The Western Pure Land of Amitabha

The Western Pure Land of Amitabha  
Feb /11/ 2023 – Feb/ 12/ 2023

Amitabha Pure Land, we also call it Western Paradise.

We saw many Buddhism practitioners who start their greetings with saying: “Namo Amitabha”; we also saw some people who cultivate Buddha Dharma by reciting the name of Amitabha, they think it is a simple but efficient way of cultivation. When we talk about where should we reborn after this life after decades of cultivation, most people would say “reborn in the ultimate bliss pure land”. This “ultimate bliss pure land” here means Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Amitabha Pure Land is so popular and influential in our world, but do you know exactly how it is like?

Let’s read a passage from Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra.The Buddha told the Elder Sariputra: To the West ten thousand billion Buddha-lands from here, there is a world named Utmost Joy. There is a Buddha, called Amitabha, in that Land. He is preaching right now. Sariputra, why is that Land named Utmost Joy? The sentient beings of that Land are free from all kinds of suffering, yet enjoy variegated pleasures; thus, it is named Utmost Joy. Furthermore, Sariputra, the Utmost Joy Land is enclosed by seven rows of railings, seven layers of nets and seven rows of trees, all made of four kinds of jewels, hence, that Land is named Ultimate Bliss.

Furthermore, Sariputra, in the Utmost Joy Land there are ponds made of seven kinds of jewels and fully filled with water with eight kinds of merits, and their bottoms are covered with golden sand. The stairways on the four sides are made of gold, silver, beryl and crystal, and lead to towers adorned with gold, silver, beryl, crystal, diamonds, red pearls, and coral. The lotus flowers in these ponds are as large as the wheel of a chariot. They are blue and emitting blue light; yellow, emitting yellow light; red, emitting red light; or white, emitting white light. They are sublime, wonderful, fragrant and pure. Sariputra, the Utmost Joy Land is complete in such meritorious grandeur. Again, Sariputra, the Land of that Buddha is constantly filled with heavenly music, and the ground is made of gold. Three times daily and three times nightly, there falls from the sky a rain of heavenly Mandarava flowers. Regularly, in the early morning, the sentient beings of that Land carry all sorts of wondrous flowers in their skirts to make offerings to the ten thousand billion Buddhas of other places. By breakfast time, they have returned to their own Land to have a meal followed by a meditative walk. Sariputra, the Utmost Joy Land is complete in such meritorious grandeur.

Furthermore, Sariputra, in that Land there are all sorts of wonderful birds of variegated colours: white cranes, peacocks, parrots, saris, Kalavinkas and shared-fate birds. All these birds sing harmonious and sublime melodies three times daily and three times nightly. These melodies propagate the teachings on the Five Roots, the Five Forces, the Seven Bodhi branches and the Eightfold Right Path. Beings of that Land, upon hearing such melodies, all turn their thoughts toward the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Sariputra, you should not say that these birds are born as a result of their sinful karma. Why is it so? There are no three bad realms in the Land of that Buddha. Sariputra, in the Land of that Buddha, there is not even the name of a bad realm, not to mention the reality of such. All these birds are miraculously produced by Amitabha Buddha in order to propagate the Dharma sounds. Sariputra, in the Land of that Buddha breezes, wave the rows of jewelled trees and the jewelled nets, thereby, producing sublime and wondrous sounds. This is analogous to hundreds and thousands of harmonious kinds of music playing simultaneously. Whoever hears such sounds naturally develops a mind that fixes upon the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Sariputra, the Land of that Buddha is complete in such meritorious grandeur.

Sariputra, what do you think, why is that Buddha called Amitabha? Sariputra, the brightness of that Buddha’s light is immeasurable; it shines upon lands in the ten directions without any hindrance. Hence, He is called Amitabha—infinite light. Further, Sariputra, the life span of that Buddha or anyone of His subjects is countlessly and boundlessly innumerable kalpas, thus, He is named Amitabha—infinite life. Sariputra, ever since Amitabha Buddha awoke to Full Enlightenment, it has been ten kalpas.

Furthermore, Sariputra, that Buddha has innumerable boundless sravaka disciples, all of whom are Arhats, and their number is beyond the knowledge of arithmetic. The number of Bodhisattvas in that Land is likewise innumerable. Sariputra, the Land of that Buddha is complete in such meritorious grandeur. Further, Sariputra, sentient beings who are born in the Utmost Joy Land will not regress on the path toward Enlightenment. Many among them are candidates for Buddhahood and will be born as humans just once more in order to achieve Buddhahood. Their number is so great that it is beyond the knowledge of arithmetic and can only be described as countless and boundlessly innumerable.

What a magic pure land! No wonder so many people yearn for it, but where exactly is this Ultimate Bliss world, how is it came to exist? As we talked last week, a Buddha Pure Land is a trichiliocosm which is reliant on Buddha’s great vows and merit. Then how did the Amitabha, the teaching host of the Western Paradise build his own pure Land?

According to the Buddha Spoke On The Sutra Of Eternal Life Of Great Vehicle With Adornment, Purity And Equal Enlightenment, The Buddha told Ananda, In immeasurable, inconceivable, innumerable kalpas ago, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, his name was The Thus Come One of World Ease King, worthy of Offerings, the Equal and Proper Enlightened One, who is Perfect in Wisdom and Practice, who is skilful in leaving the world, who comprehends the world, the Supreme Scholar, the Taming Hero, the Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Earthly Beings,  the Buddha, the World Honored One. He was teaching in the world for forty-two kalpas. At that time, The Buddha was teaching the Sutras to the living beings in heaven and on earth. There was a great king, his name was World Benefiting King, listening to The Buddha, he was filled with joy and understood the profound meanings, and he brought forth the true and supreme mind to practice the way. He renounced the throne of the King and cultivated himself as a monk. His Dharma Name was Dharma Store. He cultivated the Bodhisattva way with high talent and great courage; he far surpassed the people in the world. His faith, understanding and memory were always number one. He was also unsurpassed in practices, vows and had obtained powerful mindfulness and wisdom that enhanced His mind, which is firm and unmovable, he cultivated very diligently, nobody in the world could surpass him.

One day, he went to the place where The Buddha dwelt. After making obeisance, he knelt down, respectfully put his palms together in front of The Buddha. He praised the Buddha by gatha and brought forth the great vows by reading a verse, and then he said to the Buddha: “I now bring forth the mind of Supreme Proper Enlightenment and determine to practise the Bodhisattva way. I vow to become a Buddha to teach living beings to become Buddhas. I pray that the Buddha will extensively teach me profound Dharmas. I will uphold and practise according to the Dharma, so as to uproot all the suffering roots of birth and death and swiftly achieve the Supreme, Proper and Equal Enlightenment. I vow that when I become a Buddha, the wisdom light that I have attained and the Land where I dwell, the names of the teaching host, would be heard by living beings in the ten directions of the Universe. All the people in the Heaven and Earth and the tiny crawling living beings, when they are born in my Land, will surely become Bodhisattvas. I make such a vow that far surpasses others in the other Buddha lands. Will I be able to accomplish it?” The World Ease King Buddha said： “Just like the great sea if somebody were to measure it through uncountable kalpas, this person would still be able to reach the bottom of the sea. If a person to seek the way wholeheartedly, practising vigorously without cease, such a person would certainly achieve the result of Enlightenment. Whatever vows this person has made would certainly be achieved. Think of it by yourself, what are the expedient ways of practice to accomplish the vows of achieving an adorned Buddhaland? As you should know of your own cultivation, so you should be able to obtain the Pure Buddhaland by your own efforts.” Dharma Store said: “Such meaning is so profound and it is beyond my understanding. I sincerely hope that The Thus Come One, the One with Proper and Pervasive Knowledge would extensively expound the innumerable wonderfully adorned Buddha-lands. If I were to hear of such Dharmas, I would be mindful of them and cultivate diligently to achieve my vows.”

 The World Ease King Buddha knew that he was indeed a man of great wisdom and that his vow was great, so the Buddha expounded to him the twenty-one billion Buddhalands, showed and explained to Him the appearance of the great and perfect lands that were formed from merits and virtues with pure adornment.

With the blessing of Buddha, the Dharma Store cultivated merits and virtues for five full kalpas.  He could clearly understand the merits, virtues and adornments of those twenty-one kotis Buddhalands, just as though they were one Buddhaland. The Buddhaland that would be accomplished by Him far surpassed those other Buddha-lands. After He had made up His mind on the accomplishment of his Land, he went back to the World Ease King Buddha, made obeisance and bowed respectfully at his feet, then circumscribed the Buddha three times, and Respectfully He put his palms together, standing upright and said to the World Honored One: “I have already decided on the pure practices that will bring to accomplishment for the adornments of my Buddhaland.” The Buddha said: ‘Good indeed!  Now it is the right time to speak fully of your vows so that all the living beings would rejoice.” Then the Dharma Store told Buddha and all beings his 48 great vows:

(1) vowing that the Land is free from evil paths.
(2) vowing that the living beings will never again fall into the evil paths.
(3) vowing that the living beings will each obtain a golden body.
(4) vowing that they will obtain the thirty-two marks of a great man.
(5) vowing that the living beings are of the same kind.
(6) vowing that the living beings will obtain the spiritual power of knowing former lives.
(7) vowing that the living beings will obtain the spiritual power of Heavenly Eyes.
(8) vowing that the living beings will obtain the spiritual power of Heavenly Ears.
(9) vowing that the living beings will obtain the spiritual power of others’ minds.
(10) vowing that the living beings will obtain the spiritual power of moving.
(11) vowing that the living beings will be able to pervasively making offerings to all The Buddhas.
(12) vowing that the living beings will surely accomplish Buddhahood.
(13) vowing that He will obtain endless bright lights.
(14) vowing that the living beings will be serene and happy when they encounter the lights.
(15) vowing that the living beings will obtain eternal life.
(16) vowing that there will have uncountable Sound Hearers.
(15) vowing that the living beings will obtain eternal life.
(16) vowing that there will have uncountable Sound Hearers.
(17) vowing that all The Buddhas will praise His Name.
(18) vowing that living beings are certainly to obtain a reborn in his Land if they are able to be mindful of Him in ten successive thoughts.
(19) vowing that the living beings will bring forth the Bodhi Resolve when they have heard of His Name.
(20) vowing that He will welcome the living beings to His Land when they are to leave their present lives.
(21) vowing that living beings will be reborn in His Land when they realize of their mistakes and reform.
(22) vowing that the Land consists of no female.
(23) vowing that the woman will dislike her present form body and will be born as a man in His Land.
(24) vowing that the living beings will be born from transformation in the lotus flowers.
(25) vowing that the Heavenly and Earthly beings will be respectful to them.
(26) vowing that the living beings will obtain blessings when they have heard of His Name.
(27) vowing that the living beings will cultivate specially wonderful pure conducts.
(28) vowing that the Land is free from all evils.
(29) vowing that the living beings will dwell in The Proper Concentration.
(30) vowing that the happiness is the same as the extinction of all outflows.
(31) vowing that living beings will not be greedy for self benefit.
(32) vowing that the living beings will obtain the Vajra Indestructible Bodies.
(33) vowing the living beings will obtain brilliant light and wonderful eloquence.
(34) vowing that the living beings are good at discussing the important Dharmas.
(35) vowing that the living beings will arrive at the Position of only one birth before Buddhahood.
(36) vowing that living beings will be free to teach and transform other beings.
(37) vowing that the clothes and food will appear as one has wished for them.
(38) vowing that all The Buddhas will receive their offerings as soon as they think.
(39) vowing that the adornments will be inexhaustible.
(40) vowing that the trees are of different and uncountable colors.
(41) vowing that all the Buddhalands will appear among the trees.
(42) vowing that the lights of the Land will thoroughly illuminate the ten directions.
(43) vowing that the precious fragrance will pervasively perfume the ten directions.
(44) vowing that the living beings will obtain the Samadhi of Pervasive Equality.
(45) vowing that all living beings will be able to make offerings to all the Buddhas in their Samadhi.
(46) vowing that the living beings will obtain the Dharanis.
(47) vowing that the living beings will obtain the endurance when they hear of His Name.
(48) vowing that the living beings will arrive at the position of Non-retreating presently.

After Dharma Store Bhikshu brought forth such magnificent vows in front of The Thus Come One of the World Ease King，and also the great assembly of Heavenly beings and Human beings, he dwelt in the true wisdom and cultivated the way with great courage and diligence．With one heart undivided he vowed to adorn the Wonderful Land. The Buddha land thus attained with such great cultivation is wide, open with extensive great space; it is special and unique, naturally self-sustained and exists forever, it is also free from destruction and changes. In uncountable kalpas he accumulated and planted all virtuous practices. In his mind, he did not give rise to thoughts of greediness, anger, delusion and sensual desires. He is never attached to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch and dharmas, but is always happy and mindful of the cultivation of good roots of The Buddhas in the past. He cultivated stillness and quietude and stayed far away from all falseness. He practised according to the way of reality and planted the roots of virtue extensively. He did not mind to all kinds of sufferings and was satisfied with little necessities. He sought only for the pure Dharmas so as to benefit living beings. He was never tired of fulfilling his vows because he had accomplished the power of great patience. He always treated the sentient beings with compassion and forbearance. He would speak tenderly to them with calm composure. He advised and encouraged them to cultivate the way diligently. He is respectful the Triple Gems. He served his teachers and elders. He is free of falsity with a straight mind. He adorned his practices by completely adhering firmly to the precepts. He contemplated the unreality of all dharmas and constantly dwelt in the Samadhi of Stillness. He was good at subduing his mouth and never would he criticize other’s fault. He was good at subduing his body and never would he act against the precepts and rules of deportments. He was good at subduing the mind’s karma so that it is always pure without defilements. He was not attached to his land，cities and villages，families and relatives and also the precious jewellery. And he would constantly teach and transform living beings and enable them to dwell in the six practices of paramitas of donation, precepts，forbearance，diligence, meditation and wisdom，so that they would dwell in the supreme, true and proper way, because he can accomplish such good roots，wherever he was born，uncountable gem stores would appear and come forth naturally．Maybe he would be born as  respectable Upasika,  with  honorable  surname  that  was  reverently respected by others, or some times he was born as the King of Kastriya (Noble Royal Family) race，or The Wheel Turning Sagely King, The King of the Heaven of Six Desires or The King in the Heaven of Pure Conduct．Unceasingly，he would make offerings in front of all The Buddhas with great respect and gratitude．The virtues thus obtained by him was ineffable indeed. His body and mouth would continuously produce immeasurable subtle fragrance just as fragrant as the sandalwood, or the green lotus flowers．The fragrance of upholding the precepts pervasively perfumed the innumerable world systems．Wherever he was born his form appearance would be upright with proper adornment，that is marked with the thirty-two signs of a great man and is refined in eighty subtle fine features which were all well rounded and fully accomplished．His hands would always bring forth unending gems, all kinds of well-adorned things, things of daily necessities, which were very valuable so as to benefit the sentient beings and that they would be happy and satisfied．Because of such causes and conditions，he was able to make uncountable living beings to bring forth The Mind of Anuttara-samyak- sambodhi．

As above, Dharma Store Bhikshu cultivated his merits and virtue with viriya and diligence. The Buddha Shakyamuni told Ananda, Dharma Store Bhikshus cultivated the Bodhisattva way and accumulated innumerable and limitless merits and virtues. He was always at ease when dwelling among the dharmas that are not known or understood by using words or a mind of differentiation. He fully accomplished all his vows that were based on one reality. Ananda was surprised and asked Buddha Sakyamuni: “Since Dharma Store Bodhisattva is so great, was he the Buddha of the past? Or the Buddha of the future? or is He the present Buddha who is dwelling in the other world?” The Buddha Sakyamuni answered: “The Buddha Thus Come One does not come from one place, nor does He really go anywhere. He is neither born nor extinct, nor does He dwell in the past, present or future but out of His Vows to cross over living beings,.He appears to dwell in the Western Land which is hundreds of billions of  kotis of nayutas Buddhalands away from the Jambudvipa. In the world that is known as The World of Ultimate Bliss, Dharma Store has already achieved Buddhahood for ten kalpas. He is known as Amitabha. Now he is teaching the Dharma to innumerable, immeasurable Bodhisattvas and sound hearers who all surround him and listen with great respect.”

As we can see here, Dharma Store attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi by his grand vows and cultivating his cultivated his merits and virtue so diligent, which is also the reason that he accomplished his Buddha pure land.

Well, this is the story of how Dharma Store Bhikkhu accomplished his Buddha Pure Land. Some people will say: Wow, what a magical story! But I hope that you do not just consider it simply as a story. I hope you can think about it beyond the story. You may say “I am not at that level yet; I mean Dharma Store Bhikkhu’s level. I do not have the confidence to become a Buddha and to accomplish my Buddha pure land.” Yes, totally understand, but how about learning something from Amitabha first, like to set up a small target, like some target we can be achieved at the moment or in the future, of course not very far future, with our compassion and wisdom from our heart. I would like to suggest you write them down, do not forget them. Approaching your target and attain your great vows with refinement and diligence, cultivate and purify your pure Land of heart constantly. Take an example, Amitabha’s great vows is like a person who travelled around the world, we also want to be that kind of great person, to achieve the fabulous goal, however, I’m not strong or smart or wealthy enough, what should we do? I think first we can start by travelling around the States, it sounds not that marvellous, but it is still great, right? Do not underestimate any single good thought, any small act of kindness and any tiny moment of Buddhism cultivation, do not look down upon your vows, as they participate in your Buddha pure land.