comtemplationT0365-e佛说观无量寿经

The Visualization Of the Buddha of Infinite Life Span Såtra (T365.12.340c-346b) Translated into Chinese by Kàlaya÷as Translated into English by Charles Patton Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 2 Guide to Pronouncing Sanskrit Vowels Sounds like Þ a but, not bat à harm, not hate u put, soot å boot, suit i pink, not pin ã peep, seat, not slide ç the slang pirty, not pretty ë fell, not fly e eight, fair ai aisle, pie o between corn and cone au down, hound Consonants k kiss, kiln, back kh bunkhouse g good, give, bug gh loghouse ï sing, long, tongue c cello, chair, church ch coachhorse j just, jolly, joy jh hedgehog ¤ enjoy, canyon, pinch ñ/t tub, tap, cart ñh/th anthill ó/d day, dog, god óh/dh redhead õ/n gentle, hand, gain p pick, pat, tap ph uphill b be, cab, imbibe bh clubhouse m amble, mumble s sip, source ù short, shot ÷ a harsher sh like the German ich Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 3 Translator's Preface Before moving directly to the translation, I would like to address a few issues that will hopefully smooth the reader's process of understanding the text that follows. These are largely technical in nature. The reader will notice immediately many transliterated Sanskrit terms and diacritics. These terms are usually personal or place names, but also include a few technical terms that are not easily translated. To aid the reader who is not familiar with many of these terms, I have provided a glossary of Sanskrit terms that is easily accessible at the end of the text. I have also incorporated many footnotes into the translation that attempt to explain difficult passages that assume the reader knows certain background information about Buddhist doctrine and the other two Pure Land Såtras. I have also included a brief guide to the pronunciation of Sanskrit that appears as an insert prior to this preface. Hopefully, these three measures will make the Sanskrit less intrusive for the general reader. This Såtra was the most frequently commented upon of the three Pure Land Såtras by the Chinese exegetes, probably because it leaves more to interpretation and because it details a tangible meditative practice. These two factors made the Såtra a matter of controversy between Chinese commentators who diverged from one another significantly in how the Såtra should be read. I hope in the future to compose a companion summary of the Chinese commentaries on this Såtra. This would greatly expand the reader's awareness of this Såtra's role in Chinese Buddhism, but at the present time I am unable to do this. In the larger body of Buddhist Såtras, this Såtra is one instance of a group of visualization Såtras which detail meditative practices that take some personage as a subject of visualization. Another prominent visualization Såtra is the Visualization of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra Såtra, which presents itself as an epilogue to the Lotus Såtra. Thus, the reader should understand that this technique of visualization meditation is not particular to Pure Land teachings, but was popular enough among Buddhist circles outside of China to warrant the composition of many visualization Såtras. I would like to take a moment to express my thanks to Shih Ying-fa, Ardent Hollingsworth, my wife, Margie Hoyt, and the many scholars and monks who have preceded me, all of whose efforts have been indispensable to my producing this translation. Namaþ Amitàyus! Charles Patton May 1999 Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 4 Introductory Verses [340b] Homage to the Western world of Sukhàvatã1! That world of the Buddha of Infinite Life Span2 is extraordinary, Because it can eliminate the deeds (karma) of beginningless millions of aeons (kalpas) And cause the afflictions to be entirely nullified. If a person is able with the subtle and wondrous mind To visualize the images of Sukhàvatã And extensively impart them so that other sentient beings might discern it, It will lift his vision up to see Amitàyus. The Buddha's bodily form and marks display a luminance To which the gold of the Jambu river cannot be compared. His height is an incomparable number of yojanas, Some six sextillions3. [340c] The white curl between his brows is the size of five Sumerus And the blue of his eyes is wide and clear like the four oceans. The light that is produced by his hair pores is such that Each hair holds a trichiliocosm4. In each of those worlds there is a river Whose sands have eighty-four thousand characteristics And among each of those characteristics, it is again so. These will appear before the practitioner of these visualizations accordingly. Through the visualization of the Buddha's body, he will see the Buddha's mind And sentient beings who visualize him will see the manifestations of the Buddha. From the marks [of that Buddha], he will enter the tolerance of the unarisen5. 1 Sukhàvatã is translated in the Chinese to ßUtmost Blissû, which is accurate. However, I have chosen to transliterate the original Sanskrit because it is a place name. For detailed explanations of other Sankrit terms and names, please see the Glossary. 2 One of the peculiarities of the Chinese text of this Såtra is its vacillation regarding whether to transliterate or translate the Buddha Amitàyus' name. In order to reflect where the name is translated and where it is not, I have kept with the Chinese, translating and transliterating the name where the Chinese does. Amitàyus is the name used for the Buddha throughout the text. Amitàbha does not occur. 3 For those not accustomed to such dizzyingly large numbers, a sextillion is 1021 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The text literally reads ßsixty-thousand ten-millions of nayutasû, where a nayuta is ten billion. 4 ßTrichiliocosmû. This is a term coined by previous translators for a Buddha world which consists of a billion smaller worlds. Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 5 And through concentration (samàdhi), he will find boundless compassion. The Buddha's body is measureless in extent and boundless, Manifesting to guide with the power of his old vows6. Those who have visualized him will attain the consummation Of spiritual powers, filling space as they wish. The sentient beings of three kinds who are endowed with the three minds Advance bravely without reversal7 And so attain the touch of the Tathàgata's hand. The seven-treasure palaces8 glow brilliantly And they leap and dance on the diamond towers. They follow after the Buddha and in a snap of the fingers They can practice the Mahàyàna and understand the supreme meaning. And so they are born among the seven-treasure lotus lakes. The Buddha Amitàyus' great compassion, Ten powers9, and majestic virtue are difficult to praise or describe. To recite his name but once gives rise to a single recollection And removes the misdeeds of eight hundred million of aeons! By completely uprooting them, there is no end And so because of this he is called 'Infinite Life Span'. Formerly, the World Honored One had dwelt on Gçdhrakåña With a great congregation and spoke of the wondrous circumstances Of becoming free from the suffering of Jambudvãpa and Transcending all the distressing destinations there. He spoke of the pure and wondrous land that is the world of Sukhàvatã, And the cultivation of the three merits that produce the bodhicitta. One whose actions are mindful abides in a firm concentration. Therefore, he explains the visualization of the Buddha of Infinite Life Span. Thus are the virtues inexpressible. One cannot express the wondrous brilliance, The measureless purity, or equanimous charity. 5 This refers to a state of absolute detachment from phenomena, which are considered to be ultimately unarisen. This is not a retreat from contact from phenomena, but a state in which phenomena no longer bother the practitioner at all. Hence, he has learned to tolerate them. 6 This refers to the forty-eight vows of Dharmàkara, the previous incarnation of the Buddha Amitàyus prior to his achieving Buddhahood. See a translation of the Larger Pure Land Såtra for a full recount of his practice as Dharmàkara. 7 See the fourteenth visualization below. 8 I.e., the palaces are made of the seven treasures. The seven treasures are seven precious things, those being: 1. gold, 2. silver, 3. lapis lazuli, 4. crystal, 5. agate, 6. rubies, 7. carnelian. 9 The ten powers are common to all Buddhas. See the Glossary. Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 6 The sentient beings of the five kaùàyas all become Buddhas By ending all their deluded views, Which is like throwing water into an ocean. The wet natures when combined have no inequality. Although there is the noble wisdom that is difficult to discern People all are infinite in life span. I prostrate myself and bow to the West. Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 7 Introduction Thus have I heard. One time the Buddha was staying on Mount Gçdhrakåña near Ràjagçha [341a] with a great congregation of 1,250 monks (bhikùus) and 32,000 bodhisattvas. The Dharma-prince Ma¤ju÷rã was the foremost among them. At that time, there was a prince of Ràjagçha named Ajàta÷atru who followed the instructions of an evil friend and arrested his father, King Bimbisàra, detaining him in a seven-chambered building and forbidding any officials or ministers from going there. The queen, whose name was Vaidehã, respected the king. She bathed, anointed her body with an ointment of cream and honey mixed with roasted rice, and placed a container of grape juice in among her jewelry. She then secretly went up to the king. At that time, the king ate the rice and drank the grape-juice, sought water to rinse his mouth, and, having rinsed his mouth completely, put his palms together and paid his respects to the World Honored One on Mount Gçdhrakåña by bowing [from his cell]. He said, ßMaudgalyàyana, my friend and compatriot, I hope that you will have the compassion to confer onto me the eight precepts.û Thereupon, Maudgalyàyana, like a swooping bird of prey, came to the king. Day by day, he thus conferred to the king the eight precepts. The World Honored One also dispatched the reverend Pårõamaitràyaõãputra, who delivered Dharma discourses and Såtras to the king for a period of three weeks. Because the king had eaten roasted rice and honey as well as heard the Dharma, his countenance was at ease and pleasant. Then Ajàta÷atru came and asked a guard, ßIs my father, the king, still alive?û The guard replied, ßYour majesty, the queen daily anoints her body with rice and honey and puts grape juice in among her jewelry. And the ÷ramaõas Maudgalyàyana and Pårõa swoop down from the sky and deliver Dharma discourses to the king. It cannot be stopped.û Hearing this, Ajàta÷atru then became enraged with his mother and said, ßMy own mother is a criminal and with criminals does she associate! These evil ÷ramaõas' tricks, illusions, and magical incantations have caused this evil king to not have died after so many days as this!û At once, he took up his sword wanting to kill his mother. And then there was a minister whose name was Moonlight, who was clever and knew many things, and he was with Jãva. They bowed to the king [Ajàta÷atru] and said to him, ßYour majesty, the ministers have heard it said in the Vedas that from the beginning of this aeon to the present there have been some eighteen thousand evil kings who have killed their own fathers because they coveted the sovereign's throne. But we have never heard of any who had killed their mothers. If the king now does this act of rebellion, it will be a disgrace for the noble caste (kùatriya) and the ministers will not bear to hear of such a murderous person (caõóàla). We will not stay here.û Having finished saying this, the two ministers then took their swords in hand, withdrew, and paced back and forth. Ajàta÷atru was surprised and remorseful, so he addressed Jãva, saying, ßYou are not going to support me?û And Jãva replied, ßYour majesty, take care not to kill your mother.û The king heard this and was remorseful, so he sought help. Thereupon, [341b] he immediately put away his sword and did not kill his mother. Instead, he ordered that she be detained in her quarters and kept in the palace so that she could not leave again. Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 8 Having been detained, Vaidehã then was worried and haggard about being distant from Mount Gçdhrakåña. She prostrated herself towards the Buddha and said, ßThe Tathàgata, the World Honored One, had once stayed here and would always dispatch ânanda to come with consolations and inquiries about me. Now I am so distressed and have no way to see the World Honored One's majesty. I wish you would dispatch Maudgalyàyana and the reverend ânanda to come and meet with me.û Having said this, she wept compassionate tears that fell as she bowed to the Buddha. She had yet to lift her head for a moment. At that time, the World Honored One was staying on Mount Gçdhrakåña and became aware of the thoughts in Vaidehã's mind. Thereupon he ordered Maudgalyàyana along with ânanda to go to her from the sky. And the Buddha came down from Mount Gçdhrakåña and went to the royal palace himself. Still bowing, Vaidehã then lifted her head and saw the World Honored One, the Buddha øàkyamuni. His body was purple gold in color and seated on a hundred jeweled lotus flower. Maudgalyàyana was on his left-hand side and ânanda on his right-hand side. Indra and Brahma and the world's protector gods were in the sky and everywhere they rained heavenly flowers that they had brought to use as offerings. When Vaidehã saw the Buddha, the World Honored One, she broke her jewel necklace, rose, and then threw herself to the ground. Crying out and weeping, she said to the Buddha, ßWorld Honored One, what old deed of mine was it that was evil enough to cause the birth of this evil son of mine? World Honored One, again, what were the causes and conditions of his associating with Devadatta and his crowd? My only wish is for the World Honored One to extensively describe for me a place where I might be reborn that is without distress. For unhappy is Jambudvãpa in this evil kaùàya era. This defiled and evil place is full of hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and beasts. Many are the unwholesome crowds. I hope that I in the future will not hear evil voices and not see evil people. Now my five limbs rest on the ground towards the World Honored One seeking his mercy. My only wish today is for the Buddha to teach me to visualize a place of pure actions.û At that time, the World Honored One emitted light from between his brows and it was a golden color. It pervasively lit the measureless worlds in the ten directions10 and then returned to stay about the Buddha's head, forming a gold tower like Mount Sumeru. In the ten directions the pure and wondrous worlds of the Buddhas were all revealed. Some had lands made of the seven treasures and others had lands consisting entirely of lotus flowers. Others had lands that were like ä÷vara's palace. Others had lands that were like a crystal mirror. All that was within the lands of the ten directions was revealed. Thus were the adornments of the measureless Buddha lands made observable to Vaidehã. Thereupon, Vaidehã said to the Buddha, ßWorld Honored One, these Buddha lands are again pure and brilliant, but I would prefer to be born in the world of Sukhàvatã where the Buddha Amitàyus resides. My only wish is for the World Honored One to instruct [341c] me about meditation and also instruct me about right perception.û 10 The ten directions are North, East, South, West, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, Up, and Down. In Buddhist cosmology, there are numerous worlds scattered through the universe in all directions from our own that have sentient (feeling) life similar to our own, though the spiritual conditions in other worlds are often radically different. Mahàyàna Såtras often depict characters traveling from this world to others or vice versa through spiritual powers. Visualization of Amitàyus Såtra 9 At that time, the World Honored One then subtly smiled and five colors of light emerged from the Buddha's mouth. Each of the lights lit the head of king Bimbisàra. At that time, although he was in his cell and despite the obstacle of distance, in his mind's eye the king saw the World Honored One and so he faced in that direction and bowed. He then spontaneously advanced to the achievement of the anàgàmin. At that time, the World Honored One addressed Vaidehã, ßDo you not know now that the Buddha Amitàyus is not far from here? You should fix your thoughts to the true visualization of that land that is made of pure actions. I will now extensively discuss it with many parables for you and also for the future generations of wives who desire to cultivate pure action and attain birth in the Western land of Sukhàvatã. Those who wish to be born in that land must cultivate three merits. The first is to be filial and support one's parents, to honor the work of teachers and elders, to be of compassionate mind and not kill, and to cultivate the ten good deeds11. The second is to receive and keep the three refuges, to perfect the many precepts, and not to transgress the majestic deportment. The third is to produce the bodhicitta, to deeply believe in cause and effect, to read and recite the Mahàyàna [teachings], and to endeavor in their practice. To accord with these three things is called pure action.û The Buddha again addressed Vaidehã, ßDo you now not know that these three kinds of deeds that extend to the past, future, and present, are the true cause of the Buddha's pure deeds in the three realms?û The Buddha again addressed Vaidehã, ßListen closely, listen closely, and well think on this. The Tathàgata will now discuss pure action for the future generations of all sentient beings who are afflicted and killed by criminals. Excellent is this Vaidehã who is comfortable asking about this matter. ânanda, it is you who receives and keeps extensively the numerous and myriad words that the Buddha speaks. The Tathàgata now will instruct this Vaidehã and all the sentient beings of future generations in visualizing the Western world of Sukhàvatã. Because of the Buddha's power, they will see that pure land as though holding a bright mirror and seeing the image of their own faces. Seeing that land is an event of an utmost and wondrous joy. Because of their mind's elation, they will then attain the tolerance of unarisen things.û First Visualization: The Setting Sun The Buddha addressed Vaidehã, ßYou are an ordinary person whose mental capacities are feeble and weak. As you have yet to attain the deva-eye12, you are unable to see very far. The Buddhas, the Tathàgatas, have a special means to