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]
 
As I mentioned previously, Vaidehi entrusted herself to Amida and was helped by His and Shakyamuni’s Power to attain various spiritual realisations. This time it’s mentioned that “she attained great awakening with clarity of mind and insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (phenomena)”. Also, her five hundred female attendants received faith(shinjin) which is itself the Bodhi Mind - aspiration to attain Enlightenment for oneself and all beings. Thus, they entered the stage of definite assurance, also called the stage of non-retrogression for birth in the centre of the Pure Land – this is the meaning of “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”. In this case, to be in the presence of all Buddhas means to become one of the Buddhas. Innumerable devas who listened to this sutra were either able to entrust to Amida and entered the same stage of non-retrogression for birth in the centre of the Pure Land or they started to create the karmic connections for birth into one of the various levels and grades of the border land.

to be continued 

(source of the image in the upper left https://erichuntington.org/?da_image=taima-mandala-denver) 


[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

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