Translation by Bhikshu Dharmamitra

from www.kalavinka.org :-

The Amitābha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha (Taisho no. 366)

Translated by the Yao Qin Dynasty’s Tripitaka Master Kumārajīva from the state of Kucha.

English Translation by Bhikshu Dharmamitra (a disciple of Master Hsuan Hua)

Thus I have heard. At one time, the Buddha dwelt in the state of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary, together with the Sangha of great bhikshus numbering twelve hundred fifty in all. They were all great arhats, known and recognized by the multitude. Among them were the elders Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Mahākātyāyana, Mahākausthila, Revata, Śuddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula, Gavāmpati, Pindola-bhāradvāja, Kālodāyin, Mahākapphina, Bakkula, Aniruddha, and other great disciples such as these.

They were joined by the Bodhisattvas, Mahāsattvas, including the Dharma prince, Mañjuśrī, Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhahastin Bodhisattva, Nityodyukta Bodhisattva, and other great bodhisattvas such as these. They were accompanied as well by Śakra Devānām Indra and others, a great multitude of countless gods.

At that time, the Buddha told the elder Śāriputra, “Proceeding from here towards the West, beyond ten myriads of kotīs of buddhalands, there is a world known as Ultimate Bliss. In that land, there is a buddha named Amitābha who is right now teaching the Dharma. Śāriputra, why is that land known as Ultimate Bliss? It is because the beings in that country are free of the many sufferings and experience only every bliss that it is known as Ultimate Bliss. Moreover, Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is surrounded all around by seven tiers of balustrades, seven arrays of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four kinds of jewels. Because of this, that land is known as Ultimate Bliss.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has pools made from the seven jewels filled with the waters possessed of eight qualities. The bottoms of the pools are lined entirely with sands of gold. The steps and pathways along the four sides are composed of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal.

“Above are storied pavilions which themselves are adorned with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian. The lotus blossoms in these pools are as large as carriage wheels, are blue colored, emitting blue light, yellow colored, emitting yellow light, red colored, emitting red light, white colored, emitting white light, and are delicately marvelous, fragrant, and pristine. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious qualities.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha’s land constantly creates celestial music. Its ground is made of yellow gold. In the six periods of the day and night, the heavens rain down māndārava blossoms. The beings in that country always set out in the early morning with robes full of the many wonderful blossoms, making offerings then to the tens of myriads of koṭīs of buddhas of the other regions. Then, at mealtime, they straightaway return to their own country and, having eaten, they proceed to walk about. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious qualities.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, that land always has all kinds of rare and wonderful varicolored birds: white cranes, peacocks, parrots, śāris, kalaviṅkas, and birds with conjoined bodies. Throughout the six periods of the day and night, all of these many sorts of birds sing with exquisite harmonizing voices. Their singing extols the five roots, the five powers, the seven limbs of enlightenment, the eight-fold path of the Āryas, and other dharmas such as these. When the beings of that land hear this singing, they all become mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.

“Śāriputra, you must not think that these birds are really such as are born on account of karmic offenses. Why not? That buddha’s land is free of the three wretched destinies. Śāriputra, that buddha’s land does not even have the names of the three wretched destinies. How much the less could they actually exist there. All of these different sorts of birds are transformationally created by Amitābha Buddha out of his wish to cause the sounds of Dharma to be proclaimed and spread about.

“Śāriputra, a gentle breeze blows in that Buddha’s land producing movement in the rows of jeweled trees and in the curtains of jeweled netting, thus causing them to emanate subtle and wonderful sounds comparable to a hundred thousand different kinds of music, all played simultaneously. All who hear these sounds naturally develop thoughts imbued with mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, and mindfulness of the Sangha. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious qualities.

“Śāriputra, what do you think? Why is that Buddha called ‘Amitābha’? Śāriputra, the light of that buddha is immeasurable and unimpededly illuminates the lands of the ten directions. It is for this reason that he is called ‘Amitābha.’
“Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha’s lifespan as well as that of his people extends for an immeasurable and boundless number of kalpas. It is for this reason, too, that he is called ‘Amitābha.’

“Śāriputra, it has already been ten kalpas since Amitābha Buddha realized buddhahood. Moreover, Śāriputra, that buddha has an immeasurable and boundless number of Hearer disciples, all of whom are arhats. Their number is incalculable. So, too, it is in the case of the Bodhisattvas. Śāriputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss is perfectly complete in its adornment with such meritorious qualities.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the beings born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are all avaivartika. Among them, there are many who abide in the station of the last life prior to buddhahood. Their number is extremely many. It is such as is incalculable. It could only be described by speaking of it for immeasurable and boundless asamkhyeyas of kalpas.

“Śāriputra, beings who hear this should make a vow, vowing to be born in that land. Why? They will thereby succeed in joining together in a single place with such supremely good people. Śāriputra, one cannot succeed in being born in that country through the causes and conditions formed by only minor roots of goodness and merit.

“Śāriputra, if there is a son or daughter of good family who hears the name of ‘Amitābha’ spoken and who then upholds his name, whether for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days, doing so in a single-minded and undistracted manner—when such a person draws near to the end of life, Amitābha and the assembly of the Āryas will manifest before him. When this person reaches the end, his mind will not become affected by inverted views and he will straightaway succeed in being reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s Land of Ultimate Bliss.

“Śāriputra, it is because I have seen the benefit in this that I speak these words: If there be a being who hears this teaching, he should make the vow to be reborn in that country.

“Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities of Amitābha Buddha, so too in the East do Akṣobhya Buddha, Sumeru Signs Buddha, Great Sumeru Buddha, Sumeru Light Buddha, Sublime Sound Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the South, there are Sun and Moon Lamp Buddha, Famous Light Buddha, Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha, Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Immeasurable Vigor Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the West, there are Immeasurable Life Buddha, Immeasurable Signs Buddha, Immeasurable Banner Buddha, Great Light Buddha, Great Brilliance Buddha, Precious Signs Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, in the worlds to the North, there are Blazing Shoulders Buddha, Most Victorious Voice Buddha, Hard to Hinder Buddha, Sun Born Buddha, Net-like Brilliance Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, in the worlds below, there are Lion Buddha, Famous Buddha, Renowned Light Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma Banner Buddha, Upholder of Dharma Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, in the worlds above, there are Brahmin Voice Buddha, Constellation King Buddha, Fragrance Supremacy Buddha, Fragrant Light Buddha, Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha, Body Adorned with Varicolored Precious Flowers Buddha, Śāla Tree King Buddha, Precious Floral Virtue Buddha, Seer of All Meanings Buddha, and other buddhas such as these as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. Each in his own country displays the mark of the broad and long tongue, causes it to cover the worlds of the entire great trichiliocosm, and then states the trustworthy and genuine words, ‘You beings should have faith in this sutra praising inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, this sutra of which all buddhas are protective and mindful.’

“Śāriputra, what do you think? Why is this sutra said to be one of which all buddhas are protective and mindful? Śāriputra, If there be sons and daughters of good family who hear this sutra, uphold it, and hear the names of these buddhas, these sons and daughters of good family in every case become those of whom all buddhas are equally protective and mindful. And every case, they gain irreversibility with respect to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, Śāriputra, you should all have faith in and accept my words as well as those spoken by all buddhas.

“Śāriputra, if there be a person who has already made the vow, now makes the vow, or shall make the vow declaring the desire to be born in Amitābha’s land, in every case these persons gain in that land irreversibility with respect to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. This is so whether they have already been reborn there, are now being reborn there, or shall later be reborn there. Therefore, Śāriputra, wherever there may be sons or daughters of good family who are possessed of faith, they should make the vow to be born in that country.

“Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable meritorious qualities of all buddhas, so too do those buddhas and others also praise my inconceivable and ineffable meritorious qualities, proclaiming these words: ‘Shakyamuni Buddha is able to carry out an extremely difficult and rare endeavor. In the Sahā Land, in an evil age beset with the five turbidities, the turbidity of the kalpa, the turbidity of views, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity of beings, and the turbidity of the lifespan—he is able even then to realize anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and proclaim for the sake of beings this dharma which, in all the worlds, is so difficult to believe.

“Śāriputra, you should realize that my carrying out of this difficult endeavor in the midst of an evil age beset with the five turbidities—realizing anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and proclaiming for the sake of beings this dharma so difficult to believe—this is extremely difficult.

After the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, Śāriputra and all the Bhikshus, together with the gods, people, asuras, and others from all the worlds—having heard what the Buddha had taught, were delighted, accepted it with faith, bowed in reverence, and withdrew.

End of the Amitabha Sutra