"Is it not a wonderful thing, mysterious and miraculous to the
worldling, that a man who commits wrong can become a saint, that
he who attains to true enlightenment will find the path of truth
and abandon the evil ways of selfishness? 5
"The bhikkhu who renounces the transient pleasures of the world
for the eternal bliss of holiness, performs the only miracle that
can truly be called a miracle. 6
"A holy man changes the curses of karma into blessings. The
desire to perform miracles arises either from covetousness or
from vanity. 7
"That mendicant does right who does not think: 'People should
salute me'; who, though despised by the world, yet cherishes no
ill-will towards it. 8
"That mendicant does right to whom omens, meteors, dreams, and
signs are things abolished; he is free from all their evils. 9
"Amitābha, the unbounded light, is the source of wisdom, of
virtue, of Buddhahood. The deeds of sorcerers and miracle-mongers
are frauds, but what is more wondrous, more mysterious, more
miraculous than Amitābha?" 10
"But, Master," continued the sāvaka, "is the promise of the happy
region vain talk and a myth?" 11
"What is this promise?" asked the Buddha; and the disciple
replied: 12
"There is in the west a paradise called the Pure Land,
exquisitely adorned with gold and silver and precious gems. There
are pure waters with golden sands, surrounded by pleasant walks
and covered with large lotus flowers. Joyous music is heard, and
flowers rain down three times a day. There are singing birds
whose harmonious notes proclaim the praises of religion, and in
the minds of those who listen to their sweet sounds, remembrance
arises of the Buddha, the law, and the brotherhood. No evil birth
is possible there, and even the name of hell is unknown. He who
fervently and with a pious mind repeats the words 'Amitābha
Buddha' will be transported to the happy region of this pure
land, and when death draws nigh, the Buddha, with a company of
saintly followers, will stand before him, and there will be
perfect tranquillity." 13
"In truth," said the Buddha, "there is such a happy paradise. But
the country is spiritual and it is accessible only to those that
are spiritual. Thou sayest it lies in the west. This means, look
for it where he who enlightens the world resides. The sun sinks
down and leaves us in utter darkness, the shades of night steal
over us, and Māra, the evil one, buries our bodies in the grave.
Sunset is nevertheless no extinction, and where we imagine we see
extinction, there is boundless light and inexhaustible life." 14
"I understand," said the sāvaka, "that the story of the Western
Paradise is not literally true." 15
"Thy description of paradise," the Buddha continued, "is
beautiful; yet it is insufficient and does little justice to the
glory of the pure land. The worldly can speak of it in a worldly
way only; they use worldly similes and worldly words. But the
pure land in which the pure live is more beautiful than thou
canst say or imagine. 16
"However, the repetition of the name Amitābha Buddha is
meritorious only if thou speak it with such a devout attitude of
mind as will cleanse thy heart and attune thy will to do works of
righteousness. He only can reach the happy land whose soul is
filled with the infinite light of truth. He only can live and
breathe in the spiritual atmosphere of the Western Paradise who
has attained enlightenment. 17
"Verily I say unto thee, the Tathāgata lives in the pure land of
eternal bliss even now while he is still in the body; and the
Tathāgata preaches the law of religion unto thee and unto the
whole world, so that thou and thy brethren may attain the same
peace and the same happiness." 18
Said the disciple: "Teach me, O Lord, the meditations to which I
must devote myself in order to let my mind enter into the
paradise of the pure land." 19