3. The Scene of Amitabha Buddha’s Dharma Assembly
The Buddha told Ananda, “When Amitayus 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.”
We are going to translate this part of the Sutra into vernacular Chinese.
The Buddha told Ananda, “When Amitayus 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, there is such a great multitude of gods that 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 above part of the Sutra describes the scene of Dharma Assembly in the West Pure Land where voice-hearers and bodhisattvas hear the teachings of Amitabha Buddha. A friend once asked me, “sentient beings in the West Pure Land are so happy, endowed with an infinite lifespan, and henceforth liberated from reincarnations and three evil paths. Why do these heavenly beings study Buddhism?”
The question he asked was not surprising at all. In our world of Saha, human beings’ life is full of trials and tribulations, so getting rid of sufferings and finding happiness for oneself and for others becomes the issue of top priority. Even if the heavenly beings enjoy happiness throughout their lives, they are still afraid of the forthcoming reincarnations in the three realms and six paths, which is inevitable for all upon everyone’s decease. For this reason, when Shakyamuni Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, he preached Catvari-arya-satya—The Four Noble Truths—misery, its location, its cessation and its way of cure in response to the natural inclination of all sentient beings in the world of Saha to liberate from sufferings and to attain happiness. If all are free from sufferings and reincarnation, would anyone still follow Shakyamuni Buddha to learn Buddhism? And would anyone still be indulged in the ascetic practice earnestly as if rescuing the head from burning by discarding all emotions and desires?
In fact, what Buddhas really want to proclaim is the reality of the all Dharmas, in order to awaken all sentient beings lost in the illusion of time and space, to let them command great freedom in time and space, to get their wish, to be masters of all Dharmas, and to return to and settle in the ultimate happiness. So, the voice-hearers and bodhisattvas in the West Pure Land learn Buddhism for the purpose of having an insight into and realizing the ultimate truth of all Dharmas, and for the benefits of boundless beings lost in worlds in the ten directions.
Let’s come back to see how Shakyamuni Buddha describes the scene of the Dharma Assembly. When Amitabha Buddha pronounces the Dharma to voice-hearers, Bodhisattvas, they all assemble in the auditorium made of the seven treasures. There are also boundless Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi.
What are then Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi? Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi have reached the same stage of enlightenment as the Buddhas in terms of judgement of reality. However, compared with Buddhas, there is still a long way for them to go in terms of merit, skillful means in delivering sentient beings, supernatural powers, or bodily radiance. As Amitabha Buddha expounds the wonderous Dharma, they are not absent from the meeting because they take pride in having the same level of judgement of reality, instead, they never fail to assemble in the auditorium made of seven treasures, pay homage and make offerings to Amitabha Buddha and listen to Dharma teachings and receive blessings and Abhisheka (initiation).
The auditorium made of seven treasures is so great without the outside that it can accommodate infinite attendees.
In the human path of the world of Saha, when Shakyamuni Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, he gave Dharma speech in secluded and quiet places, i.e. under the trees, in the fields, etc. Later on, some disciples in a lay condition donated to building abodes for Dharma-teaching and auditoriums. This is not because Shakyamuni Buddha’s merit is inadequate, so He is in short of teachings abodes and auditoriums, but because Shakyamuni Buddha wants to demonstrate the possibility of living a life of perfect wisdom but not owning a thing in the world to break the habit of greed of all sentient beings. A deep-seated reason for the infertility of the World of Saha is that human beings who study Buddhism have little merits and wisdom so that they will not give anything to pursue the reality of all phenomena. There are magnificent palaces in our world, but most of them are built to satisfy the desires of sentient beings and provide entertainment for them. However, it is undeniable that after Buddhism being disseminated in China, there are now many solemn Buddhist temples and Dharma halls in China, which truly facilitate our learning of Buddhism.
It is said in the Scripture that as Amitabha Buddha 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. In the West Pure Land, these natural offerings of meritorious wind, celestial music and flowers congratulate everyone on their delight and awakening after hearing the Dharma speech, and continue until the Dharma meeting ends. All gods in worlds in the ten directions take celestial flowers and fragrances, and play instrumental music, to make offerings to Amitabha Buddha. They walk to and fro and politely get out of one another’s way. The scene is so extraordinary and auspicious that it is beyond words. We can imagine with the blessings of the divine spiritual power of Amitabha Buddha’s light, how delighted and grateful all Dharma attendees will be as they attain the enlightenment upon hearing the Dharma teachings. Through making offerings, the air of happiness and gratefulness permeates everywhere in the Pure Land. It can be said that every Dharma meeting is virtually a grand ceremony in the Pure Land.
Someone asked me, “Why in Buddhism do we need to make offerings to various Buddhas? It is often described in Mahayana scriptures that how many Buddhas a certain Bodhisattva has made offerings to and served.” To answer this question I would like to use a perspective that humans can understand by asking you, “Why do you bring gifts to your parents when you go home during festivals? Maybe your parents don’t need them at all.” You feel you don’t even need to answer this question because your love, respect, and gratitude to your parents need to be expressed in one way or another, i.e. a few words of greeting, a piece of carefully selected gift or a red envelope, etc. Parents give birth to your physical body, while Buddha give birth to your wisdom.
In the world of Saha, Buddhist disciples often say that they are truly born from the mouth of the Buddha, which means that the disciples benefit from the Dharma pronounced by the Buddha, thus they achieve liberation from reincarnation, and gain a new life. Therefore, they say that they are born from the Buddha’s mouth. Because our love and gratitude to all Buddhas is similar to ours to our parents, through making offerings, we establish mutual affinity with Buddhas.
But nowadays many of us make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas not because of love and gratitude, but because of our wish and desire for fame and fortune, for blessings and protection, for a son and for more merits. Nevertheless, this is understandable. Human beings live in poverty and tribulation, constantly plagued by pains and worries, with limited wisdom to rely on. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for them to develop a genuine love for others, unless other people can satisfy their physical and mental desires first.
Most Bodhisattvas in the West Pure Land are Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi. Why do these Bodhisattvas also take making offerings to Buddhas as their daily practice? In <Mahayana Sutra of Four Practices> there was a story about Manjusri Bodhisattva, who manifested himself as a Bodhisattva of Samyak-sambodhi to make offerings to a Buddha with a large umbrella covered with precious treasures. The King of Tushita Heaven named “Shansheng” asked him, “hasn’t it been enough for a great Bodhisattva like you to make offerings to Buddhas? Have you not yet grown tired of making offerings to the Tathagatas?” Manjusri Bodhisattva answered, “Ten thousand streams return to the sea, and a hundred rivers meets the sea. Will the sea feel weary in embracing streams and rivers?” The King of Tushita Heaven answered, “nay, it will not.” Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “The sea is vast and boundless, receiving thousands of streams running towards it without stopping. Bodhisattva provides offerings without end to Tathagatas in pursuit of wisdom for the salvation of all sentient beings, like thousands of streams running to the sea without stopping. His heart is like the sea, accepting all rivers and streams, and never feeling tired.”
The King of the Tushita Heaven asked again, “How do great bodhisattvas like you think in a correct way and what is the correct motivation for making offerings to Buddhas?” Manjusri Bodhisattva answered, “we should make offerings to Buddhas with four right motivations.”
- 1. Making offerings to Buddhas to attain Budha-wisdom of omniscience and to attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.
- 2. Making offerings to Buddhas to ferry all beings across.
- 3. Making offerings to Buddhas for the continuation of the seed of the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
- 4. Making offerings to Buddhas for paying deference to the solemn pure Lands of Buddhas and adorning their pure lands with merits. (excerpted from <Mahayana Sutra of Four Practices>).
From the conversation between Manjusri Bodhisattva and Shansheng, the King of Tusita Heaven, we understand the reason and purpose of Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi and Ekajati-prati-buddha Bodhisattvas to make offerings to Buddhas— for attaining Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi, for saving all sentient beings, for continuously spreading the seeds of the Three Jewels, and for adorning one’s pure land with merits. Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who make this kind of offerings to Buddhas are in a true sense committed to imparting and inheriting Buddhism. It is the true Dharma offerings, and it is the act of a great man. All Buddhas will surely be delighted to receive this kind of offerings, and the blessings of merit and wisdom will be instantly transferred to these Bodhisattvas.
In our world, Shakyamuni Buddha established “the six paramitas and all actions of salvation” for all to carry out if they pursue the bodhisattva path. Topping the Six Paramitas is “Dana” (giving), which was originally intended to break the habit of greed of humanity. Giving is an equal sharing, while to gurus or bodhisattvas, we use the word “make offerings”, not giving. Whether we are practicing paramita of “giving” or making offerings to gurus, we should be alert and rid ourselves of greed and stinginess on the basis of the correct view of “emptiness”. Only by eliminating the defilements of “I want something back through practicing Dana”, and “I have gained something out of practicing Dana”, can we transfer what we have done to the Way of Liberation. We are now in the world of Saha. Without supernatural power, we cannot personally make offerings to the Buddhas in worlds in the ten directions. However, the ultimate truth of Buddhism tells us that our original heart is omnipresent, and no matter when or where we make offerings to Buddhas, our heart and thoughts will eventually spread throughout the Dharma realm.
<The Diamond Sutra> states that without attachment to all forms of offerings, merit will be immeasurable.
Alright, let’s continue to look at the original scripture.