In “Buddha Pronounces the Sutra of Amitayus Buddha”, Buddha proclaims another form of giving, that is, to equally give a blissful world to all beings who believe in the Buddha’s teachings. In this world, all sentient beings have not become Buddhas, yet they can share alike the wonderful realm of great nirvana that is only attained through the fulfillment of the merits and virtues of all Buddhas. Moreover, in this blissful world, sentient beings will no longer get lost and fallen due to their greed for the sweet nectar of ecstasy; instead, they can quickly awaken from time and space, achieving Annuttara-samyak-sambodhi. All beings in the worlds in ten directions, whether they are practitioners of Buddhism or not, as long as they believe in Buddha’s teachings and aspire to enter this blissful world, can have equal access to the benefits. Besides, the conditions for sentient beings to enter this world through rebirth are easy to meet. They only need to make a resolve to attain Annuttara-samyak-sambodhi and have a wish to get reborn in the blissful world. Meanwhile, remember to recite the name of Amitabha Buddha to receive the guidance of Amitabha Buddha to enter this world. Even if sentient beings just want to be individually free from sufferings and enjoy ecstasy, without making a resolve to become Buddhas, or want to have longevity and put an end to their own reincarnation, regardless of the various desires they may have, they will receive the guidance of Amitabha Buddha to enter His world as long as they have a wish to enter His world and remember to chant His name.
This kind of equal giving is more than shocking and unbelievable to the sentient beings in this Saha world, who find their blessings arising from good deeds scanty, and their meritorious virtues and wisdom so lacking. They feel that they are beyond the hope of becoming Buddhas. In the sphere of human beings, the Right Views which Buddhas provide can help disciples save time in attaining the enlightenment by eliminating blind cultivation and practice, for which the disciples are truly grateful. Asankyeyakalpa (a very long time) in achieving Dharmakaya (an immaterial, invisible and immortal body of the Buddha). Now the Buddha is giving his disciples a perfect truth-plot free from any obstacles for the quick attainment of Buddhahood. The abundance of wealth and happiness, the perfection of the land and the physical appearance of all beings, as well as the infinite lifespan, instantly evoke the aspirations of those in the worlds in ten directions who even do not practice Buddhism and are unwilling to be Buddhas and only pursue worldly successes. This is simply a luxurious gift totally beyond human imagination prepared by the Buddhas for the followers of the worlds of Ten Directions. We are not to treat what the Buddha says with skepticism due to our own poor wisdom and limited faculties of sight, hearing, and feeling, where both noumenal and phenomenal are interdependent and all phenomena exist in perfect harmony and do not obstruct each other. Neither shall we use our limited scientific knowledge to call into question the existence of the Pure Land. If we act just like the 5000 monks who withdrew from the “The Lotus Assembly”, we would miss the opportunity to become a truly wealthy second generation on the path of practice in the worlds of Ten Directions since we miss the compassion and merits from the Buddhas given as a generous gift. Bodhisattvas who have reached a certain level of cultivation should not be arrogant, thinking that they can become Buddhas on their own in any worlds or environment, and denying the necessities of going to the Pure Land with the help of Amitabha Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha says in the Sutra that if a Bodhisattva thinks this way, they will follow a zigzag course in their practice and lose great benefits. Their speed of becoming a Buddha is much slower than that of a Bodhisattva who goes to the Pure Land.
Although this splendid gift is the perfect manifestation of Amitabha Buddha’s merits given to all living beings, yet the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have already attained Anatman (no-ego) have the same aspirations that beings can live well in a world like the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha even without initiative for practicing. That is the reason why the Buddhas in the Worlds of Ten Directions are praising and recommending their disciples to immigrate to the West Pure Land to directly dwell in the realm of great Nirvana second only to the Buddhas’ to achieve the Buddha’s fruit. We will see at the end of the scripture that endless Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi of the Worlds in Ten Directions vow to get reborn in the West Pure Land.
The sentient beings hearing “The Lotus Sutra” and “Buddha Pronounces the Sutra of Amitayus Buddha” more often than not have limited wisdom and supernatural power, therefore they take a skeptical attitude towards Buddhas’ insight and their powerful state where both noumenal and phenomenal are interdependent. These sentient beings are inclined to neglect Buddha’s proclamations in these two Sutras as a result of their Atma-mada (egoism) and self-righteousness. In the light of the hearers’ natural qualities, Our Buddha first of all lauds the rarity of a Buddha coming into this world, His limitless wisdom, inconceivable supernatural power, and complete freedom in all laws.
Then what is the conditional causation for this splendid gift given to all? Let’s look at the story of a Bhikshu named Dharmakara innumerable kalpas ago.
The Buddha told Ananda, “In the distant past, innumerable, countless inconceivable kalpas ago, a Tathagata called [Dipamkara] Lamp Lighter appeared in the world. He taught and delivered innumerable sentient beings, enabling them to attain bodhi, and then entered parinirvana. After Him, Tathagatas that appeared in succession included Distant Light, Moonlight, Sandalwood Scent, Fine Mountain King, Sumeru Celestial Crown, Sumeru Equal Brilliance, Moon Color, Right Mindfulness, No Affliction, No Attachment, Dragon God, Nocturnal Light, Peaceful Bright Summit, Immovable Ground, Wonderful Aquamarine Flower, Golden Aquamarine Color, Gold Store, Flaming Light, Flaming Faculty, Earth Seed, Moon Image, Sun Tone, Liberation Flower, Splendid Radiance, Transcendental Power in the Ocean of Enlightenment, Water Light, Great Fragrance, Freedom from Sense Objects, Abandoning Aversion, Jewel Flame, Wonderful Summit, Valiant Stand, Merit Held in Wisdom, Outshining the Sun-Moon Light, Sun-Moon Aquamarine Light, Unsurpassed Aquamarine Light, Foremost Position, Bodhi Flower, Moon Radiance, Sunlight, Flower Color King, Water-Moon light, Removing the Darkness of Delusion, Action to Remove Hindrance, Pure Faith, Fine Constellation, Awesome Spirit, Dharma Wisdom, Bird Tone, Lion Tone, Dragon Tone, and Staying in the World. These Buddhas have all passed away.
“Next appeared a Buddha called [Lokesvararaja] World Sovereign King, the Tathagata, Arhat, Samyak-Sambuddha, Knowledge and Conduct Perfected, Sugata, Understanding the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher to Gods and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One.”
Let’s first translate this part of the Sutra into vernacular Chinese.
The Buddha told Ananda, “In the distant past, innumerable, countless inconceivable kalpas ago, a Tathagata called [Dipamkara] Lamp Lighter appeared in the world. He taught and delivered innumerable sentient beings, enabling them to attain bodhi, and then entered parinirvana. After Him, Tathagatas that appeared in succession included Distant Light, Moonlight, Sandalwood Scent, Fine Mountain King, Sumeru Celestial Crown, Sumeru Equal Brilliance, Moon Color, Right Mindfulness, No Affliction, No Attachment, Dragon God, Nocturnal Light, Peaceful Bright Summit, Immovable Ground, Wonderful Aquamarine Flower, Golden Aquamarine Color, Gold Store, Flaming Light, Flaming Faculty, Earth Seed, Moon Image, Sun Tone, Liberation Flower, Splendid Radiance, Transcendental Power in the Ocean of Enlightenment, Water Light, Great Fragrance, Freedom from Sense Objects, Abandoning Aversion, Jewel Flame, Wonderful Summit, Valiant Stand, Merit Held in Wisdom, Outshining the Sun-Moon Light, Sun-Moon Aquamarine Light, Unsurpassed Aquamarine Light, Foremost Position, Bodhi Flower, Moon Radiance, Sunlight, Flower Color King, Water-Moon light, Removing the Darkness of Delusion, Action to Remove Hindrance, Pure Faith, Fine Constellation, Awesome Spirit, Dharma Wisdom, Bird Tone, Lion Tone, Dragon Tone, and Staying in the World. These Buddhas have all passed away.
“Next appeared a Buddha called [Lokesvararaja] World Sovereign King. He possesses the ten titles of the Buddhas in the Saha world – the Tathagata, Arhat, Samyak-Sambuddha, Knowledge and Conduct Perfected, Sugata, Understanding the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher to Gods and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One.”
In this part of the Sutra, Our Buddha starts relating Buddhas in sequence, starting from a Tathagata called [Dipamkara] Lamp Lighter all the way to a Buddha called [Lokesvararaja] World Sovereign King. Tathagata Dipamkara was Sakyamuni’s teacher innumerable kalpas ago when Sakyamuni was a Bodhisattva. The disciples present are familiar with this Tathagata because they often hear Sakyamuni Buddha talk about Him. Shakyamuni Buddha begins with his own teacher and continues to count until the birth of Lokesvararaja Buddha. Some members of the Dharma Assembly may have heard of the names of these Buddhas for the first time, but there are also some Tathagatas who may have been the teachers of a great Bodhisattva present in his former existences. At the Assembly there are Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi and ekajati-prati-baddha who possess Purvanivasanusmriti-jnana (knowledge of all former existences of self and others); as a result, the mere mention of the names of Tathagatas in succession will unfold before them a scene about these Tathagatas’ vows, merits, dharma-bodies and deeds.
Once a Buddhist brother said to me that the language of Buddhist scriptures was somewhat redundant. For example, if we were to talk about [Lokesvararaja] World Sovereign King and his disciple Dharmakara, it would be better to just directly focus on their stories of deeds than refer to a long list of names of Buddhas. Those who hold this view surely have not yet gained Purvanivasanusmriti-jnana, for they do not know the deeds and merits about these Tathagatas; otherwise, they would not feel it verbose. What’s more, if these Tathagatas had been the mentors to whom you have been greatly indebted in your previous lives, the mention of the name of your teacher will arouse your deep reverence within. Even if you have attained Buddhahood, the eternal gratitude will be engraved on your heart. You would be hopeful that the Buddha could recite the name of your mentor one more time. It can be said that all Buddhas are equal to each other in their names, vows, dharma-bodies, merits and deeds. Moreover, each Buddha has more than one name. It is often seen in scriptures that after the completion of their merits and virtues, Buddhas often have ten great names. In fact, there are more than ten great names, and all Buddhas have infinite names. No matter how in Sanskrit the name is pronounced, how the translators of sutras transliterate the name, how we articulate them, as long as we read the Mahayana scriptures and call out their names, these names will be stored in the eight vijnana (eight kinds of cognition, perception or consciousness) and we may have destined union with these Buddhas. We currently do not have the divine powers to travel around the worlds in ten directions and worship and make offering to the Buddhas. While reading the names of Buddhas, we can keep worshiping with gratitude in our hearts, which can also be considered as instantly entering the sea of the worthy action vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva-Mahasattva. In a word, when encountering the names of the Buddhas in the scriptures, we’d better read or listen respectfully. Especially in this Sutra, the name of “Amitabha Buddha” is an important code for us to get reborn in the Western Pure Land. It is no exaggeration to say that this name represents the West Pure Land and all the merits and achievements of Amitabha Buddha. So, don’t neglect reciting the names of the Tathagata despite the case that there are many.
Ok, let’s continue to read the scripture.