..续本文上一页his reason is it called the Land of Ultimate Joy.

　　"Furthermore Sariputra, the Land of Ultimate Joy is adorned with seven terraces and seven rows of wind chimes together with seven avenues of trees. The above are enclosed on all sides by the four precious substances. With such excellent things unique to Buddha Lands is this excellent Buddha Land adorned.

　　"Furthermore, O Sariputra, in that world called Ultimate Joy there are Lotus Ponds, ornamented with the seven precious stones. The water that fills them has the eight good qualities and the bottoms of these ponds are covered with pure golden sands that extend to their banks. On the four sides of these Lotus Ponds are flights of stairs--golden and silver, with beryl and crystal in splendid perfection. And at the top of these stairs are raised pavilions majestically adorned with gold and silver, beryl, crystal and coral, red pearls and agate. And in the ponds grow Lotus Flowers that are as large as the wheels of a cart blue colored, as if emitting blue radiance; yellow colored, as if emitting yellow light; red colored, radiating redness; white colored of pure white radiating light and their subtle and mysterious fragrances cleanse the air. O Sariputra for this reason is the Ultimate Joy Land perfect in its meritorious adornments.

　　"Furthermore Sariputra, in that Heavenly Music over the Buddha Land there is continual arising of yellow-golden colored earth. And for each of the six periods of day and night there rain down showers of Heavenly Coral Tree Blossoms. And the living beings of that Land are constantly using their miraculous robes to travel to other Buddha Lands and thereupon shower upon the Tathagatas of those worlds Ten Ten Thousands of Hundreds of Thousands of these wonderfully abundant flowers. Ten Ten Thousands of Hundreds of Thousands of Buddhas are honored in this way before the time for the first meal, and all the inhabitants of this Land then return to it to consume their own meal, nourished by the Dharma Teaching and by their own good roots. Sariputra, for this reason is the Ultimate Joy Land perfect in its adornment.

　　"And furthermore, O Sariputra, in this land there are all sorts of strange and wondrously colored birds. White Cranes and peacocks, parrots and mynah birds and other sorts of birds having melodious voices and fabulous birds who have two heads and all the many kinds of birds are assembled there. Day and Night, during each of the Six Periods their harmony creates and elegant sound which, if listened to, expounds and makes clear the five spiritual organ roots which are positive and the five powers of Mara which, if springing from the corresponding sensory organs, are negative factors. Likewise do they expound the seven characteristics of Bodhi and the Holy Eightfold Path; Thus do they spread the Dharma everywhere in that land and when living beings hear these sounds, they reflect on the Buddha, they reflect on the Dharma, and they reflect on the Sangha.

　　"Sariputra, you must not say that these birds are those reborn in this way a retribution for past sins. This is not so. While other Buddha Lands are without the Three Evil Paths Sariputra, in this Buddha Land even the names of these evil paths is unknown. How much more, the, do they have the truth

　　 These many kinds of birds have been created solely to call on Amitabha Buddha and therefore they desire to proclaim these honorable Dharma sounds, and in so doing aid in the transformation of all living beings by their actions.

　　"Sariputra, in this Buddha Land subtle winds blow and stir along the myriad precious avenues of trees where they reach the preciously appointed gauze covered walkways. There they strike the wind chimes from which spring forth the most subtle and wonderful sounds which thus become o…

《[晚课] Evening Recitations (late Ven· Shih Shen-Lung(Ryugen Fisher)》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…