[36] Immeasurable Life Sūtra’s Thirty-Sixth Chapter’s Summary & Explanation《无量寿经》第卅六品：小结与解释

The below is with reference to: Thirty-Sixth Chapter On Bodhisattvas Reborn (Of Immeasurable Life Sūtra)《无量寿经》菩萨往生第卅六 at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/08/dajing36

Immeasurable Life Sūtra’s Thirty-Sixth Chapter’s Summary & Explanation
《无量寿经》第卅六品：小结与解释

[0] From this Sahā World (娑婆世界), 67 koṭis of non-retrogressible Bodhisattvas (不退菩萨) will be born in Āmítuófó’s (阿弥陀佛) Pure Land (净土).

(Those not with non-retrogression, upon rebirth in the Pure Land, will attain it too.)

(i) All the above would have already made offerings (供养) to innumerable Buddhas, almost like Maitreya Bodhisattva (弥勒菩萨).

(Instead of individually and in person physically, offerings to all Buddhas can also be made through visualisation, or through any one Buddha, such as Āmítuófó, whose name literally means ‘Immeasurable Buddhas’ [无量佛]. This works as all Buddhas are interconnected as one.)

(ii) There are also all Bodhisattvas with minor practices (小行菩萨), and

(Bodhisattvas with minor Practices [小行菩萨] are relative to Complete Teachings’ First Abode’s Non-Retrogressible Bodhisattvas [圆教初住不退转菩萨]. They are those with Initial Aspiration [初发心], who are Inner Ordinary Beings [内凡], those yet to see the path [见道], but have given rise to that similar to understanding of wisdom [相似之智解], and Outer Ordinary Beings [外凡], those yet to give rise to that similar to understanding of wisdom.)

(iii) Those with few meritorious virtues (少功德者), who cannot be counted.

(These with few meritorious virtues would perhaps include most of the beings in this Dharma-Ending Age, who reach the Pure Land, even as non-Bodhisattvas or pre-Bodhisattvas.)

Not only are this land’s all Bodhisattvas and others reborn in that land, those from other Buddha lands are likewise thus.

[1] From Far-Illuminating Buddha’s Land (远照佛土), 180 koṭis will be born.

[2] From Treasure Store Buddha’s Land (宝藏佛土), 90 koṭis will be born.

[3] From Immeasurable Sound Buddha’s Land (无量音佛土), 220 koṭis will be born.

[4] From Ambrosia Flavour Buddha’s Land (甘露味佛土), 250 koṭis will be born.

[5] From Dragon Victory Buddha’s Land (龙胜佛土), 14 koṭis will be born.

[6] From Victorious Power Buddha’s Land (胜力佛土), 14,000 will be born.

[7] From Lion Buddha’s Land (师子佛土), 500 will be born.

[8] From Departure From Defilements’ Light Buddha’s Land (离垢光佛土), 80 koṭis will be born.

[9] From Virtue Foremost Buddha’s Land (德首佛土), 60 koṭis will be born.

[10] From Wonderful Virtue’s Mountain Buddha’s Land (妙德山佛土), 60 koṭis will be born.

[11] From Humans’ King Buddha’s Land (人王佛土), 10 koṭis will be born.

[12] From Unsurpassable Flower Buddha’s Land (无上华佛土),

(i) Innumerable all Bodhisattva assemblies who cannot be counted, with non-retrogression, wise, courageous and powerful (智慧勇猛), who have already made offerings to immeasurably many Buddhas will be born. In seven days, they will receive 100,000 koṭis of kalpas of firm Dharma teachings (坚固之法) that Great Bodhisattvas (大士) cultivate. (This emphasises the great efficient speed of spiritual progress in the Pure Land.)

(ii) These and other Bodhisattvas, all will be born.

[13] From Fearlessness Buddha’s Land (无畏佛土), 790 koṭis of

(i) Great Bodhisattva assemblies (菩萨众),

(ii) All Minor Bodhisattvas (小菩萨),

(These are in contrast to Great Bodhisattvas.)

(iii) Bhikṣus and others (比丘等), who cannot be counted will be born.

(These are in contrast to Bodhisattvas; as non-Bodhisattvas or pre-Bodhisattvas.)

[14] Not only will these 14 Buddha lands’ all Bodhisattvas and others be born, those in the ten directions’ (十方) worlds’ immeasurable Buddha lands born there are likewise innumerable. If only speaking of these Buddhas’, Bodhisattvas’ and Bhikṣus’ names, in day and night for one kalpa, this will still not exhaust them.

[15] As the above teachings are so, with so many examples given by so many Buddhas, so should we and all others aspire and practise to be born in Āmítuófó’s Pure Land too, so as to join the excellent company of those who have reached it, and to most swiftly expedite our progress on the path to Buddhahood, for one and all.