..續本文上一頁有衆妙華作閻浮檀金色。如旋火輪。宛轉葉間踴生諸果。如帝釋瓶。有大光明。化成幢幡無量寶蓋。是寶蓋中。映現叁千大千世界一切佛事。十方佛國亦于中現。見此樹已。亦當次第一一觀之。觀見樹莖枝葉華果。皆令分明。是爲樹想。名第四觀。作是觀者名爲正觀。若他觀者名爲邪觀。
5) contemplation of the ponds
[13] The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "When you have accomplished visualization of the trees, next contemplate the ponds. This is how to do so. In the Land of Utmost Bliss, there are ponds of water possessing eight excellent qualities, each made of seven jewels which are soft and pliable. The water, springing from a wish-fulfilling king-mani-gem, forms fourteen streams. Each stream is the color of the seven jewels. Its banks are made of gold and its bed strewn with diamond sand of many colors. In each stream there are sixty kotis of lotus-flowers of seven jewels, which are round and symmetrical, measuring twelve yojanas in diameter. The water from the mani-gem flows among the flowers and meanders between the trees. As it ripples, it produces exquisite sounds, [342c] which proclaim the truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, no-self and of the Paramitas. Its sound also praises the physical characteristics and marks of the Buddhas. The king of wish-fulfilling mani-gem emits a splendid golden light, which transforms itself into birds with the colors of a hundred jewels. Their songs are melodious and elegant, constantly praising the virtue of mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. This is the visualizing of the water possessing eight excellent qualities, and is known as the fifth contemplation. To practice in this way is called the correct contemplation, and to practice otherwise is incorrect."
[13] 佛告阿難及韋提希。樹想成已。次當想水。欲想水者。極樂國土有八池水。一一池水七寶所成。其寶柔軟從如意珠王生。分爲十四支。一一支作七寶色。黃金爲渠。渠下皆以雜色金剛以爲底沙。一一水中有六十億七寶蓮花。一一蓮華團圓正等十二由旬。其摩尼水流注華間尋樹上下。其聲微妙演說苦空無常無我諸波羅蜜。複有贊歎諸佛相好者。從如意珠王踴出金色微妙光明。其光化爲百寶色鳥。和鳴哀雅。常贊念佛念法念僧。是爲八功德水想。名第五觀。作是觀者名爲正觀。若他觀者名爲邪觀。
6) contemplation of various objects
[14] The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "In each region of this jewelled land, there are five hundred kotis of jewelled pavilions, in which innumerable devas play heavenly music. There are also musical instruments suspended in the sky, which, like those on the heavenly jewelled banners, spontaneously produce tones even without a player. Each tone proclaims the virtue of mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. When this contemplation has been accomplished, it is called the general perception of the jewelled trees, jewelled ground and jewelled ponds of the Land of Utmost Bliss. This is a composite visualization and is called the sixth contemplation.
Those who have perceived these objects will be rid of extremely heavy evil karma which they have committed during innumerable kalpas and will certainly, after death, be born in that land. To practice in this way is called the correct contemplation, and to practice otherwise is incorrect."
[14] 佛告阿難及韋提希。衆寶國土。一一界上有五百億寶樓。其樓閣中有無量諸天。作天伎樂。又有樂器懸處虛空。如天寶幢不鼓自鳴。此衆音中。皆說念佛念法念比丘僧。此想成已。名爲粗見極樂世界寶樹寶地寶池。是爲總觀想。名第六觀。若見此者。除無量億劫極重惡業。命終之後必生彼國。作是觀者名爲正觀。若他觀者名爲邪觀。
7) contemplation of the lotus-throne
[15] The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "Listen carefully, listen carefully and ponder deeply. I will expound for you the method of removing suffering. Bear my words in mind and explain them to the multitude of beings."
When these words were spoken, Amitayus appeared in the air above, attended on his left and right by the two Mahasattvas, Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta. So brilliant was their radiance that it was impossible to see them in detail. They could not be compared even with a hundred thousand nuggets of gold from the Jambu River.
After she had this vision of Amitayus, Vaidehi knelt down in worship at Shakyamuni”s feet and said to him, "World-Honored One, through your power I have been able to see Amitayus and the two Bodhisattvas, but how can sen…
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