The Western Pure Land
One thousand solar systems form a small chiliocosm, one thousand small chiliocosms form a medium chiliocosm, and one thousand medium chiliocosms form a large chiliocosm. The Buddha said that one hundred billion Mount Sumerus and one hundred billion suns and moons constitute a trichiliocosm, which is only one Buddha’s pure land. The Western Pure Land is located a distance of a hundred trillion Buddha lands away from our Saha World, which is filled with the five turbidities.
Buddhism divides the universe into three realms: the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. All sentient beings within the Desire, Form, and Formless Realms are subject to the cycle of birth and death. Only by achieving Nirvana and becoming a Buddha can one transcend the three realms and ascend to the Western Pure Land, which is free from birth and death.
The Western Pure Land, located opposite the secular world, is a Buddha land where all beings are free from suffering and danger. They experience unparalleled joy and bliss in all aspects of life and spirituality. It is therefore called “Ultimate Bliss.” Furthermore, in the Pure Land, golden, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, tridacna, pearl, and agate, the seven treasures of Buddhism, are used to construct and decorate pavilions and ponds. Lotus flowers naturally emerge in these ponds, exhibiting vibrant and exquisite colors. Purity is the essence of the Western Pure Land, representing the ultimate unity of truth, goodness, and beauty. It is the culmination of perfect truth, goodness, beauty, and wisdom.
Just as Sakyamuni Buddha is the lord of the Saha World, Amitabha Buddha is the ruler of the Western Pure Land. He is attended by the bodhisattvas Mahasthamaprapta and Avalokiteśvara, together known as the Three Saints of the West. The Western Pure Land, achieved through Amitabha Buddha’s accumulation of merit and virtue, seems both infinitely distant and yet within reach for those in the mundane world. Anyone who sincerely and wholeheartedly practices mindfulness of the Buddha can receive the Buddha’s compassionate care. Amitabha Buddha and the assembly of saints will then receive them, and they will arrive in the Pure Land in an instant.
Amitabha Buddha
In Mahayana Buddhist belief, Amitabha Buddha is widely revered as the Buddha residing in the Western Pure Land. The Pure Land School considers exclusive faith in Amitabha Buddha to be its primary characteristic. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is also known as Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, and is a symbol of longevity. The Panchen Lama is considered to be an emanation of Amitabha Buddha.
According to scriptures, in ancient times, Amitabha Buddha was once a monk named Dharmakara during the time of the Buddha Lokesvararaja. Inspired by the teachings of Lokesvararaja, he vowed to establish a perfect Buddha land (the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss) and to use the most skillful means to liberate all beings. He made forty-eight vows, which led to the fulfillment of his wish to become a Buddha. He is now Amitabha Buddha, still preaching in his Western Pure Land. Those who encounter his great compassionate light can avoid all suffering.
The Buddhist scriptures state that Amitabha Buddha possesses thirty-two physical marks of a great being, radiating light, and is of unparalleled dignity. In Tibetan Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha symbolizes the mirror-like wisdom of the Dharmakaya of Vairocana Buddha and is called the King of Ambrosia. His form is white-yellow or gold, eyes closed, wearing simple robes, seated in the lotus position on a lotus throne, with his hands in the meditation mudra, and his light illuminating all directions.
Many may not be familiar with the image and history of Amitabha Buddha but are certainly familiar with his name, a symbol of Buddhist culture accumulated over two thousand years. The story of Amitabha Buddha spread among the people early in the history of Buddhism in China. During the Six Dynasties period, Buddhists emphasized the idea of being reborn in the Pure Land, which was based on the faith in Amitabha Buddha. This gradually led to the formation of the Pure Land School. Subsequently, as the Pure Land School became popular in China, Amitabha Buddha became one of the most popular Buddhas. This influence has lasted for thousands of years, to the extent that “Amitabha Buddha” has become a common greeting among Chinese Buddhists. In many Chinese Buddhist temples, the six characters “Namo Amitabha Buddha” are inscribed on the walls. “Namo” means to take refuge, and “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is a declaration of faithful devotion.
The Amitabha Sutra states that the World Honored One said, “Amitabha Buddha, his light is beautiful and good, surpassing the brilliance of the sun and moon by billions of times. He is the most venerable in the light, the King of Buddhas!” Amitabha Buddha has thirteen different names, among which “Amitayus” (Infinite Life Buddha) and “Amitabha” (Infinite Light Buddha) are the most important and well-known. Light and life represent space and time, encompassing immeasurable auspicious and sublime space and time. From the trichiliocosm to a single moment, from the Saha World to the Pure Land, from form to mind, the Dharma realm is infinite, and all are illuminated by the Buddha’s light. The mind’s light is connected to the Buddha nature, and the Buddha nature is the mind’s light itself.
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