Naming the Sūtra
The transmission section opens in two parts — one within the palace, one still to come at Vulture Peak — and the Buddha himself fixes this sūtra's own name, naming together both the land contemplated and the person who dwells there, answering at last the very question this commentary raised at its own beginning.
A Question Asked at the Beginning, Answered at the End
四、次明流通分，於中有二。一明王宮流通。二明耆闍流通。今先就王宮流通分中，即有其七。一、從爾時阿難已下，正明請發之由。二、從佛告阿難已下，正明如來雙標依正以立經名。又能依經起行，三障之雲自卷，答前初問云何名此經一句。三、從汝當受持已下，答前後問云何受持一句。四、從行此三昧者下，至何況憶念已來，正明比校顯勝勸人奉行。即有其四。一明總標定善以立三昧之名。二明依觀修行即見三身之益。三明重舉能行教之機。四正明比校顯勝，但聞三身之號，尚滅多劫罪愆，何況正念歸依，而不獲證也。
Fourth, next comes the transmission section, within which there are two parts. The first makes plain the palace transmission. The second makes plain the Vulture Peak transmission. Now, taking up first the palace transmission section, there are seven points within it.
First, from "at that time, Ānanda" onward, this makes plain the reason this request was raised.
Second, from "the Buddha told Ānanda" onward, this makes plain the Thus Come One naming, together, the dependent and the true retributions in fixing the sūtra's own name. And by relying on this sūtra to give rise to practice, the clouds of the threefold obstruction of their own accord roll away — this answers the very first question raised earlier, of what this sūtra should be called.
Third, from "you should uphold and receive this" onward, this answers the later question raised earlier, of how this sūtra should be upheld and received.
Fourth, from "one who practices this samādhi" down through "how much more so," this makes plain, through comparison, revealing this teaching's own superiority and urging beings to uphold and practice it. There are four points within it. First, this makes plain generally naming the contemplative good, thereby fixing the name of this samādhi. Second, this makes plain that, relying on this contemplation to cultivate practice, one thereupon beholds the benefit of the three bodies of the Buddha. Third, this makes plain, once more, raising up the very capacity able to carry out this teaching. Fourth, this makes plain the comparison revealing this teaching's own superiority: if merely hearing the names of these three bodies is already able to dissolve many kalpas of offense, how much more so, then, should right mindfulness and taking refuge fail to attain this very realization?
Naming the sūtra by "the dependent and the true retributions together" (依正雙標) reflects a structure this entire commentary has followed since Fascicle 3: the land itself (依報, the dependent retribution, the environment) and Amitābha's own body (正報, the true retribution, the person) are never treated as separable objects of contemplation, but as two aspects of a single reality. The sūtra's own full title, naming both the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the contemplation of his land together, simply makes explicit what the entire commentary has already assumed throughout.
Part 105 Complete
This closes Part 105. Part 106 turns to this commentary's own closing declaration of what the Buddha's vow was truly built to reward: the famous comparison of the one who calls Amitābha's name to the puṇḍarīka, the white lotus among human beings — and the entrusting of this name for transmission across all future ages.
Continue to Part 106 — The White Lotus Among Human Beings →