The Essence of the Infinite Life
Sutra
Explanation of the Text
Venerable
Master Chin Kung
Excerpt 1
All followed and cultivated the virtues of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva,
were replete with infinite vows and
practices,
and
steadfastly dwelt in the virtues and merits of all
dharmas.
This first excerpt
points out the objective of the Pure Land school.
A well-accomplished
practitioner added “The Chapter of the Vows and Practices of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva” to the three Pure Land sutras and named
them the four Pure Land sutras. He did so based on the above
excerpt. These words tell us that the beings in the Western Pure
Land—in the four
lands and from the lowest to the highest of the nine rebirth
grades—all cultivated the virtues of Samantabhadra. It is not
surprising then that in the Lotus Treasury assembly, all forty-one
levels of Dharma-body Bodhisattvas follow the example of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva—they mindfully chant the Buddha-name and
seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
It is also
stated in the Mahayana sutras that if a bodhisattva does not
cultivate the practice of Samantabhadra, he will not be able to
perfectly attain Buddhahood. “Perfect” refers to the attainment of
perfect Buddhahood, which is the Buddhahood of the Perfect Teaching
mentioned in the Tiantai school.
“Vows” in “infinite vows and practices” means
aspiration. “Practices” means implementation, to carry out. When we
condense “infinite vows
and practices,” we have the Four Great Vows.
When expanded, the Four Great Vows become infinite vows and practices.
Samantabhadra
Bodhisattva uses the Ten Great Vows as the key guiding principle
for infinite vows and practices. The practice of Samantabhadra
differs from other methods, for the mind of Samantabhadra
Bodhisattva is truly pure and impartial, without any discrimination
or attachment. He treats everyone in the entire Dharma Realm
equally.
The first of the Ten
Great Vows is “to respect
all Buddhas.” “All Buddhas” encompasses all beings. The Avatamsaka Sutra and the Sutra of Perfect
Enlightenment both say “All beings are Buddhas in nature.”
Therefore, “to respect all Buddhas” is to equally
respect the
past Buddhas, the present Buddhas, and the future Buddhas (all
beings).
It is stated in the
sutras that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. It is called
Dharma-nature in non-sentient beings. Buddha-nature and
Dharma-nature refer to the same nature. This is why the
Avatamsaka
Sutra says “Sentient and
non-sentient beings all have the same
Buddha-wisdom.”
We should be
as respectful to non-sentient beings as to Buddhas. For example,
tables and chairs are non-sentient beings. Our respect to them
should be the same as that to Buddhas, without any difference. This
is the practice of Samantabhadra. When we see tables and chairs, we
put them in their proper places and keep them clean. This is
showing our respect to them. The
respect
in our
hearts is exactly
the same, though how
we express the respect differs. Practicing
respect for all Buddhas starts from this point [the impartial
respect for all beings].
Everything should
start with respect—not just when we are learning the supreme
Buddha-dharma. “Single-minded respect”—we often read these words in
the repentance section that appears in the Buddhist
practice book. Single-mindedness is the
practice of Samantabhadra. It signifies impartiality.
Single-mindedness is maintaining the same
mind whether we
encounter Buddhas, people,
animals, or tables and chairs. With two minds, differences and
discrimination arise. Therefore, with two minds or three
minds, we are not quite respectful
and not following the
practice of Samantabhadra. We must clearly
understand this before we know how to learn.
The second vow is “to
praise Tathagata.” What is the difference between “Tathagata” and
“Buddha”? From the aspect of form, we say “Buddha.”
We should
single-mindedly and equally respect all [Buddhas, all
beings]. From the aspect of nature, we say
“Tathagata.” If something
accords with the true nature, then it is good and we should praise
it. If it does not accord with the true nature, then it is bad. We
should be respectful to all but we should not praise bad things or
wrongdoers. We should keep our distance [i.e., not learn from them]
and continue to be respectful. There should be no difference in our
respect.
Sudhana’s visiting fifty-three wise teachers [in
the Avatamsaka Sutra] is a very good example of
this. Normally, when he visited a wise teacher, he first showed
respect and then praised the teacher. But among the fifty-three
wise teachers, all of whom he showed respect, there were three he
did not praise. The first of the three teachers was a Brahman named
Jayosmaya, who symbolized ignorance. The second was a king named
Anala, who symbolized anger. The third was a woman named Vasumitra,
who symbolized greed. These three teachers symbolized greed, anger,
and ignorance. To greed, anger, and ignorance, Sudhana showed
respect but did not praise.
From this we
understand that when one praises, one praises the good, not the
bad. But when one pays respect, one does not differentiate between
good and bad. There is a significant difference between praising
and paying respect. We must realize this.
I will not go into
detail about the Ten Great Vows, as I have done so
elsewhere.
The ten vows of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva sum up infinite practices and vows. But
the forty-eight vows of Amitabha Buddha are more detailed than the
Ten Great Vows. However, the most important of all is to be
“replete.” Are we “replete”? If we have belief and practice but no
vows,[1] then we will not be able to attain rebirth in the
Western Pure Land. If we truly want to attain rebirth in the
Western Pure Land in this lifetime, we must chant the forty-eight
vows in the Infinite Life Sutra as our morning
cultivation every day. By chanting them every day and constantly
learning them, we make the forty-eight vows our causal vows. Then
we are “replete” with the vows. Amitabha Buddha’s forty-eight vows
are infinite practices and vows, and encompass the Ten Great Vows
of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and the Four Great
Vows.
“All . . . steadfastly dwelt in the
virtues and merits of all dharmas.”
“The virtues
and merits of all dharmas” is “Namo
Amituofo.” During the
Sui and Tang dynasties, eminent monks compared the sutras from the
Buddha’s forty-nine years of teaching to determine which was number
one. They agreed that the Avatamsaka Sutra was number one.
It was the king of the sutras and the fundamental Dharma-wheel.
Next, they made a comparison between the Avatamsaka
Sutra and the Infinite Life Sutra and
concluded that the Infinite Life Sutra was number
one. Why? At the end of the Avatamsaka Sutra,
Samantabhadra taught the Ten Great Vows and guided all beings to
the Western Pure Land and with this the sutra was perfectly
completed. On the other hand, the Infinite Life
Sutra, from the beginning to the end, describes the Western
Pure Land. Hence, the Infinite Life Sutra sums up
and fulfills the final goal of the Avatamsaka
Sutra. The Infinite Life Sutra is thus
number one of all number ones.
Mr. Xia Lianju divided the Infinite
Life Sutra into forty-eight chapters. Which chapter is number
one? The chapter with the forty-eight vows. The forty-eight vows
were spoken by Amitabha Buddha himself and is the most important
part of the entire sutra.
Of the forty-eight vows, which vow is number one?
The eminent monks said that the eighteenth vow is number one. Why
did they say so? The eighteenth vow says that through mindful
chanting of Amituofo ten times at the end of one’s life one can
attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This illustrates the
inconceivability of the merit of the name of Amitabha Buddha. This
is why the name of Amitabha Buddha is “the virtues and merits of
all dharmas.”
When the name of
Amitabha Buddha is elaborated on, we have the forty-eight vows.
When the forty-eight vows are elaborated on, we have the Infinite Life Sutra. When the Infinite Life
Sutra is elaborated on, we have the Avatamsaka
Sutra. When the Avatamsaka Sutra is
elaborated on, we have all the sutras from Sakyamuni Buddha’s
forty-nine years of teaching.
Therefore, the name
Amitabha Buddha is the key guiding principle. When we master this
guiding principle, we will thoroughly understand the entire Dharma,
all the sutras, and all the Dharma doors.
“Steadfastly dwelt in” means focusing one’s mind on
Amituofo. For a true practitioner who wants to have a fast, assured
success in his practice in this lifetime, the Buddha-name is all he
needs. One chants and reads the sutras to understand the
truth. Once confidence is established upon one’s understanding of the
principles and the truth, one will naturally let go of everything else.
Not only Sakyamuni
Buddha, but all Buddhas use this method as the foremost method to
teach all beings. The Pure Land method is hard to believe
but easy to practice.
Only when one has great good fortune and great wisdom will one be
able to believe this method. In the Theravada tradition
for example, Sariputra[2] is
foremost in wisdom. In the Mahayana tradition, Manjusri is foremost
in wisdom. Therefore, if one is not superior in wisdom, one cannot believe
this method.
Let’s think about
this. Not only can our wisdom not compare
with that of Manjusri Bodhisattva, it cannot even compare with that of
Elder Sariputra of the
Theravada tradition. But when we hear the
Pure Land method, we are immediately delighted, believe and accept
it, and are willing to learn and practice it. From this viewpoint,
we are not inferior to Manjusri Bodhisattva. He chose this method,
so have we. His choice was a wise one, so is
ours.
“Steadfastly dwelt”
means our minds will no longer waver once we
understand the principles and the phenomena of the truth, after
which our minds will truly settle in “Namo Amituofo.”
This [Namo Amituofo] is “the virtues and merits of all dharmas