Amitabha Buddha undertakes the great matter of rebirth of all sentient beings
Unlike Shakyamuni Buddha’s sacred teachings of Theravada and Mahayana, meditative and non-meditative virtues, gradual and sudden teachings, the Pure Land teaching of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance accommodates all sentient beings of different aptitudes and capacities.
In other words, if an ordinary being fails to abide by the Buddhist precepts or to refrain from greed, hatred, and delusion, but wishes to end the suffering in the cycle of birth and death, he can “switch” to the teaching of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, and aim at attaining assured rebirth with recourse to Amitabha’s vow-power. Once reborn, he will be liberated from Samsara.
If an ordinary being who fails to set forth the bodhi mind, or to practice the meditative or non-meditative virtues, but aspires to become a sacred being, he can “switch” to Amitabha Buddha’s teaching of deliverance, and aim at attaining assured rebirth with recourse to Amitabha Buddha’s vow-power. Once reborn, he will become a bodhisattva dwelling in the state of non-retrogression.
Even a person who has never encountered the Buddhist teachings in his present lifetime, and fears of falling into the Three Wretched Realms near death, if he meets a good Pure Land practitioner who encourages him to exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, he simply follow the instruction to do so, he can be received by Amitabha Buddha and to be reborn in the Land of Bliss.
In the Contemplation Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha teaches all ordinary beings: Buddhists and non-Buddhists, meditative or non-meditative practitioners, in the present lifetime or even near the end-of-life, how to attain assured rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land of Bliss through the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha, as stated in Amitabha’s 18th (Fundamental) Vow.
Even an evil person can attain rebirth, so a good person is guaranteed rebirth
The Buddha said:
“Those of the lowest level of the lowest grade are sentient beings who commit such evils as: the five gravest offenses, the ten evil acts, and all kinds of immorality. Owing to such evil karma, a person like this will fall into evil realms and suffer endless agony for many kalpas.
However, when such a person is about to die, he may meet a good teacher, who consoles him in various ways. He will teach him the wonderful Dharma and urge him to be mindful of Amitabha Buddha; but sadly, he is too tormented by pain to do so. The good teacher then advises him, “If you cannot meditate on Amitabha Buddha, then you should recite Namo Amitabha Buddha instead.”
“In response, he sincerely and exclusively recited Namo Amitabha Buddha. It is considered ‘sufficient to recite as few as ten times’. Because he recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, with each repetition the evil karma he has accumulated during eighty kotis of kalpas in Samsara is extinguished.”
“When he is about to die, he sees before him a golden lotus flower like a disk of the sun, and in an instant he is born within that lotus flower in the Land of Utmost Bliss.”
This is clearly stipulated in the Pure Land sutras spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha. One ought to know this and believe.
Shakyamuni Buddha cites those of the lowest level of the lowest grade as an example of those who can attain rebirth in Amitabha’s Land of Bliss, through the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha. If even those in the lowest level can be reborn, certainly those of the other eight higher grades of people can also!
Comprehensive and unconditional deliverance without missing any being
The Land of Bliss is an unconditioned realm of Nirvana created as the result of merits and virtues attained by Dharmakara Bodhisattva, the former identity of Amitabha Buddha. He made 48 vows to complete his Buddha-land, in order to liberate all living beings in other worlds, by allowing them to be reborn in his Buddhaland. Once there they will be free from suffering and filled with immeasurable joy.
It is of the utmost importance to know and believe that Dharmakara Bodhisattva became a Buddha called Amitabha 10 kalpas ago. All of his 48 great vows were perfectly and completely fulfilled. His vows created an awesome power that can generate inconceivable, immeasurable, boundless merits and virtues, and deliver all sentient beings in all worlds.
As said in the Contemplation Sutra:
Amitabha Buddha possesses 84,000 physical characteristics, each having 84,000 secondary marks of excellence. Each secondary mark emits 84,000 rays of light; each light universally shines upon the lands of the ten directions, embracing and not forsaking, those who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.
This indicates that Amitabha Buddha is omnipresent and omnipotent. He can instantly and simultaneously make contact with all sentient beings in all lands. He protects and embraces all those who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, and delivers them to his Pure Land.
Is the “benefit” of Amitabha’s teaching of deliverance too good to be true?
Rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land through the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha is an “uninvited” teaching. This is one that ordinary beings could not ask Shakyamuni Buddha to share. This is because we have very little knowledge. Fully understanding the magnificence of Amitabha Buddha and his Pure Land are beyond our imagination.
As said by Shakyamuni Buddha in his passage in the Infinite Life Sutra, his original intent for appearing in the world was to teach us about the true and real “benefit” of attaining assured rebirth in Amitabha’s Land of Bliss. This is accomplished through reliance on Amitabha’s vow-power and the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha. He fulfilled his Fundamental Vow of Deliverance (the 18th Vow) ten kalpas ago.
Shakyamuni Buddha reiterates this important proclamation in the Amitabha Sutra: “Shariputra, to those who perceive these benefits I say, All sentient beings who hear this teaching should aspire to birth in that land.”
The Buddha also advised and instructed Bodhisattva Maitreya, the future buddha, in the Infinite Life Sutra as follows:
The Buddha said to Maitreya, “If there are people who hear the Name of that Buddha, rejoice so greatly as to dance, and remember him even once, then you should know that they have gained invaluable benefits and unsurpassed virtue.
Maitreya, you should know that the bodhisattvas who allow doubt to arise lose those invaluable benefits. For this reason, you should have resolute faith in the supreme wisdom of the Buddha.”
Related features from BDG
How Shakyamuni Introduced Amitabha Before His Parinirvana
The Wonders of Reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha”
Can Shakyamuni Buddha Enable Us to be Reborn in the Pure Land?
