Tuesday, October 14, 2025
COMMENTARY ON THE SUTRA ON THE VISUALISATION OF THE BUDDHA OF INFINITE LIFE (CONTEMPLATION SUTRA)
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Master Shinran’s view of the characters in the Contemplation Sutra
And Ananda, Maudgalyayana, Purna, Vaidehi,
Devadatta, King Ajatasatru, Bimbisara,
Jivaka[3], Candraprabha[4], Varsakara, and others –
By various means, brought the most foolish and lowest
Of evil people to enter the Vow
That does not neglect people of grave offenses and transgressions.
That does not neglect people of grave offenses and transgressions.
Shakyamuni and Vaidehi, manifesting compassionate means,
Led the minister Varsakara to bear witness
And King Ajatasatru to commit grave offenses.
Which vary with each practicer;
Let us aspire to enter into shinjin (faith)
That arises from Amida’s benefiting of others.
Shinjin: the true and real shinjin of the Primal Vow.”[5]
Just to give you another example – the King Anala, who was a Bodhisattva in disguise, admitted in the Gandavyuha Sutra (final part of the Avatamsaka Sutra) that He sometimes manifests illusory evil people who experience the effect of their bad karma to help existing samsaric beings to avoid evil and aspire for Enlightenment,
Noble one, when in that way I have used that method and see that these beings are distressed, terrified, and alarmed, I then turn them away from the path of the ten bad actions, cause them to possess the path of the ten good actions, and establish them in the path to omniscience, which is the ultimate attainment of joy and happiness and the cessation of all suffering.”[7]
Noble one, I do not generate the qualities of a bad action in my dreams, let alone deliberately.”[8]
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
The Contemplation Sutra was taught in the same time with the Lotus Sutra (in reference to sections 1 and section 33)
“Then the World-honored One returned to Vulture Peak through the air. There Ananda fully explained to the assembly what had happened. Innumerable humans, devas, nagas, yakṣas, and all other beings greatly rejoiced to hear the Buddha’s teaching. Having worshiped the World-honored One, they departed.”[1]
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
The transmission of the teaching of the Contemplation Sutra (section 32)
Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. This is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.
“Then Ananda rose from his seat, stepped forward, and
said to the Buddha, ‘World-honoured One, what should we call this sutra and how
should we receive and retain the essentials of its teaching?’
The Buddha answered, ‘Ananda, this sutra is called the
‘Visualization of the Land of Utmost Bliss of Buddha Amitayus and of
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta.’ It is also called
the ‘Purification and Elimination of Karmic Hindrances for Attaining Birth in
the Presence of All Buddhas.’ Hold fast to this sutra and do not forget it.
Those who practice this samadhi will be able to see, during their lifetime,
Buddha Amitayus and the two Mahasattvas. If good men or women simply hear the Name
of this Buddha or the names of those two Bodhisattvas, the evil karma that
would bind them to birth and death for innumerable kalpas will be extinguished.
And so, how much more merit will they acquire if they
concentrate on them! You should know that all who are mindful of that Buddha
are like white lotus flowers among humankind; Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta become their good friends. They will sit in
the seat of Enlightenment and be born into the family of the Buddhas.’
The Buddha further said to Ananda, ‘Bear these words
well in mind. To bear these words in mind means to hold fast to the Name of
Buddha Amitayus (Amida).”
When the Buddha had spoken thus, Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana,
Venerable Ananda, Vaidehi, and all the others greatly rejoiced to hear the Buddha’s
discourse.”[1]
Monday, October 6, 2025
Benefits gained by the audience of the Contemplation Sutra (section 31)
“As the Buddha delivered these words, Vaidehi and her five hundred female attendants listened to His teaching. Having envisioned the boundless features of the Land of Utmost Bliss, of Buddha Amitayus (Amida), and of the two Bodhisattvas, Vaidehi rejoiced in her heart. Wonder-struck at this revelation, she attained great awakening with clarity of mind and insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (phenomena). Her five hundred female attendants awakened aspiration for highest, perfect Enlightenment and desired to be born in that land.
The World-honored One gave them all assurances that they would be born there and that they would then gain the samadhi of being in the presence of all the Buddhas. Innumerable devas (gods) also awakened aspiration for highest Enlightenment”.[1]
[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.99