Commentaries on the Amitabha Sutra, part 5

So at last, faithful readers, we come to the last part of the Amitabha Sutra. We just left Part 4, so let’s cover this section, which, though shorter, contains some really interesting sections.

[12] “Shariputra, why do you think this teaching is called ‘the Sutra of Protection by All Buddhas’? Shariputra, all good men and women who hear the Name of Amida Buddha expounded by all the Buddhas and the name of this sutra are protected by all the Buddhas and dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression for realizing the highest, perfect Enlightenment. This is why, Shariputra, you should accept my words and the teachings of all the Buddhas.

What does it mean here to be protected by all the Buddhas? I think what this means is not protection, like protection from harm or from bad luck, or something like that. Instead, I think the Buddhas take that person under their guidance as a student or disciple. In much of Mahayana literature, it is taught that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas actively try to teach and lead people to liberation, so now that one has encountered the Name of Amitabha Buddha, and has encountered the sutra, one has become a real disciple of the Buddha. Having done so, one will reach Enlightenment sooner or later. It may not happen in this life, or in the next life, but through the teachings here, one attains a kind of “moving forward” that keeps them in the right direction and not off on some other direction.

So, everyone whose read this sutra can be said to have attained the state of Non-retrogression! Having encountered the Dharma, it will keep you moving in a forward direction even if you’re not really aware of it.

“Shariputra, those who have already aspired, now aspire or in the future will aspire to be born in Amida Buddha’s land, all dwell in the Stage of Non-retrogression for realizing the highest, perfect Enlightenment. They have already been born, are now being born, or will be born in that land. Hence, Shariputra, good men and women of faith should aspire to birth there.

This is to me the most important section of the whole sutra. The key here is aspiration. For anyone who encounters the Dharma, encounters the Pure Land teachings, if this encounter leads to an aspiration to be born in the Pure Land, then that person has attained Non-Retrogression, as I stated above, and is already in the Pure Land! How can this be though?

There are two ways to look at it. In some Pure Land texts, all beings are born in the Pure Land inside of a lotus blossom. The size of the lotus blossom and how long before it blooms (i.e. the person is born in the Pure Land) varies depending on one’s merit, and efforts to be reborn there. This is covered in the Contemplation Sutra, so one could say that the at the initial aspiration the lotus blossom is born: one has now set foot in the Pure Land. From there, whatever good efforts, practice and devotion you direct toward Amitabha and the Pure Land helps nurture that Lotus to grow even more, so when one dies, that helps determine how long they rest in the blossom before it opens to the Pure Land.

The other way to look at it, if we go by the earlier “Pure Land is here” view is that we are indeed in the Pure Land right now, and that our “birth” there is really a kind of awakening. Having reached this awakening, we cross a threshold in our path as a Buddhist and will inevitably reach Enlightenment.

In either case, this passage is very positive and mysterious at the same time.

[13] “Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable virtue of other Buddhas, they also praise my inconceivable virtue, saying, ‘Shakyamuni Buddha, you have accomplished an extremely difficult and unprecedented task. In this Saha world, during the evil period of the five defilements — those of time, views, passions, sentient beings, and life-span — you have attained the highest, perfect Enlightenment and, for the sake of sentient beings, have delivered this teaching, which is the most difficult in the world to accept in faith.’

Unlike those who are reborn in the Pure Land, or some other place conducive to practice, the Buddha became Enlightened in the regular world, or the Saha world in Mahayana terms. Thus he is praised for accomplishing such a rare task. However, the other reason why he is praised here is for revealing what the Buddhas consider a rare and precious teaching among people who may not choose to accept it.

“Shariputra, you must realize that I have accomplished this difficult task during the period of the five defilements. That is to say, having attained the highest, perfect Enlightenment, I have, for the sake of all the world, delivered this teaching, which is so hard for them to accept. This is indeed an extremely difficult task.”

Again, Shakyamuni Buddha acknowledges the difficulty in achieving the accomplishments he has. When reading this, I do feel a bit of a messianic feel to it, which also seems to appear in the Lotus Sutra, hence his “for the sake of all the world” comment. However, in the case of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha (i.e. the eternal Buddha, not the historical one) states that he appears and reappears countless times throughout the eons, guiding and teaching beings, which is not messianic in tone, so perhaps the same thing is intended here. Buddha Shakyamuni is reviving an important teaching in a time when needed most.

[14] When the Buddha delivered this sutra, Shariputra and all the monks, together with beings of the whole world, including devas, humans and asuras, rejoiced at what they had heard and reverently accepted it. Having worshipped him, they departed.

This is typical of Mahayana sutras, and even ones in the older Canon where satisfied students accept the teaching and depart. Typical of Mahayana Sutras though, the tone is more dramatic.

So, this concludes the commentaries on the Amitabha Sutra. The sutra is comparitively short to other Pure Land or general Mahayana texts, but contains a lot of interesting points, and bears relations to other aspects of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that may not always be obvious.

Thanks for reading!

Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu

Previous sections:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4