An Expository of the Sukhavati Aspiration Prayer

by Lhala Chodri Rinpoche (1862-1945)(喇拉曲智仁波切)

Root text Sukhavati Aspiration Prayer 

by Karma Chakme Rinpoche

Translation and commentary (Tibetan to Chinese): Khenpo Sodargye

Content:

A.1, (How to listen to Dharma teaching) in two: 1, Summary; 2, Explanation of each parts.

B.1, Summary

B.2, (in divisions) has three parts. 1, the root of virtue is to practise with skillful means, the preliminary supreme method of aspiration. 2, the root of virtue is not to be damaged by adverse conditions, the supreme method of practising without conceptualization during the main body of the practice. 3, the root of vitue is the daily growth, the supreme method of dedication in the end.

C.1, The root of virtue is to practise with skillful means, the preliminary supreme method of aspiration

C.2, The root of virtue is not to be damaged by adverse conditions, the supreme method of practising without conceptualization during the main body of the practice:

C.3, The daily growth of the root of virtue, the supreme method of dedication in the end:

A.2, (the Dharma taught) in two parts: 1, Making one rejoice in the Dharma, encouraging practice; 2, The actual exposition.

B.1, Making one rejoice in the Dharma, encouraging practice:

B.2, (the main teaching of the meaning of the prayer) in three parts: 1. Elaboration of the four causes of practicing rebirth in Sukhavati; 2. Ending with stating the merits of chanting the Buddha's name; 3. Wishing for auspiciousness - using words of ultimate truth, dharani mantra for blessing.

C.1, (Elaboration of the four causes of practicing rebirth in Sukhavati) in four parts: 1. Visualizing the field of accumulation (i.e. Amitabha) clearly; 2. Accumulating merits and clearing karmic obstacles; 3. Generating bodhichitta; 4. Generating pure aspirations and dedication.

D.1, (Visualizing the field of accumulation clearly) in two parts: 1, Visualizing the pure realm clearly; 2, Visualizing the Buddha and his retinue clearly.

E.1, Visualizing the pure realm clearly:

E.2, (Visualizing the Buddha and his retinue clearly) in four parts: 1. Clearly visualize the deity's body; 2. Clearly visualize his mind and merits; 3. Clearly visualize the main ones in the retinue; 4. Clearly visualize the rest of the retinue.

F.1, Clearly visualize the deity's body:

F.2, Visualizing the merits of Amitabha's mind clearly:

F.3, Visualizing the leading retinue:

F.4, Visualizing the rest of the retinue clearly:

D.2, (accumulating merits and clearing obstacles) in seven parts: 1. Prostration; 2. Offering; 3. Confession; 4. Rejoice; 5. Request for teaching the dharma; 6. Beseech for not entering nirvana; 7. Dedication.

E.1, (the prostration branch that cures pride) in two parts: 1. Brief explanation; 2. Detailed explanation.

F.1, Brief introduction:

F.2, (detailed explanation) in two parts: 1, reflect on the name's uniqueness and prostrate; 2, reflect on the merits of reciting the name and prostrate.

G.1, Reflect on the name's uniqueness and prostrate:

G.2, Reflect on the merits of reciting the name and prostrate:

E.2, (Offerings as antidote to stinginess or greed) in three parts: 1. Material offerings; 2. Imaginary offerings; 3. Natural objects offerings.

F.1, Material offerings:

F.2, Imaginary offerings:

F.3, Natural objects offerings:

E.3 (the branch of confession to remedy ignorance) in four parts: 1. Confess with the antidotal power of action; 2. Confess with the antidotal power of remorse; 3. Confess with the antidotal power of resolve to abandon misdeeds; 4. Confess with the antidotal power of the meditational deity.

F.1 (Confess with the antidotal power of action) in four parts: 1. Confess to self-nature misdeeds; 2. Confess to proscribed misdeeds; 3. Confess to self-nature misdeeds that are not recognized; 4. Confess to proscribed misdeeds committed not knowing the prohibition.

G.1, in two parts: 1. Confess to the general misdeeds of body, speech, and mind; 2. Confess to the serious misdeeds of body, speech, and mind.

H.1 in three parts: 1. Confes to the three misdeeds of body; 2. Confess to the four misdeeds of speech; 3. Confess to the three misdeeds of mind.

I.1, Confess to the three misdeeds of the body:

I.2, Confess to the four kinds of non-virtues of speech:

I.3, Confess to the three misdeeds of mind:

H.2 (Confess to the serious misdeeds of body, speech, and mind) in five parts: 1. Confess to the five heinous crimes; 2. Confess to the near heinous crimes; 3. Confess to the crime of abandoning the Dharma; 4. Confess to the crime of slandering Bodhisattvas; 5. Confess to the crime of wrong views.

I.1, Confess the five heinous crimes:

I.2, Confess to the near heinous crimes:

I.3, Confessing to the crime of abandoning the Dharma:

I.4, Confess to the crime of slandering Bodhisattvas:

I.5, Confess to the crime of wrong views:

G.2, (Confess to proscribed misdeeds) in three parts: 1. Confess to the downfall of pratimoksha vows; 2. Confess to the downfall of bodhisattva vows; 3. Confess to the downfall of tantric vows.

H.1, Confess to the downfall of pratimoksha vows

H.2, Confess to the downfall of Bodhisattva vows:

H.3, Confess to the downfall of tantric vows:

G.3, Confess to self-nature misdeeds that are not recognized:

G.4, Confess to proscribed misdeeds committed not knowing the prohibition:

F.2, Confess with the antidotal power of remorse:

F.3, Confess with the antidotal power of resolve to abandon misdeeds: 

F.4, Confess with the antidotal power of the meditational deity:

E.4, (The branch of rejoicing in others' merit to remedy jealousy) in four parts: 1. The merits of rejoicing; 2. Rejoice in the pure and impure roots of virtue; 3. Separately rejoice in the roots of virtue of Mahayana; 4. Rejoice in the ten special virtuous deeds.

F.1, The merits of rejoicing:

F.2, Rejoice in the pure and impure roots of virtue:

F.3, Separately rejoice in the roots of virtue of Mahayana:

F.4, Rejoice in the ten special virtuous deeds:

E.5, The branch of requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma as an antidote to the abandonment of the Dharma:

E.6, The branch of requesting not to enter Nirvana as an antidote to wrong views:

E.7, (the dedication branch as an antidote to doubt) in two parts: 1. Dedication for sentient beings to attain the ultimate Buddhahood; 2. Dedication for the accomplishment of temporary benefits.

F.1, Dedication for sentient beings to attain the ultimate Buddhahood:

F.2, Dedication for temporary benefit:

D.3, Generating Bodhichitta:

D.4, (Generating pure aspirations) in four parts: 1. Generating aspirations regarding oneself; 2. Generating aspirations by contemplating the virtues of the pure realm; 3. Generating aspirations by contemplating the qualities of the main deity; 4. Aspire to attain Buddhahood eventually.

E.1, (Generating aspirations regarding oneself) in four parts: 1. Aspire to personally see the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the end of life; 2. Aspire to have no attachment to samsara at the time of death; 3. Aspire to be reborn in Sukhavati; 4. Aspire for the merits to be gained after rebirth. 

F.1, Aspire to personally see the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the end of life:

F.2, (Aspire to eliminate attachment to samsara at death) in two parts: 1. Develop aversion to the suffering of samsara; 2. Eliminate attachment.

G.1, Develop aversion to the suffering of samsara:

G.2, Eliminate attachment:

F.3, Aspire to be reborn in Sukhavati:

F.4, (Aspire for the merits to be gained after rebirth) in five parts: 1. Aspire for the Buddha body with major and minor marks of perfection; 2. Aspire to eliminate the obstacle of doubts; 3. Aspire to receive the enlightenment prophecy and to listen to the Dharma; 4. Aspire to go to other pure realms; 5. Aspire to go to impure realms.

G.1, Aspire for the Buddha body with major and minor marks of perfection:

G.2, Aspire to eliminate the obstacle of doubts:

G.3, Aspire to receive the enlightenment prophecy and to listen to the Dharma:

G.4, Aspire to go to other pure realms:

G.5, Aspire to go to impure realms:

E.2, (Generating aspirations by contemplating the virtues of the pure realm) in two parts: 1. General statement; 2. Detailed description. 

F.1, General statement: 

F.2, (Detailed description) in two parts: 1. The qualities of the inanimate world; 2. The qualities of the animate world.

G.1, in three parts: 1. The qualities of the earth; 2. The qualities of the wonderful trees; 3. The qualities of the water and flowers.

H.1, The qualities of the earth:

H.2, The qualities of the wonderful trees:

H.3, The qualities of the water and flowers:

G.2, The qualities of the animate world:

E.3, Generating aspirations by contemplating the qualities of the main deity:

E.4, Aspire to attain Buddhahood eventually:

C.2, Ending with stating the merits of chanting the Buddha's name:

C.3, Aspire to have the favorable conditions - gain blessings by the power of  the truths of Dharmata, dharanis, and mantras: