Assembly of the Immeasurable Life Tathāgata

From the Sūtra of the Great Accumulation of Treasures

The Sūtra of the Great Accumulation of Treasures Fascicles 17 & 18¹
Assembly Five Parts One and Two: The Immeasurable Life Tathāgata²
Translated by the Great Tang Dynasty Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci³ by imperial edict.

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Rājagṛha on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain⁴ together with an assembly of 12,000 great monastics, all great hearers well known to everyone. Their names included the Venerables Ājñātakauṇḍinya, Victorious Horse, Great Name, Immaculate, Subhadra, Perfectly Well-Named, Gavāṃpati, Uruvilvākāśyapa, Nadīkāśyapa, Gayākāśyapa, Mahākāśyapa, Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākātyāyana, Mahākapphiṇa, Mahācunda, Full and Compassionate Son,⁵ Aniruddha, Revata, Foremost Monarch, Pārāyaṇika, Nanda, Welcome One Endowed with Light, Rāhula, Ānanda, and others, these being the foremost.

There was also an assembly of bodhisattvas, those great beings, such as Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and the assembly of bodhisattvas, those great beings of the fortunate eon.⁶ They surrounded the Buddha in front and behind. Further, Protector of Good and the assembly of sixteen heroic bodhisattvas⁷ were present, including Skillful Contemplation of Principle Bodhisattva, Wise Eloquence Bodhisattva, Contemplating the Nonabiding Bodhisattva, Skillfully Manifesting Supernormal Powers Bodhisattva, Banner of Light Bodhisattva, Superior Wisdom Bodhisattva, Tranquil Faculties Bodhisattva, Wise Resolve Bodhisattva, Fragrant Elephant Bodhisattva, Jeweled Banner Bodhisattva, and so forth, these being the foremost.

All these bodhisattvas followed and practiced the path of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva,⁸ fulfilling all the deeds and resolves of bodhisattvas. Well-established in all the practices of merit and virtue, they reach the ultimate shore of all the Buddhadharma. They resolve to attain perfect awakening in every world system⁹ and also resolve to take birth in Tuṣita.¹⁰ At the end of their life there, they descend and take birth from their mother’s right side, are seen to take seven steps, and radiate great brilliance. Buddha lands everywhere quake in six ways. Then they declare, “I am most honored in all worlds.” Śakra,¹¹ Brahmā,¹² and all the gods come to attend to them personally.

They also learn literature, mathematics, calendar calculation, the science of grammar and linguistics, artistry, medicine, wellness, spell-casting, as well as games and sports, and they surpass others in all skills. Despite residing in a palace, they grow weary of all objects of desire. Witnessing old age, sickness, and death, they realize the impermanence of the world. They abdicate the throne and leave the city to walk the spiritual path. They remove all their jewels and Kāśi cloth,¹³ put on monastic robes, and practice asceticism for six years. They have the ability to manifest in this way in the time of the five degenerations.¹⁴ In accord with worldly customs, they bathe in the Nairañjanā River and travel to the seat of awakening. The nāga¹⁵ monarchs welcome them with praise, and an entire assembly of bodhisattvas circumambulates them clockwise and extols them. Then they accept an offering of grass,¹⁶ arrange it themselves beneath the bodhi tree, and sit atop in the full lotus position.

Māra’s¹⁷ assembly then appears and surrounds them in order to harm them. They subdue Māra through the power of concentration and wisdom and attain unsurpassed awakening. The monarch of the Brahmā realms requests them to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Bold, powerful, and fearless, a buddha’s voice roars thunderously. They beat the Dharma drum, blow the Dharma conch, hoist the great Dharma banner, and light the torch of the proper Dharma. Having assimilated the proper Dharma and meditative absorptions, they rain the great Dharma rain to nurture sentient beings and rumble the great Dharma thunder to awaken all beings. They radiate great brilliance throughout all buddha lands and cause all worlds to quake. Māra’s palace is destroyed and he is terrified.

They breach the fortress of afflictions and dismantle the net of wrong views. They distance themselves from unwholesome deeds and bring forth all wholesome deeds. They are worthy of receiving offerings made to buddhas and proclaim wondrous teachings to tame sentient beings. They are seen to smile and radiate hundreds of thousands of light rays, ascend to and attain the stage of anointment,¹⁸ receive a prediction of their awakening, attain buddhahood, and are seen to pass into nirvāṇa. Thereby, they cause immeasurable sentient beings to eliminate their defilements and bring to fruition bodhisattvas’ boundless roots of virtue. They can manifest in this way throughout all buddha lands.

A skillful magician conjures illusions and can manifest images of men, women, and other forms that have no reality. In the same way, all bodhisattvas, due to the merit and virtue of their mastery of limitless methods to conjure illusions, can manifest and transform into various forms in accord with sentient beings’ dispositions. Due to their skill in the art of transformation, bodhisattvas reveal all buddha lands, manifest great compassion, and benefit all sentient beings. Bodhisattvas accomplish limitless unshakable resolves and deeds, thoroughly understand immeasurable teachings and their equality, and have perfected and are replete with all virtuous practices. They enter into all buddha lands equally, and they constantly receive encouragement and empowerment from all the buddhas. All the tathāgatas acknowledge and certify their fruition. In order to instruct other bodhisattvas, they become teachers. They constantly practice in accord with boundless bodhisattva deeds, and thoroughly understand all practices in the sphere of reality. They are skillful in understanding sentient beings and their lands, and frequently set out to make offerings to all the tathāgatas.¹⁹

They manifest various bodies that are like shadows and reflections, realize Indra’s net,²⁰ and can break through Māra’s net. They destroy the web of views and enter the web of sentient beings, but are able to transcend the retinue of afflictions and Māra’s companions. They far exceed the stages of hearers and solitary realizers, entering the Dharma gateways of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, yet able to abide in skillful means. From the beginning they do not delight in entering the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles,²¹ and attain the concentrations that do not arise or cease as well as all dhāraṇī²² teachings. They strengthen the forces,²³ possess definitive eloquence, and are skilled in understanding the treasury of bodhisattvas’ practices. They realize and enter into the concentration of the Lotus Sūtra expounded by the Buddha whenever they wish. They possess all the extremely profound states of meditative absorption, so they can see all the buddhas appearing before them and, in the span of a single thought, travel to all buddha lands, going there and back instantaneously. They can masterfully navigate the boundaries between ultimate and conventional truths. They expound on the nature of reality and skillfully discern distinctions of phenomena. They attain a buddha’s eloquence and abide in Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s practices.

They can skillfully discriminate the languages of sentient beings. They transcend all worldly phenomena and master all transcendental phenomena. They attain the perfection of mastery of resourcefulness and shoulder the responsibility of befriending sentient beings without being asked. They are able to uphold the Dharma treasury of all tathāgatas and cause the entire lineage of the buddhas to abide and without ceasing. Out of compassion, they can open the eye of the Dharma²⁴ for sentient beings, closing the gateways to unfortunate rebirths and opening the gateways to fortunate ones. They think of sentient beings as their own kin or like their own body. They attain the perfection of all praise of merit and virtue, which enables them to master the praise of all tathāgatas’ merits and virtues, as well as the praise of other meritorious and virtuous deeds. Such an immeasurable, limitless assembly of bodhisattvas, those great beings, were all gathered.

At that time, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, adjusted his robe, bared his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms, faced the Buddha, and said, “Most virtuous World-honored One, your body and all its faculties are completely pure. Your awe-inspiring light radiates like liquid gold, like a clear mirror that shines gloriously. Never having seen such a marvel before, I am delighted with reverence and awe. Now, the World-honored One has entered the meditative absorption of great tranquility and practiced and perfected the deeds of the tathāgatas. You are skilled in engaging in great heroic deeds and mindful of the buddhas of the past, present, and future. Why is the World-honored One thinking about the buddhas?”

Then the Buddha asked Ānanda, “How are you able to know this? Have some gods come to inform you? Or have you come to this realization by yourself, upon seeing me?”

Ānanda answered the Buddha, “World-honored One, this thought arose when I saw the Tathāgata’s rare brilliance, not because the gods told me.”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Excellent, excellent! Sharp question indeed. Skilled in observation and wondrous in eloquence, you are able to ask the Tathāgata such a question. You have raised this question for the sake of all the tathāgatas, arhats, fully awakened ones, who abide peacefully in great compassion to benefit sentient beings, these great heroes who appear in the world as rarely as the udumbara²⁵ flower. Also, you are able to ask the Tathāgata this question due to your compassionate wish to benefit and gladden sentient beings.

“Ānanda, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Fully Awakened One, is skilled in expounding and revealing immeasurable knowledge and insights. Why is this so? The Tathāgata’s knowledge and insights are without hindrances. Ānanda, if the Tathāgata, Arhat, Fully Awakened One wishes to and delights in abiding in this world, he is able to, with the sustenance of a single meal, abide for immeasurable, countless, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of eons, or a further increase above the amount of time above. Yet, the Tathāgata’s body and all his faculties would not change. Why is this so? The Tathāgata has attained the mastery of concentration and reached the other shore; he has supreme mastery with regard to all dharmas.²⁶ Therefore, Ānanda, listen attentively and contemplate well. I will explain this to you in detail.”

Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Indeed, World-honored One, I am delighted to listen.” Then the Buddha told Ānanda, “In the past, innumerable, incalculable eons ago, a buddha by the name of Burning Lamp appeared. Innumerable eons before this buddha, Ascetic Buddha appeared in the world. Before Ascetic Buddha, there was a tathāgata by the name of Moonlike Face. Innumerable eons before Moonlike Face Buddha, there was Sandalwood Fragrance Buddha, and before that buddha, there was Sumeru Heap Buddha. Before Sumeru Heap Buddha there was also Wondrously High Eon Buddha. In this way, one after the other, there was Immaculate Face Buddha, Untainted Buddha, Nāgadeva Buddha, Monarch of Mountain-like Voice Buddha, Sumeru Heap Buddha, Golden Treasury Buddha, Shining Brilliance Buddha, Monarch of Light Buddha, Clan of the Great Ground Buddha,²⁷ Brilliantly Blazing Golden Lapis Lazuli Light Buddha, Moonlike Image Buddha, Light Adorned with Unfurling Flowers Buddha, Wondrous Sea-like Supreme Awakening Roaming in Spiritual Powers Buddha, Vajra Light Buddha, Light of Great Agada²⁸ Fragrance Buddha, Abandonment of Afflictions Buddha, Treasure Accumulation Buddha, Heap of Courage Buddha, Heap of Victory Buddha, Spiritual Power of Giving Dharma through Great Merit and Virtue Buddha, Light that Outshines the Sun and Moon Buddha, Shining Lapis Lazuli Buddha, Flower of the Awakened Mind Buddha, Moonlight Buddha, Sunlight Buddha, Monarch of Flower Necklaces’ Colors and Unfurling Supernormal Powers Buddha, Brilliance of the Moon in the Water Buddha, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance Buddha, Pearl and Coral Canopy Buddha, Tiṣya²⁹ Buddha, Flower of Victory Buddha, Roar of Dharma Wisdom Buddha, Possessing the Lion’s Roar and Swan’s Cry Buddha, and Brahmā Sound of the Nāga’s Roar Buddha. Buddhas such as these appeared in the world, separated by innumerable eons.

“An infinite number of eons before Nāga’s Roar Buddha appeared, there was Lord of the World Buddha. Boundless eons before Lord of the World Buddha, there was a buddha that appeared in the world by the name of Monarch of Mastery of the World, Tathāgata, Arhat, Fully Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Good Conduct, One Gone to Bliss, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Hero, Guide of Beings to be Tamed, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-honored One.

“Ānanda, during the presence of that Buddha’s Dharma, there was a bhikṣu by the name of Dharmākara who was supreme in practice and resolve, and superior in powers of mindfulness and wisdom. His mind was steadfast and unmoving, he had supreme blessings and wisdom, and his appearance was dignified. Ānanda, the Bhikṣu Dharmākara went before Monarch of Mastery in the World Tathāgata, bared his right shoulder, bowed down with his head at the Buddha’s feet, joined his palms, faced the Buddha, and praised him in verse:

‘No light in all the world can compare
With the Tathāgata’s immeasurable, limitless radiance.
The sun, moon, and all maṇi jewels³⁰
Are eclipsed by the Buddha’s powerful radiance.

‘The World-honored One can express a single sound
That each and every sentient being understands according to their nature.
He can also manifest a wondrous body
That universally enables beings to perceive him according to their nature.

‘His ethical conduct, concentration, wisdom, joyous effort, and erudition
Are unequalled among all sentient beings.
Awakened wisdom flows forth from his mind like a vast ocean;
He is skilled in understanding the extremely profound Dharma.

‘Obscurations extinguished and faults eliminated, he is worthy of offerings.
Only the World-honored One possesses such virtue of a sage.
The Buddha has supremely great awe-inspiring light
Shining throughout immeasurable lands in the ten directions.

‘I now praise all these merits and virtues
Hoping to emulate the blessings and wisdom of the Tathāgata,
In order to rescue all the world
From birth, aging, sickness, death, and all sufferings and afflictions.

‘May I abide peacefully in concentration,
Expound on all Dharma practices of generosity, ethical conduct,
Fortitude, joyous effort, concentration, and wisdom, and hopefully,
I shall attain buddhahood and benefit all beings.

‘To seek unsurpassed great awakening,
I make offerings to the wondrous awakened ones in the ten directions,
Hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number,
Exceeding that of sand grains in the Ganges.

‘Also, may I attain great spiritual radiance, intensely shining on
Buddha lands numerous as sand grains in a hundred million Ganges Rivers.
And through boundless supreme vigorous strength,
May I realize a supreme, vast, and pure abode.

‘In such an incomparable buddha land,
I shall dwell steadfastly among living beings and benefit them.
All these beings should visit the foremost great beings
Of the ten directions who will in turn delight their hearts.

‘Only a buddha’s sacred wisdom can understand and bear witness to
The unwavering strength of my aspirations.
Even if I should fall into the Relentless³¹ and other hells,
I shall never retreat from my resolve.
All who possess unobstructed wisdom in the world
Should understand such a state of mind.’

“Then, Ānanda, after praising the Buddha’s virtues Bhikṣu Dharmākara said to the World-honored One, ‘I have brought forth the aspiration to attain unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening. May the Tathāgata explain to me the teachings that will enable me to attain incomparable great awakening in the world and to completely create a pure, magnificent buddha land.’

“The Buddha said to the bhikṣu, ‘You should create a pure buddha land by yourself.’

“Bhikṣu Dharmākara said to the Buddha, ‘I lack the awe-inspiring might to create one by myself. May the Tathāgata describe the purity and magnificence of other buddha lands. After hearing about them, I will resolve to bring one to perfection.’

“Then the World-honored One gave him extensive teachings on twenty-one hundred million buddha lands replete with magnificence. A hundred million years elapsed during the teaching. Ānanda, Bhikṣu Dharmākara comprehended all the pure, magnificent qualities of these twenty-one hundred million buddha lands. Then he contemplated and practiced for five entire eons.”

Ānanda asked the Buddha, “What was the lifespan of Monarch of Mastery in the World Tathāgata?”
The World-honored One answered, “That Buddha’s lifespan was forty eons. Ānanda, the buddha land that Bhikṣu Dharmākara would develop surpasses all of those twenty-one hundred million buddha lands.

“After he had assimilated all the practices for developing a buddha land, he went before Monarch of Mastery in the World Tathāgata, bowed down with his head at that Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him clockwise seven times, stood to one side, and said, ‘World-honored One, I have assimilated all the practices to develop a pure, magnificent buddha land replete with merits and virtues.’

“That Buddha said, ‘Now is the right time. You should give a thorough explanation to delight the assembly and enable them to develop perfect buddha lands.’

“Dharmākara said, ‘May the World-honored One be so kind as to listen. Now I am going to proclaim my supreme unshakable resolves:

If, when I attain unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening, (anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi)
there exists in my land the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, may I not attain unsurpassed perfect awakening (abhisaṃbodhi).
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land should fall into the three unfortunate realms, may I not attain perfect awakening.³²
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not all share the color of pure gold, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land have differences in appearance, pleasant and unpleasant, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not attain the recollection of past lives, even to the extent of events an uncountable, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of eons ago, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not possess the divine eye and cannot see beyond hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddha lands, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not possess the divine ear and cannot hear buddhas speak the Dharma in lands hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of yojanas³³ away, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not possess the knowledge of others’ minds and cannot understand the mental activities of beings throughout at least hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddha lands, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land do not possess the perfection of mastery of supernormal powers and cannot travel beyond hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddha lands in a single thought, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land have even a notion of self and what belongs to self, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land are not assured to attain perfect awakening and enter great nirvāṇa, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, my radiance is finite and cannot illuminate throughout at least hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of uncountable buddha lands, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, my lifespan is finite and cannot span at least hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number of uncountable eons, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, the number of hearers in my land cannot be known by any sentient being or solitary realizer throughout the trichiliocosm,³⁴ even by exhausting their knowledge to count over hundreds of thousands of years. If anyone were to know the number of hearers, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land have a finite lifespan, may I not attain awakening, except for those who take rebirth through the power of their unshakable resolve.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in my land might have nonvirtuous concepts, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, innumerable buddhas in immeasurable buddha lands do not all extol and praise my land, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain unsurpassed awakening, various types of beings in other buddha lands, upon hearing my name, dedicate all their roots of virtue to rebirth in my land, for thought after thought, or even just contemplate ten times, yet are not born there, may I not attain awakening. The only exceptions are those who commit nonvirtuous actions that result in rebirth in the Relentless Hell and those who slander the correct Dharma and āryas.³⁵
When I attain buddhahood, if beings in other lands generate bodhicitta and pure mindfulness of my buddha land and dedicate roots of virtue to be born there, at the end of their lives I shall appear before them with an assembly of monastics. If this is not the case, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in immeasurable lands, upon hearing my name, dedicate their roots of virtue to rebirth in my Land of Supreme Bliss, yet are not born there, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, if bodhisattvas in my land do not all accomplish the thirty-two marks,³⁶ may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, all bodhisattvas in my land who are on their way to great awakening will attain buddhahood in one lifetime. The only exception is bodhisattvas with great unshakable resolves³⁷ who don the armor of joyous effort to diligently benefit beings and cultivate great nirvāṇa, practice the bodhisattva practices throughout all buddha lands, and make offerings to all the buddhas. They establish as many beings as sand grains in the Ganges in unsurpassed awakening, enabling them to cultivate practices far superior to what they practiced before and to practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s path to attain liberation. If this is not the case, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land will make offerings early every morning to immeasurable hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddhas in other realms and, through the awe-inspiring might of the Buddha, return to my land before mealtime. If they are unable to do so, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, the various offering items that bodhisattvas in my land need to cultivate roots of virtue with buddhas fall short in form or type, may I not attain awakening.
If, by the time I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land speak the essentials of the Dharma but lack the skill to facilitate entry into all-knowing wisdom, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, if the bodhisattvas who take birth in my land do not have the unwavering strength of Nārāyaṇa,³⁸ may I not attain perfect awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, all the adornments throughout my land cannot be fully described by any being. Even those with the divine eye cannot know all their diversity in type, shape, color, brilliance, and characteristics. If anyone can know and fully describe them, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, my land will have trees of immeasurable types of colors that are hundreds of thousands of yojanas in height. If among the bodhisattvas there are those with shallow roots of virtue who cannot perceive them, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, beings in my land will read, recite, teach, and explain sūtras. If they do not have supreme eloquence, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land do not accomplish boundless eloquence, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, my land will be unequaled in radiance and purity. It will clearly reflect immeasurable, countless, inconceivably many buddha lands, just as a clear mirror reflects the image of one’s face. If this is not the case, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, the earth and space in my land will be filled with immeasurable types of incense. There will also be hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of jeweled censers, the fragrance from which will pervade all of space. This supreme fragrance surpasses that of any precious incense in the human or god realms and is offered to the Tathāgata and the bodhisattva assembly. If this is not the case, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, beings in immeasurable, countless, inconceivably, and incomparably many worlds throughout the ten directions who are blessed by the awe-inspiring light of the Buddha will feel, in body and mind, peace and joy exceeding those of any human or god. If this is not the case, I shall not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in immeasurable, inconceivably and incomparably many buddha lands do not attain the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas³⁹ and acquire dhāraṇīs upon hearing my name, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, all the women in countless, inconceivably and incomparably many buddha lands will have pure faith, generate bodhicitta, and become weary of the female body upon hearing my name. If they do not relinquish the female body in future lives, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in immeasurable, countless, inconceivably and incomparably many buddha lands will attain the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas upon hearing my name. If they do not practice supreme pure conduct until the attainment of great awakening, may I not attain perfect awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, all the bodhisattvas in incomparably many buddha lands of the ten directions will prostrate and cultivate the bodhisattva practices with a pure mind upon hearing my name. If gods and humans do not bow to pay respect to these bodhisattvas, may I not attain perfect awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, beings in my land will promptly receive clothing they need according to their wishes, just as one is spontaneously clothed in Dharma robes upon hearing a buddha say, ‘Come, bhikṣu.’ If this is not the case, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, upon birth in my land various types of beings do not all receive the necessities of life and thus experience purity, peace, and joy, like monastics who have put an end to their defilements, may I not attain awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, beings in my land, according to their wishes, will see all the supreme adornments of other pure buddha lands appear amidst jeweled trees, like seeing the image of one’s face in a clear mirror. If this is not the case, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, beings in other buddha lands, upon hearing my name, have deficient faculties lacking extensive, virtuous functions at any point until awakening, may I not attain awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, upon hearing my name bodhisattvas in other buddha lands cannot skillfully distinguish the names and terms of supreme concentrations; if bodhisattvas who are abiding in those concentrations cannot make offerings to immeasurable, countless, inconceivably and incomparably many buddhas within an instant of an utterance; or if they cannot promptly attain great concentrations,⁴⁰ may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, upon hearing my name any bodhisattva in other buddha lands does not take birth in a noble family after their passing, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, upon hearing my name any bodhisattva in other buddha lands does not immediately cultivate the bodhisattva practices, become pure and joyful, abide in equanimity, and possess all roots of virtue, may I not attain perfect awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, upon hearing my name bodhisattvas in other buddha lands will make offerings to immeasurable and incomparably many buddhas without ever regressing from this practice until reaching awakening. If this is not the case, may I not attain perfect awakening.
When I attain buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land will spontaneously hear the Dharma according to their aspirations. If this is not the case, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain unsurpassed awakening, upon hearing my name any bodhisattva in other buddha lands regresses from unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening, may I not attain perfect awakening.
If, when I attain buddhahood, upon hearing my name any bodhisattva in other buddha lands does not promptly attain the first, second, or third types of fortitude,⁴¹ or does not attain the position of nonregression with regard to the Buddhadharma, may I not attain awakening.”

Then the Buddha said to Ānanda, “After Bhikṣu Dharmākara generated these unshakable resolves before Monarch of Mastery in the World Tathāgata, supported by the awe-inspiring power of the Buddha he declared these praises:

‘I now make great vows before the Tathāgatha:
The day when I attain unsurpassed awakening
If I have not fulfilled all the aforementioned resolves
May I not attain the ten powers of an incomparable honored one.

‘If my mind is unable to practice generosity constantly
To aid the poor extensively and prevent all suffering,
Benefit the world and bring about peace and joy,
May I not become a Dharma monarch who protects the world.

‘If I attain buddhahood on the seat of awakening
And my name is not known throughout the worlds in the ten directions
And immeasurable, boundless other buddha lands,
May I not attain the ten powers of one honored in the world.

‘Moving toward unsurpassed great awakening,
If I go forth yet seek objects of desire
And being distracted by them lose the practices of mindfulness and wisdom,
I will not become a guide of beings to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans.

‘I resolve to attain a tathāgatha’s immeasurable brilliance
That shines throughout all buddha lands of the ten directions
And can extinguish all greed, hatred, and ignorance,
And eliminate all unfortunate realms in the world.

‘I resolve to attain brilliance that opens the pure wisdom-eye
And dispels darkness in all realms of existence.
I will eliminate all obstacles without remainder,
And abide peacefully as a great mighty one amongst gods and humans.

‘Purified by cultivating the fundamental practices for awakening,
I will acquire immeasurable, supreme, awe-inspiring light
That eclipses all the brilliance of the
Sun, moon, all the gods, jewels, and fire.

‘After a foremost hero has cultivated these practices,
They are like hidden treasure for those in poverty.
Perfecting virtuous deeds incomparably,
They make the lion’s roar in the great assembly.

‘In the past, I made offerings to those with spontaneous wisdom
And diligently cultivated all ascetic practices for numerous eons
To seek the foremost aggregate of all wisdom
And fulfill my fundamental resolve to become an honored one among gods and humans.

‘A tathāgatha’s knowledge and vision have no obstruction
To comprehend all conditioned phenomena.
May I become an incomparable one,
One foremost in wisdom, a true guide and teacher.

‘If I can realize great awakening
And truly perfect these great vows,
May the trichiliocosm shake
And the assembly of gods shower flowers from the sky.’

Right then, all the great earth quaked,
Heavenly flowers, the sound of drums and music filled all of space,
And a rain of fine, fragrant sandalwood powder fell.
A voice proclaimed, ‘You will become a buddha in the future!’ ”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Before Monarch of Mastery in the World Tathāgatha and all the gods, māras, Brahmā, renunciates, and brāhmans,⁴² Bhikṣu Dharmākara extensively proclaimed these great vows and unshakable resolves that accomplish what is rare in this world. Having made these resolves, Bhikṣu Dharmākara truly established himself well in a variety of merits to fully adorn a pure buddha land with vast and magnificent virtue.

“When cultivating these bodhisattva practices over immeasurable, countless, inconceivable, incomparable, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of eons, from the beginning he never had a thought of greed, hatred, or ignorance; nor the wish to harm out of aversion; nor a thought of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile objects. He constantly delighted in all sentient beings and loved and respected them as his own kin. He was gentle in nature and easy to get along with. When people came to seek help, he would not go against their wishes. There were none who did not wish to follow his kind words of advice and instruction.

“He received offerings and necessities solely to sustain his life. He had few desires and was happy, content, and tranquil. He was naturally endowed with intelligence free from pretense or deceit. His nature was harmonious and agreeable, without any roughness or disagreeability. He constantly cherished sentient beings with compassion and fortitude. His mind was not hypocritical and free from laziness. With kind words, he spurred others to progress and seek to practice all virtuous deeds. For the sake of all beings, he was courageous and unrelenting. He perfected his great unshakable resolves for the benefit of the world. He made offerings to and served his teachers, and respected the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. He constantly donned the armor of joyous effort to engage in the bodhisattva practices. He was inclined to delight in tranquility, having separated from all defiled attachments. To lead sentient beings to constantly cultivate virtuous deeds, he became chief in engaging in virtuous deeds. Without any arrogance, he abided in emptiness that is signless, wishless, unfabricated, unproduced, not arising, not ceasing. And when this exemplary being was practicing the bodhisattva path, he constantly guarded his speech without verbally harming others or himself, and constantly used his speech to benefit himself and others. Despite seeing all forms when he entered a royal city or a village, his mind remained unpolluted. Having purified his mind, he had neither attachment nor antipathy.

“Having practiced the perfection of generosity himself, at this time the bodhisattva was also able to spur others to practice generosity. Regarding the perfection of ethical conduct up to the perfection of wisdom, he practiced and inspired others to practice all these to perfection. As a result of accomplishing all these roots of virtue, immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of hidden treasures naturally emerged in the place where he was born. Later he caused immeasurable, countless, inconceivable, incomparable, boundless types of sentient beings to abide peacefully in unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening. In this way, he caused unlimited assemblies of bodhisattvas to engage in all wondrous practices such as making offerings and serving all the world-honored ones until they attained buddhahood. These deeds cannot be known through language or conceptual thought.

“Whether manifesting as a wheel-turning monarch;⁴³ Śakra; the monarch of the Heaven of Suyāma, Tuṣita, Delighting in Emanations, or Controllers of Others’ Emanations; or the great monarch of the Brahmā realms, he was able to serve and make offerings to all the buddhas, and could request the buddhas to turn the wheel of the Dharma. If he manifested as the monarch of Jambudvīpa,⁴⁴ or an elder, government official, brāhman, or kṣatriya⁴⁵—in all clans he was able to show respect and make offerings to all buddhas and to explain immeasurable Dharma practices, thereby enabling sentient beings to relinquish cyclic existence forever and attain unsurpassed awakening. Then, the bodhisattva was able to make offerings of superior and wondrous clothing, bedding, drink, food, and medicine throughout his life to all tathāgathas so they would abide in peace and happiness. He perfected his roots of virtue in these varieties of ways; no language can fully express them to the limit.

“The wondrous fragrance of sandalwood constantly emitted from his mouth; this fragrance permeated throughout immeasurable, countless, even hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of worlds. Further, from all his pores emitted the aroma of the superior and wondrous utpala flower,⁴⁶ surpassing that of any human or god. According to the place he was born, his appearance was pleasant, dignified, supreme, and flawless. He also attained perfection of the mastery of resourcefulness; his surroundings had no lack of all necessities. It is said that all precious perfumes, flowers, banners, and silk umbrellas; superior and wondrous clothing; medicine, drink, food, medicinal essences; and all hidden treasures and jewels that are wished for naturally emanated from the bodhisattva’s palms. Music of all humans and gods flowed from all the pores of his body. Due to these causes and conditions, he was able to cause an immeasurable, countless, inconceivable variety of sentient beings to abide peacefully in unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening. Ānanda, I have now described the practices that Dharmākara Bodhisattva cultivated.”

Then Ānanda asked the Buddha, “World-honored One, is Dharmākara Bodhisattva’s attainment of awakening in the past, in the future, or in the present in another world?”

The Buddha responded to Ānanda, “A hundred thousand billion buddha lands to the West from here, there is a world called Supreme Bliss. Bhikṣu Dharmākara attained buddhahood there. He is called ‘Immeasurable Life’ and is expounding the Dharma at present, surrounded respectfully by an immeasurable assembly of bodhisattvas and hearers.

“Ānanda, that buddha’s brilliance shines throughout immeasurable, countless, inconceivable buddha lands. I will now describe this briefly. His brilliance illuminates buddha lands numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges in the east, likewise in the north, west, south, the four intermediate directions, and above and below. All these are illuminated with the sole exception of buddha lands supported by the power of their buddhas’ fundamental resolves. Regarding the buddhas’ brilliance, there are some that cover one fathom,⁴⁷ some that cover one yojana or even hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of yojanas, or that completely illuminate a buddha land.

“Ānanda, because of this significance, the Immeasurable Life Buddha also has different names, such as Immeasurable Light, Boundless Light, Unattached Light, Unobstructed Light, Light that Illuminates with a Dignified Monarch’s Brilliance, Loving Light, Joyful Light, Light to be Contemplated, Inconceivable Light, Unequalled Light, Incalculable Light, Eclipsing Sunlight, Eclipsing Moonlight, Surpassing Sunlight and Moonlight. This buddha’s light is brilliant, pure, and extensive, encompassing and brings delight and joy to sentient beings’ bodies and minds. Also, it leads gods, nāgas, yakṣas,⁴⁸ demigods, and so forth, in all other buddha lands to rejoice with delight.

“Ānanda, I have now expounded on this buddha’s brilliance. Speaking about it for a full eon would not be exhaustive. Further, Ānanda, the limits of the entire assembly of hearers of this Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha cannot be calculated or known. Suppose there were hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of monastics in number, all endowed with the mastery of supernormal powers like Mahāmaudgalyāyana,⁴⁹ able to circumambulate a great chiliocosm in the morning and return to their original place in a short time. Suppose they spent hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of years, wishing to count the total number in the entire assembly of hearers at the Immeasurable Life Buddha’s first gathering of disciples. Employing their supernormal powers to the utmost until their exhaustion, they would not reach one hundredth of this number. They also would not know one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, up to one part of an upaniṣad⁵⁰ of this number.

“Ānanda, take for example a great ocean that is 84,000 yojanas deep, the boundaries of which cannot be known by the limits of vision. If a person splits the tip of a single hair into fifty parts and uses one part to obtain a single drop from the great ocean, Ānanda, comparing that drop of water to the great ocean, which has more water?”

Ānanda replied, “Even if one obtained a thousand yojanas of water, it would be less in comparison to the ocean. How then could a drop of water on the tip of a hair compare with that?”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Suppose there were hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of monastics in number, all like Mahāmaudgalyāyana. Over hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of years, they collectively count the number of hearers at the Immeasurable Life Buddha’s first gathering of disciples. The number they could know would be like the drop of water on the tip of a hair; the rest is incalculable like the great ocean. The same applies to the entire assembly of bodhisattvas, those great beings, whose number cannot be known by calculation.

“Ānanda, this Buddha’s lifespan is immeasurable and limitless, one cannot know how many eons in number. Likewise for the lifespan of hearers, bodhisattvas, and gods in his Pure Land.”

Then Ānanda said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, how much time has passed since this buddha appeared in the world until the present? How is he able to have immeasurable life?”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Since this buddha was born, ten eons have passed. Further, Ānanda, this Land of Supreme Bliss is replete with the magnificence of immeasurable merit. The land is bountiful, and gods and humans flourish. Their aspirations are harmonious, and they are continually peaceful and stable. There is no hell, animal, or Yama⁵¹ realm. It is pervaded by the sweet smell of a variety of fragrances, and completely filled with a variety of wondrous flowers. There are rows and columns of pillars made of the seven kinds of precious materials lined up across the land. On these precious pillars hang many banners and parasols and numerous precious bells, replete with hundreds and thousands of all wondrous colors mixed together.

“Ānanda, this Tathāgatha’s land has numerous jeweled trees, such trees of pure gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, ruby, agate, and jade. Some are made only of one type of precious material without being mixed with other precious materials, others of two precious materials, up to being adorned by all seven precious materials.

“Ānanda, the golden trees have golden roots and trunks, and silver leaves, flowers, and fruits. The silver trees have silver roots and trunks, and golden leaves, flowers, and fruits. The agate trees have agate roots and trunks, and beautiful jade leaves, flowers, and fruits. The beautiful jade trees have jade roots and trunks, and leaves, flowers and fruits made of the seven precious materials. Also there are golden trees with golden roots, silver trunks, lapis lazuli branches, crystal twigs, ruby leaves, agate flowers, beautiful jade fruits. And there are silver trees with silver roots, golden trunks, and the rest of its branches, roots, and so forth similar to those of the golden trees. The lapis lazuli trees have lapis lazuli roots, golden trunks, silver branches, crystal twigs, ruby leaves, coral flowers and beautiful jade fruits. The crystal, pearl, and agate trees are wrapped with adornments of various precious materials like the lapis lazuli trees. Also there are jade trees, which have jade roots, golden trunks, silver branches, lapis lazuli branches, crystal leaves, ruby flowers, and agate fruits. There are immeasurable trees adorned by jewels and other precious materials all throughout this land. The splendor and grandeur of these jeweled trees’ brilliance is unequalled in all the worlds. There are nets made of the seven precious materials, similar to what is mentioned above. These nets are as soft as cotton.

“Further, Ānanda, the Immeasurable Life Buddha has a bodhi tree that is sixteen hundred million yojanas tall, with branches and leaves that hang down and cover eight hundred million yojanas. The tree’s roots are five thousand yojanas high above the ground, and their circumference is the same. Its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits constantly have immeasurable hundreds and thousands of varieties of wonderful colors.

“The tree is supremely adorned by gems such as the moonlight maṇi jewel, śakrâbhilagna jewel,⁵² monarch of the mind maṇi jewel, and ceaseless ocean-crossing maṇi jewel. Their brilliance shines everywhere, surpassing any light in the human and god realms. This tree is completely adorned with golden chains and necklaces of hanging jewels, such as rucaka⁵³ jewels; lustrous jewels; and red, white, and green colored pearls that form garlands. There are chains made of teachers-and-students-gathering-like-clouds jewels, and so forth, decorating jeweled pillars that hold up nets of bells made of pure gold, pearl, and various precious substances. These are further covered by magnificent, jeweled chains made of crystal svastikas,⁵⁴ half-moon jewels, and so forth, which reflect and adorn the bells.

“When a gentle breeze blows, all kinds of sounds are produced, causing all sentient beings in thousands of worlds to enter into the extremely profound Dharma according to their different mental inclinations and attain the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas. Ānanda, after hearing these sounds, many sentient beings in the thousands of worlds abide in unsurpassed awakening without regression, and an immeasurable, countless number of sentient beings attain the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas.

“Further, Ānanda, if there are sentient beings who see this bodhi tree, hear its sound, smell its fragrance, taste its fruit, touch its light or shadow, or remember its merits, due to these causes and conditions their five faculties will be faultless and their minds undistracted up to the attainment of nirvāṇa, and they will not regress until they attain unsurpassed, perfect, and complete awakening. Due to seeing this bodhi tree, they will subsequently attain the three types of fortitude. What are the three? First, the fortitude of hearing the Dharma. Second, the fortitude of complying with the Dharma. Third, the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas. All this is empowered by the Immeasurable Life Buddha’s fundamental unshakable resolves and strength in addition to his past cultivation of concentration. Therefore, his unshakable resolves are incomparable, flawless, and skillfully practiced. They skillfully gathered sentient beings and are skillfully accomplished.”⁵⁵

“Further, Ānanda, in this Land of Supreme Bliss, there are no black mountains,⁵⁶ metal ring of mountains,⁵⁷ greater metal ring of mountains, Wondrous High Mountain,⁵⁸ and so forth.”

Ānanda said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, since there is no Heaven of the Four Great Kings or of the Thirty-three Gods,⁵⁹ on what mountain do these celestial beings reside?”

The Buddha replied, “Based on your question and line of thinking, above the Wondrous High Mountain there is the Heaven of Yāma⁶⁰ up to the Heaven of Those with Power Over Others’ Creations and all the heavens in the desire realm. Where would their inhabitants reside?”

Ānanda said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, this is the result of the inconceivable power of karma.”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Can you understand the workings of inconceivable karma?” Ānanda said no.

The Buddha asked Ānanda, “Do you understand the power of the karma of all the virtuous roots of the buddhas and sentient beings?”

Ānanda said, “No. World-honored one, actually, I am free from confusion about this doctrine. I have asked this question to break through the net of doubts that may arise for beings in the future.”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “In this Land of Supreme Bliss, there are no seas, but there are rivers. The narrowest is a full ten yojanas wide, the shallowest is twelve yojanas deep. Such is the depth and breadth of these rivers, measuring twenty, thirty, and even up to a hundred yojanas. The deepest and broadest measure goes up to a thousand yojanas. Their water is clear, cool, and endowed with the eight good qualities.⁶¹ The constant gush of the rivers’ great flow emits wondrous sounds, as if all the gods were playing hundreds and thousands of musical instruments, bringing peace and joy as their sound pervades the world. Numerous glorious flowers line the banks down the stream, emitting various fragrances when moved by the soft breeze. Many sandalwood trees are situated on both sides of the banks, their long branches and dense leaves covering the river. As they blossom and bear fruit, their fragrance and splendor are delightful. All beings enjoy themselves and come and go as they please; some wade into the rivers to bathe and frolic in the streams. Pleasant and agreeable to the touch like water in the celestial realms, the rivers’ depth and shallowness, cold and warmth, are experienced according to beings’ wishes.

“Ānanda, the beds of the great rivers are lined with golden sand. The fragrance of many heavenly perfumes, incomparable in the world, waft on the breeze and mix with the water, making the currents smell sweet. Māndārava, utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers⁶² also float on the water.

“Further, Ānanda, beings in that land sometimes gather to go sightseeing along the river banks. Even though they have attained the divine ear, for those who do not wish to hear the sounds of the flowing currents the sounds cease and they do not hear them. Those who wish to hear them immediately apprehend hundreds of thousands of billions of sounds that they enjoy, such as the sound of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; the sound of serenity; the sound that lacks inherent existence; the sound of the perfections; the sound of the ten powers and four kinds of self-confidence; the sound of supernormal powers; unconditioned sound; sound that is not produced and does not cease; the sound of pacification, the pacification of extremes, and ultimate pacification;⁶³ the sound of great love and compassion; the sound of fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas; the sound of anointment and enthronement of a buddha. After hearing all these sounds, these beings experience supreme bliss and joy. Their minds become concomitant with investigation, renunciation, cessation, pacification, the pacification of extremes, ultimate pacification, extensive understanding of meaning, the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, the powers and four types of self-confidences,⁶⁴ the supernormal powers, serenity, awakening, hearers, and nirvāṇa.

“Further, Ānanda, in this Land of Supreme Bliss, beings do not hear the names of unfortunate realms. There are no such terms as hindrances, afflictions, or obscurations; no such terms as hell, Yāma, or animal; no such terms as the eight difficulties;⁶⁵ and no such terms as the experience of duḥkha, or experiencing neither duḥkha nor happiness. There is not even the notion of duḥkha, much less actual suffering. For this reason, this land’s name is Supreme Bliss. Ānanda, I have now briefly described the causes and conditions of this Land of Supreme Bliss. If I were to give an extensive description, it would take more than an entire eon.

“Further, Ānanda, all beings in this Land of Supreme Bliss, whether they have already been born, are being born, or will be born, all obtain such bodies of wondrous color. Their physical appearance is dignified and they have mastery of supernormal powers. They are endowed with the power of merit and enjoy the use of various palaces, gardens, clothes, food, drink, fragrant flowers, and jewelry, all according to their wishes and needs, just like in the Heaven of Controllers of Others’ Emanations.

“Further, Ānanda, in this buddha land there are fine foods that all the various types of sentient beings have never tasted before. Just as in the sixth heaven,⁶⁶ food and drink appear according to their wishes, and after consuming it their physical strength grows and they produce no urine or excrement.

“Further, there are immeasurable satisfying and wondrous fragrances, fragrant ointments, and powdered fragrances. These fragrances pervade the entire buddha land; flowers and banners are strewn everywhere. Those who desire fragrances smell them immediately according to their wishes. Those who do not delight in them never experience them.

“Furthermore, there are immeasurable wondrous clothes and all kinds of precious adornments —jeweled caps, rings, bracelets, earrings, jeweled necklaces, flower garlands, and decorative chains. Their brilliance is immeasurable and they have hundreds of thousands of wondrous colors. All beings in this land are naturally endowed with them.

“Further, there are nets adorning the entire land made of gold, silver, pearl, and other wondrous treasures with numerous precious bells hanging from them. If sentient beings need palaces, towers, and more, these spontaneously appear. They are high, low, long, short, broad, narrow, square, or round according to beings’ delight and desire, with beds and seats covered in wondrous cloth and adorned with all kinds of treasures. All beings think they have their own palace.

“Further, Ānanda, in the Land of Supreme Bliss, all beings are not distinguished by characteristics. They have the names of humans or gods according to the customs of other places. Ānanda, just as a lowly paṇḍaka⁶⁷ cannot be compared with a wheel-turning monarch whose awe-inspiring light and virtue are possessed by no other, similarly Indra’s awe-inspiring light and qualities are inferior to those of the monarch of the sixth heaven. The gardens, parks, palaces, clothing, various adornments, honor, sovereignty, status, supernormal powers, and manifestations of beings born in the pure land cannot be compared. They are only similar in terms of their enjoyment of the Dharma. Ānanda, know that the sentient beings in this land are just like the monarch of the Heaven of Controllers of Others’ Emanations.

“Ānanda, in this realm of Supreme Bliss, in the morning throughout the four directions there is the fine movement of a soft breeze, neither opposing nor disturbing. It spreads the various perfumes of all varieties of flowers and their fragrance permeates the entire land. When the breeze touches their bodies, all sentient beings are peaceful, harmonious, and at ease, like a monastic who has attained the concentration of complete cessation.

“When this breeze blows through the forest of trees made of seven precious substances, the falling flowers form heaps seven times the height of a person, their various brilliant colors illuminating the buddha land. Just as if a person were to cover the ground with flowers and flatten them by hand, and mix the distribution of flowers of various colors, the heaps of flowers are likewise. These flowers are wondrous, large, and as soft as cotton. If sentient beings step on these flowers, their feet sink in to a depth of four fingers. When they lift their feet, the flowers return to their original state. Once the morning is over, these flowers naturally dissolve into the ground. Once the old flowers have dissolved, the great earth is clean and pure. Then, a shower of new flowers falls throughout the land. In this way at noon, in the late afternoon, and in the early, middle, and later parts of the night, falling flowers form heaps in the same way. Ānanda, among all the great and rare treasures, there is none that is not found in the Land of Supreme Bliss.

“Ānanda, in this buddha land there are seven precious lotuses. Each lotus has hundreds of thousands of billions of immeasurable leaves. Each leaf has hundreds of thousands of immeasurable rare and unusual colors. They are adorned by hundreds of thousands of wondrous jewels that enhance the jeweled nets above. Ānanda, the size of these lotus flowers ranges from half a yojana to one, two, three, four, even up to a hundred yojanas. Each flower emits thirty-six hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of light rays. From each light ray emerges thirty-six hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddhas. Their bodies are like golden light, they possess the thirty-two signs of a great being, and are supremely adorned by the eighty marks. They radiate hundreds of thousands of light rays that shine throughout the world. These buddhas now travel to the east to teach the Dharma to beings, and they firmly establish immeasurable sentient beings in the Buddhadharma. They do the same in the south, west, north, four intermediate directions, above, and below.

“Further, Ānanda, the Land of Supreme Bliss has no darkness, firelight, fountains, ponds, or lakes;⁶⁸ no terms or symbols of family residences or imperial parks; no forms like young children; no symbols of sun, moon, day, or night. Everywhere there are no signs and no terms, except through the power of the Tathāgatha.

“Ānanda, when sentient beings are born in this land, they attain complete, unsurpassed awakening and arrive at the state of nirvāṇa. Why is this so? Beings who follow negative paths or beings whose path is undecided⁶⁹ are unable to understand how to create the causes to be reborn in the Land of Supreme Bliss.

“Ānanda, in the east there are worlds numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges. In each of these worlds, there are buddhas numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges. Each and every one one of these buddhas praises Amitābha’s immeasurable merit. All the buddhas in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below do likewise. Why is this so? When all the sentient beings in the buddha lands in other directions hear the name of Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha and are able to generate even one thought of pure faith, joy, and delight, those who dedicate their roots of virtue to be born in the land of Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha will be born according to their aspirations. They will not regress until they attain unsurpassed full awakening, except for those who have committed the five heinous actions,⁷⁰ slandered or destroyed the proper Dharma, or slandered āryas.

“Ānanda, suppose there are sentient beings in other buddha lands who focus on the mindfulness of Immeasurable Life Buddha, continuously cultivate numerous roots of virtue, and dedicate them to the fulfill their aspiration to be born in that buddha’s land. At the end of their lives, Immeasurable Life Buddha and his assembly of monastics will manifest before them and surround them completely. They will then follow the Tathāgatha and be born in his land. They will not regress and will attain unsurpassed full awakening. Therefore, Ānanda, virtuous men and women who aspire to be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss and wish to see the Immeasurable Life Buddha should generate unsurpassed bodhicitta, focus on mindfulness of the Land of Supreme Bliss, cultivate and accumulate roots of virtue, and maintain them through the dedication of merit. As a result of this, they will see this buddha, be born in his land, and will not regress until they have attained unsurpassed awakening.

“Ānanda, suppose there are sentient beings in other lands who generate bodhicitta but do not focus on the mindfulness of Immeasurable Life Buddha and do not continuously cultivate numerous roots of virtue. According to their practice of virtues and merits, if they dedicate to see that buddha and aspire to be reborn in his land, at the end of their lives Immeasurable Life Buddha will immediately send an emanation and completely surround them with his assembly of monastics. This emanation of the Buddha is brilliant, beautiful, and no different from the actual Buddha. He appears before such persons to gather and guide them, and they follow the emanated Buddha to be reborn in his land, where they attain unsurpassed awakening without regression.

“Ānanda, suppose there are sentient beings abiding in the Great Vehicle who turn towards Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha with a pure mind, are mindful of Immeasurable Life Buddha for even ten moments, and aspire to be born in his land. They hear the profound Dharma, generate faith and understanding, and their minds are free from doubt. If they attain even one moment of mental purity and generate one moment of mind that is mindful of Immeasurable Life Buddha, at the end of their lives they will see Immeasurable Life Buddha as if in a dream. They will definitely be born in his land and will attain unsurpassed awakening without regression. Ānanda, as a result of these benefits, all the buddhas and tathāgathas in immeasurable, countless, inconceivable, unequalled, and limitless worlds praise all the merits of the Immeasurable Life Buddha.”

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “In the east there are worlds numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges River. In each of these worlds, there are bodhisattvas numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges. For the sake of fulfilling their wishes, they revere, pay homage, and make offerings to Immeasurable Life Buddha, and the entire assembly of āryas comes to visit this Buddha’s abode. Likewise in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below.”

The World-honored One declared these praises:

“In the east are buddha lands
Numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges River.
In such buddha lands are assemblies of bodhisattvas
Numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges.

“Manifesting their supernormal powers, they all come
To pay homage to the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.
The entire assembly of āryas in the three directions
Appears to pay homage and take refuge together.

“In worlds numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges,
Their brilliant wisdom clarifies all debates.
Abiding in the deep bliss of meditative absorption,
They are endowed with the four kinds of self-confidence.⁷¹

“Each bearing various wondrous flowers and
Remarkable and delightful fragrances,
They play heavenly music with
Hundreds of thousands of harmonious, elegant sounds

“As offerings to the teacher of gods and humans,
Whose name is renowned in the ten directions,
Who has perfected the supernormal powers,
And has mastered all Dharma practices.

“He diligently practiced without laxity or fatigue
All the ways to make offerings.
The scope of his merit and wisdom
Breaks through all darkness.

“With minds of respect they
Present various precious, wondrous offerings.
When they see this supreme land
With its limitless bodhisattva assembly
They aspire to quickly attain awakening
To establish a similar peaceful and blissful pure realm.

“The World-Honored One, aware of
Their vast and inconceivable motivation
Shows a smile on his golden face.
He tells them that they will accomplish their aspirations.

“By understanding that all phenomena are like illusions
And the buddha land like a dream or an echo,
They should constantly generate the resolve to adorn and
Accomplish a wondrous land.

“By the power of this aspiration, the bodhisattvas
Cultivate the supreme bodhisattva practices.
They realize the buddha land is like a reflection,
And generate minds of vast resolve.

“If you seek to be in a completely pure land
Of limitless splendor
Listen to the sound of the buddha’s noble, virtuous name
And aspire to be born in the land of peace and bliss.

“If any of the bodhisattvas
Seeks to establish a pure land
They should understand that phenomena are selfless
And aspire to be born in the land of peace and bliss.

“Further, Ānanda, all the bodhisattvas in the Land of Supreme Bliss abide peacefully with unsurpassed bodhicitta in the attainment of buddhahood in one lifetime, except for the assembly of those great beings who have made great resolves, are able to make the lion’s roar, and don the great armor of joyous effort to liberate sentient beings and cultivate great nirvāṇa.

“Further, Ānanda, the assembly of hearers in this buddha land all have bodies whose light can illuminate one fathom. The bodhisattvas’ brilliance illuminates the limit of hundreds of thousands of fathoms, except for two bodhisattvas whose brilliance constantly illuminates the trichiliocosm.”

Ānanda said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, what are the names of these two bodhisattvas?”

The Buddha replied to Ānanda, “Now, you should listen attentively. Of these two bodhisattvas, one is named Gazing Lord and the other is named One Who Has Attained Great Power.⁷²

“Ānanda, when their lifespan in the Sahā world⁷³ was exhausted, these two bodhisattvas were born in this land. Ānanda, the bodhisattvas born in the Land of Supreme Bliss are all endowed with the thirty-two signs. Their bodies are supple and their faculties sharp and intelligent. Skilled in wisdom, there is nothing about the discrimination of phenomena they do not understand. Skilled in traversing the meditative absorptions and the play of supernormal powers, none of them is of the lineage with weak merit and dull faculties. Among these bodhisattvas, an immeasurable, limitless number have attained the first or second type of fortitude or the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas.

“Ānanda, the bodhisattvas in this land will not fall into the lower realms until they attain awakening, and wherever they are born, they will be able to know their previous lives, except when they manifest in the world in the time of the five degenerations.

“Ānanda, all the bodhisattvas in this land make offerings in the morning to immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of buddhas in all directions. According to their wishes, they offer all kinds of flower garlands, perfumed ointments, powdered incense, hanging banners, silk canopies, and music. Through the supernormal powers of the buddhas, these all appear in their hands to be offered to all the buddhas. In this way, the offering objects are great, plentiful, countless, limitless, and inconceivable.

“If it further pleases them to wish for all kinds of remarkable flowers that have immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of brilliant colors, these all appear in their hands to be scattered as offerings to all the buddhas. Ānanda, these scattered flowers then transform in space into flower canopies, the smallest of which is ten yojanas wide. If no new flowers are further scattered, the flowers that were scattered before will not wilt. Ānanda, some of these flower canopies are twenty yojanas wide, or thirty, forty, up to a thousand yojanas. Some are equal in size to the four continents, or cover a small chiliocosm, a medium chiliocosm, up to a trichiliocosm.

“Having attained their hearts’ wishes, these bodhisattvas greatly rejoice. In the morning, they offer service, make offerings, honor, and praise immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddhas. Having cultivated such roots of virtue, they then return to their land in the morning. All these activities are empowered by Immeasurable Life Buddha’s fundamental resolves and these bodhisattvas having made offerings in the past to the tathāgathas. Therefore, their roots of virtue are perpetual and flawless due to their skill in practice, skill in gathering virtue, and skill in accomplishments.

“Further, Ānanda, in this Land of Supreme Bliss, the speech of the entire bodhisattva assembly accords with all-knowing wisdom. They do not accumulate whatever objects they use, but travel throughout the buddha land free from attachment, aversion, and desire. They are free from thoughts of desire, thoughts of a self, afflictive thoughts, thoughts of “I,” and thoughts of conflict, opposition, resentment, and hatred. Why is this so?

“These bodhisattvas have great compassion and the mind wishing to benefit all sentient beings. Their minds are pliant and unobstructed, undefiled, free from hatred, equanimous, subdued, and tranquil. Their minds have fortitude, the fortitude of being subdued, equipoise, clarity and purity, and are free from distraction, confusion, and concealment. They have minds of purity, great purity, illumination, and stainlessness. They have minds of great and awe-inspiring virtue, kindness, and vastness, incomparable and extremely profound. They have minds of love for the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, and benevolence. They have minds of renunciation of all attachments, renunciation that seek to cut off all sentient beings’ afflictions and to close the doors to all unfortunate realms.

“Having engaged in the practices to cultivate wisdom, they accomplish immeasurable merit. They are skilled in expounding on the meditative absorptions and the thirty-seven harmonies with awakening.⁷⁴They constantly revel in diligent practice and expound the path to full awakening. When they generate the physical eye, it can discriminate countless phenomena. When they attain the divine eye, it illuminates all buddha lands. Their pure Dharma eye can liberate from all attachments and their wisdom eye realizes how to reach the other shore. Their buddha eye accomplishes awakening and the ability to teach the Dharma.⁷⁵

“These bodhisattvas generate unobstructed wisdom in order to teach others extensively. In the three realms they practice diligently with equanimity. They subdue their own minds and are able to subdue the minds of all sentient beings, enabling them to attain supreme serenity and realize that there is nothing to be attained with regard to all phenomena. They skillfully explain the Dharma with eloquent expressions, diligently practice making offerings to all the buddhas, and subdue the afflictions of all sentient beings. All these are possible due to their pleasing the tathāgathas.

“When bodhisattvas contemplate in this way, they are able to perceive that there is nothing to be attained with regard to all phenomena. With expedient wisdom they practice the methods to attain cessation. They know well what to practice and abandon by knowing what is reasonable and not reasonable, becoming skilled in such discernment.

“Their minds take no delight in worldly speech; they diligently practice the transcendental scriptures with sincere faith. They are skilled in seeking out all Dharma methods to increase their understanding. They know that all phenomena have no intrinsic nature and cannot be attained in reality, and they have no partiality regarding methods of practice. They transcend aging and sickness and abide in all merits. They constantly abide peacefully in the state of supernormal powers, diligently practice the profound Dharma, and never regress from their realization of the profound Dharma. They are able to grasp all Dharmas that are difficult to understand, and attain the path of the single vehicle of buddhahood without doubt or confusion. They do not need to rely on others to realize the Dharma taught by the buddha.

“Their wisdom is magnificent and deep like an immense ocean. Their awakening is lofty and vast like Mount Sumeru. The awe-inspiring light of their bodies exceeds that of the sun and moon. Whatever thoughts or discrimination they have accord with wisdom. Like a snowy mountain, their minds are clean and pure. Their limitless merit illuminates everywhere, like fire, it completely burns the fuel of the afflictions. Unmoved by distinctions of virtue and nonvirtue, their minds are tranquil and constantly peaceful, like the great earth. Like pure water they cleanse away the afflictions. Their minds are without possessors, free like fire. Like the wind, they are unattached to the world. Like the earth, they nourish all sentient beings, and they observe the entire world like empty space. Like a good vehicle, they carry the load of all sentient beings. Unpolluted by worldly phenomena, they are like the lotus flower.

“The sound of their Dharma travels far and wide like thunder. They pour down all Dharma like a great rainfall. Like great gods their brilliance obscures that of other sages. Like great nāgas and elephants they have the power to subdue sentient beings. Like the nyagrodha tree⁷⁶ they shelter and protect sentient beings. Like a ring of mountains, they are unmoved by other philosophies. Like the Ganges River their cultivation of compassion is immeasurable. Like the great Brahmā they are at the forefront of monarchs in the practice of all virtuous deeds. Like birds in flight they accumulate nothing. Like the golden-winged monarch of birds they subdue opponents. Like the udumbara flower they are rare and difficult to encounter.

“Supreme among heroes, their minds are full of integrity. Free from laziness, they are able to practice well. They are skilled at determining what is right among all views. Gentle and patient, they are free from jealousy. They cannot get their fill of discussing the Dharma and seek the Dharma tirelessly. With constant diligence they expound the Dharma to benefit sentient beings. Their ethical conduct is like lapis lazuli, internally and externally clear and pure. They listen well to all Dharma, treating it like a magnificent jewel. Their explanations delight and subdue beings. By the power of wisdom, they plant the great banner of the Dharma, blow the great Dharma conch, and sound the great Dharma drum.

“They constantly delight in diligent practice and serve as exemplars of all the Dharma. Due to their brilliant wisdom, their minds are free from confusion. They have distanced themselves from all faults and do no harm. Through purifying the mind they discard all filth and pollution. They constantly practice giving with kindness, and always relinquish greed and miserliness. They are warm-hearted by nature and constantly keep integrity and consideration for others in mind. Their minds are tranquil and calm, and their wisdom examines with clarity.

“Serving as lamps for the world, they dispel the darkness for all sentient beings. Worthy of receiving offerings, they are a supreme field of merit. As great teachers, they bring relief to all beings. Free from anger and attachment, their minds are pure and free from worries. As great Dharma generals, they advance courageously without fear. Knowing the suffering in the hell realms, they subdue themselves and others, pulling out the poisoned arrows of the afflictions for the benefit of sentient beings. As knowers of the world and teachers of the world, they guide all beings to relinquish all craving. Forever liberated from the three poisons, they delight in the play of supernormal powers.

“They have the power of past causes, the power of external conditions, the power of resolve, the power to generate action, worldly power, transcendental power, the power of virtuous roots, the power of meditative absorption, the power of hearing, the power of renunciation, the power of ethical conduct, the power of fortitude, the power of joyous effort, the power of concentration, the power of wisdom, the power of calm abiding, the power of special insight, supernormal powers, the power of mindfulness, the power of awareness, the power to conquer all of Māra’s great armies , the power to debate the Dharma with others, the power to destroy all the suffering of the afflictions, and great magnificent power.

“Endowed with powerful merit, their appearance is pleasant and dignified. Their wisdom, eloquence, and roots of virtue are flawless. Their eyes are clear, slender, and delightful to all beings; their bodies are clean and free from arrogance. With minds of respect they serve the buddhas and cultivate all foundations of virtue in the presence of all buddhas. They uproot and eradicate conceit, attachment, hatred, and ignorance.

“Supreme in good fortune, they are foremost among those worthy of offerings. Abiding in the state of supreme knowledge, they radiate the light of wisdom. Their minds have joy and they are mighty and fearless. Replete with merit and wisdom, they are free from impediments. Upon hearing a request to teach, they instruct all beings who are able to gain understanding according to the Dharma they hear. They courageously and diligently cultivate the factors conducive to awakening, and constantly abide peacefully in emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, and the meditative absorption of nonproduction and noncessation. Traveling throughout all the places of awakening,⁷⁷ they are detached from the state of the two vehicles.

“Ānanda, I have now briefly explained the true merits of the assembly of bodhisattvas, those great beings born in the Land of Supreme Bliss. Ānanda, suppose I let my body abide for a lifespan of hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of eons, and with unimpeded eloquence wish to fully extol the true merits of all those great bodhisattvas, I would not be able to finish. Ānanda, even if those great bodhisattvas reached the end of their lifespan, they would not be able to know this.”
Then the World-honored One said to Ānanda, “Such is the Land of Supreme Bliss of Immeasurable Life Buddha. You should rise from your seat, put your palms together, and prostrate to pay homage to this buddha. This buddha’s name is praised throughout all the ten directions. In each and every direction, all the buddhas numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges praise him together without constraint or cessation.”

At this time, Ānanda at once rose from his seat and bared his right shoulder. Facing the west, he put his palms together and prostrated. He said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, I now wish to see the Land of Supreme Bliss of Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha and make offerings to and serve hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddhas and bodhisattvas in that assembly to plant all roots of virtue.”

At that time, the Immeasurable Life Buddha at once sent forth great light from within his palm, illuminating hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number of buddha lands. All the great and small mountains in all these buddha lands—the black mountains, jewel mountains, Mount Sumeru, Mount Meru, Great Mount Meru, Mount Mucilinda, Mount Mahāmucilinda, the ring of mountains, the great ring of mountains—as well as forests, gardens, all palaces, and gods’ and humans’ property—everything became visible through the light of the Buddha.

Just as a person with the pure divine eye looks at a fathom of land and sees everything, or how myriad phenomena become visible when sunlight appears, the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās⁷⁸ in all these lands all saw Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha appearing like the monarch of Mount Sumeru and illuminating all buddha lands. At that time, all buddha lands became clearly visible as if they were within a fathom’s distance. Due to the great purity of the supreme brilliance of Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha, they saw his high throne and the entire assembly of hearers and bodhisattvas appeared to be like the great earth flooded to the brim with water that submerges all the forests, mountains, and rivers such that only a great mass of water could be seen.

“In this way, Ānanda, in this buddha land there are no beings of other types or different forms. The only exception is that all those in the great assembly of hearers emit light up to one fathom, the bodhisattvas, those great beings, emit light up to hundreds of thousands of fathoms of yojanas, and the light of Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha, the arhat, the fully awakened one, outshines that of all the hearers and bodhisattvas, enabling all sentient beings to perceive all phenomena. The assembly of bodhisattvas, hearers, gods, and humans in the Land of Supreme Bliss all see Śākyamuni Buddha surrounded by his assembly of monastics, teaching the Dharma in the Sahā world.”

Then the Buddha said to Maitreya Bodhisattva,⁷⁹ “Do you clearly see this buddha land replete with purity and adorned with awe-inspiring virtue, and see its forests, gardens, springs, and ponds in space? Can you see that from the great earth up to the highest celestial realm in the form realm, it is adorned by forests that scatter flowers into space? Further, there are various birds that abide in the realm of space, making all kinds of sounds like the buddha’s voice that is heard throughout the world. All these birds are manifestations and not actual animals. Do you see all this?”

Maitreya said to the Buddha, “Yes, I have seen just that.”

The Buddha said further to Maitreya Bodhisattva, “Do you see all these sentient beings who enter palaces hundreds of thousands of yojanas in size and travel through space without attachment or obstacle to all the buddha lands to make offerings to all the buddhas? And do you see these sentient beings continuously mindful of the Buddha at all times of the day and night?”

Maitreya said, “Yes, I see that completely.”

The Buddha said further, “Do you see any difference between the resources enjoyed by the beings in the Land of Supreme Bliss and those in the Heaven of Controllers of Others’ Emanations?”

Maitreya said, “I don’t see much difference between them.”

The Buddha said to Maitreya, “Do you see beings in the Land of Supreme Bliss abiding in a womb?”

Maitreya said, “World-honored one, just like beings in the Heaven of the Thirty-three and the Heaven of Yāma, who enter palaces that are a hundred yojanas up to five hundred yojanas in size to delight in play, I see beings in the Land of Supreme Bliss abiding in wombs like beings in the Heaven of Yāma in their palaces. I also see beings in lotuses sitting cross-legged who are born by spontaneous manifestation.”

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva further said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, due to what causes and conditions are sentient beings in that land born from a womb or by spontaneous manifestation?”

The Buddha said to Maitreya, “If there are sentient beings who fall into doubt and regret while cultivating and accumulating roots of virtue, even if they seek the buddha’s wisdom, pervasive wisdom, inconceivable wisdom, unequalled wisdom, awe-inspiring virtuous wisdom, or vast wisdom, they are unable to generate faith with regard to their own roots of virtue. For this reason, they live in a palace for five hundred years, unable to see the buddha, hear the Dharma, or see the assembly of bodhisattvas and hearers.

“If there are sentient beings who eliminate doubt and regret while cultivating and accumulating roots of virtue, who seek the buddha’s wisdom up to vast wisdom and have faith in their roots of virtue, these beings spontaneously manifest in a lotus sitting cross-legged, arising in an instant. Just like a person who arrives from a foreign land, these bodhisattvas from other lands generate the wish to be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss to see the Immeasurable Life Buddha, and to serve and make offerings to him and the entire assembly of bodhisattvas and hearers.

“Ajita,⁸⁰ you can see those with supreme wisdom, who due to the power of their vast wisdom attain a spontaneous manifestation, seated cross-legged inside a lotus. You can see those in the lesser group, who for five hundred years do not see the buddha, hear the Dharma, or see the assembly of bodhisattvas and hearers. They do not know the bodhisattvas’ conduct and precepts, and thus are unable to practice all meritorious virtues. They do not have the cause to serve the Immeasurable Life Buddha. All this is the result of their penchant for doubt and regret in the past.

“They are like the child of the monarch of kṣatriyas who breaks the law and is imprisoned deep in the palace inside a tower adorned by flowers, with levels of magnificent halls furnished with rare and wondrous jewels, jeweled curtains, and a golden bed covered in layers of bedding. Remarkable flowers cover the ground, great precious incense burns in the air, and their resources of clothing and carriage are abundant in every way. However, their legs are shackled by chains of gold from Jambudvīpa.”
The Buddha said to Maitreya, “What do you think, does this monarch’s child have peace of mind and feel happy about this?”

Maitreya replied, “No. World-honored One, while imprisoned, they constantly think of how to be liberated and plead with their relatives, nobles, officials, elders, and the monarch’s close subjects. Although the monarch’s child seeks to be freed, their wishes will not be fulfilled until it pleases the monarch of kṣatriyas, then they will be liberated.”

The Buddha said to Maitreya, “Indeed, indeed. Suppose while cultivating roots of virtue and seeking the buddha’s wisdom up to vast wisdom, a person falls into doubt and regret and cannot generate faith regarding their own roots of virtue. Due to hearing the buddha’s name and generating faith, they are born in a lotus in his land but cannot emerge. Such sentient beings abide in the lotus-womb, thinking it is like a garden or palace. Why is this so?

“In the lotus, it is pure without filth or negativity; there is nothing that is not delightful. Nonetheless, for five hundred years, these sentient beings do not see the buddha, hear the Dharma, or see the assembly of bodhisattvas and hearers. They are unable to make offerings to and serve all buddhas and unable to ask the bodhisattvas about the treasury of the Dharma. They are separated from all supreme roots of virtue. They do not experience joy inside the lotus as they are unable to emerge and practice virtuous deeds. When the faults they have previously created in the world are exhausted, then they emerge from the lotus. When they emerge, their minds are confused as to what is above, below, and in the four cardinal directions. If during the five hundred years they become free from doubt, they can immediately make offerings to immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number of buddhas, and cultivate immeasurable, limitless roots of virtue. Ajita, you should know that doubt is a cause of great harm to all bodhisattvas.

Then Maitreya Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, in this world, how many bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression will be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss?”
The Buddha said to Maitreya, “In that buddha land, there are seventy-two hundred million bodhisattvas. They went to immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of billions of a vast number of buddhas’ abodes to cultivate roots of virtue, attained nonregression, and were born in that land. Moreover, the number of other bodhisattvas with lesser roots of virtue who are born in that land cannot be measured.

“Ajita, from the buddha land of Enduring Difficulties Tathāgatha there are 1,800 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss. In the northeastern buddha land of Jeweled Treasury Tathāgatha there are 900 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land (the Land of Supreme Bliss). From the buddha land of Immeasurable Sound Tathāgatha there are 2,200 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Bright Light Tathāgatha there are 3,200 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Nāga God Tathāgatha there are 1,400 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Supreme Heavenly Power Tathāgatha there are 12,000 bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Lion Tathāgatha, there are five hundred bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Free from Defilement Tathāgatha, there are 8,100 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of World of Heaven Tathāgatha there are 6,000 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Supreme Accumulation Tathāgatha there are 6,000 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. From the buddha land of Monarch of Humans Tathāgatha there are a hundred million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land.

“From the buddha land of Supreme Flower Tathāgatha there are five hundred bodhisattvas endowed with great joyous effort who generate the wish to enter the single vehicle. In seven days, they can cause sentient beings to become liberated from hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number of eons of rebirth in cyclic existence. They too will be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss. From the buddha land of Arousing Joyous Effort Tathāgatha there are 6,900 million bodhisattvas who have attained nonregression and will be born in that land. When they arrive at that land, they make offerings and bow to pay homage to Immeasurable Life Tathāgatha and his assembly of bodhisattvas.

“Ajita, suppose I were to fully describe the bodhisattvas from all directions born in the Land of Supreme Bliss, whether they have already arrived, are arriving, or will arrive to make offerings, bow to pay homage, and revere Immeasurable Life Buddha, and so forth. Exhausting an eon would not suffice just to say their names.

“Ajita, observe how these bodhisattvas, these great beings, are skilled in gaining benefit. If a person hears the name of that buddha and can generate one thought of delight, they will attain the merits as I have explained before. Their minds are free from inferiority or conceit, and they accomplish and increase all roots of virtue.

“Ajita, for this reason I have explained this to you and the gods, humans, demigods, and so forth of the world. I now bestow and urge this Dharma practice upon you. You should cherish, delight in, and practice it, even for a single day and night. Uphold, read, and recite it to generate the mind of aspiration, and explain it to great assemblies. You should encourage others to copy and preserve this sūtra, and generate the thought of this sūtra as your teacher.

“Ajita, for this reason bodhisattvas, those great beings, who wish to cause immeasurable numbers of sentient beings to swiftly abide peacefully in the state of nonregression up to unsurpassed full awakening, and wish to see the vast, magnificent, supremely inviting buddha land and perfect all merits, should arouse the power of joyous effort and listen to this Dharma practice. Suppose they had to pass through a great chiliocosm ablaze with ferocious fire. For the sake of seeking the Dharma, retreat, submission, or hypocrisy would not arise in their minds. They read, recite, uphold, and copy this sūtra, and explain it even for an instant to sentient beings, encouraging them to listen to it and avoid generating the afflictions. Even if they had to enter into a great fire, they would not generate doubt or regret. Why is this so? These immeasurable millions of bodhisattvas all seek this wondrous Dharma practice. They listen to it with respect and avoid transgressing it. Therefore, you and others should seek this practice.

“Ajita, such sentient beings will attain great virtuous benefits. Suppose in future lives, up to the time when the proper Dharma is about to be extinguished, if there are sentient beings who cultivate the foundations of virtue and have made offerings to immeasurable buddhas, due to the tathāgathas’ empowerment, they can receive this vast Dharma practice and all the tathāgathas’ praise, delight, and recognition. If they assimilate and uphold this Dharma practice, they will attain vast all-knowing wisdom and cultivate all roots of virtue according to their wishes and pleasure.

“Suppose a virtuous man or woman has vast and supreme understanding of this Dharma practice, they will be able to listen to it and attain great joy. They will uphold, read, recite, explain it extensively to others, and constantly delight in practicing it. Ajita, immeasurable millions of bodhisattvas who seek this Dharma practice have never transgressed it. Therefore, if you and all virtuous men and women, whether at present or in future lives, have sought, are seeking, or will seek this Dharma practice, will all attain virtuous benefits.

“Ajita, the Tathāgatha has done what should be done. You should abide peacefully without doubt and cultivate all the foundations of virtue. You should constantly study and practice to become free from doubt or lethargy, so that you will not enter the prison created from all kinds of precious jewels. Ajita, even for those with great and awe-inspiring virtue who can generate a vast variety of Dharma practices, due to not listening to this Dharma practice, one million bodhisattvas will regress from unsurpassed full awakening.

“Ajita, it is rare for a buddha to appear in the world, rare to be free from the eight hindrances, and rare to obtain the unsurpassed Dharma of all the buddhas and tathāgathas—the ten powers, four kinds of self-confidence, the profound Dharma that is free from obstruction and attachment, and the perfections that are the Dharma of the bodhisattvas. Those who are able to explain these practices are also rare.

“Ajita, it is rare to encounter a person who is good at explaining the Dharma, and it is rare to generate firm and deep faith in the Dharma. Therefore I have expounded the truth, and in your practice you should abide in what I have taught.

“Ajita, I entrust you with this Dharma practice and the Buddhadharma. You should practice and not cause it to become extinguished. This vast, wondrous Dharma practice is praised by all the buddhas. Do not go against what the Buddha has taught by abandoning it. Otherwise, you will not attain virtuous benefits; you will be oppressed by the long night and endure all dangers and sufferings. Therefore I now greatly exhort you to cause this Dharma practice to remain for a long time without becoming extinguished. You should practice diligently and follow what I have taught.”

Then the World-honored One declared these praises:

“If you have not cultivated merit and virtue from the start
Ultimately you will not hear this wondrous Dharma.
Those who are courageous and can accomplish all virtuous benefits
Will hear such a profound sūtra as this.

“Such people have seen all the world-honored ones
And can serve as great lights to liberate a chaotic world.
Their learning and retention are like the great ocean
And they win the affection of all the āryas.

“Inferior people who are lazy and hold wrong views
Do not believe this proper Dharma taught by the Tathāgatha.
Those who have cultivated virtues with buddhas in the past
Can practice the deeds that will save the world.

“Like a blind person constantly abiding in darkness
Unable to enlighten others about the path,
So are hearers with regard to the buddha’s wisdom.
How could other sentient beings compare in understanding?

“The Buddha himself knows the Tathāgatha’s merit
Only the World-honored One can expound on this.
Gods, nāgas, and yakṣas have no such ability, and
The practitioners of the two Fundamental Vehicles⁸¹ have no words for it.

“Suppose all sentient beings attained buddhahood
Surpassing Samantabhadra’s deeds to reach the other shore.
For them to elucidate the merits of a single buddha
Would take more time than inconceivably numerous eons,
During which their bodies would pass into parinirvāṇa⁸²
As a buddha’s supreme wisdom cannot be measured.

“For this reason, those endowed with faith, learning,
And protection from virtuous friends
Will hear such a profound and wondrous Dharma
And win the love and attention of all the honorable āryas.

“The Tathāgatha’s supreme wisdom pervades all like space,
Only the Buddha has realized the meaning of what he teaches.
Therefore wise ones with extensive learning
Should have faith in my teachings as words of truth.

“It is extremely rare to obtain a human body
And it is rare to encounter a tathāgatha who has appeared in the world.
It takes great time to attain faith and wisdom,
Therefore practitioners should have joyous effort.

“Those who have heard this wondrous Dharma,
Who are constantly mindful of all buddhas and generate joy,
Will be my true friends in future lives,
Skilled in joyfully seeking a buddha’s awakening.”

After the World-honored One had spoken this sūtra, twelve billion of a vast number of sentient beings in the heavens and human realm became free from stains, liberated from filth, and attained the pure Dharma eye. Two billion sentient beings attained arhatship. 6,800 monastics put an end to their defilements and their minds attained liberation. Four billion bodhisattvas abided in nonregression with respect to unsurpassed awakening, donning the great armor of joyous effort to attain full awakening. 2,500 million sentient beings attained the fortitude of nonregression. Forty billion hundreds of thousands of a vast number of sentient beings all in different places attained buddhahood progressively, all with the same name of Wondrous Sound. Eighty billion of a vast number of sentient beings attained the fortitude of receiving a prediction of their buddhahood and attained unsurpassed awakening. These sentient beings were all ripened by the Immeasurable Life Buddha when he had practiced the bodhisattva path in the past. All of them would be born in the Land of Supreme Bliss, remembering the aspirations they had generated in previous lives and bringing them all to perfection.

Then, the trichiliocosm quaked in six ways, all kinds of rare and extraordinary transformations manifested, and great light illuminated the world. Immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of a vast number of gods simultaneously made music, which arose spontaneously without instruments. A rain of māndārava flowers fell in the heavens that covered their legs up to their knees. All kinds of wondrous offerings were made all the way up to Akaniṣṭha Heaven.⁸³ After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Venerable Ānanda, and all the assembly that heard what the Buddha said greatly rejoiced.

Credits

Translated from Chinese by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Damcho. Fascicle 17 was translated in collaboration with a team at the 2019 Seminar on Reading and Translation Buddhist Texts at the City of 10,000 Buddhas. Edited by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Chodron.

References

Buddhist Association of the United States, trans. “The Land of Utmost Bliss.” In A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, edited by Garma C. C. Chang, 339–360. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University, 1983.

Buswell Jr., Robert E. and Donald S. Jr. Lopez. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron. The Foundation of Buddhist Practice. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2018.

Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism. Edition of 7/31/2024.

The Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra contains 49 texts that are called “assemblies.” The Chinese translation is divided into 120 fascicles. ↩
Ch. 無量壽如來會 (wuliangshou rulai hui). This is the fourth of five extant Chinese translations of the large Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra. None of the five Chinese translations agrees entirely with the Sanskrit text, and they also differ from each other. For the Tibetan equivalent of this sūtra, see The Array of Amitābha Sutra (Tib. ‘od dpag med kyi bkod pa’i mdo). ↩
572?–727 CE. A Brahmin from South India who was invited to China by the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. He arrived in Chang’an in 693 and translated numerous scriptures, including the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra between 693–713 CE. ↩
Also known as Vulture’s Peak. This translation employs Sanskrit proper names when they have been transliterated into Chinese, and English translations when they have been translated into Chinese. ↩
His name is a combination of characters from each of his parents’ names, literally “Son of ‘Full’ and ‘Compassion’.” ↩
An eon in which buddhas appear, such as this one. ↩
Sixteen great bodhisattvas who have remained as householders. ↩
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is well-known for perfecting myriad spiritual practices and meritorious deeds. Throughout this section that lays out a bodhisattva’s spiritual progress, the non-gender-specific pronoun “they/them” is used to refer to a bodhisattva and subsequently a buddha in general. ↩
Any world or group of worlds illumined by one sun and moon. ↩
A heaven where bodhisattvas are born before taking their final birth in the human realm and attaining buddhahood. ↩
Chief of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-three. ↩
Ruler of the first three heavens in the form realm where inhabitants dwell constantly in the bliss of the first meditative absorption. ↩
Fine silk cloth made in the kingdom of Kāśi or present-day Varanasi. ↩
The degeneration of the eon, degeneration of views, degeneration of afflictions, degeneration of sentient beings, and degeneration of lifespan. ↩
A serpent-like animal that lives in water or in trees. ↩
The Buddha used kuśa grass to make his seat beneath the bodhi tree. ↩
The Buddhist personification of nonvirtue as a powerful god of the desire realm who prevents beings from achieving liberation. ↩
Ch. 灌頂 (guanding). Skt. abhiṣeka, a term originally used to refer to the anointment of an Indian king or crown prince, which became extended to refer to the anointment of a bodhisattva as a buddha. ↩
Epithet for a buddha that can mean “thus-come one” or “thus-gone one.” The Chinese employs the former translation (如來rulai), while the Tibetan employs the latter (bde bzhin gshegs pa). ↩
A vast net hanging in palace of Indra (an abbreviation for Śakra, lord of the gods), with strands joined together by jewels. When light reflects onto one of the jewels, it is reflected and re-reflected endlessly throughout the net. This metaphor from the Avataṃsaka Sūtra is used in the Chinese Huayan School to express how all phenomena are mutually interrelated without losing their identity. ↩
That of hearers and solitary realizers. ↩
A verbal formula believed to encapsulate the meaning of lengthier texts. ↩
Referring to the five forces of faith, joyous effort, mindfulness, meditative absorption, and wisdom. ↩
Referring to comprehension of the Buddha’s teachings. ↩
A flowering tree that is said to bloom only once every thousand or three thousand years. ↩
Here, “dharmas” refers to all teachings, mental constructs, as well as phenomena. ↩
Bodhisattvas of the tenth ground and above. ↩
Transliteration of Sanskrit meaning “free from disease.” ↩
The name of a prince who became a buddha. ↩
A wish-granting gem. ↩
The eighth of the eight hot hells where beings suffer continuously. ↩
The meaning of this sentence is “If I become a Buddha, beings in my land will not fall into the three unfortunate realms.” Apply this to understand the meaning of all the following unshakable resolves. ↩
Ancient Indian measure of distance, said to be the distance a yoked team of oxen can travel in one day. Modern estimates vary widely, with between seven to nine miles often provided as an approximation. ↩
Skt. trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu. The largest possible universe composed of one billion world systems. ↩
Those who have attained direct realization of the nature of reality. ↩
Thirty-two physical attributes possessed by great beings such as buddhas and wheel-turning monarchs that are the karmic result of countless eons of effort on the path. ↩
These bodhisattvas have made great unshakable resolves not to attain buddhahood immediately and to stay in the world in order to liberate countless sentient beings, bring comfort to those who lack comfort, and in short, to fulfill the temporal and ultimate wishes of sentient beings. To accomplish this, they don the armor of joyous effort. ↩
A powerful god adopted into Buddhism from the Hindu tradition, equivalent to Viṣṇu. Usually depicted in Buddhist texts as a warrior. ↩
Skt. anutpattikadharmakṣanti. Bodhisattvas attain the state of nonregression (irreversibility) when they realize the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas and thus develop the profound unwavering conviction that all phenomena are not inherently produced and are empty of inherent existence. Sharp-faculty bodhisattvas attain this on the bodhisattva path of preparation, middle-faculty bodhisattvas on the bodhisattva path of seeing, and dull-faculty bodhisattvas on the eighth ground. ↩
The Chinese text reads “six concentrations” (六三摩地). The translation by the Buddhist Association of the United States suggests this is likely a misprint of “great concentrations” (大三摩地). See p. 359, footnote 5. ↩
The fortitude of hearing the Dharma, the fortitude of complying with the Dharma, and the fortitude of the nonarising of dharmas. ↩
The priestly caste, the highest of the four castes in India. ↩
Skt. cakravartin. A monarch who rules over the entire universe. ↩
According to Buddhist cosmology, the southernmost continent where human beings reside in this world. ↩
The ruling warrior caste. ↩
A blue lotus flower. ↩
About six feet. ↩
A type of nature spirit who serve as local guardians of the earth and trees. ↩
One of the Buddha’s chief disciples considered to be foremost in supernormal powers. ↩
An ancient Indian term for an extremely small amount. ↩
The lord of death and hell. ↩
A jewel owned by Śakra, lord of the gods, which grants a multitude of wishes. ↩
A necklace or garland. ↩
A symbol of auspiciousness in Buddhism. ↩
This completes the first fascicle of the Sūtra of the Great Accumulation of Treasures. Fascicle 18, Assembly Five Part Two: Immeasurable Life Tathāgata, translated by the Great Tang Dynasty Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci by imperial edict now begins. Sūtras are divided into fascicles according to length in order to bind them. ↩
A range of mountains between the greater and lesser metal ring of mountains where light never reaches, symbolizing the darkness of ignorance. ↩
Skt. cakravāḍa. According to Buddhist cosmology, eight concentric ranges of metallic mountains are said to surround the desire realm. ↩
Another name for Mount Sumeru. ↩
These two heavens are located on the slopes and summit of Mount Sumeru respectively. ↩
Another name for the Heaven of Suyāma. ↩
Pure and clear, cool, sweet, light and soft, soothing, calming, thirst-quenching, and nourishing. ↩
Coral tree, blue lotus, red lotus, edible white lotus, and white lotus flowers. ↩
These refer to the pacification of conceptual proliferations, the pacification of extreme views, and complete pacification that is nonconceptual and inexpressible. ↩
See chapter 2 of Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron for more on the four kinds of self-confidence (the four fearlessnesses) and the ten powers of the tathāgata. ↩
Eight circumstances in which it is difficult to meet a buddha or hear his teachings: being born as a hell-being, hungry ghost (preta), animal, as a long-lived god in the discriminationless realm, with imperfect senses, among an uncivilized people, where a buddha’s teachings are unavailable (a buddha has not taught there), or with instinctive wrong views. ↩
The Heaven of Controllers of Others’ Emanations. ↩
An impotent man or eunuch. ↩
In the Land of Supreme Bliss there is the water with eight good qualities that is naturally formed in dependence on the Buddha’s power. There are not worldly ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and no tap water or mineral water. ↩
Sentient beings can be divided into three categories based on their determination to attain awakening: (1) those who are certain to follow correct paths, (2) those who will follow negative paths, and (3) those whose path is undecided. ↩
Killing one’s father or mother, killing an arhat, causing a schism in the saṅgha, and harming a buddha. ↩
These are a similitude. Only a buddha possesses the four kinds of self-confidence based on their (1) knowledge of all phenomena, (2) knowledge that all of their pollutants have been destroyed, (3) correct identification of all obstacles to liberation, (4) teachings that lead someone to the complete destruction of duḥkha. ↩
Skt. Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. Tibetans say the second bodhisattva is Vajrapāṇi. ↩
The mundane world system we inhabit where Śākyamuni Buddha taught. ↩
See chapters 11-14 in Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps for more about the thirty-seven harmonies with awakening. ↩
These are the five sublime eyes: (1) the physical eye can see coarse and subtle forms a long distance away, (2) the divine eye functions to see the death and rebirth of other sentient beings, (3) the wisdom eye is nonconceptual exalted wisdom of coarse and subtle selflessness, (4) the Dharma eye sees the various levels of āryas, and (5) the Buddha’s eye is a consciousness that realizes all ultimate and conventional phenomena. ↩
The down-growing tree, interpreted as the banyan or willow tree. ↩
The Chinese term dao chang (Skt. bodhimaṇḍa) originally referred to the Buddha’s seat of awakening. The term has come to refer more broadly to any place where one may become awakened. ↩
The fourfold assembly of Buddhist disciples consisting of fully ordained monks, fully ordained nuns, and laymen and laywomen who have taken refuge and the five precepts. ↩
The next buddha who will take birth in our world after the teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha have vanished. ↩
An epithet for Maitreya Bodhisattva meaning “invincible.” ↩
These are the hearer and solitary realizer vehicles that together comprise the Fundamental Vehicle. ↩
The final passage into nirvāṇa upon the death of a buddha or an arhat. ↩
The highest celestial realm in the form realm. ↩

Shakyamuni Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in eastern India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. The word Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Shakyamuni Buddha is regarded as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The Buddha taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala. Shakyamuni is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of his teachings were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later. (Bio and photo by Wikipedia)

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