Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Three grades of aspirants to birth in the Pure Land - commentary on sections 23 to 25 of the Larger Sutra



last revised on November 1st 2019

“The Buddha said to Ananda, ‘Devas and humans in the worlds of the ten directions who sincerely aspire to be born in that land can be classified into three grades. ‘“[1]

As we can clearly see, these grades are not related to beings who are now in the Pure Land, but who aspire to be born there. Practitioners still living in samsara are not equal when it comes to their spiritual achievements, but Amida’s salvation is offered freely to all, without discrimination, so both virtuous people, as well as those who lack any virtue, are assured of birth in the Pure Land if they entrust to Him.

It is not an obligatory condition that only the evilest and corrupt beings should entrust to Amida; even the wise and virtuous should do that. There are high-level Bodhisattvas in various universes who also have faith in Amida and aspire to be born there. Also long-living gods as well as other beings, humans and non-humans, who are more spiritually advanced, some of them acting as unenlightened Dharma protectors, entrust to Amida, too. Such beings, while still not enlightened, are part of the higher grade of aspirants:


 “The higher grade of aspirants are those who leave their homes and abandon worldly desires to become monks. Having awakened aspiration for Enlightenment, they single-mindedly think of Amitayus (Amida) and perform meritorious practices, aspiring to be born in His land. When they are about to die, Amitayus, together with a host of sages, will appear before them. Then they will follow Him and attain birth in His land. At once they will be born by transformation spontaneously from within seven-jeweled lotus flowers.

They will dwell in the stage of non-retrogression, attain steadfast wisdom and be capable of freely exercising supernatural powers. For this reason, Ananda, sentient beings who wish to see Amitayus while in this world should awaken aspiration for highest Enlightenment, perform meritorious deeds, and aspire to be born in His land’”[2]

Such highly advanced beings “single-mindedly think of Amitayus (Amida)”, which means they have complete faith in Amida and exclusively say His Name, without thinking or mixing this with anything else. The “meritorious practices” mentioned in the fragment above do not refer to various non Pure Land meditations or formal practices, but to the fact that they are naturally able to observe the precepts and lead a moral life without “worldly desires”. Their personal merits put them in this world on the highest level of beings who entrust to Amida, helped them be more sensitive and see what others cannot see, including various manifestations of Amida. However, no matter what spiritual capacities they have, only their single-minded faith causes them to be taken by Amida Buddha in His Pure Land. So, even highly advanced Bodhisattvas who acquired very good karma and are on a level of spiritual evolution that is thousands of times higher than ours, can understand that their personal merits are not enough to cause birth and perfect Enlightenment in the Pure Land, so they single-mindedly entrust to Amida and rely exclusively on His Power.

Everything that happens to them before birth in the Pure Land, even a few seconds before it, like Amida together with a host of sages appearing before them, may be caused by a mixture of personal merits and Amida’s help, but once they reach the Pure Land they become like anybody born there through the Gate of Faith or complete reliance on Amida’s Power.

Some people, humans or non-humans, who entrust to Amida, may have supernatural visions due to their good karma and moral advancement. Many gods (don’t forget that gods are part of the three grades of aspirants!) in various realms already have the capacity to see at a far greater distance than us who are born in human form, but even some humans who are more spiritually evolved can acquire this capacity. So, one who possesses very good karma and moral behavior, being detached from the worldly desires, capable to live the life of a monk focused entirely on Amida, entrusting to Him single-heartedly, can be more sensitive to what is invisible to others, and can also see Amida’s manifestations while in this present life.

Entering the stage of non-retrogression can be achieved in this life only by faith in the Power of Amida Buddha, without the need to have any personal virtues or perform meritorious deeds. Ordinary people like us, who are incapable of detaching from worldly desires and cannot follow monk or lay precepts are assured of Amida’s salvation and brought by Him into the stage of non-retrogression, but they don’t naturally develop any supernatural perception. They can too, of course, have visions of Amida and His Pure Land, but only from time to time and that is due only to Amida’s work, but cannot have them constantly or many times. As Shinran said,

“Although I, too, am in Amida’s embracing light,
My evil passions hinder me from perceiving it,
But His light of great compassion never ceases to shine on
me untiringly."[3]

Our evil passions hinder us from always seeing Amida’s Light or His various manifestations, but those highly advanced Bodhisattvas in human or godly form, or any other form, having a broader perception, can see more than us, and if they have faith in Amida, their vision includes Him as well.  Even if both of us, the lowliest of the low, and them, the highly advanced beings, are both in the stage of non-retrogression because of our common aspiration for Enlightenment and faith in Amida, they have personal qualities that we don’t have, like “steadfast wisdom” and are “capable of freely exercising supernatural powers” even while in their samsaric bodies. This is the meaning of the passage,

“They will dwell in the stage of non-retrogression, attain steadfast wisdom, and be capable of freely exercising supernatural powers. For this reason, Ananda, sentient beings who wish to see Amitayus while in this world should awaken aspiration for highest Enlightenment, perform meritorious deeds, and aspire to be born in His land’”

The above qualities of highly advanced beings who entrust to Amida appear while they are still here, in samsara, and not yet born in the Pure Land. Even the appearance of Amida with a host of sages happen before their birth in the Pure Land. The only words referring to their status after death and birth in the Pure Land are the following,

“Then they will follow Him(Amida) and attain birth in His land. At once they will be born by transformation spontaneously from within seven-jeweled lotus flowers.”

Attention here – while all the previous things they were capable to perceive and do were somehow related to their superior capacities, birth in the Pure land by spontaneous transformation from lotus flowers is due ONLY to their single-minded faith in Amida Buddha. Because of this complete reliance on His Power they are capable to reach this supreme type of birth which, in fact, all beings who entrust to Amida attain, including us, the lowliest of the low.

There are two types of birth in the Pure Land, 1) by transformation, and 2) birth in the embryonic state. The first is, according to Shinran, for those who enter the Pure Land through the Gate of Faith or complete reliance on Amida’s power, no matter if they had or not had any personal virtues, while the second is for those who were still clinging to their merits and virtues, thinking that somehow, these will give them more chances to be born there. The practitioners who are born in the Pure Land by spontaneous transformation immediately attain perfect Enlightenment while those who are born in the embryonic state spend some time in the borderland of the Pure Land until their doubts are exhausted. I will talk about them in detail when I reach the special section of the sutra related to this kind of inferior birth. For the moment we just need to bear in mind that anything special about the higher grade of aspirants refers only to their spiritual capacities, and status in their present life, and NOT after death and birth in the Pure Land where all born through the Gate of Faith are equal. Thus, while the various grades of aspirants exist before this Birth, they matter no more after reaching that enlightened place.

Now let’s move to the middle grade of aspirants:

“The Buddha said to Ananda, ‘The middle grade of aspirants are the devas and humans in the worlds of the ten directions who sincerely desire to be born in that land. Although unable to become monks and cultivate much merit, they awaken aspiration for the highest Enlightenment, single-mindedly think of Amitayus, perform some good deeds, observe the precepts of abstinence, build stupas, donate Buddhist statues, give alms to mendicants, hang banners, light candles, scatter flowers, burn incense, and so forth. They transfer the merit of those practices to His land, aspiring to be born there. When they are about to die, Amitayus will manifest His transformed body, which is fully possessed of the same radiance and physical characteristics and marks as those of the real Buddha, and make it appear before them, together with a host of sages.
Then they will follow this transformed Buddha and be born in the Pure Land, where they will dwell in the stage of non-retrogression. Their virtue and wisdom will be next to those of the higher grade of aspirants.’”[4]

Practitioners in this category who aspire to the Pure Land are not so great at moral behavior, and don’t have the spiritual capacities as those in the higher grade, but still, they are superior to the people of the lowest grade. They sincerely wish to be born in  Amida’s Land for the attainment of perfect Enlightenment, and do various good deeds, “observe the precepts of abstinence, build stupas, donate Buddhist statues, give alms to mendicants, hang banners, light candles, scatter flowers, burn incense, and so forth” while they also single-mindedly focus on Amida. However, they do something which makes them have a lower birth in the Pure Land, even lower than the first and the last category of aspirants, that is, in the borderland of the Pure Land. What is their grave mistake? They are proud and attached to their merits, thinking that these will somehow improve their chances of being born in the Pure Land and so they transfer them to birth there. By doing this so-called transference of merit from their delusional personalities towards the Pure Land they prove they don’t understand and don’t completely trust in Amida’s power. This is the meaning of “they transfer the merit of those practices to His land, aspiring to be born there”.

In their case, the single-mindedly thinking to Amida (“single-mindedly think of Amitayus”) only means that among all practices they chose to focus entirely on Amida, but it does not include complete trust in Him. Their faith is not pure and not complete, as they still cling to ideas of self-power and self-merit transference. Because of this, they will have, on their death bed, only the vision of a transformed or Nirmanakaya body of Amida which will lead them to the transformed aspect of the Pure Land which is called “the borderland”. This is the meaning of “when they are about to die, Amitayus will manifest His transformed body (Nirmanakaya), which is fully possessed of the same radiance and physical characteristics and marks as those of the real Buddha (like Amida in the Sambhogakaya aspect in the center of thePure Land), and make it appears before them, together with a host of sages.”

In that borderland they will stay for some time in an unenlightened but free of suffering state of mind until they overcome their doubts. Thus, for them, the stage of non-retrogression is not attained in this life, but after death and rebirth in the borderland of the Pure Land because they will attain Enlightenment only after solving their doubts and entrusting completely to Amida’s Power[5]. This is why the text of the sutra says, “then they will follow this transformed Buddha (one of Amida’s Nirmanakayas) and be born in the Pure Land (the border land of the Pure Land), where they will dwell in the stage of non-retrogression”.

Also, during this life “their virtue and wisdom will be next to those of the higher grade of aspirants”. This of course, refers to the personal merits and personal wisdom developed through their actions, but not to the wisdom of faith which can only arise in those who completely entrust to Amida’s Power and give up to any trace of self-power.

Something truly wonderful is said about the lower grade of aspirants to the Pure Land. The usual tendency would be to dismiss this category, but after a closer look and careful reading we have all the reasons to appreciate it and be happy about it because that is where most of us are!   

“The Buddha said to Ananda, ‘The lower grade of aspirants are the devas and humans in the worlds of the ten directions who sincerely desire to be born in that land. Although unable to do many meritorious deeds, they awaken aspiration for highest Enlightenment and single-mindedly think of Amitayus even ten times, desiring birth in His land. When they hear the profound Dharma they joyfully accept it and do not entertain any doubt; and so, thinking of the Buddha even once, they sincerely aspire to be born in that land.
When they are about to die they will see the Buddha as in a dream[6]. Those aspirants, too, will be born in the Pure Land. Their merit and wisdom will be next to those of the middle grade of aspirants.’”[7]

People in this category are “unable to do many meritorious deeds” and their personal merits and wisdom are lower than those in the middle and higher grades (“their merit and wisdom will be next to those of the middle grade of aspirants”), but they “awaken aspiration for highest Enlightenment” and are in perfect accord with the Primal Vow.  Why do I say they are in perfect accord with the Primal Vow? Because the three elements of this Vow, entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and say my Name perhaps even ten times” are present in those of the lower grade.
For example, to hear the profound Dharma” and “joyfully accept it and do not entertain any doubt” means to have faith, which is the first element of the Primal Vow. “Desiring birth in His land” and “sincerely desire to be born in that land” are the second element. Also single-mindedly think of Amitayus even ten times” and “thinking of the Buddha even once” are the third element and it means to say the Name of Amida without being obsessed with the numbers of recitations and without attachment to personal power, which is exactly how a person of faith says the Nembutsu.

Because their personal spiritual capacities are very low, they cannot see Amida as clearly and directly like those in the higher and middle categories, but “as in a dream” if they are awake, or even in a dream if they die in the sleep. Shinran Shonin told us to not rely on visions, and not wait for special things to happen during our life or at the moment of death, but this does not mean they do not happen. As we can see in the text, people of faith can also experience such dreamlike visions of Amida before entering the Pure Land.

“Those aspirants, too, will be born in the Pure Land”.  As I already explained, and  according to Shinran, the type of birth in the Pure Land of those who have genuine and complete trust in Amida is, no matter their spiritual capacities, birth by spontaneous transformation and is immediately followed by the attainment of perfect Enlightenment.


Shinran Shonin indicated the sections 23-25 of the Larger Sutra as the place where we find the fulfillment of the 19th Vow, but when I deeply contemplate on the three grades of aspirants described there I realize that only the middle grade actually refers to practitioners who still cling to their self-power and are to be born in the border-land through the Gate of the 19th Vow. The higher level and lower level have elements which clearly indicate birth in the true fulfilled land of the Pure Land, like for example, the mention of “birth by transformation” of those in the high level which cannot happen in the borderland where there is only “embryonic birth”, and the mentioning of joyful acceptance and faith without doubts, etc, by those in the lower level which again cannot exist in beings who are about to be born in the border-land of the Pure Land.

to be continued



[1] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.35
[2] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.35-36
[3] Kyogyoshinsho – On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment,chapter II, translated by Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p. 80
[4] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.35-36
[5] I will talk in more detail about birth in the borderland of the Pure Land when I reach the section dedicated to it. 
[6] In the translation done by Inagaki the words are they will see the Buddha  in a dream”, but here I decided to use the “as in a dream” translated by Hongwanji in The Tree Pure Land Sutras, volume II: The Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, Shin Buddhism translation series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 2009, p.54
[7] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.36

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