On Saturday, 8:00 PM Pacific Time, at Seattle Lei Tsang Si Temple, True Buddha School Dharma King Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu will preside over Amitabha Buddha group practice, and discourse the Surangama Sutra.
Amitabha is one of the three roots of Dharma King Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu. Amitabha made 48 great vows and has saved countless sentient beings. He is known as the ''Amitabha of every household.'' In Vajrayana, Amitabha is one of the five wisdoms of Vairocana Buddha.
The Larger Amitabha Sutra discoursed by the Buddha has two versions. One version was rectified by Jinshi Wang Rixiu during the Song Dynasty. The other version is called the Sukhavati-vyuha. (This is also called the Larger Amitabha Sutra.)
In the sutra, the Buddha refers to an emanated youth, namely ''Padmakumara.''
The emanated lotus youths or Padmakumara are also referenced in our usual recitation of ''Namo the 36 trillion 119 thousand and 500 Amitabha Buddhas.'' Padmakumara is therefore Amitabha. The symbol of Amitabha is the lotus. The origin of Padmakumara is Amitabha. I took ''Lian-sheng'' as my epithet to reference ''lotus born,'' which is namely Amitabha Buddha.
Of all the buddhas, Amitabha has saved the most sentient beings in the Saha World. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss consists of three levels and nine classes. As long as one is single-minded and believes in Amitabha's vows, one is able to accomplish rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even one who has broken precepts and committed the ten evil acts and the five heinous crimes can still be delivered to one of the nine lotus born classes in Amitabha's Pure Land and see the magnificent Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss if one recites the name of Amitabha Buddha single-mindedly at the time of passing. This is how transcendental the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is. Amitabha's vows are tremendous and magnificent. He is the Buddha of Immeasurable Life who has saved the most beings.
What is marvellous about Amitabha's Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is that it consists of four pure lands - the Common Land of Ordinary and Holy Beings, the Land of Expedient Means for Beings with Remains, the Solemn Land of Permanent Rewards, and the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light. What is extraordinary about the Common Land of Ordinary and Holy Beings is that even those with karma can be reborn there, which is of great expediency. This incredible lotus environment can transform an ordinary being's mind of birth and death into the bodhi mind of no-birth and no-death.
All are warmly invited, including newcomers and those without the Amitabha Buddha empowerment; this normal requirement for this practice is waived during group practice with the Root Guru. Since the emanations of Amitabha are many including Manjusri, Kurukulla and Yamantaka, prayers Amitabha can benefit our mundane and supramundane needs.
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