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"But, Master," continued the svaka, "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 'Amitbha 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.[Pg 174] 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 Mra, 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 svaka, "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 Amitbha 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 Tathgata lives in the pure land of eternal bliss even now while he is still in the body; and the Tathgata 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

Buddha said: "There are five meditations.20

"The first meditation is the meditation of love in which thou must so adjust thy heart that thou longest for the weal and welfare of all beings, including the happiness of thine enemies. [Pg 175]21

"The second meditation is the meditation of pity, in which thou thinkest of all beings in distress, vividly representing in thine imagination their sorrows and anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in thy soul.22

"The third meditation is the meditation of joy in which thou thinkest of the prosperity of others and rejoicest with their rejoicings.23

"The fourth meditation is the meditation on impurity, in which thou considerest the evil consequences of corruption, the effects of wrongs and evils. How trivial is often the pleasure of the moment and how fatal are its consequences!24

"The fifth meditation is the meditation on serenity, in which thou risest above love and hate, tyranny and thraldom, wealth and want, and regardest thine own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquillity.25

"A true follower of the Tathgata founds not his trust upon austerities or rituals but giving up the idea of self relies with his whole heart upon Amitbha, which is the unbounded light of truth."26

The Blessed One after having explained his doctrine of Amitbha, the immeasurable light which makes him who receives it a Buddha, looked into the heart of his disciple and saw still some doubts and anxieties. And the Blessed One said: "Ask me, my son, the questions which weigh upon thy soul."27

And the disciple said: "Can a humble monk, by sanctifying himself, acquire the talents of supernatural wisdom called Abhias and the supernatural powers called Iddhi? Show me the Iddhi-pda, the path to the highest wisdom? Open to me the Jhnas which are the means of acquiring samdhi, the fixity of mind which enraptures the soul."28

And the Blessed One said: "Which are the Abhias?"29

The disciple replied: "There are six Abhias: (1) The celestial eye; (2) the celestial ear; (3) the body at will or[Pg 176] the power of transformation; (4) the knowledge of the destiny of former dwellings, so as to know former states of existence; (5) the faculty of reading the thoughts of others; and (6) the knowledge of comprehending the finality of the stream of life."30

And the Blessed One replied: "These are wondrous things; but verily, every man can attain them. Consider the abilities of thine own mind; thou wert born about two hundred leagues from here and canst thou not in thy thought, in an instant travel to thy native place and remember the details of thy father's home? Seest thou not with thy mind's eye the roots of the tree which is shaken by the wind without being overthrown? Does not the collector of herbs see in his mental vision, whenever he pleases, any plant with its roots, its stem, its fruits, leaves, and even the uses to which it can be applied? Cannot the man who understands languages recall to his mind any word whenever he pleases, knowing its exact meaning and import? How much more does the Tathgata understand the nature of things; he looks into the hearts of men and reads their thoughts. He knows the evolution of beings and foresees their ends."31

Said the disciple: "Then the Tathgata teaches that man can attain through the Jhnas the bliss of Abhia."32

And the Blessed One asked in reply: "Which are the Jhnas through which man reaches Abhia?"33

The disciple replied: "There are four Jhnas. The first Jhna is seclusion in which one must free his mind from sensuality; the second Jhna is a tranquillity of mind full of joy and gladness; the third Jhna is a taking delight in things spiritual; the fourth Jhna is a state of perfect purity and peace in which the mind is above all gladness and grief."[Pg 177]34