佛說無量壽佛名號利益大事因緣經
Sutra on the Great Cause and Condition of the Benefits of the Name of Amitabha Buddha
曹魏天竺三藏康僧鎧譯
Translated by Saṅghavarman of Tianzhu during the Cao Wei Dynasty
我聞如是：
This is what I have heard:
一時佛在王舍城耆闍崛山中，與大比丘眾千二百五十人俱，諸漏已盡、神通明達，諸眾聖其名曰：尊者阿難、尊者目犍連、尊者舍利弗、尊者大牛王、尊者摩訶迦葉、尊者摩訶伽耶迦葉、尊者大周那、尊者名聞迦葉、尊者大淨心志等，皆如斯等以為上首；又普賢菩薩、文殊師利菩薩、信淨慧菩薩、善解脫菩薩等諸大正士，滿足無量願行、安住不可思議功德之法、智慧聖明，如是等之諸菩薩眾不可稱計，即時來會。
At one time, the Buddha was on Vulture Peak in Rajagriha, together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikkhus. They had ended all defilements, possessed spiritual powers and clear understanding. Among the noble assembly were these venerable ones: Ananda, Mahamaudgalyayana, Shariputra, Maha-Govinda, Mahakashyapa, Maha-Gayakashyapa, Maha-Chunda, Yashaskashyapa, Maha-Prasada, and others like them as the foremost leaders. Also present were the great bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra, Manjushri, Shraddha-Vimala-Prajna, and Sukha-Vimukti. They had fulfilled immeasurable vows and practices, abiding in inconceivable meritorious qualities, with wisdom and sagely clarity. Such a multitude of bodhisattvas, beyond calculation, had gathered at that time.
爾時世尊告阿難曰：「乃往過去久遠無量無央數劫，有一大比丘名曰法藏，值遇無數百千佛，滿足無量大願，超過諸佛所行之法。彼法藏比丘今已成正覺，現在西方清淨安樂剎，號曰不可思議光無量壽如來。其佛本願力故，以不可思議威神力徧滿十方世界，以大音聲宣布名號功德，是故十方世界一切有情聞信其名號功德，即時入正定位，生清淨安樂佛國。是故有情之類縱令在人中，以宿報故或聾盲喑啞愚痴狂惡，以其佛光明名號因緣，皆得解脫。或在三途勤苦之中受苦無間，以其佛光明名號因緣，皆蒙解脫。聞其光明名號，若信受、若稱名，即時除無量無數劫生死之罪。是故阿難！稱彼佛號若一聲若十聲乃至百千聲，於念念中在無數化無量壽佛常護其人；又有二菩薩，一名觀世音、一名大勢至，是二菩薩自為上首，俱諸大菩薩眾常來護其人，壽終之後生彼無量壽清淨安樂國。是故阿難！設有猛火充滿三千大千世界必當過至，聞信彼佛名號，是人號火中生白蓮華，是名不可思議名號利益一大事因緣。其佛本願力故，十方諸佛皆俱讚譽彼佛名號功德，又稱讚念佛有情之類。是故汝等皆當信受彼佛名號。」
At that time, the World-Honored One said to Ananda: "In the immeasurably distant past, countless eons ago, there was a great bhikkhu named Dharmākara. He encountered hundreds of thousands of buddhas and fulfilled immeasurable great vows, surpassing the practices of all buddhas. That bhikkhu Dharmākara has now attained perfect enlightenment and dwells in the pure and peaceful land of the west, known as the Tathāgata of Immeasurable Life and Inconceivable Light.
Due to the power of that buddha’s original vows, his inconceivable majestic spiritual power pervades the worlds of the ten directions. With a great voice, he proclaims the merit of his name. Therefore, all sentient beings throughout the ten directions who hear and believe in the merit of his name immediately enter the stage of non-retrogression and are reborn in that pure and peaceful buddha-land.
Thus, even among humans, beings who due to past karma may be deaf, blind, mute, foolish, or mentally afflicted—through the condition of that buddha’s light and name—all attain liberation. Or those suffering incessantly in the three lower realms—through the condition of that buddha’s light and name—all receive liberation. Hearing his light and name, whether they believe and accept it or recite his name, they immediately eradicate immeasurable, countless eons of birth-and-death offenses.
Therefore, Ananda! Recite that buddha’s name—whether once, ten times, or even hundreds of thousands of times—and in every moment, countless manifestations of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life will constantly protect that person. Moreover, there are two bodhisattvas: one named Guanyin and one named Mahāsthāmaprāpta. These two bodhisattvas, as leaders, together with a host of great bodhisattvas, constantly come to protect that person. After their life ends, they will be reborn in that pure and peaceful land of Immeasurable Life.
Therefore, Ananda! Even if a raging fire were to fill the three-thousandfold great-thousand world, one who hears and believes in that buddha’s name will certainly pass through it. Such a person is called ‘a white lotus born in the midst of fire.’ This is called the inconceivable benefit of the name—the one great matter of cause and condition.
Due to the power of that buddha’s original vows, all buddhas of the ten directions praise the merit of that buddha’s name and also praise sentient beings who recite the buddha’s name. Therefore, all of you should believe in and accept that buddha’s name."
世尊告阿難曰：「如來所以興出於世間，說彼佛不可思議真實功德光明名號利益大事因緣，是故我說難值難見、難得難聞，若有眾生有聞此法者，皆應信順如法修行。」
The World-Honored One said to Ananda, "The reason the Tathagata appears in this world is to proclaim the inconceivable, true merit, radiant name, and great cause of benefit of that Buddha. Therefore, I say it is rare to encounter, rare to see, rare to obtain, and rare to hear. If there are beings who hear this teaching, they should all believe, accept, and practice it in accordance with the Dharma."
世尊告阿難曰：「彼法藏比丘為度十方世界一切有情，雖起超世願、修無量大行，是本久遠實成，本有法身常住。無量壽佛以不可思議威神力故，徧滿十方世界，為教化安立無數有情住於無上真實之道，或為剎利國王、轉輪王，或為長者、居家尊性豪貴，或為六欲梵天王等，或為地獄、餓鬼、畜生、修羅身，常以四威儀化作一切。阿難！彼久遠實成法身常住。無量壽佛者豈異人耶？今日世尊我身是也。愍念汝等一切有情無明大夜闇故，從彼安養無為界示現此惡時惡世界中迦耶、王舍等，說彼佛名號不可思議功德因緣，是謂難值難見、難得難聞。是故若有有情聞此經者，皆應信受如法修行。」
The World-Honored One said to Ananda: "That monk Dharmakara, for the sake of liberating all sentient beings in the ten directions, though he raised aspirations beyond this world and cultivated immeasurable great practices, is in truth the primordial, eternally accomplished Dharma-body that has existed since beginningless time. The Buddha of Immeasurable Life, through his inconceivable majestic spiritual power, pervades the ten directions, teaching and establishing countless sentient beings in the unsurpassed true path. He manifests as kings, wheel-turning monarchs, elders, respected householders of noble status, as rulers of the six desire heavens and Brahma heavens, and even appears in the forms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras—constantly manifesting in all four dignified manners to transform all beings. Ananda! That primordial, eternally accomplished Dharma-body—the Buddha of Immeasurable Life—is none other than who? It is precisely this present World-Honored One, myself. Out of compassion for all you sentient beings, lost in the great darkness of ignorance, I have manifested from that realm of peaceful nourishment, the unconditioned realm, into this evil age, this evil world—in places like Gaya and Rajagriha—to proclaim the inconceivable merits and causes of that Buddha's name. This is what is called difficult to encounter, difficult to behold, difficult to obtain, difficult to hear. Therefore, any sentient being who hears this sutra should believe, accept, and practice it in accordance with the Dharma."
世尊告阿難曰：「縱令一切有情煩惱惡業深障重報，彼佛光明名號神力無所障㝵，是故彼佛號無㝵；無對清淨智慧歡喜等智慧無㝵故，威神力亦無㝵；神力無㝵故，大慈悲亦無㝵。是故濁惡世一切有情，若以有㝵小智有疑於佛無㝵智、不可思議智、不可穪量智、大乘勝智、無等倫最上智，疑惑不信。以疑惑故，無數多劫中墮曾婆羅獄，或入頻陀羅獄受苦無窮無有出期。是故若有有情正信佛智者，即時入正定位，不退轉阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是名不可思議功德名號利益大事因緣。」
The World-Honored One said to Ānanda: "Even if all beings are burdened by deep afflictions, evil karma, and heavy retribution, the light, the name, and the divine power of that Buddha are unobstructed. Therefore, that Buddha is called 'Unobstructed.' Because his unobstructed wisdom is pure, joyful, and equal, his majestic divine power is also unobstructed. Since his divine power is unobstructed, his great compassion is likewise unobstructed.
Thus, in this defiled and evil world, if any being, relying on their own obstructed and limited understanding, doubts the Buddha's unobstructed wisdom—his inconceivable wisdom, immeasurable wisdom, supreme wisdom of the Great Vehicle, and unequaled, highest wisdom—and harbors disbelief due to such doubt, then for countless kalpas they will fall into the Saṃjīva Hell or enter the Pratāpana Hell, suffering endlessly with no hope of escape.
Therefore, if any being rightly believes in the Buddha's wisdom, they will immediately enter the stage of right certainty, never to regress from anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. This is called the inconceivable merit, benefit, and great causal connection of the name."
佛說此經應時，普大地六種震動，天雨妙花，自然空中有微妙大音聲讚嘆彼不可思議光無量壽清淨佛號，及今日世尊說大事利益因緣。
When the Buddha finished speaking this sutra, the entire earth shook in six ways. Heavenly flowers rained down, and from the empty sky, a subtle and magnificent voice arose, praising the inconceivable light, the immeasurable life, the pure Buddha-name, and the great matter of benefit and cause that the World-Honored One had expounded on this day.
世尊說此經時，無量有情發無上正真道意，諸天人民得阿那含果，諸大菩薩以四弘誓莊嚴功德於將來世應成正覺。佛說此經已，諸大菩薩眾、阿難等諸大聲聞弟子眾，聞佛所說歡喜禮佛而去。
When the World-Honored One spoke this sutra, countless beings resolved to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Many heavenly beings and humans attained the fruit of non-returning, and the great bodhisattvas, adorned with the merits of the four great vows, are destined to achieve complete awakening in future ages.
When the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, the assembly of great bodhisattvas, Ananda, and the other great disciples, having heard the Buddha's teaching, rejoiced and, after paying homage to the Buddha, departed.
佛說無量壽佛名號利益大事因緣經
Sutra on the Great Cause and Condition of the Benefits of the Name of Amitabha Buddha