Amitabha Buddha’s Compassion and Infinite Light – Selections From The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra, Part 1 of 2

On today’s show, we present selections from “The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra,” in which the Bhikshu Dharmākara (vegan) performed the duties of a Bodhisattva, helping countless beings attain spiritual enlightenment.

THE LARGER SUKHÂVATÎ-VYÛHA DESCRIPTION OF SUKHÂVATÎ, THE LAND OF BLISS

“‘That Bhikshu Dharmâkara, the noble-minded Bodhisattva, O Ânanda, was possessed of this perfection of prayers. And a few Bodhisattvas only, O Ânanda, are possessed of such a perfection of prayers. There is on this Earth an appearance of a few only of such prayers. Of a few, however, existence cannot be denied.’

‘Then again, O Ânanda, this Bhikshu Dharmâkara having recited these peculiar prayers before the Buddha Lokeśvararāja, the Enlightened One, and before the world including gods, Mâra, and Brahman, and before people consisting of Sramanas and Brâhmanas with gods, men, and Asuras, was established in the attainment of the true promise.

And proclaiming this purity of the Buddha country, this greatness and excellency of the Buddha country, and performing the duty of a Bodhisattva, he never conceived the remotest thoughts of lust, malevolence, and cruelty, during a hundred thousand niyutas of kotîs of years, immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, incomparable, measureless, immense, inexpressible; and he never conceived the idea of lust, malevolence, and cruelty, nay, he never conceived the idea of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

He was gentle, charming indeed, and compassionate; pleasant to live with, agreeable, amiable, content, of few wishes, satisfied, retired, not evil, not foolish, not suspicious, not crooked, not wicked, not deceitful, tender, kindly speaking, always zealous, docile in the searching after the pure [Dharma] Law. And for the good of all beings, he recited the great prayer, showing respect to friends, teachers, masters, the [Sangha], the [Dharma] Law, and Buddha, always girded for the performance of the duties of the Bodhisattva, righteous, gentle, not deceitful, not flattering, virtuous, a leader for the sake of rousing others to perform all good laws, producing by his activity the ideas of emptiness, causelessness, and purposelessness, and he was well guarded in his speech. Then, performing the duties of a Bodhisattva, after having given up all speaking which, when spoken, serves to injure one’s self or others or both, he employed only such speech as served the pleasure and benefit of himself, others, or both. And he was so wise that, when entering into capitals, kingdoms, countries, towns, cities, and villages, he was always perfectly restrained with regard to all objects of sense.

Performing himself the duties of the Bodhisattva without interruption, he walked himself in the highest perfection (pâramitâ) of liberality, and he also roused others to walk in the same. And himself walking in the highest perfections of knowledge, meditation, strength, patience, and virtue, he roused others also to walk in the same. And he has collected so large a stock of merit that, wherever he is born, there arise for him many hundreds of thousands of niyutas of kotîs of treasures from out the earth.’ […]”