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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
11 66 amitayur-dhyana-sOtra, §6. hear, I pray, the voice of the wicked in the future ; and may I not see any wicked person. ' Now I throw my five h'mbs down to the ground before thee, and seek for thy mercy by confessing my sins. I pray for this only that the Sun-Hke Buddha may instruct me how to meditate on a world wherein all actions are pure. At that moment, the World-Honoured One flashed forth a golden ray from between his eyebrows. It extended to all the innumerable worlds of the ten quarters. On its return the ray rested on the top of Buddha's head and transformed itself into a golden pillar just like the Mount Sumeru, wherein the pure and admirable countries of the Buddhas in the ten quarters appeared all at once illuminated. One was a country consisting of seven jewels, another was a country all full of lotus-flowers ; one was like the palace of Mahei^vara Deva (god ^'iva), another was like a mirror of crystal, with the countries in the ten quarters reflected therein. There were innumerable countries like these, resplendent, gorgeous, and delightful to look upon. All were meant for Vaidehi to see {and choose from). Thereupon Vaidehi again spoke to Buddha : ' O World- Honoured One, although all other Buddha countries are pure and radiant with light, I should, nevertheless, wish myself to be born in the realm of Buddha Amitayus (or Amitdbha\ in the world of Highest Happiness (Sukhrivati). Now I simply pray thee, O World- Honoured One, to teach me how to concentrate my thought so as to obtain a right vision (of that country).' § 6, Thereupon the World-Honoured One gently smiled upon her, and rays of five colours issued
2§7. MEDITATION ON BUDDHA AMITAYUS. 1 6/ forth out of his mouth, each ray shining as far as the head of kine Bimbisara, At that moment, the mental vision of that exaked king was perfectly clear though he was shut up in lonely retirement, and he could see the World- Honoured One from afar. As he paid homage with his head and face, he naturally increased and advanced (in wisdom), whereby he attained to the fruition of an Anagamin (the third of the four grades to Nirva/za). § 7. Then the World-Honoured One said : ' Now dost thou not know, O Vaidehi, that Buddha Amitayus is not very far from here ? Thou shouldst apply thy mind entirely to close meditation upon those who have already perfected the pure actions necessary for that Buddha country. * I now proceed to fully expound them for thee in many parables, and thereby afford all ordinary persons of the future who wish to cultivate these pure actions an opportunity of being born in the Land of Highest Happiness (Sukhavati) in the western quarter. Those who wish to be born in that country of Buddha have to cultivate a threefold goodness. Firstly, they should act filially towards their parents and support them ; serve and respect their teachers and elders ; be of compassionate mind, abstain from doing any injury, and cultivate the ten virtuous actions ^ Secondly, they should take and observe the vow of seeking refuge with the Three Jewels, fulfil all moral precepts, and not lower their dignity or neglect any ceremonial observance. Thirdly, they should give their whole mind * I. e. observe the ten prohibitive precepts of Buddha.
3i68 amitavur-diiyana-sCtra, §8. to the attainment of the Bodhi (perfect wisdom), deeply believe in (the principle of) cause and effect, study and recite (the Sutras of) the Mahayana doctrine, and persuade and encourage others who pursue the same course as themselves. * These three groups as enumerated are called the pure actions (leading to the Buddha country).' * O Yaidehi ! ' Buddha continued, ' dost thou not understand now ? These three classes of actions are the efficient cause of the pure actions taught by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.' ^ 8. Buddha then addressed Ananda as well as Yaidehi : ' Listen carefully, listen carefully ! Ponder carefully on what you hear! I, Tathagata, now declare the pure actions needful (for that Buddha country) for the sake of all beings hereafter, that are subject to the misery (inflicted) by the enemy, i. e. passion. Well done, O Vaidehi ! Appropriate questions are those which thou hast asked ^ ! O Ananda, do thou remember these words of me, of Buddha, and repeat them openly to many assemblies. I, Tathagata, now teach Vaidehi and also all beings hereafter in order that they may meditate on the World of Highest Happiness (Sukhivati) in the western quarter. 'It is by the power of Buddha only that one can see that pure land (of Buddha) as clear as one sees the image of one's face reflected in the transparent mirror held up before one. ' When one sees the state of happiness of that country in its highest excellence, one greatly re- ' Vide supra, § 4 ; hut those two ciucsiions, though appropriate, have not after all been answered by Buddha in this Siitra.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
11 66 amitayur-dhyana-sOtra, §6. hear, I pray, the voice of the wicked in the future ; and may I not see any wicked person. ' Now I throw my five h'mbs down to the ground before thee, and seek for thy mercy by confessing my sins. I pray for this only that the Sun-Hke Buddha may instruct me how to meditate on a world wherein all actions are pure. At that moment, the World-Honoured One flashed forth a golden ray from between his eyebrows. It extended to all the innumerable worlds of the ten quarters. On its return the ray rested on the top of Buddha's head and transformed itself into a golden pillar just like the Mount Sumeru, wherein the pure and admirable countries of the Buddhas in the ten quarters appeared all at once illuminated. One was a country consisting of seven jewels, another was a country all full of lotus-flowers ; one was like the palace of Mahei^vara Deva (god ^'iva), another was like a mirror of crystal, with the countries in the ten quarters reflected therein. There were innumerable countries like these, resplendent, gorgeous, and delightful to look upon. All were meant for Vaidehi to see {and choose from). Thereupon Vaidehi again spoke to Buddha : ' O World- Honoured One, although all other Buddha countries are pure and radiant with light, I should, nevertheless, wish myself to be born in the realm of Buddha Amitayus (or Amitdbha\ in the world of Highest Happiness (Sukhrivati). Now I simply pray thee, O World- Honoured One, to teach me how to concentrate my thought so as to obtain a right vision (of that country).' § 6, Thereupon the World-Honoured One gently smiled upon her, and rays of five colours issued
2§7. MEDITATION ON BUDDHA AMITAYUS. 1 6/ forth out of his mouth, each ray shining as far as the head of kine Bimbisara, At that moment, the mental vision of that exaked king was perfectly clear though he was shut up in lonely retirement, and he could see the World- Honoured One from afar. As he paid homage with his head and face, he naturally increased and advanced (in wisdom), whereby he attained to the fruition of an Anagamin (the third of the four grades to Nirva/za). § 7. Then the World-Honoured One said : ' Now dost thou not know, O Vaidehi, that Buddha Amitayus is not very far from here ? Thou shouldst apply thy mind entirely to close meditation upon those who have already perfected the pure actions necessary for that Buddha country. * I now proceed to fully expound them for thee in many parables, and thereby afford all ordinary persons of the future who wish to cultivate these pure actions an opportunity of being born in the Land of Highest Happiness (Sukhavati) in the western quarter. Those who wish to be born in that country of Buddha have to cultivate a threefold goodness. Firstly, they should act filially towards their parents and support them ; serve and respect their teachers and elders ; be of compassionate mind, abstain from doing any injury, and cultivate the ten virtuous actions ^ Secondly, they should take and observe the vow of seeking refuge with the Three Jewels, fulfil all moral precepts, and not lower their dignity or neglect any ceremonial observance. Thirdly, they should give their whole mind * I. e. observe the ten prohibitive precepts of Buddha.
3i68 amitavur-diiyana-sCtra, §8. to the attainment of the Bodhi (perfect wisdom), deeply believe in (the principle of) cause and effect, study and recite (the Sutras of) the Mahayana doctrine, and persuade and encourage others who pursue the same course as themselves. * These three groups as enumerated are called the pure actions (leading to the Buddha country).' * O Yaidehi ! ' Buddha continued, ' dost thou not understand now ? These three classes of actions are the efficient cause of the pure actions taught by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.' ^ 8. Buddha then addressed Ananda as well as Yaidehi : ' Listen carefully, listen carefully ! Ponder carefully on what you hear! I, Tathagata, now declare the pure actions needful (for that Buddha country) for the sake of all beings hereafter, that are subject to the misery (inflicted) by the enemy, i. e. passion. Well done, O Vaidehi ! Appropriate questions are those which thou hast asked ^ ! O Ananda, do thou remember these words of me, of Buddha, and repeat them openly to many assemblies. I, Tathagata, now teach Vaidehi and also all beings hereafter in order that they may meditate on the World of Highest Happiness (Sukhivati) in the western quarter. 'It is by the power of Buddha only that one can see that pure land (of Buddha) as clear as one sees the image of one's face reflected in the transparent mirror held up before one. ' When one sees the state of happiness of that country in its highest excellence, one greatly re- ' Vide supra, § 4 ; hut those two ciucsiions, though appropriate, have not after all been answered by Buddha in this Siitra.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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