The Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra

Homage to Omniscience!

1. Setting

Thus have I heard: At one time the Bhagavān was staying at Śrāvastī, at Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's Grove, together with a great assembly of bhikṣus, twelve and a half hundred bhikṣus who were well-known for their higher knowledges, elders, great śrāvakas, and all arhats. They were the elder Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Mahākapphiṇa, Mahākātyāyana, Mahākauṣṭhila, Revata, Śuddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula, Gavāṃpati, Bharadvāja, Kālodayin, Vakkula, Aniruddha. He was with these and many other great śrāvakas, and he was together with many bodhisattva mahāsattvas. They were Mañjuśrī, who remained a youth, Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhahastin Bodhisattva, Nityodyukta Bodhisattva, and Anikṣiptadhura Bodhisattva. He was with these and many other bodhisattva mahāsattvas. He was also with Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and Brahmā, Lord of the Sahā World. He was with these and many other hundreds of thousands of nayutas of devaputras.

2. The Name of Sukhāvatī

Thereupon, the Bhagavān addressed the Venerable Śāriputra:

O Śāriputra! In the western direction, beyond a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-lands from this buddha-land, there is a world system called Sukhāvatī. There, there is a tathāgata, arhat, samyak-saṃbuddha called Amitāyus, who stays, exists, and abides there, teaching the Dharma.

What do you think, O Śāriputra, for what reason is that world system called Sukhāvatī? It is because, O Śāriputra, in that world system Sukhāvatī, there is no bodily suffering or mental suffering for beings, but immeasurable causes for ease. For that reason, that world system is called Sukhāvatī.

3. The Adornments

Further, O Śāriputra, the world system Sukhāvatī is decorated with seven railings, seven rows of palm trees, and nets with bells, and the four jewels are scattered all over and are brilliant and beautiful. They are gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, and crystal. 

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

4. The Ponds, Jewel Trees, and Lotuses

Further, O Śāriputra, in the world system Sukhāvatī there are ponds made of the seven jewels. The seven jewels are gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, crystal, red pearls,  emeralds, and coral. They are filled with waters of the eight qualities, are filled to the brim so that crows can drink from them, and are bestrewn with golden sand. 

And on all four sides of those ponds, there are four staircases which are brilliant and beautiful and made of the four jewels. They are gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, and crystal. 

And all around those ponds, jewel trees are growing which are brilliant and beautiful and made of the seven jewels. The seven jewels are gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, crystal, red pearls, emeralds, and coral.

And in those ponds, there are lotuses growing which are blue, blue in colour, blue in light, and blue in appearance; yellow, yellow in colour, yellow in light, and yellow in appearance; red, red in colour, red in light, and red in appearance; white, white in colour, white in light, and white in appearance; multicoloured, multicoloured in colour, multicoloured in light, and multicoloured in appearance; they are as big in circumference as cartwheels.

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

5. The Instruments, Flowers, and Homage to other Buddhas

Further, O Śāriputra, in that buddha-land there are divine instruments always sounding forth; the great earth is golden in colour and delightful; and there in that buddha-land, three times a night and three times a day a divine rain of flowers rains down with divine māndārava flowers. 

The beings who arise there, having gone to other world systems to pay homage to a hundred thousand koṭis of buddhas before their morning meal, and having showered down a rain of a hundred thousand koṭis flowers on every single tathāgata, again return to that world system for their daily rest.

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

6. The Birds and the Realms

Further, O Śāriputra, in that buddha-land there are swans, curlews, and peacocks. Having assembled three times a night and three times a day, they perform songs and call their own cries. Their calling issues forth the sound of the faculties, powers, and the limbs of awakening. When that is heard by those humans there, they arouse awareness of the Buddha, they arouse awareness of the Dharma, and they arouse awareness of the Saṅgha.

What do you think, Śāriputra, are those beings born as animals? It should certainly not be seen as such. For what reason? For indeed, O Śāriputra, in that buddha-land there are no hells, and there are neither animals nor a yama world. Rather, those flocks of birds were manifested by that Amitāyus Tathāgata and they issue forth the sound of the Dharma.

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

7. The Sound of the Adornments

Further, O Śāriputra, in that buddha-land, when those rows of palm trees and those nets of bells are blown by the wind, they issue forth a sound that is charming and pleasant to the mind. O Śāriputra, just as when hundreds of thousands of koṭis of divine instruments which sound forth songs issue forth a sound that is charming and pleasing to the mind, in just the same manner, Śāriputra, when those rows of palm trees and those nets of bells are blown by the wind, they issue forth a sound that is charming and pleasing to the mind. When it is heard by those humans there, mindfulness of the Buddha abides in their bodies, mindfulness of the Dharma abides in their bodies, and mindfulness of the Saṅgha abides in their bodies.

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

8. The Name Amitāyus

What do you think, Śāriputra? For what reason is that tathāgata called Amitāyus? It is because, Śāriputra, the lifespan of that tathāgata and of those humans is immeasurable. Therefore, that tathāgata is called Amitāyus. O Śāriputra, ten kalpas have passed since that tathāgata fully awakened to anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

9. The Name Amitābha and his Saṅgha

What do you think, Śāriputra? For what reason is that tathāgata called Amitābha? It is because, Śāriputra, the light of that tathāgata is unobstructed in all buddha-fields. For that reason, that tathāgata is called Amitābha. 

O Śāriputra, there is an immeasurable saṅgha of śrāvakas of that tathāgata, whose number cannot easily be reckoned, and who are pure and worthy ones.

O Śāriputra, that buddha-land is adorned with an array of buddha-land qualities of such forms.

10. Arising in that Buddha-Land

Further, O Śāriputra, the beings who arise in the buddha-land of Amitāyus Tathāgata are pure bodhisattvas, who are irreversible and are bound to only one more birth; the number of those bodhisattvas, O Śāriputra, is not easy to reckon without being denoted by the immeasurable and the innumerable.

Moreover, O Śāriputra, beings should make vows towards that buddha-land. Why? Because, indeed, they come together with good people of such forms. 

O Śāriputra, beings do not arise in the buddha-land of Amitāyus Tathāgata by insignificant wholesome roots. O Śāriputra, whichever son of good family or daughter of good family, will hear the name of that bhagavān, Amitāyus Tathāgata, and having heard it will think of it, or will think of it with a mind that is undistracted for one night, or two nights, or three nights, or four nights, or five nights, or six nights, or seven nights, when that son of good family or daughter of good family will die, at their time of death, that Amitāyus Tathāgata, surrounded by a saṅgha of śrāvakas and headed by a chain of bodhisattvas will stand before them and they will die with an undisturbed mind. Having died, they will arise in the world system Sukvāvatī, the buddha-land of just that Amitāyus Tathāgata.

Therefore, then, O Śāriputra, seeing this intention, I thus say: a son of good family or a daughter of good family should devotedly make vows of aspiration towards that buddha-land.

11. The Buddhas of the Eastern Direction

O Śāriputra, just as I declare it here, there is in the eastern direction, O Śāriputra, a tathāgata named Akṣobhya, a tathāgata named Merudhvaja, a tathāgata named Mahāmeru, a tathāgata named Meruprabhāsa, and a tathāgata named Mañjudhvaja, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the eastern direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

12. The Buddhas of the Southern Direction

Thus, there is in the southern direction a tathāgata named Candrasūryapradīpa, a tathāgata named Yaśaḥprabha, a tathāgata named Mahārciḥskandha, a tathāgata named Merupradīpa, and a tathāgata named Anantavīrya, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the southern direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

13. The Buddhas of the Western Direction

Thus, there is in the western direction a tathāgata named Amitāyus, a tathāgata named Amitaskandha, a tathāgata named Amitadhvaja, a tathāgata named Mahāprabha, a tathāgata named Mahāratnaketu, and a tathāgata named Śuddharaśmiprabha, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the western direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

14. The Buddhas of the Northern Direction

Thus, there is in the northern direction a tathāgata named Mahārciḥskandha, a tathāgata named Vaiśvānaranirghoṣa, a tathāgata named Dundubhisvaranirghoṣa, a tathāgata named Duṣpradharṣa, a tathāgata named Ādityasaṃbhava, a tathāgata named Jaleniprabho, and a tathāgata named Prabhākara, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the northern direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

15. The Buddhas of the Nadir Direction

Thus, there is in the nadir direction a tathāgata named Yaśa, a tathāgata named Yaśaḥprabhāsa, a tathāgata named Dharma, a tathāgata named Dharmadhara, and a tathāgata named Dharmadhvaja, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the nadir direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

16. The Buddhas of the Zenith Direction

Thus, there is in the zenith direction a tathāgata named Brahmaghoṣa, a tathāgata named Nakṣatrarāja, a tathāgata named Indraketudhvajarāja, a tathāgata named Gandhottama, a tathāgata named Gandhaprabhāsa, a tathāgata named Mahārciskandha, a tathāgata named Ratnakusumasaṃpuṣpitagātra, a tathāgata named Sālendrarāja, a tathāgata named Ratnotpalaśrī, a tathāgata named Sarvārthadarśin, and a tathāgata named Sumerukalpa, thus headed by these, O Śāriputra, in the zenith direction there are buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and having covered their own buddha-lands with their tongues, they expound it. You should believe in this declaration of inconceivable qualities, this Dharma teaching which is called "Protected by All Buddhas."

17. The Name of the Teaching

What do you think, O Śāriputra? Why is this Dharma teaching called "Protected by All Buddhas?" O Śāriputra, those sons of good family or daughters of good family who will hear the name of this Dharma teaching or who will bear the name of those buddha bhagavāns will all be protected by those buddhas, and they will be non-retrogressing from anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Therefore, then, O Śāriputra, you should have faith and you should not doubt me and those buddha bhagavāns. 

O Śāriputra, whichever sons of good family or daughters of good family will make a vow of aspiration towards the buddha-land of that, or who has made it, or who is making it, they will all be non-retrogressing from anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, and they will arise in that buddha-land, or have arisen, or are arising. Therefore, then, O Śāriputra, faithful sons of good family or daughters of good family should arouse the vow of aspiration towards that buddha-land.

18. The Praise of Śākyamuni

Therefore, then, O Śāriputra, just as I thus declare the inconceivable qualities of those buddha bhagavāns, even so, O Śāriputra, do those buddha bhagavāns also thus declare my inconceivable qualities: 

The Bhagavān Śākyamuni, the Lord of the Śākyas, has done that which is most difficult to do. After having awakened to anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in the Sahā World System, amidst the degeneration of the kalpa, the degeneration of beings, the degeneration of views, the degeneration of lifespans, and the degeneration of defilements, he has taught the Dharma which is the most difficult to accept by all the world.

19. The Most Difficult of Difficulties

It is indeed, O Śāriputra, the most difficult of difficulties for me, after having awakened to anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in the Sahā World System, amidst the degeneration of beings, the degeneration of views, the degeneration of defilements, the degeneration of lifespans, and the degeneration of the kalpa, to teach the Dharma which is the most difficult to accept by all the world.