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2005 Federation of Dharma School
Teacher's League Conference
The
Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life
Translation
taken from “BDK English Tripitaka”
(Used
with permission)
The
following is an excerpt from the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life
(often referred to as “Larger Sutra”) that the animated video “Okina
Negai” is based on. [comments found in square brackets are not found in
the original]
3
At that time all the senses of the World-honored One
radiated joy, his entire body appeared serene and glorious, and his august
countenance looked most majestic. Having perceived the Buddha's holy
intention, the Venerable Ananda rose from his seat, bared his right
shoulder, prostrated himself, and joining his palms in reverence, said to
the Buddha, “World-honored One, today all your senses are radiant with
joy, your body is serene and glorious, and your august countenance is as
majestic as a clear mirror whose bright- ness radiates outward and inward.
The magnificence of your dignified appearance is unsurpassed and beyond
measure. I have never seen you look so superb and majestic as today. With
respect, Great Sage, this thought has occurred to me: ‘Today, the
World-honored One dwells in the rare and marvelous Dharma; today, the
World Hero dwells in the Buddha’s abode; today, the World Eye
concentrates on the performance of the leader’s duty; today, the World
Valiant One dwells in the supreme bodhi; today, the One Most Honored in
Heaven realizes the Tathagata's virtue. The Buddhas of the past, present,
and future contemplate each other. How can this present Buddha not
contemplate the other Buddhas?’ For what reason does his
countenance look so majestic and brilliant?”
Then the World-honored One said to Ananda, “Tell
me, Ananda, whether some god urged you to put this question to the Buddha
or whether you asked about his glorious countenance from your own wise
observation.’
Ananda replied to the Buddha, “No god came to
prompt me. I asked you about this matter of my own accord.”
The Buddha said, ‘Well said, Ananda. I am
very pleased with your question. You have shown profound wisdom and subtle
insight in asking me this wise question out of compassion for sentient
beings. As the Tathagata, I regard beings of the three worlds with
boundless great compassion. The reason for my appearance in the world is
to reveal teachings of the Way and save multitudes of beings by endowing
them with true benefits. Even in countless millions of kalpas it is
difficult to come upon and meet a Tathagata. It is as difficult as seeing
an udumbara flower, which blooms very rarely. Your question is of great
benefit and will enlighten all heavenly and human beings. Ananda, you
should realize that the Tathagata's perfectly enlightened wisdom is
unfathomable, capable of leading innumerable beings to liberation, and
that his penetrating insight cannot be obstructed. With just one meal, he
is able to live for a hundred thousand kotis of kalpas, or an
incalculable and immeasurable length of time, or beyond. Even after that
lapse of time, his senses will still be radiant with joy and show no signs
of deterioration; his appearance will not change and his august
countenance will look just the same. The reason for this is that the
Tathagata's meditation and wisdom are perfect and boundless and he has
attained unrestricted power over all dharmas. Ananda, listen carefully. I
shall now expound the Dharma.”
Ananda replied, “Yes, I will. With joy in my heart,
I wish to hear the Dharma.”
4
The
Buddha said to Ananda, ‘In the distant past—innumerable,
incalculable, and inconceivable kalpas ago—a Tathagata named
Dipankara appeared in the world. Having taught and freed innumerable
beings and led them all along the Way of enlightenment, he passed into
nirvana. Next appeared a Tathagata named Far-reaching Illumination. After
him came Moonlight, and then Sandalwood Incense, King of Beautiful
Mountains, Crown of Mount Sumeru, Brilliant like Mount Sumeru, Color of
the Moon, Right Recollection, Free of Defilement, Nonattachment, Dragon
Deva, Nocturnal Light, Peaceful and Brilliant Peak, Immovable Ground,
Exquisite Beryl Flower, Golden Beryl Luster, Gold Treasury, Flaming Light,
Fiery Origin, Earth Shaking, Image of the Moon, Sound of the Sun, Flower
of Freedom, Glorious Light, Miraculous Power of the Ocean of
Enlightenment, Water Light, Great Fragrance, Free of Dust and Defilement,
Abandoning Enmity, Flame of Jewels, Beautiful Peak, Heroic Stance,
Merit-possessing Wisdom, Out- shining the Sun and Moon, Beryl Light of the
Sun and Moon, Supreme Beryl Light, Highest Peak, Flower of Enlightenment,
Brightness of the Moon, Sunlight, King of the Colors of Flowers, Moonlight
on the Water, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, Practice of Removing
Hindrances, Pure Faith, Storehouse of Good, Majestic Glory, Wisdom of the
Dharma, Voice of the Phoenix, Roar of the Lion, Cry of the Dragon, and
Dwelling in the World. All these Buddhas have already passed into nirvana.
5
“Then
there appeared a Buddha named Lokesvararaja, the Tathagata, Arhat, Fully
Enlightened One, Possessed of Wisdom and Practice, Well-gone One, Knower
of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Gods and
Humans, and Enlightened and World-honored One.
“At that time there was a king who, having heard
the Buddha’s exposition of the Dharma, rejoiced in his heart and
awakened aspiration for highest, perfect enlightenment. He renounced his
kingdom and throne, and became a monk named Dharmakara. Having superior
intelligence, courage, and wisdom, he distinguished himself in the world.
He went to see the Tathagata Lokesvararaja, knelt down at his feet, walked
round him three times keeping him always on his right, prostrated himself
on the ground, and, putting his palms together in worship, praised the
Buddha with these verses:
[sanbutsu-ge]
1.
The shining face of the Buddha is glorious;
Boundless is his magnificence.
Radiant splendor such as his
Is beyond all comparison.
The sun, the moon, and the mani-gem,
Though shining with dazzling brightness,
Are completely dimmed and obscured As if they were a pile of inksticks.
2.
The countenance of the Tathagata
Is beyond compare in the whole world.
The great voice of the Enlightened One
Resounds throughout the ten directions.
His morality, learning, endeavor,
Absorption in meditation, wisdom,
And magnificent virtues have no equal;
They are wonderful and unsurpassed.
3.
He meditates deeply and directly
On the oceanic Dharma of all Buddhas.
He knows its depth and breadth
And penetrates to its farthest end.
Ignorance, greed, and anger
Are forever absent in the World-honored One.
He is the lion, the most valiant of all men;
His glorious virtue is unlimited.
4.
His meritorious achievements are vast;
His wisdom is deep and sublime.
His light, with awe-inspiring glory,
Shakes the universe of a thousand million worlds.
I resolve to become a Buddha,
Equal in attainment to you, O Holy King of the Dharma,
To save living beings from birth and death,
And to lead them all to liberation.
5.
My discipline in giving (dana), mind-control,
Moral virtues (sila), patience (ksanti), and effort (virya),
And also in meditation (dhyana) and wisdom (prajna),
Will be supreme and unsurpassed.
I vow that, when I have become a Buddha,
I shall carry out this promise everywhere;
And to all fear-ridden beings
Shall I give great peace.
6.
Even though there are Buddhas
A thousand million kotis in number,
And multitudes of great sages
Countless as the sands of the Ganges River,
I shall make offerings
To all those Buddhas.
I shall seek the supreme Way
Resolutely and tirelessly.
7.
Even though the Buddha lands are as incalculable
As the sands of the Ganges River,
And other regions and worlds
Are also without number,
My light shall reach everywhere,
Pervading all those lands.
Such being the result of my efforts,
My glorious power will be immeasurable.
8.
When I have become a Buddha,
My land shall be most exquisite
And its people wonderful and unexcelled;
The seat of enlightenment will be supreme.
My land, being like nirvana itself,
Will be beyond comparison.
I take pity on living beings
And resolve to save them all.
9.
Those who come from the ten directions
Will find joy and serenity of heart;
When they reach my land,
They shall dwell in peace and happiness.
I beg you, the Buddha, to become my witness
And to vouch for the truth of my aspiration.
Having now made my vows to you,
I will strive to fulfill them.
10.
The World-honored Ones in the ten directions
Have unhindered wisdom;
I call upon those Revered Ones
To bear witness to my intention.
Even though I must remain
In a state of extreme pain,
I will diligently practice,
Enduring all hardships with tireless vigor.
6
The
Buddha said to Ananda, ‘Having spoken these verses, Bhiksu
Dharmakara said to the Buddha Lokesvararaja, ‘Respectfully,
World-honored One, I announce that I have awakened aspiration for highest,
perfect enlightenment. I beseech you to explain the Dharma to me fully, so
that I can perform practices for the establishment of a pure Buddha land
adorned with innumerable excellent
qualities. So please teach me how to attain enlighten- ment quickly and to
remove the roots of the afflictions of birth and death of all.’”
The Buddha said to Ananda, “At that time the Buddha
Lokesvararaja replied to Bhiksu Dharmakara, ‘You yourself should
know by what practice you can establish a glorious Buddha land.’
The bhiksu said to the Buddha, ‘That is far too vast and
deep for my comprehension. I sincerely beseech you, World-honored One, to
explain in detail the practices by which Buddha Tathagatas established
their pure lands. After I hear that, I wish to practice as instructed and
so fulfill my aspirations.’
“At that time the Buddha Lokesvararaja recognized
Bhiksu Dharmakara’s noble and high aspirations and taught him as
follows: ‘If, for example, one keeps on bailing water out of a
great ocean with a pint measure, one will be able to reach the bottom
after many kalpas and then obtain rare treasures. Likewise, if one
sincerely, diligently, and unceasingly seeks the Way, one will be able to
reach one’s destination. What vow is there that cannot be
fulfilled?’
‘Then the Buddha Lokesvararaja explained in detail the greater and lesser
aspects of two hundred and ten kotis of Buddha lands, together with
the good and evil natures of heavenly and human beings living there. He
revealed them all to the bhiksu just as he had requested. Then the bhiksu,
having heard the Buddha's exposition of the glorious pure lands and
also having seen all of them, resolved upon his supreme, unsurpassed vows.
His mind being serene and his aspirations free of attachment, he was
unexcelled throughout the world. For five full kalpas he
contemplated the vows and then chose the pure practices for the
establishment of his Buddha land.”
Ananda asked the Buddha, “How long was the
lifespan of beings in the land of the Buddha Lokesvararja?”
The
Buddha replied, ‘The length of life of that Buddha was forty-two kalpas.”
He continued, ‘After that, Dharmakara Bodhisattva adopted the
pure practices that had led to the establishment of the excellent lands of
two hundred and ten kotis of Buddhas. When he had finished this
task, he went to the Buddha, knelt down at his feet, walked round him
three times, joined his palms in worship, and sat down. He then said to
the Buddha, ‘I have adopted the pure practices for the
establishment of a glorious Buddha land.’ The Buddha said to him,
‘You should proclaim this. Know that now is the right time.
Encourage and delight the entire assembly. Hearing this, other
bodhisattvas will practice this Dharma and so fulfill their innumerable
great vows.’ The bhiksu replied, ‘I beg you to
grant me your attention. Now I will fully proclaim my vows.’
7
[48 Vows]
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, there should be in my land a hell, a realm
of hungry ghosts, or a realm of animals, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
after death fall again into the three evil realms, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not all be the color of pure gold, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not all be of one appearance, and should there be any difference in
their beauty, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not remember all their former lives, not knowing at least the events
that occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas
of kalpas, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not possess the divine eye of seeing at least a hundred thousand kotis
of nayutas of Buddha lands, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not possess the divine ear of hearing the teachings of at least a
hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas and should not
remember all of them, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not possess the faculty of knowing the thoughts of others, at least
those of all sentient beings living in a hundred thousand kotis of
nayutas of Buddha lands, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not possess the supernatural Power of traveling anywhere in one
instant, even beyond a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of
Buddha lands, may I not attain Perfect enlightenment-
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land
should give rise to thoughts of self-attachment, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land
should not dwell in the definitely assured stage and unfailingly reach
nirvana, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
-
If,
when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, illuminating even a
hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha lands, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, my lifespan should be limited, even to the
extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may
I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, the number of the sravakas in my land could
be known, even if all the beings and pratyeka buddhas living in
this universe of a thousand million worlds should count them during a
hundred thousand kalpas, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land
should have limited lifespans, except when they wish to shorten them
in accordance with their original vows, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
even hear of any wrongdoing, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- 17.
If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the lands of
the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Budhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten
directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire
to be born in my land, and think of me even ten times should not be
born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excluded, however,
are those who commit the five grave offenses and abuse the Dharma.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten
directions who awaken aspiration for enlightenment, do various
meritorious deeds, and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should
not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a
multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten
directions who, having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my
land, plant roots of virtue, and sincerely transfer their merits
toward my land with a desire to be born there should not eventually
fulfill their aspiration, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not all be endowed with the thirty-two physical characteristics of a
great being, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha lands of the
other directions who visit my land should not ultimately and
unfailingly reach the stage of becoming a Buddha after one more life,
may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excepted are those who wish to
teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original
vows. For they will wear the armor of great vows, accumulate merit,
deliver all beings from birth and death, visit Buddha lands to perform
the bodhisattva practices, make offerings to Buddha Tathagatas
throughout the ten directions, enlighten countless sentient beings as
numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, and establish them in
highest, perfect elightenment. Such bodhisattvas transcend, the course
of practice of ordinary bodhisattvas, manifest the practices of all
the bodhisattva stages, and cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land who would make
offerings to Buddhas through my divine power should not be able to
reach immeasurable and innumerable kotis of nayutas of Buddha
lands in as short a time as it takes to eat a meal, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able,
as they wish, to perform meritorious acts of worshiping the Buddhas
with the offerings of their choice, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able
to expound the Dharma with all-knowing wisdom, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, there should be any bodhisattva in my land
not endowed with the body of the Vajra god Narayana, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings should be able, even with
the divine eye, to distinguish by name and calculate by number all the
myriads of manifestations provided for the humans and devas in
my land, which will be glorious and resplendent and have exquisite
details beyond description, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, even those with
little store of merit, should not be able to see the bodhi tree,
which has immeasurable light in countless colors and is four million li
in height, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- 29.
If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not
acquire eloquence and wisdom in upholding sutras and reciting and
expounding them, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, the wisdom and eloquence of bodhisattvas in
my land should be limited, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, my land should not be resplendent, revealing
in its light all the immeasurable, innumerable, and inconceivable
Buddha lands like images reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, all the myriads of manifestations in my
land, from the ground to the sky, such as palaces, pavilions, ponds,
streams, and trees, should not be composed both of countless treasures
that surpass in supreme excellence anything in the worlds of humans
and devas and of a hundred thousand kinds of aromatic wood
whose fragrance pervades all the worlds of the ten directions, causing
all bodhisattvas who sense it to perform Buddhist practices, then may
I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and
inconceivable Buddha lands of the ten directions who have been touched
by my light should not feel peace and happiness in their bodies and
minds surpassing those of humans and devas, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and
inconceivable Buddha lands of the ten directions who have heard my
Name should not gain the bodhisattva’s insight into the non-arising
of all dharmas and should not acquire various profound dharanis, may I
not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, women in the immeasurable and inconceivable
Buddha lands of the ten directions who, having heard my Name, rejoice
in faith, awaken aspiration for enlightenment, and wish to renounce
womanhood should after death be reborn again as women, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the immeasurable and
inconceivable Buddha lands of the ten directions who have heard my
Name should not, after the end of their lives, always perform sacred
practices until they reach Buddhahood, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in the immeasurable
and inconceivable Buddha lands of the ten directions who, having heard
my Name, prostrate themselves on the ground to revere and worship me,
rejoice in faith, and perform the bodhisattva practices should not be
respected by all devas and people of the world, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not obtain clothing as soon as such a desire arises in their minds,
and if fine robes as prescribed and praised by the Buddhas should not
be spontaneously provided for them to wear, and if these clothes
should need sewing, bleaching, dyeing, or washing, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should
not enjoy happiness and pleasure comparable to those of a monk who has
exhausted all the passions, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, the bodhisattvas in my land who wish to see
the immeasurable glorious Buddha lands of the ten directions should
not be able to view all of them reflected in the jeweled trees, just
as one sees one's face reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain
perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should, at any time before becoming
Buddhas, have impaired, inferior, or incomplete sense organs, may I
not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called
“pure liberation” and, while dwelling therein, should not, without
losing concentration, be able to make offerings in one instant to
immeasurable and inconceivable Buddhas, World-honored Ones, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not be reborn into noble families
after death, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not rejoice so greatly as to dance
and perform the bodhisattva practices and should not acquire stores of
merit, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called ‘universal
equality” and, while dwelling therein, should not always be able to
see the immeasurable and inconceivable Tathagatas until those
bodhisattvas, too, become Buddhas, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able
to hear spontaneously whatever teachings they may wish, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not instantly reach the stage of
non-retrogression, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
- If,
when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other
directions who hear my Name should not instantly gain the first,
second, and third insights into the nature of dharmas and
firmly abide in the truths realized by all the Buddhas, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.”‘
8
The Buddha said to Ananda,
“Bhiksu Dharmakara, having thus proclaimed those vows, spoke the
following verses:
[Jusei-ge]
1.
I have made vows, unrivaled in all the world;
I shall certainly reach the unsurpassed Way.
\
If these vows should not be fulfilled,
May I not attain perfect enlightenment.
2.
If I should not become a great benefactor
In lives to come for immeasurable kalpas
To save the poor and the afflicted everywhere,
May I not attain perfect enlightenment.
3.
When I attain Buddhahood,
My Name will be heard throughout the ten directions;
Should there be any place where it is not heard,
May I not attain perfect enlightenment.
4.
Free of greed and with profound mindfulness
And pure wisdom, I will perform the sacred practices;
I will seek to attain the unsurpassed Way
And become the teacher of devas and humans.
5.
With my divine power
I will display great light,
Illuminating the worlds without limit,
And dispel the darkness of the three defilements;
Thus I will deliver all beings from misery.
6.
Having obtained the eye of wisdom,
I will remove the darkness of ignorance;
I will block all evil paths
And open the gate to the good realms.
7.
When merits and virtues are perfected,
My majestic light will radiate in the ten directions,
Outshining the sun and moon
And surpassing the brilliance of the heavens.
8.
I will open the
Dharma storehouse for the multitudes
And endow them all with treasures of merit.
Being always among the multitudes,
I will proclaim the Dharma with the lion's roar.
9.
I will make offerings to all the Buddhas,
Thereby acquiring roots of virtue.
When my vows are fulfilled and wisdom perfected,
I shall be the sovereign of the three worlds.
10.
Like your unhindered wisdom, O Buddha,
Mine shall reach everywhere, illuminating all;
May my supreme wisdom
Be like yours, Most Honored One.
11.
If these vows are to be fulfilled,
Let this universe of a thousand million worlds quake
in response
And let all the devas in heaven
Rain down rare and marvelous flowers.’“
9
The Buddha said to Ananda, “As soon as Bhiksu Dharmakara spoke those
verses, the entire earth quaked in six ways and a rain of
wonderful flowers fell from heaven, scattering everywhere. Spontaneous
music was heard and a voice in the sky said, ‘Surely you will
attain highest, perfect enlightenment.’
‘Then Bhiksu Dharmakara kept all those great vows, which were true,
unfailing, and unsurpassed in the whole world, and intensely aspired to
attain nirvana.
“Then,
Ananda, after proclaiming and establishing those universal vows in the
presence of the Buddha Lokesvararaja before the multitude of beings,
including the eight kinds of superhuman beings, such as devas and
dragon spirits, and also Mara and Brahma, Bhiksu Dharmakara was solely
intent on producing a glorious and exquisite land. The Buddha land that he
sought to establish was vast in extent, unsurpassed, and supremely
wonderful, always present and subject neither to decay nor change. During
inconceivable and innumerable kalpas, he cultivated the
immeasurable meritorious practices of the bodhisattva path. “He did not
harbor any thought of greed, hatred, or cruelty; nor did he allow any
ideas of greed, hatred, or cruelty to arise. He was unattached to any
form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or idea. Possessed of the power to
persevere, he did not avoid undergoing various afflictions. Having little
desire for his own sake, he knew contentment. Without any impure thought,
enmity, or stupidity, he dwelled continually in tranquil samadhi. His
wisdom was unobstructible and his mind free of falsehood and
deceitfulness. With expressions of tenderness on his face and with
kindness in his speech, he spoke to others in consonance with their inner
thoughts. Courageous and diligent, strong willed and untiring, he devoted
himself solely to the pursuit of the pure Dharma, thereby benefiting a
multitude of beings. He revered the Three Treasures, respected his
teachers and elders, and thus adorned his practices with a great store of
merit. By so doing, he enabled sentient beings to partake of them.
‘He dwelled in the realization that all dharmas are empty, devoid of
distinctive features, and not to be sought after, and that they neither
act nor arise; he thus realized that all dharmas are like magical
creations. He avoided all wrong speech that would bring
harm upon himself or others or both; he engaged in right speech that would
bring benefit to himself or others or both. He abandoned his kingdom and
renounced the throne, leaving behind wealth and sensuous pleasures.
Practicing the six paramitas himself, he taught others to do the same.
During innumerable kalpas, he accumulated merit and amassed
virtues.
“Wherever
he was born, an immeasurable store of treasure spontaneously appeared as
he wished. He taught countless sentient beings and guided them on the path
of highest, true enlightenment. He was reborn as a rich man, a lay
devotee, a member of the highest caste or of noble family (brahman), a ksatriya
king, a wheel-turning monarch (cakravartin), a king of one of the six
heavens in the world of desire, or even higher, as a Brahma king. He
revered and worshiped all Buddhas by making the four kinds of offerings to
them. The merit he thus acquired was indescribably great. Fragrance issued
from his mouth as from a blue lotus flower, and every pore of his body
emitted the scent of sandalwood, which permeated innumerable worlds. His
appearance was majestic and his physical characteristics and marks were
truly wonderful. From his hands inexhaustible treasures, clothes, food and
drink, rare and exquisite flowers and incense, silken canopies,”
banners, and other ornaments were produced. In such manifestations he was
unrivaled among all heavenly and human beings. He thus attained command of
all dharmas.”
10
Ananda
asked the Buddha, “Has Bodhisattva Dharmakara already attained
Buddhahood and then passed into nirvana? Or has he not yet attained
Buddhahood? Or is he dwelling somewhere at present?”
The
Buddha replied to Ananda, ‘Bodhisattva Dharmakara has already
attained Buddhahood and is now dwelling in a western Buddha land called’Peace
and Bliss, ‘a hundred thousand kotis of lands away from
here.”
Ananda further asked the Buddha, “How much time has
passed since he attained Buddhahood?’
The Buddha replied, “Since he attained Buddhahood
about ten kalpas have passed.”
He
continued, ‘In that Buddha land, the earth is composed of seven
kinds of jewels—namely, gold, silver, beryl, coral, amber, agate, and
ruby—that have spontaneously appeared. The land itself is so vast,
spreading boundlessly to the farthest extent, that it is impossible to
know its limit. All the rays of light from those jewels intermingle and
create manifold reflections, producing a dazzling illumination. Those
pure, superb, and exquisite adornments are unsurpassed in all the worlds
of the ten directions. They are the finest of all gems and are like those
of the sixth heaven. In that land, there are no mountains, such as Mount
Sumeru and the Encircling Adamantine Mountains. Likewise, there are
neither oceans nor seas and neither valleys nor gorges. But one can see
those manifestations by the Buddha’s power if one so wishes. In
that land there is no hell; neither are there realms of hungry ghosts or
animals nor other adverse conditions. Neither do the four seasons of
spring, summer, autumn, and winter exist. It is always moderate and
pleasant, never cold or hot.”
Then
Ananda asked the Buddha, ‘If, World-honored One, there is no
Mount Sumeru in that land, what sustains the Heaven of the Four Kings and
the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods?”
The
Buddha said to Ananda, ‘What sustains Yama, which is the third
heaven of the world of desire, and other heavens up to the highest heaven
of the world of form?’
Ananda answered, “The consequences of karma are
inconceivable.”
The
Buddha said to Ananda, “Inconceivable indeed are the consequences of
karma, and so are the worlds of the Buddhas. By the power of meritorious
deeds, sentient beings in that land dwell on the ground of karmic reward.
That is why those heavens exist without Mount Sumeru.”
Ananda continued, “I do not doubt this myself but
have asked about it simply because I wished to remove such doubts for the
benefit of sentient beings in the future.’
11
The Buddha said to Ananda, “The majestic light of
the Buddha Amitayus is the most exalted. No other Buddha's light can match
his. The light of some Buddhas illuminates a hundred Buddha lands, and
that of others a thousand Buddha lands. Briefly, that of Amitayus
illuminates the eastern Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the
Ganges River. In the same way, it illuminates the Buddha lands in the
south, west, and north, in each of the four intermediate directions, and
above and below. Further, the light of some Buddhas extends seven feet;
that of others, one yojana, or two, three, four, or five yojanas; and the
distance covered increases in this way until the light of some Buddhas
illuminates one Buddha land.
‘For this reason, Amitayus is called by the following names: the Buddha
of Infinite Light, the Buddha of Boundless Light, the Buddha of Unhindered
Light, the Buddha of Incomparable Light, the Buddha of the Light of the
King of Flame, the Buddha of Pure Light, the Buddha of the Light of Joy,
the Buddha of the Light of Wisdom, the Buddha of Unceasing Light, the
Buddha of Inconceivable Light, the Buddha of Ineffable Light, and the
Buddha of the Light Outshining the Sun and Moon.
“If sentient beings encounter his light, their
three defilements are removed; they feel tenderness, joy, and pleasure;
and good thoughts arise. If sentient beings in the three realms of
suffering see his light they will all be relieved and freed from
affliction. At the end of their lives they all reach liberation.
“The light of Amitayus shines brilliantly,
illuminating all the Buddha lands of the ten directions. There is no place
where it is not perceived. I am not the only one who now praises his
light. All the Buddhas, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas
praise and glorify it in the same way. If sentient beings, having heard of
the majestic virtue of his light, glorify it continually, day and night,
with sincerity of heart, they will be able to attain birth in his land as
they wish. Then the multitudes of bodhisattvas and sravakas will praise
their excellent virtue. Later, when they attain Buddha- hood, all the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions will praise their light,
just as I now praise the light of Amitayus.”
The Buddha continued, “The majestic glory of the
light of Amitayus could not be exhaustively described even if I praised it
continually, day and night, for a period of one kalpa.”
12
The
Buddha said to Ananda, “The lifespan of Amitayus is so long that it is
impossible for anyone to calculate it. To give an illustration, let us
suppose that all the innumerable sentient beings in the worlds of the ten
directions were reborn in human form and that every one became a sravaka
or pratyekabuddha. Even if they assembled in one place, concentrated
their thoughts, and exercised the power of their wisdom to the utmost to
reckon the length of the Buddha's lifespan by the number of kalpas, even
after a thousand million kalpas they could still not reach its
limit. So it is with the lifespan of sravakas, bodhisattvas, heavenly
beings, and human beings in his land. Similarly, it is not to be
encompassed by any means of reckoning or by any metaphorical expression.
Again, the number of sravakas and bodhisattvas living there is
incalculable. They are fully endowed with transcendent wisdom and free in
their exercise of majestic power; they could hold the entire world in
their hands.”
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