Amitabha Buddha’s Compassion and Infinite Light – Selections From The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra, Part 2 of 2

Let us continue with selections from “The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra,” where we learn about Amitābha Buddha’s immeasurable Light that brings joy to many beings and illuminates countless realms.

“After this, the blessed Ânanda thus spoke to the Blessed One: ‘O Blessed One, has that Bhikshu Dharmâkara, the noble-minded Bodhisattva, after having obtained the highest perfect knowledge, passed away, having entered Nirvâna, or has he not yet been enlightened, or is he now living and enlightened, and does he dwell now, remain, support himself, and teach the [Dharma] Law?’

The Blessed One said: ‘Not indeed, O Ânanda, has that Enlightened One passed away, nor has He not yet come, but the Enlightened One, the holy, after having obtained the highest perfect knowledge, dwells now, remains, supports Himself, and teaches the [Dharma] Law, in the western quarter, in the Buddha country, distant from this world by a hundred thousand niyutas of kotîs of Buddha countries, in the world which is called Sukhâvatî, being called Amitâbha, the Buddha, holy and fully enlightened.

He is surrounded by innumerable Bodhisattvas, and worshipped by endless Srâvakas [disciples], and in possession of the endless perfection of His Buddha country.’

‘And His Light is immeasurable, so that it is not easy to know the limit of its measure, saying, He stands illuminating so many hundreds of Buddha countries, so many thousands of Buddha countries, so many hundred thousands of Buddha countries, so many kotîs of Buddha countries, so many hundred kotîs of Buddha countries, so many thousand kotîs of Buddha countries, so many hundred thousands of kotîs of Buddha countries, so many hundred thousands of niyutas of kotîs of Buddha countries. But indeed, O Ânanda, to put it briefly, a hundred thousand niyutas of kotîs of Buddha countries, equal to the sands of the river Gangâ, are always lighted up in the eastern quarter, by the Light of that Buddha Amitâbha.

Thus on every side in the southern, western, northern quarter, in the zenith and nadir, in every one of these quarters, there are a hundred thousand niyutas of kotîs of Buddha countries, like the sands of the river Gangâ, always lighted up by the Light of that Buddha Amitâbha, excepting the Buddhas, the Enlightened Ones, who, through the practice of Their former prayers, have lighted up the world by Their own Light, which is a fathom in length, or by their Light which is one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty yojanas in length, or a hundred or thousand or hundred thousand yojanas in length, until their brightness reaches many hundred thousand niyutas of kotîs of yojanas in length.

There is not, O Ânanda, any case of likeness, by which the extent of the Light of that Buddha Amitâbha could be understood. Hence, O Ânanda, for that reason that Buddha is called Amitâbha (possessed of infinite Light) […]’”