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BUDDHA AMITABHA’S
GRAND VOWS
FROM CHAPTER SIX OF
THE INFINITE LIFE SUTRA
With the Adornments of Purity, Equanimity, and Enlightenment
As Taught by the Buddha for the Great Vehicle
Known in Chinese Phonetics as
The Fo Shuo Da Sheng Wu Liang Shou Zhuang Yian Qian Jieng Pieng Deng
Jue Jieng
Also
Known as
THE LONGER
SUKHŪVATĪVYŪHA SUTRA
A
Free English Translation
of
The
Chinese Version Attributed to Xia
Original text transmitted in the Sanskrit language as a Mahayana
Sutra
The
Chinese version edited from five historical translations
from
the 12th to 20th Centuries
by
Bodhisattva Vow Devotee Lian Ju Xia
during the early 20th Century
This
text is based on the interpretation of Xia’s Chinese version
by
Very Venerable Master Chin Kung
in
ten lecture series published and/or sound-recorded during the 1990’s
Respectfully Translated by
Amitabha Translation Group, USA
An
Interim Version 2005
1. Among
the
eight versions of The Infinite Life Sutra that are
currently available
(1 Sanskrit, 1 Tibetan, 5 Historical Chinese,
and Xia’s newly
available Chinese version), Xia’s version has
been the most widely
read and chanted world-wide in the past
twenty years.
2. Very Venerable
Master Chin Kung has been a prominent
advocate and
distinguished lecturer of Xia’s Chinese version.
He has taught this
complete Sutra ten times
as lectures series,
from Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong to
the United States and
Australia.
3. Amitabha
Translation Group, USA is made up of Buddhists who
have faith and
devotion to Buddha Amitabha, as well as the
aspiration for birth
in the Western Pureland.
4. A sample
chanting of this translation is available for down-
loading at this
website.
5. This chapter is
the first part of an ongoing effort to translate
the whole forty-eight
chapters of Xia’s version.
6. There will also
be an ongoing effort to revise the translation as
needed. Comments on
the current chapter are appreciated.
Please send them to
Mioyin – e-mail <
AmitabhaTG@aol.com >
mail: Amitabha
Translation Group / P.O.Box 217 /
270 Redwood Shores Parkway / Redwood City, CA 94065
7. This translation
effort has been blessed with advice from Very
Venerable Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche and Very Venerable Yongey
Mingyur Dorje
Rinpoche.
__________________________________________________________
~ The Infinite Life
Sutra ~
Chapter Six
BUDDHA AMITABHA’S
GRAND VOWS
Dharmakara
presented his Grand Vows this way:
I
only ask that the World Honored One listens to me and evaluates what
I say with great compassion. If I am verified for the attainment of
supreme wisdom and the achievement of ultimate enlightenment, the
Buddhaland in which I reside will be full of magnificence that is
immeasurable and inconceivable --
In my
Buddhaland there will be no Hell Beings, Hungry Ghosts, or Animals,
including birds and small creatures that fly or crawl. Once reborn
in my Buddhaland and transformed by my teaching of the Dharma, all
kinds of living beings will achieve the ultimate enlightenment of
Buddhahood. This also applies to beings from the three Hardship
Realms, including the Realm ruled by the King of Hell. No one will
ever again regress back to Hardship Realms. If I fulfill these
vows, I will become a Buddha. If these vows are not realized, I
will not accept Buddhahood.
1st Vow: Never Any Hardship Realms
2nd Vow: No Regression into Hardship Realms
When I become a Buddha, all living beings from the worlds in the ten
directions will have permanent bodies with a golden aura if they are
reborn in my Buddhaland. Their appearance will be characterized by
the thirty-two physical marks of a saintly person. All bodies will
be identical in majestic form and immaculate purity. If any one
stands out by being fairer or less majestic than any other, then I
will not accept Buddhahood.
3rd Vow: Permanent Bodies with a Golden Aura
4th Vow: Bodies with Thirty-Two Saintly Marks
5th Vow: All Physical Bodies Identical
When I become a Buddha, all living beings reborn in my Buddhaland
will recall their previous lives throughout countless generations.
They will know precisely everyone’s virtuous deeds and evil acts.
These beings will keenly see through all phenomena in the ten
directions of the past, present and future. They will also hear all
things in the ten directions in the past, present and future. If
these vows are not realized, I will not accept Buddhahood.
6th Vow: Recover Divine Memory Power
7th Vow: Recover Divine Vision Power
8th Vow: Recover Divine Hearing Power
When I become a Buddha, all living beings reborn in my Buddhaland
will recover their power to penetrate the minds and hearts of
others. If they do not fully understand the mental activities of
all the living beings in millions and billions of Buddhalands, I
will not accept Buddhahood.
9th Vow: Recover Power to Understand Others
When I become a Buddha, all living beings reborn to my Buddhaland
will recover their power to physically manifest themselves
completely at will. In the instant of one single thought, they will
be able to consummate pilgrimages to millions and billions of
Buddhalands and make offerings personally to each and every Buddha.
If this is not the case, I will not accept Buddhahood.
10th Vow: Recover Body Manifestation Power
11th Vow: Make Offerings to Buddhas Everywhere
When I become a Buddha, living beings reborn in my Buddhaland will
leave their delusion of discrimination between phenomena far
behind. Their various senses will dwell in serenity. If they are
not certain to achieve ultimate enlightenment and certification to
Buddhahood, I will not accept Buddhahood myself.
12th Vow: Ultimate Enlightenment a Certain
Accomplishment
When I become a Buddha, my bright light will be boundless and
illuminate everything in the ten directions. Its brightness will
surpass that of other Buddhas, as well as the light of the sun and
the moon by a million-billion fold. All living beings who can see
my bright light shining on their bodies will gain peace and joy.
They will carry out virtuous deeds with compassion and will
eventually be reborn in my Buddhaland. If these vows are not
realized, I will not accept Buddhahood.
13th Vow: Unsurpassable Boundless Bright Light
14th Vow: Peaceful Joy in Amitabha’s Light
When I become a Buddha, my life span will be immeasurable. My
Buddhaland will have countless beings from Realms of Disciple Saints
and Heavens. Their life spans will also be immeasurable. Assume
that all living beings from our cosmos become wise sages and take
billions of years to make calculations as a group. If they are able
to correctly estimate the number of my disciple saints and their
life spans, I will not accept Buddhahood.
15th Vow: Immeasurable Years of Life Span
16th Vow: Countless Number of Disciple Saints
When I become a Buddha, if countless Buddhas from limitless
Buddhalands in all the universes in the ten directions do not
collectively praise my name and promote the merits and magnificence
of my Buddhaland, I will not accept Buddhahood.
17th Vow: Praise Coming from All Buddhas
When I become a Buddha, upon hearing my name, living beings in the
ten directions will become joyful and devoted to my Buddhaland with
all-consuming sincerity. They will dedicate the merits from all
their virtuous deeds whole-heartedly to the vow of being reborn in
my Buddhaland. Focusing single-pointed thought on Buddha Amitabha
ten times will be sufficient to realize this vow. If they cannot be
reborn in my Buddhaland, I will not accept Buddhahood. The only
living beings who are exempted from this vow are those who have
attacked the Dharma and have committed the five worst karmic sins.
18th Vow: “Amitabha” Ten Times = Rebirth
When I become a Buddha, all living beings in the ten directions,
upon hearing Amitabha’s name, will initiate their aspiration for
ultimate enlightenment. They will cultivate various merits and
practice the Six Perfect Acts. Their faith will be forever strong
and never regress. In addition, they will dedicate the roots of the
merits from their wholesome deeds to the vow of being reborn in my
Buddhaland. These beings will single-pointedly devote themselves to
being mindful of Amitabha without any intermission by day or by
night. At the end of their lives, I will appear with an assembly of
Bodhisattvas to welcome each one of them. In an instant, these
beings will be reborn in my Buddhaland and become senior
Bodhisattvas of No Regression. If these vows are not realized, I
will not accept Buddhahood.
19th Vow: Hearing “Amitabha” Initiates Aspiration
20th Vow: Amitabha Reception at End of Life
When I become a Buddha, upon hearing my name, all living beings in
the ten directions will concentrate on being mindful of my
Buddhaland. They will initiate the aspiration for enlightenment
that will be forever ardent and never regress. These beings will
plant the foundation of various virtues, and with extreme sincerity,
dedicate the merits to the vow of being reborn in my Land of Bliss.
All of them will have their vows fulfilled. Those beings who have
accumulated evil karma will repent their sins immediately upon
hearing my name. Further, they will follow the path to
enlightenment by practicing wholesome deeds, abiding by the precepts
as taught in scriptures, and vowing to be reborn in my Buddhaland.
At the end of their life spans, they will never experience the three
Hardship Realms. Instead, they will immediately be reborn in my
Buddhaland. If this is not the case, I will not accept Buddhahood.
21st
Vow: Rebirth Is Assured upon Repenting
When I become a Buddha, there will be no female embodiments in my
Buddhaland. Those women who gain pure faith upon hearing my name
will initiate the aspiration for enlightenment. If weary of the
burdens associated with a female embodiment, they may vow to be
reborn in my Buddhaland. At the end of their life spans, they will
turn into male embodiments before coming to my Buddhaland. All
living beings in every world in the ten directions will be reborn to
my Buddhaland through transformation inside lotus flowers that grow
in the pond built with the seven kinds of jewels. If this is not
the case, I will not accept Buddhahood.
22nd Vow: Not Any Female Embodiment
23rd Vow: Weary Females Are Re-Embodied
24th Vow: Transformational Rebirth inside Lotus Flowers
When I become a Buddha, upon hearing my name, all living beings in
the ten directions will rejoice and believe in Amitabha. They will
pay homage to, and find total refuge in, Amitabha. With virtuous
minds and hearts, they will cultivate Bodhisattvas’ deeds. All of
the gods in the heavens and all the humans on this earth will pay
them respect. Once these beings hear my name, they will be reborn
in noble families at the end of their current lives. They will be
without any defect in the six senses. These beings will cultivate
the most splendid virtuous deeds by being mindful of Amitabha. If
these vows are not realized, I will not accept Buddhahood.
25th
Vow: Full Respect from Heaven and Earth
26th
Vow: Hearing “Amitabha” Gives Blessings
27th
Vow: Cultivate the Most Splendid Deeds
When I become a
Buddha, even the mention of vice will never be heard in my
Buddhaland. All living beings reborn in my Buddhaland will share
the same aspiration for enlightenment. Therefore, they will all
dwell together in the definite path to Buddhahood. These beings
will forever leave worries behind and attain tranquility. The joy
they feel will be the same as the enlightened saints who have
severed all worries through cultivation. If they should give rise
to any idea of attachment to or haggling over their physical bodies,
I will not accept enlightenment.
28th Vow: Vices Are Never Heard of
29th Vow: Dwell on Proper Path Together
30th Vow: Joy Like Enlightened Saints
31st Vow: Not Any Body Attachment
When I become a Buddha, all those reborn in my Buddhaland will have
already accumulated countless roots of virtue. Therefore, they will
have an indestructible body, like a diamond, with strong and steady
stamina. They will all have an aura shining around their bodies and
on top of their heads, achieve all wisdom, and gain an eloquence
without impediments. They will be highly skillful when discussing
the profound essence of all Dharmas. They will teach living beings
through both lecturing and role modeling. The influence of their
words will be as inspiring and far-reaching as bells. If the above
vows are not realized, I will not accept Buddhahood.
32nd Vow: Body Is Strong and Indestructible
33rd Vow: A Shining Halo and Wise Eloquence
34th Vow: Skilled in Teaching Dharmas’ Essence
When I become a Buddha, all living beings reborn in my Buddhaland
will eventually be certified to the highest Bodhisattva status for
Buddha candidacy in one lifetime. The only exceptions will be those
who have already proclaimed their fundamental vow as the salvation
of other living beings. These Bodhisattvas, wearing the powerful
armor of their grand vows, commit themselves to educate all living
beings. They will guide such beings to initiate their faith in
Truths, to perform deeds of enlightenment, and to practice the way
of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Even though they become manifest in
other worlds, they will forever be exempt from the Realms of
Hardship. They may appear as a person who enjoys teaching the
Truths, or one who enjoys learning the Truths, or one who
demonstrates divine power to benefit others. With all skillful means
freely at their disposal, they will enable other living beings to
properly practice. All of the grand vows of these Bodhisattvas will
be realized to perfection. If these vows are not realized, I will
not accept Buddhahood.
35th Vow: Buddha Candidacy in One Lifetime
36th Vow: Freely Teach Others to Cultivate
When I become a Buddha, all those reborn in my Buddhaland will have
every necessity appear in front of them instantly at their will.
Their needs for food, clothing, and various objects for offering
will all be satisfied. When these beings wish to make offerings,
all Buddhas in the ten directions will be receptive to such
offerings. If these vows are not realized, I will not accept
Buddhahood.
37th
Vow: Clothing and Food Appear Automatically
38th
Vow: Buddhas Receptive to Offerings at a Wish
When I become a Buddha, the whole environment in my Buddhaland will
be magnificently pure and gloriously radiant. The shapes and colors
of everything will be splendid, unique, and delicate to the extreme,
beyond description and measure. Although those living in my
Buddhaland will have recovered their power of divine vision, they
will not be able to distinguish among the vast varieties of shapes,
shades, colors, appearances, names, and numbers. They will also be
unable to verbally summarize all such variations. If they are
capable of the above tasks, I will not accept Buddhahood.
39th
Vow: Immeasurable and Indescribable Variations of Magnificence
When I become a Buddha, my Buddhaland will have countless trees that
are brightly colored and hundreds to thousands of miles tall. The
Bodhi trees around the places of community congregation will be as
tall as four million miles. Even those entry-level Bodhisattvas with
modest recovery of their innate virtues will be well aware of the
wonders of such trees. Whenever Bodhisattvas of my Buddhaland wish
to observe the virtuous magnificence of other Buddhalands, they will
be able to see them all inbetween the jeweled trees as clearly as
seeing their own faces in a bright mirror. If these vows are not
realized, I will not accept Buddhahood.
40th Vow: Jeweled Trees of Unimaginable Blessings
41st Vow: All Paradises Appear inbetween the Trees
When I become a Buddha, the Buddhaland in which I live will be
spacious, extensive, noble, and pure. It will be shining and
brilliant like a mirror. Its light will thoroughly illuminate
countless and unimaginable Buddhalands in the ten directions. Upon
seeing such light, living beings will generate their precious
aspiration for enlightenment. If this vow is not realized, I will
not accept Buddhahood.
42nd Vow: Illumination in All Ten Directions
When I become a Buddha, all kinds of objects in my Buddhaland will
be made of infinite varieties of treasured fragrances. This will
include everything from the distant horizon to the vast sky,
including expansive palaces, tall buildings, ponds and creeks, and
all flowers and trees. Their fragrances will perfume the worlds in
the ten directions. Upon smelling such fragrances, all living
beings in these worlds will cultivate holy deeds toward
enlightenment. If this vow is not realized, I will not accept
Buddhahood.
43rd Vow: Treasured Fragrances Perfume Universally
When I become a Buddha, all Bodhisattvas in the Buddhalands in the
ten directions, when listening to my name deeply, will immediately
attain Samādhi, with purity, liberation, and universal equality.
Thus, they will come to grasp the key essence of all profound
Dharma. They will then be able to dwell in Samādhi until they
achieve Buddhahood. These Bodhisattvas will constantly make
offerings to countless Buddhas, while maintaining a state of Samādhi
without being distracted. If these vows are not realized, I will
not accept Buddhahood.
44th Vow: Attainment of Samādhi with Equal Achievement
45th Vow: Make Offerings to Buddhas in Samādhi
When I become a Buddha, upon hearing my name all Bodhisattvas from
other worlds will be verified for leaving the cycle of life and
death forever. They will also obtain the key to control all Dharma.
Those Bodhisattvas will be pure and joyful. Just as in the Buddha’s
Realm, they will dwell in equality. Since they practice
Bodhisattvas' deeds, they will have built enough of a foundation of
merits to be receptive to the three stages of certification in
enlightenment. If those Bodhisattvas are not immediately certified
in all Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma to the cultivation level of
No Regression, I will not accept Buddhahood.
46th Vow: Obtain the Key to All Dharma
47th Vow: Receptive to Enlightenment upon Hearing
“Amitabha”
48th Vow: Immediate Certification to No Regression
Chap. 6 NOTES:
#6.1 (from 4th Vow) -- Thirty-two physical marks of a
noble person: These physical characteristics were often mentioned
in Mahayana sutras as the features of a Buddha. The Buddhist
scriptures, composed in an Indian language at least seventeen
hundred years ago, may be taken by 21st century Western
readers from an anthropological perspective. As such, these
physical manifestations of a Buddha may have served to fit a
desirable social norm from another culture and another time. In
ancient India, these marks were considered to be the appearance of
gods in heaven. Today, they may be interpreted as a symbolic
statement that all beings reborn in Amitabha’s Buddhaland will be
exactly the same in their embodiment of ultimate majesty and harmony
within all universes.
The thirty-two physical marks, as recorded in Sanskrit texts,
include: [1] feet being full and level on their soles, [2] feet
with thousand-spoke-wheel signs on their soles, [3] long slender
fingers, [4] pliant hands and feet, [5] lines on the hands and feet
are fine, [6] full heels, [7] arched insteps, [8] thighs like those
of a royal stag, [9] hands reaching below the knee, [10] male sex
organs retracted into the abdominal cavity, [11] height equal to the
stretch of both arms, [12] dark colored hair follicles, [13] body
hair graceful and curly, [14] golden-hued body, [15] ten-foot halo
around the body, [16] soft and smooth skin, [17] well-rounded in
seven body sites (2 soles, 2 palms, 2 shoulders, and the crown of
the head), [18] well-filled below the arm-pits, [19] a lion-like
body, [20] an upright straight body, [21] round and full shoulders,
[22] forty teeth, [23] teeth white, even, and close together, [24]
the four canine teeth white and pure, [25] lion-like jaws, [26]
saliva provides the finest quality of taste, [27] a long and broad
tongue, [28] a melodious deep voice that projects far, [29] purplish
(reddish indigo) colored eyes, [30] eyelashes like those of royal
cattle, [31] a white curl between the eyebrows that emits light,
[32] a fleshy protuberance on the crown of the head.
#6.2 (from 18th Vow) -- The five worst karmic sins:
Killing one's own father, killing one's own mother, killing an
enlightened saint (Arahat), intentionally assaulting a
personification of the Buddha, and causing disharmony among groups
of ordained Buddhists.
#6.3 (from 19th Vow) -- The Six Transcendent Actions of
Bodhisattvas:
Generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, meditative concentration (Samādhi),
and wisdom.
#6.4 (from 22nd and 23rd Vow) – Not any female
embodiment and Weary Females are Re-embodied:
Based on the specifics listed in the “thirty-two physical marks”
(please refer to note #6.1), every embodiment in Amitabha’s Pureland
may be considered to have the same gender-neutral body. Again, this
Vow can be interpreted from an anthropological perspective also.
Reading these thousand-year-old “time capsules” of Buddhist
scriptures is a combination of joy and challenge. Even though the
22nd Vow only appeared in one Chinese historical
translation, the 23rd Vow is consistent in the Sanskrit
version and three separate historical translations in Chinese. Some
modern readers may be sensitive to or distressed by the negative
connotations toward the female body in this ancient text. It might
be helpful to remember that feminism has been an evolving social
issue in many cultures across time and space.
#6.5 (from 47th Vow) -- Receptivity to three kinds of
Truths:
Receptivity to the Truth beneath all sounds, receptivity to the
Truth in the gentle acceptance of all things, and receptivity to the
Truth in the wisdom of no rebirth/no death.
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