THE BUDDHA OF INFINITE LIFE SUTRA (THE WULIANGSHOU-JING)
Preamble
Pure Land
Pure
Land
Pure Land
Pure Land
Pure Land
Pure Land
Honolulu Kyoto
Malaysia Penang , undated
Japanese Pure
Land Pure
Land
Pure Land
Colophon
LAND OF BLISS
Land of Ultimate
York
Taman Ipoh
Thus have I heard.
At one time the Buddha Shakyamuni was staying on the mountain of Gridhrakuta Vulture Peak Rajagriha kingdom of Magadha
The Assembly of the Great and Leading Disciples
At that time, the Buddha was in the company
of a large gathering of monks – twelve thousand of them, including arhats who
had complete mastery of the supernatural powers. (2)
Among these arhats
surrounding the Blessed One were the first five disciples who had been
ordained, and who had attained the highest stage of sainthood. They were
Ajnatakaundiya (Thorough Understanding), Ashvajit (Right Aspiration), Bashpa
(Right Speech), Maha-Naman (Great Name), and Bhadrajit (Benevolent Goodness).
(3)
Also present were His first five lay
disciples, all of them subsequently ordained. They were Yashas, and his four
friends – Vimala, Subahu, Purna-maitrayani-putra, and Gavampati. (4)
The three Kashyapa brothers
were also there – Kashyapa from Uruvilva, Kashyapa of the River Nadi, and
Bhadra Kashyapa from Gaya
Also accompanying
the Buddha were the disciples Mahakapphina, Mahakausthilya, Mahakatyayana,
Mahacunda, Aniruddha, Revata, Kimpila, Amogha-raja, Parayanika, Vakkula, Radha,
Nandika, Subhuti, Khadiravanika, Svagata, as well as Pantha, and Pantha the
Younger, and the Buddha’s half-brother Nanda, the Buddha’s only son Rahula, and
His cousin as well as closest disciple Ananda. (7) The Blessed One was
accompanied by all these elders and other prominent disciples. 18.7.2008 0132 0239
\\\\\
The Noble Company of Bodhisattvas
The Buddha was also
accompanied by many bodhisattvas of the Mahayana (Great Vehicle of Universal
Salvation), including all those of the present Bhadra-kalpa (Auspicious Kalpa),
such as the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva Manjushri, and the
Bodhisattva Maitreya. (8)
There were also the
sixteen lay bodhisattvas, led by Bhadrapala {‘Glorious Protector’), the
foremost among them. The others included the Bodhisattva Profound Thought, the
Bodhisattva Wisdom of Faith, the Bodhisattva Wisdom Eloquence, the Bodhisattva
Voidness, the Bodhisattva Bloom of Supernatural Power, the Bodhisattva Hero of
Light, the Bodhisattva Superior Wisdom, the Bodhisattva Banner of Wisdom, the
Bodhisattva Tranquil Ability, the Bodhisattva Wisdom of Vows, the Bodhisattva
Sweet-smelling Elephant, the Bodhisattva Hero of Treasures, the Bodhisattva
Abiding-in-the-Middle-Way, the Bodhisattva Practice of Restraint, and the
Bodhisattva Emancipation.
The Causal Condition for the Great Teaching:
Shakyamuni Reveals the Buddha’s Five “Spiritual
Dwellings”
At that time all the senses of the
World-Honoured One radiated pure joy. He appeared completely serene and
glorious, and He looked most majestic. His complexion was of a perfectly golden
colour, and His shining countenance, like a bright clean mirror, eminently
exalted. The Venerable Ananda, at the Buddha’s solemn bidding, rose from his
seat, bared his right shoulder, prostrated himself, and joining the palms of
his hands together in homage, said to the Buddha: “Today all the sense organs
of the World-Honoured One are splendidly radiant with joy. His complexion is
pure, His shining countenance is profoundly serene and resplendent. The
Tathagata appears like a bright clean mirror which reflects clearly and
perfectly on both its front and back. His august presence emits a golden light
of radiant effulgence into the infinite space.
“I have never
before seen the World-Honoured One look so wondrously radiant, majestic and
serene as today. With respect, Great Sage, this inspired thought has occurred
to me: ‘Today the World-Honoured One dwells in the Realm of the Most Rare
Dharma! Today the World-Honoured One dwells Where the Buddhas truly dwell – the
sanctum of the Supreme Bodhi, the Ultimate Enlightenment! Today the One Who is
the Eye of the World is perfectly established in the noblest conduct that is
always followed by all those who are the leading spiritual guides of the world!
Today the One who is Preeminent in the World walks on the highest path! Today
the One Honoured by the Gods manifests the full glory of Buddhahood in
consummate possession of the sublime virtues of a Tathagata! (9) 18.7.2008 1539
‘All the Buddhas
in the past, the future, and the present constantly bring to mind all the other
Buddhas like Themselves. Could it be that on this particular and special
occasion the Buddha is now bringing to mind and contemplating all the other
Buddhas? Why is it that His serene, radiant and august presence shines with
such powerful and remarkable brilliance today?’”
Then
the World-Honoured One said to Ananda, “Tell Me, Ananda, whether some god has
urged you to put this question to the Buddha or whether you’ve asked about His
glorious and radiant appearance from your own observation and insight.”
Ananda
replied to the Buddha: “No god came to prompt me to ask such a question. I’ve
asked about the Tathagata’s extraordinary appearance of such amazingly
wonderful effulgence after having perceived, and reflected deeply on it. “ (10)
The True Dharma of Spiritual Liberation is A
Rare Treasure
The Buddha Shakyamuni said: “Well
said, Ananda, “I’m very pleased with your question. You’ve shown profound
wisdom and subtle insight in asking it out of compassion for sentient beings.
And, why is it of such great significance? The reason is that the future
generations of the heavenly and human beings, and indeed of all living beings,
will be able to obtain their spiritual liberation from the ceaseless cycle of
birth and death because of your deeply perceptive question.
“As
the Tathagata, I regard sentient beings of the three worlds with boundless
great compassion. (11) The reason for My
appearance in the long-suffering and ever-enduring Saha world is to reveal the
timeless teachings of the Way of Spiritual Emancipation, Enlightenment and
Nirvana, and to save the multitudes of ignorant and afflicted beings by guiding
and teaching them to reap the full benefits of the True Dharma.
“Even in countless millions of kalpas is it difficult to see the
Tathagata, even much more difficult than seeing a rare udambara flower in
bloom. Because of your fortuitous and timely question, numerous blessings will
be bestowed on all living beings and they will be guided and enlightened.” 18.7.2008 1701
The Ineffable Power of the Buddha’s Perfect
Wisdom
“Ananda, you should know that the
perfectly enlightened wisdom of the Tathagata, the Fully Awakened One, is
unfathomable, capable of leading innumerable beings to spiritual emancipation,
and that His profoundly penetrating insight cannot be blocked or hindered. (12)
His knowledge and wisdom are unimpeded, boundless and inexhaustible; and in one
moment or the duration of a single thought, He can dwell in countless billions
of kalpas. (13) And yet after that measureless lapse of time, His senses will
remain radiant with joy and show no sign of fading; His effulgent appearance
will retain its glory, and His august countenance will look just the same. And
why is this? The Tathagata’s concentration and wisdom are consummate, perfect,
and infinite, pervading everything without limit, and He has attained supreme
mastery over all things, complete and unrestricted sway over all dharmas. (14)
“Ananda, listen
attentively. I shall now declare, disclose, and discourse on the Pure Land
Dharma of Spiritual Emancipation and Enlightenment.”
Ananda replied,
“Please do so. With joy in my heart, I wish to hear the teachings of the Pure
Land Dharma.”
22.7.2008 2221
The Roots of the Pure Land Dharma:
The Buddha Lokesvararaja and the Monk
Dharmakara.
the Archetypal Bodhisattva
The Buddha Shakyamuni said to
Ananda: “Innumerable, immeasurable, and inconceivable kalpas ago, there
appeared a Buddha named Lokesvararaja (Sovereign Monarch of the World), the
Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Wisdom and Practice,
Knower of the Worlds, Unsurpassed Teacher, Tamer of Men, Master of Gods and
Humans, Buddha, and World-Honoured One.
“At that time
there was a great king who, having heard the Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma,
rejoiced in his heart and awakened the aspiration for the complete. perfect and
ultimate Enlightenment in order to benefit and save all sentient beings. He
gave up his kingdom and the throne, and became a monk named Dharmakara (Dharma
Store). He cultivated the Bodhisattva Path with true wisdom, great courage, and
unprecedented vigour. Full of faith and understanding, he was unexcelled in
practices and vows, and attained exceedingly powerful mindfulness and profound concentration.
Having superior intelligence, exercising extraordinary courage and diligence,
and cultivating oceanic wisdom, he distinguished himself in the world.
Dharmakara Makes the Magnificent Bodhisattva
Vows in His Paean to the Buddha
“The Monk Dharmakara went to see the
Tathagata Lokesvararaja, knelt down at His feet, walked round Him reverently
three times keeping the Buddha always on his right, prostrated himself on the
ground, and, pressing his palms together in homage, he praised the Blessed One
and made the inconceivable vows. Thus he spoke in verse:
(1) The radiant countenance of the
Buddha shines in full glory;
Boundless and sublime is His magnificence.
Such radiance as His
Is beyond all comparison.
The light of the sun, the moon, precious
stones, and pearls,
They pale in His august presence,
completely eclipsed, appearing like thick black
ink.
(2)
The glorious countenance of the Tathagata
Is beyond compare in the whole world.
Is beyond compare in the whole world.
The great voice of the
Enlightened One
Resounds throughout the infinite
cosmos.
His exemplary
morality, learning, vigour,
Mental concentration, wisdom,
And immeasurable virtues have no equal,
They are wonderful, peerless, and
unsurpassable.
(3) He meditates deeply and directly, skillfully
bringing to mind
The vast ocean of the Dharma of all the Buddhas;
Reaching deep and exhausting its myriad mysteries,
He penetrates to its fathomless depths.
Ignorance, greed, and hatred never arise in the mind
of the World-Honoured One.
Among the humans He is a hero, a lion
whose majestic powers are unmatched and incomparable. (15)
The Great Vow To Emulate The Buddha
(4) His stock of merits is vast;
His
wisdom is profound and sublime.
His
radiant light with its awe-inspiring glory,
Shakes
the universe of a thousand million worlds.
I
resolve to become a Buddha,
Equal in
attainment to You, O Holy King of the Dharma,misery
To save
living beings from birth and death,
And lead
them all to spiritual liberation.
(5) My discipline in giving, mind control,
Morality, patience, vigour,
Likewise mental concentration and wisdom,
I will accomplish and make perfect.
I vow to attain Buddhahood. Fulfilling this great
vow in every way,
I will bring bliss and peace to all who dwell
in fear and misery.
(6) Even though there are the
innumerable Buddhas
And the multitudes of the Great Sages,
Countless as the sands of the Ganges ,
I shall make offerings to all the
Buddhas.
I shall seek the Supreme Way
Resolutely and steadfastly.
The
Great Universal Vow To Save All Living Beings
(7) Even though the Buddha-lands are as
many as the sands of the Ganges ,
And the worlds in the other regions of the
universe are also incalculable,
My light shall reach everywhere, pervading
every land in all the worlds.
Inexhaustible will be my vigour, and my
enlightening power will be infinite.
(8) On becoming a Buddha,
I will make my land the most exquisite and the best
of all,
And its people unique and marvelous.
The seat of Enlightenment will be supreme.
My Pure
Land
Will be beyond compare.
I have great compassion for living beings,
And I resolve to liberate and save all of them.
(9) Those who come from the ten
directions
Shall find joy and serenity of heart.
When they reach my land,
They shall dwell in peace and happiness.
I beg You, Buddha, to be my witness
And to vouch for the truth of my aspiration.
Having made my vows to You,
I will strive with all my strength to fulfill
them.
(10) I
call on the World-Honoured Ones in the ten regions
of the universe, whose
wisdom is unimpeded, vast, and limitless,
to bear witness to my spiritual
mission.
Even though I must continue to
suffer extreme pain,
I will diligently practice,\
Enduring all hardships with
patience, to fulfill all vows with the utmost vigour.
29-30.7.2008
0052
Dharmakara Seeks To Establish A Unique Pure Land Of His Own
“Then the Bodhisattva Monk Dharmakara
said to the Buddha Lokesvararaja: “I aspire to attain the mind of Bodhi
(Enlightenment) and I will continue on the Bodhisattva Path to realize the
Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. I vow to become a Buddha to help guide and
teach all living beings to become Buddhas. I beseech You to explain the Dharma
fully to me, so that I can perform the spiritual practices of perfection and
accumulate incalculable merits and virtues to establish a Pure Land
“In reply, the Buddha Lokesvararaja said to
Dharmakara: “You should know by what practices you can establish a Pure Land
“Realizing how
deep and vast was the monk’s aspiration, the Buddha taught him, saying: “If,
for example, one keeps on trying to empty an ocean with a bucket, one will be
able to reach the bottom after many kalpas and then obtain the rare treasures
on the seabed. Likewise, if one singlemindedly, steadfastly, and vigorously
seeks the Supreme Way
“Then the Buddha Lokesvararaja
explained to him in detail, and showed him the various aspects, characteristics
and features of two hundred and ten million Buddha-lands. The Buddha revealed
them all to the monk just as he had requested to know. Then. having been shown
clearly the various Pure Lands and briefed thoroughly by the Buddha, Dharmakara
made up his mind and resolved to formulate his own supreme and unsurpassed
vows. His mind being completely cool, calm and collected as well as fully
focused, his heart totally pure and free from all attachments, the bodhisattva
monk had no equal in the world. For five full kalpas, he contemplated the many
great vows that he would make keep and fulfill, he cultivated immeasurable merits
and virtues, and then chose the pure practices for establishing and adorning the
most wonderful and unique Pure Land of his own conception and design .”
Ananda then
asked the Buddha Shakyamuni, “How long was the lifespan of the Buddha Lokesvararaja?”
The Buddha replied, “The length of the life of
that Buddha was forty-two kalpas.”
\\ Then He continued, saying: “After that, Dharmakara Bodhisattva adopted
the pure practices which had established the excellent two hundred and ten
million Buddha-lands. Then he went back to the Buddha Lokesvararaja, knelt down
at His feet, walked round Him respectfully three times, joined his palms in homage,
and sat down. And then Dharmakara said to the Buddha, “I’ve adopted the pure
practices to establish and adorn a glorious Buddha-land.” The Buddha said to
him: “Good indeed! And now is the time for you to speak fully of your vows, so
that all living beings can rejoice. Inspire and bring joy to all the
bodhisattvas in this august assembly. After listening to you, they will
continue to practice the True Dharma with greater determination, and, relying
faithfully on it, will be able to fulfill their own vast and immeasurable
vows.” (16) 8.9.2008 0815
Bodhisattva Dharmakara’s Forty-eight (48) Great
Vows
“The Bodhisattva Dharmakara then
said to the Buddha Lokesvararaja: “May the Blessed One listen to the vows which
I have made in my heart and mind, the vows which altogether are ultimate,
unique, and supreme in significance. (17) Before I become a Buddha, I vow to
make my Pure Land the only one of its kind, which will be incomparably
exquisite and serene, completely free from pain, evil passions and suffering,
replete and unsurpassable with innumerable, inconceivable merits and virtues,
and full of the most brilliant and glorious adornments. And I vow that all the
living beings, including the celestials and humans, in my Pure Land
(1) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment should the three evil realms
of the hell beings, the hungry ghosts, and
the animals, exist in my Pure
Land
(2) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the living beings in my Pure Land
(3) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment should the living beings, the humans and the gods, in my Pure Land
(4) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(5) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(6) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land do not have
the divine eye, capable of seeing as far and as many as all the trillions of
Buddha-lands in infinite space. (21)
(7) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(8) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(9) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land should not
possess the supernatural power of traveling anywhere in any instant of time and
at their will, even to the extent of going to the trillions of Buddha-lands and
beyond. (24)
(10) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(11) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
9.9.2008 0027
(12) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if there is a limit in the
illumination of my radiant light when I attain
Buddhahood, even if the most extreme limit is that it cannot shine beyond all
the trillions of Buddha-lands. (26)
(13) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if there is a limit to my lifespan when I become a
Buddha, even if the limit should cover trillions of kalpas. (27)
(14) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the number of disciples
(sravakas) in my Pure Land
(15) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment should there be a limit to
the lifespan of the humans and the gods in my Pure Land Pure Land
(16) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in my Pure Land
(17) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if all the Buddhas in the ten
regions of the universe do not praise and glorify
my Name when I become a
Buddha. (29)
(18) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if sentient beings in the ten regions of the universe who
sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me and have faith in me when I am
a Buddha, desire to be born in my Pure Land and call my Name even if only up to
ten times, should not be born in my Pure Land according to their strong hope or
wish. Excluded, however, are those who have committed the five gravest offences
and those who have slandered the True Dharma. (30)
(19) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if sentient beings in the ten
regions of the universe who
aspire to attain Enlightenment, do various
meritorious and virtuous deeds,
and sincerely desire to be born in my Pure Land
should not be able to do so, and,
when they die, they do not see me come to
them with a retinue of
bodhisattvas and sages to guide them to the Pure Land
(31) I vow that such sentient beings with
their merits and virtues seeking the
complete and perfect Enlightenment will be
born as non-regressive bodhisattvas,
assured of attaining Buddhahood,
in my Pure Land
(20) May I
not attain the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment if sentient beings in the ten
regions
of the universe, having heard my Name, fix their thoughts on rebirth in
my Pure Land
my Pure Land
(21) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if the humans and the gods
in my Pure Land
(22) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas who come to my Pure Land
Those who postpone their own Buddhahood for the benefit of others, nobly
wear
the
armour of the Great Vows. (34) They truly accumulate vast merits and virtues,
liberate and deliver all beings from the cycle of birth and death, visit
all the
Buddha-lands where they further perform the bodhisattva practices and
honour,
with their handsome and generous offerings, all the Buddhas, the
Tathagatas.
They are among the leading bodhisattvas who enlighten sentient beings as
many
as
the sands of the River Ganges, and establish them on the highest level of
awakening. They are the bodhisattvas who actually cultivate the vast,
inexhaustible
and all-embracing virtues of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. (35)
(23) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my
divine
power when I am a Buddha, and if they are unable to do so in all the
trillions of Buddha-lands and to return in
time for their morning meal.
(24) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my
and
to honour all the Buddhas with the offerings of their desire.
(25) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my
(26)
May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my
body of the Vajra-god Narayana.
(27) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if any sentient being, even
one empowered with the divine eye,
can name and count all the myriad adornments
in my Pure Land. 9-10.9.2008 0200
(28) May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment if any bodhisattva, even one
with few merits, cannot see clearly
the Bodhi Tree in all its majestic splendour, in
my Pure Land. Seeing this magnificent
landmark Tree of Enlightenment, any and
every one will dwell in the condition
of spiritual non-retrogression, assured of
Buddhahood which they will certainly
attain.
(29) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my Pure
Land do not acquire incomparable eloquence and
wisdom in studying, reciting, and expounding the sutras (scriptures).
(30) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment should there be a limit to the
wisdom and eloquence of the bodhisattvas in my Pure Land
(31) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if my Pure
Land
clearly reflect in its infinite radiant light
all the countless Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe.
(32) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the various features and
ornaments if my Pure Land such as all its
palaces, pavilions, ponds, its streams and trees, are not made of countless
gems and fragrant substances of a hundred thousand kinds, and if their precious
fragrance does not pervade all the worlds in the ten regions of the universe,
such that all the bodhisattvas who smell this distinctive and pristine scent
from my Pure Land will be inspired to cultivate the transcendent wisdom and
great compassion of a Buddha.
(33) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if sentient beings in the
the incalculable, inconceivable, and
immeasurable Buddha-lands who are touched by my infinite radiant light when I
have become a Buddha, do not enjoy the peace and happiness far surpassing those
of the gods and the humans.
(34) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if sentient beings in all the
Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe
do not gain the bodhisattva’s insight into the non-arising of all things(37)
and do not acquire the various profound dharanis (38) when they hear my Name
when I am a Buddha.
(35) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if in all the Buddha-lands in
the ten regions of the universe, any woman who
rejoices in faith when she hears my Name when I am a Buddha, and who also
resolves to achieve Enlightenment and wishes to renounce womanhood, should
after death be reborn again as a woman. I pledge that a woman of such pure
faith will be reborn and transformed in a lotus flower in my Pure Land
(36) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in all the
Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the
universe, upon hearing my Name when I am a Buddha, should not continue, at the
end of their present lifespan, to always perform the sacred practices of
spiritual emancipation and enlightenment until they realize Buddhahood.
(37) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, all the gods in the heavens and the
people of the world will not respect all the humans and all the gods in the
innumerable and inconceivable Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe,
who, hearing my Name, will prostrate themselves on the ground to revere and
worship me, rejoice in faith, and perform the bodhisattva practices.
(38) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in
my Pure Land do not get the fine robes exactly
as they want them and as when they think of having them, such very fine robes
as those prescribed and praised by the Buddhas.
(39) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the humans and the gods in
my Pure Land do not experience the bliss
comparable to that of an arhat who has cut off the flow of karma and exhausted
all the passions to achieve spiritual liberation. (39)
(40) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if the bodhisattvas in my Pure
Land who wish to see the innumerable glorious
Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe, do not see all of them
reflected clearly in the jeweled trees in my Pure Land, just as clearly as one
sees one’s face in a perfectly clean mirror.
(41) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas from the other
Buddha-lands who hear my Name, should suffer any deficiency or imperfection in
their faculties, from the very moment they hear my Name until they themselves
become Buddhas.
(42) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas from the other
Buddha-lands who hear my Name, should not all of them accomplish the Samadhi
called Pure Liberation (40), and, while abiding in this state of highly
concentrated mind, and without losing mental concentration, should not be able
to make offerings in a single moment of thought to icountless and inconceivable
Buddhas, World-Honoured Ones.
(43) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas in the other Buddha-lands
who hear my Name, will not after death be reborn in noble families.
(44) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas in the other Buddha-lands
who hear my Name, will not dance with joy, perform the bodhisattva practices,
and accumulate stores of merit and virtue.
(45) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas in the the other
Buddha-lands who hear my Name, will not all of them achieve the Samadhi known
as Universal Equality in which they can always see all the numberless and
inconceivable Buddhas, and dwell in this state of profound mental concentration
until they themselves also become Buddhas. (41)
(46) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, bodhisattvas in my Pure Land
(47) May I not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have become a
Buddha, the bodhisattvas in the other
Buddha-lands do not instantly reach the Stage of Non-retrogression the moment they
hear my Name. (42)
(48)
May I not attain the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment if, when I have
become a
Buddha, the bodhisattvas in the other
Buddha-lands do not instantly gain the first,
second and third insights into the
nature of dharmas the moment they hear my
Name, and firmly abide in the
condition of spiritual irreversibility to realize
Buddhahood. (43) 13.9.2008 0235
Dharmakara Reaffirming The Mahayana Mission
The Buddha
Shakyamuni said to Ananda: “The Bhiksu Bodhisattva Dharmakara, having
proclaimed his 48 vows, then reaffirmed his universal and all-embracing
spiritual mission, speaking in the following verses:
1. I have vows which are unrivalled in
all the world;
I am confident, and certain to realize the
unsurpassed Way.
But, I pledge that, if all my vows are not
fulfilled,
I will not attain the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment.
2. If I do not become a great
benefactor
in lives to come for countless kalpas
to save the poor and the suffering ones
everywhere,
I
pledge that I will not attain the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment.
3. When I become a Buddha,
My Name will be heard throughout the universe.
If it is not heard in any place at all,
I pledge that I will not attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment.
4. Free of greed, and with profound
mindfulness
And pure wisdom, diligently performing the
sacred practices,
I am fully determined to attain the unsurpassed
Way
And become the teacher of all the gods and the
humans.
5. With a Buddha’s boundless power, I
will radiate great light
To illuminate all the worlds without limit
And dispel the darkness of the three
defilements of greed,
hatred, and ignorance’
Thus I will deliver all beings from
misery.
6. Opening the wisdom eye
I will wipe out the darkness of ignorance.
I will block all the evil paths
And open the gate to the good realms.
7. When merits and virtues are
perfected,
My majestic light will shine over all the ten
regions of the universe,
Outshining the sun and the moon
And surpassing the brilliances of the heavens.
8. I will open the Dharma-store to all
sentient beings
And give them the treasures of merits and
virtues.
I will preach the Dharma with a lion’s roar
And fulfill all my vows, so that all beings
will become Buddhas.
9. I will make offerings to all the
Buddhas,
thereby acquiring all the roots of virtue.
When I fulfill all my vows and perfect my wisdom,
I
shall be the hero and sovereign of the three worlds. (44)
10. Like Your unhindered wisdom, O
Buddha Lokesvararaja,
Mine shall reach everywhere, illuminating all;
May my consummate wisdom
Be like Yours, Most Honoured One.
11. If all my vows are to be fulfilled,
Let this universe of a thousand million worlds
shake in respone
And let all the gods in heaven
Shower down their rare and miraculous flowers.”
The Buddha Shakyamuni then said to Ananda, “As
soon as the Bhiksu
Bodhisattva Dharmakara finished
speaking, the entire earth shook in six ways,
and wonderful, precious flowers
rained down from heaven. Spontaneous music
filled the air, and a voice in the
sky said, ‘Surely, you will attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment.’ 14.9.2008 0023
Dharmakara’s Practice for Innumerable Kalpas
“Then the Bhiksu Bodhisattva Dharmakara kept
all those great vows which
were true, unfailing and
unsurpassed, bringing deep joy, serenity, and he cultivated
the Way with unprecedented courage
and diligence.
“Then, Ananda, after
declaring and confirming those universal vows before
the Buddha Lokesvararaja and the
uncountable multitude of sentient beings,
including the eight classes of celestial
beings, such as gods and dragons, and also
the most exalted of the gods like
Mara and Brahma (45), the Bhiksu Bodhisattva
Dharmakara singlemindedly resolved
to create and adorn a glorious, exquisite and
unique Pure Land
“His Pure Land
be supremely wonderful, everlasting,
and subject to neither decay nor change,
“During inconceivable and innumerable
kalpas, he cultivated the
immeasurable meritorious and
virtuous practices of the bodhisattvas.
“Disciplining and
purifying himself in body, speech and mind, he uprooted
and destroyed the three fundamental roots
of evil, he extirpated the three universal
poisons of greed, hatred and
delusion. Observing the pure conduct in his most
extraordinary and unprecedented
spiritual cultivation over innumerable kalpas,
he turned his back on the worldly
dusts, he remained unattached to all mundane
things, and remained untouched by the karmic
taints and defilements arising from
the six senses of form, sound, scent, taste,
touch, and mental conditioning. 15.9.2008
0202 1011
11,646 words (28 pages)
“With the unremitting
power of patience and perseverance, he went through
and overcame the various
afflictions. He had few wants; he knew contentment. He
constantly dwelt in the practice of
mindfulness and meditative concentration –
absorbed in the Samadhi of nirvanic
tranquility. Having purified his mind and
destroyed all defilements, his
wisdom matured without blemish, became pure and
perfect.
“He never boasted, nor did
he ever lie. His heart was tender and loving, his
face friendly and kind, his speech
soft and gentle.
“Courageous and
diligent, strong of will and untiring, he devoted himself
to the practice and cultivation of
the pure Dharma. And with great compassion, he
saved and benefited countless
living beings.
“He revered the Three
Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. He
paid homage and brought offerings
to all his teachers and elders, and thus he
built up an immeasurable store of
merits which he generously transferred to the
lasting benefit of numberless
sentient beings.
“He skillfully dwelt
in the realization that all the dharmas are empty,
devoid of distinctive and permanent
features, not-existing, and not to be sought
after, and that they neither arise
nor cease. And thus he gained the insight that all
things are like magical illusions.
“He avoided all wrong
speech that would harm himself or others; he
engaged in right speech that would
benefit himself or others.
“He had parted with
the material world and the mundane life, having
left his kingdom, having given up
the throne, and having left behind royal wealth
and sensuous pleasures.
“For countless
kalpas, he practiced the six paramitas to perfect the
cardinal virtues of a bodhisattva
and to attain the ultimate spiritual liberation and
the supreme enlightenment of
Buddhahood, and he taught many, many others to
do the same. That is, to give
generously, observe the moral precepts, exercise
perseverance and cultivate vigour,
mindfulness/concentration, and wisdom. Thus
for innumerable kalpas did the
Bhiksu Bodhisattva Dharmakaea accumulate merits
and did he amass virtues.
“Wherever he was born in
life after life, an immense trove of treasure
spontaneously appeared as he wished.
He taught countless sentient beings and
skillfully guided them on the path of
the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. He was
reborn in numerous lives as a rich
man, a lay devotee, a member of the highest
caste, a scion of a noble family, a
ksatriya king, a warrior ruler, a universal wheel-
turning monarch, a king in one of the
six heavens in the formless realm.
“He honoured and
worshipped all the Buddhas by making the four
kinds of offering to them. (47) And the merit he thus acquired was therefore
indescribably great.
“Subtle fragrance issued from
his pure mouth as from a blue lotus
flower, and every pore of his body
emitted the precious scent of sandalwood. His
appearance was majestic. His radiant
face was perfectly proportioned. In him the
major marks of a Buddha stood out as
most excellent and marvelous. Inexhaustible
treasures flowed from his hands:
clothing and food, rare and exquisite flowers,
incense and perfumes, and various
emblematic ornaments such as parasols, silken
canopies, banners, and flags. In such
manifestations he was unrivalled among all
the heavenly and human beings.
“Free from all
attachments, he had the complete command of all
dharmas. And in his mission to save
and enlighten all sentient beings, he awakened
numberless living beings to the mind
of Bodhi, seeking immeasurable wisdom and
complete enlightenment.” 15-16.9.2008 0227
Dharmakara
Has Become A Buddha
Ananda asked the Buddha Shakyamuni:
“Has the Bodhisattva
Dharmakara already attained
Buddhahood, and then passed into Nirvana? Or
has he not yet become a Buddha? Or is
he dwelling somewhere now?”
Shakyamuni
replied: “Ananda, the Bodhisattva Dharmakara has
become a Buddha and is now dwelling
in a Buddha-land called ‘Peace and Bliss’
in the western region of the
universe, a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands
away from here.”
Ananda then
asked, “How much time has passed since he attained
Buddhahood?”
The Buddha
replied, “Since he attained Buddhahood, ten kalpas
have passed.”
“He is
known as Amitabha, Infinite Light. He is also known as
Amitayus, Infinite Life.” 17.9.2008 0258
Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni continued: “In
that Buddha-land,
the
earth is made of seven jewels which have appeared spontaneously – gold,
silver,
beryl, coral, amber, agate, and ruby. Of the finest and the most brilliant,
these
jewels are like those of the Sixth Heaven – the highest in the worlds of
desire.
“The land itself is
so vast and extensive, that it is impossible to
know its limit. All the rays of
light from these exquisite, pure, and resplendent
jewels commingle and fuse to create manifold
reflections, producing a most rare
and dazzling illumination. This
Buddha-land is unsurpassed in its brilliance and
purity in all the worlds in the ten regions of
the universe.
“In Amitabha’s Pure Land
Mount Sumeru. Neither the seas nor oceans. The
three evil realms are non-existent.
“Furthermore, this
indescribably exquisite world does not have any of the four seasons of spring,
summer, autumn and winter. Blessed with a splendidly equable temperature all
the time, always moderate, congenial and pleasant, it’s never cold or hot at
any time.”
Then Ananda asked
the Buddha, “World-Honoured One, if there is no Mount Sumeru
The Buddha said to
Ananda: “What about the Yama Gods of the Third Heaven in the worlds of desire,
and all the other gods up to the highest of them in the Realm of Pure Form,
where do they dwell in this, our world system?” (50)
Ananda
answered, reflectively: “The consequences of karma are
inconceivable.”
\ The Buddha then said
to Ananda: “Inconceivable indeed are the
consequences of karma, and so are the worlds of the Buddhas. This is so
because
all
living beings, by the power of their meritorious deeds and their virtues,
inhabit a
place
corresponding to the outcome of their karmic actions. And is why the higher
heavens
exist without Mount
Sumeru
Ananda said
to the Buddha: “Personally, I have no doubt on this
point
of Dharma. I have asked You for the benefit and understanding of living
beings in the future generations so that they too will not bear any
doubt about it.”
17.9.2008
0357
\
Amitabha’s Supreme Radiant Light
The Buddha Shakyamuni said to Ananda: “Because
of His
infinitely radiant and boundless
light of inexhaustible great compassion and
wisdom, the Buddha of Infinite Light,
Amitabha, is the first among the Most
Honoured Ones. The Majestic light of
the Buddha Amitabha is the most exalted.
No other Buddha’s light can match
His. The light of some Buddhas shines on a
hundred Buddha-lands, and that of
others, a thousand Buddha-lands. In effect, the
light of Amitabha illuminates all the
Buddha-lands in the eastern region of the
universe, which are as numerous as
the grains of sand in the Ganges . In the same
way, it also illuminates all the
Buddha-lands in the south, west and north, in each
of the four intermediate directions,
the zenith and the nadir. In sum, all the Buddha-
lands in the ten regions of the
universe.
\
“This is why Amitabha is called the Buddha of
Infinite Light, the Buddha of Boundless Light, the Buddha of Unhindered Light,
the Buddha of Incomparable Light, the Buddha of the Light of the King of Flame,
the Buddha of Pure Light, the Buddha of the Light of Joy, the Buddha of the
Light of Wisdom, the Buddha of Unceasing Light, the Buddha of Inconceivable
Light, the Buddha of Ineffable Light, and the Buddha of the Light outshining
the Sun and the Moon.
“When His light touches sentient beings,
their three defilements of greed, hatred, and ignorance are obliterated. Their
minds and bodies become supple and gentle. They become full of joy, and good
thoughts arise in them. If sentient beings in the three lowest states of
existence, those beings in the hells, the animals, and the hungry ghosts, if
they see His light, they all find instant relief and are freed from misery and
afflictions. And at the end of their lives, they will all attain their
spiritual liberation, they will no longer be bound by the law of karma and they
will be released from the interminable and unceasing cycle of rebirths.
“Amitabha’s
supreme radiant light shines the most brilliantly and resplendently, illuminating
all the Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe. No one anywhere cannot
hear and know about it. And not only do I, but also the solitary, independent,
and self-enlightened sages, and all the bodhisattvas also praise and glorify it
in the same way at the same time.
“All living
beings who hear of His radiant light, His divine majesty, and His sublime
virtues, and who sincerely as well as single-mindedly praise Him day and night,
without interruption, will obtain, according to their vows, rebirth in His Pure
Land. And there in the Pure Land , the
bodhisattvas will praise their excellent virtues. Subsequently, when they
attain Buddhahood, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten regions of the
universe will praise their radiant light, just as I now praise the preeminent
light of the Buddha Amitabha.”
The
Buddha Shakyamuni then said, “The majestic glory of
the most radiant light of Amitabha could not be exhaustively described
even if I
were
to describe and praise it day and night for the duration of one whole kalpa.”
(51)
Amitabha’s Infinite Lifespan
The Buddha said to Ananda: “The
lifespan of the Blessed
Amitabha the Tathagata is immeasurable, it is so long that it is
impossible for
calculate it -- beyond trillions of kalpas that there is no end to
counting it. In a
word, it is infinite. Therefore, He’s also known as Amitayus, Infinite Life.
“Infinite also is the lifespan of
the disciples, bodhisattvas,
gods, and human beings in Amitabha’s Pure Lands. 21-22.9.2008 0250
Countless Disciples, Bodhisattvas, and
Sages in the Pure Land
“The number of disciples and
bodhisattvas in the Pure
Land is incalculable. All of them are fully endowed with transcendent
wisdom,
with penetrating spiritual powers, and capable of holding the entire
world in
their hands.
“If innumerable persons with the supernatural powers of
Mahamaudgalyayana could not stop counting the number of disciples and\
bodhisattvas even after trillions of
kalpas, the number of sages in the Pure
Land
is infinitely greater. (52)
22.9.2008
0304
The Trees of Seven
Jewels Adorn the Pure Land
“Arrayed in
brilliant abundance, innumerable trees of the
seven jewels adorn the Pure Land
are of gold, some of silver,
and others made of beryl, crystal, coral, ruby or
agate. There are also among the
most splendid trees those made of two or more
jewels, and up to seven jewels.
“There
are golden trees with their leaves, flowers and
fruits of silver; silver trees
with golden leaves, flowers and fruits; beryl trees
with crystal leaves, flowers
and fruits; crystal trees with their leaves, flowers
and fruits of beryl; coral
trees with ruby leaves, flowers and fruits; ruby trees
with beryl leaves, flowers and
fruits; agate trees with their leaves, flowers and
fruits made of various jewels.
“There are jeweled trees with purple-gold roots, white-
silver trunks, beryl branches,
crystal twigs, coral leaves, ruby flowers and agate
fruits. There are jeweled trees
with white-silver roots, beryl trunks, crystal
branches, coral twigs, ruby leaves, agate
flowers and purple-gold fruits.
“There are
jeweled trees with beryl roots, crystal trunks,
coral branches, ruby twigs,
agate leaves, purple-gold flowers and white-silver
fruits. There are jeweled trees
with crystal roots, coral trunks, ruby branches,
agate twigs, purple-gold leaves,
white-silver flowers and beryl fruits. There are
jeweled trees with coral roots,
ruby trunks, agate branches, purple-gold twigs,
white-silver leaves, beryl
flowers and and crystal fruits.
“There are jeweled
trees with ruby roots, agate trunks,
purple-gold branches,
white-silver twigs, beryl leaves, crystal flowers and coral
fruits. There are jeweled trees
with agate roots, purple-gold trunks, white-silver
branches, beryl twigs, crystal
leaves, coral flowers and and ruby fruits.
“These many-splendoured jeweled trees stand in neat
rows parallel to each other,
their trunks evenly spread and facing each other,
their branches evenly spaced
and tiered, their symmetrical leaves facing each
other, their flowers
exquisitely set in a harmonious pattern, and their fruits
touching each other. These
jeweled trees stand in a blaze of such brilliant
colours that no one can
completely see their manifold splendours. Whenever a
fresh breeze blows through
them, the most exquisite sounds of the five musical
notes and scales spontaneously
arise to render divine harmonies.
Amitabha’s Tree of Enlightenment
“Towering
above the innumerable resplendent
jeweled trees, the Bodhi Tree
under which the Buddha of Infinite Life cultivated
and attained the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment -- its crown set
twelve million
miles high, its roots spreading
out fifteen thousand miles, its branches extending
six million miles in the four
directions. This sovereign tree attracts and gathers
precious stones, and is adorned
with the kings of jewels, namely, moonlight
mani gems and ocean-supporting-wheel
gems. Between its twigs hang the
jeweled ornaments with a
thousand million different colours and hues
intermingling in myriad ways,
and shining with the utmost brilliancy. On this
supreme Tree of Enlightenment
hang precious nets of rare, excellent gems, and
all kinds of ornaments appear
spontaneously as whatever one wishes to see.
“Whenever a gentle breeze wafts through its
branches and leaves, innumerable
exquisite Dharma-sounds arise, and spread far
and wide to all the other
Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe. And
all those who hear these pure
sounds of the Dharma gain penetrating insights
into the nature of things and
dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression, assured of
attaining enlightenment without
falling back to a lower level of spiritual
development.
“Whether the residents of the Pure Land
sounds of the Bodhi Tree, see
its colours, smell its fragrance, taste its fruits,
and whether they are touched by
its light or they are mindful of its merits and
virtues, they all attain the
profoundly penetrating insights into the dharmas and
dwell in the Stage of
Non-retrogression. And until they eventually attain
Buddhahood, their six sense
organs remain pure and serene, free from all pain
and sorrow. (53)
”Ananda, when
the humans and the gods in the
into reality through hearing
the sacred sounds, the insight into reality by being
accord with the nature of
dharmas, and the insight into the non-arising of all
dharmas. (54) All these
benefits come from the majestic spiritual power of the
Buddha of Infinite Life, from
the immense power of His great and
unprecedented vows, from the
fulfillment of all His vows, from the full
realization of His vows, from
the original establishment of His vows, from the
completion and fruition of His
vows.” 23.9.2008 0245
The Supradivine Music And Other Marvels in the Pure Land
The Buddha
Shakyamuni then said to Ananda:
“Earthly kings enjoy a hundred
thousand varieties of music. From the realm of
a wheel-turning monarch up to
the Sixth Heaven, each higher realm produces
its sounds of music ten
thousand billion times more melodious and superior to
those of a lower realm.
However, the ten thousand kinds of musical melodies
of the Sixth Heaven, even if
they were more finely tuned and refined a hundred
million times, cannot be compared
to any one sound spontaneously produced
from the seven-jeweled trees
in the Pure Land
There are thousands of
varieties of spontaneous music in this Pure Land
they are all of the most
exquisite sounds of the sacred Dharma. They are
absolutely clear and pure,
profoundly deep and resonant, delicate and
harmonious; the first and
foremost among all the sounds, they are the most
excellent of sounds in all the worlds
in the ten regions of the universe.
“The halls, monasteries, palaces and pavilions in
the Pure Land
various other jewels, such as
pearls and moon-bright mani gems.
“Inside and out, to the right and left, are the
bathing pools -- some of them thirty miles long, wide, and
deep, some sixty
miles, ninety, and so on, up to
three thousand miles. And they are filled to the b
brim with the water of eight excellent qualities, clear, cool, pure, fragrant, and
brim with the water of eight excellent qualities, clear, cool, pure, fragrant, and
tasting like nectar.
“There are the golden pools with their beds of silver sand,
the silver pools with beds of
golden sand, the crystal pools with beds of beryl
sand, the beryl pools with beds
of crystal sand, the coral pools with beds of
amber sand, the amber pools
with beds of coral sand, the agate pools with beds
of ruby sand, the ruby pools with
beds of agate sand, the white-jade pools
with beds of purple-gold sand,
the purple-gold pools with beds of white-jade
sand. There are the other pools with their
beds made of two to seven jewels.
“On the banks of these pools are sandalwood trees, and
their leaves and flowers spread
perfumes all over the fragrant and scented
ambience. Covering the surface
of the water, the heavenly lotuses of blue, pink,
yellow and white bloom and shine
in their full spectrum of colours.
“When the bodhisattvas and the disciples in the Pure Land
enter these multi-jeweled pools and wish
that the water cover only their feet, the
water will do as they wish and
cover them up to their feet. If they wish the water
to rise to their knees, the
water will rise only to their knees. If they wish the
water to reach their waists, the
water will do so and reach to their waist level. If
they wish the water to cover up
to their necks, the water will rise only to their
neck level. And if they wish the
water to bathe them completely, the water will
spontaneously and naturally
bathe their whole bodies. When they wish the water
to recede, it will do so at
once.
“The temperature of the water can also be
adjusted at will.
How warm or cool the water, is
regulated spontaneously, naturally and exactly
as they wish it to be. The water comforts and
delights the body, refreshes and
and opens the mind, and washes all
impurities from the heart. Absolutely clear
and pure, the water is so
transparent as to appear to be imperceptible. The
jeweled sand shines so brightly
that its brilliance is clearly visible from the
depths of the water. Gentle
waves ripple back and forth on the surface, flowing
into each other ever so softly
and evenly, and spontaneously creating the
innumerable wonderful sounds of
the Dharma.
“In the Pure
Land
Dharma one wishes. According to
one’s wishes, one will hear the sound of the
word Buddha, or one will hear the sound of the word Dharma, or one will hear
the sound of the word Sangha. Or if one wishes, one can hear
such Dharmic
terms and terminologies as equanimity, tranquility, emptiness and non-self (55),
great compassion (56), perfect
virtues (57), ten powers of a Buddha (58),
fearlessness of a Buddha (59), eighteen
special qualities of a Buddha
(60),supernatural powers (61), unconditioned (62), neither arising nor ceasing
(63), insight
into the non-arising of all dharmas (64), and the various other
thematic sounds of the wonderful
Dharma.
“One can hear such spontaneous sounds of
the Dharma
in the Pure Land
\ that reflects purity, freedom from
desire, calm, tranquility, and the light of truth.
It is the joy associated with the
Three Treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and
Sangha, the Buddha’s infinite
powers, fearlessness, and special qualities. It is the
joy found in the path of the
supernatural powers and knowledges, followed by the
bodhisattvas and disciples.
“In Amitabha’s Pure
Land
realms of suffering are not to be
found, are not even to be heard. But pervasive
are only the Nirvanic sounds of
bliss. This is why this Pure
Land
and Bliss!’
23-24,9.2008
0228
The Living Beings in the Pure Land
“Ananda, all the living beings in the Pure Land
the bodies of pure golden colour,
they have marvelous voices, they command all
the supernatural powers, and their
merits and virtues can be described as being
immeasurable and inconceivable.
The stately palaces in which they dwell, their
spontaneous supply of sumptuous
clothing, food and drink, the wonderful
flowers that adorn them, and the
perfumes and the ornaments they wear are like
those naturally provided to the
gods on high in the Sixth Heaven. Their
magnificent dwellings, their
splendid accoutrements and munificent provisions
all appear spontaneously to them.
“When it’s mealtime, the plates made of the seven
jewels and moon-bright pearl
spontaneously appear, filled with food and drink of
a hundred flavours and tastes,
whatever one wishes. But the living beings in the
they’re satisfied. Thus they feel
completely at ease and relaxed in mind and body,
become supple and tender, free
from any attachment to the taste of food. And at
the end of the mealtime, the
crockery disappears with the food and drink, only to
reappear at the next mealtime.
“Like the ineffable realm of unconditioned Nirvana,
the Pure Land
disciples, bodhisattvas, humans, and
gods in the Pure Land
and brilliant wisdom, and they are
the masters of the supernatural powers. All of
them have the same form of body
which is diamond hard, yet indescribably light
and indestructible. The so-called
humans and gods among them are known by
such names as used in the other
worlds in the other regions of the universe. They
are neither humans nor gods. They
are the living beings of the Pure
Land
an advanced level of spiritual
development. Moreover, the highly distinctive
appearance of all the residents in
the Pure Land
and cannot be matched by any being,
human or heavenly.” 26.9.2008 0349
The Infinitely Superior Appearance of
the Residents of the Pure Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni said to
Ananda: “In our own world, it
would be like comparing a beggar to
a king. How could one compare the two of
them in appearance, demeanour, and
impression?”
Ananda
replied: “There’s no comparison between them. Even if
the appearance of such a destitute
and miserable being, looking so emaciated and
ragged, were improved a hundred
times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, or
even a hundred thousand times, a
beggar like him could not hold candle to a king
of majestic visage, stature and
bearing. What’s the reason for this?
“A
beggar is on the lowest social level, wearing barely enough
clothes to cover his body, having
scarcely enough food to eat and stay alive,
always feeling hungry and cold, scraping
through, scratching along in abject
poverty and misery – and all this is
the result of his misdeeds in former lives.
During all his previous lives, he
never cultivated the roots of virtue. Instead, he
accumulated riches without giving
anything to another person. But he became
greedy and miserly as his wealth
increased, and he did not believe in doing good.
Thus he piled up a mountain of
negative karma. When he died, he left all his
wealth behind, it was of no avail to
him, and all of it passed into the hands of
others. After death, he fell into one
of the evil realms where he suffered pain and
torment for a long period. When his
karmic retribution ended, he was reborn as
this downtrodden beggar, looking so
poor and stupid that he hardly appears to be a
human being.
“On
the other hand, the king of a country is the most honoured
of all men. This is the reward for
virtues accumulated in past lives in which he,
with a compassionate heart, gave
generously to many, saved people from suffering
through his acts of kindness and
benevolence; he performed many good deeds
with sincerity, and he lived with
faith. When his life ended, he was reborn in one o
of the heavens, and there he enjoyed
great happiness. As a result of his merits an
and virtues, he was subsequently
reborn as a human being in a royal family.”
The
Buddha Shakyamuni then said to Ananda: “What you’ve
said is true. Even though a king is the
noblest of all men and has a regal
appearance, if he is compared to a
wheel-turning monarch, he will appear to be as
inferior as a beggar beside a king.
Likewise, if such a monarch is compared with
the Lord of The Heaven of the
Thirty-three Gods, he will also appear
incomparably inferior. But if this
heavenly lord is compared with the Sovereign of
the Sixth Heaven, the difference is
also so vast. (66) Even so, the divinely radiant
face and form of this king of the
highest heaven in the realm of desire cannot at all
be compared with the appearance of
any resident in the Pure
Land
of Infinite Life.” 26.9.2008 0540
The Many Splendours of the Pure
Land
The Buddha
Shakyamuni then said to Ananda: “The gods
and the humans in this Pure Land
robes, food and drink, they have
flowers, incense, ornaments, silken canopies,
parasols, and banner as they wish,
and they live in the most pleasant ambience
of exquisite pure sounds conducive
to the highest levels of spiritual cultivation.
Precious jewels appear to them at
their will. And spread all over the ground are
the jeweled tapestries for the gods
and the humans to walk on. And above the
ground hang the innumerable jeweled
nets stretching all over, adorned with the
golden laces, pearls, and the
hundreds of thousands of various kinds of rare and
wonderful gems.All around the nets
hang the jeweled bells of sheer beauty and
brilliance.
“Whenever a breeze arises naturally and blows gently,
it is neither hot nor cold, but
ever so refreshing and soothing. And when the
breeze blows on the jeweled nets and
the jeweled trees, innumerable clear and
pure sounds of the Dharma are
distinctly heard, and the ten thousand kinds of
subtle fragrances pervade the Pure Land
Dharma and divine scents of perfect
virtue have the power to purify all
karmic impurities and evil
passions. When touched by the breeze, one
experiences the Nirvanic bliss of
an arhat who has destroyed all the defilements to
attain total spiritual liberation.
“Moreover, following the breeze, the most beautiful of
the flowers of various colours are
spontaneously scattered in matching and
harmonious patterns, according to
their colours. They are brilliantly colourful, and
exquisitely fragrant. Six times a
day, the breeze blows and scatters the flowers all
over the Pure Land.
“The Pure Land
various colours, each bloom ablaze
with a hundred thousand million petals with
luminous lights of matching colours.
Thus the green lotuses emanate a brilliant
green light, the white flowers emit
a brilliant white light, and likewise radiate the
dark blue, yellow, red, and purple
lotuses. Their brilliance outshines the sun and
the moon. And from every flower
issue thirty-six hundred thousand million rays of
light. And from each and every ray of
light issue thirty-six hundred thousand
million Buddhas, with their
purple-gold bodies and all their incomparable physical
marks of excellence. And each and
every Buddha emits countless rays of light in
the ten directions to transmit the
wonderful Dharma universally, to firmly
establish innumerable living beings
on the Buddha’s Path of the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment.” 26.9.2008 0705 28-29.11.2008 0007 14.12.2008 0538
END OF PART ONE
NOTES
- This English
rendering of the sutra or scriptural text, the primary discourse in the
(1)
English translation of the Chinese translation by
Tripitaka Master Samghavarnam from India Kyoto
The scholar monk Samghavarnam
(‘Arrow of the Sangha’) came to Lo-yang, then the capital of China
(2) English translation of Sanghavarnam’s Chinese
version, the Wuliangshou-jing, by Luis
O. Gomez in THE
LAND OF BLISS, published by University
of Hawaii Press
(3)
The Buddha’s Teaching On The Sutra Of Awakening To The
Equanimity, Pure
Adornment Of The Immeasurable
Lifespan Of The Great Vehicle, English translation of
the Chinese text by anonymous translator/s,
published for free distribution and printed in
(4)
English translation of the Sanskrit text of the Longer
Sukhavativyuha Sutra, The Array of
Wondrous Qualities Adorning
the Land of Bliss LAND OF BLISS
(5)
THE 48 VOWS OF AMITABHA BUDDHA, illustrated
Chinese/English text,
compiled by Soon Yi Chen,
translated by Zhang Leng, published in Kuala
Lumpur
Rajagriha is presentday Rajgir in the
capital district of Patna in Bihar ,
NE India
The Great Teacher made His
debut at the Deer Park Varanasi
- Arhats are
sages, the most highly accomplished saints who have destroyed their evil
passions,
eradicated all their
defilements, broken the karmic bonds of samsaric rebirth (thus se
curing their spiritual
liberation), and they will attain nirvana (complete enlightenment and the
condition of bliss) at the end of their present lifetime. 632 words (2 pages) 18.7.2008 023
- All learned
monks and Brahmins, the five ascetics and erstwhile colleagues in their futile
spiritual quest through extreme self-mortification, they were the first
students and followers of the Buddha to form the new Sangha or spiritual
order. Within a week of the Buddha’s inaugural sermon, they became arhats,
having paid close attention and gained deep insight into the three
universal characteristics of existence: impermanence, suffering, and
not-self (absence of individuality), as taught in the Buddha’s seminal sermon
on spiritual emancipation.
The youngest and cleverest,
Kaundinya was the first to make the great spiritual breakthrough.
The modest and unassuming
Ashvajit was the one who subsequently converted Shariputra (who later became
the Chief Disciple of the Buddha) at their meeting in the city of Rajagriha
1,519 words *5 pages) 18.7.2008 1725
- Although the
first two lay disciples (indeed the very first two in the history of
Buddhism) were
the merchants Tapassu and
Bhallika from Ukkala (Orissa) who were accepted by the Buddha after his
forty-nine day fast following his enlightenment, Yashas, a millionaire’s son in
Benares, was the first lay disciple to take refuge in the Triratana, the Three
Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, Dharma (Doctrine), and Sangha (Holy Order). The
young man became an arhat, the sixth, on hearing the discourse the Buddha
delivered to the rich father of Yashas. He then introduced his four distinguished friends named Vimala,
Subahu, Purna-maitrayani, and Gavampati to the Buddha, and they also became
arhats on hearing the Dharma.
Purnaji became one of the ten
great disciples of the Buddha, renowned for his skill in expounding the Dharma.
Fifty more worthy friends of
Venerable Yashas, all from leading families in Benares ,
also received instruction from the Buddha, became arhats and entered the Holy
Order. The number of arhats rose to sixty within the first couple of months of
the ministry in Benares . They formed the first
wave of messengers of the Dharma. And with the sixty arhat disciples, the Order
of the Sangha became firmly and soundly established.
- The three
Kashyapa brothers were ascetics with matted hair and lived separately with
their own
disciples in Uruvilva
(Uruvelva). Originally a brahmin engaged in fire worship, the eldest Uruvilva
Kashyapa had 500 followers, Nadi Kashyapa had 300, and Gaya Kashyapa 200.
Following Uruvilva Kashyapa, the two other brothers and all their followers
entered the Order. Then all of them accompanied the Buddha to Gaya Sisa, not
far from Uruvilva.
Hearing the Buddha’s message on
attaining spiritual liberation through detachment, all the
monks became arhats. Mahakashyapa eventually
emerged as the foremost of the disciples; he
became known as the first patriarch in
the Ch’an/Zen School of Buddhism.
- Shariputra
(noted for his great intelligence and eloquence) and Mahamaudgalyayana
(renowned
for his supernatural powers)
became the first two Chief Disciples after their ordination at the
Veluvana monastery.
Maudgalyayana the Great became an arhat a week after his ordination. When the
young Shariputra also became an arhat a week later, he and his good friend were
both made the first and second disciples in the Sangha respectively.
- A cousin of
the Buddha and one of His ten great disciples, Ananda (‘Joy’) attended on
the Buddha
for a quarter century and
committed all the Master’s sermons to memory; hence noted as the foremost in
hearing and remembering the Dharma.
- Samantabhadra
(Universal Worthy/Good, personifying the transcendent practices and vows
of the
Buddhas) and Manjushri (Beauty
and Glory, representing transcendent wisdom and enlightenment of all Buddhas)
are the two major bodhisattvas attending Shakyamuni Buddha.
Maitreya (The
Friendly and Kind) is a bodhisattva of the highest level, the tenth stage
(one-life
bodhisattva who is
only one lifetime away from attaining Buddhahood) now dwelling in the
Tusita Heaven where
he is presently preaching the Dharma; in his next life he will appear in this
world to become the
next Buddha after the historical Shakyamuni (Siddharta Gautama).
Bodhisattvas are those who
aspire to Supreme Enlightenment and Buddhahood for themselves\
as well as for
serving and benefiting all other beings.
- As interpreted
by Professor Luis Gomez in his book THE LAND OF BLISS (p. 246): “if these
metaphoric descriptions of the
Buddha’s state of mind are read as special powers, states of mind, or places
accessible only to buddhas, these five would be (1) dwelling in the sphere of
Dharma, (2) dwelling in the sphere of the knowledge of the buddhas, (3) being
established in the conduct of buddhas, (4) walking on the highest path, and (5)
possessing the virtues of a tathagata.”
‘Tathagata’ is one
of the ten names of a Buddha, signifying the full realization of truth.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 14) Dr Hisao Inagaki
explains that the five
‘dwellings’
“correspond to the four ‘viharas’ in the Sanskrit text, namely, Buddha-vihara
(the
Buddha’s Abode),
jina-vihara (the Victorious One’s Abode), sarvajnata-vihara (the Omniscient
One’s Abode), and
mahanaga-vihara (the Great Dragon’s Abode). ‘Vihara’ in this case means a
highly exalted state
of mind, and these four together refer to the supreme Samadhi (meditative
concentration) in
which the Buddha dwelt prior to his revelation of Amitabha and his Land of
Bliss…”…”
Inagaki then goes
on to quote from a Chinese translation in the T’ang dynasty (p. 15):
“The
World-Honoured One now dwells in the Samadhi of Great Tranquillity, performs
the
Tathagata’s works,
accomplishes them all, provides practices for bodhisattvas and contemplates
all Buddhas of
the past, present and future.”
Inagaki observes:
“Ananda’s observation points to the fact that the Buddha was dwelling in a
samadhi of
nirvanic tranquility accompanied by his supreme activity as the spiritual
leader of the
world and that he
was contemplating all the other Buddhas…”
In the Mirror of the Dhamma
(Dhammadasa) teaching at the Brick Hall in the village of Nadika
the Buddha spoke
to Ananda on the virtues of the Exalted One, including wisdom and virtuous
conduct
(morality), universal knowledge and incomparable teaching skills, omniscience
and
holiness.
(Narada, THE BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS, pp. 239-240).
And, in the
Mahayana, the twin hallmarks of Buddhahood are great compassion and wisdom.
- At the age of
55, Ananda was chosen and appointed
by the Buddha as His personal attendant, a
post he held for the next 25
years. Of the same age as the Master, Ananda was also made the
Guardian of the Dharma (the
Buddha’s teachings). This great disciple attained Nirvana at the age of 120:
The seer who was so retentive,
Of keen memory and resolute,
The elder sustaining the true Dhamma,
Ananda a mine of gems
(Theragatha, 1049)
- The three
worlds represent the three levels of existence in Samsara (the karmic
cycle of birth
and death to which all living
sentient beings are bound until their ultimate release through
spiritual liberation): (1) the
world of desire, comprising the three evil realms inhabited by the hell beings,
the hungry ghosts and animals, the human habitat and some of the heavens, (2)
the world of form comprising some of the higher heavens, and (3) the world of
non-form (formlessness),
consisting of boundless and
supernal heavens.
Saha is this world of ours,
the World of Endurance where all beings are subject to their afflictions
and to their sufferings. 2,585 words (7
pages) 18-19.7.2008 0200
- The infinite doors of knowledge and
means
The Buddha opens all for sentient
beings,
To enter the true practice of
supreme enlightenment.
The Flower Ornament Scripture, the Avatamsaka
Sutra
translated by Dr
Thomas Cleary, published by Shambhala, Boston
- Measureless, countless eons
They (the Buddhas) understand are
one moment;
And they know a moment has no
moment –
Thus do they see the world.
Untold eons
Are
the space of a moment;
Not seeing long or short,
They find ultimate instantaneousness…
The Flower Ornament Scripture, p. 964
For more
information on kalpas, please refer to Note (51).
- In THE LAND OF BLISS (p. 294), Gomez
explains that dharmas refers to
(1) entities or
phenomena in general, (2) all
the things and events that constitute the real world, or (3) modes of conduct
and practice, especially those conducive to spiritual liberation
The term also refers (p. 330)
to all things, phenomena, and events that constitute the field of human
experience.
2,940
words (8 pages) 22.7.2008 2252
- Supreme among
the spiritual seekers of the truth, the Buddha is also known as the lion
in the
spiritual field. As E.H.
Johnson, editor of the Sanskrit edition of Ratnagotravibhaga
(published by Patna
“As the king of beasts in the
forest is always free from fear and moves fearlessly amidst the beasts, so also
the lion who is king of sages ‘moves’ amidst his flock, unmolested (by any threat), self-reliant
(since even pure beings cannot compare), abiding firm (in the profound calm and clarity of samadhi, deep
pure concentration), and victorious (over
the nescient entrenchment, i.e. having defeated and triumphed over the dark
forces of ignorance)…”
On the lion’s roar of the
Tathagata having the four kinds of confidence, as stated by Queen Srimala when
describing the Lord Buddha as the refuge for sentient beings, Franklin Edgerton
has explained in Buddhist Hybrid
Sanskrit Dictionary (published by New Haven, 1953):
1, “Abiding firm”: confidence
that he is fully enlightened about all nature (all dharmas).
2. “Victorious”: confidence in knowing the
destruction of all defiling fluxes.
3. “Unmolested”: confidence that he explains
exactly and definitely the obstructive conditions (in
the religious/spiritual life)
4.
“self-reliant”: confidence in the correctness of his
path of salvation for realizing all (religious/
spiritual) success.
Above notes taken from Alex Wayman and Hideka Wayman: THE LION’S ROAR OF QUEEN SRIMALA, published by Motilal Banarsidas, Delhi
The lion’s roar sounds the
authoritative declaration of spiritual liberation and attainment of Buddhahood
(ibid., p. 89). 3,961 words (11
pages) 30.7.2008 0138
(16)
On Dharmakara’s declaration of his 48 Great Vows,
Gomez has noted (THE LAND OF BLISS,
p. 230): “From the perspective
of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism, this section contains what are arguably the
most famous, if not the most important, passages of the sutra.”
The preceding statement by the
Buddha Lokesvararaja “signaled the role of Dharmakara as the paradigmatic figure, perhaps the
archetype, for the bodhisattva career…”
In Mahayana Buddhism, all
bodhisattvas are fully committed to their four great and magnificent vows: to
save all living beings from suffering, to end all their afflictions, to study
the various Dharma-doors (the 84,000 expedients and skills) to spiritual
liberation, and to attain the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment and
Buddhahood. 4,627 words (12 pages)
31.7.2008 0253 8.9.2008 0840
(17)
“The vows are unique because they are Dharmakara’s
own, that is to say, no other bodhisattva has
vows like these,” Gomez
comments (THE LAND OF BLISS, p.
231). “They are “supreme” because their effects are greater than those brought
about by the vows of other bodhisattvas. This point is central to the argument
of the passage, because the particular content of a bodhisattva’s vows define,
and in a certain sense generate, the form and the content of the buddha-field
(Buddha-land or Pure
Land
(18)
The hells and the other two evil realms of the hungry
ghosts and animals form the three lowest
states of existence, and are
also referred to as the three realms of suffering.
(19)
Having a golden complexion and fine golden skin, is
one of the 32 physical characteristics
of physical excellence of a
Buddha or a very high-ranking bodhisattva – signifying enlightenment.
(20)
Remembrance of past lives (telegnosis/retro-cognitive
knowledge) is one of the six extraordinary\
supernatural or supernormal
cognitive powers attributed to a Buddha, a senior bodhisattva, or an arhat on
the highest level of sainthood.
(21)
The divine eye (with the extraordinary faculty of
extrasensory perception) is the abiliy to see
anything at any distance. One
of the six supernatural powers, the divine eye is also described as a kind of
clairvoyance (perception beyond the range of the senses), including the
capacity to see the previous lives and actions of all sentient beings, as well
as their present and future conditions.
(22)
The divine ear can hear any sound at any distance.
Also known as clairaudience, it’s the ability to
hear any sound infinitely
beyond the frequency range of the ear.
(23)
Knowledge of the minds of others (perceptive powers of
telaesthesia) is one of the
supernormal cognitive powers.
(24)
The psychic powers of going anywhere and transforming
any object at will are among the five
“mundane” powers that can be
developed by anyone practicing intense mental concentration
(samadhi).
With the fulfillment of Vows 5
to 9, the humans and the gods in the Pure
Land
(25)
Also referred to as the Stage of Non-retrogression
(Avinivartaniya), the Definitely Assured Stage
benchmarks a very high level
of bodhisattva practice, the end of the 7th and the start of the 8th
of the ten final stages of spiritual progress at which a bodhisattva realizes
undefiled wisdom and is assured of reaching Nirvana and attaining the ultimate
Enlightenment without falling back to a lower level.
“This is one of the vows
considered pivotal and used as proof-texts by the East Asian tradition,” Gomez
points out {THE WORLD OF BLISS, p.
247). “It guarantees eventuall (full) awakening (and Buddhahood) in the Pure Land
In a sweeping survey of the Pure Land East Asia (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 90), Inagaki observes that the 6th
century Pure Land Patriarch T’an Luan (476-542) paid special attention to the
11th, 18th, and 22nd Vows.
With its assurance of
completely successful spiritual cultivation and eventual attainment of Nirvana
and Buddhahood, the 11th Vow encapsulates the essence of the Pure Land
The 11th Vow can
thus be viewed as the Buddha Amitabha’s seal of the ultimate spiritual
perfection and fulfillment.
5,900
words (16 pages) 9.9.2008 0144
(26)
As interpreted by Gomez (THE WORLD OF BLISS, p. 247): “This (the 12th) is the vow
promising halo of light. The
effects of this light are described in vow 33 and later in the sutra…”
Later in the sutra, Dharmakara
became the Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, also known as the
Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light.
In the 12th Vow,
the Bodhisattva Dharmakara vowed to attain infinite light because of his
spiritual mission to save and enlighten all beings in the universe. And with
the subsequent fulfillment of this vow, he has become the Buddha of Infinite
Light and Life.
In The Flower Ornament Scripture (translated by Thomas Cleary, p. 96),
the Bodhisattva Stable Light teaches:
“The Buddha’s boundless wisdom light
Can destroy the net of ignorance and
illusion,
Saving all beings in all worlds…”
The Bodhisattva Universal
Sound of the Cosmos says (p. 145):
“Buddha mastered the ocean of practices,
Fulfilling transcendent wisdom.
Therefore he sheds light, illuminating all,
Destroying the darkness of
ignorance…”
27. Embodying boundless great
compassion, Infinite Life is for the Buddha Amitayus/Amitabha to
accomplish His mission of
saving, liberating, and enlightening all sentient beings who have faith in
Him. Limitless lifespan
is also for all the humans and gods in His Pure Land, as pledged in the 15th
Vow , so that they will
all be able to attain Buddhahood in one measureless lifetime.
28.
The number of the Buddha’s disciples is simply
incalculable. We are told later in the sutra that the actual number cannot be arrived
at, not even if countless persons with supernatural powers keep on counting for
trillions of kalpas. That is, the actual number is infinite.
29.
In THE LAND OF
BLISS (p. 231), Gomez calls the 17th Vow as the “Vow of Endless
Praise of
the (Buddha’s) Name.”
In the Glossary (p. 313), Gomez elaborates: “The name of a buddha or
bodhisattva is presumed
to embody his virtues and powers.
Hence, invocation of the name of a buddha or bodhisattva
activates, so to speak, those virtues
and powers…
“When the term “the Name” is used
epithetically in Pure
Land
name, or more properly, the form
used in invoking his name, that is the Chinese expression
“Namo Amituo-fo” or the Japanese
equivalent “Namu Amida Butsu”.”
The English rendering is: Namo (Homage To) Amitabha Buddha.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, Inagaki (p. 40) refers to the spiritual
significance of
invoking the Buddha’s Name: as “encountering
Amitabha through the Name.”
The Japanese Pure
Land
through the Name (Amitabha).”
30.
On the Power of the Vow, Inagaki (p. 76) quotes
Vasubandu (c. 320-400), the great Abhidharma
and Pure Land Yogacara
School
Inagaki adds (p. 76): “Those
who contemplate Amitabha and his Pure
Land
The five gravest offences are:
(1) killing one’s father, (2) killing one’s mother, (3) killing an arhat, (4)
injuring a Buddha’s body and causing it to bleed, and (5) creating discord and
disunity in the Sangha, the Holy Order, the spiritual community.
The caveat applicable to the
gravest offenders and the greatest sinners can, however, be reviewed in the
light of the essence of the 18th Vow for universal spiritual emancipation
and enlightenment (the spirit of the Mahayana). And, it must be borne in mind
that the Buddha Amitabha has vowed to save all beings who have faith in Him.
In the Contemplation Sutra of the Pure Land trilogy, the Buddha Shakyamuni
said to Ananda and Queen Vaidehi of Magadha that ten repetitions of the
Buddha’s Name can save even the worst evil-doers, including those who have
committed the five gravest offences, and enable them to attain rebirth in
Amitabha’s Pure Land – although “birth in the lowest level of the lowest
grade…” (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS,
p. 346).
In the Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra, the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra
has also vowed to rescue all living beings including the perpetrators of the
five gravest offences, having declared:
“In the past owing to a lack of wisdom
power,
The five offences of extreme evil he has
committed;
In one thought they can all be wiped away
by reciting
The Great Vows of Samantabhadra…”
In a famous letter to one of
his many disciples, Honen (1133-1212), founder of the Jodo (Pure Land) School
in Japan, wrote: “…There are indeed many Pure Lands in the ten quarters of the
universe, but we seek for the Pure Land in the West (Amitabha’s Pure Land),
because it is this one that all sentient beings, who have committed the ten
evil deeds# and the five deadly sins, can find Ojo (birth in the Pure Land)…” (Extract in THE TEACHINGS OF THE COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA, edited by E.A. Burt,
published by Mentor, New York, 1982, p. 213)
# The ten evil deeds include
killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies, harsh speech, divisive
talk. Idle chatter, greed, anger/hatred, and holding wrong views.
In a letter to the layman
Ch’en Hsi-chou, Pure Land Master Yin Kuang (1861-1940) wrote that even the very
worst offenders “will be received and guided to the Pure Land” if they have
true and earnest Faith and Vows and recite the Buddha’s Name one to ten times
on the verge of death – “thanks to the compassionate power of Amitabha Buddha…”
(PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, 1993,
p. 57)
The Buddha of
Infinite Light and Life emanates infinite wisdom and boundless great
compassion.
Why? To save,
liberate, and enlighten all human beings who have faith in Him and call on Him
to help save them
31.
In THE LAND OF
BLISS (p. 231), Gomez has commented that the 19th Vow “promises
Amitabha’s comfort and
salvation at the moment of death. The scene envisioned here is a reflection of
the Pan-Indian (and almost universal) belief in the importance of the last
moment in one’s life…”
Gomez has also written (p.
248): “This vow (the 19th) is the proof-text or source of the belief
that Amitabha comes to meet the dying believer on his deathbed to lead him to
the Pure Land
“The belief takes various
pictorial and ritual forms throughout east Asia, including the classical
Japanese raigo paintings…”
Probably the most famous of
the Japanese Pure Land paintings is that of the distinguished scholar-monk
Genshin (942-1017), a prolific author and artist – the iconic illustration
depicting the spiritual visitation of the Buddha Amitabha while crossing the
mountains to welcome and receive a dying devotee. It’s known as yamagoe no mida. (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, pp. 159, 219)
32.
As listed in THE
THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 418), the 32 marks of physical excellence
of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas:
(1)
protuberance on the crown of the head
(2)
blue-black hair on the head and curling from left to
right
(3)
even and broad forehead
(4)
white tuft of hair between the eyebrows
(5)
blue eyes
(6)
forty teeth
(7)
even and orderly teeth
(8)
teeth close together, without a gap
(9)
very white teeth
(10) ability of tasting
any food as the best
(11) jaw like a lion’s
(12) long and thin
tongue
(13) voice like Brahma’s
(14) well-framed
shoulders
(15) seven prominent
parts (on both hands, feet, shoulders, and the back)
(16) full shoulders
(both well filled out)
(17) fine golden skin
(18) long arms reaching
the knees when standing upright
(19) majestic upper body
like a lion’s
(20) solid body like a
Nyegrodha tree in circumference
(21) a hair growing from
each pore
(22) hair growing
upwards and pointing towards the right
(23) male organ hidden
in the foreskin
(24) well-rounded thighs
(25) un-protuberant
ankle-bone
(26) soft and tender
hands and feet
(27) hands and feet with
webs between the fingers and toes
(28) long fingers
(29) soles bearing the
mark of a thousand-spoked wheel
(30) both feet standing
firm
(31) long and broad
heels
(32) calves like the
shanks of the king of black antelopes
.
33.
The Stage of Becoming a Buddha after One More Life is
the highest stage of spiritual
development of a bodhisattva. A
splendid example is the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presently teaching the Dharma in
the Tushita heaven; he will be the next Buddha in this world, the successor to
the historical Buddha Shakyamuni of two and a half millennia ago.
34.
The Bodhisattva’s Four Great Vows are: to save all
sentient beings, to end all the afflictions of
living beings, to learn all
the teachings and practices of spiritual emancipation and enlightenment (the
84,000 Dharma-doors to wisdom and omniscience), and to attain Buddhahood.
35.
One of the leading bodhisattvas in Mahayana,
Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy, Universal
Good)) personifies the
transcendental practices and vows of the
Buddhas. And representing the essence of bodhisattva practice, the ten vast and
great practices and vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra are described and explained in the last and
best known chapter of the highly profound and voluminous Avatamsaka (Flower
Ornament) Sutra. While the Ninth practice and vow is to accommodate and benefit
all living beings, the Tenth is to transfer all the merits and virtues
universally. They contain, in the words of the Vietnamese scholar-monk Master
Thich Tri Tinh, “all the right causes of Buddhahood as well as the pure
conditions for rebirth in the Pure
Land
Samantabhadra has taught that
the ten great practices and vows should be cultivated by those wishing to
achieve the merits and virtues of the Buddha. In his keynote address, he has
said that “all the merits and virtues, from the first vow, to pay homage and
respect (to all Buddhas), up to and including the vow to accommodate and
benefit all living beings, I universally transfer to all living beings
throughout the Dharma Realm (the universe) and to the limits of outer space.
“I vow to shut the door to
evil destinies and open the right paths of humans, gods and that of Nirvana. I
will stand in for beings and receive all the extremely severe fruits of
suffering which they bring about with their evil karma. I will liberate all
these beings and ultimately bring them to accomplish unsurpassed Bodhi
(Enlightenment). The Bodhisattva cultivates transference in this way…”
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
Towards the end of this vastly
significant discourse, Samantabhadra spoke in verse. The following stanzas are
quoted because of their great impact and relevance in Pure Land
I vow that when my life approaches its
end,
All obstructions will be swept away;
I will see Amitabha Buddha,
And be born in his Land of Ultimate Bliss
When reborn in the Western Land
I will perfect and completely fulfill,
Without exception, these Great Vows,
To delight and benefit all beings…
In concluding his pellucid,
straightforward and ringing speech, Samantabhadra said:
“The supreme and endless blessings from
Samantabhadra’s conduct
I now universally transfer.
May every living being, drowning and
adrift,
Soon return to the Land of Limitless Light
36.
When a bodhisattva accomplishes the six paramitas, the
six practices of perfection to attain
Buddhahood through generosity,
moral conduct, perseverance, vigour, mindfulness, and wisdom, he acquires the
eight wisdom-based consciousnesses. In brief, Buddha’s consciousness. (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 69)
Buddhas are “all-knowing”
because they know all the paths of spiritual liberation, and they know the
causes and effects of all events and of all things. (Gomez, THE LAND OF BLISS, p. 282)
Theirs is the omniscient
wisdom. 8,722 words (21
pages) 10.9.2008 0622
37.
“The fact that things and events do not come into
existence as self-existing entities, the fact that
things neither arise nor
cease,” Gomez explains (THE LAND OF
BLISS, pp. 314-315). “The fact that nothing is self-existent implies, from
the Buddhist point of view, that nothing can arise out of anything else (for
how could something arise from something that is itself not self-existing) and
that nothing can cease to be (since, strictly speaking, nothing exists as an
independent and self-limiting reality). The term nonarising is used as a near
synonym of emptiness, but is strictly speaking a reference to the doctrine that
nothing arises nor ceases…”nonarising” means that dharmas neither arises nor
ceases…”
This is the third of three
insights into reality. Please refer Note (43).
38.
“In the most common usage of the term, a dharani is a
short oral or written utterance that is
variously conceived as having
magical powers (e.g. as a protective charm) or having the power to aid concentration
and insight,” Gomez explains (THE WORLD
OF BLISS, p. 294).
“Characteristically, those
formulas are made of fragmentary phrases or clusters of syllables, which for
the most part do not form intelligible utterances in the natural language…
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
“The Mahayana sutra literature
and many scholastic writings, however, also claim that bodhisattvas know
certain dharanis that summarize or contain an extensive body of doctrine or
wisdom within a short formula (with or without meaning in the natural
language). Hence, “knowledge of dharanis” means the capacity to hold the
totality of the Buddhist teaching in a single thought or utterance…” Or, in the spiritually cognitive singularity
of the Name of the Buddha Amitabha.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 381), Inagaki presents the Great
Amitabha Dharani as well as the Small Nine-Syllable Dharani and the
Single-Syllable Dharani.
The Small Nine-Syllable
Dharani intones Thus: Om amrita-teje hara hum
(O Brilliance of Amrita, take
away, hum!)
Amrita is nectar or elixir of
immortality. Its brilliance is invoked to rid of and destroy all karmic
defilements. “One who can recite it (this small dharani) a hundred thousand
times will see Amitabha and after death
attain birth in the Land
of Utmost Bliss
On the One-Syllable Dharani: hrih, Inagaki explains: “ The syllable
is constructed as a composisite of “h” (the causes of all things are
imperceptible), “r” (all things are free of defilements), “i” (unrestricted and
imperceptible), and “h” ((Nirvana), together it means attainment of Nirvana
through realization of the original non-arising of all things and freedom from
attachments…
“Those who hold to this
dharani are rid of all calamities and illusions, and after death attain birth
in the Land of Peace
In his spiritual
classic THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND
DYING (p. 398), Sogyal
Rinpoche also
explains the spiritual significance of HRIH:
“The essence of
the compassion of all the Buddhas, HRIH, is the catalyst that activates the
compassion of the
Buddhas to transform our negative emotions into their wisdom nature…”
39.
“Worthy (of offerings),” an arhat is a Buddhist sage
or saint of the highest level who has
completely destroyed all his
evil passions to attain spiritual liberation – ultimate emancipation from the
karmic/samsaric cycle of life and death.
“By using wisdom to dig more
deeply below the superficial face of things, we can uncover the subtle truths
hidden by our preoccupation with appearances. Thereby we can uproot the binding
defilements and win the peace of (spiritual) deliverance, the freedom beyond
the cycle of kamma and its fruit,” Bhikku Bodhi, a contemporary American
Buddhist scholar-monk and author, has written. (Article reproduced in Eastern Horizon, January 2006, issue no.
18, p. 52)
40.
“Defined technically as perfect one-pointedness of
mind, Samadhi is the most common term for
the serene concentration
achieved in meditation,” Gomez comments (THE
WORLD OF BLESS, pp. 325-326).
“The state of Samadhi is
regarded not only as a mental feat or achievement in its own right, but also as
the cause of spiritual “right” in the broadest meanings of the term. However,
although Samadhi is the foundation for insight and vision, it is also a process
that displays, as it were, before the eyes of the meditator, extraordinary
worlds of visionary grandeur.
CONTINUED NEXT
PAGE
“The meditator can “open up”
or “display” these visions for others, who then share in the meditator’s
experience, perceiving it as a sort of revelation. When used in such context,
it is customary in English to speak of “a Samadhi” or “the Samadhi.” Often, the
state of mind and the revelation are both given a name, such as “the Samadhi of
Liberation” in the Longr Sutra (The Sutra On The Buddha of Infinite Life).”
41.
In the Samadhi of Universal Equality (Samantanugata)
one can see many Buddhas.
42.
In the Stage of Non-retrogression (Avinivartaniya), a
bodhisattva realizes undefiled wisdom and
assured of attaining
Enlightenment without falling back to a lower stage of spiritual development.
43.
The three insights into the nature of dharmas are: (1)
insight into reality through hearing the
sacred sounds, (2) insight
into reality by coming into accord with it, and (3) insight into the
non-arising of all dharmas.
The third insight benchmarks
the higher spiritual awakening in which one recognizes that nothing really
arises or perishes.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 86), Inagaki cites the Pure Land
Patriarch T’an-luan (476-542) in explaining the spiritual attainment of the
Bodhisattva Dharmakara with the ‘insight into the non-arising of all dharmas’
and the creation of the Pure
Land Pure Land
(1)
as the manifestation of the ultimate reality,
(2)
as the reward for Dharmakara’s practice of the Six
Paramitas,
(3)
as originating from the nature of the sacred seed of
Buddhahood in which Dharmakara made his 48 Vows.
“The last-mentioned ‘nature of the
sacred seed of Buddhahood’ is the stage of bodhisattvahood in
which one awakens the insight into
the non-arising of all dharmas.
“When a bodhisattva attains this
insight, he effectively realizes Emptiness (Sunyata) of all
existences. From this realization,
true Wisdom and Compassion arise, with which he performs
the bodhisattva practices and
establishes a Pure
Land
“Hence, T’an-luan asserts, “The Pure
Land of Peace and Bliss has arisen from the pure karma of
the Bodhisattva (Dharmakara) who had
attained the insight into the non-arising of all dharmas”.”
According to Ryukan (1148-1227, a
senior disciple of Honen (1130-1212), founder of the
non-arising of all dharmas where and
when their attachments and doubts are instantly removed
by Amitabha’s Wisdom. (ibid., p. 182)
Gomez notes that “irreversibility”
arises in the context of the acquisition of the attributes of a
Buddha. (THE LAND OF BLISS, p. 249) 10,961 words (26 pages) 13.9.2008 0510
44.
The three worlds represent the three levels of
existence in Samsara (the karma-bound cycle of
birth and death). They are:
(1) the world of desire comprising the various hells, the realms of the
hungry ghosts, animals, and
humans, and some of the lower heavens, (2) the world of form, comprising some
higher heavens, and (3) the world of non-form (formlessness), consisting of the
supernal heavens.
45.
The eight kinds of celestials or superhuman beings are
the gods and demi-gods believed to be the
protectors of the Dharma: devas
(gods), assuras (warlike and fearsome celestials), gandharvas and kimnaras (the
two kinds of divine and heavenly musicians), yaksas (celestial spirits), the
two kinds of divine serpents – mahoragas and nagas (dragons), and the awesome
garudas (celestial eagles).
Mara is the king
of the Paranirmitavashavartin gods in the sixth and highest heaven of the Realm
of Desire. He is
one of the many divine and heavenly promoters and protectors of the Buddha
Dharma. According
to Gomez (THE WORLD OF BLISS, p.
310), Mara “is often depicted as
the leader of an
army of tempters that assail monks and buddhas-to-be during meditation.”
Believed to be the
first divine advocate of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings, Brahma is
associated with
the creation of the universe. The Great Brahma is also known as “Lord of the
Saha World”.
46.
The bodhisattva-monk Dharmakara was able to command
full control over both the influence of
the three fundamental
defilements or evil passions (the three roots of evil) and the six sense
faculties which are the five sense organs of seeing, hearing, smell, taste, and
touch together with the faculty of the mind (thinking, feeling, consciousness,
volition, mental conditioning, etc)
47.
The four kinds of offering to the Buddhas: (1) food
and drink, (2) clothes (robes), (3) bed, and (4)
medicinal drink. 12,531 words (30 pages)
16.9.2008 0311
48.
Mount Sumeru
surrounded by eight
mountain-ranges, and girded by the seven mountains of gold.
49.
Heaven of the Four Guardian Kings of the East, South,
West, and North is surrounding Mount
Sumeru. The Four Heavenly
Kings are Dhritarastra, Viruthaka, Virupaksa, and Vaisravana
respectively -- the divine quartet, the four guardian gods
of the world.
Heaven of the Thirty-three
Gods is located on top of Mount
Sumeru
50.
In Buddhist cosmology, above the Heaven of the Four
Kings and the Heaven of the Thirty-three
Gods is the Heaven of Yama or
Suyama (Good Time), the third of the six heavens in the world of desire.
Topping the Six Heavens are
the Four Dhyana Heavens of the world of form, the highest of which is the
Fourth Dhyana, the Heaven of the Pure Abode.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 402), Inagaki points out that such a
heaven does not exist in the Pure
Land
51.
“To describe Amitabha’s light simply as ‘spiritual
light’ is not enough. It is the wisdom that
illumines everything and
reveals its ultimate reality. It is also boundless Compassion, for it embraces
all living beings and awakens them to Enlightenment,” Inagaki comments (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, pp. 22-23).
“Through taking refuge in
Amitabha we are illumined by his wisdom which, in effect, reveals our real
nature (True Nature, Self-Nature, Buddha Nature) in the light of truth.
CONTINUED
NEXT PAGE
“When the darkness of
ignorance is dispelled, we are emancipated from the bondage of karma from
spiritual darkness…”
The purifying, liberating, and
enlightening power of Amitabha’s inexhaustible light is infinite, this
ever-radiant light being boundless, limitless, supreme. According to Shakyamuni
Buddha,, its majestic glory could not be described adequately even in a period
as long as one kalpa.
Translating it into “cosmic
age”, Gomez describes a “kalpa” as “a fantastically long period of time,
extending for billions of years…” (THE
WORLD OF BLISS, p. 292)
There are various definitions
of the word “kalpa” in Sanskrit (“kappa” in Pali). And in Theravada texts, the
word “kappa” usually refers to “maha kappa” (great kappa).
In Tripitaka Master Hsuan
Hua’s manual BUDDHISM: A Brief
Introduction (published by Buudhist Text Translation Society, California Malaysia
According to the most recent
update, our universe is about fourteen billion years old. And going by the 1917
equations and formulas of Einstein, the lifespan of our universe is about 63
billion years. At this point of time, therefore, the human race is nearly
one-fifth of the way through it all.
That is, if Einstein should prove to be right. 14,212 words (35 pages)
22.9.2008 0358
52.
In GREAT
DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA (published by Buddhist Publications Society, Sri
Lanka, 1997, p. 91), Helmut
Hecker has written on Mahamoggallana, Master of Psychic Powers:
“…The Venerable Mahamoggalla
was the bhikkhu who had been most assiduous in developing and cultivating the
four roads to (spiritual) power, and thus the Buddha named him the foremost
disciple among those who possessed the psychic powers...”
Please refer Notes (20) – (24)
on the six supernatural powers.
53.
The six sense-organs are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue,
tactile organs, and the mind.
54.
The towering Bodhi Tree stands as the veritable symbol
and landmark of the Pure
Land
all living beings are assured
of attaining the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment.
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 403), Inagaki explains that the
insight into the non-arising of all dharmas is the higher spiritual awakening
in which one recognizes that nothing really arises or perishes.
Also known as the insight into
“tolerance of non-birth” that comes from knowing and realizing the non-origination of the dharmas and all
phenomena, the Ryukuku University in Kyoto, Japan, has described it as “the
insight into emptiness, the non-origination or birthlessness of things or beings realized by Bodhisattvas
who have attained the eighth stage (ground) of the path to Buddhahood. When a
Bodhisattva realizes this insight he has attained the stage of non-retrogression…”
(as quoted in the Glossary, PURE LAND
ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, p. 257)
The New York-based Van Hien
Study Group adds (ibid., p. 258):
“The Pure Land School teaches
that anyone reborn in the Pure Land
attains the Tolerance of Non-Birth and reaches the stage of non-retrogression,
never to fall back into samsara (the cycle of rebirths in the realms of Birth
and Death)…” 15,254 words (37
pages) 23.9.2008 0335
55.
Equanimity (upekkha) is one of the ten perfections and
transcendental virtues of a Bodhisattva in
Theravada Buddhism, and it is
the most difficult and the most essential of them all.
It is a well-balanced mind,
discerning the good and the bad things rightly, justly, and impartially, free
from attachment and aversion.
To quote more from Narada (THE
BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS, p. 607):
“Slights and insults are the
common lot of humanity. So are praise and blame, loss and gain, pain and
happiness.. Amidst all such vicissitudes of life a Bodhisattva tries to stand
unmoved like a firm rock, exercising perfect equanimity…Like a lotus that is
unsoiled by the mud from which it springs, he lives unaffected by worldly
temptations, ever calm, serene and peaceful…”
Chan and Pure Land Master
Chu-hung (1535-1615) said: “After you have gained power by reciting the
Buddha’s name (Amitabha), you can face all things with equanimity.”
Comments Dr. J. C. Cleary (PURE LAND PURE MIND, p. 16): “According
to the Pure Land Pure Land
“The key element is faith in
Amitabha, and the Pure
Land
Tranquillity, quietude, peace,
calm..
The Buddha Shakyamuni entered
the supreme Samadhi known as the Amitabha Samadhi or the Samadhi of Great
Tranquillity, nirvanic tranquility, before preaching the Buddha of Infinite
Life Sutra and revealing the Buddha Amitabha to the world (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, pp. 14-16). And as told in this Pure Land
At the Gold Mountain Monastery
in San Francisco, Master Hsuan Hua taught on 20 Decemer 1972 (the eve of the
Buddha Amitabha’s birthday) that “we must depend on our practice (reciting the
Buddha’s name) to gradually quiet and purify our hearts and cut away our false
thoughts. The Pure
Land
About a couple of minutes
earlier, Master Hua had said: “The fact that Amitabha is already a Buddha
proves that his vow (assurance of Buddhahood to all beings born in His Pure
Land) is true, that everyone who recites his name will become Buddhas…” (LISTEN TO YOURSELF; THINK EVERYTHING OVER,
Volume Two, Dharma Talks by Master Hsuan Hua, 1983, pp. 140-141)
“This name
)Amitabha) alone contains all of Buddhism (the Buddhadharma),” the contemporary
“Therefore, to
chant this name is to chant all sutras…”
-- Buddhism: The Wisdom of Compassion and
Awakening, Feb 2003, p. 141 29.11.08 0150
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
Emptiness
and non-self are inherent in the Mahayana concept that all things are essentially
empty and devoid of any substantial or independent existence.
Recalling his own experience
with emptiness, Ajahn Anan Akincano, a distinguished first-generation disciple
of the great 20th century Thai Theravada monk and teacher Venerable
Ajahn Chah (1919-1992), reported:
“While meditating one day in
April (1984), the mind entered samadhi and became completely empty. Both the
breathing and hearing ceased. The mind was very refined, entering into complete
emptiness. This had never at all happened before. After the mind had emerged
from this state, the body was seen as completely empty. The mind automatically
separated from the body which then disintegrated all by itself in a way that was
considerably more refined than ever before.#
“Everything was seen as
completely empty. Trees, mountains, monasteries, meeting halls – all of them
empty. Even when these things were not conventionally speaking, ‘empty’, the
heart, through the power of samadhi (concentrated awareness), clearly knew that
they were of the nature to be empty. With samadhi completely firm, ‘the
knowing’ manifested as wisdom. Together, samadhi and wisdom bring results (experience
with emptiness) in this way…”
#On his earlier
experience while sitting in meditation
on 20 February 1984 :
“…The mind saw the body as anatta (not-self, the emptiness of all
phenomena, the universal void); it realized that this physical form is not a
self…”
(Seeking Buddho, originally published by Wat Marp Jan, Rayong,
Thailand, 2006, and reprinted by W.A.V.E. , Malaysia, October 2007 for free
distribution, pp. 89-90)
56.
In THE LAND OF
BLISS, p. 291), Gomez explains:
“The compassion that Buddhas
and advanced Bodhisattvas possess encompasses all living beings, until the end
of time, and seeks to free them from all forms of suffering; it is therefore
known as ‘Great Compassion’ (Mahakaruna).”
Great compassion being the
heart of bodhichitta (the altruistic
aspiration for the ultimate enlightenment to benefit and save all sentient
beings), Amitabha stands out as its supreme embodiment, as the Buddha of
Infinite Life representing boundless great compassion – having vowed and
dedicated His spiritual life to universal emancipation.
57. The perfect virtues or perfections (paramitas) of a Bodhisattva are: (1)
generosity, detached
giving, (2) morality (moral
discipline), (3) patience, (4) vigour, energy and courage in the
practice of virtue,
(5)mindfulness/concentration, and (6) penetrative insight and wisdom, perfect
understanding and discernment of the
essential nature of all things.
\
58. The ten powers (Dasa-balani) as attributed to a Buddha: (1)distinguishing right
from wrong,
(2) knowing the karma of all sentient
beings of the past, present, and future, and their outcome,
(3) knowing all forms of meditation,
(4) knowing the superior and inferior capacities of sentients,
(5) knowing what they desire and think,
(6) knowing their different levels of existence,
(7) knowing the results of the various
methods of practice, (8) knowing the transmigratory states
of all sentient beings and their
courses of karma, (9) knowing the past lives of all sentient beings,
and (10) knowing the nirvanic state of
non-defilement and how to destroy all evil passions.
59.
A Buddha’s fearlessness refers to: (1) fearlessness in
asserting that He has attained the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment, (2)
fearlessness in asserting that He has destroyed all the evil passions,
(3) fearlessness in pointing
out the evil passions of sentient beings, and (4)fearlessness in expounding the
84,000 methods of attaining spiritual emancipation and enlightenment.
60.
The 18 special qualities of a Buddha (astadasavenika-buddha-dharmah):
(1)
absence of bodily imperfections
(2)
unmistakable speech in guiding beings to Enlightenment
(3)
perfect concentration
(4)
non-discriminative thought
(5)
perfectly settled mind (calm, clear, pure, profound)
(6)
knowing and accepting all dharmas
(7)
limitless desire to save sentient beings
(8)
unceasing effort to save sentient beings
(9)
spiritual correspondence with all the other Buddhas
(10) omniscience
(11) complete
emancipation from all bondage\\
(12) complete knowledge
of all aspects of spiritual emancipation
(13) manifestation of
excellent physical forms to guide sentient beings to salvation
(14) employment of
subtle words to teach sentient beings
(15) pure mental acts to
teach sentient beings and remove their
ignorance and passions
(16) complete knowledge
of the past lives of all sentient beings
(17) complete knowledge
of all future events, and
(18) complete knowledge of all events in the
present life.
61.
On the six
supernatural or transcendental powers, please refer to Note (2).
62 .Unconditioned refers to (1) nirvana as a state beyond the conditioning and control of karma,
as well as the fact that all
things are ultimately like nirvana, free from conditioning and
causation/cessation, and (2) mental states that are so effortless (free from
conditioning or limiting factors, as in a mental state of calmand awareness
without any purposeful effort) that they are examples of an unconditioned state
of mind.
- That things
neither arise nor cease, that nothing is self-existent, is referred to as non-arising of all
things.
Please also refer to
Notes (37) and (55).
- One of the
three insights into the nature of dharmas, the third insight into the
non-arising of all
dharmas benchmarks the higher
awakening or consciousness which recignises that nothing arises or ceases to
be.
Please also refer to Notes
(37) and (43). 17,416 words (42 pages) 24.9.2008 0632
- To Inagaki, “unconditioned
Nirvana” represents the ultimate reality. (THE THREE PURE
SUTRAS, p. 421)
Narada has written in THE BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS:
“Nibbana, a supramundane
state, realized by Buddhas and Arahants, is declared to be not
conditioned by any cause.
Hence it is not subject to any becoming, change and dissolution… (p. 500)
“Nibbana, being
non-conditioned, is eternal {dhuva),
desirable (subha), and happy {sukha)…(p. 502)
“It is bliss supreme because
it is not a kind of happiness experienced by the senses. It is a blissful state
of positive relief from the ills of life…” (p. 506)
- Indra, also
known as Shakra, is the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods. He’s
a divine
protector of Buddhism and its
followers.
The Sixth Heaven is the
highest heaven in the world of desire, home to the Paranirmitavashavartin
Gods 18,853 words (44 pages) 26.9.2008 0735 29.11.2008 0009 0045 30.11.2008
1351
PART TWO
THE SUTRA ON THE BUDDHA OF INFINITE LIFE
Assurance of Nirvana in Amitabha’s Pure Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni said to Ananda:
“All the senient beings born in the Pure Land of Infinite Light and Life live
among the spiritually advanced beings who are assured of attaining the complete
Enlightenment and Nirvana. (67) There are neither those who have gone astray
spiritually nor those uncertain about their spiritual destiny.
“All the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, in
the ten regions of the universe, as many as the grains of sand in the River
Ganges, praise the august presence, the glorious name, and the inconceivable
virtues of the Blessed One Amitabha, the Tathagata.
“Among living beings, all those who
hear His Name, rejoice in faith, become mindful of Him even if only in a single
moment of thought, vow to be reborn in His Pure Land and transfer the merit of their
virtuous practices to His realm, will attain birth and dwell in the Stage of
Non-retrogression in Amitabha’s Pure
Land
The Three Groups of the Pure Land
Aspirants
The Buddha then said to Ananda:
Among all the gods and the humans in the billion worlds of the universe, there
are the three main groups of those who aspire to be born in the Pure Land
Aspirants of Strong and Steadfast Faith
“Belonging
to the upper group of aspirants are those who renounce their household life,
leave their homes and abandon worldly desires to become monks. Seeking
Enlightenment to benefit all beings, they are always mindful of the Buddha
Amitabha, they cultivate merits and virtues, and they vow to be born in His
Pure Land. When they are about to die, Amitabha will appear before them, and
the Buddha will be accompanied by a host of sages and saints. Then the departed
devotees will follow the Buddha and go to be reborn in the Pure Land
“Reborn as the high-level bodhisattvas, they
will dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression, they will attain pure wisdom and
fearlessness, consummate supernatural powers and complete spiritual mastery.
Aspirants of Middling Faith
“In the middle
group of the Pure Land aspirants are those who are unable to become monks, but
they cultivate many merits, seek Enlightenment to benefit all beings, they
remain mindful of the Buddha Amitabha, they perform good deeds, observe the
moral precepts, give alms to the mendicants, build stupas, donate Buddhist
statues, hang banners, light lamps, offer flowers, burn incense, dedicating
their merits to adorn the Pure Land where they vow to attain their rebirth.
“When they are about to die,
Amitabha will appear in His transformed body before them, and He will come with a host of sages and
saints. Then they will follow this transformed Buddha to His Pure Land where
they will be reborn and dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression. Their merits
and wisdom will be next to those in the upper group.
Aspirants of Ordinary Faith
“In the
lower group are those who are unable to do many meritorious deeds.
Nevertheless, they also seek Enlightenment to benefit all beings, and they are
also mindful of the Buddha Amitabha. When they hear the Dharma, they joyfully
accept its teaching and they do not have any doubt. And maintaining their
modicum of faith, they also vow to be reborn in the Pure Land
“When they are about to die,
they will see the Buddha in a dream. They will also be reborn in the Pure Land
All Buddhas Praise the Name of Amitabha and the
Bodhisattvas from all over
the universe come to pay homage and exalt the
Buddha of Infinite Light and Life
The Buddha Shakyamuni then said to Ananda: “The
virtues of the Buddha Amitabha are boundless, ineffable, and inexhaustible. All
the innumerable and inconceivable Buddhas, Tathagatas, in the worlds of the ten
regions of the universe praise Him. They extol the Name of the Tathagata
Amitabha and proclaim Its intrinsic and infinite virtues. The innumerable and
countless bodhisattvas from the other Buddha-lands throughout the universe come
to pay homage and make offerings to Amitabha. They come to hear Him teach the
Dharma, and they spread it far and wide to guide sentient beings in the Path of
the Buddha…”
\
Then Shakyamuni the
World-Honoured One spoke in verse:
Innumerable bodhisattvas praise and worship the
Buddha Amitabha
1. From the many Buddha-lands in the eastern
region of the universe,
as many as the grains of sand in the River
Ganges,
the innumerable and countless bodhisattvas
come to the Land
of Ultimate Bliss
2. And likewise, the numerous and uncountable
bodhisattvas from the southern, the
western, the northern, and the four
intermediate regions,
as well as all those from the zenith and
nadir,
they all come to pay homage to Amitabha,
the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One.
3. All the countless bodhisattvas, bringing with
them
the
most exquisite heavenly flowers,
precious jewels, incense, perfumes, and
priceless robes,
they
all make their offerings to Amitabha, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One.
4. Playing heavenly music in concert,
producing harmonious and divine sounds,
they sing in glory to the Most Honoured
One
and they come to worship Amitabha, the
Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One.
5. And they extol the virtues of the Buddha,
saying reverently:
“You have perfected all the supernatural
powers and knowledges.
Effortlessly and freely, You enter the
gates of the profound Dharma.
Inexhaustible are Your stocks of merits
and virtues.
And truly incomparable is Your supreme
wisdom.
6. “Shining on the world with the sun of wisdom,
Your infinite light dissolves the dense
clouds of birth and death.” (70)
Walking round the Buddha three times with
their utmost respect,
The innumerable bodhisattvas pay their
homage to the Unsurpassed One.
7. Having seen the most glorious Pure Land
wonderfully resplendent and blissful,
they resolve to attain the Supreme,
Perfect Enlightenment
as well as to establish their own Pure
Lands like the Ultimate Bliss.
Amitabha smiles and predicts Buddhahood for all
the bodhisattvas
8. Then Amitabha, the Fully and Perfectly
Enlightened One
appears with His radiant, golden
countenance and He smiles,
His mouth emitting innumerable rays of
light
Which illumine all the worlds in the ten
regions of the universe.
9. These effulgent rays of glorious light then
return to the Buddha,
they encircle His body three times and
enter the crown of His head.
All the gods and humans are delighted to
see this manifestation of pure light
and they are filled with great joy.
10.
Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, (71)
respectfully rearranges his robes, bows
his head,
and asks the Buddha: “Why do you smile so
broadly?
Pray, please tell me why.”
11. The
Buddha’s voice, like the great Brahma’s, rolling like magnificent thunder
unimpeded, and resounding with the eight
good qualities, (72)
He says: “I am going to give the
predictions of Buddhahood to the bodhisattvas.
I intend to declare them now. Listen
attentively!
12. “I know
all about the vows of the bodhisattvas who come from all over the universe.
They seek enlightenment to benefit all
beings.
They have also resolved to establish and
adorn their own Pure Lands.
After receiving my predictions, they
will all become Buddhas.
13. “While realizing that all the dharmas are
like dreams, illusions, or echoes,
they will fulfill all their sublime
vows,
and they will certainly create their
own Pure Lands
like the Ultimate Bliss.
14.
“Knowing that all things are like flashes of lightning or like shadows,
they will pursue the Bodhisattva Path to
its ultimate end,
and they will gather all kinds of merits
and virtues.
After receiving my predictions, they
will become Buddhas.
15.
“Penetrating the true nature of all the dharmas,
they realize that every thing is empty
and without a self.
They will single-mindedly seek to purify
and adorn their Pure Lands,
and surely they will establish them like
the Ultimate Bliss.”
16. All the
Buddhas tell the bodhisattvas to go and pay homage
to the Buddha of the Land of Peace
“Listen to Amitabha’s teaching, joyfully
accept and practice it,
so that you will quickly establish your
own Pure Lands.
17. “When
you go to the Land
of Ultimate Bliss
you will instantly acquire all the
supernatural powers.
And when you receive, without fail,
Amitabha’s predictions of Buddhahood
you will most assuredly attain the
Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment.
18. “By the
power of Amitabha’s Original Vows,
all those who hear His Name and desire
to be reborn in His Pure Land,
will, without exception, be reborn in
the Land of Utmost Bliss
and they will effortlessly enter the
Stage of Non-retrogression.
19.
“Bodhisattvas, if you make your vows
to
make your Pure Lands like the Ultimate Bliss
and to save all beings everywhere,
your names will be known in all the ten
regions of the universe.
20. “In
order to serve millions of the Tathagatas,
you can assume various forms and fly to
Their Buddha-lands.
After worshipping Them with joy in your
hearts,
You will return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss
21.
“Without a stock of good karma and merits,
one cannot hear this sutra.
But those who have strictly observed the
precepts (74)
Will eventually hear the True Dharma.
22. “One
who has met a World-Honoured One in the past
can accept this teaching with implicit faith.
Such a person respectfully worships,
hears and upholds it,
and such a person rejoices as well in
it.
23. “Those who are arrogant, corrupt or lazy,
they cannot readily accept this teaching.
But those who met Buddhas in their past
lives,
they will rejoice to hear it.
24.
“Neither the disciples nor the bodhisattvas can know
the Buddha’s Mind exhaustively’
it would be as if one born blind
might wish to lead all other people.
25. “The
ocean of the Tathagata’s wisdom
is immeasurably deep, vast and
boundless.
Many are the sages who cannot fathom its
fathomless depth.
Only the Buddhas can clearly know and
penetrate oceanic wisdom.
26. “Let us
suppose that all the human beings,
without exception, have attained
Enlightenment,
and with pure wisdom, they have realized
the intrinsic emptiness of all things.
Even if they were to meditate on the
Buddha’s wisdom for a million kalpas
27. “And
they were also to expound on it with their utmost diligence
and they were to do so all through their
lives,
they would not be able to cover the
limitless expanse of oceanic wisdom.
The Buddha’s omniscience is inexhaustible
and boundless. (75)
28.”To
obtain human life is difficult to the extreme,
To meet a Buddha in this world is also
extremely difficult.
It is also very difficult for a man to
have strong faith and wisdom.
When you hear this Dharma, strive to
reach its heart.
29. If and
when you hear the Dharma, you can keep it in your mind
and revere it with great joy,
you
are My good friend.
You should therefore aspire to attain the
Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment.
30, “Even
if the whole world were on fire, (76)
you should stay where you are and listen
to the Dharma.
With such a fearless and steadfast
resolution, you can enter the Path of the Buddha,
and you will be able to save living
beings everywhere and deliver all of them
from the ocean of birth and
death.” 30.11.2008 1026 1409
The
Bodhisattvas in Amitabha’s Pure
Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni
said to Ananda: “All the bodhisattvas in the Pure Land
“Ananda, the disciples
in this Pure Land
Ananda asked,”What are
the names of those two bodhisattvas?”
Shakyamuni Buddha answered: “One of them
is called Avalokiteshvara, Regarder of the Cries of the World, the Bodhisattva
of Great Compassion. And the other is Mahasthamaprapta, Possessed of Great
Power, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Boundless Light. Both of them had performed
the bodhisattva practices, and, at the end of their lives, were reborn by
spiritual transformation in the Pure Land of Amitabha.
“Ananda, all the
sentient beings in this Pure
Land
“No longer subject to
rebirth to rebirth in the evil realms or in the other worlds of Samsara, the
bodhisattvas in Amitabha’s Pure
Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni
then said to Ananda: “By the divine and spiritual power of the Buddha Amitabha,
the bodhisattvas in the Pure
Land
“And all their
offerings are the most precious, marvelous, and incomparable, unlike anything
in this world. When presented to all the Buddhas and to their large assemblies
of bodhisattvas and disciples, their offerings are released in the sky where
they magically change into canopies of flowers. The radiant colours of these
floral canopies shine with dazzling brilliance, and their subtlest fragrance
pervades everywhere. From flowers with a circumference of 120 miles, the floral
canopies continue to expand into space until they cover the entire cosmos.
“And in the midst of
this majestic floral display of unimaginable splendour, the bodhisattvas laugh
out of joy, and they play heavenly music in the air. With their very fine
voices, they sing rapturously in praise of the sublime virtues of the Buddhas.
They listen to the Dharma, and their joy knows no bounds. After paying their
homage to all the Buddhas, they return to the Pure Land
Amitabha and the Bodhisattvas Preach in the
Pure Land
The Buddha Shakyamuni then said to Ananda:
“The Buddha Amitabha preaches the Buddha Dharma to the great assembly of
disciples and bodhisattvas in the seven-jewelled lecture hall. He explains in
detail the Way of the ultimate spiritual liberation and Buddhahood, teaching the vastly profound
and wonderful Dharma with the all-knowing wisdom and supreme eloquence. Hearing
the Buddha speak the Dharma, all the disciples and bodhisattvas experience
ineffable joy, develop deep mental penetration and powerful far-reaching
insight, and they attain immeasurable enlightenment.
“Whenever a
gentle breeze arises spontaneously in each of the four directions and wafts
through the jewelled trees, it produces the perfect five tones of the musical
scale, and it spreads the most exquisite flowers here, there, and everywhere.
And such natural acts of worship take place unceasingly.
“Then from the
various heavens come all the gods, bringing with them countless heavenly
flowers and offerings of divine incense, and bearing thousands of musical
instruments as gifts to pay homage to Amitabha and to the great assembly of
disciples and bodhisattvas in the Pure Land. The gods scatter their flowers all
over, and they play their most delightful music. They come and go, one after
the other. Their joy and happiness are beyond words.”
The Buddha
Shakyamuni said to Ananda: “The bodhisattvas in this Pure Land
“With regard to
the ten thousand things of excellence in the Pure Land
“They have no
idea of self or others. They do not crave, nor do they compete or dispute.
Having complete self-control and tenderness, and feeling great compassion for
all living beings, they dedicate their heart and minds to working for the
benefit of all. Uncontaminated by mental defilements, their minds are stainless
and pure, serene, strong, and sturdy. Their minds are profound, and their
hearts sublime. Their hearts and minds truly cherish the Dharma, they rejoice
in the Dharma, and they revere the Dharma.
1.12.2008
1313
Ineffable are the Virtues of the Bodhisattvas
in the Pure Land of the Buddha Amitabha
“Having
extinguished the afflictions and evil passions, they have finally broken the
chains of karma, have obtained their irrevocable release from the universal
prison in Samsara, and they have found their spiritual liberation in the Pure Land
“With their
physical eyes, they can see very clearly and precisely, observing and
discerning the phenomenal things and events without error and without
attachment. With their divine eyes, they see everywhere and they perceive everything
far into infinite space. With their Dharma-eyes, they observe with great
insightfulness and see things as they really are, and they are able to follow
and penetrate all the paths of the Buddhas and of the bodhisattvas. With their
wisdom-eyes, they see the universal truth and the fundamental emptiness of all
dharmas, and they can easily cross over to the Other Shore of Nirvana. And with
the all-seeing and all-knowing vision of the Buddha-eye of omniscience, they
are fully endowed with the enlightened knowledge and immeasurable wisdom,
perfectly awakened to the intrinsic nature of all things.
“With
their unhindered knowledge and wisdom, they expound and teach the Dharma with
their limitless and masterful eloquence to the numberless sentient beings. With
equanimity, they observe the three world-systems of desire, form, and
formlessness in Samsara, and with profound insight, they perceive that the
Triple Realm is truly empty and devoid of the essence of real existence. (79)
“With
their great compassion and their ceaseless diligence, they continue to deepen
their mastery of all the Dharma-doors of emancipation and enlightenment that
will eventually end the incalculable afflictions of all living beings
in Samsara.
Always at great ease and totally free from all defilements, hindrances and
obscurations, these high-level bodhisattvas in Amitabha’s Pure Land have
acquired the full knowledge and capability to rescue sentient beings and to
lead them all to enlightenment.
“They
are always able to cultivate great compassion which is deep, far-reaching and
marvelous, embracing everything like the sky and bearing all like the Earth. On
the Single Path to Buddhahood, they are the spiritual adepts and travelers with
a return ticket to both Nirvana (where they can dwell in supreme bliss) and
Samsara (where their mission is to liberate and enlighten all beings). Having
cut and destroyed the knot of doubts, undefiled wisdom springs like an eternal
fountain from their pure minds. And there’s nothing that they do not comprehend
fully in the Buddha Dharma.
“Their
immeasurable wisdom is like the fathomless ocean, and their profound, deep and
abiding samadhi like Sumeru, the lofty king of mountains. The light of their
wisdom, bright and clear, outshines the sun and the moon.
“In
manifesting the brilliance and purity of their virtues, they are like the
snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas . In their forbearance and non-discriminatory
thoughts, they are like the Great Earth. In their perfectly ethical conduct,
they are like pristine water because they wash away all the afflictions and
defilements. They are like the King of Fire, because they consume the firewood
of all evil passions. They are like the Great Wind, because they travel freely
throughout all the worlds. They are like empty space and the open sky, because
they embrace and pervade all things, but without the slightest hint or the
faintest trace of attachment.
“They are like the white lotuses, because nothing in the world can
defile or stain them. They are like a great vehicle, because they carry the
multitudes of living beings out of the realms of birth and death. They are like
a heavy thundercloud, because they make the mighty thunder of the Dharma to
roll and roar and to awaken the ignorant and unenlightened. They are like the
great monsoon showers, because they rain down the nectar of the Dharma to
quench the spiritual thirst of all sentient beings.
“They are like the Adamantine
Mountains
“They are like the golden-winged Garuda eagle, the king of the birds,
because they protect the Dharma and crush the arguments of doubters,
non-believers, skeptics and the others lacking faith and knowledge. They are
like the migratory birds, because there is nothing they will hoard or store.
“They are like the king bulls, because they are the most powerful in the
great herd of living beings and none can vanquish them. They are like the
majestic elephants, because they control their minds perfectly, and their
powerful and imperturbable mien puts their adversaries instantly to flight.
They are like the noble thoroughbred steeds, because they are very well trained
and highly disciplined. They are like the magnificent lion, the monarch of the
beasts, because they possess extraordinary and peerless courage, confidence,
and fearlessness.
“They are like the vast and all-encompassing sky, because their great
compassion is boundless, open to all, present everywhere and unrestricted, and
the same towards all living beings.
“They are full of
patience and tenderness. They are totally free from envy because they do not
crave the success that others enjoy. With singleness of heart is their endless
pursuit of the truth of the Dharma. They are like emerald, by virtue of their
moral excellence and their exemplary persistence in keeping the precepts. They
are like the inestimable jewel mines, by virtue of their precious and profound
learning and their immeasurable store of indestructible wisdom.
“They
are extraordinarily sweet-voiced, because they sound like the great drum of the
Dharma. They beat the great kettledrums of the Dharma, they blow the great conch
shells of the Dharma, they raise the great banners of the Dharma, they light
the great torches of the Dharma and obliterate the darkness of ignorance.
“They always carry out the
bodhisattva’s six compassionate acts of accord and respect (80), and they
always give the gift of the Dharma to all the other sentient beings. In their
quiet and deep concentration, they illuminate all Dharmas clearly. Thus they
become the bright lamps to the world, and
through
perfect conduct they become unsurpassable fields of merit for emulation.
“They are in full possession of all the powers for doing good, guiding
and benefiting all the others: the power over causes and conditions, the power
of resolve and the power of the universal vow, the power of the skilful use of
salvific means to lead and rescue others, the power of continuous practice, the
power that is unremitting, the indestructible power for good, the power of
strong and sustained concentration, the powers of transcendent knowledges and
intuitive penetrative wisdom, the power derived from attentive and
comprehensive learning, the powers of generosity,
morality,
patience, spiritual vigour and dedication, mindfulness and meditative concentration,
the power of right mindfulness, the powers of tranquility and insight, the
powers of contemplation and absorption, the supernatural faculties and powers,
and the power of taming and training all living beings in the Dharma. The
bodhisattvas in Amitabha’s Pure
Land
“They have all the physical characteristics and marks. Merits and
virtues, and inexhaustible eloquence of the Buddhas and leading major
bodhisattvas. They honour, worship, and make the most splendid offerings to the
innumerable Buddhas, and they in turn are praised by all the Buddhas.
“They have developed the perfect virtues and the perfections of the
bodhisattvas. Having practiced the various samadhis, they further their
spiritual advancement by continuing to practice the samadhis of emptiness,
non-form and non-desire, the samadhi of non-arising and non-ceasing, and many
others. (81) In their spiritual progress, they are far ahead of the disciples
and the solitary and self-developed adepts.
“Ananda, these bodhisattvas in the Pure Land
The Buddha exhorts all the Gods and the Humans
to seek their Spiritual Liberation in the Pure Land
Then the
Buddha Shakyamuni said to the Bodhisattva Maitreya and to the assembly of gods
and humans, including a large group of highly cultivated monks, at the Vulture Peak Magadha Pure Land Pure Land
“Strive
to free yourselves from the shackles of ignorance and suffering in Samsara, and
to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Then you will be totally free
from all the afflictions, defilements, and evil passions that bind all beings
in the five realms of Samsara (82), and you will progress unhindered in the Way
of Spiritual Liberation and Enlightenment. The Pure Land Pure Land Pure
Land
“Therefore, you should think deeply and try to avoid the various evil
acts, pursue the good life and practice virtuous conduct diligently to seek deliverance from Samsara. All the
sensual pleasure, worldly success and prosperity, pomp and vainglory cannot
last long. All must pass; there’s nothing in this world that you can really
enjoy. Since you’ve met a Buddha who has taught you the Dharma and the Way of
Enlightenment, you should cultivate assiduously until you achieve your final
spiritual goal. Spare no effort in your spiritual practice.
“Anyone who sincerely seeks birth in the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss
will attain the purity of undefiled wisdom and supreme virtues when reborn in
Amitabha’s Pure Land
Maitreya salutes the Buddha and praises His
teachings
The Bodhisattva Maitreya knelt on both knees and said to the Buddha
Shakyamuni: Your majestic glory, O Buddha, is awe-inspiring, and Your
exposition of the Dharma is most pleasing to me. In Your great compassion, You
have revealed to us the Great Way
“”Indeed the Buddha’s teachings are most excellent and profound. The
light of His wisdom can be seen in all the regions of the universe as well as
in the three periods of time – the past, the future, and the present. There is
nothing that is not penetrated by this light of omniscient wisdom, by which we
all are now guided and brought to our goal of spiritual liberation in our
present lifetime. All of this benefit flows from the Buddha’s numerous
lifetimes of highly dedicated cultivation of the Way of the Supreme, Perfect
Enlightenment.
“The Buddha’s most glorious and
radiant light penetrates to the extreme ends of space and guides numberless
sentient beings to the bright realm of Nirvana. The Buddha discloses the deep
knowledge and wisdom of the Dharma, corrects all wrong views, and subdues the
hosts of demons. Thus His guiding light and influence extends boundlessly in
the ten directions of the universe.
“The Buddha
is the King of the Dharma; His virtues surpass those of all the other sages in
all the billion worlds of the universe. He is the Teacher of all gods and
humans, and He empowers and guides them to enter the Way according to their
wishes and capabilities. Today we have the opportunity of meeting the Buddha
and listening to Him, hearing Him speak and teach, we have from Him the Name of
the Buddha Amitabha, and we have also heard Amitabha’s divinely resonant voice
sounding like Brahma’s. We’ve felt the highest joy, our minds have opened up to
the Buddha’s radiant light, and to the Way of spiritual
liberation and enlightenment “
The Buddha
Shakyamuni then said to the Bodhisattva Maitreya: “If one reveres the Buddha
with devotion, one will certainly gain great merit. A long, long time will pass
in this world before the appearance of another Buddha. Having become a Buddha
in this life, my mission is to reveal and spread the Dharma, cut and destroy
the net of doubts, extract the roots of lust and craving and block the various
sources of evil. And, freely, I travel throughout the three worlds in Samsara –
to teach, to free, and to enlighten all sentient beings. (83)
“The wisdom
of the Dharma contains the essence of the myriad paths of emancipation and
enlightenment taught by the innumerable Buddhas. The Dharma sheds light on the
five states of existence in Samsara, liberates those held in thralldom to the
cycle of birth and death, and assures certain access to Nirvana to all those on
the path of spiritual liberation.
“Maitreya,
you should know that from time immemorial, you and all the devas and humans in
the ten directions of the universe have been drifting and floundering in the
five realms of Samsara, experiencing indescribable sufferings and afflictions.
And until now you remain shackled to the chains of birth and death in the
unbreakable prison of Samsara. And now you’ve met the Buddha, you’ve listened
to hHis teachings on spiritual liberation and enlightenment, and you’ve also heard
Him talk about the Buddha Amitabha of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Wonderful! Excellent! I come now to give you a helping hand and bring you joy.
“It’s time for
all to seek deliverance from the sharp pains and sufferings of birth, sickness,
old age, and death… Seek your own emancipation, and then turn to saving and
freeing the others; right now you can aspire to be born in the Pure Land
“However hard you may practice in this
life, it can only be for a short while. In the life to come you will be reborn
in the Pure Land Pure
Land
“You should all
seek to be reborn in the Pure
Land Pure Land Pure Land Pure
Land Pure Land Pure Land Pure Land
Ananda’s Vision of the Pure Land
The
Buddha Shakyamuni then said to Ananda: “Stand up and face west. Rearrange your
robes, hold your palms together in homage, and worship the Buddha
Amitabha. All the Buddhas in the ten regions of the universe always proclaim
and praise the Name of the Buddha Amitabha, the perfectly spotless and pure One
Who is wholly free from all attachments and hindrances.”
Ananda stood up, rearranged his robes, and, keeping his body erect,
faced toward the west. Reverently holding his palms together, he prostrated
himself, touching the ground with his forehead, and then paid homage to the
Buddha of Infinite Light and Life.
Then he said to the Buddha Shakyamuni: “O
World-Honoured One! I wish to see Amitabha Buddha, His Pure Land, and its
legions of bodhisattvas and disciples.”
As
soon as Ananda said this, the Buddha Amitabha emitted a great light to
illuminate all the Buddha-lands in the universe, And in each of the
Buddha-lands, the central mountain system of Mount Sumeru
At
that moment, Ananda saw the golden majesty and splendour of the Buddha
Amitabha, towering above all, like Mount
Sumeru Pure Land Vulture Peak
Then the Buddha Shakyamuni said to Ananda and the Bodhisattva Maitreya:
“Have you seen the Land
of Ultimate Bliss
Ananda replied, “Yes, I have.”
The Buddha asked: “Have you also heard the great voice of Amitabha
Buddha expounding the Dharma to all the worlds, guiding sentient beings to the
Way of the Buddha?”
Ananda replied, “Yes, I have also heard.”
The Buddha further asked: “Have
you also seen how the inhabitants of the Pure Land
Ananda replied, “I have also seen
them.”
Then the Buddha asked: “Have you also seen that the inhabitants on the
border of the Pure
Land Pure Land
Ananda replied, “I have seen them.”
The Buddha
then said to him: “Those in the embryonic state dwell in sumptuous palaces,
where they spontaneously enjoy pleasures like the gods and celestials in the
Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods. But, they will be held in confinement for five
hundred years in those palaces.” (86)
The Two Kinds of Rebirth in the Pure Land
Then the Bodhisattva Maitreya asked
the Buddha: “World-Honoured One, why are some of the inhabitants in the embryonic
state and the others born by transformation in the Pure Land
The Buddha
said: “Maitreya, some sentient beings cultivate merits and virtues and they
aspire for rebirth in the Pure
Land
“Although
they doubt these wisdoms, they still believe in karmic retribution for evil and
reward for virtue, and so they do various good deeds and they aspire to be
reborn in Amitabha’s Pure
Land Pure Land Pure Land
“But if
sentient beings have strong and pure faith in the five wisdoms, from the
Buddha’s inexhaustible and all-encompassing wisdom to the supreme wisdom of
perfect accomplishment, and if they perform meritorious and virtuous deeds and
transfer their merits to the Pure
Land Pure Land
Furthermore,
Maitreya, if the great bodhisattvas in the other regions of the universe wish
to see and worship Amitabha, and bring offerings to the Buddha and to the hosts
of bodhisattvas and disciples, they will, after death, be reborn in the Pure
Land of Ultimate Bliss. They will be reborn by spontaneous transformation in
the lotus flowers of the seven jewels.
“Maitreya,
you should know that those reborn by transformation have much wisdom, while
those in the embryonic state have not cultivated wisdom in their past lives.
And so those lacking faith, knowledge and wisdom must dwell in confinement for
five hundred years without being able to see the Buddha, hear Him teach the
Dharma… Therefore, all beings should have pure and resolute faith in the supreme
wisdom of the Buddha…” 5.12.2008 0255
Bodhisattvas from all the other Buddha-Lands will
be reborn in Ultimate Bliss
The Bodhisattva Maitreya asked the
Buddha Shakyamuni: “World-Honoured One, how many non-retrogressive bodhisattvas
will be born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?” (88)
The
Buddha replied: “Sixty-seven million non-retrogressive bodhisattvas from this
world will be born there. Every one of them had previously made offerings to
innumerable Buddhas, with almost as much diligence and devotion as you did,
Maitreya. Furthermore, bodhisattva of the lower stages of spiritual development
and those who have performed acts of less merit and virtue, whose number is
beyond calculation, will also be reborn in the Pure Land of the Buddha
Amitabha.”
The
Buddha added: “Not only those bodhisattvas from this world but also those from
the other Buddha-lands in the ten regions of the universe will be reborn in Ultimate
Bliss:
“From the world of the Buddha Dushprasaha
(Far Shining), one hundred and eighty
million bodhisattvas will be born there.
“From the world of the Buddha Ratnakara
(Jewel-storehouse), ninety million
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Jyotispraha
(Immeasurable Sound), two hundred and
twenty million bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Amritarasa
(Taste of Nectar), two hundred and fifty
million bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Nagabhibu
(Dragon Victor), fourteen million
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha
Virajapraha (Victorious Power Brilliance), fourteen
thousand
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Simha
(Lion), five hundred million bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Shrikuta
(Charming Light), eighty million
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Narendraraja (Most Virtuous King), sixty million
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha
Balabhijna (Mount of Wondrous Virtue),
sixty
million bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha
Pushpadhvaja (Human King), ten million
bodhisattvas…
“From the world of the Buddha Jvalanadhipati
(Exquisite Flowers), innumerable
non-retrogressive bodhisattvas of
unrivalled wisdom will be born there.
“From the world of the Buddha
Vaisharadyaprapta (Fearless) will come seven
hundred and ninety million great bodhisattvas and
bodhisattvas of the lower
stages as well as monks whose number
cannot be told. All of them will be reborn
in Amitabha’s Pure Land
The Buddha
said to Maitreya: “It is not only the bodhisattvas and other beings from these
fourteen Buddha-lands, but also those from the other countless Buddha-lands in
the ten regions of the universe who will be reborn in the Pure Land
The Power of Faith and the Transmission of the
Pure Land Dharma
Then the Buddha Shakyamuni said to
the Bodhisattva Maitreya: “Anyone who hears the Name of the Buddha Amitabha,
rejoices in faith, and is mindful of the Buddha, even if only for a single
moment of thought, gains the great benefit of the unsurpassed virtue and
inconceivable grace. This is why, Maitreya, even if a great fire were to
engulf the whole universe of a thousand
million worlds, you should go through this cosmic conflagration to hear this
Pure Land teaching, to accept and uphold it
with pure faith and joy, to chant or read this sutra, and to practice
according to its teaching.
“Why? Because there
are many bodhisattvas who wish to hear this sutra, but yet are not able to do
so. Any sentient being who hears it, will attain the Stage of Non-retrogression
for realizing the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. Therefore you should
singlemindedly accept this Pure Land teaching and uphold it with strong and
enduring faith, chant or recite this Pure Land sutra, and practice according to
its teaching…”
Final Exhortation
In conclusion, the Buddha Shakyamuni said to
the Bodhisattva Maitreya: “It is difficult to meet a Tathagata face to face
when He is in this world. Difficult it is to access, to hear the Buddha’s
teachings. Difficult too is it to meet a good teacher, to hear the Dharma, and
to perform the spiritual practices. And, it is the most difficult of all
difficult things to hear this Pure
Land
Coda: Impact on the Audience
When the World-Honoured One completed
delivering this Pure Land Dharma, innumerable sentient beings aspired to attain
the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. The human beings in one thousand and two
hundred trillion Buddha-lands obtained the pure Dharma-eye with clear vision
into the nature of all things. Twenty-two million gods and humans became
non-returners to Samsara, having reached the third of the four stages of
sainthood. Eight hundred thousand monks became arhats, the most highly
accomplished saints. Forty million bodhisattvas advanced to the Stage of
Non-retrogression.
Then, the entire universe
of a thousand million worlds shook in six ways, and a great light shone over
all the countless Buddha-lands. Hundreds of thousands of melodies of divine
music arose in the air spontaneously. Innumerable mandarava flowers perfumed
the air as they rained down from the heavens.
As the Buddha Shakyamuni concluded His
delivery of the Pure Land Dharma, the Bodhisattva Maitreya and all the other
bodhisattvas from the ten regions of the universe, the Elder Ananda, all the
Buddha’s great disciples, and all the many others present in this vast audience,
having heard what the Buddha said and taught, all of them rejoiced in their
extraordinary blessing of having been shown the Pure Land Path to Buddhahood.
With this concludes the Infinite
Life Sutra on the virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, exhorting mindfulness of the
Buddha of Infinite Light and Life, and urging all sentient beings to seek
rebirth in the Pure
Land
NAMO
AMITABHA
To
commemorate the birthday of the Buddha Amitabha on the 17th day of
the 11th lunar month corresponding to 14 December 2008 5-6.12.2008 0136 0327 7.12.2008 0245 0315
12.12.2008 0739
Notes
67. Because of the ineffable
brilliance of the inexhaustible light from its countless effulgent lotus
flowers of various colours, the Pure
Land Land of Infinite Light
In THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (pp. 29-30), the Japanese Pure
Land Pure Land Pure Land
Inagaki explains (p. 201): “On
the highest level of reality, Amitabha is the Dharmakaya and his Pure Land Pure
Land
In fulfillment of Vow 11, all
beings born in the Pure
Land
In Theravada Buddhism, all the
spiritual aspirants who enter the mainstream of sainthood , from the first
stage (sotapanna) to the fourth and final stage of arahantship, are destined
for full spiritual liberation, perfect enlightenment and Buddhahood.
Please also refer to Notes
(9).
- On the Stage
of Non-retrogression, please refer Note (42).
In the Mahayana tradition, the
bodhisattvas on the stage of non-retrogression belong to the eighth of the ten
stages of bodhisattvahood.
In the Mahavastu, the eminent monk Venerable Maha-Katyayana said to the
Venerable Maha-Kasyapa: “Starting on the Eighth Stage, the Bodhisattvas are to
be honored with the honor due to a Samyaksambuddha (the Fully Enlightened One).
“On this point it is said:
“Starting from the Eighth Stage, the Bodhisattvas, born from the Victor’s
heart, are to be regarded as Samyaksambuddhas.
For after that they do not regress (on their way to complete enlightenment)…””
As quoted in THE LION’S ROAR OF SRIMALA, translated
by Alex Wayman and Hideko Wayman,
1990, p. 33.
The bodhisattvas on
the Eighth stage attain the power of knowing, purifying and destroying all
defilements. “Having
extinguished the karmic afflictions and evil passions, they (the bodhisattvas
in Amitabha’s Pure Land
Buddha said to
Ananda. “Taking the Single Path to Buddhahood, they will confidently reach the
Other Shore of Nirvana
- It is
explained in THE THREE PURE LAND
SUTRAS (pp. 24-25) that the Buddha Amitabha
“is able to manifest
innumerable transformed bodies to accommodate the different needs of beings…”
CONTINUED
NEXT PAGE
On birth in a lotus flower in
Sukhavati, Amitabha’s Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the great 19th
century Tibetan master Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887) has given a vivid
description:
“The rays emanating from the
Buddha will cause the lotus prtals to open, and one will miraculously emerge
from the fully blossoming flower, equipped with a beautiful body endowed with
the major and minor marks of buddhahood.
“Subsequently, one will live
in the presence of the Buddha Amitabha and other enlightened beings – a manner
of dwelling far superior to the foul tenements of ordinary beings. And
nourished by the Dharma, one will become a fortunate child of the Sugastas
(Buddhas)…”
--THE NECTAR OF MANJUSHRI’S
SPEECH by Kunzang Pelden, 2008, pp. 248=249
On the practice that
will bring about one’s birth in Sukhavati, Patrul Rinpoche has cited (what he
himself had
performed his whole spiritual life): “the visualization of Buddha Amitabha and
the
recitation of his
name…” (Ibid., pp. 400-401)
In a letter to the layman
Ch’en Hsi-chen, Master Yin Kuang (1861-1940) wrote that “anyone who
recites His name (Amitabha) with utter sincerity, vowing
to leave the Saha world (this world of
endurance, this
present world of ours full of afflictions and sufferings) behind, will be
welcomed
and escorted to the Pure Land
from the excrement pit and the prison of the
defiled world, guide them to the Land
of Ultimate
Bliss, and help them
enter the realms of the Buddhas to assume the prerogatives and functions of
the Tathagatas (the
Buddhas)…”
-- PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND: Letters from Patriarch Yin Kuang. P.
60
“Those who die with
an unswerving faith in the Buddha Amitabha, those who hear his name,
or see him mentally
or physically, are sure to be reborn in his Land of Bliss
Professor of
Buddhist Studies at the University
of Michigan
translation of the
Sanskrit text of the Longer Sukavativyuha, the premier Pure Land
- Birth and
death are the karmic chains of Samsara (the interminable cycle of
rebirths).
In the vast realms of Samsara
from the lowest hells to the highest heavens, the law of karma (volitional
action with its inevitable consequence) is the law of causality, and subject to
it, the wheel of rebirths keeps on spinning and turning ad infinitum.
“Ignorance is the deep
delusion wherein we here so long are circling,” says the Buddha (Sutta Nipata verse 730).
“Those who have destroyed
delusion and broken through the dense darkness will wander no more: :causality
exists no more for them…” (Itivuttaka)
The Buddhas refer to Themselves
as the Tathagathas who have discovered and realized the Four
Noble Truths of
existential suffering, its cause (ignorance-spawned craving), its cessation,
and
the Noble Eightfold
Path of spiritual liberation and
enlightenment leading to the total cessation
of suffering. All
the Buddhas teach the Four Noble Truths.
- One of the two
major bodhisattvas assisting the Buddha Amitabha in the
Avalokiteshvara represents the
Buddha’s great compassion. Also known as Kuan Yin and revered throughout East Asia .
- As explained
by Gomez (THE LAND OF BLISS, p.
25), the eight good qualities “refer to a
traditional Chinese list of
forensic virtues: pleasant speech, intelligible speech, comforting or soothing
speech, soft speech, inerrant (correct/proper) speech, masculine speech,
imposing speech, and speech in a voice with good projection.
- Land of Peace
and Provision is another name of Amitabha’s
- For the laymen
and the laywomen, the five precepts (pancasila) are: (1) not killing, (2)
not
stealing, (3) not committing
adultery or other sexual misconduct, (4)
not telling lies, and
(5) not consuming
intoxicants.
While a novice must
observe the ten precepts, a monk must abide by 250 precepts.
75. In Book 22 of the Avatamsaka Sutra (translated by Dr Thomas Cleary, Shambha, Boston
1993, p. 485), the Bodhisattva
Forest of Virtues said: “The enlightening beings (bodhisattvas) have
wholehearted, firm faith in the
Buddhas; they know the knowledge and wisdom of the Buddhas
are boundless and
inexhaustible…”
76. In the Fire
Sermon which the Blessed One delivered in the presence of of one thousand
monks at
Gaya Head, the Buddha Shakyamuni
taught that “all things are on fire” in the afflicted human
condition, explaining
that the six human faculties (the five senses and the mind) are on fire,
ignited
and fuelled by the
human afflictions, defilements and passions as well as by the sufferings
accompanying human
birth.
In THE TEACHINGS OF THE COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA (published by Mentor
expresses in vivid
form one characteristic emphasis of Theravada Buddhism – in the need of turning
away in utter aversion
from everything in our nature which is on fire with craving, so that we may
achieve the “coolness”
of Nirvana…”
When the flames of
craving are extinguished, the incendiary nature of ignorance is also smothered.
The purifying power of
wisdom ultimately prevails, abiding in the coolness of its light of pristine
purity.
77.
The five corruptions and defilements are:
(1)
defilement of kalpa (extremely long period of time
like an eon), marked by famines, plagues, and wars
(2)
defilement of views, because of wrong views
(3)
defilement by evil passions
(4)
defilement of sentient beings who reject morality and
the law of karma, who are
physically and mentally weak,
and suffer greatly, and
(5)
defilement of life with the shortening of the human
lifespan.
The five corruptions and
defilements become serious when the human lifespan falls
below the century benchmark.
- The seven factors and practices for the
attainment of Enlightenment:
(1) discriminating the true
teaching from the false
(2) practicing the true
teaching
(
3) rejoicing in the true
teaching
(4) eliminating indolence and
attaining comfort and relaxation
(5) being mindful so as to
keep the balance between concentration and insight
(6) concentration, and
(7) detaching one’s thoughts
from external objects, thereby securing serenity of mind.
Above extracted from THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 414
In Book 39 entitled
‘Entry into the Realm of Reality’ in the Avatamsaka
Sutra (translated by
Thomas Cleary, 1993,
p. 1158), the Bodhisattva Valiant One spoke in verse:
…They will be
sure of enlightenment, having seen the Buddha,
And will be
certain that they will become buddhas themselves…
79. On the three worlds, please refer to Note
(44).
80. The six compassionate acts of a bodhisattva for approaching and saving the other sentient
beings:
(1)
observing the same precepts as the others
(2)
sharing the same views as the others
(3)
doing the same practices as the others
(4)
kind acts to others
(5)
kind speech, and
(6)
kind-heartedness (a good heart).
n THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 414
81.
In the samadhi (intense mental concentration) of
emptiness, non-form and non-desire, one
realizes that the dharmas
(things, events, phenomena) are empty. In the samadhi of non-arising
and non-ceasing, one gains the
insight into emptiness, that things neither arise nor cease, that
When a bodhisattva realizes
this insight, he has reached the stage of non-retrogression, the eighth of the
ten stages on the Bodhisattva Path to Buddhahood.
Describing Amitabha”s Pure Land
“Amitabha’s light of
transcendent wisdom cannot be separated from the samadhi in which he dwells. From
it he radiates boundless light, and manifests in it his body and land. Those
born in the Pure Land
2.12.2008 2307
82.
The five realms of Samsara are the five karma-bound
states of existence in
Samsara: the hells and the
realms of the hungry ghosts, animals, humans and gods.
“…Friends, there is no
happiness in this swamp of samsara, so move to the firm ground
of liberation,” advises Atisha
(AD 982-1054), Buddhist scholar and meditation master, the abbot of the great
Vikramashila monastery in India, invited to Tibet where he led the re-establishment
of Buddhism, and founded the Kadampa tradition – Advice from Atisha’s Heart, in
response to Jongchub O’s request to address his farewell teaching after two
years of teaching in Tibet, fully excerpted in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: Transforming your Life: A Blissful Journey,
Tharpa Publications, Ulverston, England, 2001, p. 375
83.
The three worlds represent the three levels of
existence in Samsara: (1) the world of desire
comprising the hells and
the realms of the hungry ghosts,
animals, humans, and the six heavens, (2) the world of form in the four Dhyana
heavens, and (3) the world of non-form of the four supernal heavenly abodes.
84.
Effortless spontaneity is the ultimate state of
Enlightenment in which everything occurs in accord
with truth and reality without
effort; the nirvanic state to be attained in the Pure Land
According to Pure Land
Patriarch T’an-luan (476-542), Amitabha’s Pure Land is beyond Samsara, void of
delusion and evil passions, and capable of purifying living beings born there,
freeing them from false views and attachments. Those born there will eventually
realize the “unconditioned Dharmakaya” (Nirvana, complete spiritual
purification, liberation, and enlightenment).
Following his experience of
attaining the samadhi (deep meditative concentration) of visualizing the Buddha
Amitabha and the Pure
Land Land of Utmost Bliss
The seventh century master has
also stressed the significance of the practice of reciting singlemindedly the
Buddha’s Name (Amitabha), calling it
the “act of right assurance.” It has the power of assuring its exponent or its faithful
practitioner of attaining the ultimate Buddhahood vis-à-vis the Buddha’s Vows
11 and 18.
In THE
THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS (p. 108),
Pure Land scholar Dr Hisao Inagaki comments: “All that is required of the
aspirant for birth (in the Pure Land) is
simply to receive and make use of Amitabha’s (vast and inexhaustible) merits;
this he (or she) can do by repeating the Name with singleness of mind..”
Inagaki adds (p. 201): “On the
highest level of reality, Amitabha is the Dharmakaya and his Pure Land
85.
In THE THREE
PURE LAND SUTRAS (pp, 398-399), Inagaki explains the fate of those reborn
in the embryonic state in the Pure :and: “…the aspirants to the Pure Land who cultivate merits by doing good acts but
fail to awake to the Buddha’s wisdom are, metaphorically, born within
lotus-buds or confined in a palace, where they stay for 500 years without being
able to see or hear the true Buddha, Dharna and Sangha; opposed to ‘born by
transformation’.”
Earkier in the Sutra, the
Buddha Shakyamuni said to the Bodhisattva Maitreya that the same fate awaits
those Pure Land
On the spiritually transformed
beings, those born by spontaneous transformation in the Pure Land
86.
The Heaven of Thirty-three Gods sits on top of Mount Sumeru
of the 32 gods, Indra lives in
the palace at the centre. Please also refer Note (49).
In Book 31 of the Avatamsaka Sutra (translated by Thomas
Cleary, 1993, p. 905), the Bodhisattva Mind King says that “one eon (kalpa) in
this world Endurance, the field of Shakyamuni Buddha, is a day and night in the
world Bliss, the field of Amitabha Buddha…”
87.
In the ancient Dzogchen teachings of Tibetan Buddhism,
Rigpa, the radiant, empty and
all-encompassing nature of
mind (Buddha-nature), has five wisdoms with their attributes and qualities of
openness, precision, all-embracing equality, discernment, and spontaneous
accomplishment.
As described by Sogyal
Rinpoche in his best-selling spiritual classic THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING (published by HarperCollins,
San Francisco, 1993/2003, p. 157):
“Its openness and vastness is
the “wisdom of all-encompassing space,” the womb of compassion.
“Its capacity to reflect in
precise detail whatever comes before it is the “mirror-like wisdom.”
“Its fundamental lack of any
bias toward any impression is the “equalizing wisdom.”
“Its ability to distinguish
clearly, without confusing in any way the various different phenomena that
arise, is the “wisdom of discernment.”
“And its potential of having
everything already accomplished, perfected, and spontaneously present is the
“all-accomplishing wisdom”…”
28,418 words (68 pages)
5.12.2008 0410
88.
Non-retrogressive bodhisattvas are assured of
attaining Buddhahood.
They are on the eighth stage
or higher in the ten stages of bodhisattvahood.
Please also refer to Notes
(42) and (67).
89.
In Pure
Land
Name (Amitabha) with the vow of obtaining rebirth in the Pure Land of
Infinite Light and Life.
In a letter to two brothers in
Yungchia, China, the 20th century Pure Land Patriarch Yin Kuang
(1861-1940) urged them to encourage their parents to recite the Buddha’s Name
and seek their rebirth in the Pure Land in order “to be close to Amitabha
Buddha and achieve the boundless Self-Nature of light and life (that is, to
attain the complete spiritual liberation and enlightenment)…”
The New York-based Van Hien
Study Group explains:
“Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha
of Infinite Light and Life. Our enlightened Self-Nature, intrinsically bright
and everlasting, is, therefore, Amitabha Buddha. This is the rationale for
Buddha Recitation (the mindful practice of reciting the Name of the Buddha
Amitabha)…”
-- PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, 1993, p. 96
Spiritual fusion and oneness with
the Buddha is achievable through the singleminded
concentration on
the Buddha’s Name and the total mindfulness of the Buddha.
90. As it is said in the Mahayana Scripture, the Uttaratantra-shastra:
Ultimately, only buddhahood is the refuge
Of
all wandering beings (in Samsara).
For
Buddha has the Dharma-body (the Dharmakaya);
And
ultimately he too is the Sangha (the universal spiritual community).
As
quoted in THE NECTAR OF MANJUSHRI’S
SPEECH
by
Kunzang Pelden, 2008, p. 85
Mahasthama
Mindfulness Centre
25
Selasar Rokam 40
31350
Ipoh
Telephone:
05-3134941
29,759 words (72 pages) 6.12.2008 0239 7,12.2008 0252
THE SUTRA
ON THE
BUDDHA
OF
INFINITE LIFE
Comments
Post a Comment