In
sections 6-11, Shakyamuni invokes the witness of all Buddhas in the eastern
direction, southern, western, northern, nadir and zenith who all praise “the
inconceivable virtues of Amitayus (Amida)” that He himself praises:
“Śāriputra,
just as I praise the inconceivable virtue of Amitāyus, so do the Buddhas in the
eastern direction […]southern direction […] western direction […] northern
direction […] in the nadir […] in the zenith as numerous as the sands of the
Ganges River […] While dwelling in their own lands, they extend their long,
broad tongues and, encompassing with them the universe of a thousand million
worlds, pronounce these words of truth: Sentient beings should accept this
sutra entitled ‘Praise of the Inconceivable Virtue and Protection by All
Buddhas.’”
The
inconceivable virtues belong to the Name of Amida Buddha (Amitayus/Amitabha)
and the above passages are in harmony with His 17th Vow in which He
promised that all Buddhas will praise His Name:
“If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in
the lands of the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may
I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”
The
passage showing the fulfilment of this vow is found in section 22 of the Larger
Sutra:
“all
Buddha Tathagatas in the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
River, together praise the inconceivable, supernal virtue of Amitayus (Amida)” which is similar with “praise
the inconceivable virtue of Amitāyus” from the Smaller Amida Sutra.
Why all
Buddhas praise Amida? Because only Amida (Amitayus/Amitabha) has the perfect method among all Buddhas to save every being no matter their spiritual
capacities, including the lowest of the low who have nothing good in themselves.
As other Buddhas can guide beings on certain conditions, their various
teachings are of limited relevance, while the teaching on Amida who saves everybody
without asking anything from them is of universal relevance, as Shinran
explained:
„The two forms of relevance are: first, limited
relevance; second, universal relevance. The Pure Land is the teaching
of universal relevance.”
The
teaching about the unconditional salvation offered by Amida Buddha which is
also presented in this sutra called the ‘Sutra of Protection by All Buddhas’
is praised and protected by all Buddhas because they all know that the Amida
Path is the surest and quickest way for all beings to fulfil the very reason
they themselves appear in the world – to bring ALL beings to Buddhahood. I
repeat, ALL beings, not only the spiritual elites, the pure, the wise or the
virtuous. In their infinite Compassion, the Buddhas do not apply judgements on
beings but as perfect parents they want all their children to reach the shore
of Enlightenment, free from suffering. Master Shinran explained:
„To the evil sentient beings of wrong views
In this evil age of the five defilements, in this evil world,
The Buddhas, countless as the sands of the Ganges,
Give the Name of Amida, urging them to entrust themselves to it".
"Being born in the Buddha-land of happiness
Is the path to ultimate attainment of Buddhahood;
All the Buddhas acclaim the Pure Land,
For birth there is the unsurpassed means."
This is
why Buddhas not only praise and protect the teaching on Amida but also
influence beings to entrust to Him and say His Name in faith. As Shinran
explained:
„Sakyamuni, Amida, and the Buddhas of the ten quarters,
all with the same mind, are no more apart from sentient beings of the Nembutsu
than shadows from things. [...] Shinjin (faith in Amida) is bestowed
through the compassionate means of Sakyamuni, Amida, and all the Buddhas in the
ten quarters.”
"Sakyamuni and all the other Buddhas
Are truly our compassionate father and mother.
With various compassionate means they lead us to awaken
Supreme shinjin (faith) that is true and real."
Shakyamuni
Buddha said in section 12 of the Smaller Amida Sutra:
“Śāriputra,
why do you think this teaching is called the ‘Sutra of Protection by All
Buddhas’? Śāriputra, all good men and women who hear this sutra and hold fast
to it, and also those who hear the names of those Buddhas, are protected by all
the Buddhas and dwell in the stage of non-retrogression for realizing highest,
perfect Enlightenment. This is why, Śāriputra, you should accept my words in
faith and the teachings of all the Buddhas.
“Śāriputra,
those who have already aspired, now aspire, or in the future will aspire to be
born in the land of Amitāyus Buddha all dwell in the stage of non-retrogression
for realizing highest, perfect Enlightenment. They have already
been born, are now being born, or will be born in that land. Hence, Śāriputra,
good men and women of faith should aspire to birth there.”
Protection by all Buddhas and entering the stage of non-retrogression are two of the ten benefits that beings who say the Name of Amida in faith receive during their present life, prior to birth in the Pure Land.
This why Shakyamuni mentioned them too in the Smaller Amida Sutra: “protected
by all the Buddhas and dwell in the stage of non-retrogression for realizing
highest, perfect Enlightenment”. The karmic cause for receiving these two
benefits is to accept the teaching on Amida delivered by Shakyamuni and all
Buddhas: “accept my words in faith and the teachings of all the Buddhas”,
“hear this sutra and hold fast to it”.
It is
logical that hearing means to hear and accept in faith which is also the case
with the words: “hear the names of those Buddhas”. This refers to hearing the names of the
Buddhas in the south, west, east, north, nadir and zenith who “praise the
inconceivable virtues of Amitayus (Amida)” and trust their words and
testimony. To hear their names means to trust their encouragements to accept
the teaching on Amida in faith as well as to say the Name of Amida whose
inconceivable virtues they themselves praise.
Master
Shantao said:
"One
should have an unshakable faith in the passage from the Smaller Sutra that
states that all Buddhas in the ten directions, as numerous as the grains of
sand in the Ganges, testified and encouraged all sentient beings to attain
birth in the Pure Land."
"All
the Buddhas in the ten directions, fearing disbelief in the teaching of the
sole Buddha, Shakyamuni, with the same heart and at the same time extended
their tongues, enveloped the three thousand great-thousand worlds, and said
these sincere words, 'All sentient beings should believe in the teachings
preached, praised, and validated by Buddha Shakyamuni. All common people must
believe that regardless of the balance of vice and virtue and regardless
of the time spent reciting Nembutsu - once, ten times, for one day, or for
seven days up to one hundred years - if one utters the Name of Amida
Buddha from the depth of one's heart,
birth in the Pure Land will certainly be possible. The Buddhas averred that you
must not doubt this'"
Shinran
also said: “the testimony of the Buddhas of the ten directions,
countless as the sands of the Ganges River, has not been made in vain”.
As I
mentioned previously in this book when I explained section 5 (part 1), the
stage of non-retrogression means one thing for the followers of the 20th
Vow who say the Name while clinging to their self-power and are destined to
the Pure Land, and another for followers of the Primal Vow (18th
Vow) who say the Name as an expression of complete faith in the Power of Amida.
Thus, 1) all sentient beings born in the border land of the Pure Land will
never retrogress again in samsara and when they abandon their illusion of
self-power will certainly advance to the
center (the fulfilled land) of the Pure Land where they attain Buddhahood, and
2) those who are to be born in the center of the Pure Land are already in the
stage of non-retrogression since they first entrusted themselves totally and
exclusively to Amida Buddha in their present life. So, when they reach the Pure
Land, they immediately become Buddhas.
to be continued
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