Can
The Extremely Evil Reach Pure Land?
Question: The Infinite Life
(Sukhavativyuha) Sutra says that 'excluded [from possibility of birth in Pure Land]
are those who created the five heinous misgivings, who
slandered against the right Dharma' in the 18th Vow of Amituofo [as
below], while the Contemplation (Amitayurdhyana) Sutra says
'those who attain birth [in Pure Land]
as the lowest level of the lowest grade' can also be 'beings who
created karma that is immoral [not good], [via] the five heinous
misgivings'. How do we reconcile what seems to be a
contradiction? Here are the sutra excerpts:
If, when I [Dharmakara
Bodhisattva] attain Buddhahood [as Amituofo], beings of the ten
directions with complete [wholehearted/single-minded] sincerity,
firm faith and joyful devotion who desire to be born in my land,
and are mindful [of my name 'Amituofo'] for even ten [thought]
moments should not be born there, may I not attain perfect
awakening. Excluded are those who created the five heinous
misgivings, who slandered against the right Dharma.
- Infinite Life Sutra
The Buddha said to
Ananda and [Queen] Vaidehi, 'Of those who attain birth [in
Amituofo's Pure Land] as the lowest level of the lowest grade, or
beings who created karma that is immoral [not good], [via] the five
heinous misgivings and the ten evil acts [ten unwholesome deeds: of
(1) killing (2) stealing (3) sexual misconduct (4) divisive speech
(5) harsh speech (6) false speech (7) idle speech (8) greed (9)
anger (10) wrong views], having all kinds of immorality, such fools
should, due to evil karma, fall to the evil realms, and experience
many kalpas [1 kalpa is about 1343, 840, 000 years] of boundless
suffering.
If such a fool, when nearing the end of life [dying], meets a
good-knowing adviser [spiritual friend], who encourages
[consoles/comforts] one in various ways, telling one the wonderful
Dharma, teaching and urging one to be mindful of [Amita(bha)]
Buddha [Amituofo], [and] if such a person is pressed by suffering,
with not enough time to be mindful of Buddha, the good friend tells
one these words, "If you cannot be mindful of that Buddha, you
should chant [call the name of; be mindful of] 'Amitayus
[Immeasurable Life] Buddha [Wu Liang Shou Fo; Amituofo]'. With such
sincerity of mind [and heart], let this voice be unceasing
[continuous], completing ten moments of mindfulness, chanting
'Refuge in [Homage to] Amita Buddha [Namo Amituofo]'.
Due to chanting of the Buddha's name, within moment to moment
mindfulness, the misgivings of life and death of eighty kotis [1
koti is about 100 million] of kalpas are extinguished [diluted by
the merits created by oneself and as shared by Amituofo through
connection with him]. Within the lotus flower, after 12 full great
kalpas, when the lotus flower blossoms, Avalokiteshvara and
Mahasthamaprapta [Bodhisattvas], with their voices of great
compassion, extensively teach that person the suchness of all
dharmas, which extinguishes one's [remaining] misgivings [upon
realising them]. Having heard [learnt] these [teachings], one
rejoices, and immediately aspires to the mind [and heart] of
Bodhicitta [to guide one and all to awaken; to attain Buddhahood].
This is called one who is born of the lowest level of the lowest
grade, [and] is called the contemplation of the lowest grade [with
the highest and middle levels of the lowest grade together], called
the sixteenth contemplation."
- Sutra
of Contemplation of Amitayus Buddha
Answer: Let
us first look at the five heinous misgivings:
(1) Patricide
(2) Matricide
(3) Killing an Arhat
(4) Wounding a Buddha (e.g. causing a Buddha to bleed
(5) Creating a schism in the Sangha
To kill ones parents [do (1) and (2)] is considered heinous and
bound for rebirth in the deepest (Avici) hell because this betrays
ones original fields (sources) of gratitude while to do (3) to (5)
is to destroy ones fields of merit(-making). In the Sutra of the
Most Victorious King of Bright Golden Light: http://cbeta.org/result/normal/T16/0665_003.htm),
(1) and (2) are grouped together as one misgiving, while slander
against the right Dharma is listed as one of the five misgivings
created from body, speech and mind.
There are some ways to avert such a rebirth by extinguishing such
negative karma. One of them is to recite the dharani in The Sutra
Spoken By the Buddha on the Great Dharani that Extinguishes the
Five Heinous Misgivings: http://cbeta.org/result/normal/T21/1399_001.htm)
with utmost sincerity (which would include deep repentance) till
the end of this life. To frequently receive and recite it creates
merits equivalent to that from mindfulness of a
thousand Buddhas. Interestingly, the Amita[bha]
Sutra says those who uphold it will be mindfully protected by
all Buddhas:
Shariputra, if there are good men and
good women, who hear [learn] this sutra accept and uphold it, and
who also hear the names of all [those] Buddhas, all these good men
and good women will be mindfully protected by all Buddhas, and will
all attain the Stage of Non-retrogression for [realising] Anuttara
Samyak Sambodhi [Supreme (Unsurpassable) Perfect (Correct)
Awakening (Enlightenment); Buddhahood].
- Amita[bha]
Sutra
The key method of upholding
the sutra is via practice of mindfulness of Amituofo s name. It is
worth noting that The Sutra Spoken By the Buddha on the Great
Dharani that Extinguishes the Five Heinous Misgivings does not
mention guarantee of upholding the mantra leading to birth in Pure
Land (though this is possible if there are the Three Provisions
too, of Faith, Aspiration and Practice), in contrast to the Rebirth
Mantra / Dharani, which is also known as the Spiritual Mantra that
Can Uproot All Karmic Obstacles for Attaining Birth in Pure Land
which is based on the Three Provisions.
As we can see:
Moreover, Shariputra, Amita[bha]
Buddha [Amituofo] has a fundamental esoteric dharani and spiritual
mantra, which is named the Spiritual Mantra that Can Uproot All
Karmic Obstacles for Attaining Birth in Pure Land [Rebirth Mantra]. Now is the mantra thus
said:
Na Mo
A Mi Duo Po Ye. Duo Tuo Qie Duo Ye. Duo Di Ye Tuo. A Mi Li Du Po
Pi. A Mi Li Duo. Xi Dan Po Pi. A Mi Li Duo. Pi Jia Lan Di. A
Mi Li Duo. Pi Jia Lan Duo. Qie Mi Ni. Qie Qie Nuo. Zhi Duo Jia Li.
Suo Po He.
The
Buddha said, If there are good men and good women, who can recite
this mantra, Amita Buddha will often be above one s head,
protecting one day and night, not letting enemies take advantage,
ensuring peace and safety in this life; when nearing the end of
life, allowing departure for rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss
[Amituofo s Pure Land].
- The Sutra Spoken By the Buddha on the
Fundamental Esoteric Spiritual Mantra of Amita Buddha
Fixed karma refers to karma that is so gravely negative (such as
the above) that it seems to be unresolvable other than by bearing
fruit (e.g. the five heinous misgivings). This concept of karma
that seems fatalistic urges us to be mindful not to do great evil.
However, as all phenomena is empty (being impermanent and subject
to change), karma is still dynamic even the worst. It is just that
so-called fixed karma is difficult to dilute unless there is great
self-effort (Self-power) in tandem with the assistance of
Other-power (e.g. of a Buddha or Bodhisattva). The Mantra of
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva that Eradicates Fixed Karma from The Sutra
of Dharani Collection is said to be able to transform fixed karma.
The mantra is Om Bo La Mo Lin Tuo Ning Suo Po He. However, the
Rebirth Mantra and just the name of Amituofo can do so as well, as
both connect to the boundless merits and compassion of
Amituofo.
Back to the question of whether there is a contraction in the first
two Pure Land sutra excerpts above, the answer is that there is
none. The 18th Vow of Amituofo in the Infinite life Sutra states
that Excluded [from birth in Pure Land] are those who created the
five heinous misgivings, who slandered against the right Dharma. If
one who has done so is able to repent of these misgivings and
practise in time with the Three Provisions before death, one is
still able to make it to Pure Land, thereby validating the Sutra of
Contemplation of Amitayus Buddha, where it is stated that 'those
who attain birth [Pure Land] as the lowest level of the lowest
grade' can also be 'beings who created karma that is immoral [not
good], [via] the five heinous misgivings'.
This is also to say if one does the above evil but is unrepentant,
or even slanders the right Dharma, especially in the context of the
Pure Land teachings, one would be unable to be born in Pure Land.
Though the Contemplation Sutra does not speak of slanderers of the
right Dharma being unable to reach Pure Land, when one does the
five heinous misgivings, one already slanders the Dharma in
principle and action. One who slanders the right Dharma is also one
who lacks Faith, and Aspiration to practise to be born in Pure
Land.
The 18th Vow thus cautions us against doing great evil in everyday
life, while the Sutra of Contemplation of Amitayus Buddha expresses
the power of the compassion of Amituofo in being willing to receive
ex-great evil-doers even on the brink of death. This urges
repentance while offering much solace and hope. When one has Faith
in the Pure Land teachings, one would not slander them, and will
practise accordingly instead. Without appropriate repentance,
Faith, Aspiration, and Practice, one cannot reach Pure Land. Can
the extremely evil reach Pure Land? Yes and no, as dependent on the
conditions above. In a sense, the extremely evil can never reach
Pure Land, while one who has seriously repented of one's past evils
is no longer extremely evil.
If one had done great evil, does it contradict the law of karma
that one can still be born in Pure Land? No, because birth in Pure
Land is still based on the workings of the law of karma. Based on
the principle of the dedication of immeasurable merits (pure
karma), Amituofo is able to overwhelm (dilute) one s negative
karma. We should note that Amituofo s boundless merits are always
inconceivably greater than one s limited evil. This is called the
principle of carrying one s [negative] karmic load for rebirth [in
Pure Land]. When Pure Land is reached, the continual blessings of
Amituofo and its environment are such that the remaining negative
karma will have no conditions to ripen, while one continues to
purify oneself.
For an evil person desperate on the deathbed, it will usually be
very difficult to urge him or her to practise visualisation of
Amituofo or mindfulness of the Rebirth Mantra (or any longer
mantras, such as the Great Dharani that Extinguishes the Five
Heinous Misgivings). As such, the safest and most skilful means to
escape hell is via mindfulness of Amituofo s name. In The Sutra
Spoken By the Buddha on the Fundamental Esoteric Spiritual Mantra
of Amita Buddha, the Buddha also taught that the name of Amituofo
is itself already an unsurpassable mantra, with benefits that
encompass and transcend that of the Rebirth Mantra:
Moreover, Shariputra, Amita Buddha s
name is complete with immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable,
profound, esoteric, rare [and superb], refined [subtle], wonderful
[profound] unsurpassable merits. Why is this so? Within the three
words Buddha, there are all Buddhas of the ten directions and three
periods, all Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, Arhats, all sutras, dharanis,
spiritual mantras, immeasurable [Dharma] practice methods. This is
because that Buddha s name is equal to the unsurpassable Dharma of
the true and ultimate great vehicle [Mahayana]. It is the
unsurpassable, rare [and superb], pure and complete [whole]
profound practice. It is the unsurpassable, most victorious,
refined [subtle] and wonderful [profound] dharani.
Should one ideally practise both mindfulness of the Rebirth Mantra
and Mindfulness of Amituofo s name on the deathbed? If we look at
the 18th Vow of Amituofo again, we can rest be assured that
mindfulness of his name alone will be enough.
It is also worth noting that the focus of the Three Provisions of a
sincere once evil person desperate for a safe rebirth on the
deathbed can be much more powerful and focused than an average
person in everyday life. Even if such a person has yet to attain
perfect single-mindedness, one nevertheless has no doubt or second
thoughts about other avenues of rescue. This leads to the arising
of great Faith and Aspiration. While spending 12 great kalpas in a
lotus flower might seem very long, this versus suffering
innumerable kalpas beyond imagination in Avici Hell, after which
one rises very slowly to the lower realms above, this is truly a
great relief!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/300