無量壽經

Readings

Pinyin: Wúliángshòu jīng

Wade-Giles: Wu-liang-shou ching

Hangul: 무량수경

Korean MC: Muryangsu gyeong

Korean MR: Muryangsu kyŏng

Katakana: ムリョウジュキョウ

Hepburn: Muryōju kyō

Vô lượng thọ kinh

Sutra of Immeasurable Life

• Wuliangshou jing, or Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha (Sukhāvatī-vyūha-sūtra, *Amitāyuḥ-sūtra, *Amitâbha-vyūha). 2 fasc. trans. Saṃghavarman 康僧鎧 T 360.12.265c-279a; also thought to have been cooperatively translated by Buddhabhadra 佛陀跋陀羅 (359–429) of the Eastern Jin dynasty and Baoyun 寶雲 (376–449) of the Liu Sung dynasty. One of three basic texts 三部經 of the Pure Land school 淨土宗. Also known by the titles 大無量壽經 and 大經. This text explains the causal practices and the meritorious virtues attained by Amitâyus (Amitâbha) Buddha 阿彌陀佛, as well as how sentient beings may be reborn in the pure western paradise 淨土 (安樂國土, 極樂) through the practice of recitation/mindfulness of the Buddha's name 念佛. It is also known as the "Two Roll Sutra" (兩卷經, 雙卷經) especially given the clear thematic distinction between the two rolls, with the first roll devoted to the explanation of the characteristics of the Pure Land, and the latter roll devoted to the explanation of the character and behavior of the beings who are reborn there. The Larger Sukhāvatī-vyūha was translated twelve times from Sanskrit into Chinese, with five of these being extant. The translations differ each other considerably, with only the following points being consistent: the scene of dialogue is placed at Rājagṛha 王舍城, with the Buddha, Ānanda, and Maitreya introduced as the principal discussants; the subject being the description of the Pure Land, together with the history of Amitâbha Buddha from his early stage as a under the name Dharmâkara. Also this sutra explains the cause and effect through which human beings attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land by invoking the name of Amitâbha. The best known of these is the version mentioned above, translated by Saṃghavarman. The others include:
  1. the Emituo sanye sanfo saloufotan guodu rendao jing 阿彌陀三耶三佛薩樓佛檀過度人道經. [T 362]
  2. Wuliang qingjing pingdengjue jing 無量淸淨平等覺經. [T 361]
  3. Da amituo jing 大阿彌陀經 [T 364].
  4. Dasheng wuliangshou zhuangyan jing 大乘無量壽莊嚴經 [T 363]
  [resp. Charles Muller; source(s): JEBD, Hirakawa,Iwanami]
• At least twenty commentaries have been written on the text in China, Korea and Japan, but three of the best-known are the 無量壽經義疏, one each by Huiyuan 慧遠 and Jizang 吉藏, the 無量壽經宗要 by Wonhyo 元曉, and the 無量壽經連義述文贊 by Gyeongheung 璟興.

  References:

  Luis OGómezLand of Bliss: The Paradise of the Buddha of Measureless Light; Sanskrit and Chinese Versions of the Sukhāvatīvyūha SūtrasHonoluluUniv. of Hawai'i Press1999

  A. CharlesMullerDoctrinal Essentials of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Muryangsugyeong jong-yo) 無量壽經宗要Wonhyo: Selected WorksSeoul1140-212Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism2012Collected Works of Korean Buddhism

  [resp. Charles Muller]

Dictionary References:

Bukkyō jiten (Ui), 1046

Bulgyo sajeon, 217a

The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue, {digital}

Chūgoku bukkyōshi jiten (Kamata), 380

Iwanami bukkyō jiten, 790

Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha), 203b/227

Zen Dust (Sasaki), 383

Zengo jiten (Iriya and Koga), 2-P232

Fo Guang Dictionary, 5119

Ding Fubao

Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa), 0778

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono), ⑩427a/⑩427a*/⑩428d/⑩429a/⑩429b/⑬467a*

Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki), (v.1-6)4850c,1453c,3411c

Bukkyō daijiten (Oda), 1720-2

Copyright © 2010 -- Charles Muller

generated: 2014-02-08