Illustrated

Contemplation Sutra

《佛说观无量寿佛经》曼陀罗图解

经文翻译：刘宋西域三藏法师畺良耶舍 译

(5-8)

Illustrations from the Taima Mandala

By Hisao Inagaki

The Buddha showed Vaidehi many Buddha-lands, of which she wished to be born in Amida's land. The Buddha taught the method of contemplating the Pure Land.

[5] 唯愿世尊。为我广说无忧恼处。我当往生。不乐阎浮提浊恶世也。此浊恶处。地狱饿鬼畜生盈满。多不善聚。愿我未来不闻恶声。不见恶人。今向世尊五体投地。求哀忏悔。唯愿佛日教我观于清净业处。尔时世尊放眉间光。其光金色。遍照十方无量世界。还住佛顶。化为金台如须弥山。十方诸佛净妙国土。皆于中现。或有国土七宝合成。复有国土纯是莲花。复有国土如自在天宫。复有国土如颇梨镜。十方国土皆于中现。有如是等无量诸佛国土严显可观。令韦提希见。时韦提希白佛言。世尊。是诸佛土。虽复清净皆有光明。我今乐生极乐世界阿弥陀佛所。唯愿世尊。教我思惟教我正受。

"I beseech you, World-Honored One, to reveal to me a land of no sorrow and no affliction where I can be reborn. I do not wish to live in this defiled and evil world of Jambudvipa where there are hells, realms of hungry spirits, animals and many vile beings. I wish that in the future I shall not hear evil words or see wicked people. World-Honored One, I now kneel down to repent and beg you to take pity on me. I entreat you, O Sun-like Buddha, to teach me how to visualize a land of pure karmic perfection."
Then the World-Honored One sent forth from between his eyebrows a flood of light, which was the color of gold and illuminated the innumerable worlds in the ten quarters. Returning to the Buddha, the light settled on his head and transformed itself into a golden platform resembling Mount Sumeru. On the platform appeared the pure and resplendent lands of all the Buddhas in the ten quarters. Some of these lands were made of seven jewels, some solely of lotus-flowers; some resembled the palace in the Heaven of Free Enjoyment of Manifestation by Others, while some were like a crystal mirror in which all the lands in the ten quarters were reflected. Innumerable Buddha-lands like these, glorious and beautiful, were displayed to her.
Vaidehi then said to the Buddha, "O World-Honored One, these Buddha-lands are pure and free of defilement, and all of them are resplendent. But I wish to be born in the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitayus. I beseech you, World-Honored One, to teach [341c] me how to contemplate that land and attain samadhi."

[6] 尔时世尊即便微笑。有五色光从佛口出。一一光照频婆娑罗王顶。尔时大王虽在幽闭。心眼无障遥见世尊。头面作礼。自然增进成阿那含。

The World-Honored One smiled, and from his mouth came five-colored rays of light, each shining on King Bimbisara's head. Although the old king was confined, with his unhindered mind's eye he saw the World-Honored One in the distance. He knelt down in homage to the Buddha and effortlessly made spiritual progress until he reached the Stage of a Non-returner.

[7] 尔时世尊告韦提希。汝今知不。阿弥陀佛去此不远。汝当系念谛观彼国净业成者。我今为汝广说众譬。亦令未来世一切凡夫欲修净业者得生西方极乐国土。欲生彼国者。当修三福。一者孝养父母。奉事师长。慈心不杀。修十善业。二者受持三归。具足众戒。不犯威仪。三者发菩提心。深信因果。读诵大乘。劝进行者。如此三事名为净业。佛告韦提希。汝今知不。此三种业乃是过去未来现在。三世诸佛净业正因。

Then the World-Honored One said to Vaidehi, "Do you know that Amitayus is not far away? Fix your thoughts upon and contemplate that Buddha-land, then you will accomplish the pure acts. I shall describe it to you in detail with various illustrations, so that all ordinary people in the future who wish to practice the pure karma may also be born in that Western Land of Utmost Bliss. Whoever wishes to be born there should practice three acts of merit: first, caring for one's parents, attending to one's teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing, and doing the ten good deeds; second, taking the three refuges, keeping the various precepts and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct; and third, awakening aspiration for Enlightenment, believing deeply in the law of causality, chanting the Mahayana sutras and encouraging people to follow their teachings. These three are called the pure karma."
The Buddha further said to Vaidehi, "Do you know that these three acts are the pure karma practiced by all the Buddhas of the past, present and future as the right cause of Enlightenment?"

[8] 佛告阿难及韦提希。谛听谛听善思念之。如来今者。为未来世一切众生为烦恼贼之所害者。说清净业。善哉韦提希快问此事。阿难。汝当受持广为多众宣说佛语。如来今者。教韦提希及未来世一切众生观于西方极乐世界。以佛力故。当得见彼清净国土。如执明镜自见面像。见彼国土极妙乐事。心欢喜故。应时即得无生法忍。佛告韦提希。汝是凡夫心想羸劣。未得天眼。不能远观。诸佛如来有异方便。令汝得见。时韦提希白佛言。世尊。如我今者以佛力故见彼国土。若佛灭后诸众生等。浊恶不善五苦所逼。云何当见阿弥陀佛极乐世界。

The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "Listen carefully, listen carefully and ponder deeply. I, the Tathagata, shall discourse on pure karma for the sake of all sentient beings of the future who are afflicted by the enemy, evil passions. It is very good, Vaidehi, that you have willingly asked me about this. Ananda, you must receive and keep the Buddha's words and widely proclaim them to the multitude of beings. I, the Tathagata, shall now teach you, Vaidehi, and all sentient beings of the future how to visualize the Western Land of Utmost Bliss. By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if they were looking at their own reflections in a bright mirror. Seeing the utmost beauty and bliss of that land, they will rejoice and immediately attain the insight into the non-arising of all dharmas."
The Buddha said to Vaidehi, "You are an unenlightened, and so your spiritual powers are weak and obscured. Since you have not yet attained the divine eye, you cannot see that which is distant. But the Buddhas, Tathagatas, have special ways to enable you to see afar."
Vaidehi said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, through the Buddha's power, even I have now been able to see that land. But after the Buddha's passing, sentient beings will become defiled and evil, and be oppressed by the five kinds of suffering. How then will those beings be able to see the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitayus?"

The Amida trio surrounded by many bodhisattvas.

参考稻垣久雄教授的英文版曼陀罗图解
汉译经文配图：肖越（慈光居士）