The Practice Path Should Be Stratified

Those who have attained enlightenment and awakened the mind, upon being reborn in the highest grade of the highest rank in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, are not enclosed within lotus buds. Those who have attained fruition and are reborn in the middle grade of the highest rank are also not enclosed within lotus buds. However, those who have neither attained fruition nor awakened the mind, upon rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, must be enclosed within lotus buds for several kalpas. Why is this so?

This question should be contemplated as follows: First, what is the difference between the Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Saha World? Second, what is the difference between the beings in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and those in the Saha World? Then, contemplating further, since there are such differences, third, what consequences would arise if beings from the Saha World were to freely move about everywhere in the Land of Ultimate Bliss?

Because ordinary beings possess too many afflictions, if they were not enclosed within lotus buds, the Land of Ultimate Bliss would gradually become another Saha World. Why did Amitabha Buddha establish the Land of Ultimate Bliss? Why was the Land of Ultimate Bliss designed in this way? Why must beings be selected? Why not compassionately gather all beings, including those from the three evil paths, into it? Beings always wish for others to show them great compassion and kindness. However, if things were exactly as they wished, the result might actually be an evil outcome. That would then be not merciful at all. The compassion that beings often desire can easily lead to calamity.

Those who have neither attained fruition nor awakened the mind cannot freely move about in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, nor can they go to the worlds in the ten directions to make offerings to the Buddhas. This is to prevent the afflictions of these beings from disturbing the Land of Ultimate Bliss. From this, we can understand that those who have attained fruition and awakened the mind will not disrupt the practice environment of the Land of Ultimate Bliss, because their afflictions have already been subdued. Although not eradicated, they will not manifest.

Therefore, those who attain fruition and awaken the mind in the Saha World must be individuals who have subdued their afflictions, who certainly do not have severe afflictions manifesting, and who definitely will not harass others. If someone has severe afflictions manifesting, or casually harasses others or other places, they certainly have not attained fruition or awakened the mind. Any self-proclaimed attainment of fruition or awakening must be a grave misunderstanding.

Thus, practice places should be divided into different grades. People of various levels should not mingle together. Otherwise, the practice place will become chaotic, afflictions will blaze fiercely, all cultivation will fail to bear fruit, and the practice place will become a site where afflictions run rampant. If a practice place lacks the Six Harmonies and Respects, it will certainly be chaotic. Those whose views are not harmonious should not gather together. People of different cultivation levels must absolutely not gather together, or else someone will inevitably commit grave evil karma.