World Philosophical Heritage

Wisdom and teachings of
Buddhism

813 quote(s) | Page 6 / 33

T he Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, “Those who attain birth on the middle level of the lowest grade are the sentient beings who violate the five precepts, the eight precepts or the complete precepts of a monk or a nun. A foolish person such as these steals from the Sangha or takes the personal belongings of monks, or preaches the Dharma with impure motives but feels no remorse. Thus he defiles himself by evil karma, and because of this he will fall into hell. When he is about to die and the flames of hell suddenly close in on him, he may meet a good teacher, who compassionately explains to him the ten supernal powers of Amitayus, fully describing the majestic power of the light of that Buddha, his virtues in the observance of the precepts, meditation, wisdom, emancipation and knowledge of emancipation. When he has heard this, the evil karma which he has committed during eighty kotis of kalpas of Samsara are extinguished; thus, the fierce flames of hell turn into cool and refreshing breezes, wafting heavenly flowers. On each flower is a transformed Buddha accompanied by bodhisattvas welcoming him. In an instant, he attains birth within a lotus-bud on a seven-jewelled pond.”

quote 8070 | The Amitayurbhavana Sutra
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I f there is a good man or woman who hears about Amitabha Buddha and keeps chanting His holy name for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days or seven days with one mind free from distractions, then such a person, upon the end of his life, will see Amitabha Buddha and His holy assembly appear before him. At the time of death this person’s mind will not be perturbed and will take rebirth in the Utmost Joy Land of Amitabha Buddha.

quote 8069 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

I f good men or women of pure faith , having heard Amitayus Buddha’s name of innumerable, boundless and inconceivable merit s and also heard of the glorious adornments of the Land of Utmost Bliss , concentrate their thoughts on them with undistracted mind even for one day, two days, three, four, five, six or seven days, then, at the hour of death, Amitayus, surrounded by innumerable Shravaka disciples and Bodhisattvas, will appear before those good men or women and give them compassionate protection to keep their minds from falling into confusion. Thus, after death, following the Buddha Amitayus and his retinue, they will be born in his Pure Land of Utmost Bliss.

quote 8068 | The Sutra on Praise of the Pure Land and Protection by Shakyamuni
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I f, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who, having heard my Name⁷⁵, concentrate their thoughts on my land⁷⁶, plant roots of virtue, and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be born there, should not eventually fulfill their aspiration, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

quote 8067 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

73 ??????????????????????????
74 ????????????????????????????
75 The “Name” here refers to “Amitabha”. When Dharmastore Bhikkhu attained Buddhahood, he was called “Amitabha Buddha”.
76 The “land” here refers to “the Land of Ultimate Bliss”, the pure land in which Amitabha Buddha dwells.

I f, when I⁷² attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

quote 8066 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

70 ???????????????????????
71 ??????????????????????????
72 “I” here and in the succeeding passage refers to Dharmastore Bhikkhu, one of Amitabha Buddha’s past lives.

B ecause he calls the Amitabha’s Name, with each repetition, the evil karma which he has committed during eighty kotis of kalpas of Samsara is extinguished.

quote 8065 | The Amitayurbhavana Sutra
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I f sentient beings, having heard of the majestic virtue of his light, glorify it continually, day and night, with sincerity of heart, they will be able to attain birth in his land, as they wish.

quote 8064 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I f living beings remember the Buddha and are mindful of the Buddha, they will certainly see the Buddha now and in the future. Being close to the Buddha, even without the aid of expedients, their hearts will open of themselves.

quote 8063 | The Surangama Sutra
Book 5, translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society.

T hose who attain birth on the highest level of the highest grade are sentient beings who resolve to be born in that land, awaken the three kinds of faith and so are born there. What are the three? They are, first, the sincere faith; second, the deep faith; and third, the faith that seeks birth there by transferring one’s merit.

quote 8062 | The Amitayurbhavana Sutra
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

A gain, Shariputra, sentient beings born in that land all dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression, and will not fall again into an evil realm, be born in a border-land or in the state of debased people or mlecchas. They always enjoy visiting pure lands of other Buddhas. With their excellent vows and practice advancing and developing every moment, they will unfailingly realize the highest, perfect Enlightenment.

quote 8061 | The Sutra on Praise of the Pure Land and Protection by Shakyamuni
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

H owever hard you may practice in this life, it can only be for a short while. In the life to come you will be born in the land of Amitayus and enjoy endless bliss there. Being forever in accord with the Way, you will no longer be subject to birth-and-death and be free of the afflictions caused by greed, anger and stupidity.

quote 8060 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

T hose people who have vowed, vow now, or will vow to be born in the land of Amitabha Buddha will never regress on the path toward the Unsurpassable Right and Full Enlightenment. They have been born, are born or will be born in that land.

quote 8059 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

I have expounded this teaching for the sake of sentient beings and enabled you to see Amitayus and all in his land. Strive to do what you should.

quote 8058 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

A nyone who sincerely desires birth in the Land of Peace and Bliss is able to attain purity of wisdom and supremacy in virtue.

quote 8057 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I See such advantage, hence I say such words. Whosoever hears this should develop the vow to be born in that Land.

quote 8056 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

S entient beings who hear the above should vow to be born in that land. Why is it so? Because then one may enjoy the company of these aforementioned most benevolent people.

quote 8055 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

H ence, Sariputra, all good men or women, if they have faith, should vow to be born in that land.

quote 8054 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

S entient beings who are born in the Utmost Joy Land will not regress on the path toward Enlightenment. Many among them are candidates for Buddhahood and will be born as humans just once more in order to achieve Buddhahood. Their number is so great that it is beyond the knowledge of arithmetic and can only be described as countlessly and boundlessly innumerable.

quote 8053 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

A nanda, when humans and devas of that land see the Bodhi-tree, they will attain three insights: first, insight into reality through hearing the sacred sounds; second, insight into reality by being in accord with it; and third, the insight into the non-arising of all dharmas.

quote 8052 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

T hat Buddha has innumerable boundless Sravaka disciples, all of whom are Arhats, and their number is beyond the knowledge of arithmetic. The number of Bodhisattvas in that land is likewise innumerable.

quote 8051 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

T he majestic light of the Buddha Amitayus⁷⁰ is the most exalted. No other Buddha’s light can match his.

quote 8050 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

70 Buddha Amitayus: Also known as Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Light. (????:???????????)

T he brightness of that Buddha’s light is immeasurable, it shines upon lands in the ten Directions without any hindrance, hence, He is called Amitabha—infinite light. Further, Sariputra, the life span of that Buddha or anyone of His subjects is countlessly and boundlessly innumerable kalpas, thus, He is named Amitabha—infinite life.

quote 8049 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

I n that Buddha-land, the earth is composed of seven jewels — namely, gold, silver, beryl, coral, amber, agate and ruby — which have spontaneously appeared. The land itself is so vast, spreading boundlessly to the farthest extent, that it is impossible to know its limit. All the rays of light from those jewels intermingle and create manifold reflections, producing a dazzling illumination. Those pure, superb and exquisite adornments are unsurpassed in all the worlds of the ten quarters.

quote 8048 | The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
Translated by Hisao Inagaki.

I n the land of that Buddha breezes wave the rows of jeweled trees and the jeweled nets, thereby, producing sublime and wondrous sounds. This is analogous to hundred sand thousands of harmonious kinds of music playing simultaneously. Whoever hears such sounds naturally develops a mind that fixes upon the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

quote 8047 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

I n the land of that Buddha there is not even the name of a bad realm, not to mention the reality of such. All these birds are miraculously produced by Amitabha Buddha in order to propagate the Dharma sounds.

quote 8046 | The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra
Translated by Yutang Lin.

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Wisdom and teachings ofBuddhism

Wisdom and teachings of
Buddhism