Sutra of Immeasurable Pure Equanimity and Enlightenment (佛說無量清淨平等覺經)

The Sutra of the Buddha's Teaching on Immeasurable Purity and Equal Enlightenment, Volume Three

Translation by the Yuezhi Tripitaka Master Lokakṣema of the Later Han Dynasty

The Buddha addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva, saying: "The light radiating from the crown of Immeasurable Pure Buddha is supremely bright and great. The sun, moon, and stars, all abiding in the empty sky, no longer revolve or move in their courses; their brilliance is also extinguished, obscured and no longer manifest. The light of Immeasurable Pure Buddha illuminates his land and shines brilliantly upon other Buddha‑lands; it is constantly and greatly luminous, and there is never a time of darkness."

In that land, there is no such thing as one day or two days, no fifteen days or one month, no five months or ten months, no five years or ten years, no hundred years or thousand years, no ten thousand years, hundred million years, hundred million ten thousand years, or ten hundred million ten thousand years. There is no hundred thousand hundred million ten thousand years, no thousand hundred million hundred million ten thousand years. There is no one kalpa or ten kalpas, no hundred kalpas or thousand kalpas, no ten thousand kalpas or hundred thousand kalpas, no ten million kalpas, no hundred thousand hundred million kalpas.

The Buddha said: "The light of Immeasurable Purity Buddha is boundless and limitless. The light of Immeasurable Purity Buddha—after countless kalpas, measureless kalpas, again countless kalpas, immeasurable kalpas, kalpas beyond all calculation, kalpas without end—will never be extinguished."

The boundless pure lands and all their heavens shall never know a time of decay or ruin. Why is this so? Because the life of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity is exceedingly long, and his land is supremely excellent; thus it is so.

The Buddha said, "The life of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity spans countless kalpas beyond measure, and there is no time of parinirvana for him."

The Buddha of Immeasurable Purity, in his teaching within the world, intends to guide all beings throughout the eight directions, above and below, across countless Buddha‑lands—all heavenly beings, humans, and creatures that crawl or fly—wishing that all may be reborn in his land and attain the path of Nirvāṇa. For all those who practice as Bodhisattvas, he wishes that they may all become Buddhas; and having become Buddhas, that they may in turn teach. He further instructs all heavenly beings, humans, and creatures that crawl or fly throughout the eight directions, above and below, wishing that they may all attain Buddhahood; and when they become Buddhas, they in turn teach countless heavenly beings, humans, and creatures that crawl or fly, guiding them all to attain the path of Nirvāṇa. All those whom he teaches as disciples further teach one another in succession, liberating one another in turn, until they attain the stages of Stream‑enterer, Once‑returner, Non‑returner, Arhat, and Pratyekabuddha. Through this mutual liberation in succession, all attain the path of Nirvāṇa. In this way, the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity has never yet desired to enter final Nirvāṇa. The liberation accomplished by the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity continues thus, abiding for countless kalpas, immeasurable kalpas, incalculable kalpas, without ever reaching a time of final Nirvāṇa. Throughout the eight directions, above and below, the heavenly beings, humans, and creatures that crawl or fly who are reborn in the land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity are beyond all reckoning; those who become Arhats and attain the path of Nirvāṇa are also without number, truly beyond all calculation.

The boundless grace and virtue of Amitābha, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Purity, extends through his giving to all quarters, above and below, endless and limitless, profoundly vast and immeasurable, joyous and excellent beyond expression. The sutras and teachings that flow from the wisdom of Amitābha Buddha are proclaimed throughout all quarters, above and below, to countless, innumerable beings. Throughout the heavens and the world, they are exceedingly abundant, inexhaustible. The number of these sutra scrolls is exceedingly great, beyond all reckoning, truly without limit.

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, "Do you wish to know whether the lifespan of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity is without limit or not?"

Bodhisattva Ajita said: “We all wish to hear and understand this.”

The Buddha said: "Listen clearly. If all beings from the eight directions and the ten quarters—in the countless Buddha-lands, among gods, humans, and all creatures that crawl or fly—were all reborn as humans, and all became Pratyekabuddhas and Arhats, and if they sat together in meditation with one mind, and combined all their wisdom into one great courage, and together sought to reckon and know the lifespan of Immeasurable Purity Buddha, to know for how many thousands of billions of millions of kalpas he lives—still none would be able to reckon and know the limit of Immeasurable Purity Buddha's lifespan."

The Buddha said: "Further, let all beings in the Buddha-lands of a thousand Sumeru mountains in each of the other directions—devas, humans, and all creatures that fly and crawl—again attain human birth, and let them all become Pratyekabuddhas and Arhats. Let them all sit in meditation with one-pointed mind, and let their Wisdom be united into a single courageous force. Together they would seek to count the bodhisattvas and arhats in the measureless pure Buddha-land, yet even a hundred thousand million such beings would be unable to complete the count."

The Buddha said: "The life of Amitabha Buddha is immeasurably long, vast and boundless. His radiance shines brightly, profound and excellent, limitless and unfathomable. Who can truly comprehend and believe in this? Only the Buddha himself knows."

The Bodhisattva Ajita, hearing the Buddha’s words, was filled with great joy. Kneeling with palms joined, he said: “The Buddha has spoken of the immeasurable purity, the long lifespan, the majestic spiritual power, the wisdom and radiance, the lofty and wondrous excellence of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. Is it truly so extraordinary?”

The Buddha said: "When Amitābha Buddha eventually enters parinirvāṇa, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara will then become a Buddha, comprehensively mastering the wisdom of the Path, presiding over and instructing throughout the worlds of the eight directions and the ten directions, guiding all celestial beings, humans, and all sentient beings that fly or crawl, enabling them to attain the Path of Buddha-nirvāṇa. His virtuous merits and blessings shall be equal to those of the Great Teacher Amitābha Buddha, abiding for immeasurable kalpas, immeasurable kalpas, incalculable kalpas, incalculable kalpas, in accordance with the Dharma of the Great Teacher, and only then will he enter parinirvāṇa."

Next, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva shall also become a Buddha, presiding over Wisdom, universally teaching and guiding all. The merit and virtue he will bring to liberation shall be like that of the Great Teacher, the Immeasurably Pure Buddha. He shall abide for countless kalpas, ever abiding without entering parinirvāṇa. Successively, one after another, they shall receive and transmit the Dharma-path, most clearly revealed. His buddha-land shall be supremely excellent. Thus shall the Dharma continue, never to be cut off, without end, immeasurable.

Ananda knelt with palms joined and inquired of the Buddha, saying: "The Buddha has spoken of the Land of Immeasurable Purity, wherein there is no Mount Sumeru. By what support do the first heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and the second heaven of Trāyastriṃśa abide? I wish to hear of this."

The Buddha said to Ananda, "Do you harbor any doubt concerning the Buddha? The eight directions, above and below, are boundless and infinite, without limit or measure. If all the waters of the great seas in all the worlds were measured by a single dipper, one could still exhaust them and reach their bottom. The wisdom of the Buddha is likewise: the eight directions, above and below, are boundless and infinite, without limit or measure."

The Buddha said: "By the Wisdom I possess and the insight I have attained, I know that among the Buddhas of the past who bore the name Śākyamuni Buddha, their number is like the grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges River—each grain a Buddha. As for those yet to come who will seek to attain Buddhahood and bear the name Śākyamuni Buddha, their number is also like the grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges—each grain a Buddha. Sitting upright facing directly south, I see the Buddhas presently abiding in the south who bear the name Śākyamuni Buddha, and their number too is like the grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges—each grain a Buddha. In the eight directions and the realms above and below, among the Buddhas of the past, the future, and the present who bear the name Śākyamuni Buddha, each group is like the grains of sand on the banks of ten Ganges Rivers—each grain a Buddha. Such is their number, and the Buddha perceives and knows them all in advance."

The Buddha said: "In the incalculable kalpas of the distant past—one kalpa, ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, a hundred million kalpas, ten trillion kalpas, a hundred million trillion kalpas—within those kalpas there were buddhas. Among all the buddhas of the past—one buddha, ten buddhas, a hundred buddhas, a thousand buddhas, ten thousand buddhas, a hundred million buddhas, a hundred million trillion buddhas—each buddha had his own name, and these names were not alike; none was like my name.

In the kalpas just beginning and yet to come—one kalpa, ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, a hundred million kalpas, ten trillion kalpas, a hundred million trillion kalpas—within those kalpas there will be one buddha, ten buddhas, a hundred buddhas, a thousand buddhas, ten thousand buddhas, ten trillion buddhas, a hundred million trillion buddhas. Each buddha will have his own name, and these names will each be different, unlike the names of other buddhas; only occasionally will there be a buddha with a name like mine, Śākyamuni Buddha.

Among the present buddhas in the immeasurable buddha‑realms of the eight directions and up and down, and further among the different buddha‑realms of other directions—one buddha‑realm, ten buddha‑realms, a hundred buddha‑realms, a thousand buddha‑realms, ten thousand buddha‑realms, a hundred million buddha‑realms, ten trillion buddha‑realms, a hundred million trillion buddha‑realms—in those buddha‑realms there are buddhas, each with his own name, and these names are exceedingly varied and cannot be the same; none is like my name. Among the immeasurable buddhas of the eight directions and up and down, only very rarely is there a buddha with a name like mine, Śākyamuni Buddha.

The expanse between past, future, and present in the eight directions and up and down is vast, distant, boundless, and limitless. The Buddha’s Wisdom is profoundly clear; it gathers the ancient and knows the present, foreknows the endless past, beholds the yet‑unborn, and foresees the limitless future. All the utterly incalculable, immeasurable buddhas—their majestic spirit, dignity, and clarity—are entirely known by him. The Buddha’s Wisdom and virtue unite in clarity; there is none who can exhaustively question the Buddha’s sutras and teachings to their ultimate limit. The Buddha’s Wisdom can never be measured or exhausted."

Ānanda, hearing the Buddha's words, was greatly terrified, his hair standing on end. Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: "I dare not harbor any doubt toward the Buddha. The reason I ask the Buddha is this: in other Buddha-lands, there are all Mount Sumerus, upon which the first heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and the second heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods rely and dwell. I fear that after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if there are devas, humans, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, or upāsikās who come and ask me, 'Why does the Immeasurable Pure Buddha Land alone have no Mount Sumeru? Upon what do its first heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and second heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods rely and dwell?' I ought to be able to answer them. If I do not ask the Buddha now, after the Buddha's departure, what words shall I use to reply to them? Only the Buddha himself knows this; there are none among the rest who can explain it. For this reason, I ask the Buddha."

The Buddha said to Ananda, "If that is so, then on what basis do the Third Heaven of Radiance, the Fourth Heaven of Satisfaction, and upward to the Seventh Heaven of Brahma abide and dwell?"

Ānanda said, "These heavenly beings all abide naturally in empty space, with nothing to rely upon as support."

The Buddha said: "The Land of Immeasurable Purity Buddha is likewise without Mount Sumeru. The first heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and the second heaven of the Thirty-three Gods both abide naturally in empty space, having nothing to rely upon or depend on."

The Buddha said: "The majestic spiritual power of the Buddha is most profound, acting with sovereign freedom according to his will. Whatever he intends to accomplish, he does not need to deliberate beforehand. These celestial beings constantly dwell naturally in empty space—how much more so does the majestic spiritual power of the Buddha, revered and sovereign, act with complete freedom according to his will?"

Ānanda, hearing the Buddha's words, was greatly delighted. Kneeling upright with palms joined, he said: “The Buddha’s wisdom knows the affairs of the eight directions, above and below, of past, future, and present—limitless, boundless, without edges or extremes, supremely lofty, wondrous, and transcendent, swift, excellent, and utterly luminous, so good that nothing can compare, majestic, spiritual, venerable, and beyond all opposition.”

The Buddha addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva, saying: "Among the people of this world—whether virtuous men or virtuous women—those who aspire to be reborn in the Land of Immeasurable Purity, the Buddha‑land, may be of three classes. Their meritorious practices differ in scale, and one cannot compare with another."

The Buddha said: "What are the three grades?"

"The highest and foremost of these should leave home, give up wife and children, cut off craving and desire, and live as a monastic, devoting themselves to the path of non-action and the Bodhisattva path, practicing the sutras of the Six Paramitas. As a monastic, one should not fail in the precepts of the teachings. With a compassionate heart and diligence, one should not give way to anger, and should not have sexual relations with women. Keeping the precepts pure, with a mind free of greed and longing, with the most sincere vow and desire to be born in the Land of the Buddha of Measureless Purity, one should recollect with wholehearted devotion without interruption. Then, in this very life, while seeking the path, such a person will in their sleep dream of the Buddha of Measureless Purity, along with the Bodhisattvas and Arhats. When their life is about to end, the Buddha of Measureless Purity will fly together with the Bodhisattvas and Arhats to welcome them, and they will be reborn in the Land of the Buddha of Measureless Purity. They will be born transformationally in a lotus in a pool of seven jewels, and will naturally receive a body that grows tall and mature. They will become a Bodhisattva of Non-Retrogression, and will fly in turn together with the Bodhisattvas, making offerings to countless Buddhas in the eight directions, above and below. Their wisdom will be keen and courageous, they will delight in hearing the sutras and the path, their mind filled with joy, and the seven-jeweled palace where they dwell will be in empty space, where they may act freely as they wish, near to the Buddha of Measureless Purity."

The Buddha said: "Those who wish to be reborn in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity, who practice Diligence, uphold the sutras and the Precepts, and carry out the supreme practices as described above—such people who are reborn in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity will be honored and respected by the assembly. This is the foremost, the highest grade."

The Buddha said: "Those of the middle grade are people who wish to be reborn in the Land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity. Even if they cannot leave home, abandon wife and children, cut off desire, and live as monks, they should uphold the sutras and precepts without letting them lapse, and increase their practice of giving and generosity. They should always have faith in and accept the Buddha's words, and deeply cultivate utmost sincerity and loyalty. They should feed monks, build Buddha temples, erect stupas, burn incense, scatter flowers, light lamps, and hang various silk banners and streamers—practices such as these. They should not be consumed by greed, should not give rise to anger, should keep the precepts and purify themselves, cultivate a compassionate mind and diligence, and cut off thoughts of desire. If, for one day and one night without interruption, they wish to be reborn in the Land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity, then in this present life they will also see the Buddha of Infinite Purity in their sleep and dreams. When their life is about to end, the Buddha of Infinite Purity will manifest so that they see the Buddha of Infinite Purity and that land themselves, and those reborn in the Land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity can attain wisdom and courage."

The Buddha said: "If a person practices giving in this way, but afterward regrets it, has doubts in their heart, does not believe that sharing generosity and doing various good deeds brings blessings in future lives, does not believe in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha, and does not believe in being reborn in that land—even so, if that person keeps the thought unbroken, sometimes believing, sometimes not believing, with their will wavering and no firm ground to stand on, yet continuously forming good vows, this is called fundamentally attaining rebirth through continuity. When that person's life draws to an end through illness, the Immeasurable Pure Buddha then manifests a form himself, allowing that person to see it with their own eyes. Though their mouth can no longer speak, their heart is filled with joy and leaps up, and they think: 'I regret not having understood to increase my offerings and do good. Now I will be born in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha.' That person then repents in their heart. Through repentance, their faults are reduced, and nothing more is required. When that person's life comes to an end, they are born in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha, but cannot go before the Immeasurable Pure Buddha. Instead, along the way they see a spontaneously arisen city of the seven treasures at the boundary of the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha, and their heart is filled with great joy. They stop along the way within that city, and are spontaneously born by transformation in a lotus in a pool of the seven treasures. Their body is spontaneously full-grown, and they remain in that city for five hundred years. That city measures two thousand li in each direction. Within the city there are also dwellings of the seven treasures, and within those dwellings both inside and out there are naturally occurring bathing pools of the seven treasures. In the bathing pools there are also naturally occurring flowers all around, and above the bathing pools there are also rows upon rows of seven-treasure trees, all producing the five notes of music. When it is time to eat, naturally occurring food appears before them, food of a hundred flavors, obtained as they wish.

That person enjoys happiness in the city. Within that city, everything is naturally provided, like the natural things in the second Trayastrimsa Heaven. That person cannot leave the city, nor can they see the Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light. They only see his radiance, and within their heart they feel remorse and self-reproach, yet also leap with joy. They also cannot hear the scriptures, nor can they see the community of monks, nor can they see or know what the bodhisattvas and arhats in the Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light's land look like. If such a person has only a little bit of merit like this, the Buddha does not send them there either. Whatever their body has done naturally brings them this result; their own mind carries them toward the Path into that city. When this person originally sought the Path in their past lives, their mind and speech were at odds—their words and thoughts were not sincere. They doubted the Buddhist scriptures and did not have faith in them. Thus they naturally enter the evil realms. The Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light, out of compassion, draws them away by his majestic power.

Such a person will only be able to leave that city after five hundred years. They then go to where the Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light is and hear the scriptures, but their mind does not open in understanding, and they are still unable to hear the teachings among the bodhisattvas, arhats, and monks. Because the place where they dwell—their house and grounds—remains on the earth, they cannot make that house rise high into the air at will; and because they remain very far from the Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light, they cannot draw near to that Buddha. Such a person's wisdom is unclear, their knowledge of the scriptures is scant, their mind is not joyful, and their understanding does not open. Yet after a very long time, their wisdom will of itself open and they will understand the scriptures; their mind will become bright, strong, and courageous, and they will find joy. After that, they will be as the first rank described above. Why is this? Such a person is in this position simply because in a former life, when they were seeking the Way, they did not greatly observe the precepts and fasting, fell short of and lost the Dharma of the scriptures, and their mind was full of doubt, not believing the Buddha's words, not believing the deep scriptures of the Buddha, not believing that generosity and giving and doing good would bring them merit in future lives; and also because they afterward regretted it, did not believe in rebirth in the land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Pure Light, and performed virtuous deeds without wholehearted commitment. For this reason they are of the second middle rank.

The Buddha said: "As for the three grades: if a person wishes to be born in the Land of Infinite Pure Buddha and has no means to practice generosity by giving, and also cannot burn incense, scatter flowers, light lamps, hang silk banners, build monasteries, erect stupas, or offer food to monks, then they should cut off craving and desire, harbor no greed or longing, cultivate a compassionate mind and diligence, refrain from anger, and keep the precepts pure. Those who are pure in this way should single-mindedly wish to be born in the Land of Infinite Pure Buddha. If they maintain this without interruption for ten days and nights, then at the end of life they will be reborn in the Land of Infinite Pure Buddha, and will be supremely honored, wise, and courageous."

The Buddha said: "After a person has done this, if they later give rise to regret, their mind is caught in doubt, they do not believe that doing good will bring them blessings in future lives, and they do not believe they will be reborn in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha. Even so, that person will still be reborn there. When that person's life is about to end through illness, Immeasurable Pure Buddha will cause them to see the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha in their sleep and dreams. That person will rejoice in their heart and think to themselves: 'I regret not having known to do more good; now I will be born in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha.' That person merely thinks this in their mind; their mouth can no longer speak, and so they repent of their faults. Through repentance, their faults are reduced; through repentance, there is nothing further to be done. When that person's life ends, they will be born in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha. But they cannot reach it directly; along the way they will see a city of seven treasures two thousand li across, and their heart will rejoice alone, and they will stop there. Then they will be transformed and born in a lotus in a pool of seven treasures, and there they will naturally grow to maturity. That city is also arranged like the previous city, comparable to the naturally occurring things in the second heaven of Indra. That person will also remain in the city for five hundred years, and only after five hundred years will they be able to leave and come to where Immeasurable Pure Buddha is, rejoicing greatly in their heart. That person hears the sutras but their mind does not open to understanding, their heart is not joyful, their wisdom is not clear, and their knowledge of the sutras is limited. The dwelling where they live is on the ground; they cannot make their dwelling grow large or high according to their wishes, or be in the air. Their distance from Immeasurable Pure Buddha is likewise like this.

The second type is the doubters. These people, after a long time, will also have their wisdom opened and understand the scriptures. With a courageous mind they should rejoice, and then they will be like the first type described above. Why is this? It is because in past lives, when they were seeking the Path, they wavered and doubted along the way—believing for a moment, disbelieving for a moment—and did not believe that doing good would later bring them merit and reward. Yet all of this they receive naturally. According to their merit, whether great or small, each naturally tends toward their corresponding destination. In expounding the scriptures and walking the Path, the excellence of their virtue differs vastly, and they cannot compare with one another.

The Buddha said: "Those who wish to follow the Bodhisattva path and be born in the land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity will all afterward become Bodhisattvas of Non-Retrogression. Bodhisattvas of Non-Retrogression will all possess the thirty-two marks and the deep purple-golden body, along with the eighty secondary characteristics. They will all become Buddhas, and according to their hearts' wishes, in whatever Buddha-land they desire, they will become Buddhas. They will never again fall into the hells, into the animal realm, or into the realm of hungry ghosts. According to their Diligence in seeking the Path to Cessation, whether it comes sooner or later, the matter is equal in the end. Those who seek the Path without stopping will certainly attain it, and will not lose what they have vowed and wished for."

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Ajita and the other celestial beings, kings, and people: "I tell all of you: those who wish to be born in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity, even if they cannot undertake great diligence in meditation or uphold the scriptures and precepts, must at the very least do good.

First, do not kill living beings. Second, do not steal. Third, do not commit sexual misconduct or violate the wives of others. Fourth, do not deceive. Fifth, do not drink alcohol. Sixth, do not speak divisively. Seventh, do not speak harshly. Eighth, do not speak falsely. Ninth, do not be jealous. Tenth, do not be greedy.

Do not be stingy in your heart. Do not be angry. Do not be ignorant. Do not indulge your desires as they arise. Do not regret halfway. Do not be doubtful.

You should be filial and obedient. You should be sincere, loyal, and trustworthy. You should accept the Buddha's scriptures and words deeply. You should believe that doing good brings blessings in future lives.

For those who uphold this Dharma without fail, whatever they aspire to in their hearts can be attained, and they may be reborn in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity. Above all, you must observe fasting and precepts, with a single-minded and pure heart, and day and night always think of being reborn in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity, without interruption for ten days and ten nights. I will have compassion for all of them and cause them all to be born in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity."

The Buddha said: "People in the world who wish to aspire to match the worthy and wise, and to practice goodness as the Path while living at home—sharing a household with wife and children, dwelling amid affection, fondness, and desire, beset by worries. If they have many family affairs and pressing duties, with no leisure for great fasting and precepts or single-minded purity, then even though they cannot leave the household, whenever they have a free moment they should rectify their own minds, direct their thoughts to all that is good, and devote themselves single-mindedly to practicing the Path for ten days and ten nights. If they truly cannot do even that, they should reflect deeply and carefully consider: 'If I wish to escape and free myself, I must at the very least cut off thoughts of longing and put away worries, not dwell on family matters, not share a bed with a woman, rectify body and mind, sever craving and desire, and with single-minded fasting, precepts, and purity, direct my thoughts wholeheartedly to being born in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha.' If they do not break this continuity for one day and one night, then at the end of life they shall all attain rebirth in that land, being transformationally born in lotus flowers in jeweled bathing pools, and shall attain wisdom and courage. The seven-jeweled dwellings and abodes they inhabit will follow their own wishes to do as they please, and they may rank next to the first grade as described above."

The Buddha said to Ajita Bodhisattva: "All the countless devas, humans, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen throughout the eight directions, above and below, who have been reborn in the Land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity—this great assembly all gather together in the bathing pools of the seven treasures, and each and every one of them sits upon a single great lotus flower. Each declares their own virtue and goodness. Each person tells of their former lives: when they sought the Way in past existences, how they upheld the sutras and precepts, the good practices they performed, the origins and full course of the life they came from, the teachings of the Way that they delighted in, the wisdom they gained from understanding the scriptures, and the merit they cultivated through their actions. From highest to lowest, each in turn speaks in full. According to whether their understanding of the scriptures is clear or unclear, whether it is deep or shallow, great or small, and whether their virtue is superior or inferior, thick or thin, they naturally understand the Way and distinguish one another's abilities, wisdom, and vigorous strength. They regard one another with mutual reflection, with courtesy and harmony, and all rejoice and leap with delight. Their wisdom is courageous and vigorous, and none falls short of the others."

The Buddha said: "Such a person makes no effort beforehand to cultivate merit. They treat doing good lightly and let it decline, not believing in it, and so they drift along in idleness and laziness, thinking it can be put off. But when the time comes and everyone gathers to hear the sutra explained and to practice the path, they are naturally pressed and hurried, and their responses come slow and late. The wisdom of the path is lofty, extraordinary, and unsurpassed, its talents wondrous, lofty, and mighty—yet they alone are weak and inadequate at the margins. When the moment arrives, then they regret it. But once regret has passed, what good will it do afterward? They will only harbor sorrow and longing in their hearts, and nothing more."

The Buddha said: "In the land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity, the bodhisattvas and arhats—all those assemblies—gather together on the great path in one great convergence. They restrain their minds, govern their thoughts, keep their bodies upright and their conduct correct. They roam freely with penetrating understanding, flying together in ordered ranks, coming and going, making boundless offerings, their hearts joyful and delighted. They take joy in studying the sutras together and walking the path, harmoniously cultivating refined learning. Their valor and wisdom are keen, their resolve like empty space. With diligence they seek their vows; their minds never again turn back, never again waver, and there is never a time of laxness or end. Though outwardly they seem unhurried in seeking the path, inwardly they are swift and urgent. Serene within empty space, they find just the right balance; inner and outer correspond, naturally well-ordered. Restrained and upright, their bodies and minds are pure and clean, free of craving and desire, free of any grasping greed, free of all evils and defilements. Their aspirations are all settled and excellent, neither increasing nor decreasing. They seek the path in harmony and correctness, not erring into crookedness. They measure themselves against the Dharma of the path, following the sutras and keeping the precepts, never daring to transgress or stumble. As if walking along a chalk line, they roam through the eight directions, above and below, without boundary or limit, freely going wherever they wish, reaching beyond end or limit. All alike they practice the path, broad and expansive in their aspirations, vast and wide-reaching. They think of the path and nothing else, with no other thoughts, no worries or anxieties. Naturally without contrivance, dwelling in emptiness and stillness, calm and at peace without desire, they cultivate virtuous and wholesome vows. With all their hearts they seek, filled with compassion and pity, diligent in both inner and outer, perfectly aligned with propriety and righteousness. Penetrating and unobstructed, harmonious and fitting, encompassing within and without, they cross over into liberation. They venture to ascend into Nirvana, forever united with the brightness of the path and its virtue, naturally preserving one another, joyfully delighting more and more, truly pure and white, their aspirations lofty and unsurpassed; pure, settled, calm and still, their joy has no end. Their goodness has no equal, majestic and radiant, shining brightly. Once they open to understanding and clarity, they realize the natural within the natural, the naturally arising root and foundation. Naturally they manifest five lights up to nine colors; five lights to nine colors interweave and revolve, transforming through hundreds of thousands of variations—the most supreme naturalness. Naturally they form the seven treasures, spreading out to make all things; their radiant essence intermingles brilliantly, all producing beauty, exceedingly fair beyond measure. The land is as beautiful as this—why do you not strive diligently to do good?"

Reflect on the naturalness of the Path, fixed in the absence of higher and lower, penetrating without bounds, with intentions relinquished into empty space. Why do you not each apply diligence, striving to seek it for yourselves? You can transcend and depart, being reborn in the land of Amitabha Buddha of Infinite Purity. Cutting across the five realms, the evil destinies close themselves off; ascending the Path of the Infinite, easy to go, with no one there. That land does not oppose or obstruct; it follows naturally and draws one along. Why not abandon worldly affairs and practice seeking the Path and its virtues? You can attain utmost longevity, with bliss beyond limit. What use are worldly affairs, which only bring shared sorrow and impermanence?

People in the world are shallow and vulgar, all competing over trivial matters. In the midst of this intense evil and extreme suffering, they wear themselves out working to make a living, just to keep themselves going. With no distinction of noble or lowly, rich or poor, old or young, male or female, everyone alike must worry about money and possessions—the haves and the have-nots are exactly the same. Their worries and anxious thoughts are all equal; they fret and struggle in misery, piling up thoughts and concerns, driven about like servants, never having a moment of peace. Those who have fields worry about fields; those who have houses worry about houses; those who have cattle worry about cattle; those who have horses worry about horses; those who have livestock worry about livestock; those who have servants worry about servants. Clothes and bedding, money and wealth, gold and silver, treasures—they worry about all of these as well. With heavy thoughts and ceaseless sighing, they brood with worry and harbor fear, unexpectedly overtaken by the impermanent—flood, fire, thieves, enemies, creditors—who sweep them away, burn them, bind them, jostle them, and drown them. The poison of worry and panic leaves them no moment of release. Grudges congeal in their hearts, and stifled anger festers; sickness lodges in chest and belly, and suffering never leaves them. Their minds are hard and their wills fixed, with no thought of letting go. Some are struck down and destroyed, losing life itself, and when they are cast aside and depart, no one follows them. The honored, the noble, the wealthy, and the powerful have these fears and worries, toiling bitterly like this, bound up with all the cold and heat and living together with pain.

"A poor person from a humble family is destitute and lacking. Without fields, they worry and long to have fields. Without a house, they worry and long to have a house. Without cattle, they worry and long to have cattle. Without horses, they worry and long to have horses. Without the six kinds of livestock, they worry and long to have the six kinds of livestock. Without servants and attendants, they worry and long to have servants and attendants. Without clothing, bedding, money, wealth, various goods, or food, they worry and long to have them too. When they have just a little, they lack a little; when they have this, they lack that. They think about getting an equal share, and when they have just a small amount, it soon runs out completely. In this way, suffering arises, and they must go seeking again. Their thoughts bring no benefit, and they cannot obtain things in time. Body and mind alike are worn out; sitting and rising, they are restless. Worry and longing follow them, and their toil and hardship are like this. Their anxious hearts never find release. Filled with resentment and anger, they rage alone. They are also bound together with cold and heat, and dwell together with pain. Sometimes because of this, they meet an early death in their very lifetime, and still they refuse to do good or practice the Path. When their lifespan ends and they die, they must all depart alone, heading toward some destination, and no one can know whether it is the path of good or evil."

Sometimes people in the world—fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and wives, household members, and relatives near and far—who live together between heaven and earth should respect and love one another, and should not hate one another. Whether they have much or little, they should share with one another and should not be greedy. Their words and expressions should be harmonious, and they should not oppose or hurt one another, nor let their minds contend so that anger and resentment arise. In this life, harboring resentment and secretly envying and hating one another, in later lives it becomes even worse and grows into great enmity. Why is this? In this life's affairs, they only wish to harm one another. Even though they do not immediately strike back in urgency, the grief and poison of killing bind and store up resentment in the spirit. Naturally, they are marked and recognized and cannot be separated from one another. They will all be born facing one another, meeting again to repay and retaliate against one another.

People caught up in love and desire in this world come alone and go alone, through death and birth. When they must journey on to places of suffering or pleasure, the body bears it itself, and there is no one to take their place. Good and evil bring their changes, and misfortunes fall in different places; prepared beforehand, one must ascend alone and depart to a distant place where no one can see where they have gone. Good and evil naturally follow and draw one on to rebirth. In the deep darkness and obscurity, parting lasts long; their roads are different, and there is no fixed time for meeting again. It is very hard, very hard to meet once more. Why not cast aside all affairs, and each strive while strong and healthy, working hard to do good? Strive with diligence to cross over the world, and one may attain extremely long life. If one utterly refuses to seek the Path, what else is there to wait for, and what pleasure is there?

In this way, people of the world do not believe that doing good brings good, do not believe that cultivating the Way attains the Way, do not believe that after death one is reborn into another life, and do not believe that giving brings its own merit. They disbelieve all of it. They also say it is not so, claiming there is no such thing—simply because of this, for the moment they see only their own view, looking at one another, and from one generation to the next they pass down and receive their fathers' leftover teachings. Their forebears and grandfathers never did good, never cultivated the Way; their bodies foolish and their spirits dim, their minds blocked and their thoughts shut, they do not see the Way of Heaven. There is utterly no one able to see where people go in birth and death, and no one who knows the destination toward which they head. There is simply no one who sees the way of good and evil. And there is no one who tells them, for what purpose good and evil, merit and demerit, calamity and retribution, disaster and punishment exist; each competes to do just as they please with them, and they find nothing strange in it at all. As for the way of birth and death, they pass on and continue one after another, upside down and topsy-turvy, with Impermanence as the root of it all; everything will pass away and cannot be held forever. Though teachings are spoken to open and guide them, few have Faith in the Way, and all shall go on in birth and death without rest. People such as these are dull and blind, charging ahead, not believing the words of the scriptures; each wishes only to please themselves, and their minds give no thought or care. They are foolishly deluded in craving and desire, do not understand the Way and its virtue, are confused by anger, and greedily cling to wealth and lust. Because of this they fail to attain the Way; they will undergo even more toil and suffering, be born in wretched places, and in the end find no rest or respite. Their pain is truly pitiful.

At times, within a household, among parents and children, brothers, and husbands and wives, when it comes to the meaning of birth and death, they weep tears for one another and yearn for each other all the more. Their sorrowful thoughts and pent-up feelings, their bonds of affection, continue without break. Their minds ache and cling, and they gaze at one another in longing; day and night there is no moment of release. Though taught about virtue and the Path, their minds do not open to understanding. Affection and desire never leave them; blocked and dull, tangled and covered over, they cannot reflect or plan. Even if the mind sets itself upright and resolves to settle worldly affairs, and one devotes oneself wholly to practicing the Path, still one spins on until the very end. When one's years and life are exhausted, one cannot attain the Path, and there is nothing to be done. All are tangled and confused, all cling to love and desire. In this way, those who do not understand the Path are many; those who attain the Path are few.

The world is in a rush, with nothing to rely on. Noble and lowly, high and low, wealthy and poor, men and women, old and young—each is busy with their own affairs, toiling and wearing themselves out, each harboring thoughts of harm. Wickedness grows dark and hidden, and everyone is filled with sorrow. Because they act recklessly, they defy heaven and earth and do not follow a compassionate heart. The path of virtue is not something they hate—but first they are indulged and left to do as they please. Before their lifespan is even up, it is suddenly snatched away, and they fall into the lower realms, toiling bitterly life after life, tossed about in sorrow and poison, for tens of thousands of millions of eons with no end in sight. Their pain is beyond words, and they are deeply to be pitied.

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Ajita and the assembled devas, kings, and people: "I have told you all about worldly matters—it is because of these that people are stuck and cannot attain the Path. You should reflect on this carefully. What is unwholesome, you should let go of and keep far away from. What is wholesome, you should firmly hold to. Do not recklessly do what is wrong; instead, do more and more good. The glory of love and desire, whether great or small, much or little, can never be kept forever—it must end in separation, and there is nothing in it to enjoy.

During the time when I, the Buddha, am in the world, those who have faith and love for the profound scriptures of the Buddha and who practice the way of virtue—they are my younger brothers. Those who are just beginning to study the Buddha's scriptures and precepts—they are my disciples. Those who wish to leave their household life, abandon their wives and children, cut off wealth and desire, and come to become renunciants and monks for the Buddha—they are my sons and grandsons. My time in the world is very hard to encounter. Those who vow to be born in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Purity may attain wisdom and courage and be respected by the multitudes. Do not just follow whatever your mind desires and fail in the scriptures and precepts. If, in the future, there are those who have doubts and do not understand the scriptures, come forward and ask the Buddha—the Buddha will explain them for you."

Buddha Ajita knelt upright with palms joined and said: "The Buddha's majestic power is worthy of reverence, and the sutras he teaches are excellent and good. When we hear the Buddha's sutra words, we all take them to heart and reflect on them: 'People in the world are truly like this—there is no difference from what the Buddha says.' Now the Buddha, in compassion, has pity on us, opening and revealing the path of the heavens, teaching and speaking of the road to birth, so that our ears and eyes are clear and we may attain liberation, as if born again. When we hear the Buddha's sutra words, there is not one of us who does not respond with a compassionate heart, joyful and leaping up with understanding. We, together with all devas, kings, common people, and creatures that fly or crawl, all receive the Buddha's grace, and none fail to be liberated from sorrow and suffering. The Buddha's teachings and precepts are profoundly deep, without limit and without bottom. What the Buddha's wisdom sees and knows—the affairs of the eight directions, above and below, past, future, and present—is supreme and boundless. The Buddha is very hard to encounter, and the path of the sutras is very hard to hear. We all hold a compassionate heart toward the Buddha. That we now attain liberation is entirely due to the Buddha's striving and hardship in learning and questioning while seeking the path in former lives, and to his diligence. His grace and virtue cover all, and the merit and blessings he practiced are towering and majestic, his radiance shining through, penetrating emptily without limit, opening the way into nirvana. He teaches the scriptures, controls and transforms with awe, and his compassion moves the eight directions, above and below, without end or limit. The Buddha is the teacher of Dharma, honored beyond all; among all the sages, none can equal the Buddha. The Buddha is the teacher of all devas, kings, and common people in the eight directions, above and below, and according to what their hearts desire, whether great or small, he causes them all to attain the path. Now we have been able to meet the Buddha and hear the name of the Buddha of Measureless Pure Light. We are overjoyed, and there is not one of us who does not gain keen wisdom and understanding."

The Buddha told the bodhisattva Ajita: "If this is what you say, it is truly so. If anyone has a heart of compassion toward the Buddha, they should greatly rejoice and truly engage in Buddha Recitation, for only after a very long time does another Buddha arise in the world. Now I have become a Buddha in this world of suffering, and the scriptures and path I have brought forth fully penetrate and illuminate, cut off doubt and hesitation, set the mind upright and conduct correct, uproot all cravings and desires, sever the root of all evil, walk freely without constraint, master Wisdom in its entirety, encompass all paths, inner and outer, grasp and uphold the essential framework, and clearly and distinctly reveal the five realms, determining and setting right the path to nirvana that ends birth and death."

The Buddha said: "From countless kalpas ago beyond reckoning, you have been walking the Bodhisattva path, seeking to bring across the devas, humans, and the creeping, flying, and wriggling creatures. For a very long time indeed, those who have attained the path through you are beyond number, and those who have reached the path of Nirvana are also beyond number. You, and the devas, emperors, and humans of the eight directions and above and below — you monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen — from your past lives through countless kalpas, you have wandered through these five realms, dying and being born with cries of grief, weeping tears over one another in turn, craving and longing for one another in turn, afflicted by sorrow, grief, and poison, with suffering beyond words. To this very day, death and birth have not ceased. And now, in this present life, you have met the Buddha and gathered together; it is only now that you hear the name of the Buddha of Infinite Purity, and the sound of it is most joyful. Excellent! I rejoice with you. You may also grow weary of the pain and irritation of birth and death. Being born is very painful, very bitter, very extreme; growing to adulthood is also bitter and extreme; dying is also painful, bitter, and extreme. It is utterly foul, filthy, and impure — there is nothing good in it. The Buddha has therefore told you everything. You may also yourselves decide and resolve concerning this foulness and impurity; you may also set your hearts right and straighten your conduct, and increasingly do all that is good. In this way, always keep your inner and outer selves upright, purify your bodies, wash away the defilements of the mind, restrain and discipline yourselves, so that the inside and outside correspond, and your words and deeds are loyal and true."

People can liberate themselves, and in turn support and help one another, pulling out the thorns of craving and desire, with clear and sincere resolve, seeking their vow without turning back, and establishing the roots of the good path. Though diligence may bring hardship for one lifetime, it lasts only a moment. Doing good in this life, one is reborn in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha in the next, where happiness is beyond measure, forever aligned with the path of clarity. Thus, those who are excellent preserve and uphold one another, departing far from the suffering and stings of the lower realms, pulling out the roots of hardship and evil, and cutting off all cravings, desires, and attachments. Reborn in the Land of Immeasurable Pure Buddha, there is no pain or stinging, no foul places of evil, no hardship, no lust, anger, or ignorance, and no worry, grief, or sorrow.

"Those born in the Land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity may, as they wish, live for one kalpa, ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, or ten thousand million kotis of kalpas, freely according to their own intent. If they wish to remain for a lifespan of countless kalpas, beyond all reckoning, that too is granted according to your wish. Whether they wish to eat or not to eat, all is according to their intent, all comes about naturally, and all can be obtained. Next, for the path to Nirvana, each should seek it with keen discernment, according to the wishes of their own heart. Do not harbor doubt and regret in your mind. Those who wish to be reborn there must not let their past faults hold them back—for those who do will dwell for five hundred years in a natural seven-jewel city at the border of the Land of the Buddha of Immeasurable Purity, as a penalty."

Ajita Bodhisattva said: "Having received the Buddha's solemn and weighty teaching, we shall all be diligent, single-minded, and seek it out. We respectfully request to practice it, and dare not doubt or be lax."

The Sutra of Immeasurable Pure and Equal Enlightenment, Spoken by the Buddha, Volume 3