the sutra of visualizing the buddha of immeasurable length of life

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觀無量夀佛經這是佛門净土宗五經之一。This is one of five of the main Buddha Dharma text books of the Buddhism Pure Land School

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  • 1.EneE+rtr,ss. The Sutra of Yisuali zttrgThe Buddha ofImmeasurable Lengttr of Life --r iUrhff#* : 8tJ* BFq[e Translated into Chinese from Sanskrit by KALAYASAStr tri+4 : REI ,Erl*tfiTranslated into English from the Chinese Versior by BHIKKHU ASSAJI

2. 9l ,- v -? -:t ffn jur@ ?-fTHE SUTRA OF VISUALIZINGTHE BUDDHAOF IMMEASURABLE LENGIH OF LIFE.frnft#effi: -.ffiIfrfri#fiaH[Eilr+ , Thus have I heard: Once the Buddha was .staying at Rajagriha City, on the Gridhrakuta i Mountain, with a group of great Bhikshus, twelve hundred and fifty in number, and thirty-twoAAHNflJEE?ffiF-IH "thousand Bodhisattvas, among whom Manjusri, the Prince of the Dharma, was the President.ffiffiE#tfiE-t+A[qiHE, ffi,llEffiAt that time, there was a prince, Ajatasatru by name, in the great RajaSriha City, who imprisoned)&wfr.zw. " ttfltT*A*w.ffi, &ffiEtt{Ehis father, King Bimbisara, in a seven-walled cell,n ftlj-#tr -6+4.t4" ; by the wicked advice of his evil-minded friend t Devadatta, and no one of the Kings ministers wasI allowed to see him in the jail.EttrAefEA*ffit-i*fdffiF, Vaidehi, the Queen, who was greatly devotedUffi&+E*rffiWXH#ry*#, Rffiffifi ffi, to the King, washed herself, and car-ried honey andf,our close to her body, put grape juice in herDII.T oiewels, and sent them to the King secretly. The King after having taken the honeyed flourffiffitENr"pkffi. *zkffi n ffi tr SE, and drunk the grape juice, asked for some waterAS*&, HBHOMil&fgE, Ifi{GE , I to wash his mouth. Having done this, he joined his hands palm to palm, saluting the Buddha in;ltHffis=wx. mF#iS , W*,xffi,J " ffiithe direction of the Gridhrakuta Mountain, and 3. $q.e&*$,!E 92 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 2H&s{nHEmWF.f-ffi El Et f,nft&tz seid, "Mahamaudgalyayana is my intimate friend.I wish that he would be kind enough to come andfi.. ft&lr#&fl, BE#* " give me the Eight Precepts." At that time, theVenerable Mahamaudgalyayarta, being invited byihe King, flew as a falcon to his place claily andgave him the Eight Precepts. The Buddha alsosent the Venerable Purna to preach the Dharmafor the King. inffifld ffi,--t n IFPrg 4+liiji*,ltThe King lived for three times seven daysgr honey and flour, and thus he was enabled to , ffi&tlWobear the Dharma. His countenance was, however,very calm and peaceful (in spite of his miserablecondition). IHEf6+f1# : [i{{4#t&+itrr.l 7 ffiF the At that time, Prince Ajatasatru inquired of jailor, "Is my father, the King, still alive?"J ffi+f1AHF : trt- ! Et*494*rti The jailor replied, "Oh, Great Prince, the oldQueen carries honey and flour close to her bodyry*ffiffi.f5,H-h.s ; IbflH$e.*df$#$ tt::P.and puts fruit juice in her jewels, and sends themsecretly to the King as his fmd. Srmana Maha-ffiX RE#E 6oj#ftU o J FFojH{jtEflrft;Ar maudgalyayana and Srmana Purna come hereE , KFffIH : tr*tEffi 9qffiF,f+ ; i4fl,tq flying, to preach the Law to the King; and I amnot able to keep them away." On hearing these,t, *l*IEdr ; flL#E?aTnJ ! CFf,flJftiJ words, Ajatasatru was very angry with his mother,and said in a temper, "My mother is a thief. She,ffi#48"keeps company with thieves. Srmanas are evilthey have performed magic to make thisicvil king live for so long a time." Thus he tmk a sharp sword and was about to injure his mother.But there were two sagacious ministers of the w+.-traan*-, MBA&EhWE*,Court, one of whom was called Moon-Light andFEhfH , HE : IltE ! EHEJT[c;ftf;Sffi J,Jiva was the other ones name. They saluted the 4. #{,,9**oFf.s 93 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 34nflX., A##sEltfffi , #EX?-HnPrince and said, "Oh, Prince, we have read the!&a, in which it is recorded, ,There were many+*gEf,affiiHgEt " E+Bj,LL#UZ+ iTevil kings who killed their fathers and enthronedthemselves, at the beginning of history, eighteen*ilftjf$, EffEf, , rEFffi "*.6F:6;ff.trtbousand in number. But we have never heard of[L.Ja single one who has killed his mother. Now youare going to kill your mother: such an unheard-oftreacherous deed would stigmatize the whole Ksatriya race. We do not wish to hear that you are going to be a Candara, and we do not desire to stay in this country." ffi-7tE#tk*H. u+&ffi*[fiffiE "When they had uttered these words, they put their hands on the handles of their swords andHFlHjtEE*A : [&6F&1FHFlttgffi were about to retreat. Then Ajatasatr-u was alarmed and said to Jiva, "Are you gentlemen no7JE*AEz ftE!tEHgB!Jbnger in favour of me?" To this Jiva replied, Great Prince, you must behave well and not kili your mother." EE+lIlL;* {s,ffi*& clsfF#ffirh6*f+On hearing this exhortation, the prince repented ard asked their pardon. He cast away his weapon" 49)#EEEFEiKE4461 o and did not injure his mother. But he gave ord.er tbat his mother should be incarcerated in the inner - part of the palace, and should not be allowed to i oume out again. ii, Then, Vaidehi, the Queen, became very sorry Fe+efr , &wffifl #Efffit# &fiaw - ::Jd h"gg*a in the prison. She saluted the BuddhaffidrFf#ffffi ffifFftA : [fn*tk&&Ez: h the direction of the Gridhrakuta Mountain and :!raid, "fh" giesr.d One, in former times, used toF, Em#Xtrf"i* ; ffi4VJ.N,8.ffi,6$;!tod the Venerable Ananda to come and see mettly. Now I am in great lamentation and#H4+tr mHE#EWW#"ffiF..! lF&go to see the Buddha. I hope the Blessed 5. ,r1js+/4.4E 94 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 4E*E7$ifffiiF, Erfii{dfirrH.Qne rvill kindly send the Venerable Nlahamaud- galyayeurra and the renelable An..rrda to come andsee me." She murmured these ll-olds rvith tearsin her e-ves; and she saluted the Buddha again. **Eqffiffitr&H*,tl*-{j{ Before she had raised her head up fromprostration, the LlLrddha on the (ilidhrakuta iVlountain,L,ZFfrft , EIJ IFI*..H &*E&.DJ [J *Ff+-irlJ rh " had read her mind. So I{e sent the /enerablelVlahan-raudgall ay-ana and the Venerable Anandato see her. They rn-ent to the palace b-v theirsupernatulal Porret. f iuf*ilWtlii.rEErHffi#f.ltfriitiI I The Buddha disappeared from the (]ridhrakutat{ssntain and reappeared in the palace where thegqi-EEf+fu+E lfrhKl>8,4: rllf{:-liQueen was irnprisoned. When Vaidehi had justraised her head, she saw the Blessed One,+ Eli$f+trF*-l*Hf-+frF+tr#itiilX titSakyamuni Ruddha, rvhose body was of a golden-*^4 , *ffiX+ fsHHF.purple colour, sitting on a lotus florver that was constituted of a hundred kinds of valuaLrle jewels.The Venerable N{ahamaudgalyayan:l was standingon His left, and the Venerable Ananda on Hisright. The gods of the Brahmin heaven and manytutelary devas were present in the air. Therewere many heavenly florvers pouring dorvn fromthe sky as offerings to the Buddha. Then Vaidehi, on seeing the Buddha, took ffif*a*1#1t H*6ry*, +!qI "w, from her neck a string of jervels, ivhich she offeredaaif r6rf#HE : ftt ! fiffifl5F A.tlb*i i to Him. She prostrated herself before Him andsaid with sobs, "Blessed One, what is the wrong? E l&H til+EW WtL:#l.s?j+ffir$tr/ that I must have done in my previous lives toPEffiE, F*tH=#ftEt$tr &Hth+^ 4* have such an unfilial son? And what is the causeof Devadattas being a relative of the BlessedHi+fEi&Ktt& " tttlfrgE qUHffi E# 4.#ir+q One? I hope the Blessed One will tell me of sorne 6. rii$+/&3.s95 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZiNG THE BUDDHA 5 46#K" mft*X6ffiK4,6EF.A +place, where there are no sorrow and no trouble,where I would like to be reborn. For I amdisgusted with this Jambudvipa, the dirty and evileftffiF*ffi" Jworld, full of hells, ghosts and animals and ail evilthings. I wish in my future life that I shouid neverhear evil sounds and never see evil persons. Nowt prostrate myself before the Illessed One and Irepent of my eril acts, done in the past. fuIay theBuddha, the Srrn, teach me how to visualize thePlace of Pure Karma."mffiEffiEHYf,+Je+eThen the Blessed One emitted from the"iRW+)j middle of his eyebrows a ray, golden in colour,illuminating the numerous worlds in the tenquarters. It returned to the Buddhas head, becomingfr#tfrtFDEl-*Efttrln " *HW*- -LH.A a golden platform, on which all the Buddhas Pureffi,; IEHW*. f;f;S#; IEHW*^ frEH&X Lands appeared. Some of (the Buddhas countriesin the ray) were composed of the seven jewels;E ; rrtrHW+. rtn&Wffi,; *fiW+. , gft+lnsome of them were full of lotus flowers; some ofthem were as happy as heavens; and some of" Hfinftffi8#{#E*ffiffiF]ffi +FtE# them were as clean as crystal. Such numerousfloBuddhascountries of the ten euarters appearedin the ray of the Blessed One. They were allvisible, so Vaidehi was able to see them.tref,EAH IfrE z fEe I E#{.fr*., WtF.Then Vaidehi said to the Buddha, "BlessedOne, although these courltries are pure andtlrilliant, I wish to be reborn in the Most Happyp$mfr+t*,Etft, World of Amita Buddha. May the Blessed Oneff#*EP " j have compassion on me and teach me how tomeditate upon that World rightly."ffitr, ft&CfiWMX Hfr&Jt 0trffin ffiThen the Blessed One smiled, and from his,--)tF,Rffi44ffiIlEi n 6F , X+W&Wffi mouth he radiated a five-coloured ray which he 7. ,fZ*& *tt,t* 96 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA6,[,.HRffH &-F,E FIE,fffH Et*&18*El4cast upon Bimbisara, the I(ing, who was in theseven-walled ceil. Although, he was imprisoned,[Er*[.ft. his mind was free and undisturbed. He salutedthe Blessed One (on seeing the ray; and at thatmoment) he gained the Saintly State of Anagamin.ffiffi EfEfr : ftk+finzK? Fldffitri:Then the Rlessed One toid raidehi, "l)o you ,know, Vaidehi, that Amita lluddha is not apartlfr , *ttLT, itHffft, ,*rtW&Ei$+ft# "from you, when you have concentrated your mindand have accomplished the risuaiizations that I amgoing to teach you and :Llso those uho, in thefuture, will desire to be reborr in the Pure Land? f&.eLEW# HI6=nE : -.# .48ll:l"One who w-ishes to be reborl in the PureLand should cultivate the Three Virtues. They$$t6g#,t].4ti , Ib+#X; =8. *f.? 41s, firstly, supporting ones parents, respecting ones3ffintr/fflfi., 4^uffi,ffi ; a#, ftgf,ft,1. ,teachers, refraining from killing living beings, anddoing the Ten Good Deeds; secondly, taking theiKfFK* ffi;mt* W1rcft-E " frntb=#, f,- Three Refuges, and observing the Precepts per-fectly; and thirdly, cherishing the Bodhi-mind,F#.J believing the Larv of Cause and trffect andencouraging others to do good. These three arecalled the Pure Deeds."ffifrefEfr : Vtk+*la.? rw=tfrX, rrf, The Buddha asked Vaidehi, "Do you knowthat these three Pure Deeds are the pure deedst$* . *X . fr.E =tr;fff iS*EEl o J and Right Causes of all the Iluddhas of the threeperiods-the past, the present and the future?" He then spoke to the Venerable Ananda andffiE!{WFcefEfr: htrH !;F# ! #,Efr Vaidehi, saying, "Listen! Listenl And ponder on it2: fin?ft4#ffi**ft*gJ#.4^ ,tF,lf;,iffiZwell. I am going to preach the I.aw of PureKarma to ail the beings who wiil be vexed by theFnE#, ;ftFi$X , #ftfEft , I*FrlLS.Thief, Igrrorance, in the future. It is well, Vaidehi,You have entreated me just in time. 8. 91 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 7re,***0F*.s fFlI# ! ttHeffi"Ananda, you must spread what the Buddhaffiffi&*E#ffi#frn says to the many. Now I am teaching Vaidehi andx+8, &E&frk*NfrgJ*.e- &ftEall the beings in the future how to visualize thefiffixtrn , D)I#fi&., EffiH0hffil$Elf o fri Most Happy World in the West. You will see thePure Land and its happy things by the pow-er ofWHAffi HHffi& FIEWLffiW#.# r lffithe Buddha, just as you see your ou-n figure in as-8t, ffiFma+ffi4.*K " jclear mirror. When you have seen them, you willrcalize the State of Quietude." f#treffi?F : [itEA* Lf;BH4 *&The Buddha said to Vaidehi, "You are still aworldly person, so you carnot concentrate yourmind properly, and hence you have not the powerof clairvoyance to see those Buddhas who are farojaway. But the Buddha has a marreilous way ofmaking you see."Then Vaidehi inquired of the Buddha, "Blessed -#*.8+ One, now I shall be able to see the Pure Land byrt&,, F.IFWL; #ffiw&.,lFsZFthe help of the Buddhas power. But how willthose who will be struck by the Five Sufferings be# frEFN.iE =,fEIH-F,$FJffi FIffi ffi*ftN? Jable to see Amita Buddhas Nlost Happy World,at the end-period, when the Blessed One haspassed away?" l##H#.fr z TlkFc*4. ffiH+itEfi-- The Buddha told Vaidehi, " You-and allbeings-should concentrate your minds on one pointE f;Hrtrfi " ftiltTMT nlFM# U*Eand think about the Western Quarter. How is oneto think of that? Anyone who is going to think of A)F&E , HHZffi., EHEil. Hffifi that should not be a person borr blind; and anyonewho has eyes must have seen the sun sinking inthe West."Sit facing the Westerl Quarter and thinkabout the place where the sun sinks down. Concen- , 4ffi.6&_F,H&1f , fifniffiff "hate your mind upon it without being distracted, 9. ft..R#db*s 98 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA8ald look at the sun sinking, resembling a hangingdrum.fWF,ElEffiHFflFlffAWT""After havingseen the sinking sun, youwill see it whenever your eyes are open or shut.rtrEITB AHbIJffi," "This is the Thinkirtg of the Sun, and it isttre First Visualization.f4flzK,, -E 7ki#r6- , /F+FX T , lsto ff "Next you think about water. Notice thatwater is very pure and that it is indissoluble.H. EEF,ltEHE;ktfl , _F,;kn*fff , ,fE#ffill,t When you have seen water thus, then think it is i, going to freeze. Then see that the ice is the same" ithfflrtE , _EW4Sfi[ , ru4].Rf#, TfiSffilj,,$ as crystal, which is transparent. Beneath it theret ,t" columns, made of gold, inlaid with the seven ;!: jewels, supporting the crystal. Tirese columnsfrW , HH.ffrF"--H4 ,H+JIW o *-Jr,1, hau" eight facets, each of them has one hundredBE AHW+tr RIgHffifnffif F, npJF-ii,, diamonds. Each of the diamonds has a thousand "Itreams of light. Each of these rays has eighty-four-tr. ffiHtr-b , l:1ffi+ilqE#Jlrilfdffi , D)-|cffi.X thousand colours. These crystals are as glittering ashundreds and thouslnds of suns shining together. , ftHftHA "--HF HfrH&tb, S*{n#They are so dazzling that one cannot see themtotally. On these crystals there are golden ropesIMEE , Mffiffif-., rfi)hrfrE.; interlaid as ornaments. They are separated bythe seven jewels. Each of these jewels has fivehundred colours, whose brightness is as that offlowers, of stars and of the moon, suspended in, the air, forming a Terrace of Brightness. r&ffi+H, _E.HAfr, }AHffiB , &HT|"On that Terrace, there are hundreds andtlousands of storeyed pavilions, built of a hundredffi#H, ffE**S UF#ffi " zffiEJEt , 1trJt, kinds of je.wels. At the two sides of the Terrace,EEH , frrlb**S, iH=##. *. ffffi . N*ZE- there are hundreds and thousands of embroideredtapestries and musical instruments as decorations.o There are eight kinds of mild breeze coming out 10. ,.n&&*tfr!.E99gg THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA9the brightness; and it plays upon thoseinstruments, rvhich produce the sound of theDharma of Sorrow, of Transitoriness and ofUnrealitY. ftrrkf8, Affi-M,""This the Thinking of the Water,and it isthe Second Visualization."When this Visualization is completed, see trrlhfnFlffi , -W2 ffi+T T " ffi E ljilthem one by one clearly, and do not let themH 6+ffift. PEFAffi lEffitILS o disappear whether your eyes are open or shutat eating times. "Once having attained this Samadhi, one can F" &ffitLilffi#Eq0 " #4S3ffi frnbbffi.# clearly see the Pure Land, which is indescribable tL:rfrWffi, iT ftBA64Fffi " by words. "This is the Thinking of the Land, and it is the Third Visualization."ffiFI#: [itff{#;* F*X1A-aXJr.:4..The Buddha then addressed to the VenerableAnanda, "You must hold to the Buddhas words ffiw#-N--&.*WWH " Hffifu# hl+and tell those who wish to escape from suffering inthe future to think of the Land. Any person whoffiUhnZE" fht)lfuE l.&isE- ,L+5lffiffi. ,thinks of the Pure Land will be exempted fromrebirth for eight million kalpas of time and willrurdoubtedly be reborn into the Pure Land at hisnext birth."To visualize the Most Happy World as statedVIFftW# Affif.W.; #fifi,W# hBffiW. Jabove is right, it is wrong to do so otherwise"The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda "Next: f{ilfffi e, 4WH.ffif#FilI# FcHlftfrto the Thinking of the Land is to visu alize the Jewel-trees. That is to visualize the trees that are" &Hfi{#--W2 lF-tfuft&f{S " --ffiin seven rows. They are eight thousand yojanasHn+H " &a&H.{fr{H#* ffi6F.8 "-aJ in height and each of them has flowers and leaves &ade completely of the seven jewels. 11. &,&t*,lE 100 IOO THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 10r--+* lqx.tr " wHtltr HA,"Every flower and every leaf of those trees W a brilliant hue. A golden ray comes out fromJt; t&ffi&+frfi.f ; 6FdS,+ , ,U@ffijt the agate colour; a crimson ray comes out from; ffiffi,trHfftE4)L ; 4BIfiffir$-+n*H.y) the crystal colour; a beryl ray comes out from the lapis lazuli colour; a green-pearl ray comes outRft , Wfuq,#ffiffiffiffiL. , H:*:g--from the beryl colour; and there are rays of coral -_.ffiI a1d amber colour shining beautifully. There areffi " --ffiW, HfrHffiW#EW.lnftTHo nets made of strings of pearls covering those trees. Seven of these nets cover each of those trees. Between the nets, there are fifty million luxurious palaces, the same as those in the Brahmin heaven.trFftXH+H*#tr . --HT]THffiTE"There are heavenly youths in those palaces;each of them wears fifty million Muni-gems astueJtt#fiuB E UFry*" . +WEJI, fiRE H 6,ornaments. The rays of these gems shine for adistance of one thousand yojanas, like a hundredrt8frnffiAHffi H E 4FI FBE "*HFdffi , F-h i, thousand suns shining together (as though their# , tl#HffiftntHH**t84."" rt*#.Firays were, interwoven. All the rays are of thefinest colour. The jewel-trees are set in rowsH#tD+, +IH *H-?F.R " --{f{* #ftIH.,. opposite rows. There are wonderJul flowers andfruits made of the seven jewels between thelleaves. Each of the branches of the trees istwenty-five yojanas in length. The leaves have aH*W#, fGHl?HA, rtnfitXffi ffiffi*thousand various colours, like heavenly pictures.fdlmR , inffif$ffio There are many flourishing blossoms, golden in , like turning fire-wheels rolling betweenleaves and producing heavenly fruits.THJ{.JTHA, |LffiTWffiffi.EH# " H-,H "There is also a great light, which becomes draperies and canopies. All the affairs ofF R4,=+t+84-gJ!fr$-" tfrl#WBuddhas, and all the Buddhas countries in the/Fr+4, . -E rrLffifE 7JFH^ffi--wz wH quarters, appear in these canopies. When you 12. ifi,*t*@,*.EIOI THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 11fel$ . &* . +R tr#ftBB "[ave visualized these trees, look at them one by dle: the stems, the branches, the leaves, the ,fowers and the fr-uits, should all be very clearly visualized.rtrffi{nAffiwW," "This is the N{editation on Trees, and it isthe Fourth Visualiztion."The next is to think of water. That is, tof4Hffi7k "ffM7k# ffi#Eli, EAruthink of the Water of the Eight Virtues in the/qo Most Happy World.[--flU^ EH.FIrffi,. *H*fq, 4{nH "This water is composed of the seven jewels,which are limpid and soft. The water flows outfrom the Muni-gems and distributes itself intoAtrtr, }RTHDI#,+ffi!,lUffiEW o *-/q fourteen tributaries. Each of the tributaries hasvaried colours corresponding to the seven jewels,+ fixfffi-LHs+--s+ FIHrE+fand has yellow gold as its channel. There are_H . SBtrAffiE#H ffifIT diamonds of different colours at the bottoms of"these channels. In each of the water pools, thereare sixty million lotus flowers, round in shape andhnelve yojanas in diameter. That Muni-water flows upwards and downwards along the trees to sprinkle the flowers.rx*#Mfu), iHffi# .29 . ffiH . ffiffifi& , "The babbling sound of the water is wonder- ful. It preaches the Laws of Sorrow, of Transi- briness and of Unreality, and praises the virtue 9fthe Buddhas. The Muni-gem emits a goldenEMWJIEA N)L4LffiHHE..SfrTP,EHW, ffilay, which transforms itself into many birds of affifttfr. AIX . ftfg o |rundred colours, chattering delicately, praising the, the Dharma and the Sangha.trEffirt4ffi7ktHAffifr-W,o t:"This is the Meditation on the Water of the Figttt Virtues, and it is the Fifth Visu alization.[*HEi , --4l,AfEffiF& " 4 ! "There are fifty million Gem-pavilions on each 13. ii,=L]{tT.&l*,."^y. IO2 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHAT2&ffitr , A*FEFfiX. (F7tffi# " vH**S t$section of the Land of Jewels. In these pavilions, there are numerous heavenly inhabitants playingffiffi+^fnXHtH 6ffi.HP,8 .ltL*E+!#tmusic; and there are musical instruments hangingin the air like tapestries, sounding without beingftl#, f,E. frltft-tq. beaten or performed upon. All the sounds arepraising the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.r[bffifiE &RffiHffi#E4 HffiI . F "Once having attained this Visualization, onefifi, . Hi& o sees the Most Happy World in outline: the Jewel-trees, the Jewel-lands and the Jewel-lakes. rtrfrK&ffi.affixw""This is the Main Visualizaticrl, and it is the Sixth One. r#F.tLx, hffiffi*rtfiE#xfr#z"If a person has seen this Visualization, hisnormous crimes of countless kalpas are annulled;&. ,il,H4ft81 "fFffi#&RiIEffi,; #fifr,M:A i and he will certainly be reborn in the Pure Landafter his passing away. One who visualizes in this&ffifrf,W" J I way does right, otherwise one does wrong." f#f,F-l#F-H&fr:h#;9*;m{*, #,U.: The Budha told the Venerable Ananda andVaidehi, "Listen! Listenl And ponder it over. I2, [email protected],Et#tEiiF ; lA+lH+-l , *rall tell you of the ways to get rid of suffering i. me by one. You should remember and practisethem well and spread them for the many." Eft;gF, ffE#,f# I+n+z+ &EE t While saying this, the Buddha of Immeasurable ,Length of Life appeared in the air. Bodhisattva#E :t+ , t+frtrF.. )bBE**H 6HIXvalokitesvara was standing on his right and Bodhi- Mahasthamaprapta on his left. Their bodily HH+W?+*H# , T4$FoLt " were so brilliant that one could not see themIy. F++Efr., trffi#0ffiE-, f*EiFir,g, AIffi Then, after having seen the Buddha of Im-rable Length of Life, Vaidehi did obeisance the feet of the Buddha (Sakyamuni) and said him, "Blessed One, now I am able to see the:#ffi , *X*,&., H;alFIE#{#X.=#ffiof Immeasurable Length of Life and these 14. 13ii:l.#,&+l*a!,9103Io3 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA 13l1 ? gwo Bodhisattvas by the Buddhas help. But how fill all the beings in the future be able toize this Buddha and these two Bodhisattvas?" 0frE+.Wfr| tr&WMIfr#Hffif,tAThe Buddha told Vaidehi, "Anyone who wishes-r,Hfu.t, ,fFs#tfl "to visualize this Buddha, should think that in theI.and of the Seven Jewels, there are lotus flowers. "Think that each of the lotus flowers has a hundred kinds of gen-colour and eighty-fourEq+[]( tr&fnX . fll(AnHW+Jt 7 T ftHAtbousand veins in the petals, resembling heavenly.gictures. These veins have eighty-four thousandts+;#H" #*zJ.*- ffiffi-Hrttfi" fn!16ys, all of which are clearly visible. The smallerS+ FE^HE+* ; *-*HAHffiB petals are two hundred and fifty yojanas in lengthtd the same in width. Each of these lotus flowersbas eighty-four thousand petals. Betrneen each of them, there are millions and millions of Muni-4nH Lffi.effi gBms as ornaments. Each of the Muni-gems emits"tffiffiifr,L" a thousand rays, which are like the canopies, beinE composed of the seven jewels, covering the whole Land.tr#ruFltffilt/nH.,DJ+E, tth$#H A "The Land has the Sakrabhilagna-gem as its ,gedestal. This pedestal is decorated with eighty.thousand diamonds, Kimsuka-gems, Muni-gemsfi" the nets of pearls.rA+E}, H*&ffiE.EqtrHB , .-HW .1 "On that pedestal, there are four columns, each of which is as high as hundreds and thousands fnE*Hffit{ffittt, E_bHttr frn&WXH Sumerus. The curtains that hang on thoseT HfrHffitWWH* DJFutft are like those in the Yemo Heaven. Again," --H4- H are fifty million fine gems embedded onzH[q+)f, , -J?IFlHE{++ffi#E o Jrcolumns as ornaments. Each of these gems has r thousand rays. Each of the rays effuses&&, tF4H*, ffiffi&4? &rcN$H, *ffihthousand different golden colours. Each 15. #{,,q+r&*E 104 to4 THE SUTRA OF ViSUALiZINGTHE BUDDHA 14 iof the golden colours extends throughout the w-holeJewel-land, and tal)trL;;ft|frh Afrllf,.-P& " Visualizations. One who sees these things, sees allthe Buddhas of the ten quarters. The sight of theBuddhas is called the Samadhi of Visualization. IFftrW# &W-+tJIfrH ; D)Wffi*tr; f"Seeing this Visualization is seeing the bodies all the Buddhas, and thus one sees the Mind7JFnlfrL, ; lfrL"E t#7S ; ,Dj$f*#fffi;fi * the Buddha. The Mind of a Buddha is theGreat Compassion, out of which Buddhas help all$oF ltrwiln# # r,lhbfr , A.ffi{tfiBf, :F+ffi h"One who practises this Visualization, will bein the presence of all the Buddhas, and K. FefrtrXffiHFf.,t].,o=fr.&,ft-:B#dfi .the State of Quietude, when he quits his body. Therefore the wise person should tryvisualize the Buddha of Immeasurable Length 19. 18 1:;,LJ. *t + GY,.,:|:108 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA18 of Life. rffi.4lt:.q;+ lfr.{i , f*tHff^lH ijfl/ii liij rr "One who visualizes the Buddha of Immeas- urable Length of Life should commence with the+ ffi+Fjl 7 " tLlfrlj+lA+tllfiA,$ l4l+-tfUttFirst Appearance. That is to visualize that , H f*"#$l " u,Iffi-F+,F IN Fi Buddhas White Eyebrows clearly. When one haslfitLl--hlr,I-iii,ifi seen this Appearance of White Eyebrows, thei4ll . {$rJ,jffi-B,;#tfrfft , |;}tlfiUlffsf"l;E .eighty-four thousand Virtues will manifest them- selves subsequently. One who sees the Buddha of Immeasurable Length of Life, sees all the Buddhas of the Ten Quarters, by whom one is promised (that one will become a Buddha in the future). fitrffiiiH *qJf!,ry +L], f.Ir)rl&, ."This is the Visualization of Seeing all the Buddhas, and it is the Nineth One. ff|Ftrffi# , &ffiit:W; +;Itufln#Af:rr "To visualize it in this way is right, it is wrong otherwise."&"JThe Buddha told the Venerable Ananda and t##Fi# .&.jf+ftfi- :trJl,l$E#Ifr ,(iVaidehi, "After you have seen the Buddha of ,4lrH&ffiJita-#ffiImmeasurable Length of Life distinctly, you shouldAHXE ttiT6ir.tJtl i^ then visualize Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, whose bodyHffiil(fifefiJqX+$,, lrtE?lltkiii,ilr flll is eighty million yojanas in height and golden-purple in colour. There is a natural Small Hump in the)b rEi&-ff{-rit " FE{)b+ , H{Liil?,tffi ktrmiddle of Her head, and near Her neck is a halo, which is a hundred thousand yojanas in diameter.f+fu+lA "-ILlfr , Efr-r:ilLPiii, fitElifiii There are fir,e hundred Reflection-Buddhas, all , y)F,t+-H " WtN.k+Ii:,l6*.!L, *UJ&,+tl like Sakyamuni Buddha, in that halo. Each of them has five hundred Bcdhisattvas and manyErtr4,. Eods as attendants. The five kinds of beings are reflected in the rays emitted from Her body. IIF-LE}TTE iIfrNWFH. D-{FXffi o SdffiIi I"She is crowned with a cnrora made of Bhilagne-Muni gems. On the corona, there stands a Reflection-Buddha, who is twenty-five yojanas H-ii-l?Iffi, Fi=tfi-frhJ. {fftr*E6trli 20. 19,,n x&+tt,ts 109 IO9 THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA19{nP5i5t{HAft. ffifd}H, ffitH.e,, IftHnH:Pintgtr. Bodhisattva Avalokitesvaras countenance isE+fq)hry . --;bffiE^ffftrytrAbifri of u yellowish golden colour. Her eyebrows are of" il O" colour of the seven jewels, and they emit-iv,lffiffqiLgffiDBt:r-A, ftEHE, iH {i 6ighty-four_thousandkinds of rays. There arej.frtrfr- " r: ountless Reflection-Bodhisattvas as Her attendants. r$ They appear in the worlds of the ten quarters.fiH{nftr$#E, H t>)R,j."The colour of Her arms is of that of a red ^+ffi:twitw,4%" ;Rry4s+ ,ry"-gJ##tr+ "*HtEfr-, lotus flower, and they are omamented with eight 1.1 million refulgent rays, in which all magnificenttrffi*E$+& +t+F4ft , --+Fffi, EnHEI tnings appear. Her palms are colour of variegated ,t. lotus flowers. She has ten slender fingers. At the+_na BlnEtW..--HEz,-SE{*, r *-@,i,top of each finger, there are eighty-four thousandfi^/;qE+)b +)h*6, *fi{-gl . I>)bLH.T.l prctures. Each of these pictures has eighty-four thousand colours; each of these colours has eighty- +*dl/f.4." ,. four thousand beams of light, which are very soft, . and light up the whole world. It is with these hands that the Bodhisattva receives all beings.rg.EF ETF.+fiEffif , a*ftffifr$"When She lifts one of Her feet, one sees the, Figure of One Thousand Wheels on the sole, ,, yhich spontaneously becomes fifty million Light-zFffilffiTerraces. There are Diamond-Muni flowers scat-" tered on the place where She puts Her. foot down."The other Appearances of Hers are as goodand perfect as those of a Buddha. Except6tE &f$tJIF,fH6&.8. ;the Small Hump in the middlethatof Her head and.the Figure of the Invisible Cranium are slightlyt from those of a Buddha rtrHffiEEgEtrHEH+H" &ffiTffi "This is the Visualization of Seeing the Realojof Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and it is the One." 21. iiL-.s ,,i+fiy,tx IIO THE SUTRA OF VISUALIZING THE BUDDHA20 {4#F I*E :Hiry(mfiSru:=-}jlTffi7i Hfi, l* The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda, "Onewho wishes to visualize Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara,ffi 6,.l{if,ir/{ ilFI4:Xli should do so as stated above. Any person who",ffm:aItJ:iiiFry{rytvisualizes Her in this way will not encounter anytrrLZE" fillLli,ffE, tquij+AfftJ1$-i;ir1i;1{rr1calamities; he can avoid all the results of evilkarma and is exempted from rebirth for numberlessitr;ffim? kalpas. Anyone who has heard the name of sucha Bodhisattva gains much felicity; it is far better,if one visualizes Her. "One w-ho wishes to visualize Bodhisattva Ava-f };Htfrtflffitltl+ StrFflfttfr1frLV!"i? lokitesvara should first visualize the Small Hump4ffiXffitsi{nfrttl ifi-l,t tWZ f-tif] i or Her head clearly, next the Corona and so forth{nBl$tr " IFR:tnE , f,,L,1tf-M; }iIbi{fl{t:"gradually. One should see them all as clearly astsFffi " one sees ones own palm. To visualize them inthis way is right, otherwise it is wrong.f {ffix$4i #ffi JIb i+;tr4.L.y-htxJrl tt: tttt "The next step is to visualize BodhisattvaMahasthamaprapta, whose body is the same in size&EE El)Lffi&lT:ltdltl^nJiili- ilfh-l iitas that of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Her halois twenty-five yojanas in diameter and it strines toH " SHJ1HI , I ji4 lF,n* fL" H{*:}i,t.Ir,F. the distance of two hundred and fifty yojanas.The lieht of Her whole body, which is golden-E#++JL. W. -++LJfiU[ tL I ij18,J.Ith+fpurple in colour, lights up all the countries of theffi -:+-;l{{#,{nfrrhl1T"r,3tilttf t]Ei,,?:f-JtSiBltten quarters. One can see this, if one has such anopportunity. Whoever sees the light coming outof one pore of this Bodhisattva, sees all theBuddhas of the ten quarters, all of whom areptre and brilliant. Hence this Bodhisattva is alsocalled the Bodhisattva of Limitless Light. "She shines with the Light of Wisdom upon [Dl#iLg.-Ffl-+t]]$iE=6Itl-Jt[rgll, enabling them to get rid of the Three EvilWays, and attain the Supren:e Power of Bodhi. )t " f-fiftltrlt gffi: &)