16. Gokuraku Jodo (Sukhavati) – Take 2
What is Saiho Gokuraku Jodo, the “Western Pureland” world?
It is not the world of reality that we experience every day. As you know, Shakyamuni Buddha was a real person in this world of reality. Though there are various conjectures about the year of his birth and death, he was born in the south of Nepal, and lived from approximately the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. He attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and dedicated the rest of his life to preaching Buddhism, until he died at the age of 80.
The Pureland Paradise described in the Mahayana scriptures is not the world we live our daily life in, that we call the “real” world. It is a specific world of awakening called “hodo”. It is, however, not a world that will be discovered in outer space with advances in the technology of astrophysics and astronomical observation.
But even though it is not the “real” world, as we know it, it is not a fictional world we may imagine or dream of. It is another real world, created by Amida Buddha, the true world for Amida Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and all other Buddhas.
In the scriptures, it is described as follows.
The land there is pure and not corrupted, made up of seven excellent treasures, full of light, free from pain, and peaceful. The land is filled with enchanting melodies, the fragrance of lotus flowers, and Mahayana teachings.
Amida Buddha sits on a pedestal made of lotus flowers, decorated with much treasure; his body enormous and shining brightly. Amida’s inestimable light illuminates worlds in the ten directions, to save all who call the name of Amida by chanting the Nembutsu. On the left and right of Amida, there sit Kan’non (Guanyin) Bodhisattva and Seishi Bodhisattva, both shining brilliantly, accompanied by many other holy practitioners. Celestial beings play enchanting music.
A little while ago, I found the following video on YouTube – a promotional animation created by a Taiwanese company, based on the mural paintings of Dunhuang. In this video, the Pureland Paradise is vividly expressed as a colorful and lustrous world filled with lively activity.
The museum in Taito-ku (Tokyo, Japan) also contains a copy of the original mural painting.
- Dunhuang Mogao Caves Mural Painting 220th Cave South Wall Amida Pure Land Phase Change Part (Early Tang Dynasty)
- Same as above
(See the list page for: The List of Works )
Sukhavati Pure Land, i.e., the world where dead people are is not a lonely place — the thoughts of the people have been conveyed in this way constantly from the ancient Tang dynasty to today’s world. ☸
Created: March 5, 2021 Updated: July 11, 2023