The Contemplation Sutra

1. The Contemplation Sutra • Queen Vaidehi and the Buddha • Queen’s plight: son/king (Ajatasatru) intended to kill her • prayed to the Buddha for help • the Buddha appeared with Mahamaudgalyayana and Anada • the Buddha came to Vaidehi in response to her wish • revealed to her the multitudinous Buddha-fields • informed her of the Buddha Amitayus and his Pure Land. • taught her to practice the three acts of merit

2. Three Acts of Merit: Pure Karma • caring for one’s parents, attending to one’s teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing and doing the ten good deeds • taking the three refuges, keeping the various precepts, and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct • awakening aspiration for Enlightenment, believing deeply in the law of causality, chanting the Mahayana sutras, and encouraging people to follow their teachings

3. Pure Land Meditation: the exercise of visualizing • Contemplation in 13 stages: • Contemplation, 1st stage-- visulalizing the setting sun • sit in the proper posture, facing west • clearly gaze at the sun, with mind firmly fixed on it • concentrate your sight and don’t let it wander from the sun • can visualize the sun clearly now whether eyes are open or closed

4. Contemplation, 2nd stage • 2nd stage--visualizing water • envision the western region as entirely flooded by water • picture the water as clear and pure, and let this vision distinctly perceived • keep your thoughts from distracted • after having visualized the water, envision it becoming frozen ice and see it turning into beryl • with this vision, imaging the beryl ground shines • supported by columns made of diamond and the 7 jewels • hung with golden banners • columns have 8 sides and 8 corners, each adorned with 100 jewels • each jewel emits a thousand rays of light • each ray has eighty-four thousand colors that are reflected on the beryl ground • golden path on this beryl ground divide into areas made of one of 7 jewels

5. Contemplation, 3rd stage • 3rd stage:visualizing ground • after visualizing the water and beryl ground • see each object clearly without losing the image, whether eyes are closed or open • see ground of the Pure Land clearly and distinctly after attaining samadhi • this is third contemplation • evil karma will be extinguished • one will be reborn in the Pure Land

6. Contemplation, 4th stage • Contemplation 4th stage--visualizing the jeweled trees • visualize each one and form an image of 7 rows of trees • each being 8,000 yojanas high and adorned with 7-jeweled blossom and leaves • each blossom and leaf has the colors of various jewels • each issue one of 7 jewels’ light • splendid nets of pearls cover the trees • between these nets are palaces adorned with exquisite flowers • visualize the leaves, blossoms, fruits of the tree and their colors • fruits issue forth great floods of light that transform themselves into jeweled canopies

7. Contemplation, 5th stage • Contemplation 5th stage--visualizing the ponds • 8 ponds, each made of 7 soft and pliable jewels • the water springs from a wish-fulfilling king mani-gem • forms 14 streams, each in the color of the 7 jewels; its bank made of gold, and its bed colorful diamond sand • numerous lotus flowers in each stream • when rippling, it produces exquisite sounds • the sounds proclaim the truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence • praises the physical characteristics and marks of the Buddhas • the king mani-gem emits a splendid golden light which transform itself into birds with colors of a 100 jewels • their songs are melodious and elegant • this is the visualizing of the water of the eight excellent qualities

8. Contemplation, 6th stage • 6th Contemplation--a composite visualization • jeweled pavilions in which innumerable devas play heavenly music • musical instruments suspended in the sky, like heavenly jeweled banners, spontaneously produce tones • these tones proclaim the virtue of mindfulness of the Three Jewels • when completed, this contemplation is called the general perception of the jeweled trees, jeweled ground, and jeweled ponds of the Pure Land.

9. Contemplation, 7th Stage • The visualizing of theLotus Throne

10. Contemplation 8th stage • Visualizing the Buddha • Visualizing the image of bodhisattva Avalokitesvara • Visualizing the image of bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta

11. Contemplation 9th stage • Visualizing physical characteristics and the light of the Buddha Amitayus

12. Contemplation 10th stage • Visualizing the true physical features of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara

13. Contemplation 11th stage • Visualizing the true physical characteristics of the bodhisattva Mahathamaprapta

14. Contemplation 12th stage • Visualizing yourself (aspirant) as born in the Land of Utmost Bliss

15. Contemplation 13th Stage • Visualizing the Triad: • Amitayu • Avalokitesvara • Mahathamaprapta