III. Amitayus Buddha and Celestial Beings’ Infinite Life
The Buddha told Ananda, “Amitayus Buddha’s lifespan is so long that it is beyond calculation. Do you not know? Suppose innumerable sentient beings in worlds in the ten directions all assume human form and become voice-hearers or Pratyekabuddhas. Suppose they assemble and single-mindedly calculate for a billion kalpas, with all the power of their intellect, the length of His lifespan in terms of kalpas. They can never find its end or know its limit. The lifespan of the multitude of Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, and gods there is also not a number that can be known by calculation or analogy.”
The Buddha told Ananda, “Amitayus Buddha’s lifespan is so long that it is beyond calculation. Do you not know? Suppose innumerable sentient beings in worlds in the ten directions all assume human form and become voice-hearers or Pratyekabuddhas. Suppose they assemble and single-mindedly calculate with the power of Samadhi, for a billion kalpas, with all the power of their intellect, the length of His lifespan in terms of kalpas. They can never find its end or know its limit. The lifespan of the multitude of Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, and gods there is also not a number that can be known by calculation or analogy.”
In this part of Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha introduces to us the infinite life span of Amitabha and celestial beings in the Pure Land.
Bhiksu Dharmakara vows that if the lifespan of gods in His land should have a limit, He would not attain the perfect enlightenment. His vow has been perfect fulfilled in the West Pure Land. Sentient beings in worlds in the ten quarters are all afraid of death. Even though there is a number of beings who do not dread death, they have misgivings about where to reincarnate after death, because death is still a blind zone for many sentient beings.
In the Human Path of our world of Saha, humans link death with sufferings and negative messages in mind, so all dread death. We even feel it rotten luck uttering the word “death” and naturally refrain from speaking about it in our daily life. Taking someone’s life is also regarded as the most vicious thing. But despite the fact humans fear death to the extent that it has become a word to be avoided as taboo, “death” will come to every being equally. No matter how beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, noble or obscure, gifted or foolish, brave or cowardly we are, we will all have to face the arrival of death one day, and no one can avoid or escape. Moreover, in human path, the pain is there for all to see caused by the premature death of our beloved ones.
Amitabha Buddha has made this great vow on the causal ground in order to alleviate the fear and remove regrets caused by the end of the present phase of sentient beings’ lifespan in worlds in ten directions. In the Pure Land, Amitabha and all beings there have an infinite lifespan. The fulfilment of this great vow not only relieves sentient beings of their anxiety about death, but also meets the purpose to better teach all sentient beings over a long period of time, so that they can become Buddhas in a happy and leisurely manner. Unlike in our world, if one enjoys mundane life, he then has no time to practice Buddhism. Moreover, even if one spends all his time practicing, the lifespan of several decades may still be too short for a beginner with dull root to attain Buddha-truth.
So, let’s be truly grateful to Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. Just think, if someone in our world who can give you longevity, make you immortal and even become a Buddha in ultimate bliss, you will definitely be grateful to this person and can never repay him enough! Many emperors in ancient China used up all their entire countries’ resources to look for magic herbs and make pills of immortality to rejuvenate perpetually and live forever, but none of them succeeded. Now, Amitabha Buddha has equally given such blessings to every sentient being reborn in the Pure Land from worlds in the ten directions.
Now let’s continue to look at the Sutra.
IV. The Countless Numbers of the Holy Multitudes of Voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas
“In addition, the numbers of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas are hard to calculate and describe. They have superb spiritual knowledge and command of awesome powers. They can hold the entire world in their hands.” The Buddha told Ananda, “The number of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas who attended that Buddha’s first assembly is beyond calculation. Suppose there are innumerable, countless billions of kotis of people just like Mahamaudgalyayana, and they all calculate for asamkhyeya nayuta kalpas until they enter parinirvana. They can never find this number, which is like the immeasurable depth of the immense ocean. Suppose someone cuts a hair into a hundred pieces and uses a piece to draw a drop of water from the ocean. What is your opinion? Is this drop more than the water in the immense ocean?” Ananda replied to the Buddha, “The quantity of water in the immense ocean can never be gauged by the drop of water taken by the person. It cannot be known by skillful calculation or described by words.” The Buddha told Ananda, “The number of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas who attended the first assembly as calculated by Maudgalyayana for a billion koti nayuta kalpas is like a drop of water. The number unknowable to him is like the water in the immense ocean.”
Shakyamuni Buddha continues to speak, “in addition, the numbers of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas are hard to calculate and describe. They have superb spiritual knowledge and command of awesome powers. They can hold the entire world in their hands.” The Buddha told Ananda, “The number of voice-hearers who attended that Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma is beyond calculation, and so is the number of Bodhisattvas. Suppose there are innumerable, countless billions of kotis of people just like Mahamaudgalyayana who possesses supernatural powers, and they all calculate for asamkhyeya nayuta kalpas until they enter parinirvana. They can never find this number, which is like the immeasurable depth of the immense ocean. Suppose someone cuts a hair into a hundred pieces and uses a piece to draw a drop of water from the ocean. What is your opinion?
Is this drop more than the water in the immense ocean?” Ananda replied to the Buddha, “The quantity of water in the immense ocean can never be gauged by the drop of water taken by the person. It cannot be known by skillful calculation or described by words.”
The Buddha told Ananda, “The number of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas who attended the first assembly as calculated by Mahamaudgalyayana for a billion koti nayuta kalpas is like a drop of water. The number unknowable to him is like the water in the immense ocean.”
In this part of the Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha continues to tell us that the numbers of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land are hard to calculate and describe. They all have command of awesome supernatural powers. They can see worlds in ten quarters one palm. It is just like live broadcast to interact with. This divine power is much more advanced than our palmtop computers. They are looking at multidimensional space, while our network can only show three-dimensional space.
This part of the Sutra also introduces the great number of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas who attend Amitabha Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma is beyond calculation. Suppose there are innumerable, countless billions of kotis of people just like Mahamaudgalyayana– one of the ten great disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha who ranks first in possession of supernatural ability, and it is said that he is exceptionally good at maths. This is reason why Buddha mentions his name here—and they all calculate for asamkhyeya nayuta kalpas and all possess supernatural powers and intellect like Mahamaudgalyayana. They can never find this number. Buddha uses an analogy to illustrate the innumerable number of participants of the Dharma meeting. It is like the immeasurable depth of the immense ocean. Suppose someone cuts a hair into a hundred pieces and uses a piece to draw a drop of water from the ocean. Even one with supernatural power of Mahamaudgalyayana can not calculate for countless billions of kotis nayuta kalpas the number of voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas. Voice-hearers and Bodhisattvas who attended the first assembly as calculated by Mahamaudgalyayana for a billion koti nayuta kalpas is like a drop of water. The number unknowable to him is like the water in the immense ocean.
This analogy can be understood by everyone, but the practical situation has gone beyond the limits of human imagination. Amitabha Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma took place when the West Pure Land was formed ten kalpas ago. At that time, there were so many sentient beings who had been reborn in this world, as well as bodhisattvas who visited and made offerings in the Pure Land that the number was beyond imagination. Now there should be more Bodhisattvas and celestial beings in the Pure Land. A Land with boundless territory, immeasurable sentient beings, and infinite lifespan poses a challenge to human beings’ way of thinking from a fixed three-dimensional perspective. Even in a technologically advanced world today, it may still be difficult for Shakyamuni Buddha to explain this matter clearly to humanity. If humans cannot even imagine the grandeur situation in the Pure Land, they may not believe it and will not be overwhelmed by the heart-shaking magnificence and the blessings contained.
Ok, let’s continue to look at the scripture.