Thus I have heard
at one time the Buddha dwelt at Shravasti
in the Jeta Grove in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Forlorn
together with Buddha a gathering of Great Bhikshus, twelve-hundred fifty in all
all Great Arhats well-known to the assembly
Buddha’s Great Disciples
Elders Shariputra well known for supreme wisdom
Mahamaudgalyayana well known for supreme magical power
Mahakasyapa well known for supreme ascetic penance
Mahakatyayana well known for supreme eloquence in argument
Mahakausthila well known for supreme problem-resolving
Revata well known for supreme non-confusion
Suddhipanthaka well known for supreme Justice- hold
Nanda well known for supreme appearance
Ananda well known for supreme erudition
Rahula well known for supreme secret Buddhism practice
Gavampati well known for supreme gods- offering
Pindola- Bharadvaja well known for supreme Bless- field
Kalodayin well known for supreme education
Mahakaphina well known for supreme knowledge of constellation
Vakkula well known for supreme longevity
Aniruddha well known for supreme divine eye
And Manjushri
Ajita
Gandhastin
Nityodukta Bodhisattva, and others such as these
and together with Shakra, Chief among Gods
and the numberless great multitudes of people and chief dragons
They sit around Buddha
Listening to Buddha teaching Dharma
Shariputra
From here we live
To the West
passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands
there is a world called Utmost Happiness
In this land a Buddha called Amitabha
right now teaches the Dharma
Shariputra
why is this land called Utmost Happiness
All living beings of this country
never suffer, vex and are always carefree
but enjoy unspeakable and countless bliss of the Dharma
Therefore it is called Utmost Happiness
Moreover, Shariputra
This land of Utmost Happiness is completely surrounded by seven tiers of railings
seven layers of netting
and seven rows of trees
All made of gold, silver, lapis, lazuli, crystal
all formed from the numberless treasures
Surrounded circle by circle, its beauty is beyond words
and for this reason called Utmost Happiness
Moreover, Shariputra
in the land of Utmost Happiness
Everywhere is gold, silver, crystal, carnelian, mother- of pearl, rubies
Pools made of countless treasures are covering the ground
filled with the waters of eight meritorious qualities: pure, cool,
sweet, soft, Moist, calming, curing and beneficial
the bottom of each pool covered with golden sands
On the four sides climb stairs
of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal
There are airy pavilions and pagodas made of all treasures above the pools
With gold columns, silver crossbeam, jade stairs and fine jade walls
Moreover, there are delicate jade palaces decorated
with lapis lazuli, carnelian, mother- of pearl, rubies
Radiating unspeakable sublime and magnificence
In the pools bloom lotuses as large as carriage wheels
Green ones with green light
Yellow ones with yellow light
Red ones with red light
White ones with white light
They are subtle, rare, pure, and fragrant
People in the world of Utmost Happiness
Are incarnated from those pure and beautiful lotuses
Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness
is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these
They are resulted from Amitabha’s great vows
And his practices to fulfill these vows which last numerous kalpas
Shariputra, in this Buddhaland
heavenly music always plays
and the ground is made of gold
a heavenly rain of mandarava
In the six periods of the day and night falls from heaven
Like rugs weaved with colorful petals
each living being of this land
throughout the clear morning, offers sacks filled with myriads of wonderful flowers
to the hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions
At mealtime they return to their own countries
and after eating they walk about
Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness
is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these
Is the achievement of Amitabha and other Maha Bodhisattva’s
practices to fulfill these vows which last numerous kalpas
Moreover, Shariputra
in this country there are always rare and unusual birds of many kinds and colors
white geese
peacocks
parrots
egrets
kalavinkas
and two-headed birds
In the six periods of the day and night
the flocks of birds sing forth harmonious and elegant sounds
Their clear and joyful calls proclaim the Five Roots, the Five Powers
the Seven Limbs of Bodhi
the Eightfold Path of Sages, and Dharmas such as these
When living beings of this land hear their calls
they are altogether mindful of the Buddha
mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha
Shariputra
Do not say that these birds are born as retribution for their sins
And why not
Because in this Buddhaland the three evil paths do not exist
even the names of the three evil paths are unknown in this Buddha’s land
Amitabha Buddha created these multitudes of birds by transformation
Wishing to proclaim the Dharma’s sound far and wide
Shariputra, in that Buddhaland
the rows of railings, jewelled trees and jewelled nets
when the gentle winds blow, reverberate with fine and wondrous sounds
as a symphony of one hundred thousand kinds of music played in harmony
All who hear these sounds are naturally mindful
of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness
is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these
Is the achievement of Amitabha and other Maha Bodhisattva’s
practices to fulfill these vows which last numerous kalpas
Shariputra
Do you know why is this Buddha called Amitabha
the brilliance of that Buddha’s light is measureless
illumining the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction
For this reason he is called Amitabha which mean measureless light
Another reason is
the lifespan of that Buddha and that of his people
extends for measureless, limitless asamkhyeyas of kalpas
For this reason he is called Amitayus which means measureless lifespan
since Amitabha became a Buddha, ten kalpas have passed
Shariputra
that Buddha has measureless
limitless asamkheyas of Sound-Hearer disciples
They are all Arhats
So too is the assembly of Bodhisattvas
Their number incalculable
Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness
is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these
They are resulted from Amitabha’s great vows
and the blessing for his Bodhisattva’s practice for numerous kalpas
To be continued
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