軸經典
- 《佛說觀無量壽佛經》 一卷 · 卷端署宋西域三藏畺良耶舍譯 · T12n0365。與本經三輩、九品、臨終見佛、逆罪得生等處相互照讀。
- 《佛說阿彌陀經》 一卷 · 姚秦龜茲三藏鳩摩羅什譯 · T12n0366。與本經聞名、發願、諸佛讚歎、不退與一生補處等處相互照讀。
同軸經典只作經證與語義互照，不以短經補改長經，也不以長經替短經增句。
六、取用範圍
經證、論說與古德注疏按藏經編號及頁錨引用。大正藏校記所載宋、元、明與宮本等見證，逐段歸入考據第九目；四譯一會則歸第二目，不把異譯差異冒作 T360 校記。
現代梵文校訂本不作名形來源；古德未傳的梵形不另補。現代研究著作不作本編義理根據。凡一名一義有多種古說者，書目提供追查入口，正文仍須保留各說歸屬。
I. Base Text
- T12n0360 Foshuo Wuliangshou Jing 佛說無量壽經, two fascicles. Base Chinese Source Text; fascicle-front attribution to Kang Sengkai under the Cao Wei.
All source quotations and page-register-line citations in the thirteen Source Text units are checked against this canonical stream. The transmitted title, attribution, and graph forms are preserved without using an alternate recension to rewrite the base.
II. Three Alternate Translations and One Assembly
- T12n0361 Foshuo Wuliang Qingjing Pingdengjue Jing 佛說無量清淨平等覺經, associated with Lokakṣema.
- T12n0362 Foshuo Amituo Sanye Sanfo Salou Fotan Guodu Rendao Jing 佛說阿彌陀三耶三佛薩樓佛檀過度人道經, associated with Zhi Qian.
- T12n0363 Foshuo Dacheng Wuliangshou Zhuangyan Jing 佛說大乘無量壽莊嚴經, associated with Faxian.
- T11n0310, Assembly Five The Assembly of the Tathāgata of Measureless Life 無量壽如來會, translated by Bodhiruci.
These witnesses support controlled comparison of wording, structure, vow count, and scene placement. They are never merged into a replacement source text.
Together with T360, the base text listed above, these comprise the edition's comparative frame of four translations and one assembly.
III. Ancient Treatise and Three Commentarial Mirrors
- T26n1524 Vasubandhu, Treatise on the Sūtra of Measureless Life 無量壽經優波提舍, translated by Bodhiruci under the Northern Wei.
- T37n1745 Huiyuan, Commentary on the Meaning of the Sūtra of Measureless Life 無量壽經義疏.
- T37n1748 Jingxing, Linked-Meaning Exposition and Praise on the Sūtra of Measureless Life 無量壽經連義述文贊.
- T40n1819 Tanluan, Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land 無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註.
T1524 supplies Vasubandhu's root treatise and verses. T1745 and T1748 provide distinct sūtra outlines and line-by-line explanations; T1819 carries T1524 into the five gates of mindful practice, entry and emergence, and original-vow power. The latter three are the edition's ancient commentarial mirrors; the root treatise is not silently counted as a fourth mirror.
IV. Same-Axis Sūtras
- T12n0365 Contemplation Sūtra of the Buddha of Measureless Life 佛說觀無量壽佛經.
- T12n0366 Amitābha Sūtra 佛說阿彌陀經.
These texts belong to the same Pure Land scriptural axis and clarify shared questions such as the grades of birth, recollection of the Buddha, and the land’s adornments. Their wording is cited only where a unit or ancient commentary actually invokes it.
V. Citation Practice
Canonical references use collection, volume, text number, and page-register-line locus, for example T37n1748 0160b13. A quoted Chinese string belongs to the named source, not merely to a nearby paragraph. English renderings follow the quotation and preserve its relevant doctrinal qualifications.
Names of works and translators follow the forms used throughout this edition. Where an Indic form is not anciently transmitted or otherwise established for the corpus, no reconstruction is added merely to make a name appear more original.
VI. Scope and Exclusions
This bibliography records the canonical witnesses actually governing the edition. It does not use a modern Sanskrit reconstruction to fill Chinese wording, does not treat a conflated recension as T360, and does not import a commentary’s classification into the sūtra without attribution.
Historical questions left unresolved by these materials remain unresolved here. Bibliographic inclusion establishes the source of a reading; it does not make every included witness agree.
索引Indices
本索引列十三個實文單元及每單元的完整五層連結。起訖依 T12n0360 的實際頁欄行；十三單元合計 302 blocks、20,854 code points。
一、十三單元
| 單元 | 結構位置 | 名 | T12n0360 起訖 | 五層 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | 序與發問 | 題名署譯及序 | 0265c03–0266c22 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 01 | 因地·願·成就 | 法藏因地 | 0266c23–0267c16 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 02 | 因地·願·成就 | 四十八願 | 0267c17–0269b06 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 03 | 因地·願·成就 | 願成與上卷成就 | 0269b07–0272b02 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 04 | 聞名與三輩往生 | 下卷題及聞名正定 | 0272b05–0272b14 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 05 | 聞名與三輩往生 | 上輩 | 0272b15–0272b23 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 06 | 聞名與三輩往生 | 中輩 | 0272b24–0272c03 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 07 | 聞名與三輩往生 | 下輩 | 0272c04–0272c10 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 08 | 菩薩往覲與彼土功德 | 菩薩往覲及彼土菩薩 | 0272c11–0274b17 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 09 | 勸善與五惡 | 勸善 | 0274b18–0275c24 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 10 | 勸善與五惡 | 五惡段 | 0275c24–0277c25 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 11 | 見土·胎化·諸國往生 | 禮佛見土及胎化 | 0277c26–0278c29 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
| 12 | 流通 | 流通 | 0279a01–0279a29 | 原典 · 白話 · 考據 · 義疏 · 心要 |
二、全經結構讀路
| 結構 | 單元 | 讀路 |
|---|---|---|
| 序與發問 | 00 | 法會、菩薩行相、佛現瑞、阿難發問與許說 |
| 因地·願·成就 | 01–03 | 法藏聞法發心、四十八願、長劫修行與願成果成 |
| 聞名與三輩往生 | 04–07 | 聞名正定、上中下三輩；共同處與差等各守本段 |
| 菩薩與彼土功德 | 08 | 十方往覲、供養、說法與彼土菩薩功德 |
| 勸善與五惡 | 09–10 | 先勸端心修善，再逐項展開惡、痛、燒與善 |
| 見土·胎化·諸國往生 | 11 | 禮佛見土、疑信與胎化、諸國菩薩往生數 |
| 流通 | 12 | 聞名、聞經、留經、得益、瑞相與眾喜 |
三、典據速查
| 要查什麼 | 到哪裡 |
|---|---|
| 一句經文屬古疏何科 | 該單元考據 目一 |
| 四異譯一會同處如何配置 | 目二 |
| 一項義理出於何經、論或古鏡 | 目三 |
| 古疏如何逐文開解本段 | 目四 |
| 慧遠、憬興、曇鸞各作何讀 | 目五 |
| 一個名相的釋義與限界 | 目六 |
| 經文的譬喻與修辭 | 目七 |
| 本段如何被後文或古德承衍 | 目八 |
| 底本異讀與卷帙位置 | 目九 |
四、卷首卷末導航
This index lists the thirteen textual units and the complete five-layer link set for each. Every range gives the actual page-column-line loci in T12n0360; together the units comprise 302 blocks and 20,854 code points.
I. Thirteen Units
| Unit | Structural Place | Name | T12n0360 Locus | Five Layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Introduction and Ānanda’s Question | Title, Attribution, and Introduction | 0265c03–0266c22 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 01 | Causal Ground, Vows, and Fulfillment | Dharmākara’s Causal Ground | 0266c23–0267c16 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 02 | Causal Ground, Vows, and Fulfillment | The Forty-Eight Vows | 0267c17–0269b06 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 03 | Causal Ground, Vows, and Fulfillment | Fulfillment of the Vows and the Accomplishments of the First Fascicle | 0269b07–0272b02 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 04 | Hearing the Name and the Three Grades | Second-Fascicle Heading; Hearing the Name and Right Fixity | 0272b05–0272b14 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 05 | Hearing the Name and the Three Grades | Highest Grade | 0272b15–0272b23 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 06 | Hearing the Name and the Three Grades | Middle Grade | 0272b24–0272c03 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 07 | Hearing the Name and the Three Grades | Lowest Grade | 0272c04–0272c10 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 08 | Bodhisattva Visits and Virtues of That Land | The Bodhisattvas’ Visits and the Bodhisattvas of That Land | 0272c11–0274b17 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 09 | Exhortation to Good and the Five Evils | Exhortation to Good | 0274b18–0275c24 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 10 | Exhortation to Good and the Five Evils | The Five Evils | 0275c24–0277c25 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 11 | Seeing the Land, the Two Births, and Birth from Many Lands | Bowing to the Buddha, Seeing the Land, and Womb- and Transformation-Birth | 0277c26–0278c29 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
| 12 | Transmission | Transmission | 0279a01–0279a29 | Source · Plain Reading · Apparatus · Exposition · Essentials |
II. Structural Reading Routes
| Structure | Units | Reading Route |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction and question | 00 | Assembly, bodhisattva conduct, the Buddha’s radiance, Ānanda’s question, and permission to speak |
| Causal ground, vows, and fulfillment | 01–03 | Dharmākara’s awakening of aspiration, forty-eight vows, long practice, and fulfillment |
| Hearing the Name and the three grades | 04–07 | Hearing the Name, right fixity, and the highest, middle, and lowest grades |
| Bodhisattvas and virtues of that land | 08 | Visits, offerings, teaching, and the virtues of bodhisattvas in that land |
| Exhortation and the five evils | 09–10 | The exhortation to set the mind upright, followed by evil, pain, burning, and their remedies |
| Seeing the land and the two births | 11 | Bowing, seeing the land, doubt and trust, the two births, and bodhisattvas born from many lands |
| Transmission | 12 | Hearing the Name and the sūtra, preservation, benefits, signs, and the assembly’s joy |
III. Quick Reference to the Evidence
| What You Want to Find | Where to Go |
|---|---|
| Where a sentence falls in an ancient outline | Topic I of the unit’s Apparatus |
| How the four translations and one assembly configure the scene | Topic II |
| Which scripture, treatise, or ancient mirror grounds a claim | Topic III |
| How the ancient commentaries open the passage | Topic IV |
| How Huiyuan, Jingxing, and Tanluan differ | Topic V |
| The meaning and limit of a term | Topic VI |
| The passage’s similes and rhetoric | Topic VII |
| Its later citation and carrying forward | Topic VIII |
| Base-text variants and fascicle placement | Topic IX |
IV. Front- and Back-Matter Navigation
題署Colophon
一、題署
書名作《佛說無量壽經》。本編各單元末行統一署式為：
*釋慧鏡 · 指月 · 佛說無量壽經 · {單元} · {層} · 2026 夏*
卷首各篇則以篇名代單元與層名。漢文題名依 T12n0360；英文題名作 The Sūtra of Measureless Life。
二、引用本編
引用本編之文，請具作者、書名、單元與層名。例如：
釋慧鏡，《佛說無量壽經》譯注（指月），單元 02〈四十八願〉·義疏。
引用卷首篇章，可作：
釋慧鏡，《佛說無量壽經》譯注（指月），〈讀法導引〉。
三、引用原典與古鏡
引用本編所錄原典，宜逕列原書藏經編號與頁錨，不必把本編當作古籍來源。例如：
《佛說無量壽經》，T12n0360，0268a26。
憬興《無量壽經連義述文贊》，T37n1748，0150b24。
逐字引文若跨行，頁錨仍取首字之前最近的行界；同一段內的第二則引文另附自己的錨。
四、文本範圍
本編原典範圍為 T12n0360 0265c03–0279a29，共二卷、十三單元。十三單元順次串接，含卷題、署譯與尾題；藏本後附校勘記不作正文。
每單元具原典、白話、考據、義疏、心要五層。中文與英文按同一單元對應；英文考據保留漢文硬引，讀者層則以相應語言成文。
五、授權條款
除另有標示者外，本編所作白話、考據、義疏、心要、英譯與編排，依 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 授權使用：須具名、限非商業使用，改作須以相同方式分享。
藏經原文與古籍引文各依其原有權利情形；上述授權只及本編所作文字與編排，不改變所引古籍的權利歸屬。
六、更正原則
若發現底本文字、逐字引文或頁錨有誤，應依藏本改正；若發現今語誤傳原句條件、次序或歸屬，應回到原典與具名古鏡修正。
古說相違不以更正之名抹平。能判定的是字與證據，便改字與證據；仍有多讀的是義理與傳本關係，便保留多讀與各自所據。所有取捨由釋慧鏡負責。
釋慧鏡 · 指月 · 佛說無量壽經 · 題署 · 2026 夏
I. Title
The Sūtra of Measureless Life translates 佛說無量壽經, the title of T12n0360. Measureless Life is retained as the governing English form for 無量壽; titles of alternate witnesses remain distinct where their Chinese titles differ.
II. Base and Attribution
The Source Text follows T12n0360 in two fascicles. The received fascicle-front wording attributes the translation to the Tripiṭaka master Kang Sengkai of India under the Cao Wei. That wording is preserved as transmitted attribution, without deciding the historical question beyond the witness.
III. Witnesses
Comparison is made with T12n0361, T12n0362, T12n0363, and Assembly Five of T11n0310. Each witness retains its own wording, order, vow count, and extent. No combined text is substituted for T360, and no English Source Text is invented.
IV. Ancient Mirrors
The edition reads through Huiyuan’s T37n1745, Jingxing’s T37n1748, and Tanluan’s T40n1819. Their outlines, interpretations, and disagreements remain attributed. A commentarial name or classification is not presented as a statement made by the sūtra itself.
V. Composition of the Edition
The two-fascicle reading stream is presented in thirteen units. Each unit contains one Chinese Source Text and four authored reading layers in Chinese and English: Plain Reading, Apparatus, Exposition, and Essentials. The bilingual front and back matter provides an opening essential, introduction, reading guide, conventions, translator record, glossary, bibliography, complete indices, and this colophon.
Translated and annotated by Shi Huijing for 指月, Summer 2026.
VI. Citation and License
Suggested citation: Shi Huijing, trans. and annot., The Sūtra of Measureless Life: A Bilingual Five-Layer Reading Edition (指月, 2026), citing the unit, layer, and canonical locus where relevant.
The authored translation and annotation are made available under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International. Canonical source texts remain subject to their existing rights and conditions of use.
Shi Huijing · 指月 · The Sūtra of Measureless Life · Colophon · Summer 2026
- 00題名署譯及序00 Title, Attribution, and Introduction〔T12 0265c03〕
- 01法藏因地01 Dharmākara’s Causal Ground〔T12 0266c23〕
- 02四十八願02 The Forty-Eight Vows〔T12 0267c17〕
- 03願成與上卷成就03 Fulfillment of the Vows and the Accomplishments of the First Fascicle〔T12 0269b07〕
- 04下卷題及聞名正定04 Second-Fascicle Heading; Hearing the Name and Right Fixity〔T12 0272b05〕
- 05上輩05 Highest Grade〔T12 0272b15〕
- 06中輩06 Middle Grade〔T12 0272b24〕
- 07下輩07 Lowest Grade〔T12 0272c04〕
- 08菩薩往覲及彼土菩薩08 The Bodhisattvas’ Visits and the Bodhisattvas of That Land〔T12 0272c11〕
- 09勸善09 Exhortation to Good〔T12 0274b18〕
- 10五惡段10 The Five Evils〔T12 0275c24〕
- 11禮佛見土及胎化11 Bowing to the Buddha, Seeing the Land, and Womb- and Transformation-Birth〔T12 0277c26〕
- 12流通12 Transmission〔T12 0279a01〕