The Amitābha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha (Taisho no. 366)
Translated by the Yao Qin Dynasty’s Tripitaka Master Kumārajīva
from the state of Kucha.
English Translation by Bhikshu Dharmamitra
Thus I have heard. At one time, the Buddha dwelt in the state of
Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of the Benefactor of
Orphans and the Solitary, together with the Sangha of great
bhikshus numbering twelve hundred fifty in all. They were all great
arhats, known and recognized by the multitude. Among them were the
elders Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Mahākātyāyana,
Mahākausthila, Revata, Śuddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula,
Gavāmpati, Pindola-bhāradvāja, Kālodāyin, Mahākapphina, Bakkula,
Aniruddha, and other great disciples such as these.
They were joined by the Bodhisattvas, Mahāsattvas, including the
Dharma prince, Mañjuśrī, Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhahastin
Bodhisattva, Nityodyukta Bodhisattva, and other great bodhisattvas
such as these. They were accompanied as well by Śakra Devānām Indra
and others, a great multitude of countless gods.
At that time, the Buddha told the elder Śāriputra, “Proceeding
from here towards the West, beyond ten myriads of kotīs of
buddhalands, there is a world known as Ultimate Bliss. In that
land, there is a buddha named Amitābha who is right now teaching
the Dharma. Śāriputra, why is that land known as Ultimate Bliss? It
is because the beings in that country are free of the many
sufferings and experience only every bliss that it is known as
Ultimate Bliss. Moreover, Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is
surrounded all around by seven tiers of balustrades, seven arrays
of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four kinds
of jewels. Because of this, that land is known as Ultimate
Bliss.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has pools made
from the seven jewels filled with the waters possessed of eight
qualities. The bottoms of the pools are lined entirely with sands
of gold. The steps and pathways along the four sides are composed
of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal.
“Above are storied pavilions which themselves are adorned with
gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls,
and carnelian. The lotus blossoms in these pools are as large as
carriage wheels, are blue colored, emitting blue light, yellow
colored, emitting yellow light, red colored, emitting red light,
white colored, emitting white light, and are delicately marvelous,
fragrant, and pristine. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is
perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious
qualities.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha’s land constantly creates
celestial music. Its ground is made of yellow gold. In the six
periods of the day and night, the heavens rain down māndārava
blossoms. The beings in that country always set out in the early
morning with robes full of the many wonderful blossoms, making
offerings then to the tens of myriads of koṭīs of buddhas of the
other regions. Then, at mealtime, they straightaway return to their
own country and, having eaten, they proceed to walk about.
Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its
adornment with such meritorious qualities.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, that land always has all kinds of rare and
wonderful varicolored birds: white cranes, peacocks, parrots,
śāris, kalaviṅkas, and birds with conjoined bodies. Throughout the
six periods of the day and night, all of these many sorts of birds
sing with exquisite harmonizing voices. Their singing extols the
five roots, the five powers, the seven limbs of enlightenment, the
eight-fold path of the Āryas, and other dharmas such as these. When
the beings of that land hear this singing, they all become mindful
of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the
Sangha.
“Śāriputra, you must not think that these birds are really such
as are born on account of karmic offenses. Why not? That buddha’s
land is free of the three wretched destinies. Śāriputra, that
buddha’s land does not even have the names of the three wretched
destinies. How much the less could they actually exist there. All
of these different sorts of birds are transformationally created by
Amitābha Buddha out of his wish to cause the sounds of Dharma to be
proclaimed and spread about.
“Śāriputra, a gentle breeze blows in that Buddha’s land
producing movement in the rows of jeweled trees and in the curtains
of jeweled netting, thus causing them to emanate subtle and
wonderful sounds comparable to a hundred thousand different kinds
of music, all played simultaneously. All who hear these sounds
naturally develop thoughts imbued with mindfulness of the Buddha,
mindfulness of the Dharma, and mindfulness of the Sangha.
Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its
adornment with such meritorious qualities.
“Śāriputra, what do you think? Why is that Buddha called
‘Amitābha’? Śāriputra, the light of that buddha is immeasurable and
unimpededly illuminates the lands of the ten directions. It is for
this reason that he is called ‘Amitābha.’
“Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha’s lifespan as well as that of his
people extends for an immeasurable and boundless number of kalpas.
It is for this reason, too, that he is called ‘Amitābha.’
“Śāriputra, it has already been ten kalpas since Amitābha Buddha
realized buddhahood. Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha has an
immeasurable and boundless number of Hearer disciples, all of whom
are arhats. Their number is incalculable. So, too, it is in the
case of the Bodhisattvas. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is
perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious
qualities.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, the beings born in the Land of Ultimate
Bliss are all avaivartika. Among them, there are many who abide in
the station of the last life prior to buddhahood. Their number is
extremely many. It is such as is incalculable. It could only be
described by speaking of it for immeasurable and boundless
asamkhyeyas of kalpas.
“Śāriputra, beings who hear this should make a vow, vowing to be
born in that land. Why? They will thereby succeed in joining
together in a single place with such supremely good people.
Śāriputra, one cannot succeed in being born in that country through
the causes and conditions formed by only minor roots of goodness
and merit.
“Śāriputra, if there is a son or daughter of good family who
hears the name of ‘Amitābha’ spoken and who then upholds his name,
whether for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days,
six days, or seven days, doing so in a single-minded and
undistracted manner—when such a person draws near to the end of
life, Amitābha and the assembly of the Āryas will manifest before
him. When this person reaches the end, his mind will not become
affected by inverted views and he will straightaway succeed in
being reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s Land of Ultimate Bliss.
“Śāriputra, it is because I have seen the benefit in this that I
speak these words: If there be a being who hears this teaching, he
should make the vow to be reborn in that country.
“Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable and ineffable
meritorious qualities of Amitābha Buddha, so too in the East do
Akṣobhya Buddha, Sumeru Signs Buddha, Great Sumeru Buddha, Sumeru
Light Buddha, Sublime Sound Buddha, and other buddhas such as these
as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays
the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the
worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the
trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in
this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious
qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and
mindful.’
“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the South, there are Sun and Moon
Lamp Buddha, Famous Light Buddha, Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,
Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Immeasurable Vigor Buddha, and other buddhas
such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own
country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it
to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then
states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have
faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable
meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are
protective and mindful.’
“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the West, there are Immeasurable
Life Buddha, Immeasurable Signs Buddha, Immeasurable Banner Buddha,
Great Light Buddha, Great Brilliance Buddha, Precious Signs Buddha,
Pure Light Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as
the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the
broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire
great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine
words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising
inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of
which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’
“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the North, there are Blazing
Shoulders Buddha, Most Victorious Voice Buddha, Hard to Hinder
Buddha, Sun Born Buddha, Net-like Brilliance Buddha, and other
buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his
own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes
it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then
states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have
faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable
meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are
protective and mindful.’
“Śāriputra, in the worlds below, there are Lion Buddha, Famous
Buddha, Renowned Light Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma Banner Buddha,
Upholder of Dharma Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as
numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the
mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of
the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and
genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising
inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of
which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’
“Śāriputra, in the worlds above, there are Brahmin Voice Buddha,
Constellation King Buddha, Fragrance Supremacy Buddha, Fragrant
Light Buddha, Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha, Body Adorned with
Varicolored Precious Flowers Buddha, Śāla Tree King Buddha,
Precious Floral Virtue Buddha, Seer of All Meanings Buddha, and
other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each
in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue,
causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm,
and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings
should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and
ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas
are protective and mindful.’
“Śāriputra, what do you think? Why is this sutra said to be one
of which all buddhas are protective and mindful? Śāriputra, If
there be sons and daughters of good family who hear this sutra,
uphold it, and hear the names of these buddhas, these sons and
daughters of good family in every case become those of whom all
buddhas are equally protective and mindful. And every case, they
gain irreversibility with respect to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore, Śāriputra, you should all have faith in and accept my
words as well as those spoken by all buddhas.
“Śāriputra, if there be a person who has already made the vow,
now makes the vow, or shall make the vow declaring the desire to be
born in Amitābha’s land, in every case these persons gain in that
land irreversibility with respect to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. This
is so whether they have already been reborn there, are now being
reborn there, or shall later be reborn there. Therefore, Śāriputra,
wherever there may be sons or daughters of good family who are
possessed of faith, they should make the vow to be born in that
country.
“Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable meritorious
qualities of all buddhas, so too do those buddhas and others also
praise my inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities,
proclaiming these words: ‘Shakyamuni Buddha is able to carry out an
extremely difficult and rare endeavor. In the Sahā Land, in an evil
age beset with the five turbidities, the turbidity of the kalpa,
the turbidity of views, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity
of beings, and the turbidity of the lifespan—he is able even then
to realize anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and proclaim for the sake of
beings this dharma which, in all the worlds, is so difficult to
believe.
“Śāriputra, you should realize that my carrying out of this
difficult endeavor in the midst of an evil age beset with the five
turbidities—realizing anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and proclaiming for
the sake of beings this dharma so difficult to believe—this is
extremely difficult.
After the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, Śāriputra and
all the Bhikshus, together with the gods, people, asuras, and
others from all the worlds—having heard what the Buddha had taught,
were delighted, accepted it with faith, bowed in reverence, and
withdrew.
End of the Amitabha Sutra
