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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1196 AMITAYUR-DHVANA-sOtRA, §89. speech the devotee will observe the rays of that created Buddha flooding his chamber with light, and while rejoicing at the sight he will depart this life. Seated on a lotus-flower he will follow that created Buddha and go to be born in the jewel-lake. ' After the lapse of seven weeks, the lotus-flower will unfold, when the great compassionate Bodhisattvas Aval, and Mahas. will stand before him, flashing forth magnificent rays, and will preach to him the deepest meaning of the twelve divisions of the scriptures. Having heard this, he will understand and believe it, and cherish the thought of attaining the highest Bodhi. In a period of ten lesser kalpas he will gain entrance to the knowledge of the hundred (divisions of) nature, and be able to enter upon the first (joyful) stage (of Bodhisattva). Those who have had an opportunity of hearing the name of Buddha, the name of the Law, and the name of the Church — the names of the Three Jewels — can also be born (in that country).' § 29. Buddha continued : * Next are the beings who will be born in the middle form of the lowest grade. If there be any one who transgresses the five and the eight prohibitive precepts, and also all the perfect moral precepts ; he, being himself so stupid as to steal things that belong to the whole community \ or things that belong to a particular Bhikshu, and not be ashamed nor sorry for his impure preaching of the Law (in case of preacher), but magnify and glorify himself with many wicked deeds : — such a ' The text has ' saiigliika tilings,' which is probably sahgliika Idbha, i.e. 'gains of the whole community' opposed to gains of a single monk, Childcrs' Pdii Dictionaiy, s. v. sahghiko, p. 449. §30. MEDITATION ON BUDDHA AMITAYUS. I97
2sinful person deserves to fall into hell in consequence of those sins. At the time of his death, when the fires of hell approach hini from all sides, he will meet a good and learned teacher who will, out of great compassion, preach the power and virtue of the ten faculties of Amitayus and fully explain the supernatural powers and brilliant rays of that Buddha ; and will further praise moral virtue, meditation, wisdom, emancipation, and the thorough knowledge that follows emancipation. After having heard this, he will be freed from his sins, which would involve him in births and deaths during eighty millions of kalpas ; thereupon those violent fires of hell will transform themselves into a pure and cool wind blowing about heavenly flowers. On each of these flowers will stand a created Buddha or Bodhisattva to meet and receive that person. In a moment he will be born in a lotus-flower growing in the lake of seven jewels. After six kalpas the lotus-flower will open, when Avalokitejvara and Mahasthama will soothe and encourage him with their Brahma-voices, and preach to him the Mahayana Sutras of the deepest significance. ' Having heard this Law, he will instantaneously direct his thought toward the attainment of the highest Bodhi. § 30. ' Lastly, the beings who will be born in the lowest form of the lowest grade. If there be any one who commits evil deeds, and even completes the ten wicked actions, the five deadly sins^ and the like ; that * The five deadly sins, according to Mahavyutpatti, §118, are Matr/ghata, Pitr/ghata, Arhatghata, Sahghabheda, Talhagatasyantike dush/aX-ittarudhirotpadana, which are unpardonable in the Larger Sukhavati; vide Nanjio's note and Pra«idhana 19 (§8), the
3198 amitayur-diivana-sCtra, §30. man, being himself stupid and guilty of many crimes, deserves to fall into a miserable path of existence and suffer endless pains during many kalpas. On the eve of death he will meet a good and learned teacher who will, soothing and encouraging him in various ways, preach to him the excellent Law and teach him the remembrance of Buddha, but, being harassed by pains, he will have no time to think of Buddha. Some good friend will then say to him : "Even if thou canst not exercise the remembrance of Buddha, thou mayst, at least, utter the name, ' Buddha Amitayus^' " Let him do so serenely with his voice uninterrupted ; let him be (continually) thinking of Buddha until he has completed ten times the thought, repeating (the formula), "Adoration to Buddha Amitayus" (Namo^mitayushe Buddhaya). On the strength of (his merit of) uttering Buddha's name he w^ill, during every repetition, expiate the sins which involve him in births and deaths during eighty millions of kalpas. He will, while dying, see a golden lotus-flower like the disk of the sun appearing before his eyes ; in a moment he will be born in the World of Highest Happiness. After twelve greater kalpas the lotusflower will unfold ; thereupon the Bodhisattvas Aval, and Mahis., raising their voices in great compassion, will i:)rcach to him in detail the real state of all the elements of nature and the law of the expiation of sins. Anantarya sins. Cf. the six crimes enumerated in Childers' Pali Dictionary, p. 7 b, AbhiManam ; vide supra, p. 192, § 25. * The Corcan text and the two other editions of the Tang and Sung dynasties have ' Namo^mitayuslie Buddhaya' instead of ' Buddha Amitayus,' which is the reading of the Japanese text and the edition of the IMihg dynasty.
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.
1196 AMITAYUR-DHVANA-sOtRA, §89. speech the devotee will observe the rays of that created Buddha flooding his chamber with light, and while rejoicing at the sight he will depart this life. Seated on a lotus-flower he will follow that created Buddha and go to be born in the jewel-lake. ' After the lapse of seven weeks, the lotus-flower will unfold, when the great compassionate Bodhisattvas Aval, and Mahas. will stand before him, flashing forth magnificent rays, and will preach to him the deepest meaning of the twelve divisions of the scriptures. Having heard this, he will understand and believe it, and cherish the thought of attaining the highest Bodhi. In a period of ten lesser kalpas he will gain entrance to the knowledge of the hundred (divisions of) nature, and be able to enter upon the first (joyful) stage (of Bodhisattva). Those who have had an opportunity of hearing the name of Buddha, the name of the Law, and the name of the Church — the names of the Three Jewels — can also be born (in that country).' § 29. Buddha continued : * Next are the beings who will be born in the middle form of the lowest grade. If there be any one who transgresses the five and the eight prohibitive precepts, and also all the perfect moral precepts ; he, being himself so stupid as to steal things that belong to the whole community \ or things that belong to a particular Bhikshu, and not be ashamed nor sorry for his impure preaching of the Law (in case of preacher), but magnify and glorify himself with many wicked deeds : — such a ' The text has ' saiigliika tilings,' which is probably sahgliika Idbha, i.e. 'gains of the whole community' opposed to gains of a single monk, Childcrs' Pdii Dictionaiy, s. v. sahghiko, p. 449. §30. MEDITATION ON BUDDHA AMITAYUS. I97
2sinful person deserves to fall into hell in consequence of those sins. At the time of his death, when the fires of hell approach hini from all sides, he will meet a good and learned teacher who will, out of great compassion, preach the power and virtue of the ten faculties of Amitayus and fully explain the supernatural powers and brilliant rays of that Buddha ; and will further praise moral virtue, meditation, wisdom, emancipation, and the thorough knowledge that follows emancipation. After having heard this, he will be freed from his sins, which would involve him in births and deaths during eighty millions of kalpas ; thereupon those violent fires of hell will transform themselves into a pure and cool wind blowing about heavenly flowers. On each of these flowers will stand a created Buddha or Bodhisattva to meet and receive that person. In a moment he will be born in a lotus-flower growing in the lake of seven jewels. After six kalpas the lotus-flower will open, when Avalokitejvara and Mahasthama will soothe and encourage him with their Brahma-voices, and preach to him the Mahayana Sutras of the deepest significance. ' Having heard this Law, he will instantaneously direct his thought toward the attainment of the highest Bodhi. § 30. ' Lastly, the beings who will be born in the lowest form of the lowest grade. If there be any one who commits evil deeds, and even completes the ten wicked actions, the five deadly sins^ and the like ; that * The five deadly sins, according to Mahavyutpatti, §118, are Matr/ghata, Pitr/ghata, Arhatghata, Sahghabheda, Talhagatasyantike dush/aX-ittarudhirotpadana, which are unpardonable in the Larger Sukhavati; vide Nanjio's note and Pra«idhana 19 (§8), the
3198 amitayur-diivana-sCtra, §30. man, being himself stupid and guilty of many crimes, deserves to fall into a miserable path of existence and suffer endless pains during many kalpas. On the eve of death he will meet a good and learned teacher who will, soothing and encouraging him in various ways, preach to him the excellent Law and teach him the remembrance of Buddha, but, being harassed by pains, he will have no time to think of Buddha. Some good friend will then say to him : "Even if thou canst not exercise the remembrance of Buddha, thou mayst, at least, utter the name, ' Buddha Amitayus^' " Let him do so serenely with his voice uninterrupted ; let him be (continually) thinking of Buddha until he has completed ten times the thought, repeating (the formula), "Adoration to Buddha Amitayus" (Namo^mitayushe Buddhaya). On the strength of (his merit of) uttering Buddha's name he w^ill, during every repetition, expiate the sins which involve him in births and deaths during eighty millions of kalpas. He will, while dying, see a golden lotus-flower like the disk of the sun appearing before his eyes ; in a moment he will be born in the World of Highest Happiness. After twelve greater kalpas the lotusflower will unfold ; thereupon the Bodhisattvas Aval, and Mahis., raising their voices in great compassion, will i:)rcach to him in detail the real state of all the elements of nature and the law of the expiation of sins. Anantarya sins. Cf. the six crimes enumerated in Childers' Pali Dictionary, p. 7 b, AbhiManam ; vide supra, p. 192, § 25. * The Corcan text and the two other editions of the Tang and Sung dynasties have ' Namo^mitayuslie Buddhaya' instead of ' Buddha Amitayus,' which is the reading of the Japanese text and the edition of the IMihg dynasty.
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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