淨土論 2.27

2.27

Fourth, the Guyin sheng wang jing says: "Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was at the pool of Jialing in the great city of Campā, together with a great assembly of five hundred monks. At that time the World-Honoured One addressed the monks: 'Now I will explain extensively for you the western world of Sukhāvatī, where there is currently a Buddha named Amitābha. If there are members of the fourfold assembly who can correctly receive and uphold that Buddha's name, by this merit, when they approach the end of life, Amitābha Buddha will immediately arrive at this person's place together with a great assembly and allow them to see him. Having seen him, they immediately give rise to joy and delight, and their merit redoubles. Through these causes and conditions, the place where they are born will forever be free of the womb and forms of defiled desire; they will be purely and spontaneously born by transformation within fresh and wondrous jeweled lotus flowers, fully endowed with great spiritual powers and radiant light. At that time, Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions together praise all the inconceivable spiritual manifestations and various inconceivable skillful means of the Buddha-dharma of that world of Sukhāvatī. If one can have faith in such matters, one should know that this person is inconceivable, and the karmic retribution they attain is also inconceivable. Amitābha Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, is together with śrāvakas; his land is named Qingtai, the dwelling of a holy king. Its city is ten thousand yojanas in length and breadth, filled within with the kṣatriya lineage. Amitābha Buddha is a Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha. His father is named King Moon Superior, a wheel-turning sage king; his mother is named Exquisite and Wondrous Countenance; his son is named Moon Brightness; his attendant disciple is named Vimalakīrti; his disciple of wisdom is named Embracing Light; his disciple of spiritual power is named Great Transformation. At that time the Māra king was named Invincible, and there was a Devadatta named Quietude. Amitābha Buddha is together with a great assembly of twenty thousand monks. If anyone receives and upholds that Buddha's name, strengthens their mind, is mindful and does not forget, abandons distraction for ten days and ten nights, and diligently cultivates and accumulates the samādhi of mindfulness of the Buddha, knowing that this Tathāgata constantly abides in the world of Sukhāvatī, keeping mindfulness continuous without letting it be interrupted; receives, upholds, reads, and recites this Great Dhāraṇī of the King of Drum-Sound; and for ten days and ten nights, during the six periods of the day, single-mindedly practices mindfulness, throwing the five limbs to the ground in reverence to that Buddha, strengthening correct mindfulness and eliminating all distraction—if they can cause the mind to be uninterrupted from thought to thought, within ten days they will certainly get to see that Amitābha Buddha, as well as see the Tathāgatas of the worlds of the ten directions and where they abide; only excepting persons with heavy hindrances and dull faculties who cannot behold them for a short while now. If they dedicate all virtues, vowing to attain rebirth in the world of Sukhāvatī, then on the day approaching the end of life, Amitābha Buddha and a great assembly will appear before that person, consoling them and praising them as good. This person will immediately attain rebirth.'" Explanation: According to this sūtra, by being mindful of the Buddha for ten days one immediately sees Amitābha Buddha, without regard to the time of the end of life.