顯無邊佛土功德經

Thus indeed have I heard: At one time, the Bhagavān[1] was dwelling in the Forest of Tranquil Dharma, in the land of Magadha[2]. At that time He was seated upon the lion throne, upon a red lotus dais of wondrous, firm, and indestructible bodhi-vajra, adorned with precious gems. There were also great Bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine particles of dust within ten unspeakable koṭi-nayuta hundreds of thousands of Buddha-fields, together with immeasurable devas, humans, asuras[3], and others, surrounding Him on every side.

At that time, within the assembly, the great Bodhisattva Inconceivable Light King, relying upon the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, rose from his seat, bowed his head to the feet of the Buddha, joined his palms together, and respectfully said:

"World-Honored One! Among the lands of the Buddhas, do their durations and their adornments differ in superiority and inferiority?"

The Buddha said:

"Good son! One kalpa in the Sahā world[4] of the Buddha Śākyamuni is but a single day and a single night in the World of Ultimate Bliss of the Buddha Immeasurable Light. One kalpa in the World of Ultimate Bliss is but a single day and a single night in the World of the Kāṣāya Banner of the Buddha Vajra-Firm Joy.

One kalpa in the World of the Kāṣāya Banner is but a single day and a single night in the World of the Non-Retrogressing Wheel-Sound of the Buddha Supremely Wondrous Perfect Red-Lotus-Unfolding Body. One kalpa in the World of the Non-Retrogressing Wheel-Sound is but a single day and a single night in the World Free of Dust of the Buddha Dharma Banner. One kalpa in the World Free of Dust is but a single day and a single night in the World of the Bright Lamp of the Buddha Lion.

One kalpa in the World of the Bright Lamp is but a single day and a single night in the World of Wondrous Light of the Buddha Universal Illumination. One kalpa in the World of Wondrous Light is but a single day and a single night in the World Hard to Surpass of the Buddha Whose Body Radiates the Light of the Dharma. One kalpa in the World Hard to Surpass is but a single day and a single night in the World of Adornment of the Buddha King of the Light of Wisdom of All Spiritual Powers.

One kalpa in the World of Adornment is but a single day and a single night in the World of the Mirror-Wheel of the Buddha Moon-Awakening.

Good son! In this way, increasing gradually one after another, on up to the very last world among the number of worlds as numerous as the fine particles of dust within ten unspeakable koṭi-nayuta hundreds of thousands of Buddha-fields. One kalpa of the Buddha-field in this very last world is but a single day and a single night in the World of Lotus Virtue of the Buddha Worthy Virtue. In that world, the assemblies of Bodhisattvas cultivate the supremely excellent vows and practices of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

Good son! Just as the days and nights of these worlds increase gradually, so too do the bodily marks and lifespans of the Buddhas and the adornment of the worlds of the Bodhisattvas all increase in this same manner. Because the merit and virtue of sentient beings[5] increases gradually, if there be any man or woman who, hearing this Dharma-gate that Reveals the Merit and Virtue of Boundless Buddha-Lands, rejoices and reverently believes in it, upholds, recites, and reads it, contemplates its meaning and principle correctly, and expounds it for others to hear, then when their life is about to come to an end, the immeasurable Buddhas throughout the ten directions will all appear before that person, consoling and praising them, helping that person to increase immeasurable roots of goodness,

so that in accordance with their vows they may be reborn into the pure lands of the Buddhas, on up to the attainment of Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment.

In whatever world they are born, they will ever remember their past lives[6], cultivate the practices of the Bodhisattva, and swiftly bring them to fulfillment."

When the assembly had heard the Bhagavān speak this sūtra, the great Bodhisattva Inconceivable Light King, the devas, humans, asuras, and all others, and the entire assembly, all joyfully believed and accepted it, and reverently upheld and practiced it.

Notes:

[1] Bhagavān 薄伽梵: one of the ten epithets of the Buddha, rendered in meaning as the One Possessed of Virtue, the One Able to Destroy, the World-Honored One, the Honored and Noble One.

[2] The land of Magadha 摩揭陀國: an ancient kingdom of India, that is, the region of present-day Bihar. It was one of the sixteen great kingdoms during the time when the Buddha was still in the world. This land had a very profound connection with the development of Buddhism.

[3] Asura 阿素洛: commonly called asura, a kind of war-loving spirit-demon of India regarded as an evil deity and who frequently contends with Śakra, the Lord of Devas.

[4] The Sahā world 索訶世界: that is, the Sahā world.

[5] Sentient beings 有情: beings that possess sentient consciousness and have life.

[6] Past lives 宿命: the destiny of past existences; "past lives" is a term referring collectively to the differing karmic retributions—such as good and evil, suffering and joy, and so forth—that a person must undergo within a single lifetime and throughout immeasurable lifetimes in the past.