..續本文上一頁 the sincere faith; second, the deep faith; and third, the faith that seeks birth there by transferring one”s merit. Those who have these three kinds of faith will certainly be born there.

　　"There are three other kinds of sentient beings who also attain birth. Who are the three

　　 They are, first, those who have a compassionate heart, abstain from killing and observe the precepts; second, those who chant the Mahayana sutras of greater scope; and third, those who practice the six forms of mindfulness. They aspire to be born in that Buddha-land by transferring there the merit of practice. With the merit acquired from doing these acts for one to seven days, they attain birth.

　　"When an aspirant is about to be born in that land through dedicated and undaunted practices, the Tathagata Amitayus arrives together with Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta, innumerable transformed Buddhas, a great assembly of a hundred thousand monks and shravakas and innumerable devas in seven-jewelled palaces. The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, carrying a vajra-seat, together with the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, approaches the aspirant. Amitayus releases a great flood of light which illuminates the aspirant”s body and, along with the bodhisattvas, extends his hands in welcome. Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta, together with innumerable bodhisattvas, praise and encourage the aspirant. Seeing this, the aspirant rejoices so greatly as to dance. Then he sees himself sitting on the vajra-seat, and following the Buddha, is born into that land in the time it takes to snap one”s fingers.

　　"After being born in that land, he sees the Buddha”s body complete with all its physical characteristics and also [345a] the bodies of the bodhisattvas equally complete with all their physical characteristics. Hearing the discourse on the wonderful Dharma sent forth by the light and the jewelled trees, he then reaches the insight into the non-arising of all dharmas. In a single moment, he visits and worships all the Buddhas of the ten quarters and receives from each of them the prediction of his future Buddhahood. Returning to the Pure Land, he is endowed with innumerable hundreds of thousands of dharanis. Such a person is called one who attains birth on the highest level of the highest grade.

　　2) the middle level of the highest grade

　　[23] "Those who attain birth on the middle level of the highest grade, do not necessarily uphold and chant the sutras of greater scope, but comprehend the teachings of the Buddha so well that when they hear the supreme truths, they are not dismayed. They have deep faith in the law of karmic causes and effects and do not speak slightingly of the Mahayana. They transfer the merit acquired to the Land of Utmost Bliss, aspiring to be born there.

　　"When such an aspirant is about to die, Amitayus appears before him, surrounded by Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta and innumerable sages and attendants, carrying a purple-gold lotus-seat. The Buddha praises him, saying, ”Son of the Dharma, because you have practiced the Mahayana and appreciate the supreme truths, I have come to welcome you.” So saying, he and a thousand transformed Buddhas extend their hands all at once towards the aspirant, who, seeing himself sitting on the purple-gold seat, joins his palms and praises the Buddhas. In an instant, he is born in a seven-jewelled pond of that land.

　　"The purple-gold seat has become like a great jewelled flower, which opens after one night. The body of the aspirant has become the color of purple-gold, and beneath his feet are seven-jewelled lotus-flowers. The Buddha and bodhisattvas together release a flood of light which illuminates the aspirant”s body. His eyes open, and because of the store of merit from his previous life, he hears voices everywhere expounding…

《觀無量壽佛經 The Sutra of Contemplation on Buddha Amitayus translated by Hisao Inagaki》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…