“Śāriputra, those sentient beings who hear of that land should aspire to be born there. Why? Because they will be able to meet such sages of supreme virtue. Śāriputra, one cannot attain birth in that land with few roots of good or a small store of merit.
We must notice these
words “sages of supreme virtue (merit)” and “one cannot attain birth in
that land with few roots of good or a small store of merit (virtue)”.
Both
indicate to the infinite merits of Amida Buddha (in relation with the implicit meaning of this sutra
about which I will talk in details at a later time) that make one reach the
Pure Land. Shinran Shonin said,
“When sentient beings of this evil world
of the five defilements[2]
Entrust themselves to the selected Primal Vow,
virtues indescribable, inexplicable, and inconceivable
fill those practitioners."[3]
He also explained in his work “Passages on the
Two Aspects of The Tathagata’s Directing of Virtue”:
“Concerning the directing of virtue through the Power of
the Primal Vow, the Tathagata’s directing of virtue has two aspects: the
directing of virtue in the aspect for our going forth to the Pure Land and the
directing of virtue in the aspect for our return to this world.”[4]
The directing of virtue (merits) in the
aspect for our going forth means that by receiving shinjin (faith) during this
present life we are made to be born in the center of the Pure Land where we instantly
become Buddhas. The directing of virtue for our return to this world means that
as soon as we become Buddhas there we return to this world in various forms to
help all beings. Both these aspects are the transference of merit from AmidaBuddha to us which we receive in the form of shinjin (faith/entrusting heart)
and Nembutsu (saying of the Name). These infinite merits (virtues) of
Amida are the “supreme virtue” which made those sages of the Pure Land being
born there and are contrasted with the “few roots of good or a small store
of merit (virtue)”
in the above passage from section 5 of this sutra.
Thus, in
both cases – birth in the center of the Pure Land (fulfilled land of the PureLand) or the border land of the Pure Land, it is the Power of Amida which
brings us there, with the difference that those who remain in the borderland
stop themselves from advancing to the center because of clinging to their
so-called virtues and personal merits. They (dwellers of the borderland) cannot
avail themselves of the infinite merits of Amida which people of complete faith receive in their present life. By imagining that their self-power matters and
that they can transfer the merits of Nembutsu to birth in the Pure Land as if those
merits belong to them (although they were kindly brought to the Pure Land by
Amida), they keep themselves in the borderland of that realm. So, the words “one
cannot attain birth in that land with few roots of good or a small store of
merit” mean that those who rely on their so-called merits for birth in the
Pure Land cannot actually reach the center of the Pure Land.
Now
let’s move to the next passage:
“Śāriputra,
if a good man or woman[5]
who hears of Amitāyus holds fast to His Name even for one day, two days, three,
four, five, six, or seven days with a concentrated and undistracted mind, then,
at the hour of death, Amitāyus will appear with a host of holy ones.”
To hear
of Amitayus (Amida) can be done in two ways: 1) to hear and mix reliance on
Amida with reliance on one’s own power, and 2) to hear and completely entrust to Amida’s Power.
In the
1st case the follower thinks that the more Nembutsu he recites and the
more concentrated and undistracted he is during recitation, the more chances he
has to be born in the Pure Land. In his situation it’s important that Nembutsu should
be done with “a concentrated and undistracted mind” and as many
times as possible, including the moment of death. About this kind of follower,
we say in our tradition that he doubts the wisdom of the Buddha. What does this
mean? To doubt the wisdom of the Buddha means that although
you hear the Primal Vow, you think you know better than Amida and so instead of
following His instruction – “say my Name perhaps even ten times” (18th
Vow/Primal Vow)[6] you
think that you need to say Nembutsu many times or that you can combine Nembutsu
with something else, like other practices. This means you doubt Amida’s wisdom
and think you know better than Him what is needed for your salvation[7]. The follower in this 1st
category is born in the border land of the Pure Land. Knowing this type of
person is attached to his own self-power, Amida made His 20th Vow
and Shakyamuni encouraged him to say the Name many times, like “even for one day, two days, three, four, five,
six, or seven days” and
“with a concentrated and undistracted mind”. Such a follower needs to know
that he is doing something for birth in the Pure Land, that he deserves it and
struggles to achieve it, thus being ignorant of the infinite Compassion and
Power of Amida who is the only one that can make that birth possible.
In the
2nd case, the follower hears the teaching about Amida Buddha (His
Primal Vow/18th Vow) with complete faith in His Power to save him
and says the Name as a simple expression of faith, knowing that the Name is
effective because of Amida (of the Power and infinite merits Amida manifested
in it), not his lips or his mind. In his case, “even for one day, two days, three, four, five,
six, or seven days with a concentrated and undistracted mind” means that his total faith in
Amida never fades away from his mind but continues endlessly no matter how seldom
or often he says the Name.
Next, there
are two reasons why “at the hour of death, Amitāyus will appear with a host
of holy ones”: 1) to support the practitioner who mixes reliance on Amida
with reliance on his own power, to be born in the border land of the Pure Land,
and 2) to simply welcome the person who has completely relied on Amida and is
about to enter the center of the Pure Land.
In the
1st case, the appearance of Amida with a host of holy ones is very
important for the practitioner because he needs to have a good state of mind as
a karmic condition for birth in the border land. Due to his partial and mixed
reliance on Amida, his state of mind can be an obstacle for birth in the border
land, so in His infinite compassion Amida makes sure to create for him the best
condition so that his unenlightened mind does not become chaotic and drags him
down in samsara – this is the meaning of Shakyamuni’s words: “consequently, when
their life comes to an end, the aspirants’ minds will not fall into confusion
and so they will be born immediately in the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitāyus.”
Thus,
the cause of birth in the Pure Land for the followers of the 19th
and 20th vows who mix reliance on Amida with their self-power, is
established in the moment of death.
In the 2nd case, the appearance of Amida is not important, so it may happen
or not, depending on the circumstances of one’s death[8].
Why is not important? Because the cause of birth in the Pure Land for the
followers with complete faith is established in the very second they entrust to
Amida. So, birth in the center of the Pure Land follows the moment of death as
a natural consequence of the faith they received during their daily life.[9]
“Śāriputra,
perceiving these benefits, I say: All sentient beings who
hear this teaching should aspire to birth in that land”.
Aspiration for birth in the Pure Land is extremely important, so whether one has complete faith in the Power of Amida or mixes the
reliance on Him with belief in his own so-called merits and efforts, one should wish to be born in the Pure Land of Sukhavati (Utmost Bliss). Among the Pure
Lands of all Buddhas, Amida’s land in both its aspects, the border land or the
fulfilled land (center) is the easiest to access.
In the next chapter we will see how the Buddhas of all
directions praise Amida Buddha and encourage us to wish to be born in His Pure
Land.
to be continued
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