The Thirty-fourth Vow
The Thirty-fourth Vow: After I become a Buddha, in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, if sentient beings that hear my name should fail to achieve the Bodhisattva Endurance in the Realization of the No Birth of Dharmas and to acquire profound dharanis, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow is about the merits of Bhiksu Dharmakara’s name. Bhiksu Dharmakara vows sentient beings in immeasurable, Buddha worlds in ten directions, after having heard Amitabha Buddha’s name, will acquire endurance with the non-production of dharmas, through the merit arising from that hearing, and will be strong in the knowledge of dharanis. “Endurance in the Realization of the No Birth of Dharmas” refers to the reality of neither being created nor destroyed of all phenomena. The acquirement of the knowledge of dharanis means that sentient beings in worlds in the ten directions are capable of using various skillful and convenient methods to proclaim the ultimate truth of all Dharmas. Chanting the name “Amitabha Buddha” is the most skillful and convenient way for all Buddhas in worlds in the Ten Direction to guide and save sentient beings. This approach is simple yet remarkably beneficial to all beings, for all blessings, enlightenment and guidance, spiritual correspondence, merits-giving, and so on are being contained in this name. Upon hearing this name and realizing the interlinkage with this name, sentient beings can obtain everything that Amitabha Buddha has bestowed upon them in terms of His merits and His level of achievement, just like computer users in possession of the password can open everything stored in the computer. Sentient beings in worlds in the ten directions can have access to the blessings and merits contained in this name when they hear the name of Amitabha Buddha in their own worlds.
The Thirty-fifth Vow
The Thirty-fifth Vow: After I become a Buddha, in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, women who hear my name will have faith and delight, activate the bodhi mind, and tire of their female form. If, after their death, they should be reborn in female form, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow is made for women in immeasurable inconceivable worlds. Bhiksu Dharmakara vows that women who hear His name will have faith and delight, turn their minds towards Bodhi, and tire of their female form. After their death, they will not assume the female form in the next life, even if they do not aspire to get reborn in the Pure Land. In our world of Saha, Theravada Buddhism holds male body in esteem and is of the opinion that male body represents Eight Treasures and male practitioners’ cultivation conditions are better than the female practitioners’. Monthly periods and pregnancy often cause problems or difficulties for females, so some females wish to be men in the next life. Here, Amitabha Buddha makes a vow specifically for females who wish no longer to be women. In the West Pure Land, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, due to her compassion for women in the world of Saha, often vows to incarnate into a female form to deliver the sentient beings. Both Bhiksu Dharmakara and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva are all driven by compassion for the sufferings of women to make their vows. Females in worlds in ten directions can obtain all the blessings and benefits in their own worlds once they hear Amitabha Buddha’s name.
The Thirty-sixth Vow
The Thirty-sixth Vow: After I become a Buddha, in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, multitudes of Bodhisattvas who hear my name, after their death, will be reborn to train in the Brahma way of life until their attainment of Buddhahood. If this should not come true, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow is about the merits and blessings of Dharmakara’s Bhiksu’s name for the sake of delivering sentient beings. Bhiksu Dharmakara says, “in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, multitudes of Bodhisattvas who hear my name, after their death, will be reborn to train in the Brahma way of life until their attainment of Buddhahood.” We understand that in the Human Path, Bodhisattvas are often worried about that if their cultivation has not been accomplished in this life, they may forget to practice in the next life and become addicted to secular life. In response to the concerns of sentient beings in worlds in the ten directions, Bhiksu Dharmakara has made this vow. Once they hear the name of Amitabha Buddha, Bodhisattvas can continuously train in the Brahma way in their future lives, as long as conditions permit, until their attainment of Buddhahood. Bodhisattvas in worlds in ten directions can obtain all the blessings and benefits in their own worlds once they hear Amitabha Buddha’s name.
The Thirty-seventh Vow
The Thirty-seventh Vow: After I become a Buddha, in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, humans, gods and sentient beings, who hear my name will prostrate themselves in obeisance and, with faith and delight, train in the Bodhisattva Way, and gods and humans will salute them. If this should not come true, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow is also about the merits and blessings of Bhiksu Dharmakara’s name for the sake of delivering sentient beings. Bhiksu Dharmakara says, “in innumerable inconceivable Buddha Lands in the ten directions, sentient beings, who hear my name will prostrate themselves in obeisance and, with faith and delight, train in the Bodhisattva Way, and gods and humans will salute them.” There are several catastrophic events about the large-scale persecution of Buddhism in Chinese history. Many Buddhist monks were killed and temples destroyed. A fellow practitioner once asked, “monks who suffered or died during the trials and tribulations of suppression of Buddhism have also heard of the name Amitabha Buddha but at that time they were not honored by sentient beings.” In fact, if monks shall worship Amitabha Buddha with prostrate reverence and delight, as well as perform the duty of Bodhisattvas, even if they die in the persecutions of Buddhism, they will be honored. According to this vow, all sentient beings in worlds in ten directions can obtain all the blessings and benefits in their own worlds once they hear Amitabha Buddha’s name.
The Thirty-eighth Vow
The Thirty-eighth Vow: After I become a Buddha, gods in my land, by a single thought, will be able to make appear on their bodies garments, which are as wonderful as Buddhas say. If their garments should require sewing, dyeing, or laundering, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow is made for those Bodhisattvas who have been tied down by daily affairs such as clothing, food, shelter and transportation, and do not have enough time to practice. It is also made for all the laboring masses in worlds in the ten directions. In our world, laundry, and cooking are daily tasks for human beings. In ancient China, housewives in families spent their entire lives being engaged in labor such as weaving, tailoring, dyeing, and washing. It is a fact that the perfection of the West Pure Land is beyond the imagination of human beings and the plane attained by Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi is impossible for the laboring masses to comprehend. The Pure Land composed of various precious stones and treasures seems to have little appeal to the laboring people since they have always been poor and know their place. But just think that they don’t have to do the work of making clothes and cooking, and as quick as thought, they can have newly-produced excellent cloaks, forever free from the labor of weaving, sewing and laundry. This point really gets to them. Some laboring people may be attracted by this vow and find it indescribably wonderful, thus deciding to cut off evil and cultivate goodness in order to get reborn in the West Pure Land to receive the blessings of Amitabha Buddha and achieve the Buddha’s fruit.
The Thirty-ninth Vow
The Thirty-ninth Vow: After I become a Buddha, if the bliss experienced by gods in my land should be inferior to that of bhiksus with no more afflictions to discharge, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow indicates that Bhiksu Dharmakara bestows blessings after His perfection of merits. Every time I hear about Bhiksu Dharmakara’s vows of this kind, I feel that Amitabha Buddha acts as if awarding a bonus wrapped in red paper to assure sentient beings of the attainment of Buddhahood. Bhiksu Dharmakara in this vow says that the happiness enjoyed by the beings of the Pure Land must exceed that of the holy Bhikkhus who have ceased the stream of transmigration in worlds in the ten directions. In the Human Path of the world of Saha, Bhikkhus refer to fully ordained male members of the Buddhist sangha. Those Bhikkhus at the end of passions are known as “the ones ranking the top among humans”, since their desires and vexations have been exhausted therefore, they are called Bhikkhus of Asravaksaya (at the end of defilements or afflictions). Bhikkhus of Asravaksaya often abide in wonderful bliss and tranquil extinction, which is far superior than the happiness enjoyed by humans.
In the previous vows, we see that gods in the Pure Land abide in the heavenly peace second only to the Great Nirvana of Buddhas, which means gods in the Pure Land to the minimum enjoy the happiness of Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi. But in this vow, it is said that the bliss experienced by gods in the Pure Land shall be superior to that of Bhiksus with no more afflictions to discharge. Because in worlds in the ten directions, living beings are capable of seeing the Arhats of Asravaksaya, but they still cannot see the realm of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Samyak-sambodhi in which they play with the supernatural power which is fundamentally immaterial. Even if they see, they cannot truly understand from the external display the inner bliss Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are in.
In this vow, Amitabha Buddha only compares the happiness of the heavenly beings in the Pure Land with that of the holy Bhikkhus, saying that it far exceeds the happiness of the Bhikkhus of Asravaksaya in worlds in ten directions. In our world, some sentient beings are unwilling to achieve the Buddha fruit, but they like the realm attained by the Great Arhats. This vow will also fulfil their wish, prompting them to initiate the idea of getting reborn into the West Pure Land, thereby obtaining the enlightenment of Amitabha Buddha and achieving the Buddha’s fruit.
The Fortieth Vow
The Fortieth Vow: After I become a Buddha, Bodhisattvas in my land who wish to see innumerable splendid, pure Buddha Lands in the ten directions will see them all displayed in the jeweled trees as they wish, like one’s facial image in a clear mirror. If this should not come true, I would not think that I have completed Buddhahood and I would not attain the perfect enlightenment.
This vow points out the glorious solemnity and merits of Amitabha’s Land. Bhiksu Dharmakara says that in the Pure Land, sentient beings who wish to see innumerable pure Buddha Lands in the ten directions will see them all, displayed in the jeweled trees as they wish, like one’s facial image in a clear mirror. Jeweled trees can be seen everywhere in the West Pure Land, and equally trees are not rare in our world of Saha, therefore, jeweled trees are good examples to expound the divine wonders. Imagine how cool it would be if we could see worlds in the ten directions above a piece of tree leaf. This vow is similar to the 31st Vow. Such displays are easy to understand for we are now in an era of internet. 3D, 4D videos images, etc. Jeweled trees are the manifestation of Amitabha Buddha’s light. Images of various Worlds are shown in the clear light as Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land wish. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Internet system in the West Pure Land is much more developed than ours. The light does not come from electric power generation; the light is inherently existent, under the control of thoughts.