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Two Pure Land Sutras

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Two Pure Land Sutras The Smaller Pureland Sutra Thus did I hear Seven fine nets, seven rows of trees All of jewels made, sparkling and fine; Once the Buddha at Shravasti dwelt That's why they call it Perfect Bliss In the Jeta Anathapindika garden Together with a multitude of friars There are lakes of seven gems with One thousand two hundred and fifty Water of eightfold merit filled Who were arhats every one And beds of golden sand, As was recognised by all. To which descend on all four sides Gold, silver, beryl and crystal stairs. Amongst them... Shariputra the elder, Great Maudgalyayana, Pavilions and terraces rise above Maha-kashyapa, Gold, silver, beryl and crystal Maha-katyayana, Maha-kausthila, White coral, red pearl and agate gleaming; Revata, Shuddi-panthaka, And in the lakes lotus flowers Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Large as chariot wheels Gavampati, Pindola Bhara-dvaja, Give forth their splendour Kalodayin, Maha-kapphina, Vakkula, Aniruddha, The blue ones radiate light so blue, and many other disciples The yellow yellow, each similarly great. Red red, white white and All most exquisite and finely fragrant. And, in addition, many bodhisattva mahasattvas... Oh Shariputra, the Land of Bliss Manjushri, prince of the Dharma, Like that is arrayed Ajita, Ganda-hastin, Nityo-dyukta, With many good qualities Together with all such as these And fine adornments. Even unto Shakra the king of devas With a vast assembly of celestials There is heavenly music Beyond reckoning. Spontaneously played And all the ground is strewn with gold. At that time Blossoms fall six times a day Buddha said to Shariputra From mandarava, “Millions of miles to the West from here, The divinest of flowers There lies a land called Perfect Bliss Where a Buddha, Amitayus by name In the morning light, Is even now the Dharma displaying. Those who live in that land Collect the blossoms Oh Shariputra, why is that land And offerings make Given the name of Perfect Bliss? To millions of Buddhas in other regions; It is without pain; At the lunchtime hour Only pleasure dwells there They have their meal That's why they call it Perfect Bliss. And take a stroll. Around the Land of Perfect Bliss Oh Shariputra, the Land of Bliss There are seven balustrades Like that is arrayed 1 With many good qualities With many good qualities And fine adornments. And fine adornments. There are wonderful birds So Shariputra, what do you think? Of many colours: Why is that Buddha called Amitabha? Swans and peacocks, parrots, Why does he have the name Amitayus? Charis, kalavinkas His light is boundless and unimpeded And even the bird with double lives. It spreads over All the lands of ten quarters Six times day and night they sing Therefore is he called Amitabha Melodious songs of fivefold virtue, Fivefold power, The lives of that Buddha Of the seven factors of spiritual light And all of his people And of the eightfold path. Go on forever, endless and boundless Of all the divisions of Dharma Therefore Amitayus is his name. They sing. He has been a Buddha Entranced by the songs More than ten kalpas All the beings of that land His disciples, all saints, Quickly take refuge Are beyond calculation. In Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The great bodhisattvas Who dwell in that land Those birds were not born as such Are also far too numerous to tell. Through karmic retribution For no evil realms Oh Shariputra, the Land of Bliss In that land are there. Like that is arrayed Not even the names With many good qualities Of such realms are found: And fine adornments. How much less The evil realms themselves. Nobody born there ever falls back Those in the stage of Shariputra, all those birds One more life only Were by Amitayus expressly made Are immeasurably many That the voice of Dharma Beyond clear expression. Melodiously spread. Shariputra, all who hear When in that land Should long and pray to be born there A gentle breeze blows To share in the realm The precious trees and bejewelled nets Of such noble beings Emit a delicate enrapturing tune For never by one's own Like an orchestra of myriad parts. Roots of virtue alone All who hear will naturally conceive Could one hope to attain The thought of refuge Such a wonderful world. In Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Oh Shariputra Oh Shariputra, the Land of Bliss Suppose a good man or good woman Like that is arrayed Hears tell of Amida 2 And grasps that Name Speaks forth these words, For a day, or two, or three, “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, Or four or five or six or seven Wherein inconceivable excellence is With a heart at one and not disordered praised, When their life draws to a close May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it Amida Buddha will appear before them in mind” All with a holy multitude And as death arrives Shariputra, in the Western worlds there are With mind undisturbed Amitayus, Amitalakshana, Amita-dhvaja, They will go to birth in that Maha-prabha, Maha-nirbhasha, Ratna- Buddha’s Utmost Happiness Land. lakshana, Shuddha-rashmi-prabha and other Buddhas as many as Ganges Shariputra, seeing this benefit sands. I say these words; Those who hear Each in his land Should make a prayer Puts forth long and wide his eloquent To be born in that Land. tongue And across three thousand millions worlds Shariputra, as I now praise Amida Speaks forth these words, Buddha’s inconceivable excellence “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, So also in the Eastern worlds there are Wherein inconceivable excellence is Ashukubi, Akshobhaya, Meru-dvaja, praised, Maha-meru, Meru-prabhasa, Manju- May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it ghosha, and other Buddhas as many as in mind” Ganges sands. Shariputra, in the Northern worlds there are Each in his land Arci-skandha, Vaishva-nara-nirghosha, Puts forth long and wide his eloquent Dush-pra-darsha, Aditya-sambhava, Jaleni- tongue prabha and other Buddhas as many as And across three thousand millions worlds Ganges sands. Speaks forth these words, “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, Each in his land Wherein inconceivable excellence is Puts forth long and wide his eloquent praised, tongue May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it And across three thousand millions worlds in mind” Speaks forth these words, “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, Shariputra, in the Southern worlds there are Wherein inconceivable excellence is Chandra-surya-pradipa, Yashah-prabha, praised, Mah-arci-skandha, Meru-pradipa, Ananta- May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it virya and other Buddhas as many as Ganges in mind” sands. Shariputra, in the Nadir worlds there are Each in his land Simha, Yashas, Yasha-prabhasha, Puts forth long and wide his eloquent Dharma, Dharma-dhvaja, Dharma-dhara tongue and other Buddhas as many as Ganges And across three thousand millions worlds sands. 3 Each in his land made a prayer, are making a prayer, or will Puts forth long and wide his eloquent make a prayer, tongue To be born in Amida Buddha’s land, And across three thousand millions worlds Then they all in that land will Speaks forth these words, Anuttara samyak sambodhi attain “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, Whether they are already born there, are Wherein inconceivable excellence is being born there, or are yet to be born. praised, May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it Therefore, Shariputra, good men and good in mind” women All should make prayers to be born in that Shariputra, in the Zenith worlds there are land. Brahma-ghosha, Nak-shatra-raja, Gandhottama, Gandha-prabhasa, Mah-arci- Shariputra, just as I am now praising skandha, Ratna-kusuma-sam-pushpita- The inconceivable excellence of all gatra, Salendra-raja, Ratnotpala-shri, Buddhas, Sarvatha-darsha, Sumuru-kalpa All these Buddhas are similarly declaring and other Buddhas as many as Ganges My inconceivable excellence in these sands. words... “Shakyamuni Buddha has ably Each in his land accomplished something extremely difficult Puts forth long and wide his eloquent and rare: tongue In the saha world in the evil age And across three thousand millions worlds That is stained in five ways - Speaks forth these words, Kalpa-kashaya, the evil age “Protected by all Buddhas this sutra is, Drishti-kashaya, the stain of wrong views Wherein inconceivable excellence is Klesha-kashaya, the stain of wrong praised, passions May all beings trust it, hold to it and keep it Sattva-kashaya, stain of spirit in mind” Ayush-kashaya, the stain of short life. Here in this very world Shariputra, What does this mean? At anuttara samyak sambodhi Why is this called the sutra that all Buddhas Shakyamuni arrived. keep in mind? For the sake of all beings Shariputra, if good men or good women He is preaching this Dharma Hear the Name that all Buddhas guard, Which in the whole world Keeping this sutra in mind, Is difficult to entrust to. They are all protected and kept in mind By all the Buddhas together; All obtain non-retrogression; All go to anuttara samyak sambodhi. Therefore trust and accept my words And those that all the Buddhas preach. Shariputra, if there are people who have 4 The Larger Pureland Sutra Sukhavativyuha: Manifesting the Land of Bliss1 [The Scene] * 1. Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying at the Vulture Peak at Rajagriha2. 2. At that time the Buddha was attended by twelve thousand monks, all of them arhats.3 3.
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