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Fascicle 2 (of 2)
The Certainty of Buddhahood
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Those who are reborn in that land all belong in the group of sentient beings that definitely progress on the right path to bodhi. Why? Because in that Buddha Land, there is neither the group that definitely is not on the bodhi path nor the group that is indecisive about its paths.
The Three Classes to Be Reborn
“Buddha-Tathāgatas in worlds in the ten directions, who are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, each praise Amitāyus Buddha’s inconceivable awesome spirit and merit. If sentient beings that hear His name elicit faith and joy in but one thought and, with an earnest wish for rebirth in that land, transfer their merits to others, they will be reborn there and attain the spiritual level of no regress. Excepted are those who have committed any of the five rebellious sins or maligned the true Dharma.”
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Gods and humans in worlds in the ten directions who earnestly wish to be reborn in that land are grouped into three classes. In the high class are those who have renounced family life, abandoned desires, and become śramaṇas. They should activate the bodhi mind and constantly think only of Amitāyus Buddha. They should accumulate merit and resolve to be reborn in His land.
“When they die, Amitāyus Buddha, together with a holy multitude, will appear before them, and they will follow that Buddha to His land. They will be naturally reborn in lotus flowers made of the seven treasures, and they will abide in the spiritual level of no regress. Their wisdom will be keen, and they will have command of transcendental powers. Therefore, Ānanda, if there are sentient beings that wish to see Amitāyus Buddha in their present life, they should activate the unsurpassed bodhi mind, accumulate merit, and resolve to be reborn in His land.”
The Buddha told Ānanda, “In the middle class are gods and humans in worlds in the ten directions who earnestly wish to be reborn in that land, but are unable to become śramaṇas and to accumulate merit on a large scale. They should activate the unsurpassed bodhi mind and constantly think only of Amitāyus Buddha as they cultivate goodness on a smaller scale. They should observe the pure precepts, erect memorial towers, enshrine Buddha images, offer food to śramaṇas, hang silk screens, light lamps, scatter flowers, and burn incense. With a wish for rebirth in that land, they should transfer their merits to others.
“When they die, Amitāyus Buddha will magically manifest a copy of Himself, who is just as radiant and splendid as a real Buddha, to appear, together with a holy multitude, before them. They will follow this magically manifested Buddha to His land, and will abide in the spiritual level of no regress. Their merit and wisdom will be below those in the high class.”
The Buddha told Ānanda, “In the low class are gods and humans in worlds in the ten directions who earnestly wish to be reborn in that land. Although they are unable to acquire various merits, they should activate the unsurpassed bodhi mind and, with a wish for rebirth in that land, single-mindedly think ten thoughts of Amitāyus Buddha. If they hear the profound Dharma, they should delight and believe in it without raising doubts. Even if they think only one thought of that Buddha, with utmost sincerity they should resolve to be reborn in His land. When they die, they will dream of that Buddha and will be reborn in His land. Their merit and wisdom are below those in the middle class.”
Praises by Buddhas and Homage by Bodhisattvas
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Amitāyus Buddha’s awesome spirit is boundless. None of the innumerable, countless inconceivable Buddha-Tathāgatas in worlds in the ten directions fails to praise Him. Innumerable, countless multitudes of Bodhisattvas in Buddha Lands in the east, which are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, together with multitudes of voice-hearers, all go to Amitāyus Buddha, to make offerings reverently to Him and the Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers there. They hear and accept the Dharma, in order to disseminate the Dharma and transform sentient beings. As they do these things, so too do Bodhisattvas in worlds in the south, west, and north, in the in-between directions, toward the zenith, and toward the nadir.”
At that time the World-Honored One spoke in verse:
Buddha Lands in the east,
Their numbers are like the sands of the Ganges.
Multitudes of Bodhisattvas in those lands
Visit Amitāyus Buddha reverently.
In the south, west, and north, in the four in-between directions,
Toward the zenith, and toward the nadir,
Multitudes of Bodhisattvas in those lands
Also visit Amitāyus Buddha reverently.
Every Bodhisattva
Carries wonderful celestial flowers,
Choice incense, and priceless garments
To make offerings to Amitāyus Buddha.
Celestial music plays harmoniously,
Exquisite tones in concert.
They praise the Supreme Honored One in hymns
As an offering to Amitāyus Buddha,
Who has fully attained wisdom and spiritual power,
Gone through profound Dharma Doors,
And completed His store of merits.
His unparalleled wondrous wisdom-knowledge
Shines on the world like the sun of wisdom,
And removes the clouds of birth and death.
They reverently circle Him three times
And bow down to the Unsurpassed Honored One.
Seeing that His well-adorned Pure Land is
So wondrous and inconceivable,
They hereupon activate the unsurpassed bodhi mind,
Each wishing the land [he will form] to be the same.
Then Amitāyus Buddha is moved,
And he smiles joyfully.
His mouth emits innumerable beams of light,
Illuminating everywhere in worlds in the ten directions.
The returning beams of light circle His body three times
And enter into the crown of His head.
The entire multitude of gods is
Exuberant and exultant.
Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva
Arranges his garment, bows his head, and asks
Why the Buddha is smiling.
To the request for an explanation, that Buddha replies,
“Brahma sounds reverberate like thunders,
The eight tones resonating wonderful melodies,
An accompaniment to my bestowal of prophecies upon Bodhisattvas!
I now explain and you should hearken.
The Upright Ones have come from worlds in the ten directions,
And I know all their wishes.
They resolve to form and adorn their Pure Lands
And to attain Buddhahood.
Realizing that all dharmas are
Like dreams, illusions, and echoes,
They will fulfill their wonderful wishes,
Definitely to form such lands as mine.
Knowing that dharmas are like lightning and reflection,
They will eventually complete the Bodhisattva Way,
Perfect their roots of virtue,
And attain Buddhahood.
Thoroughly understanding dharma nature,
They know that everything is empty and has no self.
Intently seeking pure Buddha Lands,
They definitely will form such lands.”
All Buddhas tell Bodhisattvas to visit
That Buddha in the Land of Peace and Bliss,
To hear the Dharma, accept it joyfully and train accordingly,
And quickly attain the state of purity.
Upon arrival in that well-adorned Pure Land,
One will quickly acquire transcendental powers
And will definitely receive from Amitāyus Buddha
The prophecy of attaining Buddhahood.
By virtue of the power of that Buddha’s original vows,
Those who hear His name and resolve to be reborn [in His land]
Will all arrive in that land
And attain the spiritual level of no regress.
Bodhisattvas who make earnest vows,
Wishing that their own lands be no different from that land,
Remember and deliver all sentient beings.
Their renown spreads across worlds in the ten directions.
To serve koṭis of Tathāgatas,
They fly to all lands.
After joyfully paying homage to Tathāgatas,
They return to the Land of Peace and Bliss.
Those who do not have roots of goodness
Cannot hear this sūtra.
Only those who are pure and observe their precepts
Will come to hear the true Dharma.
Only those who have seen a World-Honored One before
Will believe this explanation.
Humble and reverent, they hear and carry out the Dharma
With exuberance and great joy.
For those who are arrogant and indolent,
It is difficult to believe in the Dharma.
But those who have seen Buddhas in their past lives
Delight in hearing these teachings.
Voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas are unable
To fathom the mind of the Holiest One,
Just as a person who is born blind
Tries to guide others.
The ocean of the Tathāgata’s wisdom is
Deep and vast, without a bottom.
Those riding the Two Vehicles can never measure it.
Only Buddhas themselves can understand.
Suppose that all people
Have attained bodhi [through the Two Vehicles] and
Acquired the pure wisdom that everything is empty.
For koṭis of kalpas, they ponder the wisdom of a Buddha,
Trying to describe it with all their strength.
They still do not know it at the end of their life.
Buddha wisdom is boundless,
And it brings the ultimate state of purity.
As a long lifespan is hard to obtain,
Even harder is to encounter a Buddha appearing in the world.
It is difficult for people to have faith and wisdom.
Those who energetically seek to hear the Dharma
And do not forget the Dharma they have heard
Will face that Buddha and receive great benefits.
Therefore, my good kinfolk and friends,
You should resolve
To hear the Dharma
Even if the world is in flames.
Then you will definitely attain Buddha bodhi
To rescue all those in the flow of birth and death.
The Sublime Bodhisattvas
The Buddha told Ānanda, “All Bodhisattvas in that land will eventually be in the holy position of waiting to attain Buddhahood in their next life, except those whose original vows put sentient beings first. They adorn themselves with the merit of their great vows, hastening to deliver all sentient beings everywhere.
“Ānanda, in that Buddha Land, a voice-hearer’s body light is one yojana across, and a Bodhisattva’s radiance reaches a distance of one hundred yojanas. There are two foremost Bodhisattvas, who are most honored. Their awesome spiritual radiance shines everywhere in the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World.”
Ānanda asked the Buddha, “What are these two Bodhisattvas’ names?”
The Buddha replied, “One is called Avalokiteśvara and the other [Mahāsthāmaprāpta] Great Might Arrived. These two Bodhisattvas trained in the Bodhisattva Way in this land. After their death, they have been reborn in that Buddha Land.
“Ānanda, sentient beings reborn in that land are all endowed with a great man’s thirty-two physical marks. Fulfilled in wisdom, they delve into dharmas and understand their essence. Their transcendental powers are hindrance free, and their faculties are brilliant and keen. Those of inferior capacity achieve the first two of the Three Endurances, and those of superior capacity achieve the asaṁkhyeya Endurance in the Realization of the No Birth of Dharmas.
“In addition, these Bodhisattvas, on their way to Buddhahood, will never again go down the evil life-journeys. They have command of transcendental powers and know the past lives of themselves and others. However, if they choose to be reborn elsewhere, in an evil world with the five turbidities, resembling my world, they will manifest themselves to resemble the inhabitants there.”
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Bodhisattvas in that land, by virtue of that Buddha’s power, in the time of a meal, can visit innumerable worlds in the ten directions to make offerings to the Buddha-Tathāgatas there. According to their thoughts, innumerable, countless offerings instantly appear like magic, such as flowers, incense, instrumental music, silky canopies, and banners, which are precious and extraordinary, not of this world. These Bodhisattvas offer such objects to the multitude of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and voice-hearers there, which then change into flower canopies in the sky. The flower canopies are radiant and colorful, wafting fragrances everywhere. Each flower canopy is 400 lis in circumference, and continues to double in size until it covers the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World. These flower canopies then vanish, one after another. Delighted, these Bodhisattvas play celestial music in the sky and, with wonderful tones, they hymn Buddhas’ virtues. They hear and accept the Dharma with infinite joy. After making offerings to those Buddhas, before mealtime, they effortlessly lift off and return to their own land.”
Pronouncement of the Dharma and Presentation of Offerings
The Buddha told Ānanda, “When Amitāyus Buddha pronounces the Dharma to Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, and gods, they all assemble in the auditorium made of the seven treasures. As He widely expounds the wondrous Dharma, no one fails to understand and accept with delight the teachings for attaining bodhi.
“Meanwhile, winds arise from the four directions, blowing across trees made of the seven treasures, which sound the five tones. The winds scatter innumerable wonderful flowers everywhere. These natural offerings continue endlessly. All gods take 100,000 celestial flowers and fragrances, and play 10,000 kinds of instrumental music, to make offerings to that Buddha and the multitude of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers. Scattering flowers and incense, playing music, they walk to and fro and quickly get out of one another’s way. During that time, their harmony and delight are beyond words.”
The Merit of the Bodhisattvas
The Buddha told Ānanda, “When Bodhisattvas reborn in that Buddha Land speak, they always pronounce the true Dharma in accord with their wisdom, with no contradictions or mistakes. For the myriad things in that land, they hold no concept of belonging or attachment. Without emotional bondage, they come and go, move or stop, completely at ease. Unfettered by endearment or alienation, with no sense of self versus others, neither competitive nor disputative, they have the altruistic mind of great lovingkindness and compassion for sentient beings. Gentle and docile, they have no anger. Free from the mental coverings, they have a pure mind. Never weary or indolent, they retain in their minds equality, excellence, profundity, and concentration, as well as love, appreciation, and joy of the Dharma. Having eradicated afflictions and purified the mind bent on the evil life-journeys, they take all Bodhisattva actions and acquire immeasurable merit.
“Equipped with profound samādhi, transcendental powers, and illuminating wisdom, they practice the Seven Bodhi Factors, training their minds in accordance with the Buddha Dharma. Their physical-eye is pure and perceptive, able to distinguish all things. Their god-eye reaches an immeasurable, boundless distance. Their dharma-eye observes the ultimate Way. Their wisdom-eye sees the truth, which can cross them over to the opposite shore. Their Buddha-eye completely penetrates dharma nature.
“With hindrance-free wisdom, they expound the Dharma to others. Seeing that all things in the Three Realms of Existence are equal in their emptiness, they resolve to seek the Buddha Dharma. Equipped with eloquence, they annihilate the afflictions that trouble all sentient beings. Born from the Tathātaga, they understand the true suchness of dharmas. Equipped with a good understanding of nirvāṇa and with verbal skills, they do not enjoy worldly talks but delight in true discussions [of the Dharma]. They develop their roots of goodness and resolve to attain Buddha bodhi. Knowing that all dharmas are in nirvāṇa, they end both their afflictions and their cycle of birth and death. When they hear the profound Dharma, they have no fears or doubts in their minds and are able to train themselves accordingly. Their great compassion is so profound, far-reaching, and wonderful that it embraces all sentient beings without exception, and they carry them all aboard the ultimate One Vehicle to the opposite shore.
“As they resolutely shatter the web of doubts, wisdom arises in their minds, completely encompassing the Buddha Dharma. Their wisdom is like the immense ocean, and their samādhi is like the king of mountains. The radiance of their wisdom surpasses that of the sun and the moon, as they master the pure ways.
“They are like the snow mountain because they sparkle with merits that are equal in purity; like the great earth because they do not discriminate between purity and impurity, good and evil; like the pure water because they wash away afflictions, like filth; like the fire-king because they burn way afflictions, like firewood; like the powerful wind because they travel across worlds unhindered; like the open sky because they are not attached to anything; like the lotus flower because they live in the world untainted; like the Mahāyāna because they carry sentient beings out of their cycle of birth and death; like the thick clouds because they rumble the great Dharma thunder to awaken those asleep; like the torrential rain because they pour down sweet nectar to water sentient beings; like the vajra mountain because they cannot be moved by māras or non-Buddhists; like the Brahma-kings because they are foremost in upholding virtuous dharmas; like the banyan tree because they shelter all; like the udumbara flower because they are rare to encounter; like the golden-winged garuḍa because they subdue adherents of the wrong views; like the soaring birds because they do not accumulate things; like the ox-king because they are invincible; like the elephant-king because they are skilled tamers; like the lion-king because they are fearless; like the vast sky because their lovingkindness is given equally.
“They annihilate the mind of jealousy, not wanting to overtake others. They delight in seeking the Dharma, never satiated. They widely expound the Dharma, never tiring. They beat the Dharma drum and erect the Dharma banner. They invoke the sun of wisdom to shine and dispel the darkness of delusion. They live by the six elements of harmony and respect. They always give the Dharma as alms. They make boldly energetic progress, never feeling weak or discouraged. They serve as the world-illuminating lamp and as the supreme fortune field. They serve as the guiding teacher who teaches all equally without likes or dislikes. They delight in only the true Way without elation or dejection. They pull out the thorns of desire to give comfort to sentient beings. Their merit is so outstanding that no one fails to respect them. They destroy the hindrances caused by the three afflictions and playfully demonstrate their transcendental powers.
“They have the power of causes, conditions, mind, resolve, skillful means, persistency, virtue, samādhi, wisdom, hearing much of the Dharma, and the six pāramitās—almsgiving, observance of precepts, endurance of adversity, energetic progress, meditation, and wisdom—and the power of right mindfulness, right observation, the six transcendental powers, the Three Clarities, and taming sentient beings in accordance with the Dharma. Such power is complete in them!
“Adorned with merit and eloquence, their physical features are majestic. No one can compare with them. They reverently make offerings to innumerable Buddhas, and they are always praised by Buddhas. They perfect their practice of pāramitās required for Bodhisattvas as they train in the Three Samādhis—emptiness, no appearance, and no wish—and go through Samādhi Doors, such as no birth and no death. They stay far away from the ground of voice-hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
“Ānanda, those Bodhisattvas are adorned with such immeasurable merit, which I have only briefly described to you. If I elaborate, I cannot finish even in a billion kalpas.”
Encouragement to Achieve Rebirth in That Land
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, gods, and humans, “The merit and wisdom of the voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas in Amitāyus Buddha’s land are beyond description. So peaceful, blissful, and pure is that land! How can one not strive for merit, and not think of bodhi, which transcends the boundless limit, beyond the distinction between high and low? If one makes energetic progress seeking bodhi, one definitely will transcend this world and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss. If one decisively rejects the five evil life-paths,[5] they will be closed to one. However, although the limitless [spiritual] ascension is easy to achieve, no one wants to go that way. Although that land poses no obstructions, people are tethered to their world. Why does one not give up one’s worldly matters to walk the virtuous Way in order to acquire an extremely long life and infinite delight?
The Evil Ways of the World
“However, people of the world are shallow and earthly, and they fight over minor matters. In extreme suffering, they toil to support themselves. Noble or base, rich or poor, young or old, male or female, they all are concerned about money. Whether or not they have money, they worry about it just the same. Burdened by their concerns and anxieties, they are in anguish and sorrow. Driven by their minds, they never live in peace.
“If they own farmland, they worry about their farmland. If they own houses, they worry about their houses. In addition, their slaves, riches, clothing, food, sundry goods, and the six kinds of livestock, such as cows and horses, are all their concerns. Thinking and panting, they live in anxiety and fear.
“Unexpectedly, floods, fires, bandits, enemies, and creditors wash, burn, and take away their goods. When the objects of their concern are all destroyed or dispersed, their toxic anxiety and anguish can find no release. Anger stays in their minds, together with concern and distress. Obstinately attached to their belongings, they refuse to let go of them. Some live out the rest of their lives as ruined men. After death, they leave everything behind, and nothing follows them. The dignified and the wealthy have this trouble as well, which causes them myriad concerns and fears. As all toil painfully in cold or hot weather, all live in pain.
“The poor and lowly are constantly in destitution. Those who do not own farmland desire to own farmland; those who do not own houses desire to own houses; those who do not own slaves, riches, clothing, food, sundry goods, or the six kinds of livestock, such as cows and horses, desire to own them. They may have one item, lacking another; they may have some items, lacking others. They think about getting all of them. Even as they get everything, these objects soon are dispersed. With anxiety and pain, they seek but cannot get what they want. Their thinking is futile, which only tires their body and mind. Plagued by their concerns, they are restless in their conduct. They cannot help toiling in cold or hot weather, living in pain. They carry on in this way until they die.
“They refuse to do good, walk the right path, or cultivate virtue. After death, each of them will travel long distances alone, taking the next life-journey, unable to know whether it is good or evil.
“People of the world—parents, children, siblings, spouses, and close or distant relatives—should have love and respect for one another, not hatred. The fortunate should be generous to the unfortunate, not stingy. People should be kind and gentle to one another in their speech and manners, not hostile. However, those who are in dispute harbor anger, and their anger in the present life will become an enormous feud in a future life. Why? Because although mutually harmful acts in one’s present life may not immediately result in a deadly fight, the poisonous anger and hardened fury remain in one’s [ālaya] consciousness, not going away. Life after life, enemies reciprocate their revenge.
“People live in the loves and desires of the world. However, everyone is born alone, dies alone, comes alone, and goes alone. One must complete one’s own life-journey of pain or pleasure, and no one else can take one’s place. One’s good or evil karmas lead one to fortune or misfortune. As one’s past karmas relentlessly await, one must go alone on one’s next life-journey to a distant place that cannot be known. Family members, each accompanied by good and evil karmas, which are hidden from them, will be separated by their different life-paths for a long time. It will be extremely difficult for them to meet again. Why do people not give up their worldly pursuits and not strive to cultivate virtue while they are still healthy and strong? If they strive to cultivate virtue and make energetic progress, aiming to transcend the world, they can acquire infinite life. Why do they not seek bodhi? What other delight can they possibly desire?
“However, people of the world do not believe that doing good karmas reaps good requitals or that seeking bodhi leads to attainment of bodhi. They do not believe in rebirth after death. Nor do they believe that generous giving yields good fortune or that requitals match good or evil karmas. They contend that it is not so and that there is no such thing.
“They cling to their wrong views and look to one another for support. From one generation to the next, fathers pass their views down to children. Just like their deceased fathers and forefathers, who neither did good nor recognized morality, these descendants, with their delusions, closed minds, and dark spirits, are of course unable to distinguish between good and evil ways, or to understand the resultant journeys of birth and death. Nor does anyone tell them about these things. Whether good or evil, fortunate or unfortunate, they race to do anything as they please, and no one finds it disturbing.
“In the usual course of karmic life, family members die. Parents weep for the loss of their children; children weep for the loss of their parents. Siblings and spouses weep for their respective losses. Death does not occur according to any order. Under the law of impermanence, nothing can stay forever and all things will pass away. Even when people are told or taught this, few believe it.
“Therefore, one’s transmigration through birth and death is endless. But in their ignorance, people still refuse to believe in the Dharma [as explained] in the sūtras. Without any forethought, they each desire instant gratification. Stupefied in their loves and desires, they disregard morality. They are lost in anger and hatred, and greedy for wealth and carnal pleasures. Set in their ways, they do not seek bodhi. They continue to undergo birth and death endlessly, suffering through their evil life-journeys. How agonized and pathetic they are!
“If there is a death in a family, whether a parent, a child, a sibling, or a spouse, the survivors mourn their loss. They think of their loved one, and their thoughts of grief form a knot. Enduring days and years of pain in their hearts, they still cannot release themselves from their attachment. Even when they are given the true teachings, their minds stay closed because their thoughts are not apart from sensual desires. Dazed and blocked, their minds are mired in delusion. They cannot reflect and think straight in order to make a decision about their worldly affairs and to set off on the Way. Before long, their lives come to an end. They cannot help failing to attain bodhi.
“Troubled and confused, people are greedy for loves and desires. The deluded are many while the enlightened are few. In this bustling world, a place upon which one cannot rely, whether dignified or humble, high or low, rich or poor, noble or base, each toils in his work, harboring malice and dark, evil energy. They launch enterprises that are against the heaven and earth and disagreeable to people’s hearts. They attract evils to follow them, which let them do as they please until their sins have peaked. Before the end of their natural lifespans, they die sudden deaths. Then they go down the evil life-paths life after life, for thousands of koṭis of kalpas, not knowing when release will come. Their suffering is indescribable. How pathetic they are!”
The Solemn Admonition
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, gods, and humans, “I now have described to you the affairs of the world. Those who are involved cannot attain bodhi. One should carefully reflect on one’s life, stay far away from evils, and diligently do well-chosen good deeds. Love, desire, rank, and wealth are impossible to preserve. They are not pleasurable, and they all will depart. When one encounters a Buddha in the world, one should make energetic progress. Those who earnestly resolve to be reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss will acquire illuminating wisdom and excellent merit. One should not allow self-indulgence or fail the teachings and the precepts, thus falling behind others. If you have any doubts about this sūtra, you may ask the Buddha. I will explain to you.”
Maitreya Bodhisattva fell on both knees and said, “The Buddha is revered for His awesome spirit. His words are direct and virtuous. Having heard the Buddha’s teachings, we each should thoroughly think them over. People of the world act just as described by the Buddha. Out of His lovingkindness and compassion, the Buddha now has indicated the great Way. One’s ear and eye are opened and cleared because of one’s deliverance. None of those who have heard the Buddha fails to rejoice. By His lovingkindness, gods, humans, and even wriggly insects are all liberated from anxiety and suffering. The Buddha’s admonition is profound and virtuous. His wisdom clearly sees all things of the past, present, and future, everywhere [in worlds] in the ten directions, hindrance free. The reason we have deliverance bestowed upon us is that the Buddha in His past lives arduously sought bodhi with humility. His kindness is all-embracing and his merit majestic. His radiance shines through the limitless emptiness [of all dharmas], opening the entrance to nirvāṇa. He ceaselessly teaches, tames, commands, transforms, and inspires all [sentient beings in worlds] in the ten directions. The Buddha is the Dharma King revered above all multitudes of holy beings. As the teacher to all gods and humans, He enables them to attain bodhi as they wish. We now have encountered the Buddha and even heard His introduction of Amitāyus Buddha. No one fails to rejoice and open his mind wide.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “What you say is true. Reverence for the Buddha is a great virtue. Only once in a long, long time will a Buddha appear in the world. I now have become a Buddha in this world to expound the Dharma, giving the teachings for attaining bodhi, to shatter the web of doubts, to pull out the roots of love and desire, and to destroy the source of evils, as I visit the Three Realms of Existence unhindered. With all-encompassing wisdom, I teach the essentials of the right path and explain its guidelines. I reveal the five life-journeys and deliver those who have not been delivered, enabling them to take the right path that goes from saṁsāra to nirvāṇa.
“Maitreya, know that you have trained in the Bodhisattva Way for innumerable kalpas. It has been a long time since you first resolved to deliver sentient beings. Those whom you will deliver in the time period between your attainment of bodhi and your parinirvāṇa will be innumerable.
“You, gods and humans in worlds in the ten directions, and my four groups of disciples have been transmigrating through the five life-paths since time without a beginning. Your anxiety, suffering, and toil are beyond description. Up to the present life, you have not ended your cycle of birth and death. Nevertheless, you have encountered a Buddha, and have heard and accepted the Dharma. You have even heard about Amitāyus Buddha. This is delightful and excellent. I express my sympathetic joy. You all should be tired of the pain of birth, old age, illness, and death, [a process of] discharging impurities, nothing enjoyable. It would be wise to resolve to organize yourselves for the right actions—to do good karmas, to purify your body and mind, and to speak and act truthfully in accord with your mind.
“One can deliver oneself then help and rescue others. To fulfill one’s wish energetically, one should develop one’s roots of goodness. Although one has to toil arduously in one’s entire life, it would be like an instant in comparison [with one’s lifespan in the Pure Land]. One will then enjoy infinite bliss after one’s rebirth in Amitāyus Buddha’s land. One will always act in accord with virtue and will have forever pulled out the roots of birth and death, freed from the trouble of afflictions, such as greed, anger, and delusion. One’s lifespan can last for one kalpa, 100 kalpas, 1,000 kalpas, or 10,000 koṭi kalpas, according to one’s wish. The freedom and ease of one’s mind are below only the state of nirvāṇa.
“You each should make energetic progress, striving to fulfill your wish. Doubts and regrets would be a blunder, which would cause one’s rebirth on the edge of that land. There, one would be confined for 500 years in a palace made of the seven treasures, undergoing tribulations.”
Maitreya Bodhisattva said, “Having received the Buddha’s solemn admonition, we will intently train and learn, carrying out His teachings. We dare not have any doubts.”
The Five Evils and the Five Virtues
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “If you each can rectify your minds and intentions and refrain from doing evil, this is the highest virtue, unparalleled in worlds in the ten directions. Why? Because gods and humans in many Buddha Lands spontaneously do good, not evil, and they easily develop and transform themselves. I now have become a Buddha in this world of the five evils,[6] the five pains, and the five burns, and I teach sentient beings in extreme suffering to discard the five evils, remove the five pains, and stay away from the five burns. I transform their minds, enabling them to uphold the five virtues and acquire merits, so that they will live a long life [in Amitāyus Buddha’s land] and eventually attain nirvāṇa.”
The Buddha asked, “What are the five evils, the five pains, and the five burns? How does one destroy the five evils and uphold the five virtues in order to acquire merit, live a long life, and attain nirvāṇa?”
The First Evil and the First Virtue
The Buddha explained, “The first evil is this. Sentient beings, from gods and humans down to wriggly insects, do evil without exception. As the strong crush the weak, they harm, kill, and eat one another. They do not know how to cultivate virtue, but do evil without compunction. Evildoers receive punishment as they head for the next life-journey. The evils lodged in their [ālaya] consciousnesses find no pardon. That is why there are those who are poor and lowly, deprived and forlorn, those who are deaf, blind, mute, or stupid, and those who are vicious and violent. Then there are those who are dignified, noble, wealthy, or capable and brilliant, because in their past lives they were kind and dutiful, and acquired merit and cultivated virtue.
“Although the world has its regular systems of law and prison, there are those who do not fear them, and they commit crimes. Then, by law, they receive punishment from which it is hard to escape or to be absolved. This kind of punishment takes place in their present life. The consequence in their next life is even more intense and severe. Each of them enters darkness and assumes a body in a new life to undergo torture, as if enforced by human law.
“Hence, there naturally are the three evil life-journeys with immeasurable suffering and distress. The sinners change bodies, forms, and life-paths. Whether a lifespan is long or short, one’s [ālaya] consciousness cannot help heading for it. One goes alone in one’s rebirth, timed with enemies’ rebirths to continue mutual revenge endlessly. Until the purging of one’s horrible sins, one is unable to leave the evil life-journeys. One continues to trudge through them, not knowing when release will come. As liberation is hard to achieve, one’s pain is indescribable. Such things do take place between heaven and earth. Although requitals are not always immediate, virtuous and evil ways will be returned in due time. These are the first enormous evil, the first pain, and the first burn.
“As one toils painfully, it is like a huge fire burning one’s body. In its midst, if one can control one’s mind and harness one’s body only to do good, not evil, one will achieve liberation, acquire merit, transcend the world, and attain nirvāṇa. This is the first great virtue.”
The Second Evil and the Second Virtue
The Buddha said, “The second evil is this. People of the world—parents, children, siblings, and spouses—neither follow honorable principles nor comply with regulations. They revel in extravagance and dissipation for gratification. Self-centered and self-willed, they deceive one another. Their mouth and mind contradict each other; their words and thoughts are dishonest. Sycophantic and untrustworthy, they flatter others with cunning words. They slander the worthy and the virtuous, incriminating them of wrongdoings.
“Unwise rulers appoint deceitful and conniving ministers, who size up the situations and implement their schemes. Those in a shaky position are deceived by them. Against the law of conscience, they purposely slander the loyal and the upright. Ministers deceive their kings; children deceive their parents. Likewise, siblings, spouses, and close or casual friends deceive one another. Afflicted with greed, anger, and delusion, each desires to benefit himself. Dignified or humble, high or low, people have the same mentality. They disregard the consequences of their actions, bringing about the destruction of their families and their own deaths. Both close and distant relatives may be implicated, and the entire clan may be annihilated.
“Sometimes, they engage in enterprises involving family, friends, villagers, townsfolk, fools, and the uncivilized. They exploit one another, and their anger becomes a grudge. The wealthy are miserly and refuse to give alms. Greedy for and attached to riches, they continue to fatigue their bodies and minds. Yet, at the end of their lives, they have nothing to depend upon. As they each have come alone, they each will go alone, and no one will accompany them. Good or evil, fortune or misfortune, follows them as each begins the next life-journey, pleasant or painful. Their remorse comes too late.
“People of the world are stupid and unwise. Instead of admiring the virtuous, they hate and slander them. They desire to do evil and willfully do unlawful deeds. Thievery is in their minds as they covet others’ wealth. After they have squandered their goods, they seek to restock them. Although they fear others’ detection of their evil motives, they act without any foresight, and regret after they are caught. The world now has law and prison. Evildoers are punished for their crimes. In their past lives, they did not believe in morality, nor did they develop roots of goodness. In their present life, they do evil. Gods even record their names. After death, they go down the evil life-paths.
“Hence, there naturally are the three evil life-journeys with immeasurable suffering and distress. Sinners transmigrate through them life after life, for kalpas, not knowing when release will come. While liberation is hard to achieve, their pain is indescribable. These are the second enormous evil, the second pain, and the second burn.
“As one toils painfully, it is like a huge fire burning one’s body. In its midst, if one can control one’s mind and harness one’s body only to do good, not evil, one will achieve liberation, acquire merit, transcend the world, and attain nirvāṇa. This is the second great virtue.”
The Third Evil and the Third Virtue
The Buddha said, “The third evil is this. People of the world, who have limited lifespans, depend upon one another and the environment as they live together between heaven and earth. At the top are wise elders, the dignified, the noble, and the wealthy. At the bottom are the poor, the lowly, the vile, and the foolish. In the middle are the depraved, who are evil and lustful. Filled with chaotic loves and desires, they are restless in their conduct. Greedy and stingy, they desire unearned things. They leer at objects of lust, displaying their evil manners. They detest their own wives and go out to seek adventures. They squander family assets and perform unlawful deeds. They band together and launch lawless warfare, attacking, killing, and pillaging. Their evil minds target external objects, unconcerned about improving their karmas. They obtain things by robbery or thievery. To evade prosecution by law, they give their loot to their wives. They seek gratification in physical pleasure, abusing even their own relatives. People, whether dignified or humble, loathe them, as they cause trouble and anguish to their families. They do not fear the law or other prohibitions. Touching humans and ghosts, their evils are exposed under the sun and the moon and lodged in their [ālaya] consciousnesses.
“Hence, there naturally are the three evil life-journeys with immeasurable suffering and distress. Sinners transmigrate through them life after life, for kalpas, not knowing when release will come. While liberation is hard to achieve, their pain is indescribable. These are the third enormous evil, the third pain, and the third burn.
“As one toils painfully, it is like a huge fire burning one’s body. In its midst, if one can control one’s mind and harness one’s body only to do good, not evil, one will achieve liberation, acquire merit, transcend the world, and attain nirvāṇa. This is the third great virtue.”
The Fourth Evil and the Fourth Virtue
The Buddha said, “The fourth evil is this. People of the world do not think of cultivating virtue. Instead, they teach one another to do evil. With divisive speech, abusive speech, false speech, and suggestive speech, they dispute with and slander others. They hate the virtuous and find pleasure in maligning the worthy. They are neither dutiful nor respectful to their parents, and they disdain their teachers and elders. They betray their friends’ trust and find it hard to become honest. Conceited and self-aggrandizing, they claim that they are righteous. Lacking self-knowledge, they brutally assault and terrorize others. Considering themselves tough, they do evil shamelessly, making it impossible to earn others’ respect. They have no fear of the law between heaven and earth, under the sun and the moon. Unwilling to do good karmas, they are hard to tame. Obstinate and mentally blocked, they claim that their ways can last. With nothing to worry or fear, they are arrogant. All their evils are noted by gods.
“They rely on the merit they acquired in their past lives and use their little virtue for protection and support. Then, in the present life they do evil and deplete their store of merits. Benign spirits all leave them, and they are left alone without any support. After they die, their evils spontaneously return to them and overpower them. Because their evils are lodged in their [ālaya] consciousnesses, their horrible sins will drag them toward inescapable requitals. They must move forward into a cauldron of fire. When their bodies are consumed and their minds in agony, their remorse at that moment comes too late. The way of karma is swift and infallible.
“Hence, there naturally are the three evil life-journeys with immeasurable suffering and distress. Sinners transmigrate through them life after life, for kalpas, not knowing when release will come. While liberation is hard to achieve, their pain is indescribable. These are the fourth enormous evil, the fourth pain, and the fourth burn.
“As one toils painfully, it is like a huge fire burning one’s body. In its midst, if one can control one’s mind and harness one’s body only to do good, not evil, one will achieve liberation, acquire merit, transcend the world, and attain nirvāṇa. This is the fourth great virtue.”
The Fifth Evil and the Fifth Virtue
The Buddha said, “The fifth evil is this. People of the world wander in indolence and negligence. They are unwilling to do good karmas, harness their bodies, and earn a livelihood, though their families are in hardship, hungry and cold. When their parents instruct them, they stare and respond in defiance, and argue and contradict, acting like enemies. Parents are better off without such children. They are takers who know no limit, and people loathe them. They take others’ kindness and friendship for granted and have no intention of reciprocating. Unable to alter their poverty and hardship, they resort to thievery and vagrancy, and live on what is not earned. They revel in drinking and debauchery, eating and drinking without moderation. Rude and aggressive, they do not understand human rapport and willfully deny it. When they see virtue in people, they envy and hate them. Without any scruples or manners, they have no misgivings. They do as they please, beyond admonition. They have no concern about the means of their six branches of family, never thinking of the kindness of their parents and teachers, or the fellowship of their friends. Devoid of a single virtue, their minds think evil, their mouths speak evil, and their bodies do evil. They disbelieve the Dharma taught by Buddhas and holy ones. They disbelieve that walking the Way leads to transcendence of the world; that after one’s death one’s [ālaya] consciousness heads for rebirth; or that good karmas reap fortune and evil karmas reap misfortune. They desire to kill the virtuous, damage the Saṅgha, and harm their parents, siblings, and dependents. Their six branches of family are appalled by them, wishing them dead.
“Thus, many people of the world have the same mentality. Stupid and ignorant, they think that they are wise. They know neither whence they are born nor where they will go after death. Cold-hearted and rebellious, they do evil between heaven and earth. They hope to get lucky and live a long life, but only end in death. If someone kindly teaches them to think of virtue and explains to them the good and evil life-journeys, they refuse to believe him. Painstaking advice cannot benefit them because their minds are entirely blocked and impossible to open. Upon the ending of their life, they are crushed by fear and remorse. They refuse to cultivate virtue, only to regret in the end. What good is their remorse to their next life?
“Between heaven and earth, the five life-paths are distinct, extensive, profound, and vast. One’s good and evil requitals, manifested as fortune and misfortune, respond without fail to one’s good and evil karmas. One must personally bear them, and no one else can take one’s place. The karmic law responds to one’s actions, and requitals chase one’s life, never relenting. While a virtuous person who does good karmas goes from pleasure to pleasure, from light to light, an evil person who does evil karmas goes from pain to pain, from dark to dark. Who, besides a Buddha, knows all this? However, few believe and carry out the teachings. As one’s cycle of birth and death and the evil life-journeys are endless, so too people of the world are endless.
“Hence, there naturally are the three evil life-journeys with immeasurable suffering and distress. Sinners transmigrate through them life after life, for kalpas, not knowing when release will come. While liberation is hard to achieve, their pain is indescribable. These are the fifth enormous evil, the fifth pain, and the fifth burn.
“As one toils painfully, it is like a huge fire burning one’s body. In its midst, if one can control one’s mind and harness one’s body to think the right thoughts, to act according to one’s words with utmost sincerity, to keep one’s words in accord with one’s mind, and to do good, not evil, one will achieve liberation, acquire merit, transcend the world, and attain nirvāṇa. This is the fifth great virtue.”
Another Solemn Admonition
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “As I say to you all, people of the world toil painfully in the five evils. As a result, they suffer the five pains and, in turn, the five burns. They do myriad evils but do not develop roots of goodness, so they naturally go down the evil life-journeys. As witnessed by the multitudes, some, even in their present life, suffer prolonged illness brought about by their sins, and are unable either to die or to live. Then, after death, they go down the three evil life-paths to experience immeasurable horrendous suffering, burning in fire.
“These people bear each other grudges that begin small but, after a long time, grow into an enormous evil. Because of their greed for wealth, they cannot give alms. Mired in delusion, they can neither think straight nor liberate themselves from the bondage of afflictions. They fight for self-benefit, never stopping to reflect. As they seek fleeting pleasures in wealth and rank, they can neither endure adversity nor cultivate virtue. The little power they hold is soon spent. Their longtime toil only leads to severe consequences. The law of karma prevails, and the net of requitals is accordingly spread. They each fall into the net, alone and afraid. From ancient times to the present, there are such deplorable pains.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “All Buddhas are sad over the ways of the world. With their awesome spiritual power, they annihilate evils, enabling people to drop their habitual thoughts, uphold sūtras and precepts, and practice the Dharma without misunderstandings or violations. They will eventually transcend the world and attain nirvāṇa.”
The Buddha continued, “You, gods and humans, and people of the future, who have received the Buddha’s teachings, should ponder them well. Then all can take the right actions with an upright mind. A ruler who cultivates virtue sets an example for his ministers, who in turn command all subjects to maintain good conduct. All should revere the holy and respect the virtuous, and be kind and loving to others. Do not fail the Buddha’s teachings. All should seek to transcend the world and uproot the evils of repeated birth and death, leaving forever the immeasurable anxiety and agony through the three evil life-journeys.
“You all should widely plant roots of virtue and practice the six pāramitās: almsgiving, observance of precepts, endurance of adversity, energetic progress, meditation, and development of wisdom. You each should teach others, who in turn will teach many others, to uphold virtue and to rectify one’s mind and intention. If one observes the precepts with purity for one day and one night in this land, one’s merit exceeds that from doing good karmas for 100 years in Amitāyus Buddha’s land. Why? Because that Buddha Land is pure, and its inhabitants, having no evil even as slight as a hair, spontaneously accumulate good karmas. If one cultivates virtue for ten days and ten nights in this land, one’s merit exceeds that from doing good karmas for 1,000 years in Buddha Lands in other directions. Why? Because most inhabitants of other Buddha Lands do good, and few do evil. With no place to do evil, acquiring merit is their natural way of life. However, in this land are many evils, and acquiring merit is not the natural way of life. People toil painfully to satisfy their desires, and they take advantage of one another. Exhausted in body and mind, they eat bitterness and drink poison. Their evils never end.
“I pity you gods and humans, and painstakingly instruct you to cultivate virtue. According to your capacities, I guide you and teach you the Dharma for you to carry out, so that you all will attain bodhi as you wish. Wherever the Buddha visits, in countries or settlements, no one will fail to be transformed. The world will be in harmony, the sun and the moon will be bright, and the winds and rains will be timely. Natural disasters and epidemics will not strike. The country will prosper, and the people will live in peace, rendering weaponry useless. As people admire virtue and appreciate kindness, they will learn to be courteous and to yield to one another.”
The Buddha continued, “I pity you gods and humans more than parents are concerned about their children. I now have become a Buddha in this world, and I [teach sentient beings to] destroy the five evils, remove the five pains, and eliminate the five burns. I attack evil with virtue to end the suffering of repeated birth and death, enabling all to acquire the five virtues and ascend to the peace [of nirvāṇa], which is free from causes and conditions. After I have left this world, the Way to bodhi will gradually disappear. People will resume their evil ways of sycophancy and falsehood, and will experience the five pains and the five burns just as before. How severe their condition will become cannot be described in detail. I have only told you briefly about it.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “You all should ponder and admonish one another in accordance with the Buddha Dharma, not to violate it.”
Then Maitreya Bodhisattva joined his palms and said, “What the Buddha has said is true. People of the world are like that. The Tathāgata, out of lovingkindness and compassion, enables us all to be liberated. Having received the Buddha’s solemn admonition, we dare not defy or lose it.”
The Vision of Amitāyus Buddha and His Land
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Rise, arrange your robe, join your palms reverently, and make obeisance to Amitāyus Buddha. Buddha-Tathāgatas in worlds in the ten directions all praise and acclaim that Buddha, who has neither attachment nor hindrance.”
Then Ānanda rose, arranged his robe, and stood properly, facing the west. He joined his palms reverently and prostrated himself on the ground, making obeisance to Amitāyus Buddha. He said, “World-Honored One, I wish to see that Buddha, His Land of Peace and Bliss, and the multitude of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers there.”
As soon as he spoke these words, Amitāyus Buddha emitted great radiance, illuminating all Buddha Lands. The vajra mountain range, Sumeru the king of mountains, and other large and small mountains all became the same color. The radiance was like the water covering the world at the end of a kalpa when everything is submerged, and one sees only an expanse of water. That Buddha’s radiance had the same effect. The radiance of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas was entirely obscured, and one saw only that Buddha’s radiance, brilliant and magnificent.
At that time Ānanda saw Amitāyus Buddha, awesome and majestic, like Sumeru the mountain-king, taller than all the worlds. The radiance of his sublime appearance shone on everything. As the four groups of Śākyamuni Buddha’s disciples in this assembly all saw Amitāyus Buddha and His land, likewise all inhabitants of the Land of Peace and Bliss saw Śākyamuni Buddha and His people in this Sahā World.[7]
Then the Buddha asked Ānanda and Maitreya Bodhisattva, “Do you not see all the wonderful pure adornments in that land, from its ground up to pure abode heavens?”
Ānanda replied, “Yes, I see them.”
“Do you not hear Amitāyus Buddha pronounce [the Dharma] aloud to all worlds to transform their sentient beings?”
Ānanda replied, “Yes, I hear Him.”
“People of that land ride a palace 100,000 yojanas in size, made of the seven treasures, to make offerings to Buddhas [in worlds] in the ten directions unhindered. Do you see this?”
“I see this,” replied Ānanda.
“Some people of that land are reborn from the womb.[8] Do you see this?”
“I see this,” replied Ānanda.
“Those who are reborn from the womb live in palaces 100 or 500 yojanas in size. They each enjoy pleasures as naturally as if they were in Trayastriṁśa Heaven.”
Doubts Causing a Rebirth from the Womb
At that time Maitreya Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, why are people of that land reborn from the womb or reborn miraculously [in lotus flowers]?”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “There are sentient beings that wish to be reborn in that land, but they accumulate merit with a mind of doubts. They do not understand Buddha wisdom, including the inconceivable wisdom-knowledge, the indescribable wisdom-knowledge, the vast Mahāyāna wisdom-knowledge, and the unsurpassed supreme wisdom-knowledge. They disbelieve in and doubt such wisdom-knowledge. Nevertheless, they believe in sin and merit, and they develop their roots of goodness, wishing to be reborn in that land. These sentient beings are reborn [on the edge of that land] and live a 500-year lifespan in a palace. They never see that Buddha, nor do they hear the Buddha Dharma, nor do they see the multitude of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers. Therefore, in that land this is called a rebirth from the womb.
“Then, there are sentient beings that believe in Buddha wisdom, including the unsurpassed supreme wisdom-knowledge. They acquire merits and faithfully transfer their merits to others. These sentient beings are reborn miraculously, seated cross-legged in lotus flowers made of the seven treasures. In an instant, their physical features, radiance, wisdom, and merits are as complete as those of the Bodhisattvas already there.
“Moreover, Maitreya, in Buddha Lands in other directions are great Bodhisattvas who wish to see Amitāyus Buddha and His multitude of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers, and to make offerings reverently to them. These Bodhisattvas after death will also be reborn miraculously in Amitāyus Buddha’s land, in lotus flowers made of the seven treasures.
“Maitreya, know that those reborn miraculously have superior wisdom while those reborn from the womb have little wisdom. For 500 years they do not see that Buddha, nor do they hear the Dharma, nor do they see the multitude of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers. Unable to make offerings to Buddhas and ignorant of Bodhisattvas’ Dharma procedures, they cannot acquire merit. Know that all this is caused by their lacking wisdom and harboring doubts in their past lives.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “As an analogy, a Wheel-Turning King has a special palace adorned with the seven treasures. It is furnished with beds, curtains, and silky canopies. If young princes have offended the king, they are detained in that palace, chained with gold locks. Just like a Wheel-Turning King, they are provided with food and drink, clothing and bedding, flowers and incense, and instrumental music, without any shortage. What is your opinion? Do these princes enjoy staying there?”
“No,” replied Maitreya Bodhisattva, “using various methods, they seek the strength to escape.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “These sentient beings live in the same way. Because they have doubts about Buddha wisdom, they are reborn in that palace made of the seven treasures. There is no punishment, not even a single thought of evil. However, for 500 years, they do not see the Three Jewels and are unable to make offerings or develop roots of goodness. This is their suffering. Although there are pleasures to spare, they do not enjoy that place. However, if these sentient beings can recognize their initial sins, reproach themselves, and beseech to leave that place, their wish will be fulfilled. Then they can go to the place where Amitāyus Buddha is and can make offerings reverently. They also can go to the places where innumerable, countless Buddhas are, to acquire merit. Maitreya, know that those who harbor doubts will lose great benefits. Therefore, one should recognize and believe in Buddhas’ unsurpassed wisdom.”
Rebirth of Bodhisattvas from This and Other Lands
Maitreya Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how many Bodhisattvas in this world who are at the spiritual level of no regress have been reborn in that land?”
The Buddha replied to Maitreya Bodhisattva, “From this world, 67 koṭi Bodhisattvas who never regress have been reborn in that land. Each of these Bodhisattvas has made offerings to innumerable Buddhas, though less so than Maitreya. Innumerable Bodhisattvas with lesser achievement and lesser merit will all be reborn there.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “Not only from my land, but also from Buddha Lands in other directions, will Bodhisattvas be reborn in that land. The first Buddha is called Shining Far, whose 180 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The second Buddha is called Treasure Store, whose 90 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The third Buddha is called Infinite Tone, whose 220 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The fourth Buddha is called Sweet Nectar Flavor, whose 250 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The fifth Buddha is called Dragon Victory, whose 14 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The sixth Buddha is called Victory Power, whose 14,000 Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The seventh Buddha is called Lion, whose 500 koṭi[9] Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The eighth Buddha is called Immaculate Light, whose 80 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The ninth Buddha is called Virtue Leader, whose 60 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The tenth Buddha is called Wonderful Virtue Mountain, whose 60 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The eleventh Buddha is called King of Men, whose 10 koṭi Bodhisattvas will be reborn there. The twelfth Buddha is called Supreme Flower, whose innumerable Bodhisattvas, all at the spiritual level of no regress, all with wisdom and valor, having made offerings to innumerable Buddhas, able to collect in seven days the firm dharmas practiced by great Bodhisattvas for 100,000 koṭi kalpas, will be reborn there. The thirteenth Buddha is called Fearlessness, whose 790 koṭi great Bodhisattvas, and innumerable bhikṣus and novice Bodhisattvas, will be reborn there.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “Not only will Bodhisattvas from these fourteen Buddha Lands be reborn there, but also countless Bodhisattvas from innumerable Buddha Lands in the ten directions will be reborn there. If I tell day and night only the names of Buddhas [in worlds] in the ten directions and their Bodhisattvas and bhikṣus who will be reborn there, I cannot finish the list in a kalpa. I now have told you only in brief.”
Circulation of the Sūtra

The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “If there is a person who, having heard that Buddha’s name, is joyful and exuberant even for a single thought, know that he has acquired great benefits and unsurpassed merits. Therefore, Maitreya, even if there is an enormous fire filling this entire Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World, one regardless should cross the fire to hear this sūtra, delight and believe in it, accept and uphold it, read and recite it, and train accordingly. Why? Because there are many Bodhisattvas who wish to hear this sūtra but do not have access. If sentient beings have heard this sūtra, they will never regress from their resolve to attain the unsurpassed bodhi. Therefore, they should deeply believe in this sūtra, accept and uphold it, recite and pronounce it, and carry out its teachings. For the sake of sentient beings, I have pronounced this sūtra and enabled them to see Amitāyus Buddha and everything in His land, so that they can resolve to do what should be done[10] and not allow doubts to arise after my parinirvāṇa.
“In times to come, the Dharma will be annihilated. Out of lovingkindness and compassion, I will specially save this sūtra and make it stay for a hundred years more. Sentient beings that encounter this sūtra will all be delivered as they wish.”
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “The appearance of a Tathāgata in the world is hard to encounter and hard to see. The Buddha Dharma is hard to acquire and hard to hear. The excellent Bodhisattva Dharma, including the pāramitās, is hard to hear as well. To practice the Dharma after hearing it from a beneficent learned friend is also very hard. To believe, appreciate, accept, and uphold this sūtra after hearing it, is the hardest of all. Nothing is harder than this.
“Such is my Dharma. This is how it is pronounced and how it is taught. You all should believe and follow, and train accordingly.”
When the World-Honored One pronounced this sūtra, innumerable sentient beings activated the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind. In addition, 12,000 nayuta people acquired the pure dharma-eye, 22 Koṭi gods and humans achieved the third voice-hearer fruit, becoming Anāgāmins, and 80 koṭi bhikṣus eradicated their afflictions and liberated their minds, [becoming Arhats]. Forty koṭi Bodhisattvas achieved the spiritual level of no regress, adorning themselves with their great merits and vows. They would in a future life attain true enlightenment.
Then the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World quaked in six different ways. Great radiance illuminated everywhere in worlds in the ten directions. One hundred thousand kinds of music spontaneously played, and innumerable wonderful flowers rained down from the sky.
After the Buddha pronounced this sūtra, the entire assembly—Maitreya Bodhisattva and the multitude of Bodhisattvas who came from worlds in the ten directions, together with the Elder Ānanda and other great voice-hearers—having heard the Buddha’s words, greatly rejoiced.
—Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of Amitāyus Buddha
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T12n0360)
Notes
5. Five evil life-paths refer to the life-paths of gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-dwellers. Asuras are not included here as a sixth life form because they may assume any of the first four life forms and live among sentient beings in these forms. In this human world, only the last three life-paths are considered evil. However, compared with the life of the inhabitants in the Land of Peace and Bliss, all five life-paths are evil.
6. Prohibited by the five precepts are the five evils: (1) killing; (2) stealing; (3) sexual misconduct; (4) false speech, divisive speech, abusive speech, suggestive speech; (5) drinking alcohol. All five evils arise from greed, anger, and delusion (the wrong views). The five pains are an evildoer’s suffering in his present life. The five burns are his suffering in his next life in hell. The five virtues are the opposites of the five evils.
7. This sentence is a simplified version of a corresponding passage in text 310 (T11n0310, 0100a2–4).
8. The womb is a figure of speech, meaning a confined life after rebirth. According to texts 361 and 362 (T12n0361, 0292a28–29; T12n0362, 0310b9–10), some of those in the middle class (and very likely in the low class as well) who could be reborn in the Pure Land proper, because of their doubts, are instead reborn in lotus flowers in the ponds of a city on the edge of the Pure Land. There, they live for 500 years in palaces made of the seven jewels. According to text 310 (T11n0310, 0100b17–20), each of them remains for 500 years in an unopened lotus flower, as if in a womb, and thinks that he lives in a palace.
9. Four different figures are found for the number of Bodhisattvas. (1) It is 500 koṭi in text 360. (2) It is 500 in the same text in the Song, Yuan, and Ming editions of the Chinese Canon, and in text 310. (3) It is 1,800 in text 363. (4) It is 16 koṭi in F. Max Müller’s translation (1894, part 2, 66). The first figure is used here though the figure 500 is adopted in the circulation text.
10. They should train for rebirth in Amitāyus Buddha’s land.