THE SUTRA OF PROTECTION BY ALL THE BUDDHAS
THE AMITABHA SUTRA
AN INTRODUCTION
“…I help all living beings of this world to control
their thoughts by repeating the Buddha’s name (Amitabha)
so that they can reach the Pure Land…”
--- Bodhisattva Mahasthama (Great Power, Boundless Light),
THE SURANGAMA SUTRA
“I attained omniscience because in ages past I contemplated
Buddha, recited the Buddha-name, and supported the Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha,” Bodhisattva Manjushri (the Perfection
of Wisdom) said to Fa-chao. the Fourth Pure Land Patriarch.
“All the phenomena of enlightenment, from the perfection of
wisdom, to meditative concentration, to Buddhahood, are all born
from reciting the Buddha-name (Amitabha). Thus we know that
reciting the Buddha-name is the king of all the dharmas…”
--- Direct Pointing to the Source by 16th century Zen Master Tsung-pen
“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 and Peace…”
--- Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy).
THE AVATAMSAKA SUTRA 5.5.2006 2156
THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AMITABHA SUTRA
In one of the celebrated commentaries on The Amitabha Sutra, Yun-ch’i Chu-hung (1535-1615), the Eighth Pure Land Patriarch, has cited ten reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha delivered this important sutra which teaches that holding fast to the Name of Amitabha Buddha is the simplest and easiest practice containing the essentials of the Pure Land path to spiritual emancipation and enlightenment. (1)
The main reasons include the following:
Ω To emancipate beings in the last Dharma-age (a 10,000-year period of spiritual decline starting from 1,500 years after the Buddha Shakyamuni’s parinirvana, i.e. from 1,000 years ago)
Ω To provide a superior method of salvation
Ω To deliver from Samsara (the cycle of rebirths) all beings
Ω To show a path to rebirth in the Pure Land (of Amitabha) in order to bring sentient beings finally to the realization of non-birth (i.e. release from the samsaric cycle of rebirths, spiritual liberation)
Ω To enable beings to reach quickly (instead of many eons and kalpas) the stage of non-retrogression (thus assuring them their success in attaining complete enlightenment and Buddhahood.)
THE PURE LAND TRIAD OF FAITH, VOWS, AND PRACTICE
As taught in The Amitabha Sutra, Chu-hung has written that there are three requisites for attaining birth in the Pure Land: (1) Faith that one can be born in the Pure Land and realize Buddhahood by practicing the nien-fo (reciting the Buddha’s Name), (2) Aspiration to be born in the Pure Land (of Amitabha), and (3) Practice of the nien-fo in holding fast to the Buddha’s Name with “a concentrated and undistracted mind,” thinking only of the Name (Amitabha), without being distracted by other thoughts, controlling one’s mind and keeping evil passions from arising, and progressing until the stage of deep and penetrative mindfulness leading (through Amitabha’s spiritual power) to realization of the One Mind, spiritual union with the Buddha through the Nienfo Samadhi (deep and far-reaching concentration). (2)
“If you can recite so completely that you enter the Buddha-recitation samadhi, then by hearing the wind, it’s Namo Amitabha Buddha (Homage to Amitabha Buddha), and hearing the rain, it’s Namo Amitabha Buddha. Every sound you hear recites the Buddha’s Name,” Master Hsuan Hua explained to his American disciples at the Gold Mountain Monastery, San Francisco, in the fall of 1969. (3) 5.5.2006 2357
On the essence of the Amitabha Sutra, the Ninth Pure Land Patriarch Ou-i (1599-1655) has written that of all the expedient methods in Pure Land practice to attain spiritual liberation and enlightenment, “the best is to develop faith and vows and to concentrate on reciting the Buddha-name.
“This is the reason that the ancients took the Amitabha Sutra as their daily study guide, though three Pure Land scriptures (the other two being The Teaching of Infinite Life and Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life) have circulated side by side in the world over the generations. (The Amitabha Sutra will be the last sutra to remain in the Dharma-ending Age.)
“The Amitabha Sutra shows that the method of reciting the Buddha-name applies to people of high, medium, and limited capacities. It encompasses both the level of phenomena, and the level of inner truth (noumenon), omitting nothing… (4)
“The essential principle for cultivation in this sutra is to develop faith and vows and to recite the Buddha-name (Amitabha). Without faith (in oneself, in all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and in the power of reciting the Buddha’s Name singlemindedly), we are not sufficiently equipped to take vows. Without vows (seeking rebirth in the Pure Land), we are not sufficiently equipped to guide our practice. Without the wondrous practice of reciting the Buddha-name, we are not sufficiently equipped to fulfill our vows and to bring our faith to fruition…” (5) (Ou-i has described the practice of reciting the Buddha’s Name as “the route of direct ascent (to enlightenment) with no falling back,” or non-retrogression). (5)
“The principles of this Sutra are: Faith (in oneself and the Pure Land Dharma-door), Vows (the personal vow of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land and the four great vows of bodhisattvas to save all living beings, end all afflictions, study all Dharma-doors, and to realize the Supreme Buddha Way), and Practice – Holding the Buddha’s Name; (Mindfulness of Buddha) these are the three prerequisites of the Pure Land Dharma-door,” Master Hsuan Hua has explained. (6)
“One who goes on a journey takes along some food and a little money. One who wishes to go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss (the Pure Land of Amitabha) needs faith, vows, and the practice of holding the Buddha’s Name...”
FAITH IN AMITABHA
On Patriarch Ou-i’s classic commentary, Dr. J. C. Cleary, an American scholar in Buddhism and Pure Land specialist, has written: “The urgent concern that Ou-i expresses throughout the commentary is that people should actually have faith in Amitabha, vow to reach the Pure Land, and begin reciting the Buddha-name…” (7)
As taught in the brief but profound Amitabha Sutra, faith in the Buddha Amitabha is the primary benchmark in Pure Land faith and practice.
“The essential message of this Sutra teaches us to recite the name “Namo Amitabha Buddha.” Amitabha Buddha has a great affinity with living beings of the Saha world,” Master Hsuan Hua explained. “Before realizing Buddhahood, he made forty-eight vows and each one involved taking living beings to Buddhahood. At that time, he was a Bhiksu (monk) named Dharma Treasury (Dharmakara). He said, “When I realize Buddhahood, I vow that living beings who recite my name will also realize Buddhahood. Otherwise, I won’t either.”
“By the power of his vows, Amitabha Buddha leads all beings to rebirth in his country (Sukhavati, the Land of Ultimate Bliss) where they realize Buddhahood. This power attracts living beings to the Land of Ultimate Bliss just as a magnet attracts iron filings. If living beings do not attain enlightenment, he himself won’t realize Buddhahood. Therefore, all who recite his name can realize Buddhahood…” (8)
TUNING IN TO OUR BUDDHA NATURE
Cleary has written: “In his commentary Master Ou-i explained the Pure Land teaching in terms of the Buddhist philosophy of “Mind Only”. There is only one reality: Dharmakaya Buddha, the Buddha-Mind, the One Mind. All things are just waves, ripples, evanescent bubbles, appearing in the ocean of this One Mind: all worlds, all Buddhas, all sentient beings, all times, all places, all worlds, all the lived experiences of all beings in all worlds in all times.
“Note how the One Mind worldview emphasizes our link to the absolute, without effacing our individuality. The Buddha-Mind is all that exists, but we too have Buddha-nature, and our own personal little minds are permeated by the Buddha-mind, even if we do not recognize it. All that ignorance, delusion, and bad karma can do is screen us off from an awareness of our True Nature, our Buddha-nature, our essential integration in the One Mind…
“In his commentary Master Ou-i constantly refers to the fact that the apparently wondrous and even unbelievable powers of reciting Amitabha’s name are inherent in our connection to the One Mind. “We must realize that there is no name of Amitabha apart from the mind of infinite light and infinite life that is before us at this moment, and there is no way for us to penetrate the mind of infinite light and infinite life that is before us now at this moment apart from the name of Amitabha”…” (9)
In Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha-nature is synonymous with Self-Nature, True Nature, Original Nature, Dharma Nature, True Mind, etc. Buddha-nature is the true, immutable, and eternal nature of all beings. Since they all have the same Buddha-nature, they can attain enlightenment and Buddhahood through appropriate spiritual practice. (10)
The Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life, Amitabha at the highest or the level of noumenon represents the True Mind, the Self-Nature common to the Buddhas and sentient beings, all-encompassing and all-inclusive. (11)
“This Pure Land teaching is all a matter of comprehending that Amitabha Buddha is precisely our Buddha Nature, our Mind,” Master Ou-i has taught us. (12)
By reciting his name, we thus acknowledge and recognize Amitabha in our minds and remain mindful of both the Buddha and our own Buddha-nature. “Only when we have deep faith in the recitation of the name of Amitabha can we have deep faith in the True Nature of sentient beings, which has always been inconceivable,” Master Ou-i has commented. (13)
“When you use the name of Amitabha to summon virtue, all the virtues (of enlightenment) are engendered,” Master Ou-i has written. (14)
“Furthermore, when Pure Land practitioners recite the Buddha-name with faith and vows, they are gathering in all the virtues of Amitabha Buddha and making them their own…” (15)
RECITING THE BUDDHA’S NAME
In Chu-hung’s interpretation of the nien-fo, sentient beings, who are actually residing within Buddhas, are mindful of the Buddhas who are in reality residing within sentient beings. Thus being mindful of the Buddha is none other than being mindful of one’s own mind. (16)
Roger Corless, an American Pure Land specialist, has written that the Name of Amitabha is the true name of self-actualization; it “not only means “Immeasurable Light’; it is the expression of the essence of immeasurable light, and that light itself is the outer manifestation of an even more interior essence of immeasurable wisdom…” (17)
Corless has also explained that reciting the Buddha’s name in Namo Amitabha Buddha “is the actualization of immeasurable light, and, therefore, of immeasurable wisdom, in the mind of the practitioner…”
It can be interpreted as being the magic of pure sound and singleminded vocalization of the Buddha’s name. The sound actualizes the meaning of the sacred and spiritually powerful name. And the Buddha is seen in the moment of hearing his name. (18)
Master Hsuan Hua told his American disciples: “…It doesn’t cost a thing, and yet this Dharma-door is the highest and most supreme, for if you just recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, you will be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss…” (19)
Venerable Yin Kuang (1861-1940, the Thirteenth Pure Land Patriarch, wrote in a letter to a laywoman Hsu Fu-hsien (20:
“When reciting the Buddha-name, you should gather your thoughts together. Recitation originates in the mind and is channeled through the mouth, each phrase, each word, clearly enunciated.
“You should also listen clearly, impressing the words in your mind…”
He described this method of recitation as “the most expedient path to Buddhahood.”
In a letter to a layman (unnamed) in Yungchia, Master Yin Kuang described Buddha Recitation as “a straightforward, sublime shortcut” to rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land. (21)
HEARING THE BUDDHA’S NAME
The act of hearing the Buddha’s Name is also a highly efficacious Pure Land method of cultivating mindfulness and concentration, and is itself therefore a practice in generating and gaining enlightenment. 11.09.2018 14:56
Of the forty-eight great vows of the Buddha Amitabha, two of them relate directly to the spiritual power and significance of hearing the Buddha’s Name: (1) Vow 34 for all living beings in the universe to gain the bodhisattva’s insight into the nature of all things and to acquire the bodhisattva’s power of concentration. And (2): Vow 37 to rejoice in faith and perform the bodhisattva practices, i.e. to attain enlightenment and save all suffering beings.
In the Teaching of Infinite Life Sutra, Shakyamuni said to Ananda, his cousin and closest disciple, that humans and devas (gods) in Amitabha’s Pure Land attain three insights into reality when they see the towering Bodhi tree of the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life, the first being “insight into reality through hearing the sacred sounds.” (22)
Thus, it can be inferred that hearing the sacred and spiritually powerful name of Amitabha, particularly so with sincere and earnest faith as well as singlemindedness, can be profoundly insightful and enlightening to Pure Land devotees.
SUCCESS THROUGH SINGLEMINDEDNESS.
In a letter to Teng Po-ch’eng, Patriarch Yin Kuang wrote that “the key to rebirth in the Pure Land is singlemindedness…” (23)
Singlemindedness, one-pointedness of the mind, or singleminded concentration (samadhi) is a sine qua non for rebirth in the Pure Land. (24)
The Third Pure Land Patriarch Shan-tao (613-681) has urged concentration and earnestness to “reap benefits swiftly” instead of many eons without being “able to escape Birth and Death” (cyclic existence in Samsara).
The greatly influential Shan-tao has described the practice of calling and repeating the Name of Amitabha, with singleness of mind, as “the act of right assurance” because it accords with the Buddha’s Vow (the 11th Vow pledging and assuring spiritual liberation, non-retrogressive bodhisattvahood, and ultimate Buddhahood in the Pure Land). (25)
Amitabha’s infinite spiritual endowment provides an inexhaustible bank from which all the faithful can draw to clear their karmic debts accumulated over innumerable lifetimes.
Rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land, which transcends Samsara, leads all beings with steadfast faith in the Buddha non-regressively and unfailingly to complete enlightenment and Buddhahood. 6.5.2006 0830 7.5.2006 0357 06.09.2018 19:45
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA
NAMO AMITABHA
06.09.2018 23:16 11.09.2018 15:07
NOTES: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMITABHA SUTRA
1. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki,
Ryukoku University, in collaboration with Harold Stewart (an Australian poet and Pure Lander),
published by Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1995, pp. 134-135
A highly distinguished Ch’an monk of Hang-chou, Chu-hung was a leading figure in promoting the joint
practice of Ch’an meditation and nien-fo (reciting the Buddha’s name).
“The Amitabha Sutra appears simple but is actually extremely profound. To recite and benefit from it,
we need a pure and quiet heart,” Venerable Master Chin Kung, a contemporary Pure Land leader and
teacher has taught. (BUDDHISM: THE WISDOM OF COMPASSION AND AWAKENING, edited
by Silent Voices, reprinted for free distribution by Amitabha Buddhist Society (Malaysia), Jalan Pahang,
Kuala Lumpur, p. 84)
“The second time I lectured on the commentary of the Amitabha Sutra, it took over three hundred sessions, which is an indication of its level of complexity…”
Master Chin Kung also said: “A person who lectures on The Amitabha Sutra for ten years will become Amitabha Buddha…” (p. 124) 5.5.2006 2305
2. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 136
3. A General Explanation of The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra by Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua,
originally published in September 1974 by the Sino-American Buddhist Association, San Francisco,
California, and subsequently reprinted for free distribution in memory of the late Miss Liung Soh
Cheng, Malaysia, p. 41
The 46th Patriarch from Shakyamuni Buddha, the 18th Patriarch in China from Bodhidharma, the Ninth
Patriarch of the Wei Yang lineage in the Ch’an tradition, and the First Patriarch in the West, Dhyana
Master Hsuan Hua (1918-95) brought the Buddha’s Dharma banner to the shores of America in 1962
and resided in San Francisco.
4. Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS: Patriarch Ou-i’s Commentary on the AMITABHA SUTRA,
translated by Dr. J. C. Cleary, originally published by Sutra Translation Committee of the United States
and Canada, New York, 1997, and subsequently reprinted (third edition 1998) for free distribution by
Amida Fellowship, Taman Billion, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pp. 33-34
An eminent Zen scholar monk, Ou-i devoted himself to Pure Land practice after a serious illness at the
age of 46. In the final fifteen years of his life, he authored 75 scholarly works. He wrote his classic
commentary in nine days in late autumn of 1648 at the age of 49, in which he acknowledged the
“extensive and subtle commentary” penned by his illustrious predecessor Patriarch Chu-hung.
5. Ibid. p. 38 The mindful practice of reciting the Buddha’s Name produces and sustains non-regressive progress towards the attainment of the perfect and supreme enlightenment of Buddhahood. 11.09.2018 15:18
6. A General Explanation, p. 24 1,239 words 6.5.2006 0059
7. Mind-Seal, p. 27
8. A General Explanation, pp. 19-20
The Saha world, the world of endurance, is this world of ours, filled with suffering and afflictions, yet
endured by all its beings.
“T’an-luan was the first to use the term ‘Other Power,’ which became the central theme of the Pure
Land teaching in China and Japan,” Inagaki has written in his wide-ranging survey of Pure Land
Buddhism (THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, pp. 89-90).
“By ‘the Other Power’ T’an-luan means the Power of Amitabha as a Buddha or the Power of his
Original Vow. The Vow produced the Power, which in turn fulfils the Vow. These two work
together to realize the Buddha’s act of compassion…”
A Madyamika scholar, T’an-luan was introduced to Pure Land by Bodhiruci, a great Tripitaka
master and monk from India, when they met at Lo-yang, the then capital of China, in the year 530 A.D.
Subsequently, T’an-luan became the Second Pure Land Patriarch in China, having contributed
significantly and substantially to the development of Pure Land faith and practice.
9. Mind-Seal, pp. 24-25
With a Ph.D. in East Asia Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, Cleary has translated over a dozen Buddhist texts.
10. Ibid., pp. 168-169 (glossary)
11. Ibid., p. 165 (glossary)
12. Ibid., p. 101
13. Ibid., p. 85
14. Ibid., p. 88
15. Ibid., p. 104
16. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 135
17. Article on “Pure Land Piety” by Roger J. Corless of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina,
published in BUDDHIST SPIRITUALITY, edited by Takeuchi Yoshinori et al, published by
Motilal Barnasidas, Delhi, 1993, p. 263
18. In an article on performance poetry published in the Malaysian daily New Straits Times dated April
13, 2006, Ridzwan A. Rahim quotes from Prologue by the Ethiopian poet Patience Agbabi:
“…open your lips
say it loud
let each syllable vibrate
Say it again again again again again…
till its meaning equals sound…”
19. A General Explanation, p. 25
20. PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND: Letters from Patriarch Yin Kuang, translated by Master
Thich Thien Tam et al, originally published by Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and
Canada, reprinted in 1993 for free distribution by Amitabha Buddhist Society (Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, p.72
21. Ibid., p. 162
22. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 260
23. PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, p. 37
24. Ibid., p. 250
25. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, p. 42 10 pages 3,072 words 6.5.2006 0835 0852
Do not doubt what has been revealed
Concerning that protector,
The Lord of the World, Amitabha,
And you will go to Sukhavati.
--- The King of Samadhis Sutra 33.291 84000.co
Mahasthama Mindfulness Centre
25 Selasar Rokam 40
Taman Ipoh Jaya
31350 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Telephone: 05-3134941
6.5.2006 0855 in commemoration of Vesak on 12 May 2006
7.5.2006 0412
06.09.2018 19:52 23:12 11.09.2018 15:25
THE AMITABHA SUTRA
Thus have I heard. (1) At one time the Blessed One, the Buddha Shakyamuni was staying near the royal capital city of Shravasti in the kingdom of Kosala in northern India. He was staying in the cloistered garden that the generous Anathapindika gave to the Buddhist Order in Prince Jeta’s grove. (2)
He was staying there with a large gathering of monks, great disciples of his – one thousand two hundred and fifty of them.
Among them were the elders, all great arhats, such as Shariputra (3) and his close friend Maha-Maudgalyayana, also Maha-Kashyapa, Maha-Kapphina, Maha-Katayayana, and Maha-Kaushthila.
Also present among these monks were Revata and Shuddhipanthaka, and the Buddha’s half-brother Nanda, and his cousin and closest disciple, Ananda, as well as Rahula, the Buddha’s only son. Also present were Gavampati, Bharadvaja, Kalodayin, Vakkula, and Anuruddha, as well as many other great disciples.
And the Buddha was accompanied by many of those magnificent great human beings well advanced on their way to full awakening, many highly advanced senior bodhisattvas and bodhisattva-mahasattvas. (4) Present was the Bodhisattva Manjushri, the Prince of Dharma, as well as the future Buddha of our age, the Bodhisattva Maitreya, also known as Ajita, the Invincible. There also were the bodhisattvas Gandhahastin, Nityodyukta, and Anikshiptadhura.
Also present were Shakra, known also as Indra, the King of the Gods, and Brahma, the Lord of this, our world known as the Saha World. (5) They and other countless gods and heavenly beings, numbering many hundreds of thousands of millions, accompanied the Buddha at that time.
The Main Discourse:
The Land of Ultimate Bliss
At that time Buddha Shakyamuni said to the Venerable Shariputra: “West of here, past a hundred billion Buddha-lands, there exists a world called Ultimate Bliss. And right now there, a Buddha by the name of Amitabha is preaching the Dharma. (6)
“Shariputra, why is this land called “Ultimate Bliss”? Because the living beings here are free from all forms of suffering and they only experience all forms of happiness.
“Furthermore, this land of Ultimate Bliss is adorned and surrounded by seven railings and seven rows of palm trees, all decked with nets of tinkling bells, and all of them made of the four precious jewels, namely, gold. silver, emerald, and rock crystal. (7)
“Moreover, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has bathing pools made of gold, silver, emerald, rock crystal, red pearl, sapphire, and mother of pearl as the seventh precious substance. And these pools are filled with the best-known water, endowed with eight good qualities: their water is always limpid, cool, sweet-tasting, light, soft, placid, wholesome, and invigorating.. The bottom of each pool is covered with golden sand. On the four sides of each pool are stairways made of gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, and crystal.
“Above the pools there are towers adorned with gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, crystal, mother of pearl, red agate, and carnelian. On the surface of the pool, there are lotus flowers as large as the chariot-wheels – the blue ones radiating a blue light, the yellow a yellow light, the red a red light, and the white a white light, and all of them emanating a subtle pure fragrance.
“Shariputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these adornments and virtues, brought to perfection and filled with such excellence and splendour.(8)
“And there is more – celestial music is constantly playing in this Pure Land, and the ground is made of gold. Mandarava flowers rain down from heaven at all hours of the day and night. In the morning the sentient beings of this land fill their robes with their pick of those exquisite and wondrous flowers and make offerings to hundreds of billions of Buddhas in the other worlds in the other regions of the universe. Then they return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss when it’s time for their midday meal. (9)
“Moreover, Shariputra, in that Pure Land there always gather many flocks of rare and truly remarkable birds of various wonderful colours: white cranes, peacocks, parrots, egrets, the melodious kalavinkas, and the two-headed jivanjivas. (10) All these birds deliver harmonous songs day and night. Their songs render the Buddha’s teachings such as the Dharma of the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors and practices of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path to spiritual liberation and complete awakening, as well as other teachings. When sentient beings in this land hear the singing of these birds, they become mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha. (11)
“But, Shariputra, you should not think that these birds were born here because of karmic retribution for their past misdeeds. Why not? In this Buddha-land, the three evil realms of Samsara (those of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings) do not exist, not even their names. All these birds are the special creations and manifestations of Amitabha Buddha’s spiritual and psychic powers, made to sing and spread the Dharma message of emancipation and enlightenment. (12)
“In this Buddha-land, when soft breezes move through and stir the rows of jewel trees and nets, they produce exquisite and subtle harmonies, like hundreds of thousands of diverse musical instruments playing together at the same time. All who hear these wondrous sounds spontaneously become mindful of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Such, Shariputra, is the excellence and splendour in this Pure Land. (13)
The Buddha Presiding Over
the Land of Ultimate Bliss
“What do you think, Shariputra? Why is this Buddha called Amitabha? (14)
“The light of this Buddha is infinite, and shines on all lands throughout the universe without obstruction. Thus this Buddha is named Amitabha (Infinite Light). (15)
“Also, the life-span of this Buddha and his people (humans and devas) is an infinite number of kalpas, and so he is also known as Amitayus (Infinite Life). (16)
“Shariputra, ten kalpas have passed since Amitayus attained Enlightenment. (17) 9.5.2006 0403
The Inhabitants of
the Land of Ultimate Bliss
“Moreover, this Buddha has innumerable disciples, all of them are Arhats, and their number cannot be reckoned by any means. (18) Amitabha also has a following of innumerable Bodhisattvas. His Pure Land, Shariputra, is blessed with such excellence and splendour.
“All sentient beings born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss dwell in the stage of non-retrogression, and are assured of the attainment of Enlightenment without falling back to a lower stage. Many among them have only one more lifetime to go before Buddhahood. Their number cannot be counted; they are innumerable. (19)
Taking the Vow to be born in the Pure Land
“Shariputra, all sentient beings who hear of this Pure Land
must aspire and vow to be born there, because they will be able to meet such sages of supreme virtue. (20)
“Shariputra, one cannot attain birth in the Pure Land with few good roots or little merit. If there are good men or good women who hear of Amitabha Buddha, hold fast to and recite his name singlemindedly and without distraction even for one day, two days, three, four, five, six or seven days, then when these people die, Amitabha Buddha will appear before them with a host of holy sages and saints. At the time of their death, with their minds free from confusion and clear of distorted views, they will instantly attain rebirth in Amitabha’s Land of Ultimate Bliss, (21) 10.5.2006 0010 06.09.2018 20:25 11.09.2018 15:52
“Shariputra, I have seen the benefit of embracing and holding fast to the name of Amitabha. If sentient beings hear what I say, they must make a vow to be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. 10.5.2006 0052
Confirmation: All Buddhas Praise Amitabha
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the eastern regions of the universe, as many as the number of the grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Aksobhya Buddha, Meru-dhvaja Buddha, Mahameru Buddha, Meru-prabhasa Buddha, and Manju-svara Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (22)
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the southern regions of the universe, as many as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Candra-surya-pradipa Buddha, Yasah-prabha Buddha, Maharei-skandha Buddha, Meru-pradipa Buddha, and Ananta-virya Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (23)
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the western regions of the universe, as many as the number of the grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Amitayus Buddha, Amita-ketu Buddha, Amita-dhvaja Buddha, Mahaprabha Buddha, Mahaprabhasa Buddha, Ratna-ketu Buddha, and Suddha-rasmi-prabha Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (24)
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the northern regions of the universe, as many as the number of the grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Archi-skandha Buddha, Vaisvanara-nirghosa Buddha, Duspradharsa Buddha, Aditya-sambhava Buddha, and Jalini-prabha Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (25)
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the lower regions in the nadir of the universe, as many as the number of the grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Simha Buddha, Yasar Buddha, Yasah-prabhasa Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma-dhvaja Buddha, and Dharma-dhara Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (26)
“Shariputra, just as I praise the inconceivable merits and virtues of the Buddha Amitabha, so do the Buddhas in the higher regions at the zenith of the universe, as many as the number of the grains of sand in the Ganges, such as Brahma-ghosa Buddha, Naksatra-raja Buddha, Gandhottama Buddha, Gandha-prabhasa Buddha, Maharei-skandha Buddha, Ratna-kusuma-sampuspita-gatra Buddha, Salendra-raja Buddha, Ratnotpala-sri Buddha, Sarva-artha-darsa Buddha, and Sumeru-kalpa Buddha, and others – each in his own land extends his broad and long tongue to encompass the universe of a thousand million worlds, and proclaims these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept and believe in this sutra entitled Extolling Inconceivable Virtues which all Buddhas Protect and Keep in Mind. (27) 10.5.2006 0306
Trust, Commitment, Embracing the Name:
Shakyamuni Buddha’s Exhortation
“Shariputra, why do you think this teaching is called the sutra that is protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas?
“If there are good men or women who hear this scripture, uphold it and hear the names of all these Buddhas, these good men and women will be protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas, and will not fall back on the path of the supreme, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, all of you should accept with faith what I say and what all the Buddhas have said. (28)
Benefits of the Vow
“Shari[utra, all those who have vowed, or are vowing, or will vow to be born in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha reach the spiritual level where they do not fall back from attaining the supreme, perfect enlightenment. They are already born, are now being born, or will be born in the Pure Land. Therefore, all good men and women, if they have faith, must make the vow to be born in Amitabha’s Pure Land. (29)
Shakyamuni’s mission and task
“Shariputra, just as I extol the inconceivable virtues of all the other Buddhas, they also extol my inconceivable virtues, saying: “Shakyamuni Buddha is able to carry out a most difficult and rare task. In the Saha World, the World of Endurance, during the evil period of the five corruptions --- the corruptions of the time, views, afflictions, sentient beings, and life, he has succeeded in achieving the supreme, perfect enlightenment, and to expound the Pure Land teaching for the sake of all sentient beings, this Dharma of faith and practice that they find hard to believe. (30)
“Shariputra, you should know that I have carried out this difficult task in this evil period of the five corruptions. Having attained the supreme, perfect enlightenment, I have, for the sake of all living beings, preached this Dharma that is so hard for them to believe and accept in faith. This task is indeed difficult to accomplish.” (31)
Coda
When Buddha finished preaching this scripture, Shariputra and all the monks, gods, humans, assuras and all the others who had also been listening, having heard what Buddha said, rejoiced and accepted his teaching with faith. Then they all bowed in homage and departed. (32) 10.5.2006 2147 06.09.2018 20:37
NOTES: THE AMITABHA SUTRA
1. This copy of The Amitabha Sutra is a composite rendering of the various translations in English of the revered Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva’s Chinese version, the Amito-jing:
(1) English translation by Dr Hasao Inagaki of Ryukoku University in collaboration with Harold Stewart, in THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS published by Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1995
(2) A free translation in English by Professor Luis O. Gomez of the University of Michigan, in THE LAND OF BLISS published by University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, and Higashi Honganji Shinshu Otani-ha, Kyoto, 1996
(3) English translation by Dr. J.C. Cleary in Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS, published by the Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, New York, 1997
(4) English translation by Upasaka I Kuo-jung of University of California as published in A General Explanation of The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra by Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua, published by Buddhist Text Translation Society, San Francisco, and the Sino-American Buddhist Association, San Francisco, 1974
(5) English translation by Upasika Chihmann (Miss P.C. Lee) as published in THE TWO BUDDHIST BOOKS IN MAHAYANA, published by Dallas Buddhist Association, Venerable Master Chin Kung Hsu, Texas, USA
(6) English translation by Dr. Yutang Lin in Pureland Daily Practice, published byDharma Friends of Dr. Lin for free distribution, October 1989, printed by General Printing, Berkeley, California, and
(7) English translation of the Sanskrit text by Professor Gomez in THE LAND OF BLISS, 1996
8.5.2006 0159
2. As narrated in THUS HAVE I HEARD: Buddhist Parables and Stories (originally published in
1999 by Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, and subsequently published for free distribution Vesak May 2000 by Amida Fellowship, Taman Billion, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pp. 67-68):
“…It once happened that having invited the Buddha to preach in Sravasti, Anathapindika (a wealthy merchant) set about trying to find a suitable place for the World-honored One and his company of 1,250 monks. Determining that the estate of Prince Jeta, son of King Prasenajit, with its grassy fields and leafy trees, would be ideal, he approached the prince and offered to buy it. The prince, startled, said in jest, ‘I am prepared to sell you as much land as you can cover with gold.’ Anathapindika remained silent for a moment, at which point the Prince laughed, ‘That seems to be too much for you, does it not?’ ‘Why, no.’ replied the merchant. ‘I was simply considering which of my storehouses to take the gold from…’
“The next day, as the prince watched in amazement, bullock cart after bullock cart arrived at his estate, and the workers laid a carpet of gold upon the land, stretching in all directions. The only patches of ground which could not be covered were those where the trees stood. Prince Jeta, realizing that the Buddha must be an exceptional man, then decided to donate these patches of land. In honor of the two benefactors, the estate was henceforth known as the Garden of Jeta and Anathapindika…”
In GREAT DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA by Nyanponika Thera and Hellmuth Hecket (published by Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka, 1997), Hecket has written that the first meeting between the Buddha and the city’s richest merchant who was to become his chief patron took place shortly after the Master’s third rains retreat following his enlightenment. Anathapindika spent 54 million gold coins on the monastery at Jetavana, three-fifths of his fortune, including 18 million on the site and another 18 million on its construction.
The Buddha spent nineteen rainy seasons at this monastery where he stayed for the major part of his life and delivered many of his sermons.
In Buddhist literature, the name of Anathapindika has become synonymous with overflowing and selfless generosity in the cause of the Dharma. A stream-enterer, he was reborn as a deva (godly being) in the Tusita heaven. 8.5.2006 0309
3. Originally known as Upatissa, Shariputra was the foremost in wisdom among the ten leading disciples.
In GREAT DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA. Nyanaponika There has written that Sariputta attained arahantship (the highest stage of sainthood in the Theravada tradition, with attainment of liberation from the samsaric cycle of birth and death) by quick penetration two weeks after his ordination after listening attentively to a discourse by the Blessed One given to Sariputta’s nephew, the wandering ascetic, Dighankha “as though sharing the (spiritual) food prepared for another…” (p. 10)
4. A bodhisattva is one who makes the vow of universal altruism and cultivates to attain enlightenment
for the sake of saving all suffering beings, that is, one who has the Bodhi Mind to attain buddhahood for rescuing all sentient beings in Samsara, the cycle of rebirths, encompsdding all the various realms of birth and death.
A mahasattva, ‘a great being’, is synonymous with ‘bodhisattva’ (‘a being of enlightenment’). And a Buddha is one who has accomplished the bodhisattva practice and fulfilled the four great vows . The bodhisattva’s four great vows are to save all living beings, cut off all afflictions, study all the Dharma-doors (practices and techniques of achieving enlightenment), and realize buddhahood.
5. Shakra is the most common Buddhist name for Indra, one of the principal Vedic gods, the king of the
Heaven of the thirty-three deities (Trayastrimsa) on the summit of Mount Meru, and divine protector and promoter of the Dharma.
The Hindu god of the sacred ritual word and creator of the universe, Brahma is another great divine promoter of Buddhism.
6. Described as “pure and serene, resplendent and blissful” (Shakyamuni Buddha’s description in the
Teaching of Infinite Life Sutra, also referred to as the Larger Sutra), Sukhavati (in Sanskrit) is the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Also depicted as the Land of Infinite Light (Omniscient Wisdom) and Infinite Life (Great Compassion), this Pure Land provides the most conducive environment for spiritual cultivation up to the ultimate level of complete and perfect enlightenment. Shakyamuni said to Ananda (refer Inagaki, p. 268) that all sentient beings in Amitabha’s Pure Land “all reside among those assured of Nirvana…”
Dharmakara Bodhisattva (before his supreme enlightenment as Amitabha Buddha) pledged, saying in verse (ibid., p. 238):
“…My land being Nirvana itself,
Shall be beyond comparison.
I take pity on living beings
And resolve to save them all…”
Pure Land Patriarch Shan-tao (613-681) has written in Fa-shih-tsan: “The Land of Ultimate Bliss is in the realm of Nirvana, the ultimate reality.” (Inagaki, p. 29) He wrote this after his illuminating experience in the samadhi (pure singleminded concentration) of visualizing Amitabha and his Pure Land.
In the Larger Sutra (refer Inagaki, p. 290), Shakyamuni said to Maitreya Bodhisattva to “straightforwardly aspire to be born in the Pure Land and accumulate roots of virtue… You will dwell in effortless spontaneity (the faultless level of spiritual achievement and enlightenment) and attain Nirvana…”
In his commentary (Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS), Patriarch Ou-i has written (p. 58): :The fact that the Pure Land and Amitabha Buddha are here in the present encourages us to have faith. The fact that Amitabha’s world is called the Land of Ultimate Bliss encourages us to be born there. The fact that the Buddha is called Amitabha (Infinite Light) encourages us to engage in the wondrous practice of invoking his name (to attain birth in his Pure Land).
“The words of the sutra are concise, but the meaning is very profound…” 8.5.2006 0525 (4,669 words)
7. In A General Explanation (pp. 113-117), Master Hua has explained that the railings represent the
moral precepts (prohibiting evil and preventing error), the very tall trees represent wisdom “If you have wisdom, you’re tall…”), and the magnificent and strong netting symbolizes strong and steadfast true concentration.
The four precious jewels represent the four virtues of Nirvana in Amitabha’s Pure Land: (1) permanence (infinite life), (2) bliss, (3) true self, endowed with the eight great freedoms, eight kinds of spiritual strength, and eight spiritual penetrations, and (4) purity (the Pure Land, being “pure and serene, resplendent and blissful” according to Shakyamuni Buddha. 9.5.2006 0029
8. This highly conducive environment for spiritual cultivation up to the highest level of enlightenment,
resplendent with all its enlightening sights and sounds as well as permeated with purifying fragrances, is in fulfillment of the Vow 32 (Inagaki, p. 246).
“All the adornments of the dwelling in the Pure Land and the settings in which sentient beings are reborn in the Pure Land are created by the inherently real virtues of the great vows and great deeds of Amitabha Buddha,” Patriarch Ou-i has commented (Mind-Seal pp. 64-65).
“With his great vows, Amitabha creates the causal basis for sentient beings to multiply their good roots. And with his great deeds he creates the conditions for sentient beings to increase their merits and virtues.
“Amitabha enables us to develop faith and vows and to recite the Buddha-name, and from moment to moment achieve these virtues… Amitabha in toto merges with sentient beings: all his powers merge with ours…” 9.5.2006 0106
They become irreversible,
Those who drink that water (of the eight good qualities).
Through supreme wisdom
They become supreme buddhas.
--- The King of Samadhis Sutra 33.80 84000.co
The aroma of incense
Spreads through this buddha realm.
That delightful incense
Pervades a billion realms.
When it has spread through them
A rain of incense falls.
Those who smell that incense
Become buddhas, guides.
--- The King of Samadhis Sutra 33.253-254 84000.co 06.09.2018 21:21
9. Patriarch Ou-i has written (pp. 66-67): “Making offerings to Buddhas in other worlds symbolizes that
through having a true causal basis, we can attain the ultimate fruit (Buddhahood), and that the virtues of this ultimate attainment extend everywhere…”
Young man, listen to me as I tell you
How I practiced for thousands of eons.
Seeking this sublime, excellent samadhi,
I made offerings to hundreds of thousands of buddhas.
-- Buddha Sakyamuni speaking to Candraprabha, in
The King of Samadhis Sutra 38.5 84000.co
There they (the 760 million beings seeking the wisdom of enlightenment)
will make offerings
To the stainless buddha (in Sukhavati),
The Tathagata Amitayus (Amitabha),
For the sake of supreme enlightenment.
--- The King of Samadhis Sutra 18.55 84000.co 06.09.2018 21:42
10. Created by Amitabha, these extraordinary birds sing the teachings of the Buddha to pervade the
Pure Land with the pure sound and ineffable spirit of the Dharma.
11. The five spiritual faculties as well as the five spiritual powers refer to (1) faith (in the Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha (the spiritual community), (2) vigor (in cultivating good), (3) mindfulness (of the Buddha
and Dharma), (4) concentration (in reciting the Buddha’s name), and (5) wisdom (insight into the true
nature of things and reality).
The seven factors and practices of enlightenment are (1) selecting the true teaching, (2) vigorously
cultivating it, (3) joy, rejoicing in the true practice, (4) cutting out delusions, (5) mindfulness, (6)
concentration, and (7) serenity of mind.
The Noble Eightfold Path to Nirvana: right understanding (right view), right thought,, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (samadhi).
12. “Wishing to spread the Dharma-sound far and wide, with his vow power Amitabha created the
kalavinkas and the other birds to help him, They come from his spiritual penetrations and transformations,” Master Hua has explained (p. 131).
“Unlike the birds in this world which are born in the realm of animals, they are transformations of Amitabha Buddha’s Dharma power.”
In The King of Samadhis Sutra, Chapter 34 narrates that on the very day of attaining buddhahood, the Bhavagan Buddha Acintyapranidhanavisesamudgataraja “manifested incalculable, innumerable buddha emanations” and guided countless beings, establishing them in arhathood and countless others in irreversible progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment, and he then passed into nirvana on the same day. 84000.org 06.09.2018 21:56
13. Patriarch Ou-i has written (pp. 72-73) that “all the adornments of the Pure Land are brought into being
by the vows and actions of our (spiritual) guide Amitabha, and manifested by his wisdom, and that
they are also brought about by our own pure karma, as manifestations of consciousness…”
14. “This sutra teaches the wondrous practice of reciting the name of Amitabha, so it makes a special
point of explaining the name,” Patriarch Ou-i has written (pp. 73-74), commenting on the essence of
Pure Land faith and practice.
“The intent of the sutra is that people should develop deep faith in the inconceivable powers of
this great name and its myriad virtues, and singlemindedly recite the Buddha-name (Amitabha)
without any further doubts or diversions…” 9.5.2006 0245 (17 pages 5,901 words)
15. “The true nature of mind is still but always shining with awareness; hence it is a light. The idea here is that Amitabha Buddha penetrates to the infinite essence of the true nature of mind, so his light is
infinite,” Patriarch Ou-i has observed (p. 75), with profound insight.
“When Amitabha (in a previous incarnation in the distant past) was the monk Dharmakara, he made
forty-eight vows, among them the vow (number 12) that his light would forever shine through all the worlds in the Ten Directions (of the cosmos). Now that he has achieved Buddhahood, what he vowed has been accomplished…”
In the Larger Sutra, the Buddha Shakyamuni said to Ananda: “The majestic light of the Buddha Amitayus (Amitabha) is the most exalted. No other Buddha’s light can match his…” (Inagaki p. 255)
“The light of Amitayus (Amitabha) shines brilliantly, illuminating the Buddha-lands of the ten directions…” (Inagaki p. 256)
16. “Infinite light extends through space in all directions; infinite life extends through time and reaches
through past, present, and future. The dimensions of space and time interpenetrating are the body of the universe. This body as a whole is the body and land of Amitabha, and this body as a whole is the name of Amitabha,” Patriarch Ou-i has explained (p. 74) in his own penetrative and profound interpretation of the spiritual significance in the macrocosmic fusion of infinite light and infinite life which Amitabha embodies and manifests. 11.09.2018 15:49
This eminent scholar-monk also relates the act of reciting the Buddha’s name to the revelation of the essence of enlightenment inherent in all humans and all other sentient beings, i.e. the universal Buddha-nature which Amitabha represents at the level of inner (noumenal) truth.
As Amitabha penetrates to the infinite essence of the true nature of Mind (also called True Mind, Self Nature, Dharma Nature, Buddha Nature, etc.), so his life-span is also infinite.
“When Amitabha was Dharmakara, the king of vows, he made a vow that the life spans of both Buddha (vow 13) and humans (vow 15) in his realm would be infinite,” Patriarch Ou-i has commented (pp. 76-77).
“Now what he vowed has been accomplished in the Pure Land, and he is given the special name “Infinite Life” (Amitayus).
“We must understand that the names “Infinite Light” and “Infinite Life” are both based on the equivalent potential inherent in sentient beings. Because sentient beings and Buddhas are inherently equal, those who invoke the name of Amitabha will be no different from him either in their light or in their lifespan…
“Given the truth of infinite life, the people in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are in the position that they are certain of attaining complete Enlightenment in a single lifetime and will not be reborn in different forms.
“We must realize that there is no name of Amitabha apart from the mind of infinite light and infinite life that is before us now at this moment, and there is no way for us to penetrate the mind of infinite light and infinite life that is before us now at this moment apart from the name of Amitabha…”
In other words, the name of Amitabha is the spiritual master key to the penetration and unlocking of the inherent potential of Buddhahood in all human beings. 9.5.2006 0419
The New York-based Van Hien Study Group has noted (Mind-Seal p. 165) that Amitabha Buddha at the highest level of noumenon represents the True Mind, the Self Nature common to the Buddhas and sentient beings, all-encompassing and all-inclusive.
Patriarch Ou-i has also taught us (p. 85): “Only when we have deep faith in the recitation of the name of Amitabha can we have deep faith in the True Nature of sentient beings, which has always been inconceivable…”
17. “In fact, Amitabha’s time has been endless, and he has urged us, is urging, and will urge all the
sentient beings of the past, present, and future to quickly seek rebirth in the Pure Land, share in the infinite life of the Buddhas, and accomplish this all in one lifetime,” Patriarch Ou-i has
rightly commented (p. 78), with a timely sense of urgency. (19 pages 6,662 words) 9.5.2006 0421
18. “Here the sutra is really illustrating the fact that throughout all the worlds of the Ten Directions in the
past, present, and future, many sentient beings achieve birth in the Pure Land with no falling back, and do so easily,” Patriarch Ou-i has explained (p. 78).
His implied advice to us is that since we can also be born in the Pure Land, we should make it our goal.
19. “How amazing! Ordinary people in the Pure Land reach the stage of having only one lifetime to go
before Enlightenment, just like the great Bodhisattvas (known as one-life Bodhisattvas, being one lifetime away from Buddhahood). What a sublime teaching –it is truly unfathomable!
“What was given to us (perfect realization of Buddhahood in one lifetime) in the Flower Ornament (Avatamsaka) Sutra is here in the Amitabha Sutra,” Patriarch Ou-i (pp. 82-83) has fervently and vividly highlighted the extraordinary benefit of Pure Land faith and practice, and with s sense of exultation and rightful joy.
But then, perceiving the general lack of faith among human beings in the Dharma-ending age marked by its spiritual decline, this eminent scholar-monk has quickly added with personal anguish and pathos:
“Yet from ancient times until now (the past one thousand years or so), few have believed in it, and many have doubted it. Complex writings have been produced, but the truth has been sacrificed. All I can do to set things right is give my heart’s blood.”
Even the Buddha Shakyamuni has said that this Pure Land Dharma is hard to believe, particularly so in view of the immeasurable ineffable spiritual power inherent in the simple practice of reciting the Buddha’s name to save sentient beings and bring them to the Pure Land where they can make non-regressive progress towards complete perfect and supreme enlightenment in one lifetime. What makes all this hard to accept is plainly and simply the utter lack of faith.
An important point to remember is that this Pure Land Dharma is the very one which all the Buddhas protect and keep in mind. Why? Because it’s the veritable shortcut to spiritual liberation and complete enlightenment.
To take off spiritually, one must have faith! 9.5.2006 2327 (7,070 words)
20. In the Larger Sutra (Inagaki p. 282), the Buddha said the virtue and wisdom of the sages and saints
in the Pure Land are “indescribable”.
Comments Patriarch Ou-i (p. 85: “The text of the sutra says sentient beings must take a vow to be born in the Pure Land. This word “must” points to deep faith. Making vows with deep faith is precisely the Mind of Supreme Enlightenment.
“In sum, faith and vows are truly the guiding compass leading to the Pure Land. Relying on faith and vows and consistently invoking the Buddha-name is correct practice…”
21. “When you use the name of Amitabha to summon virtue, all the virtues are engendered,” Patriarch
Ou-i has written (p. 88). “Thus, reciting the name of Amitabha (singlemindedly) is the correct practice…Reciting the name of Amitabha is the simplest and most direct method (to attain the highest enlightenment of Buddhahood)…”
With mindfulness of the Buddha as the mental and spiritual anchor, singleminded recitation means that it’s completely focused on the name of Amitabha.
“The Land of Ultimate Bliss, Amitabha’s Pure Land, is unique – it surpasses all the other pure lands,” Patriarch Ou-i has commented (p. 85)
“Only when we comprehend this can we have deep faith in the power of the vows of Amitabha. Only when we believe in the power of Amitabha Buddha can we have deep faith in the virtues of his name…”
To quote Dr J.C. Cleary (Mind-Seal, pp. 15-16):
“The Pure Land practice, invoking the name of Amitabha is a means to get in touch with the power of Amitabha himself. Our own feeble powers may be insufficient to bring us to the Other Shore (Nirvana), but Amitabha has provided us an access point through which we can reach his power (by reciting his name), and be protected by the power of all the Buddhas…
“From a far off point in time and space, Amitabha offers the invocation of his name as a doorway to the infinite, inviting us to come through and share in the infinite life of the Buddhas…”
NAMO AMITABHA
22. Aksobhya (Immoveable)
Meru-dhvaja (Marks of Mount Meru, the highest mountain at the centre of the universe; also known as Mount Sumeru, the mountain that forms the axis and the highest point in a world system)
Mahameru (Great Meru)
Meru-prabhasa (Light of Meru)
Manju-svara (Wonderful Voice)
Because of the inexhaustible power of Amitabha’s inconceivable merits and virtues, it is possible for all sentient beings to attain salvation by invoking his name. And, by invoking the name of one Buddha, Amitabha, we are protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas.
“All this is the result of the great vows and deeds of our guide and teacher Amitabha,” Patriarch Ou-i has explained (p. 104).
“Furthermore, when Pure Land practitioners recite the Buddha-name with faith and vows, they are gathering in all the virtues of Amitabha Buddha and making them their own…”
Master Hua has said (p. 141): “The Buddha’s tongue, then, covers the entire universe and speaks the truth…”
23. Candra-suriya-pradipa (Lamp of the Sun and Moon)
Yasah-prabha (Light of Fame)
Maharei-skandha (Great Blazing Shoulders)
Meru-pradipa (Lamp of Meru)
Ananta-virya (Measureless Vigor)
“Praise the inconceivable merit and virtue of this sutra which Sakyamuni Buddha spoke without request,” Master Hua said (p. 139).
“If you believe, accept, praise, and recite it, all the Buddhas will protect you. Resolve to revere Amitabha Buddha and The Amitabha Sutra.”
24. Amitabha (infinite Light)
Amitayus (Infinite Life)
Amita-ketu (Innumerable Characteristics)
Amita-dhvaja (Innumerable Banners)
Mahaprabha (Great Light)
Mahaprabhasa (Great Illumination)
Ratna-ketu (Jewel Appearance)
Suddha-rasmi-prabha (Pure Light)
25. Archi-skandha (Blazing Shoulders)
Vaisvanara-nirghosa (Sound of the Invincible)_
Duspradharsa (Invulnerable)
Aditya-sambhava (Born of the Sun)
Jalini-prabha (Nets of Light)
26. Simha (Lion)
Yasar (Fame)
Yasah-prabhasa (Light of Fame)
Dharma (Dharma)
Dharma-dhvaja (Dharma Banner)
Dharma-dhara (Upholder of Dharma)
27. Brahma-ghosa (Voice of Brahma)
Naksatra-raja (King of Past Lives)
Gandhottama (Incomparable Fragrance)
Gandha-prabhasa (Fragrant Light)
Maharei-skandha (Great Blazing Shoulders)
Ratna-kusuma-sampuspita-gatra (Multicolored Jewel Flower Garlands)
Salendra-raja (Sala Tree King)
Ratnotpala-sri (Jewel Flower Virtue)
Sarva-artha-darsa (Visioning All Truths)
Sumeru-kalpa (Sumeru’s Grandeur)
8,598 words 24 pages 10.5.2006 0321
28. “This sutra is devoted to revealing that the Mind is supreme. The names of various Buddhas also
reveal their supreme, perfect, ultimate virtues. Thus, those who hear this sutra and the names of the Buddhas are protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas,” Patriarch Ou-i explains (p. 112).
“Those who hear this sutra and accept its teachings will consistently recite the name of Amitabha, and the name of Amitabha is itself protected and kept in mind by all of the Buddhas…”
On the certainty of attaining Buddhahood in Amitabha’s Pure Land, Ou-i comments (p. 114):
“To say you have reached the level where you do not fall back (non-retrogression) is another way of saying you will achieve Buddhahood in one lifetime. Thus Buddha urges all his listeners to believe in what this sutra is saying and accept it, and to have faith that the merit of hearing the Buddha-name is like this (protection by all the Buddhas and assurance of Buddhahood)…” 10.5.2006 2100
29. “Here Buddha is demonstrating that vows that are made on the basis of pure faith are sure to come
true. Without faith, we cannot make vows. Without vows and faith, rebirth (in the Pure Land) cannot occur,” Patriarch Ou-i has commented (p. 115).
“Vows are a token of faith, and the key link for practice. Making vows is then a most crucial component. When Buddha mentions vows. we must understand that faith and practice are included. That is why he repeatedly urges us most earnestly to make vows…”
Master Hua told his American disciples in 1969 (p. 147): “Faith, vows and practice are the travel expenses for rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. They are your ticket…”
30. In his profound analysis of this sutra, Patriarch Ou-i has attempted brilliantly to clarify why it is so
hard to explain that the simple but supreme Pure Land technique of reciting the Buddha’s name can bring spiritual liberation and ultimate enlightenment to all sentient beings who have strong faith in Amitabha’s Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
“Thus each recitation of the Buddha-name is a method of achieving the mind of Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment practiced by our fundamental teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, in the midst of this evil world of the Five Corruptions,” Patriarch Ou-i has written with very deep insight.
“In this sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha is taking the whole essence of this Enlightenment and bestowing it on sentient beings of this evil and corrupt world…”
In other words, all of them and all of us can also achieve the ultimate enlightenment by reciting the name of Amitabha.
31. With the same profound depth of spiritual penetration, Patriarch Ou-i has further commented (p. 122):
“If it were not for our fundamental teacher Sakyamuni Buddha entering into our evil world, showing the attainment of Enlightenment, and using his great wisdom and great compassion to reveal this (Pure Land Dharma) practice (reciting the Buddha’s name), and teach this (shortcut to spiritual liberation and enlightenment), how would sentient beings have received this message?”
To Pure Land Buddhists, this is indeed the essence of Shakyamuni Buddha’s spiritual mission in the Saha World.
31. “The phrase “they all bowed in homage” signifies that that they were moved by the Buddha’s great
benevolence, and entrusted themselves to him,” Patriarch Ou-i has commented (pp. 123-124).
“Their departure signifies that they went on to practice consistently according to what Buddha had taught them, and never turned back.”
A Zen monk at the age of 24, Ou-i combined meditation and recitation of the Buddha’s name after a grave illness at the age of 28. Following another serious illness at the age of 46, this illustrious scholar-monk devoted himself completely to Pure Land practice. He wrote this immortal commentary of his in nine days at the age of 49 in the year 1648.
“I finally came to realize that the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi is truly the supreme jewel,” he has written in the Afterword (pp. 124-125). “Only then did I become utterly focused on reciting the Buddha-name – wild horses couldn’t drag me away from it…”
The Venerable Tripitaka MasterHsuan Hua said to his American disciples in 1969:
“We now, hearing this supreme, deep, subtle, and wonderful Dharma, have certainly planted great good roots in ages past.
“Consequently, we have a great affinity with Amitabha Buddha, and as a result have been fortunate enough to hear The Amitabha Sutra and to recite the Buddha’s name…”
On the Saturday evening of 23 August 1975, Master Hsuan Hua taught his American disciples at Buddha Root Farm on the Smith River near Reedsport, Oregon:
“Amitabha Buddha is number one. This is because of the power of his vows. This power is so great than when you recite “Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo”, you can very quickly realize Buddhahood.
“To become a Buddha, all you need to do is to recite the Buddha’s name…”
NAMO AMITABHA
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA
Commemorating Vesak 12 May 2006
Mahasthama Mindfulness Center
25 Selasar Rokam 40 Taman Ipoh Jaya31350 Ipoh Perak, Malaysia
Telephone: 05-3134941
(28 pages 10,733 words) 10.5.2006 2305 2337 06.09.2018 23:00 11.09.2018 17:33
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