淨土五會念佛誦經觀行儀卷中．下 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

The following fascicle of praise is separated from the eighth gate, 'Praising the Buddha and Attaining Benefit'. The assembly must all harmonize using the third tempo of reciting the Buddha's name. Practitioners must memorize all of these hymn texts, making themselves thoroughly familiar with them; by no means may they hold the book and read from it at the actual time. It may also be chanted generally when conducting ritual services for great assemblies. If it is not the day of a great assembly, in all other places, chanting the praises and reciting the Buddha's name and harmonizing them are both permissible. One must know the proper time for expansion or abbreviation. This should be known.

3.3

Praise in Accordance with the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life Sūtra (Twenty-eight Gāthās)

3.4

Composed by Śākya Fazhao

3.5

Śākya dwelt on Vulture Peak (Amitābha Buddha).

3.6

To transform the Sahā world, he appeared in the world (Amitābha Buddha. Hereafter there must be 'Amitābha Buddha', 'Amitābha Buddha').

3.7

An immeasurable assembly of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas (Amitābha Buddha)

3.8

Initially wished to hear the sūtra, their minds not yet at ease (Namo Amitābha Buddha).

3.9

Prince Ajātaśatru was in the royal city (Harmonize as before).

3.10

He committed rebellion and imprisoned his parents' bodies (All subsequent praises are to be harmonized according to the previous third tempo of reciting the Buddha's name).

3.11

Vaidehī wept bitterly and took refuge in the Buddha, / Praying that she might never hear the names of sufferings. / In her heart of hearts she took no joy in the world of Jambudvīpa, / Truly because it is full of ghosts and animals. / "I only pray that by the power of compassion you will guide me; / I vow to walk in meditation in a pure land in another direction." / The Tathāgata Śākya knew her thought; / In an instant he disappeared and arrived at the royal palace. / He then emitted a golden light from between his brows; / Vaidehī's obstacles were exhausted and she beheld his true countenance. / Although the other pure lands are immeasurable, / She addressed the Buddha, wishing only to be born in Sukhāvatī: / "I pray to see Amitābha and quickly receive the prediction, / And in a single instant attain the six supernatural powers." / The World-Honoured One smiled and gave rise to joy; / From his mouth he then displayed five supernatural lights. / That light then shone upon the crown of the Śākya [clan]; / What harm is there in realizing the fruit in accordance with one's capacity? / The Buddha told Vaidehī, "Do you know / That Amitābha is not far from here? / Quickly and diligently practice the three kinds of meritorious conduct; / At the end of life he will welcome you to ascend the golden tower. / Also for the sake of the great assembly in future times, / The ordinary beings and extremely evil people of the five defilements, / Prompt them to turn their minds and contemplate that land, / Which can cause pure karma to cut off greed and anger." / Thereupon Vaidehī had further doubts: / The Tathāgata bade her speak: "You should know, / As an ordinary being you could not truly attain this; / It is thanks to the great compassion of all Buddhas." / Having heard this spoken, she gave rise to joy. / Again for the people of the five sufferings in the present age: / "How should they behold the realm of Amitābha, / His wondrous body of marks, signs, and radiant light?" / The World-Honoured One spoke for her the initial contemplation on the sun, / Bidding them completely concentrate their thought toward the west. / The wise must rely on this contemplation; / Sins vast as dust and sand throughout endless kalpas will be extinguished. / When sins are extinguished, body and mind are surely purified; / Next one should contemplate water readily becoming ice. / In an instant one sees the lapis lazuli pond, / Golden ropes marking out the boundaries of the paths. / The jewelled pond is limpid, a thousand fathoms deep, / Interspersed with bright pearls and yellow gold. / Rains of flowers fall everywhere in profusion; / Those who can enter the Path generate the true mind. / The jasper groves and jewelled trees have sevenfold light; / Where one walks, pearls hang down with radiant light of wondrous hues. / Within the light are countless maṇi palaces; / The sons of the devas scatter fragrant flowers. / In the city of Sukhāvatī, the ground of seven jewels, / The light and color of the lotus flowers are inconceivable. / The opened flowers are entirely maṇi water; / One only sighs that those from the Sahā world who go there are few. / The jasper groves and jewels emit purple-golden light; / The brilliant radiance of the lotuses illuminates the ten directions. / Beside the white jade pond one hears the wondrous Dharma; / From within the petals of the lotus flowers fragrance wafts even more. / Amitābha's countless jewelled towers— / Bodhisattvas numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā roam on all four sides. / Each holding flowers to make offerings to the Buddha; / Defilements are cut off forever—what more is there to worry about? / In the jasper-green towers flower seats open; / Golden leaves make up the jewelled terraces. / Atop the maṇi banners are nets of real pearls; / Adorned with utter devotion for the Tathāgata. / The jewelled images of lapis lazuli are luminous within and without; / With the six supernatural powers at will, one feels oneself light. / The mind must diligently contemplate in fine detail; / When the contemplation succeeds, one immediately awakens to the unborn. / Amitābha's brilliance is vast and boundless, / Universally illuminating all living beings to deliver those with affinity. / If you quickly muster the mind to recite the Buddha's name, / In the future you will certainly leave behind humans and gods. / Avalokiteśvara, bound to one last rebirth, is inconceivable, / Manifesting rare wonders in boundless worlds. / If those who recite are all born into bliss, / It is when they carry Amitābha on their heads and revere him. / Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta is exceedingly hard to fathom, / Heroic and vigorous, vast and measureless. / The jewelled vase upon his crown radiates brilliant light; / The dark paths forever escape impermanence. / Contemplating the body, one sees oneself at the time of rebirth; / The jewelled lotus seat is attained without delay. / Water, birds, and groves of trees all preach the Dharma; / Amitābha welcoming one leaves no further doubt. / The Tathāgata's divine transformations are inconceivable; / Large or small, they respond to the capacity of beings according to conditions. / You all must mindfully and diligently recite the Buddha's name; / Within the jewelled pond and jewels, it is truly unconditioned. / The sincere dedication of practice must reach higher and higher; / Those of the highest grade are called people of noble clan. / Among the hundred Dharma gates, it is the Ground of Joy; / The wondrous diamond samādhi is naturally firm. / Those who recite the Buddha's name must be utterly sincere; / Amitābha will certainly welcome them in person. / Arriving there, the flowers open and they receive the prediction; / Immediately the Dharma opens and they awaken to the unborn. / People of extreme folly guilty of the ten unwholesome actions and five heinous sins / Have sunk for eternal kalpas in the six sense objects. / With a single thought reciting Amitābha's name, / Arriving there, they are equated with the dharmatā-kāya. / The World-Honoured One, having spoken, turned toward Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa; / Ānanda, having heard the teaching, widely propagated it. / The great assembly with devoted hearts all carried it upon their crowns, / In turn applying this Dharma to benefit humans and gods.

3.12

Praise Relying on the Amitābha Sūtra (Sixteen verses)

3.13

By the monk Fazhao (Chorus as prescribed before)

3.14

Śākya's compassion and wisdom are vast and boundless; / He first opened the pure teaching to benefit humans and gods. / An immeasurable assembly of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas / At that time listened in Anāthapiṇḍada's park. / He first addressed the śrāvaka Śāriputra: / "I now wish to speak, and you should listen. / A hundred thousand koṭis [of worlds] away to the west from here / Is Amitābha's jewelled land and purple-golden form. / The sentient beings of that land enjoy the most wondrous bliss; / Throughout eternal kalpas they do not hear the names of sufferings. / I urge you in the present to invoke that Buddha; / In an instant you will reach the jewelled lotus city. / Jasper groves, jewelled trees, and sevenfold balustrades— / You all should examine and contemplate them closely. / Layer upon layer of pearl nets, thousands of myriads of koṭis, / Can bring peace of mind to those who see them. / Amitābha's pure land is inconceivable; / Channels everywhere flow into the ponds of seven jewels. / The ponds are filled throughout with maṇi water; / Day and night flowers bloom without end. / The four banks are formed of lapis lazuli and jasper jade; / Fragrant breezes caress the body, making one feel light. / Jewelled pavilions and towers by thousands of myriads of koṭis; / Boundless bodhisattvas all practice walking meditation. / Thought after thought bowing the head to the family of the Dharma King, / Exclusively focusing on Amitābha to sprout the shoots of the Path. / In the jasper-green towers hearing the wondrous Dharma, / On the golden ground scattering heavenly flowers. / Holding ten myriads of koṭis of flowers in the folds of their robes, / The holy beings, numerous as dust and sand, receive offerings equally. / In a single thought returning to the Land of Sukhāvatī, / Forever cutting off the womb to realize the six supernatural powers. / The sounds of the jewelled birds of Amitābha in the pure land / Cause all who hear them to generate the mind to recite the Buddha's name. / These precious birds do not belong to the three wretched paths; / It is done to cause them to proclaim the deep and subtle Dharma. / When the fragrant breeze stirs, the jewelled groves resound; / Everywhere one hears only the sound of reciting the Buddha's name. / In that sound is preached boundless Dharma, / Which can cause the listener to realize the unborn. / How can the lifespan of Amitābha be known? / The assembly of people in his land are also like this. / Arriving there, all alike attain the avaivartika stage, / Forever transcending birth and death to realize the unconditioned. / With few roots of goodness and little merit, it is difficult to be accommodated; / In seven days one must accomplish the work of the Pure Land. / Thought after thought devote your mind to that land; / In a single instant you will sit in the lotus palace. / The power of Amitābha's vows is inconceivable; / The adornment of the pure land is exceedingly rare. / The Buddhas of the six directions praise it simultaneously, / Intending that all sons cut off their fox-like doubts. / Human life is impermanent, like a single instant; / For eternal kalpas one mostly sinks into the wretched destinies. / Urgently you must exclusively recite that Buddha's name, / So that together we may lead one another out of the river of attachment. / All Buddhas with one mind praise Śākya / For being able to deliver so many people from the ocean of suffering. / Causing each and every one to exclusively recite the Buddha's name, / Life after life constantly being able to behold Amitābha. / The Tathāgata having spoken, Ānanda proclaimed it, / Universally transforming all living beings to cover those with affinity. / You all must bear it in mind and carry it upon your crowns, / Promoting this pure teaching so that it circulates far and wide."

3.15

Praise in Praise of Scattering Flowers in Offering

3.16

By the monk Shenying

3.17

Formerly there was an ascetic named Sumati / Who once bought five stems of flowers, / Taking them to offer to Dīpaṃkara Buddha; / Because of the flowers, his fruit was titled the World-Honoured One Śākya. / All sūtras speak wondrous gāthās, / Naming the scattering of flowers in offering a field of merit. / Merely scattering a single flower to a single Buddha, / Because of the flower, all come to behold Amitābha. / Wise people of the present day who see the sūtra texts / Where the Buddha says flowers are the cause of becoming a Buddha, / Immediately scatter flowers in offering to the Buddha, / And further use flowers to deliver people with affinity. / In profusion, just as one sees the flowers being scattered, / Petals like green clouds fly through the air. / Each and everyone rushes forward to hold them in their hands; / Everyone gathers them in the folds of their robes and returns. / Petals of heavenly flowers rain from the sky; / Scattering upon everyone, they cause the shoots of the Path to sprout. / If only you diligently make offerings of flowers, / Fields of merit will spread one by one across the sands of the Gaṅgā. / Flowers fly rustling throughout empty space; / Emerald leaves flutter and fill the realm. / Pattering like drizzle, they descend mingling with the clouds, / In profusion escorting sons into the lotus palace. / The lotus flowers, lush and dense, are exceedingly broad and level; / Upon the flowers walk hosts of bodhisattvas. / From time to time scattering flowers in offering to the Buddha, / Frequently proclaiming the sounds of the five tempos. / All classes of holy beings hold flowers in the folds of their robes; / Everyone travels to make offerings across the sands of the Gaṅgā. / At each mealtime they return to their home country; / In every step they do not depart from the home of the World-Honoured One. / From time to time the sky rains ten thousand kinds of flowers; / Everywhere they can cause the shoots of the Path to sprout. / Holding each one, they present them to all Buddhas; / Every morning they are constantly in the home of the Dharma King. / Squads of fresh flowers of a hundred jewels fly by, / Praising the inconceivable in the open sky. / If there are living beings who can generate revulsion [for this world], / In the future they will certainly rest in the unconditioned. / Upon the diamond terrace the true teaching is preached; / The bodhisattvas of the west are all alike. / Scattering flowers in offering without cessation, / They are all born upon flowers, endowed with supernatural powers. / The fragrance drifts, spreading more and more continuously; / As flowers go and flowers come, the flowers become fresher still. / In the clear dawn they constantly take them to offer in foreign realms; / By mealtime they return to the presence of the World-Honoured One.

3.18

Praise of the Five Tempos for the Pure Land

3.19

By the monk Fazhao

3.20

At the first tempo, scattered thoughts are eliminated; / At the second, the loud sound reaches all with affinity. / The third echoes aloft, plaintive and elegant; / The fourth harmonizes in chant, truly delightful. / The fifth shakes [the realm] and heavenly demons scatter; / It can cause the reciter to enter deep dhyāna. / Among the sounds of the five tempos are ten kinds of benefit, / Causing practitioners to be firm in the application of mind. / The wondrous sounds of the five tempos are maṇi jewels, / Able to rain down boundless wealth of the holy Dharma. / The wise must follow this practice; / In a single thought at the end of life they will sit on the lotus terrace. / I send word to the great assembly present here: / The recitation of the Buddha's name in five tempos brings endless benefits. / Fellow practitioners in this bodhimanda today, / Let us lead each other to surely sit in the lotus palace. / The holy teaching of the five tempos is the true school, / Surely abandoning the Sahā world to escape the cage of suffering. / You all, generate the aspiration and dedicate the vows for rebirth; / In the western world you will obtain supernatural powers. / The jewelled trees stand dense in an emerald grove; / The gentle breeze proclaims clear sounds in five tempos. / Rains of flowers fall everywhere throughout the six periods of the day; / Those who see and hear it generate the true mind. / You all in this present time generate faithful minds, / And listen to the proclaimed sounds of Amitābha in five tempos. / Exclusively seeking not to invoke the name in vain, / You will be welcomed to Sukhāvatī to sit in the transformation grove. / The five tempos resound in unison, praising the ponds and city; / Towers and pavilions stand dense, mirroring the blue clouds. / Lapis lazuli and the seven jewels are bordered with golden ropes; / Everywhere one hears only the sound of reciting the Buddha's name. / Amitābha's five tempos are a boat, / Forever plying the ocean of suffering through eternal kalpas. / Merely causing all who hear the sound to attain liberation, / Surely transcending birth and death to leave humans and gods.

3.21

Praise of the Five Tempos for Sukhāvatī

3.22

The precious verses clearly transform sentient beings; / The wondrous praise of the Contemplation Sūtra was completed in samādhi. / The five tempos are widely distributed throughout Jambudvīpa, / Looking forward to awakening to the unborn in Sukhāvatī. / Amitābha's precious praises are truly worthy of transmission, / Constantly serving as a Dharma boat for living beings. / Hearing the Buddha's name in five tempos brings liberation; / All at once they will sit on golden lotuses. / The five tempos of the west pervade the Sahā world, / Intended to make sentient beings recite the Buddha's name often. / In the jewelled land flowers bloom by thousands of myriads of koṭis; / How many Gaṅgā sands of people who heard the name have gone there! / A thousand kinds of music encircle the golden terrace; / Lotus flowers of a hundred jewels emerge from the water and bloom. / At each sound of the five tempos one must recite with urgency; / At the end of life, each and every one will be welcomed. / Boundless transformation Buddhas of purple-golden body / Protect and guard those who transmit the five tempos. / Thought after thought on Amitābha with non-retrogressing mind, / The fluttering jewelled seats will naturally welcome you.

3.23

Praise in Praise of the Wondrous Sound of the Five Tempos

3.24

Amitābha's five tempos resound grandly;
The wise master transmitted them into the midst of the five defilements.
When the five sufferings hear the sound, all attain joy;
Mounting these five tempos, they enter the lotus palace.
The wise master compassionately opened the five tempos;
The intent of the five tempos is to eliminate the five burnings.
Since the five burnings are extinguished through the five tempos,
All mount the five tempos to depart from worldly toil.
Grandly the five tempos resound clearly and deeply;
The distant roll of thunder expresses the wondrous sound.
The assembly of noble ones joins together in praise;
Whoever among humans hears it generates the aspiration [for awakening].
The wondrous five notes of the West
Have come into the five defilements to rescue sentient beings.
The five grasping [aggregates] hearing the name are all liberated;
The five tempos guide them to the jeweled lotus city.
Clear and cool, the five tempos emerged from Mount Heng;
Distant and deep, they now pervade the Five Indias.
The five assemblies all declare they bring benefit and joy;
In the Final Dharma age, they shall remain for five hundred years.
Amitābha's five tempos pierce the human heart;
The plaintive, compassionate sounds are meandering and deep.
Such is the sound in the Amitāyus Sūtra;
The jeweled waters flow constantly, expounding the wondrous sound.
The five tempos' resonance wafts up into the clouds and mists;
The clear tone, ringing and bright, fills the sands of the Ganges.
If one can constantly recite morning and evening,
In lifetime after lifetime, birth after birth, one will dwell in the Buddha's household.
A fragrant breeze briskly arises and touches the human body;
Blowing the five tempos, it purges greed and anger.
The five notes can furthermore purify the five aggregates;
Hearing the name, for eternal kalpas one leaves behind the noisy dust.
In the West, drums, music, strings, and song,
Pipa, xiao, and flutes blend in harmony.
Each and every one exclusively proclaims the Dharma of the five tempos;
Tone after tone, all expound the six pāramitās.

3.25

Praise of Joy in Sukhāvatī and Aversion [to Sahā]

3.26

By Śramaṇa Lingzhen

3.27

In the past Śākya was like an ordinary person;
Undergoing hardships for kalpas, he kept to the true suchness.
Since attaining buddhahood, he has come and gone eight thousand times,
Yet the common folk originally have not departed from Jambudvīpa.
The sentient beings of Jambudvīpa are truly wretched!
Generation after generation, they escort one another off, sitting in deep sorrow.
Having briefly obtained a human body, they turn back and depart;
In a moment the kalpa is exhausted, and they do not return.
The śramaṇa Lingzhen sighs aloud for himself:
With impermanence, how hateful to abide in Jambudvīpa!
I did not see the Tathāgata appear in the world;
Now encountering the Final Dharma, I have fallen among ordinary people.
I rebuke myself, hate myself, and search within myself;
Through tens of thousands of kalpas and thousands of lives, my sinful hindrances have been deep.
In life after life, I have not seen the transcendence of the three realms,
Revolving in the six destinies down to the present day.
Laboring the mind over nature and characteristics, bitterly probing and investigating,
Checking and consulting the sacred teachings, they are naturally round and complete.
Though having gained a man's [body] and donned the Dharma robes,
What can be done about being born in the Final Dharma age?
In the Final Dharma, [time] departs ever further from the sages;
Which practice-gate alone can transcend it?
In this life, simply recite Amitābha Buddha,
And one also redeems oneself from sinking and burning in the burning house.
Recitation of the Buddha's name can serve as the urgent and essential gate;
That it achieves departure from Jambudvīpa—how could it be contested?
If someone does not believe and gives rise to doubt,
Let them look for themselves at the sacred teachings and examine the sūtra texts.
The sūtra texts exclusively instruct recitation of Amitābha;
No urgent and essential gate surpasses this.
If only one can have deep faith without doubts,
In this life one will immediately be able to depart from Sahā.
The Amitābha Sūtra itself proclaims and praises:
Dedicated recitation for seven days leads to rebirth in the West.
Buddhas as numerous as sixty thousand Ganges sands praise it;
All declare its merits to be immeasurable.
If seven days of reciting the Buddha's name are always like this,
How much more so if one upholds it wholeheartedly to the end of one's life!
All other merits are without peer;
This swift gate is known only to the Buddha.
Sentient beings, carefully and deliberately reflect:
The hells and the three wretched paths are hard to endure.
Once the human body is lost, it takes tens of thousands of kalpas [to regain];
For what reason do you not rejoice in going to the West?
The Western Sukhāvatī is ever joyous,
Differing straightway ten-thousand-fold from the heavens.
I announce generally to sentient beings that they must hasten to go;
For what reason do you cling to death in Jambudvīpa?
The five defilements of Jambudvīpa abound in poverty and lack;
All conditions have a beginning and an end.
The ocean of suffering is boundless, having neither base nor bottom;
Thousands of armies and tens of thousands of masses are submerged within it.
The Western Sukhāvatī's joy is inexhaustible;
Waters and birds in harmonious tones expound the Mahāyāna.
Bodhisattvas, devas, and humans suffer no untimely death;
In truth, attaining buddhahood is their ultimate end.
The lands of Jambudvīpa abound in mounds and pits;
Mountains, peaks, mounds, and knolls are uneven.
Only because human hearts are mostly unwholesome,
All manner of evils are born within it.
The Western Sukhāvatī is as flat as the palm of a hand;
There are absolutely no mounds, knolls, or pits.
With lapis lazuli as ground and gold as borders,
Variegated lotus flowers grow everywhere in abundance.
The great ocean of Jambudvīpa and its many rivers
Abound exceedingly in fish, turtles, softshell turtles, and crocodiles.
One morning rain falls upon the valleys of Mount Heng,
And all floating, mixed evils painfully intermingle.
In the Western Sukhāvatī are ponds of seven jewels,
With waters of eight virtues beyond contemplation.
At the bottom is golden sand; on the banks are fragrant trees;
Lotus flowers gush forth with transformationally born children.
In Jambudvīpa, one receives retribution in a woman's womb;
The crude and digested viscera enclose the infant.
Even when reaching safety, it still cannot speak;
Ignorance, self, and other pursue the body as it comes.
In the Western Pure Land, there are infants;
Each and every one receives retribution by emerging from a lotus terrace.
In person they see the Tathāgata expound the wondrous Dharma;
Naturally liberated, their minds open in awakening.
The grass and trees of Jambudvīpa form dense forests;
The tallest do not exceed fifty fathoms.
Before many years have passed, their centers rot and decay;
They turn to ashes and earth, unable to endure.
The seven-jewel forests of the Western Sukhāvatī
Reach upwards beyond five million miles.
A gentle breeze stirs thousands of kinds of music,
All proclaiming the Tathāgata's sound of liberation.
In Jambudvīpa the sun daily scorches and harms people;
Winding in rotation, it is not constant.
In its setting and rising, there are night and day;
Nor can it escape being obscured in its light by wild clouds.
The Western Sukhāvatī has boundless light;
There is neither night nor day, ever constant.
Obtaining but a single pore of our Tathāgata,
Its light further covers and pervades the ten directions.
In Jambudvīpa, parents, wives, and children—
How long can incense-and-fire affection last?
Even if they achieve reunion, in the end it cannot be long;
In an instant one sees them separate.
The Western Sukhāvatī is not like this;
Amitābha Tathāgata is the Great Master.
Bodhisattvas, humans, and devas are noble friends;
Together they experience joy without time of parting.
Jambudvīpa is exceedingly bitter, with suffering boundless;
The love of men and women binds their lives together.
Morning and evening they seek much, fearing they cannot survive;
They have no leisure to return to truth and admire wholesome conditions.
The Western Sukhāvatī's joy is boundless;
One worries not over men, women, or wealth.
If one needs silken garments, they arrive from a thousand miles away;
If one thinks of food, the hundred delicacies are right beside.
The bodies of men and women in Jambudvīpa
Are both kinds of people sharing the four great elements.
Conspiring together in heart, they form the hells;
In an instant, for tens of thousands of kalpas, they sink forever.
The Western Sukhāvatī has no women;
Those born there all share the body of a bodhisattva.
All realize the three clear knowledges and eight liberations;
Bound to one last rebirth, they leave the noisy dust.
The world of Jambudvīpa abounds in money and goods;
Each and every bit is obtained through suffering.
Those who obtain them glorify the body but do not make merit;
Once the three wretched paths are shut, who can be sent to open them?
The Western Sukhāvatī is joyful and mirthful;
It disregards the impure wealth of Jambudvīpa.
Houses, gardens, and groves appear as soon as wished;
Garments and the hundred delicacies arrive according to one's desire.
In the five defilements of Jambudvīpa are ordinary people;
Receiving retribution, they do not gain an autonomous body.
Wives and children constantly demand clothing and food;
Unable to distinguish circumstances, they give rise to anger.
In the Western Sukhāvatī there are no ordinary people,
Nor are there wives, children, or loving parents.
Those born there all ascend to the bodhisattva stages;
All realize the diamond indestructible body.
In the world of Jambudvīpa, when learning to cultivate dhyāna,
In places of mixed evils there is abundant grasping at conditions.
The roving, wild mind is difficult to grasp,
Just like a ship tossed about on the great ocean.
The Western Sukhāvatī is not so;
Those born of the highest grade stand before the World-Honoured One.
Obtaining a single teaching of our Tathāgata,
The gate of illumination of the hundred dharmas becomes naturally clear to them.
In Jambudvīpa, when Dharma is spoken to save sentient beings,
They only listen to the phrases and do not practice accordingly.
They praise it as suits their mood, raising their joined palms,
Yet when displeased or provoked, they give rise to ignorance.
In the West, when Dharma is spoken to save sentient beings,
Waterbirds and stringed songs sound in the sky.
Those who hear all resolve to recite the Three Jewels;
There is no other separate cultivation.
The world of Jambudvīpa is unbearable to dwell in;
The conditions of Western karmic fruits fill each month.
Even if one manages to perform a tiny bit of good,
Unawares, the hells are formed in an instant.
The Western Pure Land is truly worthy of dwelling in;
For long kalpas one does not hear the sounds of suffering.
Drums, music, and stringed songs fill the sky;
Each and every one proclaims the names of liberation.
In Jambudvīpa, upholding the precepts abounds with ignorance,
Just like walking in darkness in broad daylight.
Intending to move forward to choose the path,
Unawares, one missteps and falls into a deep pit.
The Western Sukhāvatī is resounding with joy;
[Free of] all the various sufferings and striving practices,
In person they see Amitābha expound the wondrous Dharma;
Those who hear awaken and comprehend, putting an end to ignorance.
Sentient beings reciting the Buddha's name are like boarding a ship,
Relying on the predominant condition of our Tathāgata.
Reciting with dedicated mind for seven days and seven nights
Surpasses hundreds of years of other mental states.
Sentient beings wishing to escape the mundane cage
Must urgently and exclusively seek the merit of reciting the Buddha's name.
Invoking the name for seven days brings rebirth in that land;
Compared to other gates, it is surely distinct.
Simply know to recite the Buddha's name and do not give rise to doubts;
Those who do not understand are foolish.
Just because it brings swift transcendence,
Few among the ordinary people of this earth believe it.
When sentient beings recite the Buddha's name, the Buddha comes to welcome them;
At the end of life, it is lucid and very clear.
In the snap of a finger, one reaches the Tathāgata's place;
Visiting and making offerings in other directions, one realizes the unborn.
The Western Sukhāvatī is ever joyous;
How could what Śākya spoke be transmitted in vain?
I universally urge sentient beings to be born in that land;
How can you cling to death in Jambudvīpa?
Recite the Buddha's name with focused mind and do not be confused;
You are certain to attain the West and not waste your efforts.
Even though at present one is in the realm of ordinary people,
At the end of life one immediately obtains the six supernormal powers.
In the West are jeweled halls, jeweled ponds, and pavilions;
Trees, waters, and birds understand human feelings.
Parrots call in harmony, praising the Three Jewels;
From within the sounds, the Mahāyāna sūtras are revealed.
In the West are jeweled trees, jeweled roots, and stems;
Jeweled flowers and jeweled nets are exceedingly distinct.
Jeweled leaves in row upon row are interspersed;
Layered jeweled leaves gush forth transformationally born beings.
Jeweled ponds, jeweled banks, jeweled lotus flowers;
Jeweled steps, jeweled bases, jeweled lotus flowers.
Though lowest-grade rebirths have hindrances separating them from the [Buddha's] body,
Even if bodhi is not generated, its sprout naturally emerges.
Hundreds of millions of flower banners encircle the golden terrace;
On the radiant jeweled throne sits the Tathāgata,
Universally expounding the wondrous Dharma for sentient beings;
The multitudes of beings hearing it awaken and their minds open.
Morning and evening recite Amitābha,
In order to subdue all māras while in Jambudvīpa.
Briefly reaching the West to see the Buddha in person,
One returns to liberate this Sahā [world].
The Western Pure Land is most exquisite;
In the sky music plays in ten thousand sounds.
Clothing and food naturally arrive according to one's wish;
Assuredly those without need of food enjoy its fragrance.
In the West, day and night rain heavenly robes;
Jeweled halls fly through the sky, following the body.
The hundred delicacies arrive in a single thought according to the mind;
For what reason are those who go there so few?

3.28

Praise of the Adornments of Sukhāvatī

3.29

By Śramaṇa Fazhao

3.30

Amitābha's vows and practices are boundless;
In compassionate rescue of all beings, his pity is universal.
He wishes to transform all and make them return to his fundamental land,
Yet sentient beings' sinful karma lacks the affinity.
Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is of great compassion,
Able to manifest wonders within the ocean of suffering:
A purple-golden body with the thirty-two marks,
Reverently bearing Amitābha atop the head.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva is exceedingly hard to conceive,
Equal in purple-golden marks without defect.
The jeweled vase atop his head radiates brilliant light,
Universally gathering those with the capacity for rebirth through reciting the Buddha's name.
I celebrate for myself that past conditions are deep,
Having encountered the clear sound of Amitābha's pure teaching.
Upholding the name without resting,
When retribution is exhausted at the end of life, the body will be purple-golden.
I often sigh at my own bitter diligence,
Hoping to hear the unsurpassed, pure, and true Dharma.
One must continually struggle against ignorance,
Vowing to destroy it and attain the golden body.
With one thought concentrating the spirit, one goes to the jeweled city;
With six supernormal powers giving rise to intention, one learns lightness of body.
Stepping with feet upon thousand-petaled lotus flowers,
One walks beneath the bright moon maṇi trees.
Amitābha's pure land is exceedingly exquisite and subtle;
How could people in that Sahā know it?
Submerged for immense kalpas in the ocean of suffering,
In what year will they encounter the time of rebirth?
The jeweled land of Sukhāvatī has neither decay nor change;
Bluish-jade pavilions are naturally formed of heaven.
Maṇi, bright moon, and lapis lazuli water;
The light illuminating the ponds and pavilions is truly delightful.
The jeweled realm of Sukhāvatī is exceedingly rare and wondrous;
Its fame born of jewels, they have never known it.
Today, joyfully encountering Amitābha's name,
Those who abruptly abandon Sahā to go are few.
Amitābha's jeweled realm is inconceivable;
I only sigh that those leaving Sahā are few.
People's names are headed for Avīci Hell;
Once fallen, in what year will they ever emerge?
Return, let us return!
The five defilements of Jambudvīpa abound in dust and dirt.
It cannot compare to the joyful place of the West;
Reaching that place, the flower terraces open as one wishes.

3.31

Praise of Revulsion toward this Sahā and Wishing for Rebirth in the Pure Land

3.32

By Preceptor Cimin

3.33

Surveying the three realms, all are purely suffering; / ordinary people indulge in them, treating matters lightly. / In the ocean of desire, karmic winds stir up waves; / bobbing up and plunging down, when has there ever been a pause? / Sinking into evil destinies across many kalpas, / occasionally one goes and takes a single journey among humans and gods. / In foolish greed, clinging and grasping, they covet all modes of existence; / transmigrating in the six destinies, dying and being reborn again. / Rising to the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception, one still falls back down, / thereupon entering pits ablaze for ten thousand fathoms. / On the sword-trees, bodies are severed, minds and vitals shattered; / how could one endure the pulling of the tongue ploughed by iron ploughs? / Today, with utmost sincerity, I take refuge and bow in homage / to Amitābha, the Two-Footed Honoured One, the light of the world. / I only wish your compassion would condescend to embrace us; / embraced by the light from your brow, may [the sprouts of bodhi] begin to sprout. / Calling his name and reciting the Buddha's name, the sounds continue unbroken; / the assembly of sages raises the flower pedestals of seven jewels. / If one can constantly look up in longing toward that land, / at the end of life the Buddha is also certain to personally welcome [them].

3.34

Praise of Returning to the West

3.35

The three realms have no peace, like a burning house; / the open ground at the crossroads is entangled with dust. / Weary of dwelling in birth and death, living as flesh and bone, / how can one dwell in the womb with the five aggregates? / Just now in this life one generates the aspiration for the Way; / rarely encountered, the Pure Land Dharma-gate has opened. / I vow to attain the Western Land of Peace and Nurture, / where Amitābha and the holy assembly will surely lead us by hand. / Through the two gates of concentrated and dispersed [practice] one can attain rebirth; / the nine grades of fine dust all mount the pedestals. / Arriving there, one attains the three knowledges and eight liberations; / bidding farewell forever to the five defilements, one sees the Tathāgata.

3.36

Praise of Seeing the Buddha When Reciting the Buddha's Name

3.37

Reciting the Buddha's name once produces one transformation Buddha; / they all emerge from the mouth and produce red lotuses. / Reciting the Buddha's name a thousand times produces a thousand transformation Buddhas; / sitting cross-legged upright right before me. / In one day constantly chanting ten thousand [names of the] Buddha, / calculating the Buddhas' height, it surpasses the Brahmā heaven. / I vow that at the end of life I will meet the Buddhas, / and be welcomed to the Pure Land to realize the three stages of worthiness.

3.38

Praise Comparing Sitting Meditation and Reciting the Buddha's Name

3.39

The Tathāgata's teaching of the Dharma is fundamentally without duality; / it is only that sentient beings' minds are not even. / Cultivating dhyāna, the intention arises and the dhyāna mind becomes pure; / reciting the Buddha's name, one seeks only for transformation Buddhas to welcome. / One drives a cart running on a mountain; / one boards a boat travelling on the water. / Although mountains and waters differ in height and depth, / in the principle of accomplishing merit, both are equal.

3.40

Praise of Loud Recitation

3.41

By Shi Fazhao

3.42

First, it can dispel the hindrance of sleep, / intending to cause everyone to leave behind deep drowsiness. / The hindrance eliminated, body and mind are also pure, / and one further sees the hundred-jewelled gate of the West. / Second, it shakes and trembles the realms of heavenly Māras, / causing their minds to return to the gate of reciting the Buddha's name. / If only Māra's palaces hear a single thought-moment, / due to compassion they will serve the Compassionate Honoured One for eternal kalpas. / Third, the voice pervades the realms of the ten directions, / causing the suffering of the evil destinies all to cease. / Each and every one can hear Amitāyus, / and all ascend to the pure land to dwell in walking meditation. / Fourth, the dark sufferings of the three wretched paths cease, / and in an instant they transform into precious lotuses. / Transgressors all sit amidst the flowers, / and immediately hearing the Dharma, awaken to the unborn. / Fifth, it allows no external sounds to enter; / thought after thought goes straight to the house of the Dharma King. / The bright light constantly shines on the lapis lazuli palace; / transformationally born children scatter golden flowers. / Sixth, false thoughts are not scattered in the mind; / Amitābha's pure land is accomplished within one's contemplation. / Amidst the jewel tree groves, the wondrous Dharma is proclaimed; / sound after sound praises only the Mahāyāna sūtras. / Seventh, vigorously and diligently energetic, / the dust of ignorance naturally disperses. / In thought after thought constantly contemplating the Land of Sukhāvatī, / Amitābha, the Compassionate Lord, bestows a bright pearl. / Eighth, all Buddhas rejoice, / and in the future protect and remember the faithful person. / Each and every one is made non-retrograde, / and at the end of life realizes a purple-golden body. / Ninth, one can enter deep samādhi, / quiescent, unconditioned, and free of outflows. / When reciting, without recitation one sees the Buddhas, / eternally transcending birth and death, departing humans and gods. / Tenth, because it is endowed with all virtues, / the fruit of fortune and wisdom as numerous as the sands of the Ganges is completely fulfilled and luminous. / At the end of life, one sits on a lotus flower in the pure land, / and Amitābha and the holy assembly personally welcome [them].

3.43

Praise of the Jewel Pond of Sukhāvatī

3.44

With lapis lazuli as the ground reflecting the green of the pond, / in thought after thought the mind must reach the jewel city. / The people of the eastern city suffer like the impoverished son; / if born in Sukhāvatī, the trees bear jewel necklaces. / Sentient beings reciting the Buddha's name, do not have doubts; / you are determined for the seven-jewel pond of the West. / Assign yourself a quota of thousands and myriads of times each month; / dedicating your vows, Amitābha already knows. / The jewel pedestals and multi-storeyed pavilions are extremely subtle and exquisite; / arriving in that West, you will naturally know. / Strive to turn your mind and recite the Buddha's name much; / let the lotus flower pedestal be our mutual pledge. / In the pure pond is a precious lotus pedestal; / in the pure land fragrant groves bloom reflecting the sun. / The Compassionate Lord, towering and golden, smiles, / gathering all who recite the Buddha's name to come and be reborn. / Amitābha's Pure Land is very difficult to conceive; / those who seek it should not harbour doubts in their minds. / It is like the sun breaking through waves of clouds; / when you sit detached and alone upon the jewel lotus. / The Compassionate Lord of the West is towering indeed; / how could defiled, evil, and foolish people know this? / A hundred jewels join into thousand-foot trees; / the bright mani moon shines upon the golden pond. / Great wild swans and luan birds circle and roam about the pond; / heavenly beings sing praises in deep tranquility. / Flutes and pipes in the air make brahma sounds; / all who hear them flow into the nature of phenomena. / The ponds, pedestals, and towers are spacious and skillfully adorned; / pearls, gems, and jewel trees naturally stand in rows. / Clear blue water constantly flows toward the jade trees; / within the jade-like leaves golden light radiates. / Seven-jewel lotus flowers emerge from the water; / fragrant and lush, the budding lotuses are just opening. / Completing the quota with focus depends on the person's progress; / for those who recite the Buddha's name much, there is the purple-golden pedestal. / May those who recite the Buddha's name vow to go, / straight to the seven-jewel pond of the West.

3.45

Praise of the Six Destinies

3.46

If you wish to know where suffering is greatest, / there is none that surpasses Niraya. / Once a transgressor enters, kalpas like dust grains pass; / enduring suffering from beginning to end, there is nothing to be done. / When thirsty, drinking molten copper and climbing sword-trees; / when hungry, eating fierce fire and crossing the river of ashes. / I vow to leave this suffering and be born in the Land of Bliss, / seeking rebirth in the Pure Land to see Amitābha. / Thinking of the hungry ghosts, it is truly pitiable; / their whole bodies have always burned with fierce fire. / Their two ears do not hear the words 'syrup' or 'water'; / their whole body has only bones linked together. / Encountering food, when about to eat, it turns to fire; / approaching a river wishing to drink, they see a dry spring. / I vow to leave this suffering and be born in the Land of Bliss, / dwelling forever in the West, sitting on a jewel lotus. / Once assigned to an animal's body along the bewildered path, / one endures hardship and suffering through many passing years. / In harsh winter, dwelling in cold snow upon the open ground; / in midsummer, lying in dark dust upon the streets. / As for clothing, they are entirely covered with skin and fur; / as for food and drink, they prize only water and grass. / I vow to leave this suffering and be born in the Land of Bliss, / dwelling forever in the West, sitting on a jewel lotus. / Although the human body is very difficult to obtain, / once obtained, ten thousand kinds of worries arise. / At first, one sees rosy cheeks blooming like flowers; / suddenly, white hair rustles into autumn. / The ethereal soul flies and the corporeal soul scatters, the body returning to the mound; / life ends, form dissolves into a mound of rotting flesh. / How could one not delight in being born in the Land of Bliss, / sitting forever on the golden pedestal and roaming the Buddha land? / Asuras are flattering, deceitful, obstinate, and haughty by nature; / their roots of goodness are burnt together with doubts. / Because of this, their bodies suffer like ghosts, / sinking for long kalpas, dwelling in worldly toil. / Because of unbelief, they fall into the asuras, / engaged in combat and strife, enduring much suffering. / I vow to abandon doubts and be born in the pure land, / in the West forever able to be near Amitābha. / The pleasures of the heavens are inconceivable; / they think they will last for many lifetimes without end. / Once their single period of retribution ends, they suffer again; / abandoning that joy, they undergo the five signs of decay. / Foul sweat flows out from their armpits; / the flower crowns upon their heads further wither. / These are all places of impermanence and transmigration; / it is not as good as sitting in the lotus pond of Sukhāvatī.

3.47

Praise in Praise of Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta

3.48

By Shi Fazhao

3.49

Concentrating the spirit on the pure land in the subtle palace, / in the jewel realm heavenly flowers fill the emerald midst. / The golden hall has opened, the Compassionate Lord smiles; / beholding his visage, praises are never exhausted. / Jewel trees and multi-storeyed pavilions shine with light, / all through the power of Amitābha's vows. / In a single moment of corresponding thought, all go there, / and in an instant obtain the six supernatural powers. / Holding robes carrying offerings for a hundred billion lands, / the holy assembly, like dust and sand, equally receives offerings. / From now on, bowing our heads, we constantly look up in reverence, / determined to abandon Sahā and escape the cage of suffering. / Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta can be seen by people today; / the jewel-leaved lotuses are empty one by one. / Just recite Amitābha's name thousands and myriads of times, / and before long you will be reborn into Sukhāvatī.

3.50

Praise of the Fifteen Vows for the West

3.51

First, I vow that sentient beings universally cultivate the Way; / second, I vow that all will give rise to no doubts. / Third, I vow that the kaṣāya will drape over our bodies; / fourth, I vow never to assume a woman's body. / Fifth, I vow that makeup and powder will be discontinued for life; / sixth, I vow to see the Tathāgata with a plain face. / Seventh, I vow that the three wretched paths be freed from sinful suffering; / eighth, I vow to abandon and cast away stinginess with wealth. / Ninth, I vow that sentient beings revere the Three Jewels; / tenth, I vow that all Dharma-gates be opened. / Eleventh, I vow that sentient beings diligently recite the Buddha's name; / […] / fourteenth, I vow that all will arrive before the Buddha in audience; / fifteenth, I vow to be born into the Pure Land in the West, / and never again take a womb in Jambudvīpa.

3.52

Continuous-Bead Praise of Sukhāvatī

3.53

Within the gate of Sukhāvatī, the jewelled sun is round, / Shining everywhere across the three thousand great thousands of worlds. / Great compassion broadly joins with the Lord Amitābha, / Who reopens for you the thousand-petalled lotus. / The jewelled pools and jewelled shores are vast and level; / The jewelled ground of lapis lazuli is radiant for a thousand fathoms. / He broadly urges sentient beings to recite the Buddha's name diligently; / At the end of life he will surely come in person to welcome them. / The jewelled trees rise into heaven, hard to fathom; / One knows not how many yojanas their flowers and leaves measure. / In quietude, heavenly music constantly resounds; / When stirred by the wind, it is like the brightness of the sun and moon afar. / The seven rows of jewelled trees bear novel, rare light; / A single flower spans a hundred yojanas wide. / As flowers bloom, countless red lotus seats appear, / Wherein all are persons born [in that land]. / Amid the light of jewelled clouds, morning dawn appears; / Upon the golden ground, heavenly flowers rain down. / A gentle breeze stirs the rows of trees; / The wondrous sounds of the Dharma are equal and unattached. / You need only diligently recite Amitābha Buddha's name: / 'I now abide here briefly to deliver the Sahā world. / Knowing that from your deep mind you yearn and remember me, / Whenever recitation of the Buddha's name is encountered, once more I come over. / Sending me off a thousand li is idle toil, / Not knowing that sitting upright, the marks naturally shine from the white curl.' / With the white curl marks of countless Buddhas attained, / The flower terraces and jewelled seats are naturally lofty. / If no one copies the praise, it cannot be transmitted; / Without reciting it, how could the world be transformed? / Roam freely at walking meditation in the Land of Bliss; / I now shall go briefly to Anāthapiṇḍada's park. / In Anāthapiṇḍada's park is the phoenix pool; / The Tathāgata resides there, inconceivable. / From his golden mouth he constantly proclaims the subtle, wondrous Dharma; / None who see or hear it fail to vow to take refuge. / Having cultivated and perfected this karma, one sits in the West; / Boundless worlds are entirely filled with golden light. / Mani jewels flow into the lotus flowers; / At every stirring of the wind, ten thousand kinds of fragrance arise. / Avalokiteśvara preaches the Dharma like a torrent; / Birdsong and heavenly music harmonize together. / Constantly resting both feet within the lotus flowers, / He bears upon his heavenly crown Amitābha. / Amitābha's body is clad in jewelled robes fresh and new; / Beneath his feet are fully bright thousand-spoked wheels. / Do not crave the five desires in Jambudvīpa; / Recite my name and swiftly achieve truth. / Achieving truth, you will soon awaken to the unconditioned; / The brilliant light of the mark of the white curl rests between his two brows. / Able to illuminate the defiled lands of Jambudvīpa, / It transforms them into the wondrous brilliance of a Buddha-land. / The subtle, wondrous brilliance is present among humans, / Universally gathering sentient beings before the Buddha. / Each and everyone achieves the stage of a bodhisattva; / All at once, they all obtain a seat upon a red lotus. / The red lotuses grow in the pools of jewelled flowers, / With a thousand lights and ten thousand colors, inconceivable. / The water, birds, and groves of jewels are one with the land; / Rare fragrances and music constantly accompany them. / Accompanying them, they all arrive at the palace of wondrous flowers; / The Buddha-lands of the ten directions are all magnificent. / Welcoming one another everywhere onto the jewelled palace, / They praise diligent cultivation, carried through from beginning to end. / From beginning to end as one, inconceivable, / The flower terraces and jewelled seats rest in the jasper pools. / It is produced by your resolute mind and the power of vows, / Having nothing to do with what the Buddhas do for you. / Your vow-power is exceedingly firm and strong; / You are certain to be born in the highest grade and sit on the vajra seat. / Do not decline to dwell briefly in the realm of Jambudvīpa; / Even now, your name is recorded in the West. / The jewelled palace in the West is made of mani jewels; / The […] golden walkways have grounds of lapis lazuli. / Thousand-petalled lotuses form seats of a hundred jewels; / The Dharmakāya is pure, with robes for all other times. / Jewelled robes cover the body in ten thousand kinds of light; / One patrols through the jewelled trees in sevenfold rows. / Do not wonder at this subtle and wondrous 'Continuous-Pearl Praise of the Lotuses'; / For transforming and saving sentient beings, nothing is kept concealed. / If one keeps the subtle and wondrous concealed, one cannot be a master; / When the teaching of the Dharma circulates, it neither waxes nor wanes. / For your sake, I broadly proclaim this praise of Sukhāvatī; / The Tathāgata's transformative words act with divine power. / With divine power, across the Dharmadhātu he rescues the common folk; / Fleshly eyes reopen, and the wisdom eye becomes bright. / Sitting upright, one can contemplate the Land of Bliss; / The towers and pavilions are entirely upheld by jewelled recollection. / Upholding by recollection, the jewelled ground is like a thousand suns; / Amid the thousand suns are ten thousand colors of light. / In the light are countless bodhisattvas, / Offering renowned incense below Amitābha's hall. / Below the hall of renowned incense, jewelled clouds form; / The dignified and solemn bodhisattvas pay homage, never slighting. / Before the pavilions of heavenly music, they listen to the wondrous sounds, / Hearing only the water and birds reciting the Buddha's name. / The sound of the Buddha vibrates the Yama Palace; / The hearts and gall of the heavenly Māras all melt away. / Subduing the Māra armies, who follow behind the Buddha, / With devout sincerity they bow their heads, boundless in number. / Incalculably countless are the great armies of Māra; / All at once they attain rebirth as living persons. / All because they turn their minds to be born in that land, / Respectfully and diligently gazing up at the Great Compassionate Honoured One. / The Compassionate Honoured One's wondrous countenance is exceedingly towering and majestic; / His curl's light is comparable to five Mount Sumerus. / His two eyes are clear and bright like the great ocean; / His forty-eight vows manifest great compassion. / With great compassion he broadly opens the gate to Sukhāvatī, / Vowing to rescue the people of the five defilements in Jambudvīpa. / To each he gives a radiant seat of seven jewels; / How could they ever see even a single mote of dust again? / Dust-mote Buddha-lands manifest from the mind; / Boundless worlds display rare, radiant light. / The five aggregates transform into the pure eye; / The eight consciousnesses overturn to become the pools of eight virtues. / The eight pools are filled with jewelled lotus flowers; / In people who recite the Buddha's name, the sprout of the Way sprouts forth. / Bidding farewell entirely to the defiled and evil realm of Jambudvīpa, / All at once in Sukhāvatī they receive the essence. / In the garden of essence they see the Tathāgata, / Each seated upon a radiant terrace of seven jewels. / Blessed to be born together in the land of the Compassionate Lord, / Throughout long kalpas they shall never turn back. / Never turning back, they dwell forever in the hundred-thousand-fold West; / The light of the curl mark equals the sun and moon. / Within the gate of forbearance is the eightfold noble path; / In the breeze of sound and fragrance are the seven limbs of awakening. / The Pure Honoured One upon the path to bodhi— / His profound and wondrous awakening is hard to discuss. / Eliminating conceptions, one naturally attains liberation; / Comprehending the mind can open the gate of great compassion. / The Western Sukhāvatī clearly appears before oneself; / The myriad dharmas are all produced from mental marks. / Gathering mindfulness in tranquility, the mind's bliss is stilled; / In contemplating the Buddha, one is certain to be welcomed by the jewelled terrace.

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Linked texts (1)

淨土五會念佛誦經觀行儀卷中．下 — Classical Chinese