Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Dharani

According to Chinese tradition, the Pure Land Rebirth Dhāraṇī was transmitted and transliterated by Guṇabhadra (Sanskrit; Chinese: 求那跋陀羅, 394–468) and by Narendrayasas (490–589). It was popularized by a certain Dharma Master Xiu of Tianping Monastery in the Northern Qi (550–577) capital of Ye (Hebei). The dhāraṇī may have been practiced by Pure Land patriarchs like Lushan Huiyuan, and it was also popularized by Amoghavajra at the Tang court. According to two texts (possibly from the Six dynasties period), one should bathe and clean one's mouth, light incense before a Buddha image, kneel with palms together and recite the dhāraṇī thirty seven times. This is to be repeated for the six periods of day and night. This text also describes the benefits of reciting the dhāraṇī as follows:the four grave transgressions, the five rebellious acts, the ten evil deeds, and even the sin of slandering the true Dharma—all will be eradicated. One will obtain all that one seeks in this life, and not be disturbed by malevolent spirits and demons. If one recites it up to 200,000 times, one will feel the emergence of the sprout of awakening (bodhi). If one reaches 300,000 recitations, one will behold Amitābha Buddha face to face. Chanting this dhāraṇī one thousand times is said to purify all past karma, bestow rebirth in the highest level of Sukhāvatī, and produce visions of Sukhāvatī, Amitāyus Buddha, and assemblies of bodhisattvas. From these honored ones, the practitioner will hear all of the sutras and, at the moment of death, attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī, emerging from a lotus blossom at the rank of a bodhisattva. At the end of life, one will certainly attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī, see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and quickly attain the highest level of bodhi. As in some of the other texts discussed previously, this dhāraṇī text describes a seven-jeweled chariot that transports one to Sukhāvatī. The Sanskrit term amṛta appears several times in this dhāraṇī and others. In the Ṛg Veda this term refers to the elixir of eternal life. The iconography of and texts associated with Amitābha/Amitāyus often describe this buddha as one whose Dharma serves as the ambrosia that grants eternal life. This is also connected to great bliss (mahāsukha), which may refer in particular to the ultimate bliss attained through the practices found in the tantras.In modern Chinese Buddhism, the dhāraṇī is usually recited 21, 27 or 49 times per day. In one type of group practice, participants usually recite this dhāraṇī three times after reciting the Heart Sutra or the Amitabha Sutra. Layman Lin Guangming wrote the extensive A Study of the Rebirth Mantra (往生咒研究 1997), which provides the most in-depth modern study of the Rebirth Mantra. In modern Chinese Buddhism, several influential figures have taught and promoted the Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Zhou). Pure Land figures such as Master Yinguang, and Master Chin Kung taught the mantra. Venerable Wu Gong and Master Hui Lü also highlighted its practical benefits in collected Dharma talks. Contemporary teachers like Venerable Ren Huan and Venerable Ci Fa have focused on the mantra’s power to remove karmic obstacles. == Texts ==

Short version Sanskrit: However, the -e ending can also be used for male vocative endings in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit and in Western Prakrit languages, and many Buddhist dharanis are in these languages. Thus, this need not be read as classical Sanskrit. If the gender of the words in the mantra are male, then they could just be other names for Amitabha Buddha. From the Tibetan Canon The Tibetan Buddhist Canon also includes a version of this dharani which is called Aparimita­guṇānuśāṁsa­dhāraṇī (The Dhāraṇī Praising the Qualities of the Immeasurable One):namo ratna­trayāya namo bhagavate amitabhāya tathāgatāya arhate saṃyak­sambuddhāya | tadyathā oṃ amite amitodbhave amita­saṃbhave amita­vikrānte amita­gamini gagana­kīrti­kare sarva­kleśa­kṣayaṃ­kare svāhā | Translation: "I pay homage to the Three Jewels. I pay homage to the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha‍—the blessed Amitābha with the following: Oṃ infinite one who arises from the infinite, whose nature is infinite, whose stride is infinite, whose range is infinite, who grants renown vast as the sky, who brings an end to all the afflictions, svāhā." namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā amṛ[te am]ṛto-bhate amṛtasaṃbhave amitagaganakīrtakare svāhāand namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā maṛte phu amṛte phu amṛtaviśodhane phu svāhā Chinese with back-transcription From CBETA's Gunabhadra edition (Taisho 0368): :南無 阿彌多婆夜 哆他伽哆夜 :namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya :哆地夜他 :tadyathā :阿彌利都婆毘 :amṛtodbhave :阿彌利哆悉眈 婆毘 :amṛtasiddhaṃ bhave :阿彌利哆毘迦蘭諦 :amṛtavikrānte :阿彌利哆毘迦蘭哆 :amṛtavikrānta :伽彌膩 伽伽那 枳多迦隷 :gāmine gagana kīrtakare :莎婆訶 :svāhā Chinese with corresponding pinyin transcription From CBETA's Gunabhadra edition (Taisho 0368):Namo ratna-trayāya, Namaḥ āryā'mitābhāyā, Tathāgatāyā'rhate samyak_saṃbuddhāya, tad_yathā, Oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛta-saṃbhave amṛta-garbhe, Amṛta-siddhe amṛta-teje amṛta-vikrānte, Amṛta-vikrānta-gāmine amṛta-gagana-kīrti-kare, Amṛta-dundubhi-svare sarvārtha-sādhane, Sarva-karma-kleśa-kṣayaṃ-kare svāhā. The Sanskrit of the dharani in the Stein collection print is: Namo ratnatrayāya Nama āryā'mitābhāya tathāgatāyā'rhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya Tadyathā: oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛtasaṃbhave amṛtagarbhe amṛtasiddhe amṛtateje amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini amṛtagaganakīrtikari amṛtadun-dubhisvare sarvārthasādhani sarvakarmakleśakṣayaṃkari svāhā Aum, brum, hum English:Homage to the Three Jewels, Homage to the noble Amitabha (Infinite Light), to the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly awakened one (samyaksambuddha). Thus: Oṃ O immortality (amrta), O maker of immortality! O born of immortality! O essence/embryo (garbha) of immortality! O immortality perfecting one! O the brilliance (teja) of immortality! O he who goes beyond immortality! O he who goes beyond immortality and whose glory is infinite as the sky (amṛtagaganakīrtikare) O sound of the drum of immortality realizing (sadhane) benefit for all. O he who destroys (ksayam) all karmic afflictions. Hail! == Other versions ==

'' discovered by Stein at the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China. An even longer expanded version was discovered in Dunhuang's Mogao Caves by Aurel Stein (1862–1943) which contains the core long version of the dhāraṇī (in the Siddham script) with further additions (such as the mantra of light) and dates to the Five Dynasties (926–975 CE) era. According to Gergely Hidas, the xylograph was likely "produced to serve as amulets". He further adds that "as for the sequence of the incantations, after the prime dhāraṇī dedicated to the depicted deity, further formulas are included most probably to enhance the efficacy of the amulet. The designers of these talismans are likely to have been monastic people with knowledge of Sanskrit and an understanding of the spells used. These objects were probably meant for a Chinese-speaking lay clientele in exchange for donations and must have been folded, wrapped and worn on the body." Sanskrit Gergely Hidas' critical edition of the Sanskrit text is as follows: [1] namo ratnatrayāya | nama āryāmitābhāya tathāgatāyārhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya | tadyathā | oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛtasaṃbhave amṛtagarbhe amṛtasiddhe amṛtateje amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini amṛtagaganakīrtikari amṛtadun-dubhisvare sarvārthasādhani sarvakarmakleśakṣayaṃkari svāhā | [2] oṃ amoghavairocanamahāmudrāmaṇipadmajvāla pravartaya hūṃ| [3] oṃ bhara bhara saṃ bhara saṃbhara indriyaviśodhani hūṃ hūṃ ruru cale svāhā | [4] namo bhagavatoṣṇīṣāya | oṃ ruru sphuru jvala tiṣ ṭha siddhalocane sarvārthasādhani svāhā | [5] ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥ | [6] oṃ vajrakrodhana hūṃ jaḥ | [7] oṃ vajrāyuṣe svāhā | English Hidas' English translation (with the titles of each dharani / mantra): 1. Obeisance to the Three Jewels and Amitābha, The SarvatathāgatāyurvajrahṛdayadhāraṇīVeneration to the Three Jewels. Veneration to the noble Amitābha, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Awakened One. Namely, Oṃ O Immortality, O the One Arisen from Immortality, O Immortality-born, O Immortality-child, O Immortality-perfect, O Immortality-power, O Immortality-valour, O the One Acting by Immortality-valour, O Immortality-sky-fame-maker, O Immortality-kettledrum-sound, O the One who Accomplishes all Aims, O Destroyer of all Defilements originating from [bad] Actions svāhā.2. The Prabhāsa-mantra (Mantra of Light, Chin. Guangming zhenyan, Jap. Komyo Shingon) Oṃ O Light of the Jewel-lotus that is the Great Seal of the Unfailing Vairocana advance hūṃ.3. The Mahāpratisarā-upahṛdayavidyā heart mantraOṃ provide, provide, support, support, O Purifier of the Abilities, hūṃ hūṃ ruru cale svāhā.4. Obeisance to Uṣṇīṣa. The Tathāgatalocanā-mahāvidyāVeneration to the glorious Uṣṇīṣa. oṃ ruru sphuru shine, stand by, O the One with Accomplished Eyes, O the One who Accomplishes all Aims svāhā.5. The Pratītyasamutpāda-gāthāThose dharmas which arise from a cause, the Tathāgata has declared their cause, and that which is the cessation of them. Thus the great renunciant has taught.6. The Ucchuṣma-mantraOṃ O Vajrakrodhana hūṃ jaḥ7. The Āyurvardhanī-vidyā (the formula which increases long life) of Vajrāyus Oṃ svāhā to Adamantine Life (Vajrāyus, i.e. Amitayus).The Chinese text printed on the side of the dhāraṇī states: This Great Vow [spell] of the Infinite Life [Buddha] is enormous and extensive.The Wish-fulfilling [spell] is [like] whatever your heart wishes, it will necessarily follow. The Buddha Eye Mother [spell] is extraordinarily auspicious. The Consecrated Light [spell] can destroy the bad paths [of rebirth]. The dragon-spirits [will] protect the place where the Ucchuṣma-mantra is put. As for the Verse of the Dharma-body, those who wear it at the waist will be equal to the Buddhas. The four assemblies are universally encouraged to keep and wear this [amulet] to create a karmic basis [for a good future] and it is also avowed that they [will] ascend together to the true and eternal wonderful fruit. == See also ==