Summary by Karen Chalmers. Edited by Mark Unno 1/15/02

The Three Pure Land Sutras: A Study and Translation by Hisao Inagaki

Pure Land Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. It is centered around the Buddha known as Amitabha ("Infinite-Light" or "Boundless Light"), also known as Amitayus ("Boundless Life"), who dwells in a Buddha-realm known as Sukhavati ("Land of Happiness" or "Realm of Bliss") or Pure Land. The three most important scriptures of the Pure Land School are: the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life (the "Larger Sutra"); the Sutra on Contemplation of Amitayus (the "Contemplation Sutra"); and the Sutra on the Buddha Amitayus (the "Smaller Sutra"). The readings begin with a general outline of the Three Sutras, discuss the source of the Three Sutras, reference a key historical figure, Shan-tao, and conclude with partial translations of the Larger Sutra and the Contemplation Sutra.

Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha of our age, taught of a Buddha named Amitabha. In the Larger Sutra, Sakyamuni gives his disciple Ananda a detailed description of the Pure Land.(p.4) He also spoke of the history of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara and the 48 vows Dharmakara formulated regarding the nature of his yet-to-be Buddha-realm.(p.5) In the his commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Shan-tao of China provides a detailed account of the misfortune which befell the royal family of Magadha, and led to the Buddha's teaching of this sutra.(p.6-7) This Sutra, which is also regarded as a meditation manual, gives a detailed description of the features of the Pure Land.(p.7) The Sutra lists and describes sixteen different visualizations that Sakyamuni suggested as techniques for achieving rebirth in the Pure Land.(p.9-10), which includes the nine ways that people can be reborn in the Pure Land.(p.10). The Smaller Sutra, in which Sakyamuni speaks about the Pure Land, gives a detailed description of Amitabha's Buddha-land called "Utmost Bliss," a realm of rebirth in which all impediments to the attainment of final Enlightenment are nonexistent. (p.12)

The story of the royal family of Magadha revolves around the wish of King Bimbisara and Queen Vaidehi for a son, and how that son, once grown, kills his father and imprisons his mother. Mother and son are both saved by the Buddha who leads them to the vision of Amitabha Buddha and his Pure Land.

The origin of Pure Land thought and devotion is shrouded in mystery.(p.12) From the Mahayana point of view, Mahayana teachings originated from the Buddha Sakyamuni primarily by means of revealed truth which transcended verbal expression by means of Samadhi (a specific state of mind attained by concentration).(p.13) The supreme virtues of the Buddha are given conceivable and perceptible forms, on which one can concentrate, and these forms are presented in rigidly distinguishable and graded samadhis.(p.14) The samadhi of the Buddha is the highest grade and in the Larger Sutra Sakyamuni yields his authority to Amitabha and praised his virtues so that the audience may concentrate on this Buddha and attain emancipation through the prescribed method.

Shan-tao's Pure Land thought expounds the view that Nien-fo (Jpn. Nembutsu) (the act of devotion to, worship ,praise and contemplation of the Buddha [p.17] - which is manifest in saying the name of the Buddha Amitabha) is the sufficient cause of birth in the Pure Land.(p.107-108) In the Larger Sutra, Bodhisattva Dharmakara made 48 vows, 29 of which are elucidated in the reading.(p.241-245) These vows establish that anyone who single-mindedly aspires to be reborn in the Realm of Bliss, cultivates virtue, and resolves to seek awakening is guaranteed rebirth, even if the vow to be reborn has been sincerely made as few as ten times through the practice of Nien-fo. The reading on the Contemplation Sutra opens with the history of the Magadha royal family, including Queen Vaidehi's quest to be born in the Land of Utmost Bliss (the Pure Land).(p.317-321) The first five contemplations (the sun (p.323), the water (p.323-324), the ground (p.325), the trees (p.325-327), and the water of eight excellent qualities (p.327) are fully elaborated on in the excerpt. The reading also includes the discussion of those who attain birth on the middle level of the lowest grade (p.347, see also, p.10) and the lowest level of the lowest grade (p.348), this last for which the appropriate practice is Nien-fo.