佛說阿彌陀三耶三佛薩樓佛檀過度人道經

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita:

– If good men, good women, and the people of this world aspire to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, they fall into three classes. The meritorious deeds they perform may be great or small, and the results they attain differ accordingly. These three classes are as follows:

1- Those of the highest class leave behind their homes, wives, and children, completely sever sensual desire, live the life of a sramana, and accomplish the unconditioned Way. They constantly practice the bodhisattva path and uphold the Paramita scriptures. As sramanas, they are never deficient in observing the scriptures and precepts.

With loving-kindness, they practice diligently; they must not become angry or associate intimately with women. They observe pure fasting precepts and harbor no attachment in their minds. With utmost sincerity and earnestness, they aspire to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, continually keeping this aspiration in mind without interruption.

While seeking the Way, they naturally behold Amitabha Buddha and the bodhisattvas and arhats in their dreams. When they are about to die, Amitabha Buddha himself, together with the bodhisattvas and arhats, flies forth to welcome them. They are immediately born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, appearing by transformation within lotus flowers in a pond of the seven treasures.

They naturally receive tall and majestic bodies, become non-retrogressing bodhisattvas, and, together with the other bodhisattvas, fly in ordered ranks to make offerings to innumerable Buddhas throughout the ten directions. They immediately attain bold and penetrating wisdom, delight in hearing the scriptures and the Way, and rejoice in body and mind. They dwell in houses made of the seven treasures suspended in the sky, freely accomplish whatever they wish according to their intentions, and are able to draw near to Amitabha Buddha.

The Buddha taught:

– Those who wish to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land must diligently uphold the precepts and scriptures and practice the Dharma as described above. They will then be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land and be honored by everyone. This is the first class of people.

The Buddha taught:

– There are also people who wish to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land but are unable to leave their homes, part from their wives and children, completely sever sensual desire, and become sramanas. They should uphold the scriptures and precepts without deficiency, perform many acts of generosity, and accept with deep, earnest, and sincere faith the teachings of the Buddha’s scriptures. They should offer food to sramanas, build monasteries and stupas, present flowers, light lamps, and hang beautiful banners and streamers. Practicing in accordance with the Dharma in this way, they should no longer discriminate between those close to them and those distant from them. They must not become angry, but should observe pure fasting precepts, practice diligently with a loving mind, and put an end to thoughts of sensual desire. If, wishing to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, they maintain this aspiration uninterruptedly for an entire day and night, then even in this present life they will behold Amitabha Buddha in a dream. When they die, Amitabha Buddha will manifest a transformation body, enabling them to behold the Buddha and his land. Those who are born in Amitabha Buddha’s land will attain bold and penetrating wisdom.

The Buddha taught:

2- If people practice generosity in this way but later regret it, harbor doubts in their hearts, and do not believe that generosity and good deeds bring blessings in a future life; if they do not believe in Amitabha Buddha or believe that there is a Buddha-land into which they may be born, then, although they lack continuous mindfulness—believing at one moment and disbelieving at another, their resolve hesitant and unfocused—their wholesome aspiration nevertheless continues to serve as a root, and therefore they attain rebirth there.

When they fall ill and are about to die, Amitabha Buddha manifests an image so that they may behold him, though the image cannot speak. Their hearts become joyful and delighted, and they think, “I regret that I did not understand that by doing good and observing the fasting precepts, I could now be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.” In this way, they repent of their faults.

If those who repent feel even a little shame regarding minor matters, there is still time. After death, they are immediately born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, but they cannot approach Amitabha Buddha’s presence. Instead, they find themselves naturally within a city made of the seven treasures, situated at one side of Amitabha Buddha’s land.

Feeling exceedingly joyful, they remain in that city and are born by transformation within lotus flowers in a pond of the seven treasures. They naturally receive tall and majestic bodies and dwell in this city for approximately five hundred years. The city is two thousand li in circumference, and within it are also houses made of the seven treasures.

Both inside and outside the city are bathing ponds made of the seven treasures. In these bathing ponds, flowers naturally spread their fragrance all around. Along the ponds stand rows of trees made of the seven treasures, producing five kinds of musical sounds.

Whenever they wish to eat or drink, food naturally appears before them, complete with delicious flavors and sweetness, and they partake according to their preferences. Those dwelling in this city experience great bliss and naturally possess articles comparable to those in the Trayastrimsa Heaven. Nevertheless, they cannot leave the city and cannot see Amitabha Buddha, though they behold his radiance.

They reproach themselves, repent, and yet rejoice with delight. They cannot hear the scriptures, meet the Sangha of bhiksus, or see and know the appearance of the bodhisattvas and arhats in Amitabha Buddha’s land. They therefore experience sorrow and distress, though even this is like a lesser form of contentment.

The Buddha does not cause these conditions to be created for such people; rather, they arise naturally, and their own minds direct them onto the path leading into the city. In their previous lives, while seeking the Way, their minds and speech differed; their thoughts and words were insincere. They doubted the Buddha’s scriptures and did not place their faith in the Three Jewels, and thus they naturally entered an evil path.

Amitabha Buddha, taking pity on them, used his majestic spiritual power to guide them to liberation. Only after dwelling in the city for a full five hundred years are they able to leave it. They go to Amitabha Buddha’s presence to hear the scriptures, but their minds do not attain clear and penetrating realization.

They cannot remain among the bodhisattvas, arhats, and Sangha of bhiksus to hear the scriptures. They dwell only in houses upon level ground and cannot cause their dwellings to become lofty and spacious at will in the sky. They remain very far from Amitabha Buddha and cannot draw near to him.

They possess no lucid wisdom, understand little of the scriptures, feel no joy in their hearts, and find no openness in their minds. Only after an exceedingly long time do they attain enlightened wisdom and understanding of the scriptures. Their spirits then become bold, penetrating, and lucid, and their minds become peaceful and joyful.

Gradually, they become like those of the first class described above. Why is this? It is because in their previous lives, while seeking the Way, they did not observe the fasting precepts, violated and abandoned the Dharma of the scriptures, harbored doubts and disbelieved the Buddha’s words, did not deeply believe the Buddha’s scriptures, did not believe that generosity and good deeds would bring blessed rewards in future lives, and moreover regretted their good deeds.

They did not believe in rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s land and did not wholeheartedly cultivate merit. For these reasons, such circumstances arise. This is the second class of people.

The Buddha taught:

3- Those who wish to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land but do not practice generosity, light lamps, burn incense, scatter flowers, hang banners, streamers, or jeweled canopies, build monasteries or stupas, or offer food to sramanas must completely sever sensual desire and be free from attachment. They should diligently cultivate loving-kindness and compassion, must not become angry, and should observe pure fasting precepts. Practicing in accordance with the Dharma in this way, they should single-mindedly aspire to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land continuously for ten days and nights without interruption. When they die, they will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, attain bold and penetrating wisdom, and be honored by everyone.

The Buddha taught:

– A person who has practiced such things, but afterward regrets it, harbors doubts in mind, does not believe that doing good will bring blessed recompense in a future life, and does not believe in rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s land. Even so, when this person falls ill and is about to die, Amitabha Buddha enables them to behold His land in a dream, and they rejoice exceedingly. They think to themselves: “I regret that I did not know to perform many wholesome deeds. Today I shall be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land.” They can only think this but cannot speak it aloud, and inwardly repent of their faults. Through repentance, their offenses are somewhat diminished, and it is still not too late. When they die, they are reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land, but cannot reach the place where He dwells. They remain only within a city of the seven treasures, two thousand li away. Yet because their heart is still joyful, they stay in that city, being born by transformation within a lotus blossom in a pond of the seven treasures and naturally receiving a tall and majestic body. Conditions within this city are like those in the city previously described, and its furnishings arise naturally and are equal to those in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. This person remains in the city for a full five hundred years before being able to leave and go to Amitabha Buddha. Their heart is then filled with exceedingly great joy. Although they hear the sutras, their mind does not awaken to them, their thoughts are not joyful and serene, their wisdom is obscured, and they understand very little of the sutras. They may dwell only in houses upon level ground and cannot, as they wish, cause lofty and spacious dwellings to appear in empty space. Moreover, they remain very far from Amitabha Buddha and cannot draw near to Him. They harbor doubts just like persons of the second class.

Only after a very long time does this person’s wisdom unfold. They understand the sutras, become courageous and vigorous, and attain a joyful and serene mind, like persons of the first class. Why is this? It is because in a previous life, while seeking the Way, they harbored doubts, believing at times and disbelieving at others. They did not believe that doing good would bring merit and virtue; therefore, they naturally receive such a karmic reward. According to whether their merit is great or small, it naturally brings about the corresponding result. Yet compared with expounding the sutras and practicing the Way, it falls short by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or a hundred million times and cannot be compared.

The Buddha taught:

– Whoever wishes to seek and practice the bodhisattva path and to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land will later become a non-retrogressing bodhisattva. Such a non-retrogressing bodhisattva will possess the thirty-two excellent marks of a body the color of pure gold and the eighty beautiful characteristics, and will certainly become a Buddha. According to the aspirations of their heart, they may become a Buddha in a land of another direction. They will never fall among animals, into the hells, or among hungry ghosts. Whether they attain the Way sooner or later depends equally upon their diligence in seeking it. If they seek the Way without ceasing, they will attain it, and the aspirations and vows they cherish will never be lost.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita and the devas, kings, officials, and people:

– Those who wish to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land, although they may not be diligent in meditation or observe many precepts, must chiefly perform wholesome deeds:

1- They must not kill.

2- They must not steal.

3- They must not engage in sexual misconduct or have relations with another person’s wife.

4- They must not speak falsely.

5- They must not drink intoxicants.

6- They must not engage in divisive speech.

7- They must not speak harsh or malicious words.

8- They must not engage in frivolous speech.

9- They must not speak words of jealousy.

10- They must not be greedy. Their hearts must not harbor avarice, miserliness, or stinginess. They must not harbor anger. They must not be deluded. They must not indulge their desires without restraint. They must not harbor regret in their hearts. They must not doubt.

They should practice filial devotion and obedience. They should be loyal, trustworthy, sincere, and earnest. They should believe and accept the words of the Buddha’s sutras. They should believe deeply that doing good will bring blessings in a future life.

Practice and uphold these teachings in this way, for this Dharma is never lost. It accords with the aspirations of one’s own heart and enables one to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land. Most importantly, one must observe the fasting precepts, remain single-minded and pure, and constantly, day and night, maintain the thought of wishing to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land, without interruption for ten days and ten nights. I compassionately regard all living beings and therefore enable them to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

The Buddha taught:

– People of the world, because their affections are deep and they are virtuous and intelligent, practice goodness and cultivate the Way while living at home. Dwelling together with their wives and children amid bonds of affection and attachment, they encounter many anxieties and sorrows. Household affairs are manifold, leaving them no leisure to single-mindedly observe the fasting precepts in purity. Although they do not leave their families or separate themselves from sensual desire, when they have leisure they should rectify their minds, maintain right mindfulness, devote themselves to doing good, and practice diligently for ten days and nights, without indulging in thoughts or calculations of any kind. If they wish for this body to attain liberation, they must firmly resolve to end discursive thoughts and cast aside anxiety. They must not think of household affairs or share a bed with a woman. They should maintain proper bodily conduct and right mindfulness, completely sever sensual desire, single-mindedly observe the fasting precepts in purity, and sincerely contemplate rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s land, without interruption for one full day and night. When they die, they will be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land, born by transformation within a lotus blossom in a pond of the seven treasures. They will dwell in houses likewise made of the seven treasures and act freely according to their wishes, just like persons of the first class described above.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita:

– Countless devas, human beings, bhikshu Sangha, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas throughout the ten directions are reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land. All those in the great assembly dwell together in bathing ponds of the seven treasures and sit together upon a single great lotus blossom, personally cultivating virtue and practicing goodness. Each speaks of the time spent seeking the Way in their previous life: how they observed the precepts and practiced wholesome Dharma, or the circumstances of their birth; their delight in the sutras and the Way, their wisdom and understanding of the sutras, and the merit from practicing generosity. In due order, they recount everything. They tell whether their understanding of the sutras was clear or unclear; whether their wisdom was deep or shallow, great or small; and whether their virtue was high or low, abundant or slight. The Way naturally distinguishes all these clearly. Possessing ability, wisdom, courage, and vigor, they contemplate one another, observe courtesy and propriety, live in harmony, and together rejoice and become inspired, their wisdom growing courageous and vigorous.

The Buddha taught:

– Those who perform meritorious deeds without hesitation, joyfully do good, do not believe absurdities, and do not rely upon others or become indolent. Because they practice the Dharma in this way, when the assembly gathers to expound the sutras and the Way, they are naturally urged to respond, yet answer slowly. Their wisdom of the Way is eminent, surpassing, and extraordinary; their abilities are lofty, great, and powerful, yet they waver between the two shores. Only when confronted with a matter do they regret; but by then, regret comes too late. What use can later remorse in the heart possibly be? Lingering attachment is likewise of no avail.

The Buddha taught:

– The bodhisattvas, arhats, and others in Amitabha Buddha’s land naturally assemble in exceedingly great numbers. Within the great assembly, they calm their minds in right mindfulness, set their hearts upon right conduct, and exercise spiritual powers with complete freedom. One after another, they fly forth and return, making offerings without end. Their hearts are joyful and delighted as they study the sutras and practice the Way together. They dwell in lasting harmony, their wisdom complete, and their lofty aspirations equal to empty space. They diligently seek and vow to attain the Way; their minds never retreat, their resolve never wavers, and they are never indolent. Although their outward pursuit of the Way may appear unhurried, inwardly it is urgent. Vast as empty space, it remains perfectly concordant within; inward and outward correspond. They are naturally dignified, solemn, upright, and pure in body and mind. They are without sensual desire, attachment, or defiling blemishes. The aspirations of all the bodhisattvas and arhats are wholly settled, supremely excellent and beautiful, neither increasing nor lacking nor diminishing. Their pursuit of the Way accords with what is right and does not incline toward what is wrong. They rely upon the Dharma of the Way and dare not deviate from the purport of the sutras. Wherever they may be throughout the ten directions, there are no boundaries. These beings freely go wherever they wish, reaching places without limit, and serenely practice the Way. Magnanimous, broad, and boundless, they think only of the Way and of nothing else. Free from anxiety, they are naturally unconditioned, as though standing in the midst of empty space. Serene and free of desire, they fulfill wholesome vows, wholeheartedly seek the Way, and nurture minds of loving-kindness and compassion. Inwardly and outwardly diligent, they accord with propriety and righteousness; empty, penetrating, and unobstructed, they are harmonious and all-embracing within and without. Only by teaching and liberating sentient beings can they advance directly toward nirvana. Their growth joins with virtue to become light; they naturally uphold one another, increasing ever more in peace and joy. Their truth becomes ever fuller—clearly manifest, pure, and stainless. Their aspiration is unsurpassed; they are settled and pure, with tranquil joy that is inexhaustible, excellent beyond compare, lofty and radiant, shining forth, revealing and penetrating all things. The natural characteristics within nature nevertheless have their source. They naturally form five lights; the five lights become nine colors, and the nine colors intermingle and revolve hundreds of thousands of times. Naturally single or paired, they naturally become the seven treasures, extending vertically and horizontally to form all the myriad things. Transparent radiance intermingles with light, emitting wondrous colors of limitless beauty.

Since that Buddha-land is excellent to such a degree, why do sentient beings not strive to do good? Naturally contemplate the Way, placing the mind where there is neither above nor below, empty, penetrating, and boundless, and setting one’s aspiration in empty space. Why not practice diligently and strive to seek for oneself the supreme and transcendent realm, be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, sever the five evil destinies, cause the evil realms to disappear, and advance toward the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment, which is easy for all people to attain?

That Buddha-land does not go against the current but accords with what is naturally so. Why not cast aside worldly affairs and strive to seek the Way and virtue, thereby obtaining a long life and an immeasurably long lifespan? Why cling to worldly affairs and become entangled in ever-changing anxieties?

People of the world are fickle and mundane, competing with one another over countless worthless matters. They live together amid extreme hardship and intense evil, their lives wearied by the struggle to make a living. Whether honored or lowly, rich or poor, old or young, male or female, all must worry about wealth.

Whether they possess it or not, their anxiety is the same. Their sorrow and suffering continually increase; thoughts pile one upon another, and they are driven by their minds, seldom finding peace. Those with fields worry about their fields; those with houses worry about their houses; those with oxen worry about their oxen; those with horses worry about their horses; those with livestock worry about their livestock; those with servants worry about their servants.

Those with clothing, money, gold, silver, precious objects, and other possessions must likewise worry about that wealth. Their thoughts continue without cease; they grieve and fear, and adversities are truly endless: thieves, floods, fires, grievances, and debts. They may be swept away by water, burned by fire, bound and imprisoned, or suddenly drowned.

Anxious, distressed, and hurried, they never find release. Anger gathers into a stifling pressure within the chest; grief, suffering, and affliction become illnesses of the chest, abdomen, and elsewhere, never ceasing. Their minds cling tightly and refuse to let go; some are imprisoned for life, even unto death.

When life is gone, what can they take with them? Whether they held rank, wealth, honor, and luxury, or whether they were poor or rich, nothing remains but such dread, anguish, and toil. They dwell together amid the combined sufferings of heat, cold, and the like.

The poor possess little property and are afflicted by poverty, hardship, and deprivation. Having no fields, they worry and desire fields; having no house, they worry and desire a house; having no horse, they worry and desire a horse; having no ox, they worry and desire an ox; having no livestock, they worry and desire livestock; having no servants, they worry and desire servants. Having no clothing, food, money, or other necessities, they worry and desire all such things.

As soon as they acquire one thing, they find that another is lacking. When they have little of something, they think they must possess as much of it as of something else. As soon as the small need is met, they desire complete abundance.

Thus they suffer throughout their lives in seeking and striving, worrying to no avail, and never attaining satisfaction. Both body and mind are wearied; whether sitting or standing, they are uneasy. Anxiety accompanies their many hardships and torments, burning their hearts.

They do not depart from anger, but retain only wrath, while all forms of heat and cold gather together and dwell with their suffering.

At times, even when they obtain life in a heavenly realm, they still refuse to practice the Way and do good. When death comes, each must enter the distant path alone. Whether the destination lies along a good or evil path, how can one know?

At times, people of the world—fathers and children, elder and younger brothers, husbands and wives, and relatives within and beyond the household—living between heaven and earth, should love and respect one another and should not hate or resent one another. Whether they possess much or little, they should assist one another and should not harbor avarice or miserliness. Their words and expressions should always be harmonious, and they should not oppose one another.

If their minds give rise to anger and they quarrel with one another, then in this life their hatred becomes bound up with jealousy, and in the next life they become bitter enemies. Why is this? It is because, in the affairs of the present life, they desire to harm one another.

Although the time has not yet come for them to inflict harm upon one another, the anguish within their spirits congeals into resentment, naturally becoming deeply engraved in their consciousness. It never departs, and they will repay and retaliate against one another life after life.

Human beings who live amid sensual desire in this world come into life alone, depart alone, and die alone; even while living, each is alone. Each person proceeds personally to a realm of suffering or happiness, and no one can take another’s place. Good and evil transform elsewhere into calamities; accumulated faults remain, awaiting them as provisions for the journey. Then each will travel alone to distant realms. Who can see where they will abide? Good and evil naturally follow them throughout the course of life. The way ahead is profound, obscure, and dark; separation lasts forever. Since they do not travel the same path, no time can be appointed for reunion, and it is exceedingly difficult for them ever to meet again.

Why do they not relinquish household affairs while they are still healthy and young, striving to do good and diligently seeking to transcend worldly life so as to attain boundless longevity? Unwilling to resolve upon seeking the Way, what further joy do they hope to await? Such people do not believe that doing good brings blessings, do not believe that practicing the Way leads to attainment of the Way, do not believe that after death there is rebirth, and do not believe that giving to others brings merit and virtue.

They believe in absolutely nothing! Because they have no faith, they have nothing at all. Thus, whatever they encounter, they hear from one another, successively passing it down and gradually transmitting it.

Apart from the injunctions handed down from their fathers to their forebears and ancestors, they do no good whatsoever. Because they have never practiced the Way, their bodies are dull and their spirits obscured; their minds are closed and obstructed. They cannot perceive the Great Way, cannot see where the living or the dead are bound, do not know or discern the paths of good and evil, and can say nothing about them.

The good and evil they have done, their blessings and virtues, calamities and transgressions, misfortunes and good fortune, blame and punishment—all naturally produce their own effects; there is nothing strange about this.

Thus the course of birth and death continues without cease: a father may weep for his child, a child for his father, a younger brother for his elder brother, an elder brother for his younger brother, a wife for her husband, or a husband for his wife. Root and branch, those below and those above—all are subject to impermanence and inversion; all must pass away and cannot endure. Though teachings open the way and provide guidance, very few believe in the Way, and therefore they must undergo death and birth without respite.

Such people are sinful and deluded. They disbelieve the words of the sutras and seek only pleasure. Their minds neither reflect nor reckon; foolishly immersed in craving and desire, they know nothing of the Way and virtue.

Deluded by anger and attached to wealth and sensual beauty, they incur offenses and fail to attain the Way. They must live in toil and hardship, be born into evil destinies, and suffer weariness without ever gaining even a moment’s respite. Their pain is truly pitiable!

When family members such as fathers and children, brothers, husbands, and wives come to the parting of life and death, they are plunged into grief and tears. Anxious thoughts and bitter resentment become entwined with lingering affection; their minds remain bound in anguish and sorrow throughout day and night, fettered and obstructed, never for a moment finding ease or liberation. Even when instructed in the Way and virtue, their minds do not awaken. Instead, they continue to dwell upon affection and attachment, which conceal them in darkness and pile obstruction upon obstruction, blocking the way until they are incapable of clear reflection.

Even if they rectify their own minds, resolve to relinquish worldly affairs, and single-mindedly practice the Way, continuing thus until the end of their lives, they still cannot attain the Way or gain anything. All such evils and entanglements arise from attachment to craving and desire. Living in this manner, very many fail to understand the Way, while very few attain it. Life passes in a fleeting instant and is fragile; one must not be indolent or complacent.

Those of high and low rank, noble and humble, wealthy and honored or poor and destitute, men and women, old and young, all rush about their own affairs and must endure toil and hardship. Harboring resentment, enmity, killing, and harm, they are shrouded in dark and evil influences. None are free from grief because their deeds arise from deluded thinking, defy Heaven and Earth, and accord neither with benevolence nor with the human heart.

Having previously followed evil, devoid of the Way and virtue, they act without restraint. Before their allotted lifespan is exhausted, they abruptly lose their bodies and immediately fall into evil destinies. They suffer through many lifetimes, with sorrow and pain continuing for thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of years, without any appointed end.

How could their anguish ever be fully described? They are truly pitiable!

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Ajita and to the devas, kings, officials, and people:

“I tell you that the affairs of worldly people are fraught with offenses, and therefore they do not attain the Way. You should consider this carefully. Abandon and distance yourselves from evil karma, and practice in accordance with wholesome karma.

You should remain steadfast and never commit improper deeds through deluded thinking. The more good you perform, the less the arising of craving and desire—whether great or small, much or little—will be able to persist. Therefore, do not delight in such things, but distance yourselves from them.

Turn toward the Blessed One, faithfully accept the Buddha’s profound sutras, and reverently practice the Way and virtue. Such people are My younger brothers. Those who wish to study the honored precepts and sutras of the Buddha are all My disciples.

Those who wish to leave their homes, bid farewell to wives and children, renounce wealth and sensual beauty, go forth as śramaṇas, and become bhikshus of the Buddha are all My descendants. It is exceedingly difficult to encounter Me in the world. Whoever vows to be born in the realm of Amitabha Buddha and wishes to attain courageous wisdom and the reverence of all beings should not allow the mind to pursue desires or act contrary to the precepts and sutras.

Later, if such a person should sometimes have doubts and fail to understand the meaning of a sutra, let that person come and question the Buddha, and I will explain it.”

Bodhisattva Ajita knelt, joined his palms, and said:

“The Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual power is supremely exalted. You expound the sutras in a peaceful and wholesome manner. Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, our minds have all become thoroughly clear, and so too have those of worldly people.

It is exactly as the Buddha has taught, without the slightest difference. Now the Buddha, out of compassion and pity for us, has revealed the Great Way and shown us the path of life. Only today have our eyes and ears been enabled to see and hear far and wide, and we have attained deliverance.

Today we have truly been born anew. Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, there is no one whose compassionate mind has not awakened and who does not rejoice with delight. All devas, kings, officials, and people, down to the myriad kinds of insects, benefit from this sublime grace.

Each is delivered from sorrow, grief, and suffering. The Buddha’s instructions are exceedingly profound and wholesome, reaching to the ultimate root and foundation. The Buddha’s wisdom sees and knows all matters of the past, future, and present, whether above or below, throughout the boundless vastness of the ten directions.

“How difficult it is to encounter a Buddha! The Buddha’s compassionate mind enables us to attain deliverance. This is all because, in past lives, while seeking the Way, the Buddha endured hardship and suffering and diligently pursued learning before attaining awakening. Your grace and virtue encompass all; You have bestowed merit and virtue, and Your blessings rise sublimely aloft. Your radiance shines throughout the myriad directions, illuminating the endless expanse of space and penetrating the realm of nirvana. You hold all the transmitted teachings and scriptures, merging them into the vital current of life, advancing toward wisdom and loving-kindness, and extending solicitous care to all the myriad beings without limit or end.

“The Buddha is the Lord of Sages, the supremely honored Dharma Master whom none can equal. For the sake of devas, kings, officials, and people, You serve as teacher throughout the ten directions. According to the aspirations and wishes of each sentient being, whether great or small, You enable them all to attain the Way. Today we have encountered the Buddha and heard the name of Amitabha Buddha. Our joy is immeasurable, and there is no one whose wisdom has not been illuminated.”

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Ajita:

“If it is indeed as you have declared, and you possess a compassionate mind and a mind of great joy toward the Buddha, then be mindful of the Buddha. Only after an exceedingly long time does a Buddha appear in the world. Now I have become a Buddha in this life of suffering and affliction.

I have expounded the sutras and the Way, teaching and transmitting them so that sentient beings may comprehend them, sever their doubts, rectify their minds and conduct, uproot craving, and utterly cut off the source of evil. Thus they may be free and at ease, with transcendent wisdom penetrating both within and without, grasping all essential principles, illuminating them with perfect clarity, revealing the five destinies, and knowing with exact truth which is the path of birth and death and which is nirvana.”

The Buddha taught:

– If, throughout innumerable kalpas from time immemorial—kalpas so numerous that they cannot be counted—you have practiced the bodhisattva path, wishing to liberate devas, human beings, and even the smallest insects, then indeed a very long time has passed. Those who have followed the path and attained liberation are innumerable, and those who have attained the fruit of the path, nirvana, are likewise innumerable. Whether you are devas, kings, officials, common people, bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, or upasikas throughout the ten directions, in former lives, throughout innumerable kalpas until now, you have revolved within the five paths of birth and death. Alas! Your weeping and tears, together with craving and attachment, anxiety and sorrow, pain and suffering, cannot be fully described. Birth and death have continued without cease down to this very life. Only today, having encountered the Buddha and this assembly, have you been able to hear the voice of Amitabha Buddha. This is truly peaceful and joyful. I assist you in attaining that peace and joy and in becoming weary of the pain of birth and death. Birth is truly grievous, truly painful, and utterly distressing. Growing to maturity is also grievous, painful, and distressing. At death, too, there is anguish, pain, and utter distress. You dwell in a place that is exceedingly evil and impure, where purity cannot be attained. Therefore, the Buddha explains all this to you. You yourselves can resolve to sever the evil paths and abandon these wretched places. You can rectify your bodies and minds, perform many wholesome deeds, remain upright within and without, cleanse your bodies, wash away the defilements of the mind, restrain body and mind so that the inner mind and outer conduct accord with one another, and be faithful and trustworthy in speech and action. Only then can people liberate themselves; by helping one another, they may completely uproot craving and desire. Let your minds be sincere and lucid, your aspirations unwavering, and establish the foundation of the wholesome path. Although you must diligently endure hardship throughout one lifetime, it is but a fleeting moment. If you do good in this life, in the next life you will be born in the land of Amitabha Buddha, where there is boundless bliss, peace, and joy. There, your virtue in the path will increase, you will attain clarity and goodness, and you will support one another, forever leaving far behind the afflictions, suffering, and evil paths. You will completely uproot every evil and every suffering, sever the bonds of affection, obligation, craving, and desire, live perpetually in the land of Amitabha Buddha, and no longer experience grievous pain. There are no wretched places there, no suffering or toil, no lust, anger, or delusion, and no anxious thoughts, misery, or sorrow.

Born in the land of Amitabha Buddha, whether one wishes to live for one kalpa, ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, or a hundred million kalpas, one’s lifespan may, according to one’s wishes, extend for innumerable kalpas—or for a number of kalpas beyond all calculation. One is entirely free to obtain whatever one wishes. Whether one wishes to eat or not is freely determined according to one’s will; everything naturally accords with one’s wishes.

As for attaining the fruit of nirvana, each person must strive diligently, seek it with clarity, and aspire and make vows for it. One should harbor neither regret nor doubt. Those who wish to attain rebirth there and no longer commit such errors will dwell at the edge of Amitabha Buddha’s land, naturally abiding within a city of the seven treasures for exactly five hundred years.

Bodhisattva Ajita said:

– We have heard the World-Honored One’s exceedingly solemn and lucid teachings. Each of us will be diligent, seek single-mindedly, and follow the Buddha’s instructions, not daring to be indolent or doubtful.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita and the great assembly:

– If, while living in this world, you can rectify your intentions, concentrate your minds, and refrain bodily from evil, this is the greatest wholesome virtue. Such people are supreme throughout the ten directions, and none can compare with them. Why is this? It is because the devas and human beings in the innumerable Buddha lands throughout the ten directions naturally practice goodness. Few commit evil, and so they are easy to teach and transform. Now, in becoming a Buddha in this world, I have become a Buddha in a place of the five evils, the five sufferings, and the five burnings. I exert myself fully to instruct the people, causing them to relinquish the five evils, depart far from the five sufferings, and escape the five burning fires. I tame and transform their minds, causing them to uphold the five wholesome deeds, attain merit and virtue, enjoy long lives, transcend the world, and attain the path of nirvana.

The Buddha taught:

– What are the five evils? What are the five sufferings? What are the five burning fires? What causes the five evils to be eliminated so that the five wholesome deeds may be attained? What does it mean to uphold the five wholesome deeds and thereby attain merit and virtue, enjoy long life, transcend the world, and attain the path of nirvana?

The Buddha taught:

– The first evil karma is this: from devas and human beings down to birds, beasts, and the smallest insects, beings desire to perform evil deeds. The strong oppress the weak, and gradually they come into conflict, bear grudges, slaughter and injure one another, and devour one another. They do not know how to practice goodness; they are evil and rebellious and have no regard for the Way. They naturally encounter calamities and punishments, and their deeds are inevitably recorded by the spirits. Transgressions are never lost but lead to corresponding retribution. Thus, some people are poor, miserable, lowly, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, or alone; some are blind, deaf, unable to speak clearly, mute, foolish, or benighted. Some are strong and vigorous, beyond comparison with the weak. Thus, some possess rank, honor, wealth, and prosperity; are highly gifted; or possess courageous wisdom, clarity, and penetrating understanding. All this results from having practiced goodness in former lives, being compassionate and filial, and giving alms and beneficent aid. Some are summoned by officials or confined in prison under royal law because, being fearless and incautious, they violated the law and committed evil. Consequently, they incur grave offenses leading to severe punishment. Although they yearn to escape, it is difficult for them to get free.

In this present life, these things appear plainly before one’s eyes. At death, beings fall into darkness and then assume bodies once more, just as one who is subjected to royal punishment endures extreme torment. Some naturally dwell among hell beings, animals, hungry ghosts, or minute insects, gradually changing shape and form, exchanging an ugly form for a better one.

Their lifespans may be short or long, while their consciousness and spirit naturally enter a mother’s womb and assume another body. Each must proceed alone along the path of birth and death, revolving according to karmic retribution amid unceasing calamities, offenses, and punishments. They wander through those realms, never able to depart from them, life after life and kalpa after kalpa, with no appointed day of release.

How difficult liberation is! How could their suffering ever be fully described? Such is the natural order between heaven and earth.

Even before one’s allotted time has come, one may suddenly die. All must undergo this natural course and return in accordance with their good and evil deeds. This is the first great evil, the first suffering, and the first burning.

Such are its toil and pain. Alas, how sorrowful! It is like a raging fire arising and burning a person’s body.

If anyone can, within this realm, single-mindedly concentrate and settle the mind, keep the body upright, conduct oneself correctly, personally practice goodness, and refrain from evil, then through this merit and virtue that person will attain liberation, enjoy long life, transcend the world, and attain the path of nirvana. This is the first great good.

The Buddha taught:

– The second evil: In the world, kings, officials, the people, fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers, families, husbands and wives treat one another with contempt and have no moral principles. They do not follow the right path but engage in much sexual misconduct and arrogance. They seek license and allow their minds to indulge freely in pleasure, thereby deceiving one another; above all, they do not fear death. Because their thoughts and words differ, what they say and think is untrue. They use flowery, deceitful, evasive, and insincere words. Their conduct is neither upright nor orderly; they envy one another, leading them to utter devious, slanderous, and vicious words and to harm others by bringing false charges against them. Kings, though rulers above others, are neither clear-minded nor discerning, yet they entrust affairs to their ministers. The ministers continue to follow in their footsteps, concerned only with outward appearances while occupying improper positions, administering affairs wrongly, and injuring loyal, worthy, and virtuous people. They do not accord with the will of Heaven and utterly violate moral principles. Ministers deceive their rulers, sons deceive their fathers, younger brothers deceive their elder brothers, and wives deceive their husbands. Within and outside the family, friends contend and litigate against one another. Everyone harbors much poisonous greed, anger, stupidity, and delusion; they kill living beings and steal, recognizing neither superior nor inferior, neither male nor female, neither elder nor younger. In their hearts they desire only to acquire as much as possible for themselves, causing others to lose their homes and lives without considering what came before or what will follow, even destroying entire clans, homes, and kindred. At times, maternal and paternal relatives within a clan, close friends, neighbors in villages and towns, and poor common folk harm one another over their affairs, competing in ability and superiority, quarreling and becoming angry, until they become enemies contending for victory or defeat. Because the desire for wealth constantly burns within their hearts, they refuse to give anything to anyone. Craving, clinging, hoarding, and miserly, they become beset by anxious thoughts that weary the body and afflict the mind. Thus, in the end, they have nowhere to rely upon: they depart alone and arrive alone, with no one accompanying them. Good and evil, merit and virtue, calamity and punishment follow them like a shadow follows the body to the place of rebirth. They may reach a realm of peace and happiness, or they may enter a place of misery. Only then do they feel remorse—but how could it still be in time?!

People in the world today are foolish and lacking in wisdom. When they see others doing good, they do not esteem them or learn from them, but instead become angry and slander them. They delight only in doing evil and acting contrary to the Way.

They seek only to amass as much as possible for themselves and constantly harbor malicious intentions. They want others to furnish them with necessities, and when their wealth has been utterly exhausted, they continue seeking more. Their minds are deviant and unrighteous, and when alone they are constantly afraid of those who appear before them.

At present they make no prudent provision; only when karmic consequences arrive do they repent. In this life they must remain imprisoned for a long time and naturally fall into circumstances where they undergo many calamities, suffering the worldly miseries of poverty, loneliness, and hunger. They incur such offenses because in former lives they did not believe in morality and virtue and were unwilling to do good.

In this life they commit evil, and so the heavenly spirits record it clearly; when they die, they are reborn in the evil realms. Some naturally dwell in the realms of hell-beings, animals, hungry ghosts, insects, or tiny crawling creatures. They wander through these realms life after life and kalpa after kalpa, with no day of release.

Liberation is difficult to attain, and their pain cannot be fully expressed. This is the second great evil, the second suffering, and the second burning; such are its misery and torment.

It is like a great fire blazing fiercely and consuming human lives. If anyone within this realm can single-mindedly concentrate the mind, conduct the body properly, practice rightly, do only good deeds, and commit no evil, then through this merit and virtue that person will escape the evil realms, enjoy great longevity, transcend the world, dwell in heaven, and attain the path of tranquil nirvana. This is the second great good.

The Buddha taught:

– The third evil: People in the world are born through causes and conditions and dwell together beneath heaven and upon the earth, not knowing how many years they will live. Some are wealthy, honored, and noble; some are virtuous, wise, and discerning; while others are foolish, poor, lowly, insignificant, and emaciated. Among them are wicked people who harbor only malicious intentions. Their bodies and minds are not upright, and they constantly think of sexual desire, so their whole being is filled with turmoil. Entangled in sensual craving, they can find peace neither sitting nor standing. Greedy and miserly, they desire to acquire as much as possible. With lewd and shameful attitudes, they cast amorous glances at even the slightest beauty. Though they have wives, they become disgusted with them, furtively coming and going and taking household property to assist one another in wrongdoing. They gather to eat and drink and then commit evil together; they raise armies and become brigands, seize cities and wage war, kill and plunder, hack and slaughter, and violently appropriate things without regard for morality. They seize the wealth and property of others and take it for themselves, yet do not know how to make life wholesome. What ought to be sought, they refuse to seek. As their evil minds manifest, these minds govern their actions and compel them to establish coercive power. They seek to terrorize others and bring goods home to support their families and maintain their common livelihood. Their minds run unrestrained after pleasures, and they engage in sexual misconduct with other men’s wives, not even sparing their own relatives. Old and young alike resent them; everyone inside and outside their households hates them. Nor do they fear the law, causing their offenses to fill the official records. Such evildoers naturally fall into prisons. Divine spirits record their deeds, examine the days and months, and clearly know their offenses; thus some naturally enter the realms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, animals, insects, or tiny crawling creatures. They revolve through these realms life after life and kalpa after kalpa, with no appointed day of release. Even when they finally escape, the suffering they endured cannot be fully expressed. This is the third great evil, the third suffering, and the third burning; such are its misery and torment.

It is like a great fire blazing up and consuming the human body. If anyone within this realm can single-mindedly concentrate the mind, conduct the body properly, practice rightly, do only good deeds, and commit no evil, then through this merit and virtue that person will escape the evil realms, enjoy great longevity, transcend the world, dwell in heaven, and attain the path of tranquil nirvana. This is the third great good.

The Buddha taught:

– The fourth evil: Those who are unable to do good will fall together into corruption and instruct one another in committing evil deeds. They take the lead in speaking, yet desire only to use double-tongued speech, harsh words, abuse, and deception, and thus become jealous of and oppose one another. Hating and envying good people, they ruin what is virtuous and wholesome, yet take delight in such conduct. Moreover, they are not filial and do not support or care for their parents; they disdain their teachers, elders, friends, and wise companions; they are untrustworthy and can scarcely be sincere. Considering themselves noble and exalted, they use authority and power to intimidate and act tyrannically, violating others without knowing themselves. Though committing evil, they remain obstinate, knowing neither shame nor pangs of conscience, desiring only that others revere and fear them and obey their commands. They know no reverence or fear toward sages and spirits, heaven and earth; nor do they know how to instruct anyone to do good. Unable to teach or transform anyone, they are nevertheless so arrogant and contemptuous of the world. They have no apprehension in their hearts, and their unrestrained minds know no fear. The heavenly spirits will record these offenses and this arrogance. Relying upon the few meritorious deeds performed in former lives and hoping to receive much assistance from the slight support afforded by wholesome karma, they now commit evil, and those wholesome karmic fruits consequently disappear. Assailed by evil, they stand utterly alone in empty space, with nowhere to rely upon, and are beset by many calamities and offenses. When death arrives, all their evil karma closes in around them, naturally pressing them to wander ceaselessly in circles, without any rest, as all their evil deeds naturally converge upon them. Their offenses are clearly recorded before the divine spirits, and calamities and transgressions drag them immediately to that place, where they naturally fall and undergo disastrous punishment. Body and mind are shattered; physically and spiritually they endure misery from which they cannot escape. They fall directly into cauldrons of boiling oil and blazing fire. Only then do they know regret, but of what use is it, and how could there still be time?! They cannot even enter the heavenly path. Thus, some naturally fall into the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, or become beasts or insects, circling through these states life after life and age after age, with no day of release and scarcely any chance of escape. How could their suffering ever be fully described! This is the fourth great evil, the fourth manifestation of suffering, and the fourth burning; such is its anguish.

It is like a great fire blazing up and consuming human lives. Yet whoever can, within that realm, single-mindedly settle the mind, conduct the body uprightly, practice correctly, do only wholesome deeds, and commit no evil will, through this merit and virtue, escape from the wretched states in bodily form, enjoy great longevity, transcend the world, dwell in the heavens, and attain the tranquil path of nirvana. This is the fourth great good.

The Buddha taught:

– The fifth evil: People of the world habitually follow indolence and refuse to do good. They give no thought to a peaceful and happy life, while their wives and children suffer hunger and cold, as do their parents. If the parents wish to reprimand and instruct their children, those children, with wicked hearts and glaring eyes, angrily speak in defiance and rebel with a ferocity exceeding that of strangers in the remote wilderness. They act like enemies, as though one had no children at all. Deceitful borrowing gives rise to countless troubles, and because they have no intention of repayment, they become impoverished and distressed, unable to recover. They delight in gathering together for unrestrained amusement, forming large bands so that others will provide for them, without fearing prohibitions or restraint. They crave drinking and drunkenness, eat and drink without moderation, and come and go without restraint. Dull-witted by nature, they offend others without understanding human feelings and use brute force to coerce them. Seeing others joyful, they become jealous and angry with them. Living without propriety or righteousness, they cannot be admonished or brought to understanding. Nor do they care whether their parents, wives, and children have enough or are in want. They give no thought to repaying their parents’ kindness and virtue and do not remember the benevolent favor of their teachers and elders, but constantly contemplate evil. Their mouths continually utter evil words, and their bodies continually perform evil deeds. They labor all day without accomplishing anything; they do not believe in morality and virtue, nor do they believe in immortals, saints, sages, or enlightened beings. They do not believe that performing wholesome karma is a path by which one may transcend an evil life. They do not believe that Buddhas exist in the world; they wish to kill arhats and contend against the Sangha of bhiksus. They even wish to kill their parents, siblings, wives, children, relatives, and friends. They regard them with malicious minds, hating them and wishing for their deaths before they can be satisfied. They do not believe the words of the Buddhist scriptures. They do not believe that after death people will be reborn. They do not believe that doing good brings good results. They do not believe that doing evil brings painful consequences. The minds and intentions of these men and women are perverse, rebellious, foolish, deluded, absurd, and given to sensual pleasures. Lacking wisdom, they nevertheless regard this as great wisdom, goodness, peace, and happiness. They do not know where they were born from or where they will go after death. Without loving-kindness or filial obedience, they even rebel wickedly against heaven and earth. Yet all the while they hope for good fortune, wishing to live long and for their bodies to endure forever without dying. Ultimately, they will converge upon the path of birth and death, with all its good and evil, suffering and hardship. Since their bodies have created disastrous, wrongful, and malicious karma, they certainly will not attain deliverance. Nor can they be taught and transformed so that they do good. With loving-kindness, one reveals and teaches them that death is suffering and explains the good and evil paths into which they may fall, yet some still refuse to believe. One pains the heart and wearies the tongue in wishing to bring them to deliverance, but all is in vain, for their minds are obstructed and their intentions remain closed. When life and death draw near and the end arrives, they all feel regret, but regret is then too late! They made no effort beforehand to do good, and only at the final extremity do they become concerned—what use can it be! The five paths stand clearly revealed throughout vast and profound heaven and earth, and beings remain within them for a very long time. Turning in succession, they receive the fruits of good and evil, and each must personally bear the suffering; no one can take another’s place, for beings naturally follow the paths they have created. They should not indulge themselves, for karma pursues them to the place of rebirth. Good people who perform wholesome deeds and practice loving-kindness, harmony, and filial conduct pass from peace and happiness into peace and happiness, and from light into light. Evil people who perform wicked deeds pass from suffering into darkness. Who can know this? Only the Buddha sees and knows it. Very few believe and follow these teachings; therefore, birth, death, and cyclic existence never cease, and the evil paths continue without end. The people of the world are thus beyond the reach of reason. Consequently, some naturally fall into the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, or become beasts or insects, even the tiniest of insects. They circle through these states life after life and age after age, with no day of release. Liberation is truly difficult to attain; how could their suffering ever be fully described! These are the five evils, the five sufferings, and the five burnings; such is their anguish.

It is like a great fire blazing up and consuming human lives. Yet whoever can, within that realm, single-mindedly settle the mind, conduct the body uprightly, practice correctly, make words and deeds accord, and manifest the utmost sincerity—speaking exactly as one acts, with mind and speech unwavering—doing only wholesome deeds and committing no evil, will, through this merit and virtue, escape from the wretched states in bodily form, enjoy great longevity, transcend the world, dwell in the heavens, and attain the tranquil path of nirvana. These are the five great goods.

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Ajita and the great assembly:

– I have told you about the five evils and sufferings in this world, which cause the five pains to arise and the five burnings to arise, one after another. People in the world refuse to do good and instead desire to commit evil deeds. Those who dare to perpetrate these evils must naturally proceed, in due course, into the evil paths. In their present lives, such people suffer calamities and illnesses, yet they neither see nor understand birth and death. When they die, they fall into places of immeasurable misery, filled with many cruel sorrows. They burn and destroy one another, gradually proceeding toward ruin. Thereafter, having become bitter enemies, they kill one another. Beginning with trifling matters, their conflicts grow into great and violent calamities. All these consequences arise from craving for sexual pleasure, wealth, and beauty; from refusing to practice patience and generosity while desiring happiness for themselves; and from lacking integrity while desiring illustrious fame. Because of delusion and desire, their thoughts are driven and oppressed by their minds. When their wishes are not fulfilled, resentment congeals within their breasts. They know no contentment. Bound by wealth and sensual beauty, they find no liberation. Their desires never diminish, and they are consumed by contention and craving. They delight in glory, wealth, and rank, yet practice neither patience nor generosity and perform no good deeds. Their power and influence do not last long; they are consumed by their evil reputation, and their bodies undergo exceedingly severe torment. They naturally fall into degradation and cannot escape. When the laws of the state are promulgated, they must be obeyed; superiors and inferiors uphold the corresponding discipline, forming a tightly interwoven order. Amid a succession of anxieties, such people must enter that place. From ancient times until now, such sufferings have existed. How pitiable they are! This is entirely because they lack righteousness and do not know the true path.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita and the assembly:

– Whenever a Buddha appears in the world, all receive the blessing of the Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual power and compassionate mercy. He causes evil deeds to be eliminated, enables beings to abandon evil and accomplish wholesome conduct, relinquish discursive thoughts, uphold the sutras and precepts, and receive them perfectly. They practice according to the Dharma of the sutras and dare not transgress it. They transcend the world, attain the unconditioned Way, and enter the happiness and peace of nirvana.

The Buddha taught:

– If devas, kings, officials, common people, or those of later generations hear the words of the Buddha’s sutras, reflect upon them thoroughly, and with upright minds practice correctly according to their meaning, those in authority will act in accordance with the teachings, doing good to guide and transform those below them. Their many instructions will become decrees, leading everyone to practice goodness together and attain liberation together. Each person will maintain proper deportment, be benevolent and compassionate, and never become indolent throughout life. They will know to revere sages and worthies, practice filial obedience, and be intelligent and universally loving, never daring to neglect the Buddha’s teaching. Strive to transcend the world and attain the Way of nirvana. Strive to end all suffering within the paths of birth and death and completely uproot the roots of evil. Strive to put an end to birth in the vicious paths of suffering—the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, and tiny insects. Strive to encounter a Buddha in the world and steadfastly uphold the sutras and the Way, never daring to lose or transgress them.

The Buddha taught:

– You should believe this: What is the first and most urgent matter? Keep the body upright. Keep the mind righteous. Keep the eyes dignified. Guard the ears carefully. Keep the nose properly restrained. Guard the mouth cautiously. Keep the hands disciplined. Keep the feet disciplined. Only then can you control yourselves and restrain body and mind; you should not give free rein to desire. When body and mind are pure, they accord entirely with goodness. Restrain yourselves inwardly and outwardly. Do not pursue attachment to sensual pleasures, and do not utter evil words. Your countenance should be gentle and harmonious. Your bodily conduct should be focused and undivided. In all activities—walking, standing, lying down, and sitting—remain peaceful and composed. Before undertaking anything, first calculate and consider it thoroughly; then outline it, examine the plan, and gradually bring it into order before acting. If an undertaking is begun hurriedly and impulsively without careful deliberation, it will not be secure, and all the effort will truly have been wasted. Once the undertaking has failed, regret follows, and suffering abounds even to the loss of one’s life; even the sincerity and faithfulness needed to attain the Way will be gone.

The Buddha taught:

– You should perform still more wholesome deeds, such as bestowing kindness and practicing generosity, not violating the prohibitions of the Way, practicing patience, diligence, one-pointedness, and wisdom, and gradually teaching and transforming everyone to cultivate goodness and create merit according to the Dharma of this sutra. If, with single-minded loving-kindness, one purely observes the fasting precepts for one day and one night, that merit surpasses the merit of those in Amitabha Buddha’s land who practice goodness for one hundred years. Why is this? Because all those in Amitabha Buddha’s land accumulate virtue and cultivate many wholesome karmas; their wishes are fulfilled naturally and without contrivance. They commit no evil deeds, not even one as slight as a strand of hair.

The Buddha taught:

– When people in this realm perform wholesome deeds for ten days and ten nights, their merit surpasses that of all the people in the lands of other directions who practice goodness for a thousand years. Why is this? Because the people in the lands of other directions all practice goodness. Those who do good are numerous, while those who do evil are few. All necessities arise for them naturally, without their having to seek or labor for them. People in this world, however, do much evil and little good; unless they seek and labor, they have no necessities. Therefore, only when people in this world can keep their bodies upright, maintain right mindfulness, practice goodness, and wholeheartedly seek the Way can they attain such merit. People in this world receive no provisions naturally but must seek them through hardship and toil if they wish to secure a stable livelihood. From this arise deceit and falsehood, and distinctions between good and bad. Having acquired wealth, they bring it home to provide for their wives and children, exhausting their bodies and wearying their minds. Ultimately, their minds remain constantly troubled, and they obtain neither ease nor leisure. Only those who can settle themselves in tranquility, perform wholesome deeds, diligently advance, and cultivate virtue can attain such merit.

The Buddha taught:

– I have great compassion for you, as well as for the devas, kings, officials, and people. I instruct everyone to do good and refrain from evil. According to what they are capable of receiving, I teach and explain the Way, guiding them to practice accordingly. The king then follows this teaching and does good, instructing his ministers in turn; fathers instruct their children, elder brothers instruct younger brothers, husbands instruct their wives, and relatives, friends, and all those within and outside the household instruct one another to cultivate goodness, practice the Way, recite the sutras, and observe the precepts. Everyone disciplines the body and steadies the mind, while those above and below admonish one another. All, whether old or young, male or female, observe the pure fasting precepts; consequently, everyone enjoys peace, happiness, harmony, righteousness, joy, loving-kindness, and filial devotion, and they exercise restraint together. Those who encounter the words of the Buddha’s sutras should preserve them and contemplate them deeply. They should not repeat the offenses committed in the past, but should repent of former evils, accumulate wholesome karma, abandon what is wrong, and follow what is right. Hearing good counsel in the morning, they reform and repent by evening; they uphold the precepts diligently, like poor people who have found precious treasure. In whatever homeland or country the Buddha visits, he transmits the precepts and sutras. Devas, spirits, the sun, moon, and stars, kings, officials and soldiers, elders, people, dragons, ghosts and spirits, birds and beasts, insects, and even the tiniest creatures—there are none whose minds of loving-kindness are not awakened. All reverently serve and honor the Buddha, receive the sutras and the Way, and respectfully accept and practice them. The king then reforms and does good, observes the pure fasting precepts, cleanses body and mind, makes his mind upright and his conduct correct, and, while occupying his exalted and dignified position, instructs everyone to follow goodness, practice according to the prohibitory precepts, and be upright in word and deed. Officials respectfully serve the king and obey his commands with loyalty and integrity, not daring to oppose or disregard them. Fathers speak and children listen in filial obedience. Elder and younger brothers, husbands and wives, relatives and friends, superiors and inferiors all speak harmoniously. Those of every senior and junior rank know to respect and defer to one another, regard propriety as righteousness, and neither disdain nor oppose one another. All transform their former karma, cultivate themselves in the present, cleanse body and mind, and rectify themselves inwardly and outwardly. They naturally do good, and thus their aspirations are fulfilled. All wholesome karma is transformed in accordance with the natural course of the Way. Therefore, those who seek freedom from death attain longevity, and those who seek transcendence of the world attain the Way of nirvana.

The Buddha taught:

– The Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual power is supremely exalted and precious; it eliminates evil, transforms it into good, and delivers all beings to liberation. Now I have appeared in the world and become a Buddha. In this world filled with suffering, corruption, and evil, I compassionately care for, instruct, and guide devas, kings, officials and their attendants, elders, and people. In accordance with their aspirations, I enable them all to attain the Way. Wherever the Buddha has passed—whether countries, commanderies, counties, villages, mountains, hills, streets, or marketplaces—those places become wealthy and abundant; all under heaven is peaceful; the sun and moon move regularly and shine with light many times more splendid; the winds and rains arrive in due season; and the people dwell in peace and happiness. The strong do not oppress the weak, and everyone reaches their proper place. There are no years of pestilence, no sick or emaciated people, and no outbreaks of warfare. Within the country there are no bandits, no injustices, and no one imprisoned or punished. Kings, officials, and people are all joyful and delighted, virtuous, honest, loyal, generous, and sincere. Everyone maintains personal uprightness, knows how to protect the country, and is gentle, filial, obedient, and entirely joyful. They know to bestow kindness and virtue upon one another, joyfully love and respect one another, defer to one another with righteousness and humility, and observe propriety by honoring each person according to seniority and rank, like fathers and children, elder brothers and younger brothers. Everyone is virtuous, disciplined, courteous, compliant, and harmonious. There is absolutely no opposition or contention, and their joy and goodness are boundless.

The Buddha taught:

– I have great compassion for you and care for you earnestly, like parents who constantly think of their children, wishing to deliver everyone to liberation. Today, devas, kings, officials, people, and even the tiniest creatures throughout the ten directions receive the Buddha’s sutras and precepts and practice the Buddha’s Way. They all attain lucid wisdom and comprehend everything thoroughly. Each is enabled to cross beyond sorrow, anguish, and suffering and attain liberation. I have now become a Buddha amid the five evils, the five sufferings, and the five burnings. I have subdued the five evils, dispelled the five sufferings, and extinguished the five burnings. I replace evil with good, uproot suffering, enable beings to attain the five paths and the radiant excellence of the five good deeds, and burn away evil so that it cannot arise again. After I enter nirvana, the sutras and the Way will gradually disappear. The people will become deceitful and once again commit evil deeds, failing to establish wholesome foundations. The five burnings will arise, and the five sufferings will become severe. Evil and corrupt conditions will naturally return as before. After a long time, they will become so intense that they cannot be fully described. I have spoken only a little so that you may know of them.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ajita and the assembly:

– You should reflect upon and remember my words, and instruct one another in succession. Do not dare to transgress the Buddha’s Dharma as taught in the sutras.

Bodhisattva Ajita knelt, joined his palms, and said:

– The Blessed One has spoken of the most extreme suffering, which becomes so severe because people in the world commit evil. Out of loving-kindness and compassion, you deliver everyone to liberation. We respectfully accept the Buddha’s noble teaching and shall instruct one another in succession, not daring to transgress it.

The Buddha told Ananda:

– Out of compassionate concern for you, I shall enable you all to see Amitabha Buddha and the bodhisattvas and arhats in that land. Do you wish to see them?

The Venerable Ananda was overjoyed. He knelt, joined his palms, and said:

– Please allow us to behold Amitabha Buddha and the great assembly in that land.

The Buddha said:

– Arrange your robe, join your palms facing west—the direction in which the sun sets—bow in homage to Amitabha Buddha, lower your head to the ground, and say: “Namo Amitabha, Samyak-sambuddha.”

The Venerable Ananda said:

– We shall respectfully obey.

The Venerable One rose, joined his palms facing west—the direction in which the sun sets—bowed in homage to Amitabha Buddha, lowered his head to the ground, and said:

– Namo Amitabha, Samyak-sambuddha.

Before the Venerable One could rise, Amitabha Buddha immediately manifested his awe-inspiring spiritual power and emitted brilliant rays of light that illuminated innumerable lands throughout the ten directions. Innumerable worlds throughout heaven and earth shook tremendously. Everywhere throughout innumerable worlds in heaven and earth appeared the jeweled nets of Mount Sumeru and the great jeweled nets of great Mount Sumeru.

Small worlds and great worlds throughout heaven and earth, minor hells and great hells, mountains and forests, ravines and streams, dark caves and hollows—all were brilliantly illuminated by that great light. At that moment, the Venerable Ananda, the bodhisattvas, arhats, devas, kings, and people all beheld Amitabha Buddha and the bodhisattvas and arhats in that land made of the seven treasures. Their hearts were filled with immeasurable joy and exhilaration.

They all rose, bowed in homage to Amitabha Buddha, lowered their heads to the ground, and said:

– Namo Amitabha, Samyak-sambuddha.

Through the awe-inspiring spiritual power of Amitabha Buddha, a great radiance was emitted, enabling countless devas, human beings, birds, beasts, and even the tiniest insects to behold his light; there was none whose heart was not filled with loving-kindness and joy. In the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, those undergoing torment, pain, and hardship immediately obtained respite and were no longer subjected to torture; they were all freed from sorrow, suffering, and affliction.

The blind immediately gained sight, the deaf immediately gained hearing, the mute immediately gained speech, the hunchbacked became upright, the crippled immediately became able to walk and run, the sick immediately recovered, the feeble immediately became strong and healthy, the foolish immediately attained wisdom, the lustful immediately attained pure conduct, the wrathful and violent all acquired hearts of loving-kindness and practiced goodness, and those who had been poisoned were no longer harmed by the poison...

All musical instruments, such as bells, chimes, zithers, se zithers, and flutes, produced the five tones of themselves without being played. Women’s bracelets and bangles all spontaneously gave forth sounds. Hundreds of kinds of birds and beasts spontaneously raised their voices in song.

At that very moment, there was none who did not rejoice and delight in being brought to liberation.

At that time, devas and humans from all Buddha lands brought celestial incense and flowers. From the midst of empty space, they scattered flowers as offerings upon all the Buddhas and upon Amitabha Buddha. The devas together caused myriad kinds of music to arise spontaneously. At that time, all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats were exceedingly joyful, peaceful, and blissful, beyond the power of words to describe.

The Buddha addressed the venerable Ananda, Bodhisattva Ajita, and the great assembly:

– In what I have said concerning Amitabha Buddha, the bodhisattvas and arhats, and the naturally manifested seven treasures of that land, has there been even the slightest discrepancy?

The venerable Ananda knelt, joined his palms, and said:

– World-Honored One, what you have said concerning the excellence, peace, and bliss of Amitabha Buddha’s land is truly just as the Buddha has taught, without the slightest difference.

The Buddha taught:

– Even if I were to speak throughout every day and night for an entire kalpa about the excellence and bliss of that land and the merits and virtues of Amitabha Buddha, I still could not exhaust them. Here I have given you only a brief account.

Bodhisattva Ajita knelt, joined his palms, and asked the Buddha:

– In the Buddha lands of the present, how many non-retrogressing bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land? I wish to hear of this.

The Buddha replied:

– If you wish to know, listen clearly and attentively.

Bodhisattva Ajita said:

– I shall respectfully obey.

The Buddha taught:

– From my land, seventy-two billion non-retrogressing bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land. Each non-retrogressing bodhisattva will, in succession, make offerings to countless Buddhas and will thereafter become a Buddha, just like Bodhisattva Maitreya. In addition, there are countless lesser bodhisattvas—so numerous that they cannot all be reckoned—who will also be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

The Buddha addressed Bodhisattva Ajita:

– It is not only the bodhisattvas in my land who will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land; the lands of Buddhas in other directions likewise contain such bodhisattvas.

The first Buddha is named Đầu Lâu Hòa Tư. In his land, eighteen billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the second Buddha is named La Lân Na A Kiệt. In his land, nine billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the third Buddha is named Thất Đế Bỉ Hội. In his land, twenty-two billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the fourth Buddha is named A Mật Quỳ La Tát. In his land, twenty-five billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the fifth Buddha is named Lâu Ba Lê Ba Quỳ Tế. In his land, sixty billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the sixth Buddha is named Na Duy Vu Quỳ. In his land, fourteen thousand bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the seventh Buddha is named Duy Lê Ba La Phan Quỳ Tế. In his land, fifteen bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the eighth Buddha is named Hòa A Quỳ. In his land, eight bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the ninth Buddha is named Thi Lợi Quần Quỳ. In his land, eighty-one billion one hundred million bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the tenth Buddha is named Na Tha Quỳ. In his land, one trillion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the eleventh Buddha is named Hòa La Na Duy Vu Quỳ Tế. In his land, twelve thousand bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the twelfth Buddha is named Phất Lân Đồ Da Quỳ. In his land are countless bodhisattvas, so numerous that they cannot all be reckoned. They are all ones who possess omniscience and courageous wisdom, who have made offerings to countless Buddhas, and who share the single aspiration to attain rebirth there. They will all be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

In another land, the thirteenth Buddha is named Tùy A Duyệt Kỳ Ba Đa Quỳ. In his land, seventy-nine billion bodhisattvas will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land.

The Buddha taught:

– These bodhisattvas are all non-retrogressing. Among them are members of the Bhikkhu Sangha and countless lesser bodhisattvas who will also be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land. It is not only the bodhisattvas in these fourteen Buddha lands who will attain rebirth there; countless bodhisattvas from lands throughout the ten directions will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, just like those from the lands already mentioned. They are truly immeasurable in number. They will assemble together in Amitabha Buddha’s land, and their multitude cannot be fully reckoned. Even if I were merely to recite the names of the countless Buddhas throughout the ten directions, day and night without interruption for an entire kalpa, I still could not finish. Even if I were merely to state the number of people, members of the Bhikkhu Sangha, and bodhisattvas from the various lands who will be born in Amitabha Buddha’s land, speaking throughout an entire kalpa without pause, I still could not exhaust their number. Here I have given you only a brief account of a small portion.

The Buddha addressed the venerable Ananda, Bodhisattva Ajita, and the great assembly:

– The kings, officials, people, good men, and good women in this world who performed wholesome karma in former lives and thereby obtained abundant merit and blessings are able to hear the name of Amitabha Buddha. They are exceedingly joyful, peaceful, and blissful. I rejoice on their behalf.

The Buddha taught:

– There are good men and good women who, upon hearing the name of Amitabha Buddha, are filled with loving-kindness and boundless joy; their minds become pure, their hair stands on end, and, deeply moved, they shed tears. These people practiced the Buddha Way in former lives. If they came from another Buddha’s land, then they were bodhisattvas, not ordinary beings. If any man, woman, or other person there hears the name of Amitabha Buddha yet does not believe that Buddhas exist, does not believe the Buddha’s sutras, does not believe that there is a Bhikkhu Sangha, and remains inwardly full of doubt, believing nothing whatsoever, such people have been born from the evil destinies. Being foolish, they do not know their former lives, and their calamitous evil karma has not yet been brought to an end. Therefore, they have not yet attained liberation and remain doubtful at heart, devoid of faith and devotion.

The Buddha taught:

– I tell you this: If you practice wholesome Dharma, you should faithfully uphold your faith in Amitabha Buddha and harbor no doubts. After I enter nirvana, neither you nor those of future generations should say, “I do not believe that the Buddha-land of Amitabha exists.” Therefore, I have enabled you to behold the land of Amitabha Buddha, manifesting it in accordance with your aspirations. I have fully expounded to you the true Dharma and the scriptures and precepts. You should carefully preserve them in accordance with the Buddha-Dharma and must not allow them to be destroyed. I entrust this sutra to you; you should preserve it steadfastly and must not mistakenly add to or subtract from its Dharma teachings. After I enter nirvana, the teachings of the sutras and the Way will remain for only 1,000 years. After 1,000 years, they will disappear entirely. Out of compassionate concern, I shall cause this Dharma scripture alone to remain for another hundred years. Only after those 100 years have passed will it disappear entirely. During that time, beings may attain the Way in accordance with their aspirations.

The Buddha taught:

– The guiding teacher is one who opens the eyes and shows the path. With luminous wisdom, he personally delivers all beings, enabling them to attain the excellent Way of nirvana. You should always be lovingly filial toward the Buddha as toward your own parents. Always remember the kindness of your teachers and patriarchs, keeping it continually in mind without ceasing; in this way, you will swiftly attain the Way.

The Buddha taught:

– How exceedingly difficult it is to encounter a Buddha in this world! How exceedingly difficult it is to encounter a guiding teacher or a śramaṇa who expounds this sutra!

When the Buddha spoke this sutra, immediately 1,200 billion devas and human beings attained the divine eye and saw all things without obstruction. Single-mindedly, they practiced the bodhisattva path. Twenty billion devas and human beings attained the state of an anāgāmin. Eight hundred śramaṇas all attained the state of an arhat. Four billion bodhisattvas attained non-retrogression.

When the Buddha had finished expounding this sutra, the bodhisattvas, arhats, devas, kings, officials, and people were filled with immeasurable joy. They arose, bowed in homage to the Buddha, circumambulated him three times, then came before him, reverently prostrated themselves at his feet, and withdrew.

THE SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA ON AMITABHA

End of the second fascicle