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The Amitabha Sutra
Translated into Chinese by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva
Translated from Chinese into English by J.C. Cleary
Thus have I heard:
Once Buddha was in the land of Shravasti, in the garden of Jeta and
Anathapindika. He was accompanied by twelve hundred and fifty great Bhikshus,
all of them great Arhats, well known to the assembly. Among them were his
leading disciples, such figures as the Elders Shariputra, Maudgalyayana,
Mahakashyapa, Maha Katyayana, and Mahakausthila, Revata, Suddhipanthaka,
Nanda, Ánanda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-bharadvaja, Kalodayin,
Mahakapphina, Vakula, and Aniruddha, etc., all great disciples. Also present
were the Bodhisattvas Mahasattva: Manjushri, Prince of the Dharma, the
Bodhisattva Ajita the Invincible, and the Bodhisattva of Constant Progress,
Gandhahastin, Nityodyukta, and other such great enlightening beings. Also
present was Shakra, the king of the gods, along with countless numbers of
heavenly beings, making up a great assembly.
At that time Buddha said to the Elder Shariputra: "West of here, past a
hundred billion Buddha-lands, there exists a world called "Ultimate Bliss".
In this land there exists a Buddha called Amitabha, who is expounding the
Dharma right now.
[Buddha says to Shariputra:] "Why is this land called Ultimate Bliss"? It is
called "Ultimate Bliss" because the sentient beings in this land are free
from the myriad sufferings, and only know every kind of joy.
Furthermore, this land is called "Ultimate Bliss" because it is surrounded
by seven rings of railings, and seven layers of nets, and seven rows of
trees, all made of the four precious jewels.
Moreover, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has many jeweled ponds filled with the
waters of eight virtues. The bottom of each of the ponds is pure golden
sand, and the stepped walkways that lead up from all four sides of each of
the ponds are made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli and crystal. Above the
ponds there are towers which are adorned with silver and gold and lapis
lazuli and crystal and mother of pearl and red agate. In the ponds there are
lotus flowers as big as cart wheels: blue ones shining with blue light,
yellow ones shining with yellow light, red ones shining with red light, and
white ones shining with white light, each emitting a subtle pure fragrance.
The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these merits and
adornments.
And there is more -- celestial music is constantly playing in this
Buddha-land, and the ground is made of tawny gold. Flowers in the shape of
heavenly orbs rain down at all hours of the day and night. Every morning the
sentient beings of this land decorate their garments with multitudes of
wondrous flowers and make offerings to hundreds of billions of Buddhas in
other worlds. When it is meal time, they return to their own lands, to eat
and circumambulate [the teaching assembly].
The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these merits and
adornments.
And there is more still -- in this land there are birds of all sorts of
wondrous variegated colors: white cranes, peacocks, orioles, myna birds,
cuckoos. All these birds bring forth harmonious songs day and night. Their
songs communicate such Buddhist teachings as the five roots, the five
powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold path, as well as
other teachings. When the sentient beings in this land hear the voices of
the birds, they are mindful of the Buddhas, mindful of the Dharma [Buddha's
teachings], and mindful of the Sangha [Community of Seekers of
Enlightenment].
Do not think that these birds were born as birds due to karmic retribution
for past misdeeds. Why not? In this Buddha-land, the three evil planes of
existence (as animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings) do not exist.
In this Buddha-land even the names of the evil planes of existence do not
exist, much less the realities. All these birds are the creations of
Amitabha Buddha, fashioned in order to broadcast the sounds of the Dharma.
In this Buddha-land, there is a slight breeze that stirs the rows of jewel
trees and jewel nets, so that they emit subtle wondrous sounds, like
hundreds and thousands of melodies playing all at once. All those who hear
these sounds spontaneously develop the intention to be mindful of the
Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
This Buddha-land is complete with all these merits and adornments.
What do you think: why is this Buddha called Amitabha?
The light of this Buddha is infinite, and shines on all lands throughout the
universe without obstruction. Thus this Buddha is called Amitabha.
Also, the life span of this Buddha and his people is an infinite number of
immeasurable eons, and so he is called Amitabha.
Amitabha Buddha attained enlightenment ten eons ago.
Moreover, this Buddha has innumerable disciples, all of whom are Arhats, and
whose numbers are incalculable. Amitabha also has a following of innumerable
Bodhisattvas.
The Land of Ultimate Bliss is complete with all these merits and
adornments.
None of the sentient beings who are born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss ever
fall back into a lower realm [i.e., they are avaivartika]. Many among them
have only one more lifetime [to go before enlightenment]. These beings are
very numerous, and their number is incalculable: they can be spoken of as
innumerable.
When sentient beings hear [of the Land of Ultimate Bliss], they must take a
vow to be born in this land. Why so? So that they can be together with all
these beings of superior goodness.
One cannot be born in this land through minor good roots, blessings, virtues
and causal connections.
If there are good men or good women who hear of Amitabha Buddha, and recite
his name single mindedly and without confusion, for one day or two days or
three days or four days or five days or six days or seven days, then when
these people are about to die, Amitabha Buddha and all the sages who are
with him will appear before them. When these people die, their minds will
not fall into delusion, and they will attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha's
Land of Ultimate Bliss.
I have seen this benefit, and so I speak these words. If sentient beings
hear what I say, they must make a vow to be born in that land.
Right now I am extolling the benefits of the inconceivable merits of
Amitabha Buddha. But in the eastern direction there are also countless other
Buddhas, like Akshobhya Buddha, and the Buddha "Marks of the Polar
Mountain", and the Buddha "Great Polar Mountain", and the Buddha "Light of
the Polar Mountain", and the Buddha "Wondrous Voice". Each of them preaches
in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos,
speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings should believe this scripture
extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas protect and keep
in mind.
In the worlds of the southern direction there are countless other Buddhas,
like the Buddha "Lamp of the Sun and Moon", and the Buddha "Light of
Renown", and the Buddha "Great Flaming Shoulders", and the Buddha "Lamp of
the Polar Mountain", and the Buddha "Infinite Progress". Each of them
preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole
cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings should believe this
scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas
protect and keep in mind.
In the worlds of the western direction there are countless other Buddhas,
like the Buddha "Infinite Life", and the Buddha "Innumerable
Characteristics", and the Buddha "Innumerable Banners", and the Buddha
"Great Light", and the Buddha "Great Illumination", and the Buddha "Mark of
Reality", and the Buddha "Light of Purity". Each of them preaches in his own
land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the
truth, All of you sentient beings should believe this scripture extolling
their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.
In the worlds of the northern direction there are countless other Buddhas,
like the Buddha "Flaming Shoulders", and the Buddha "Supreme Voice", and the
Buddha "Unstoppable", and the Buddha "Born of the Sun", and the Buddha
"Netted Light". Each of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of
a Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient
beings should believe this scripture extolling their inconceivable merits,
and which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.
In the worlds of the nadir there are countless other Buddhas, like the
Buddha "Lion", and the Buddha "Repute", and the Buddha "Light", and the
Buddha "Dharma Banner", and the Buddha "Upholding the Dharma". Each of them
preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a Buddha, and covers a whole
cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient beings should believe this
scripture extolling their inconceivable merits, and which all Buddhas
protect and keep in mind.
In the worlds of the zenith there are countless other Buddhas, like the
Buddha "Pure Voice", and the Buddha "Sojourner King", and the Buddha
"Incense Fragrance", and the Buddha "Fragrant Light", and the Buddha "Great
Blazing Shoulders", and the Buddha "Body of Multicolored Jewel Flower
Garlands", and the Buddha "Sala Tree King", and the Buddha "Precious Flower
Virtue", and the Buddha "Sees All Truths", and the Buddha "Like the Polar
Mountain". Each of them preaches in his own land with the eloquence of a
Buddha, and covers a whole cosmos, speaking the truth. All of you sentient
beings should believe this scripture extolling their inconceivable merits,
which all Buddhas protect and keep in mind.
Why do you think this is called the sutra that is protected and kept in mind
by all the Buddhas?
If there are good men and good women who hear this scripture, accept it, and
uphold it, and they hear the names of all these Buddhas, all these good men
and good women will be protected and kept in mind by all these Buddhas, and
all of them will reach the level where they do not turn back from complete,
unexcelled, correct enlightenment. Therefore, all of you should faithfully
accept what I say and what all the Buddhas have said.
All those people who have vowed, or are vowing, or will vow to be born in
the land of Amitabha Buddha reach the level where they do not turn back from
complete, unexcelled enlightenment, whether in their past lives, their
present lives, or their future lives. Therefore; all good men and good
women, if they have faith, must make a vow to be born in that land.
Just as I am now extolling the inconceivable merits of all the Buddhas, all
those Buddhas are likewise extolling my inconceivable merits, with these
words: "Shakyamuni Buddha is able to carry out a most difficult and rare
task. In the world "Endurance" [this world], in an evil world of the Five
Corruptions -the corruption of the age, the corruption of views, the
corruption of afflictions, the corruption of sentient beings, and the
corruption of life -- he is able to achieve complete, unexcelled
enlightenment, and to expound the Truth which all beings in all worlds find
hard to believe."
Know then that in the midst of this evil world of the Five Corruptions, I am
able to carry out this difficult task, attain complete, unexcelled
enlightenment, and expound the Truth which is so hard to believe for beings
in all worlds. This is indeed most difficult!
When Buddha had finished preaching this scripture, Shariputra and all the
monks and all the other gods and humans and asuras and the rest who had been
listening, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and faithfully
accepted it. They all bowed in homage and departed.
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