From then onwards, the Pure Land Great Door is open for all-Part 1

The Buddha speaks the Sutra of the Contemplation of Immeasurable Lifespan -Part One

佛说观无量寿经

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was staying on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks. He was also accompanied by thirty-two thousand bodhisattvas led by Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince.

At that time, in the great city of Rājagṛha, there was a prince named Ajātaśatru. Instigated by his wicked friend Devadatta, he seized his father, King Bimbisāra and confined him in a room with seven layers of walls.

The court officers were forbidden to visit him.

Vaidehī, the mother queen was devoted to him.

After cleansing her body, she spread over her body a mixture of ghee, honey and wheat flour.

She filled her ornaments with grape juice, and secretly offered this food and drink to the king.

At that time, the King ate the flour paste, drank the juice, and then asked for water to rinse his mouth.

After rinsing his mouth, he joined his palms in reverence and faced the Vulture Peak.

He made obeisance to the World Honoured One from afar, and said,

‘Mahāmaudgalyāyana is my close friend. I beseech you to take pity on me and send him here to give me the eight precepts.’

At that time, Mahāmaudgalyāyana flew as swiftly as a hawk to the king.

Every day he travelled in this way to give the king the eight precepts.

The World Honoured One also sent Venerable Pūrṇa to the palace to expound the Dharma to the king.

Three weeks passed by in this way. As the King had eaten the flour and honey, listened to the Dharma, he looked peaceful and contented.

At that time, Ajātaśatru asked the guard, “Is my father still alive?”

The guard replied, “Great King, the mother queen spreads the paste of flour and honey all over her body, fills her ornaments with grape juice, and offers these to the king.

The monks Mahāmaudgalyāyana and Pūrṇa travel in from space to expound the Dharma to the King. It is impossible to stop them.”

On hearing this, Ajātaśatru was furious with his mother and said, ‘My mother is a thief. She is the accomplice of my enemy.

Those monks are evil. With their delusive magic and mantra, they kept this wicked king alive for so many days!’

After saying this, he held his sharp sword, with the intention to kill his mother.

At that time a minister by the name Candraprabha who was intelligent and wise, together with Jīvaka made obeisances to the king and said,

‘Great King, according to the Vedic scripture, from the beginning of this kalpa there were eighteen thousand wicked kings who killed their fathers for the greed of the throne.

But we have never heard of anyone who has committed the outrage of killing his mother.

Your Majesty, if you were to commit such an outrage, you are bringing disgrace upon the kṣatriya class.

As your ministers, we cannot bear to hear what people will say as this is an act of the outcaste. We cannot stay on here any longer.’

After saying these words, the two ministers grasped their swords, stepped back and decided to leave.

At that time Ajatasatru was nervous and frightened. He said to Jīvaka, ‘Are you not on my side?’

On hearing this, the king repented and begged for forgiveness.

He threw his sword away and stopped to kill his mother.

Instead, he ordered the court officials to lock her up in an inner chamber. She was not allowed to leave her room.

At that time, when Vaidehī was kept in confinement, she was extremely sad and in despair.

She turned to face the Vulture Peak and made obeisance to the Buddha from afar.

She said, ‘O Tathāgata, the World-honored One, in the past you used to send Ānanda to comfort me. Now I am in deep sorrow and distress. The World Honoured One is most awesomely adorned. I have no chance to see you. Please send Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana and Venerable Ānanda as I wish to see them.’

After saying these words, she wept in despair. With her face wet with tears, she bowed down to the Buddha from afar.

Even before she raised her head, the World Honoured One, who was then staying on Vulture Peak, knew of Vaidehī’s thoughts.

Immediately he sent Mahāmaudgalyāyana and Ānanda to travel in space to see her.

The Buddha himself disappeared from the mountain and reappeared in the royal palace.

After bowing down to the Buddha, Vaidehī raised her head and saw Śākyamuni Buddha, the World Honoured One with the adorned purplish golden hue body was sitting on the lotus of myriads gems.

He was attended by Mahāmaudgalyāyana on his left and Ānanda on his right.

Śakra and the Brahmān Heavenly God, the Dharma protectors of the world and other devas were dwelling in the space. They pervasively rained down the heavenly flowers as offerings to the Buddha.

At that time, on seeing the Buddha, the World Honoured One, Vaidehi tore down her ornaments and prostrated herself on the ground.

Weeping bitterly, she said to the Buddha, ‘O World Honoured One, what offences did I commit that I gave birth to this evil son? What are causes and conditions that Devadatta becomes a retinue of the World Honored One?’

‘May the World Hooured One pervasively speak for me a dwelling which is free from sorrow and afflictions. I would like to be born there.

I no longer want to stay in Jambudvipa, a world of evils and turbidities.  This defiled and evil world is a dwelling of evils which is filled up with hells, hungry ghosts and animals, with abundant unwholesomeness.  

I hope that in future I will no longer hear any evil words. I do not wish to see any wicked men. World Honoured One, now I am making obeisance to the World Honoured One to seek repentance. May the Buddha bestow upon me the strength to contemplation a dwelling of pure karma.’

At that time, the World Honoured One emitted golden lights from between his eyebrows.

It pervasively illumined the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions.

The lights reflected back to the Buddha’s summit. They were transformed into a gold platform that resembled Mount Sumeru.

On the platform the pure and wonderful Lands of all the Buddha in the ten directions appeared.

Some of these Lands were made of the seven jewels, some Lands were fully covered with lotuses.

Some Lands resembled the Self at ease heavenly palaces, while others are like a crystal mirror in which all the lands in the ten directions were reflected.

Innumerable adorned Buddha Lands such like these were displayed to Vaidehī clearly.

At that time Vaidehi said to the Buddha, ‘World Honoured One, even though all the Buddha Lands are pure and brightly illuminated, presently I desire to be born in the World of Ultimate Bliss, the dwelling of Amitabha Buddha. May the World Honoured One teach me how to be mindful of it, how to dwell in right contemplation.’

At that time the World Honoured One smile, with five coloured lights emitting from his mouth.

Every light illumines the summit of King Bimbisara.

At that time, even though the King was in confinement, his mind and eyes were unhindered.

He could see the World Honoured One from afar. He made obeisance to the Buddha with the head and face touching the ground. He naturally advanced and accomplished the Sage hood of Anagamin.

一時，佛在王舍城耆闍崛山中，與大比丘眾，千二百五十人俱。菩薩三萬二千，文殊師利法王子而為上首。

爾時王舍大城有一太子，名阿闍世，

隨順調達惡友之教。收執父王頻婆娑羅，

幽閉置於七重室內，

制諸群臣，一不得往。

國太夫人名韋提希，恭敬大王，

澡浴清淨，以酥蜜和麥少用塗其身，

諸瓔珞中，盛蒲萄漿，密以上王。

爾時大王食麥少飲漿，求水漱口，

漱口畢已，合掌恭敬，向耆闍崛山遙禮世尊，

而作是言：『大目犍連是吾親友，願興慈悲，授我八戒』。

時目犍連如鷹隼飛，疾至王所，

日日如是，授王八戒。

世尊亦遣尊者，富樓那，為王說法。

如是時間，經三七日，

王食麥少蜜，得聞法故，顏色和悅。

時阿闍世問守門者：『父王今者猶存在耶？』

時守門人白言：

『大王！國太夫人身塗麥少蜜，

瓔珞盛漿，持用上王；

沙門目連及富樓那，從空而來，

為王說法，不可禁制。』

時阿闍世聞此語已，怒其母曰：

『我母是賊，與賊為伴；

沙門惡人，幻惑咒術；令此惡王多日不死』！

即執利劍，欲害其母。

時有一臣名曰月光，聰明多智，

及與耆婆，為王作禮，白言：

『大王！臣聞毗陀論經說，劫初已來，有諸惡王，

貪國位故，殺害其父一萬八千，

未曾聞有無道害母。

王今為此殺逆之事，汗剎利種，

臣不忍聞，是旃陀羅。

我等不宜復住於此。』

時二大臣說此語竟，以手按劍，郤行而退。

時阿闍世，驚怖惶懼，告耆婆言：

『汝不為我耶？』

耆婆白言：『大王！慎莫害母！』

王聞此語，懺悔求救，

即便捨劍，止不害母。

勒語內官，閉置深宮，不令復出。

時韋提希，被幽閉已，愁憂憔悴，

遙向耆闍崛山為佛作禮，而作是言：

『如來世尊，在昔之時，？遣阿難來慰問我；

我今愁憂，世尊威重，無由得見，

願遣目連尊者阿難與我相見。』

作是語已，悲泣雨淚，遙向佛禮。

未舉頭頃，

爾時世尊在耆闍崛山，知韋提希心之所念，

即勒大目犍連及以阿難從空而來。

佛從耆闍崛山沒，於王宮出。

時韋提希禮已，舉頭見世尊釋迦牟尼佛，

身紫金色，坐百寶蓮華，目連侍左，阿難侍右，

釋梵護世諸天，在虛空中，普雨天華，持用供養。

時韋提希見佛世尊，自絕瓔珞，舉身投地，

號泣向佛，白言：『世尊！我宿何罪，生此惡子？

世尊！復有何等因緣，與提婆達多共為眷屬？

唯願世尊，為我廣說無憂惱處，我當往生，

不樂閻浮提濁惡世也。

此濁惡世，地獄餓鬼畜生盈滿，多不善聚。

願我未來不聞惡聲，不見惡人，

今向世尊，五體投地，求哀懺悔，

唯願佛力教我，觀於清淨業處。』

爾時，世尊放眉間光，其光金色，遍照十方無量世界，還住佛頂，

化為金臺，如須彌山；

十方諸佛淨妙國土，皆於中現。

或有國土，七寶合成；

復有國土，純是蓮華；

復有國土，如自在天宮；

復有國土，如玻璃鏡；

十方國土，皆於中現。有

如是等無量諸佛國土，嚴顯可觀，令韋提希見。

時韋提希白佛言：『世尊！是諸佛土，雖復清淨，皆有光明；

我今樂生極樂世界，阿彌陀佛所，唯願世尊教我思惟，教我正受。』

爾時，世尊即便微笑，有五色光，從佛口出，

一一光照頻婆娑羅王頂。

爾時，大王雖在幽閉，心眼無障，

遙見世尊，頭面作禮，自然增進成阿那含。