II. The supreme power and merits of Amitayus Buddha’ s light among all Buddhas.
The Buddha told Ananda, “Amitayus Buddha’s radiance is dignified and supreme with which other Buddhas’ radiance cannot compare. Sometimes Amitabha Buddha’s radiance illuminates 100 Buddha Lands, sometimes 1,000 Buddha Lands. As Amitayus Buddha’s radiance illuminates as many Buddha Lands in the east as the sands of the Ganges, so does it illuminate those in the south, west, and north, in the in-between directions, and toward the zenith and the nadir. Sometimes, Amitabha Buddha’s radiance reaches a distance of seven feet, or one, two, three, four, or five yojanas, or to a distance extended to illuminate one Buddha Land. Therefore, Amitayus Buddha is also called Infinite Light Buddha, Boundless Light Buddha, Hindrance-Free Light Buddha, Matchless Light Buddha, Flame-King Light Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, Joyful Light Buddha, Wisdom Light Buddha, Ceaseless Light Buddha, Inconceivable Light Buddha, Ineffable Light Buddha, and Outshining the Sun-Moon Light Buddha. If sentient beings are touched by His radiance, their three afflictions will be eliminated and their bodies and minds will become gentle. They will be filled with joy and exuberance as benevolence arises in their minds. If those who are in extreme suffering, taking any of the three evil life-journeys, see this radiance, they can rest, and suffer no more pain or distress. After their death, they will be saved [from resuming such life-journeys]. Amitayus Buddha’s radiance gloriously illuminates Buddha Lands in the ten directions, and no one fails to hear of His name. As I now praise His radiance, so too do all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and voice-hearers.”
The Buddha told Ananda, “Amitayus Buddha’s radiance is dignified and supreme with which other Buddhas’ radiance cannot compare. Amitabha Buddha’s radiance sometimes illuminates 100 Buddha Lands, sometimes 1,000 Buddha Lands. Generally speaking, as Amitayus Buddha’s radiance illuminates as many Buddha Lands in the east as the sands of the Ganges, so does it illuminate those in the south, west, and north, in the in-between directions, and toward the zenith and the nadir.
Sometimes, Amitabha Buddha’s radiance reaches a distance of seven feet, or one, two, three, four, or five yojanas, or to a distance extended to illuminate one Buddha Land. Therefore, Amitayus Buddha is also called Infinite Light Buddha, Boundless Light Buddha, Hindrance-Free Light Buddha, Matchless Light Buddha, Flame-King Light Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, Joyful Light Buddha, Wisdom Light Buddha, Ceaseless Light Buddha, Inconceivable Light Buddha, Ineffable Light Buddha, and Outshining the Sun-Moon Light Buddha.
If sentient beings are touched by His radiance, their three afflictions of greed, hatred and ignorance will be eliminated and their bodies and minds will become gentle. They will be filled with joy and exuberance as benevolence arises in their minds.
If those who are in extreme suffering, taking any of the three evil life-journeys, see this radiance, they can rest, feel no more pain or distress. After their death, they will be saved (from resuming such life-journeys). Amitayus Buddha’s radiance gloriously illuminates Buddha Lands in the ten directions, and no one fails to hear of His Name. As I now praise His radiance, so too do all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and voice-hearers.”
In this part of Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha introduces and praises the supreme light of Amitabha Buddha which is divine, hindrance-free, and limitless in its universal illumination. Although there is no difference in the absolute reality attained by all Buddhas, their radiance is related to the magnitude of their power of vows and merits.
Shakyamuni Buddha described in the Sutra that Amitayus Buddha’s radiance illuminates as many Buddha Lands as the sands of the Ganges in ten directions. Sometimes when sentient beings are too weak to withstand the shining light, Amitabha Buddha radiates a distance of seven feet, or one, two, three, four, or five yojanas, or to a distance extended to illuminate one Buddha Land. No matter how far Amitabha Buddha’s radiance reaches, be it seven feet or worlds in ten directions, the divine power of the light is the same. The divine light of Amitabha Buddha radiates freely and unobstructed, allowing immeasurable beings in worlds in the ten directions to be saved and guided in his light to get reborn successfully in the Pure Land of ultimate Bliss.
Due to the supreme light of Amitabha Buddha which is divine, hindrance-free, and full of merits, Amitabha Buddha is also called Infinite Light Buddha, Boundless Light Buddha, Hindrance-Free Light Buddha, Matchless Light Buddha, Flame-King Light Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, Joyful Light Buddha, Wisdom Light Buddha, Ceaseless Light Buddha, Inconceivable Light Buddha, Ineffable Light Buddha, and Outshining the Sun-Moon Light Buddha. These twelve titles make obvious the perfect merits, the blessing power, and miraculous application of Amitabha Buddha’s light.
The title of Infinite Light Buddha indicates Amitabha Buddha’s light has awesome divinity, merits and hindrance-free power. The title of Boundless Light Buddha emphasizes that Amitabha Buddha’s light can universally illuminate immeasurable Buddha Lands, lighting up hearts of boundless sentient beings and delivering them without obstructions. The title of Matchless Light Buddha shows that in Dharma-realm no light can compete with Amitabha Buddha’s light. The titles of Flame-King Light Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, Joyful Light Buddha and Wisdom Light Buddha illustrate the powerful divine blessings of Amitabha Buddha’s light, which is “supreme” among all light, endowing sentient beings with happiness, purity and wisdom. Titles of Ceaseless Light Buddha, Inconceivable Light Buddha, Ineffable Light Buddha, and Outshining the Sun-Moon Light Buddha demonstrate that Amitabha Buddha’s light universally illuminates everything uninterruptedly. The merits and miraculous application of Amitabha Buddha’s light are inconceivable and the light outshines the Sun-Moon light.
The sun and the moon in each world are important. In our world of Saha, the growth of all things relies on the sun and all celestial beings value the radiance of their bodies more than other beings. But the merits and miraculous applications contained in the light of Amitabha Buddha, surpass those of the light of the sun and moon. All Buddhas praise His radiance. The most remarkable thing is that all sentient beings who come into contact with His light immediately eliminate the three afflictions of greed, anger, and ignorance. Their bodies and minds will become gentle. They will be filled with joy and exuberance as benevolence arises in their minds. When sentient beings in worlds in ten directions wish to be reborn in the West Pure Land, they will receive the guidance of Amitabha Buddha. Even if it is just a lotus, it is the perfect manifestation of Amitabha Buddha’s merits. Therefore, if one comes into contact with anything in the Pure Land, he is touched by the universal radiance of Amitabha Buddha. Due to Amitabha Buddha’s power of original vows and inconceivable merits, His radiance saves and sets free sentient beings contaminated by desires and habits and bound by karma by virtue of their sincere wish to get reborn in the Pure Land by chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name.
If those who are in extreme suffering, taking any of the three evil life-journeys, can recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, see or come into contact with this radiance, they will suffer no more pain or distress. After their death, they will be saved from resuming such life-journeys and get reborn in the Pure Land.
For example, in <Contemplation Sutra of Buddha Amitayus>, Vaidehi, the Queen was shut up by her son. When locked up in confinement, Vaidehi became afflicted by sorrow and distress as if living in hell. Shakyamuni Buddha introduced the realm of Buddha Amitayus, the world of Highest Happiness, Sukhavati. Shakyamuni Buddha then taught her how to concentrate her thought so as to obtain a right vision of Amitabha Buddha and His Land. This does not only allow Queen Vaidehi to have access to the Pure World when death approaches, but also enables her to visualize and be blessed by Amitabha Buddha’s light, so that she can no longer be afraid and resentful in prison, but have rejoice in her heart and spend the rest of her life in peace and contentment.
The merits and divinity of Amitabha Buddha’s radiance are beyond our imagination. And the scripture simply tells us that his radiance surpasses those of the sun and the moon. When it comes to light, our human bodies also emit light, but it is relatively weak. One with divyachaksus (celestial eye) will find that human heart emits a red light; liver, green light; spleen and stomach, earth-yellow light; lungs, silvery white light; kidneys, dark light like a whirling vortex of water. Human body and head are surrounded by layers of iridescent light. People who practice are able to change these colorful lights into silver or gold light. In ancient times, it is one of diagnostic methods for doctors of traditional Chinese medicine to know about the condition of patients by observing the light intensity of their internal organs. We sometimes describe a person as vibrant and radiant. In comparison with bright celestial beings’ radiance, humans like glowworms, emit but dim light. Human light scatters, being coarse, non-transparent and powerless. It is far from being beautiful compared with the light of celestial beings.
We often see in movies silver halos around or above the heads of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and angels, but humans are unable to form such a circle of light around their heads. The light of both humans and celestial beings indicates the quality of goodness, which, most of the time, can only benefit oneself and cannot help other beings. The light of the Buddhas, on the other hand, demonstrates the perfection of merits. Once coming into contact with or witnessing the light of Buddhas, sentient beings get blessings upon themselves. Amitabha Buddha’ holy light comes from the fulfilment of his original vows, which liberates sentient beings from sufferings and helps them to attain Buddhahood quickly. So, we have little difficulty in understanding that this light of merits has surpassed all light in the universe, outshining that of the sun and the moon.
Ok, let’s continue to look at the original scripture.
If sentient beings that have heard of His radiance, awesome spirit, and merit, unceasingly praise Him day and night with an earnest mind, they will be reborn in His land as they wish. There, multitudes of Bodhisattvas and voice-hearers will praise their merit. In addition, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas [in worlds] in the ten directions, just as they now praise Amitayus Buddha’s radiance, will praise these sentient beings’ radiance until their eventual attainment of Buddha bodhi. The Buddha continued, “I could describe the majesty and wonder of Amitayus Buddha’s radiance and awesome spirit day and night for a kalpa, but still could not finish my narration.”
Let’s first translate this part into vernacular Chinese. If sentient beings that have heard of His radiance, awesome spirit, and merit, unceasingly praise Him day and night with an earnest mind, they will be reborn in His land as they wish. There, Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers and holy multitude will praise their merit. In addition, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in worlds in the ten directions, just as they now praise Amitayus Buddha’s radiance, will praise these sentient beings’ radiance until their eventual attainment of Buddha bodhi.
The Buddha continued, “I could describe the majesty and wonder of Amitayus Buddha’s radiance and awesome merits day and night for a kalpa, but still could not finish my narration.”
This part of Sutra tells us that one who has heard of Amitabha Buddha’s radiance, awesome spirit, and merit, unceasingly praise Him day and night with an earnest mind, they will be reborn in His land as they wish.
Amitayus Buddha’s radiance is dignified and supreme, with which other Buddhas’ radiance cannot compare. The reason for this accomplishment is due to the power and merit of His altruistic actions, as well as the convenient means of benefiting all beings, which enables infinite beings to quickly become Buddhas, or to completely free themselves from sufferings and attain happiness in the Pure Land.
This light is no other than Amitayus Buddha, the Pure Land, the boundless merit, and the most convenient way to become a Buddha in the Ten Quarters. If sentient beings in worlds in ten directions have heard about the merit of Light and they are filled with aspiration and unceasingly praise the light, they will definitely be able to have a telekinesis bond with Amitabha Buddha. Such a person must have developed an altruistic heart and have activated bodhi mind to attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi, otherwise, he will not yearn for altruism and the light of merit and strive to become an achiever of such radiance. Due to this cause, this sentient being will be taken into the light of Amitabha Buddha at will to get reborn in the Pure Land. When such a person gets reborn into the Pure Land, he will be highly praised by Buddhas, Boddhisattvas and holy multitude for his altruistic merits.
Therefore, if we human beings aspire to have rebirth in the Pure Land, we should all perform many good deeds, cultivate a good affinity with masses of beings, and widely accumulate merits, so that we can have the light of merit to correspond with Amitabha Buddha’s radiance. Only by doing so is a person truly constantly thinking of the light of Amitabha Buddha. Due to the wish of Bodhisattva on the causal ground to possess the light of Amitabha Buddha, even if he does not make great vows like Amitabha Buddha and does not possess the divine supreme radiance of Amitabha Buddha, his light will also be praised by all Buddhas in worlds in the ten directions.
While reading this part of the Sutra, we can visualize a flood of Amitabha Buddha’s radiance based on our understanding of the sutra. Amitabha Buddha’s radiance unceasingly illuminates worlds in the ten directions without obstacles. However, we turn their backs on enlightenment and embrace this world of perceived objects, and constantly attach to our bodies, mouths and minds, which makes us unable to feel the blessings of Buddhas’ light of universal illumination. If we can temporarily stop paying attention to both internal aspects of our bodies and minds and external aspects of perceived objects, stop making definition and cognition towards our physical desires, diseases, or health, and take a few seconds to visualize the light of Amitabha Buddha, perhaps you can feel his ubiquitous illumination and blessings instantly. No matter what you have done in the past, and how selfish, greedy, irritable, and ignorant you are, these become inessential. Once in contact with Amitabha Buddha’s radiance, the dark clouds of defilements of the person will be dispersed and replaced by a wide expanse of clear, sunlit sky. The person will instantly experience a feeling of delight.
The Buddha says in the scripture that He could describe the majesty and wonder of Amitayus Buddha’s radiance and awesome spirit day and night for a kalpa, but still could not finish His narration. It can be said that the brilliance that receives unanimous praise of all Buddhas is truly unique in worlds in ten directions. To summarize, we should think more frequently about this light of merit and hold it in deep admiration, for the light of merit has surpassed the sun and moon, and all the light in the universe, which all Buddhas marvel at and all sentient beings rejoice and benefit from it.
Ok, let’s continue to look at the Sutra.