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| Section from the Larger Amida Sutra Mandala. Samantabhadra is seen near the Shakyamuni Buddha on his white elephant.Maitreya and Manjushri are also depicted in the right and left of the Buddha. |
“If, when I
attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of other directions who come
and are born in my land[1]
should not ultimately and unfailingly reach the Stage of Becoming a Buddha
after One More Life, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excepted are those
who wish to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original
vows. For they wear the armour of great vows, accumulate merits, deliver all
beings from birth and death, visit Buddha-lands to perform the bodhisattva
practices, make offerings to Buddha Tathagatas, throughout the ten directions,
enlighten uncountable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the River
Ganges, and establish them in the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Such
bodhisattvas transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattva
stages and actually cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra”.[2]
the 22nd Vow
The passage
showing the fulfillment of the 22nd
Vow is in section 28 of this sutra:
“The
Buddha said to Ananda, ‘All the Bodhisattvas in the land of Amitayus will
ultimately attain the stage of becoming a Buddha after one more life. Excepted
are those who have made original vows for the sake of sentient beings,
resolving to cultivate the merit of realizing their great vows to save all
sentient beings.’”[3]
The meaning of this great vow is that those who entered the Pure Land through the gate of Faith (Gate of the
Primal Vow) and who immediately attained Buddhahood upon birth there (11th
Vow) will return as Enlightened Bodhisattvas (Buddhas who manifest as
Bodhisattvas) to lead all beings to Enlightenment by continually playing in
various universes the same role Shakyamuni had and Maitreya will have in our
universe and/or by using other methods in accordance with the general
bodhisattva vows and their specific vows and wishes. “Excepted” here means that
some may chose to help beings to attain Enlightenment in other ways than
playing the role of becoming a Buddha or that they actually apply multiple ways
in the same time. For example, one may play the role of Shakyamuni in one
universe and manifest as something else in another universe without even moving
from the Pure Land. Multiple roles, methods and manifestations can be used to
help others by those who are born in the Pure Land through the Gate of Faith
(Gate of the Primal Vow), but all are in accordance with the “original vows” and “great vows” of the Bodhisattva Path. Also, while
doing this activity of delivering beings from birth and death, they also visit
Buddhas throughout the ten directions to assist them or make offerings to them
in gratitude for having been guided by them when they were unenlightened, as
all Buddhas work to help beings to entrust to Amida and be born in His Pure
Land.
It is extremely
important to know that attaining Buddhahood in the Pure Land means to
automatically realize the Three Buddha Bodies (aspects). So, when we become perfectly
enlightened Buddhas there we’ll have access to the ultimate reality beyond
forms (Dharmakaya/Buddha nature), we’ll dwell forever in transcendent form
(Sambhogakaya) in Amida’s Pure Land, and in the same time we’ll go in all the
places of the universe in various Bodies of Accomodation or Transformation
(Nirmanakayas) to save all beings, make offerings to or assist another Buddha
in His Dharma work, or to take upon ourselves the role of a Buddha and turn the
Wheel of Dharma in another universe or universes.
A key element in understanding this vow is the 2nd section of the sutra where
I already explained the enlightened qualities of the Bodhisattvas in the
audience (Maitreya, Majushri, Samantabhadra and others) when Shakyamuni
delivered this sutra and how they are
working to save and guide sentient beings, so please study my comments on that section very carefully. As we read there, those Bodhisattvas are already
Enlightened („all the Bodhisattvas in the
assembly had reach the shore of Emancipation”), but continuously play the
role of pretending to start on the Path, dwell in Tusita heaven like Shakyamuni
and Maitreya, then descend into their mother womb, are born, take seven steps,
leave palace, attain Enlightenment, teach various Dharma gates, then die and
enter Parinirvana, only to start this again in another world ad infinitum while
they never actually leave the Enlightened state, nor the world where they made
Dharma activities.
So, again, the “Stage of Becoming a Buddha
after One More Life”, promised in the 22nd Vow,
represents the capacity of those who attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land to
endlessly manifest themselves in various places in the universe and become
active Buddhas there for the sake of sentient beings. When we are born in the
Pure Land we automatically gain the capacity to always playing the role of
becoming Buddhas and teaching the Dharma like Shakyamuni himself.
Shinran Shonin explained this in his Hymns of the Pure Land:
“Those who reach the Pure Land of happiness
Return to this evil world of the five defilements,
Where, like the Buddha
Shakyamuni,
They benefit sentient beings without limit.”[4]
It’s a logical
conclusion that only someone who already became a Buddha can play this role of
always becoming a Buddha. Clearly, one who is only a bodhisattva in aspiration
cannot do all these saving activities, and so, the 22nd Vow
describes only what those who become Buddhas in the Pure Land will do. As
Buddhas from the Pure Land, we will manifest ourselves as Bodhisattvas, that
is, as Buddhas who do not remain secluded in their own Enlightenment, but
continually take any role and form to help all beings.
Shakyamuni explains in section 2:
“Each of
these Bodhisattvas, following the virtues of the Mahasattva Samantabhadra, is
endowed with the immeasurable practices and vows of the Bodhisattva Path, and
firmly dwells in all the meritorious deeds”.[5]
Also, the 22nd Vows says:
“Such Bodhisattvas
transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattva stages and
actually cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra.”
So, the 22nd Vow clearly mentions that Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land are
NOT ordinary bodhisattvas or bodhisattvas in aspiration and NOT even the
highest bodhisattvas on the ten stages (bhumis), but Enlightened Bodhisattvas,
that is, Buddhas who manifest as Bodhisattvas like Samantabhadra and others in
the audience.
Now let’s take a look at the vows of the Bodhisattva Path. In Mahayana there
are two main lists.
I.
The four main Bodhisattva vows:
1. No matter how perfect a Buddha would be, I vow
to become like Him.
2. No matter how profound the Dharma (the
teaching) would be, I vow to fully understand it all.
3. No matter how numerous the passions would be, I
vow to conquer them all.
4. No matter how numerous the beings would
be, I vow to save them all.
and
II.
The
ten vows or pledges of Samantabhadra:
1.
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To pay homage
and respect to all Buddhas.
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2.
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To praise all
the Buddhas.
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3.
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To make
abundant offerings. (i.e. give generously)
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4.
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To repent
misdeeds and evil karmas.
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5.
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To rejoice in
others' merits and virtues.
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6.
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To request the
Buddhas to continue teaching.
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7.
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To request the Buddhas to remain in the world.
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8.
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To follow the
teachings of the Buddhas at all times.
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9.
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To accommodate
and benefit all living beings.
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10.
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To transfer
all merits and virtues to benefit all beings.
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All these
fourteen vows represent the aspiration to become a Buddha for the benefit of
oneself and all beings. They also show how an Enlightened person will act in His
endless career of helping sentient beings. It is very important to understand that these are exactly the “original
vows” or the “great vows” mentioned in the 22nd
Vow.
The term
“original” does not mean a personal vow which is somehow separated from the
vows mentioned before, but a vow in accordance with the authentic Bodhi mind
(the aspiration to attain Buddhahood for all beings). So, no matter you now
aspire to go to the Pure Land to especially save your mother or your friend
from this present life, after you are born in the Pure Land you will
spontaneously feel that all beings are as important as your friends or your
mom, and you will naturally feel the urge to include them all into your
salvation activities.
Those who will
be born in the Pure Land, yourself included, and who naturally “wish
to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original vows”,
thus wearing “the armor of great vows”, will do their saving activities by
traveling to all places in the universe and will use skillful means in
accordance with the particularities of each being to be saved. This traveling shows that birth in the Pure
Land is not a final destination but a permanent return in various forms to help
all beings. This is why Shinran Shonin called the 22nd vow, “the
vow of directing virtue for our return to this world”. In his Kyogyoshinsho
he quoted Vasubandhu, our 1st Indian Patriarch:
“With great
compassion, one observes all sentient beings in pain and affliction, and
assuming various transformed bodies to guide them, enters the gardens of
birth-and-death and the forests of blind passions; freely sporting there with transcendent
powers, one attains the state of teaching and guiding. This is brought about by
the directing of virtue through the power of the Primal Vow”.[6]
He then quoted
from T’an-luan:
"Directing
virtue for return to this world" means that after being born in that land,
and gaining the power of compassionate means, one returns and enters the thick
forests of birth-and-death, teaches and guides all sentient beings, and brings
all to enter the Buddha-way together.”[7]
So, exactly like
the great Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas described in section 2 of the Larger Sutra, and as Amida promised in His 22nd vow, we’ll act like
Samantabhadra who is himself an Enlightened Bodhisattva or a Buddha manifesting
himself as Bodhisattva. As Shinran himself explained:
"Thus, when one has boarded the ship of the Vow
of Great Compassion (when one entrusts to Amida in accordance with His 18th
Vow) and sailed out on the vast ocean of light, the winds of perfect virtue
blow softly and the waves of evil are transformed (one receives Amida’s
transference of merits). The darkness of ignorance is immediately broken through,
and quickly (at the moment of death) reaching the Land of Immeasurable Light, one realizes great Nirvana (11th
Vow) and acts in accord with the virtue of Samantabhadra (22nd Vow).
Let this be known."[8]
“We sentient beings, if we attain the Land
of Bliss, will awaken great love and great compassion, and going throughout the
ten quarters, will benefit sentient beings. The supreme, perfect compassion
of Buddhas is referred to by the name of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra”.[9]
The last
sentence, “the supreme, perfect compassion of Buddhas is referred to by the name
of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra”, clearly shows that Samantabhadra
attained and represents Buddhahood and that we, after attaining the same
Buddhahood in the Pure Land, will manifest ourselves like Him.
Exactly like
Samantabhadra and in accordance with the four main Bodhisattva vows, we will
always pay homage to all Buddhas (the 1st pledge of Samantabhadra),
praise them ( 2nd pledge), make offerings without any trace of ego
(3rd pledge), ask all Buddhas to continue manifesting in the world
(7th pledge) and teach the Dharma (6th pledge), which is
something that ourselves will always do as we benefit beings according to their
conditions (the 9th pledge). We will always be in accord with the
teachings of the Buddhas, especially the Primal Vow which is what all Buddhas
teach, and encourage others to be in accord with it (8th pledge),
guide beings everywhere to lead a moral life according to the Buddhist precepts
(4th pledge), rejoice in their good deeds and devotion towards the
Dharma (5th pledge), help
them to receive Amida’s transference of merits (the 10th pledge), that
is, guiding them to entrust to Amida, which will actually be our main goal in
doing all our enlightened activities.
[1] “…who
come and are born in my land” is the Hongwanji translation - The
Three Pure Land Sutras, volume II, The
Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, Shin Buddhism Translation Series,
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, Japan, 2009, p.23, while the Inagaki edition
reads “who visit my land”, The Three Pure
Land sutras, A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration
with Harold Stewart, Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1995, p. 244. I used the Inagaki’s
version with the exception of the above words.
[2] The Three Pure Land sutras, A Study and
Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart,
Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1995, p. 244
[3] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.41
[4] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Pure Land, The
Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo
Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.329
[5] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.3-4
[6] The
Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 1997, p.158
[7] The
Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 1997, p.159
[8] The
Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 1997, p.56
[9] Shinran
Shonin, note to his 17 verse of the Hymns of the Pure Land, The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.329
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