《佛说阿弥陀经》姚秦三藏法师鸠摩罗什译The Sutra in which ..

《佛说阿弥陀经》姚秦三藏法师鸠摩罗什译TheSutrainwhichtheBuddhaSpeaksofAmitabha(AmitabhaSutra/TheSmallerSukhavatiVyuhaSutra/TheSutraProtected&KeptinMindbyAllBuddhas)ThushaveIheard,onceBuddhawasinthelandofShravasti,inthegardenofJetaandAnathapindika.Hewasaccompaniedbytwelvehundredandfiftygreatbhikshus,allofthemgreatArhats,wellknowntotheassembly.Amongthemwerehisleadingdisciples,suchfiguresastheEldersShariputra,Maudgalyayana,Mahakashyapa,Mahakatyayana,andMahakausthila,Revata,Suddhipanthaka,Nanda,Ananda,Rahula,Gavampati,Pindola-bharadvaja,Kalodayin,Mahakapphina,Vakula,andAniruddha,etc.,allgreatdisciples.如是我闻，一时，佛，在舍卫国，祗树给孤独园。与大比丘僧，千二百五十人俱，皆是大阿罗汉，众所知识：长老舍利弗，摩诃目犍连，摩诃迦叶，摩诃迦旃延，摩诃俱絺罗，离婆多，周利槃陀伽，难陀，阿难陀，罗睺罗，乔梵波提，宾头卢颇罗堕，迦留陀夷，摩诃劫宾那，薄拘罗，阿楼驮，如是等诸大弟子。1AlsopresentweretheBodhisattvasMahasattva:Manjushri,PrinceoftheDharma,theBodhisattvaAjita,theInvincible,andtheBodhisattvasGandhahastinandNityodyukta,andothersuchgreatBodhisattvas.AlsopresentwasShakra,thekingofthegods,alongwithcountlessnumbersofheavenlybeings,makingupagreatassembly.并诸菩萨摩诃萨：文殊师利法王子，阿逸多菩萨，乾陀诃提菩萨，常精进菩萨，与如是等诸大菩萨。及释提桓因等，无量诸天大众俱。2AtthattimeBuddhasaidtotheElderShariputra:Westofhere,pastahundredbillionBuddha-lands,thereexistsaworldcalledUltimateBliss.InthislandthereexistsaBuddhacalledAmitabha,whoisexpoundingtheDharmarightnow.尔时佛告长老舍利弗，从是西方，过十万亿佛土，有世界名曰极乐。其土有佛，号阿弥陀，今现在说法。3WhyisthislandcalledUltimateBliss[Sukhavati]?ItiscalledUltimateBlissbecausethesentientbeingsinthislandarefreefromthemyriadsufferings,andonlyknoweverykindofjoy.舍利弗，彼土何故名为极乐？其国众生，无有众苦，但受诸乐，故名极乐。4Furthermore,thislandiscalledUltimateBlissbecauseitissurroundedbysevenringsofrailings,andsevenlayersofnets,andsevenrowsoftrees,allmadeofthefourpreciousjewels[gold,silver,lapislazuliandcrystal].Moreover,theLandofUltimateBlisshasmanyjewelledpondsfilledwiththewatersofeightvirtues.Thebottomofeachofthepondsispuregoldensand,andthesteppedwalkwaysthatleadupfromallfoursidesofeachofthepondsaremadeofgold,silver,lapislazuliandcrystal.Abovethepondstherearetowerswhichareadornedwithsilverandgoldandlapislazuliandcrystalandmotherofpearlandredagate.Inthepondstherearelotusflowersasbigascartwheels:blueonesshiningwithbluelight,yellowonesshiningwithyellowlight,redonesshiningwithredlight,andwhiteonesshiningwithwhitelight,eachemittingasubtlepurefragrance.TheLandofUltimateBlissiscompletewithallthesemeritsandadornments.又舍利弗，极乐国土，七重栏楯，七重罗网，七重行树，皆是四宝周匝围绕，是故彼国名为极乐。又舍利弗，极乐国土，有七宝池，八功德水充满其中。池底纯以金沙布地。四边阶道，金、银、琉璃、玻璃合成。上有楼阁，亦以金、银、琉璃、玻璃、砗磲、赤珠、玛瑙而严饰之。池中莲华，大如车轮，青色青光，黄色黄光，赤色赤光，白色白光，微妙香洁。舍利弗，极乐国土，成就如是功德庄严。5Andthereismore-celestialmusicisconstantlyplayinginthisBuddha-land,andthegroundismadeoftawnygold.Flowersintheshapeofheavenlyorbsraindownatallhoursofthedayandnight.EverymorningthesentientbeingsofthislanddecoratetheirgarmentswithmultitudesofwondrousflowersandmakeofferingstohundredsofbillionsofBuddhasinotherworlds.Whenitismealtime,theyreturntotheirownlands,toeatandcircumambulate[theteachingassembly].TheLandofUltimateBlissiscompletewithallthesemeritsandadornments.又舍利弗，彼佛国土，常作天乐，黄金为地，昼夜六时，雨天曼陀罗华。其土众生，常以清旦，各以衣祴，盛众妙华，供养他方十万亿佛。即以食时，还到本国，饭食经行。舍利弗，极乐国土，成就如是功德庄严。6Andthereismorestill-inthislandtherearebirdsofallsortsofwondrousvariegatedcolors:whitecranes,peacocks,orioles,egrets,kalavinkasandjivanjivas.Allthesebirdsbringforthharmonioussongsdayandnight.TheirsongscommunicatesuchBuddhistteachingsasthefiveroots,thefivepowers,thesevenfactorsofenlightenment,theeightfoldpath,aswellasotherteachings.复次舍利弗，彼国常有种种奇妙杂色之鸟：白鹤、孔雀、鹦鹉、舍利、迦陵频伽、共命之鸟。是诸众鸟，昼夜六时，出和雅音，其音演畅五根、五力、七菩提分、八圣道分，如是等法。7Whenthesentientbeingsinthislandhearthevoicesofthebirds,theyaremindfuloftheBuddhas,mindfuloftheDharma[Buddha'steachings],andmindfuloftheSangha[CommunityofSeekersofEnlightenment].Donotthinkthatthesebirdswerebornasbirdsduetokarmicretributionforpastmisdeeds.Whynot?InthisBuddha-land,thethreeevilplanesofexistence[asanimals,hungryghosts,andhell-beings]donotexist.InthisBuddha-landeventhenamesoftheevilplanesofexistencedonotexist,muchlesstherealities.AllthesebirdsarethecreationsofAmitabhaBuddha,fashionedinordertobroadcastthesoundsoftheDharma.其土众生，闻是音已，皆悉念佛、念法、念僧。舍利弗，汝勿谓此鸟，实是罪报所生。所以者何？彼佛国土，无三恶道。舍利弗，其佛国土，尚无恶道之名，何况有实？是诸众鸟，皆是阿弥陀佛欲令法音宣流，变化所作。8InthisBuddha-land,thereisaslightbreezethatstirstherowsofjeweltreesandjewelnets,sothattheyemitsubtlewondroussounds,likehundredsandthousandsofmelodiesplayingallatonce.AllthosewhohearthesesoundsspontaneouslydeveloptheintentiontobemindfuloftheBuddha,mindfuloftheDharma,andmindfuloftheSangha.ThisBuddha-landiscompletewithallthesemeritsandadornments.舍利弗，彼佛国土，微风吹动，诸宝行树，及宝罗网，出微妙音，譬如百千种乐，同时俱作。闻是音者，自然皆生念佛、念法、念僧之心。舍利弗，其佛国土，成就如是功德庄严。9Whatdoyouthink:whyisthisBuddhacalledAmitabha?ThelightofthisBuddhaisinfinite,andshinesonalllandsthroughouttheuniversewithoutobstruction.ThusthisBuddhaiscalledAmitabha.Also,thelifespanofthisBuddhaandhispeopleisaninfinitenumberofimmeasurableeons,andsoheiscalledAmitabha.AmitabhaBuddhaattainedenlightenmentteneonsago.Moreover,thisBuddhahasinnumerabledisciples,allofwhomareArhats,andwhosenumbersareincalculable.AmitabhaalsohasafollowingofinnumerableBodhisattvas.TheLandofUltimateBlissiscompl