Toh 115Kinh Đại Thừa Cao Quý 'Cõi Tịnh Độ Cực Lạc Diệu Hiển'

Summary

In Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, the Buddha Śākyamuni, surrounded by a large audience, presents to his disciple Śāriputra a detailed
description of the realm of Sukhāvatī, a delightful, enlightened abode, free of suffering. Its inhabitants are described as mature beings in an
environment where everything enhances their spiritual inclinations. The principal buddha of Sukhāvatī is addressed as Amitāyus (Limitless Life) as
well as Amitābha (Limitless Light).

The Buddha Śākyamuni further explains how virtuous people who focus single-mindedly on the Buddha Amitābha will obtain a rebirth in Sukhāvatī
in their next life, and he urges all to develop faith in this teaching. In support, he cites the similar way in which the various buddhas of the six
directions exhort their followers to develop confidence in this teaching on Sukhāvatī.

The sūtra ends with a short dialogue between Śāriputra and the Buddha Śākyamuni that highlights the difficulty of enlightened activity in a
degenerate age.

Acknowledgments

Translation by the Sakya Pandita Translation Group, International Buddhist Academy Division, Kathmandu, under the supervision of Khenpo
Ngawang Jorden. This sūtra was translated into English by the monk Ngawang Rinchen Gyaltsen, Julia Stenzel, and Tsewang Gyaltsen.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

Origin and History

The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī is the shortest of three sūtras that expound the Land of Delight, the pure
realm of Amitābha, called Sukhāvatī. The Kangyur includes Tibetan translations of two of these texts: this one, often called the “shorter” Sukhāvatī, and the “longer” sūtra, with the formal title The Array of Amitābha (Toh 49 in
the Heap of Jewels section). The third, The Amitāyus Meditation Sūtra, is only
extant in Chinese.

The shorter sūtra, according to the Sanskrit scholar Luis Gomez, first appeared in its written form during the first century ce, possibly in what was then Northwest India and is now Pakistan.

Source Text and Various Versions

A Sanskrit version of the smaller Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī is extant today, as well as Tibetan
and Chinese translations. All the translations show some variation from the Sanskrit source in content and style, which can be attributed in part to
cultural and geographic conditions in Tibet and China. The
translations have become more influential than the original itself, for which we presently lack any contextual information.

There are several Chinese translations of this sūtra, dating from between 240 and 400 ce, but only one Tibetan
version, translated in the eighth or ninth century. The Chinese versions of the sūtra spread through China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam and played an
important role in the formation of the Pure Land schools in these countries. These versions appear to embellish the description of the wonders of
the realm of Sukhāvatī, whereas the Tibetan version is more subdued
and shows its main variations from the Sanskrit original in the names and the number of buddhas presiding over the different buddha realms. The
various editions in the Tibetan canon, i.e., the Degé, Narthang, Peking, and Lhasa editions, show no major differences that would alter any meaning.

For the present translation, we have followed the Tibetan text, while comparing it with the Sanskrit original. Concerning the enumeration
of names of the buddhas presiding over the various buddha realms, we have retained their original Sanskrit names, unless the Tibetan text had names
without a known Sanskrit equivalent, in which case we chose to translate those names into English. The differences are further commented on in
notes.

The Tibetan version of the smaller Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī was translated by the Indian
preceptor Dānaśīla and the chief editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé, as indicated in the colophon.

Main Points of the Subject Matter

The sūtra’s overall subject is revealed in the title. The Sanskrit term sukhāvatī, in
Tibetan Dewachen (bde ba can), designates a realm of delight, a place where no suffering is
experienced. The inhabitants of this realm are spiritually advanced beings who enjoy the presence of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats, and engage
exclusively in wholesome activities. The principal buddha of this realm has two names, Amitāyus (Limitless Life) and Amitābha (Limitless Light).
Even though it is not explicitly stated in this particular sūtra, Amitāyus is, in Vajrayāna contexts, sometimes considered a sambhogakāya form of
Buddha Amitābha.

The term vyūha (Tib. bkod pa) means
“display,” indicating that the sūtra is to a large extent a description of this buddha realm and its characteristics. It is a land with lakes and
forests full of jewels, with magical birds, and with little bells producing lovely sounds. Its ideal environment enhances the spiritual practice of
Sukhāvatī’s inhabitants.

Four Main Topics

The sūtra contains four main topics: (1) the description of Sukhāvatī; (2) the prerequisites needed to take birth in this realm; (3)
praise of this discourse expressed by other buddhas; and (4) the Buddha Śākyamuni’s supreme feat.

The Setting

The narrative of the sūtra takes place in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, where the Buddha Śākyamuni, in the presence of a large audience
consisting of arhats and bodhisattvas, addresses his disciple Śāriputra and tells him about the realm of Sukhāvatī. The sūtra is in large part a
discourse spoken by the Buddha. Even though the Buddha regularly asks the question, “Śāriputra, what do you think about this?” Śāriputra speaks only
at the very end of the sūtra and praises the Buddha.

The sūtra ends with a short dialogue between Śāriputra and the Buddha Śākyamuni that highlights the difficulty of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s
attaining enlightenment and preaching in a degenerate age.

The Significance of Buddha Realms

The notion of innumerable buddha realms coexisting with our reality became popular with the emergence of Mahāyāna Buddhism around the
first century ce. They have been interchangeably translated as buddhafields, buddha realms, or pure lands.

In The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, the Land of Delight is described as a realm beyond space and
time. The two larger sūtras elaborate on the history of its emergence. According to those sūtras, the Land of Delight is the result of the powerful
vows of the Buddha Amitābha, who out of great compassion created a safe environment for fortunate beings to progress toward spiritual maturity. The
smaller sūtra, however, refers only to the existence of such a realm and its characteristics.

In this sūtra, the Buddha Śākyamuni explains the manner in which beings take birth in this realm: fortunate sons and daughters are told to
accumulate a significant amount of merit and direct their faith single-mindedly toward the Buddha Amitābha.

Śākyamuni’s discourse mentions an alternative title for this sūtra. He explains that there are countless buddha realms with tathāgatas who
praise Sukhāvatī with a Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by All Buddhas.”

References to the Sūtra in the Tibetan Canon

The various sūtras of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī have inspired Tibetan masters to write prayers and practice rituals that allow adepts to
enter Amitābha’s realm. There are numerous Sukhāvatī-related compositions available in the Tengyur and in different collected works (gsung ’bum).

The Collection of Prayers for Sukhāvatī (bde smon phyogs bsgrigs) is a collection of
prayers, practice rituals, and commentaries concerning the pure land of Amitābha. An edition was published in Chengdu in 2007 by Sichuan Minorities
Publishing House (Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang).

One of the Tibetan masters who made Sukhāvatī a particular focus of attention was Chagmé Rinpoché (’chags
med, 1610–78). He composed The Long Prayer of Sukhāvatī (mkhas grub rā ga a syas
mdzad pa’i rnam dag bde chen zhing gi smon lam), among others.

Furthermore, the well-known Noble King of Prayers for Good Conduct (’phags pa bzang
po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po), recited by adherents of all Tibetan schools, concludes with the aspiration for rebirth in the pure
realm of Sukhāvatī. Praying to be born in the pure realm of Amitābha has become a major practice in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Academic Research

There appears to have been no translation of the Tibetan Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī prior to the
one published here. However, the Sanskrit version of the sūtra was translated into English and edited by Max Müller and Bunyiu Nanjio in Müller and
Nanjio (1883).

Luis O. Gomez has published a nonliteral, poetic translation of the Sanskrit and Chinese versions of the smaller and larger sūtras and
gives an introduction to the main topics (Gomez 1996). His literal translation of the same sūtras is forthcoming. Hisao Inagaki has translated the
three Pure Land sūtras on the basis of their Chinese versions; this translation appears in the BDK English Tripiṭaka Vol. 12, Berkeley, 1995. An
earlier translation from the Chinese was published in Utsuki (1924).

Nakamura (1987) presents an historical introduction to the beginnings of Pure Land Buddhism and its textual sources in Indian
Buddhism.

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a large monastic saṅgha of 1,250 bhikṣus, all of them great elders, śrāvakas, and arhats, such as the elder Śāriputra,
Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Mahākātyāyana, Mahākapphiṇa, Mahākauṣṭhila, Revata, Śuddhipaṃthaka, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula,
Gavāṃpati, Bharadvāja, Kālodāyin, Vakula, and Aniruddha. He dwelt with these and other great śrāvakas and with many bodhisattva mahāsattvas, such as
the youthful Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ajita, the bodhisattva mahāsattva
Gandhahastin, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nityodyukta, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Anikṣiptadhura, along with many other bodhisattva mahāsattvas.
He was also accompanied by Śakra, the lord of gods, and Brahmā, the ruler of the Sahā world, along with many myriads of gods.

On that occasion, the Bhagavān said to the venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, if you go from this buddha realm past one hundred thousand
myriad buddha realms toward the western direction, there is a world known as Sukhāvatī. In that place the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly and
fully enlightened buddha known as Amitāyus, dwells, lives, and abides, teaching the Dharma.

“Now what do you think, Śāriputra, why is that world called ‘Sukhāvatī’?

“Śāriputra, in the Sukhāvatī world, sentient beings experience neither physical pain nor mental suffering and the causes for their
happiness are limitless. For this reason, this world is called Sukhāvatī. Furthermore, Śāriputra, the Sukhāvatī world is surrounded on all sides by
seven layers of terraces, seven rows of palm trees, and filigrees of chimes. It is radiantly beautiful. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully
adorned with displays of the excellences of buddha realms, such as the four kinds of jewels, namely, gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. Furthermore,
Śāriputra, the Sukhāvatī world has ponds adorned with seven kinds of jewels. The ponds are full of water possessing the eight qualities. They are
covered by jeweled lotuses, are filled to the top to enable crows to drink, and are
lined with golden sand. All around, on the four sides of the ponds are four radiantly elegant staircases, each made of one of the four precious
substances: gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. By the banks of the ponds grow jeweled trees of the seven radiantly beautiful jewels: gold, silver,
beryl, crystal, rosy pearls, emerald, and coral. From all those ponds grow lotuses that bloom as large as chariot wheels.

“The golden lotuses have a golden hue, a golden sheen, and manifest as gold. The blue ones have a blue hue, a blue sheen, and manifest as
blue. The yellow ones have a yellow hue, a yellow sheen, and manifest as yellow. The red ones have a red hue, a red sheen, and manifest as red. The
white ones have a white hue, a white sheen, and manifest as white. The iridescent ones have an iridescent hue, an iridescent sheen, and manifest as
iridescence. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms. Furthermore, Śāriputra, in
the Sukhāvatī world, the sound of divine cymbals is always heard. The vast ground is magnificent, as if golden in color. Śāriputra, this buddha
realm is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, in that buddha realm a shower of divine flowers, divine mandārava flowers, descends three times every day and
three times every night. In a single morning, the sentient beings that are born there proceed from one buddha realm to the next, paying homage to
hundreds of thousands of buddhas. They also toss hundreds of thousands of bouquets of flowers toward each tathāgata. After making offerings, they
return to that same world for their daily rest. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is
beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, in the Sukhāvatī world there are swans, cranes, and peacocks that assemble three times during the day and three
times at night and perform a concert, each singing its own melody. When they sing, the sounds of the powers, strengths, and branches of
enlightenment emerge. Upon hearing those sounds, the sentient beings born there are moved to contemplate the Buddha, to contemplate the Dharma, and
to contemplate the Saṅgha. Now what do you think about this, Śāriputra? Have those sentient beings taken birth as animals? You should not think so.
Why is that? Śāriputra, in this buddha realm there are not even words for birth as a hell being, birth as an animal, or birth in the world of the
Lord of Death. Those flocks of birds were manifested by the Tathāgata Amitāyus himself to voice the sound of Dharma. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is
beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the wind blows in that buddha realm it sways the rows of palm trees and the filigree net of chimes, creating
sweet, enchanting, and delightful sounds, like the myriad subtleties of divine cymbals when played by a skilled musician. The people there, upon
hearing those sounds, settle into the recollection of the Buddha, the recollection of the Dharma, and the recollection of the Saṅgha. Śāriputra,
this buddha realm is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.

“Now what do you think, Śāriputra, why is that tathāgata called ‘Amitāyus’
(Immeasurable Life)? Śāriputra, the lifespan of the Tathāgata Amitāyus is immeasurable. For this reason, he is called ‘Tathāgata Amitāyus.’
Furthermore, Śāriputra, why is that tathāgata called ‘Amitābha’ (Immeasurable Light)? Śāriputra, the light of the Tathāgata Amitābha shines
unimpeded throughout all buddha realms. For this reason, he is called ‘Tathāgata Amitābha.’ The Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitābha fully awakened to
unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment ten eons ago.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, this bhagavān has an immeasurable saṅgha of śrāvakas, who are all pure arhats; their number cannot be easily
expressed. Furthermore, Śāriputra, the sentient beings born in this buddha realm are all pure bodhisattvas who will not regress and are bound by
only one more birth.
Śāriputra, one cannot express the total number of bodhisattvas except to say that they are immeasurable or countless. Śāriputra, this buddha realm
is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.

“Therefore Śāriputra, sons and daughters of good family should completely dedicate all roots of virtue in a respectful manner to be born
in that buddha realm. Why? Because by doing so, they will be able to meet holy beings similar to themselves. Śāriputra, one cannot take birth in the
realm of the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitāyus merely with minimal roots of virtue.

“Śāriputra, if those sons and daughters of good family hear the name of the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitāyus and keep it in mind unwaveringly
for one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven nights, when the hour of their death
arrives, they will depart in an undeluded state. After they have passed away, the Tathāgata Amitābha will stand before them, entirely surrounded by
a śrāvaka assembly and honored by a congregation of bodhisattvas. These sons and daughters of good family will be born in the Sukhāvatī world, the
buddha realm of the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitābha. Therefore, Śāriputra, having seen its real point, sons and daughters of good family, I declare,
ought to respectfully make prayers to reach that buddha realm.

“O Śāriputra, I, the Tathāgata, at present praise [this Sukhāvatī]. So, likewise, Śāriputra, in the east, the
Tathāgata Akṣobhya, the Tathāgata Merudhvaja, the Tathāgata Meru, the Tathāgata Mahāmeru, the Tathāgata Mahāmeruprabhāsa, the Tathāgata Harmonious Speech, the Tathāgata Harmonious Voice, and the other bhagavān buddhas of the east, who are as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their
own buddha realms with the power of their speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace
by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’

“Likewise, in the south, the bhagavān buddhas of the south, such as the Tathāgata Candrasūryapradīpa, the Tathāgata Renown, the Tathāgata Yaśaḥprabha, the Tathāgata
Mahārciskandha, the Tathāgata Merupradīpa, the Tathāgata Anaṃtavīrya, and others,
who are as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their speech and proclaim, ‘You
should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’

“Likewise, in the west, the bhagavān buddhas of the west, such as the Tathāgata Amitāyus, the Tathāgata Amitaskandha, the Tathāgata
Amitadhvaja, the Tathāgata Mahāprabha, the Tathāgata Illuminating Light Rays, the Tathāgata Ratnaketu, the Tathāgata Śuddharaśmiprabha, and others, who are
as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their speech and proclaim, ‘You should
place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’

“Likewise, in the north, the bhagavān buddhas of the north, such as the Tathāgata Mahārciskandha, the Tathāgata Vaiśvānaranirghoṣa, the
Tathāgata Duṣpradharṣa, the Tathāgata Ādityasaṃbhava, the Tathāgata Jālinīprabha, the Tathāgata Prabhākara, and others, who are as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power of
their speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse
called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’

“Likewise, in the nadir, the bhagavān buddhas of the nadir, such as the Tathāgata Siṃha, the Tathāgata Yaśas, the Tathāgata Yaśaḥprabhāsa,
the Tathāgata Dharma, the Tathāgata Dharmadhara, the Tathāgata Dharmadhvaja, and others, who are numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges,
pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete
Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’

“Likewise, in the zenith, the bhagavān buddhas of the zenith, such as the Tathāgata Brahmaghoṣa, the Tathāgata Nakṣatrarāja, the Tathāgata
Gandhottama, the Tathāgata Gandhaprabhāsa, the Tathāgata Heap of Incense, the Tathāgata
Ratnakusumasaṃpuṣpitagotra, the Tathāgata Sālendrarāja, the Tathāgata Ratnotpalaśrī, the Tathāgata Sarvārthadarśa, the Tathāgata Sumerukalpa, and
others who are as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their speech and
proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete
Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises Sukhāvatī’s inconceivable qualities.’

“What do you think about this, Śāriputra, why is this Dharma discourse called ‘Complete Embrace by All Buddhas’? Śāriputra, those sons and
daughters of good family who have heard, now hear, or will hear this Dharma discourse and the names of those bhagavān buddhas will all be embraced
completely by the bhagavān buddhas. Śāriputra, of all those sentient beings who aspire—who have made, are
making, or will make aspirations—to the Sukhāvatī world, the buddha realm of the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitābha, none has turned away, is turning away,
or will ever turn away from the pursuit of unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment. Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable
qualities of those bhagavān buddhas, likewise, Śāriputra, those bhagavān buddhas also praise my inconceivable qualities.”

Śāriputra declared, “Bhagavān Śākyamuni, king of the Śākyas, you have fully awakened to unsurpassable, completely perfect
enlightenment in this Sahā world. You have taught the Dharma that the whole world was reluctant to accept at the time of the degeneration of the
eon, the degeneration of afflictions, the degeneration of beings, the degeneration of views, and the degeneration of lifespan. How marvelous indeed!”

The Bhagavān replied, “Śāriputra, having fully awakened to unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment in this world, the Sahā world,
at the time of the five degenerations, I have taught the Dharma that the whole world was reluctant to accept. This is the supreme feat I have
accomplished.”

After the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the whole world, including the
venerable Śāriputra, the great śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, gods, humans, demigods, and gandharvas, were delighted and praised highly the words spoken by
the Bhagavān.

This completes The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Display of Sukhāvatī.”

Colophon

This sūtra was translated and finalized by the Indian preceptor Dānaśīla and the principal revisor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé, along with
others.

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Texts

Sanskrit Texts

Secondary Literature

Mañjudhvaja
mañjudhvaja

Duṃdubhisvaranirghoṣa
duṃdubhisvaranirghoṣa