The famous 48 vows of Bodhisattva Dharmakara

When Buddha Amitabha was still a Bodhisattva, by the name of Dharmakara, He had made the following 48 Bodhisattva vows:

(01) If, when I attain Buddhahood, should there be in my land a hell, a realm of hungry spirits or a realm of animals, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(02) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should after death fall again into the three evil realms, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(03) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be the colour of pure gold, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(04) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be of one appearance, and should there be any difference in beauty, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(05) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not remember all their previous lives, not knowing at least the events which occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(06) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine eye of seeing at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(07) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine ear of hearing the teachings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas and should not remember all of them, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(08) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the faculty of knowing the thoughts of others, even those of all sentient beings living in a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(09) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the supernatural power of travelling anywhere in one instant, even beyond a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(10) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should give rise to thoughts of self-attachment, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(11) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(12) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate even a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(13) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(14) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the number of the shravakas in my land could be known, even if all the beings and pratyekabuddhas living in this universe of a thousand million worlds should count them during a hundred thousand kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(15) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should have limited life-spans, except when they wish to shorten them in accordance with their previous vows, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(16) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should even hear of any wrongdoing, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(17) If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the land of the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(18) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, aspire to be born in my land, and call my Name even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma.

(19) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(20) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who, having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my land, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be born there, should not eventually fulfil their aspiration, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(21) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be endowed with the thirty-two physical characteristics of a Great Man, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(22) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of other directions who visit my land should not ultimately and unfailingly reach the Stage of Becoming a Buddha after One More Life, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excepted are those who wish to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original vows. For they wear the armour of great vows, accumulate merits, deliver all beings from birth-and-death, visit Buddha-lands to perform the bodhisattva practices, make offerings to Buddhas, Tathagatas, throughout the ten directions, enlighten uncountable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, and establish them in the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Such bodhisattvas transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattva stages and actually cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra.

(23) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, who would make offerings to Buddhas through my divine power, should not be able to reach immeasurable and innumerable kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands in the short time it takes to eat a meal, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(24) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able, as they wish, to perform meritorious acts of worshipping the Buddhas with the offerings of their choice, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(25) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able to expound the Dharma with the all-knowing wisdom, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(26) If, when I attain Buddhahood, there should be any bodhisattva in my land not endowed with the body of the Vajra-god Narayana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(27) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings should be able, even with the divine eye, to distinguish by name and calculate by number all the myriads of manifestations provided for the humans and devas in my land, which are glorious and resplendent and have exquisite details beyond description, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(28) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, even those with little store of merit, should not be able to see the Bodhi-tree which has countless colours and is four million li in height, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(29) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not acquire eloquence and wisdom in upholding sutras and reciting and expounding them, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(30) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the wisdom and eloquence of bodhisattvas in my land should be limited, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(31) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my land should not be resplendent, revealing in its light all the immeasurable, innumerable and inconceivable Buddha-lands, like images reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(32) If, when I attain Buddhahood, all the myriads of manifestations in my land, from the ground to the sky, such as palaces, pavilions, ponds, streams and trees, should not be composed both of countless treasures, which surpass in supreme excellence anything in the worlds of humans and devas, and of a hundred thousand kinds of aromatic wood, whose fragrance pervades all the worlds of the ten directions, causing all bodhisattvas who sense it to perform Buddhist practices, then may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(33) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten directions, who have been touched by my light, should not feel peace and happiness in their bodies and minds surpassing those of humans and devas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(34) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten directions, who have heard my Name, should not gain the bodhisattva's insight into the non-arising of all dharmas and should not acquire various profound dharanis, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(35) If, when I attain Buddhahood, women in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten directions who, having heard my Name, rejoice in faith, awaken aspiration for Enlightenment and wish to renounce womanhood, should after death be reborn again as women, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(36) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten directions, who have heard my Name, should not, after the end of their lives, always perform sacred practices until they reach Buddhahood, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(37) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten directions, who, having heard my Name, prostrate themselves on the ground to revere and worship me, rejoice in faith, and perform the bodhisattva practices, should not be respected by all devas and people of the world, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(38) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not obtain clothing, as soon as such a desire arises in their minds, and if the fine robes as prescribed and praised by the Buddhas should not be spontaneously provided for them to wear, and if these clothes should need sewing, bleaching, dyeing or washing, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(39) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not enjoy happiness and pleasure comparable to that of a monk who has exhausted all the passions, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(40) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the bodhisattvas in my land, who wish to see the immeasurable glorious Buddha-lands of the ten directions, should not be able to view all of them reflected in the jewelled trees, just as one sees one's face reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(41) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should, at any time before becoming Buddhas, have impaired, inferior or incomplete sense organs, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(42) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called 'pure emancipation' and, while dwelling therein, without losing concentration, should not be able to make offerings in one instant to immeasurable and inconceivable Buddhas, World-Honoured Ones, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(43) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not after death be reborn into noble families, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(44) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not rejoice so greatly as to dance and perform the bodhisattva practices and should not acquire stores of merit, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(45) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called 'universal equality' and, while dwelling therein, should not always be able to see all the immeasurable and inconceivable Tathagatas until those bodhisattvas, too, become Buddhas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(46) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able to hear spontaneously whatever teachings they may wish, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(47) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not instantly reach the Stage of Non-retrogression, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(48) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other directions who hear my Name should not instantly gain the first, second and third insights into the nature of dharmas and firmly abide in the truths realised by all the Buddhas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.

(Translated from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki)

Having made His Bodhisattva vows, He practised the Bodhisattva path for many lives until He attained Buddhahood.
jnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra

Commentary and translation of Text by Harischandra Kaviratna

 

Nine grades of Buddhists to be born in the Pure Land

Nine Stages of Lotus Flowers or Nine Grades, Classes of Lotus Flowers, i.e. upper superior, middle superior, lower superior, upper medium, middle medium, lower medium, upper inferior, middle inferior and lower inferior, which represent ninefold future life into Pure Land. The nine grades, or rewards, of the Pure Land, corresponding to the nine grades of development in the previous life, upon which depends, in the next life, one's distance from Buddha Amitabha, the consequent aeons that are required to approach Buddha Amitabha, and whether one's lotus will open early or late.

1.Those of genuine faith and firm resolution, who are still distracted of mind during reciting, will be born into the lower inferior of the Buddha land.

2.Those who have overcome their distractions more or less will be born into the middle inferior.

3.Those who are free from distractions will be born into the upper inferior.

The above three grades of beings, though still subjected to illusions of perceptions, would be born in the Buddha land where saints and layman live together (the four Buddha lands of Supreme Happiness are all Pure Lands). Once born there, never will they recede. (According to the doctrine of some other Buddhist sects, however, one must wipe out all illusions from perception if he is to attain the coveted Never-Receding Position.)

Those who can recite without negligence and distraction at all times and also recite with an unperturbed mind like an Arhat, shall be born into the Temporary Realm and shall be graded in the upper, middle and lower, medium.

Those who can realise, by self-experiencing, the ultimate reality under-lying everything, and non-differentiation between mind and Buddha, and who, like the Ignorance-free Bodhisattvas, are detached from any influence, shall be graded in the upper superior, middle superior or lower superior and shall be born in The Realm of Permanent Reward and Freedom and the Realm of Eternal Light and Tranquillity.


As it is profound, simple and adaptable to the followers at all levels, the Name-reciting Method (Japanese: Nembutsu) is popular, appealing and universal. Thus, Pure Land tradition is still very active in this modern time. In Chinese Buddhism, Jing Tu Zhong is very active within the overseas Chinese communities, while in Japanese Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu has a large number of followers inside and outside Japan.

Besides this common practice, there is also an uncommon practice within Tibetan Buddhism. There are a few lineages of phowa practice based on Buddha Amitabha. In the phowa practice, when one is dying, one will seal up all the points to prevent oneself to be reborn into the Six Realms of Existence. He/she will direct his/her consciousness to be reborn into Pure Land by the power of meditation. Before engaging into such practice, the practitioner must firstly receive proper instructions and guidance from an authentic and qualified teacher. Secondly, he/she meditates according to the sadhana and the pith instructions. Thirdly, he/she must show some signs of accomplishment. With compassion and wisdom, one will eventually succeed and accomplished this uncommon practice, ready to be reborn into Pure Land when one faces death.


(Pic: Modern Tibetan paintings: Buddha Amitayus)

Buddha Amitayus - a manifestation of Buddha Amitabha

Buddha Amitayus is a manifestation of Buddha Amitabha who manifests Himself in the form of the Sambhogakaya (Apparitional Body). 'Amitayus' means "boundless life". Generally speaking, in the Mahayana and Vajrayana literatures, Buddha Amitabha represents the Dharmakaya (Ultimate Truth Body). Since Dharmakaya is without description, with the union of wisdom and compassion, Buddha Amitabha wears the three robes of a monk (signifying the complete attainment of discipline, meditation and wisdom), just like Buddha Shakyamuni, and appears in the form of Nirmanakaya (Emanation Body) to benefit sentient beings.

The root word for 'Amitayus' comes from 'amrita' which means 'nectar', a kind of blessed substance or medicine, and 'ayur' which means 'longevity' or 'deathlessness'. So therefore, 'Amitayus' also means 'deathlessness medicine'. In Tibetan Buddhism, Buddha Amitayus is one of the three famous long-life deities, namely, Buddha Amitayus, Sita Tara (White Tara) and Usnishavijaya. Common to all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Buddha Amitayus primarily belongs to the three lower Tantra classifications. Popular in the Nyingma tradition, he has both Kama (Oral) and Terma (Treasure) lineages of practice.

The drawing above is the common form of Buddha Amitayus. Sakya Trizin Kunga Tashi (1656 - 1711) wrote:

"Bhagavan Lord of Limitless Life and Primordial Wisdom with a body red in colour, one face, two hands and with two long eyes glancing with compassion on beings, gazing on the entirety of migrators; and a smiling face, wearing the complete sambhogakaya vestments. Above the two hands held in meditation is a long-life vase filled with the nectar of immortality; with the hair in tufts, adorned with silks and jewels, seated in vajra posture, the body blazing with the shining light of the [32] marks and [80] examples." 


Modern Tibetan paintings: Adibuddha Vajradhara and 5 Dhyani Buddhas with two prominent Gelugpa masters)

Buddha Amitabha - one of the five Dhyani Buddhas

Buddha Amitabha is one of the five Dhyani Buddhas. These five Tathagatas are namely: Vairocana Tathagata, Akshobhya Tathagata, Ratnasambhava Tathagata, Amitabha Tathagata and Amoghasiddhi Tathagata. In Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism, it explains this teaching according to the three lower Tantras, especially Yoga Tantra. Tibetan Buddhism explains this teaching according to the all the four Tantras. Here, I will write the explanation according to the Highest Yoga Tantra (Anuttarayoga Tantra) of Tibetan tradition very briefly. However, I will not write the five Dhyani Buddhas samaya as it is not for the eyes of those who have not received tantric teachings.

Vairocana Tathagata (Buddha family): He represents the transformation of ignorance and delusion into wisdom of perfect reality of the Universal Law. Usually, He resides in the zenith. He will reside in the east when the tantras are based on the explanation of the Vajra family, such as Hevajra.

Akshobhya Tathagata (Vajra family): He represents the transformation of anger and hatred into the wisdom of purity. Usually, He resides in the east. He will reside in the zenith when the tantras are based on the explanation of the Vajra family, such as Hevajra.

Ratnasambhava Tathagata (Ratna family): He represents the transformation of pride and avarice into the wisdom of equality. He resides in the south.

Amitabha Tathagata (Padma family): He represents the transformation of passions and desires into discerning wisdom. He resides in the west.

Amoghasiddhi Tathagata (Karma family): He represents the transformation of jealousy and greed into wisdom of accomplisment. He resides in the north.


Modern Tibetan paintings: Adibuddha Vajradhara)

Adibuddha Vajradhara represents all the five wisdoms of the 5 Dhyani Buddhas. So therefore, Adibuddha Vajradhara manifests in the form of Svabhavakaya (the Pure, Clear Light Nature of the Omniscient Mind). According to New Translation Schools, Buddha Shakyamuni took the form of Adibuddha Vajradhara to teach the tantras. 

 
Modern Tibetan paintings: Dharmakaya Samantabhadra and Vajrasattva Heruka)

Dharmakaya Samantabhadra or Adibuddha Samantabhadra represents the quality of the Clear Light Nature of the Omniscient Mind which is without beginning and end while Vajrasattva Heruka represents 'the first emnanation of the Adibuddha in the Sambhogakaya' who is the quintessence of diamond-nature or pure self-nature. In the tantras of the New Translation Schools, such as Yamantaka Tantra, Guhyasamaja Tantra, Hevajra Tantra and Cakrasamvara Tantra, Dharmakaya Samantabhadra is not depicted on the religious arts. This is to show that Dharmakaya Samantabhadra - 'the quality of the Clear Light Nature of the Omniscient Mind' is without description and can be only perceived through realization.

The author hopes these will help. He confesses that if he has made any mistakes on the above, may he be forgiven by the Three Roots. So therefore, Buddhist tantric path has the ablilty to realize and transform one's faults into primordial wisdom.


(Pic: Ancient Tibetan paintings: Guru Padmasambhava's Trikaya Mansion)

Buddha Amitabha and Guru Padmasambhava

In Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the Pure Land of Guru Padmasambhava is the Glorious Copper Mountain Paradise which is located on a continent to the southwest of India. He is said to reign here until the end of time, protecting beings of the southern continent from the harmful influences of sky demons and jungle trolls. The paradise is said to be on the Chamara (meaning "Yak-Tail") Island, one of two said to be flank India, and it is known as the domain of the rakshasas. In the centre of the continent is a great sea from which rises a mountain with a palace on top, where Guru Padmasambhava in various forms teaches the sutras, reveals the tantras, performs initiations, and explains the deeds that bind being to evolution and those that set them free. In this palace, it has three stories, (while in some other lineages, it has four stories instead). This three-storied palace is called the Three-Buddha-Body Mansion or Trikaya Mansion, as the ground floor represents the Nirmanakaya (Guru Padmasambhava), the first floor represents the Sambhogakaya (Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) and the top floor represents the Dharmakaya (Buddha Amitabha). Thus, Guru Padmasambhava is the mind emanation of Buddha Amitabha, the speech emanation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and the body emanation of Buddha Shakyamuni. According to other texts, Guru Padmasambhava is also an emanation of Hayagriva who is a wrathful manifestation of Buddha Amitabha-Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. In short, Guru Padmasambhava should be definitively understood as being the essence of Buddha Amitabha. He is the All-Pervading Lord of the Three Jewels and Three Roots, inseparable from Dharmakaya Samantabhadra.

When King Indrabhuti was pleased by the news of the Lotus Born Child and went to the Him and inquired about His father, mother, and to which caste and country He belonged. Thus, the young Guru Padmasambhava replied:

"My father is the self-arisen Samantabhadra.
My mother is the sphere of reality, Samantabhadri.
My caste is the union of primordial wisdom and the Dharmadhatu.
And my name is the glorious Padmasambhava."