The Three Pure Land Sutras: The Principle of Pure Land Buddhism

by Karen J. Mack

Honen Shonin (1133-1212), as the founder of Japan's first independent Pure Land Buddhist community, is one of the most essential figures of Japanese Buddhism. As a basis for establishing his new community, Honen selected three essential sutras for the study and practice of the Pure Land way. These are what he called the Three Pure Land Sutras (Jodo Sanbukyo), consisting of the Larger and Smaller Sukhavativyuha Sutras and the Visualization Sutra. This publication is the first authoritative English translation of these sutras by Jodo Shu, the denomination that Honen founded in 1175. As the collaborative work of Jodo Shu's top scholars in a variety of fields and containing full annotation, this book is designed for both scholars as well as student-practitioners of Pure Land Buddhism and will be an important contribution to understanding Pure Land thought and practice in Japan.

223 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

Reviews

[TL · Rating 5 out of 5]

The notion of Pure Land is simply this: there was a man of great talent and spiritual ambition named Dharmakara who wanted to become a Buddha. But out of his great compassion for all sentient beings he made forty-eight vows: that he would not attain buddhahood until the pure land established coextensively with that attainment was guaranteed to be free of myriad defilements and obstructions.

And well, the tradition holds that Dharmakara did in fact attain buddhahood, becoming the paramount buddha Amitābha—which means that given his great merit and honesty and compassion, he must have made good on every single one of his vows. Therefore, the splendor of Amitābha's really-existing Pure Land—which he will really take you to after death if, no matter your abilities, even if you have been lowly and very evil for all of your life, you wholeheartedly say his name and own yourself over to his other-power—is illustrated via the following (for the most part) negations of negativities, the confirmation of the forty-eight vows. Most importantly:

'1. Vow of None of the Three Unfortunate Paths
After I have attained buddhahood, should my land have hells, hungry ghosts, or beasts, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

2. Vow of Non-Returning to Unfortunate Paths
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the mortals or celestials in my land, who after their life has ended, again return to these three unfortunate paths, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

10. Vow of No Delusions
After I have attained buddhahood, should the mortals and celestials in my land, if having given rise to deluded thoughts, have these become attached to their person, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

11. Vow of Assured Enlightenment
After I have attained buddhahood, should the mortals and celestials in my land not dwell in the assembly assured of enlightenment and not attain final transcendence without fail, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

12. Vow of Immeasurable Light
After I have attained buddhahood, should my radiant light have a limit and not extend to illuminate hundreds of thousands of hundred millions of vast numbers of buddha lands, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

13. Vow of Immeasurable Life
After I have attained buddhahood, should my lifespan have a limit and not extend to hundreds of thousands of hundred millions of vast numbers of aeons, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

14. Vow of Incalculable Śrāvakas
After I have attained buddhahood, should the srāvakas in my land be of a calculable amount, even should the srāvakas and pratyekabuddhas of three thousand, great thousand realms together calculate for hundreds of thousands of aeons and be able to know their numbers, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

15. Vow of Longevity
After I have attained buddhahood, the mortals and celestials in my land shall have a lifespan of limitless amount, except for those who have limited their lifespans in accordance with their vows. Should this not be so, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

16. Vow of None Not Virtuous
After I have attained buddhahood, should the mortals and celestials in my land even hear of anything "not virtuous," then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

17. Vow of Praise by Many Buddhas
After I have attained buddhahood, should the immeasurable numbers of buddhas from the realms of the ten directions, each and every one of them, not praise and proclaim my name, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

[THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE:]
18. Vow of Birth Through Reciting the Buddha's Name
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the sentient beings in the ten directions, who aspire in all sincerity and faith wishing to be born in my land, recite the Buddha's name even ten times and not be born there, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

19. Vow of the Welcoming Entourage
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the sentient beings of the ten directions awaken to the aspiration for enlightenment, practice meritorious virtue, and transfer their merit with a sincere mind wishing to be born in my land, and when their life comes to an end, should I surrounded by my entourage not appear before them, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

20. Vow of Guaranteed Birth
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the sentient beings in the ten directions upon hearing my name, contemplate my land, plant the roots of virtue, and transfer their merit with a sincere mind wishing to be born in my land, and this not be realized, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

26. Vow of Body of Great Strength
After I have attained buddhahood, should the bodhisattvas in my land not attain the adamantine body of the vajra Nārāyana, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

27. Vow of Pure Adornment
After I have attained buddhahood, the mortals and celestials in my land, and all its myriad aspects, shall be ethereally pure and radiantly beautiful. Their forms and colors shall be highly distinguished, of utter subtlety and extreme refinement that cannot be enumerated, Should the sentient beings, even if having attained divine sight, be able to clearly discern all the details and enumerate their names, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

28. Vow of Seeing the Tree of Enlightenment
After I have attained buddhahood, should the bodhisattvas in my land, extending even to those yet of small merit, not be able to see the tree of enlightenment in all its immeasurable glowing colors with a height of four million leagues, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

30. Vow of Limitless Wisdom and Eloquence
After I have attained buddhahood, should the bodhisattvas in my land have any limit in wisdom and eloquence, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

31. Vow of Purity of the Buddha Land
After I have attained buddhahood, the pristine purity of my land, in every facet, shall reflect the sight of all the immeasurable innumerable unfathomable buddha worlds of the ten directions, just as the image of one's face appears in a clear mirror. Should this not be so,then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

32. Vow of Buddha Land Adornments
After I have attained buddhahood, all the palaces and pavilions, pools and streams, blossoms and trees in my land from earth to sky shall in all their myriad aspects have immeasurable varieties of jewels and one hundred thousand different fragrances. Their harmonious blend, decorative splendor, and rare magnificence shall surpass those of mortals and celestials. The fragrances shall universally waft throughout the worlds of the ten directions to inspire the bodhisattvas and srāvakas in their practice of the buddha conduct. Should this not be so, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

33. Vow of Radiant Light Effect
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the kinds of sentient beings in all the immeasurable unfathomable buddha worlds of the ten directions be embraced by my radiant light and their body touched by it, they shall become supple and genial in body and mind, surpassing that of mortals and celestials. Should this not be so, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

34. Vow of Insight Through the Name
After I have attained buddhahood, should any kind of sentient being in all the innumerable unfathomable buddha worlds of ten directions hear my name, and not attain the bodhisattva insight of the non-arising of phenomena and the many profound dhāranis, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

38. Vow of Provision of Garments
After I have attained buddhahood, should the mortals and celestials in my land wish to attain clothing, they need only imagine it, and it shall be realized, and their bodies shall be naturally clothed in magnificent robes which accord with the dharma, such as would be applauded by the buddhas. Should these need sewing, dyeing, or cleaning, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

40. Vow of Seeing Buddha Lands
After I have attained buddhahood, should the bodhisattvas in my land wish to see at will the immeasurable purely adorned buddha lands of the ten directions, when they make such a wish, then in every jewel tree shall the sight be reflected, just as the image of one's face appears in a clear mirror. Should this not be so, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

46. Vow of Hearing the Dharma
After I have attained buddhahood, should the bodhisattvas in my land wish to hear the dharma, exactly according to what they wish, they shall naturally attain the hearing of it. Should this not be so, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

47. Vow of Non-Retrogression
After I have attained buddhahood, should any of the host of bodhisattvas of buddha lands in the other directions hear my name, and not immediately attain the stage of non-retrogression, then may I not attain perfect enlightenment.' (71-9)

[Drew Tschirki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good translation, and many notes. I will refer to this copy time and time again.