The Pure Land Method - Jing tu Zong - Rebirth Dharani

THE PURE LAND REBIRTH DHARANI

In Chinese it is called:

     "Fundamental dharani that each evil creature must be born in Pure Land."

         拔一切业障根本得生净土陀罗尼

                    yīqiè yèzhàng gēnběn děi shēng jìngtǔ tuóluóní  

It is said that when a devotee succeeds in realizing singleness of mind by repeating a dharani, its true and profound meaning will be clearly revealed. A dharani, as opposed to a Mantra, uses meaningful, intelligible phrases.

The Dharani then is repeated to induce the singleness of mind that allows one who is prevented by impediments from proceeding to Awakening (the Pure Land) through the repetition of the Dharani.      

It does not produce Awakening, as many hope and suppose. It prepares the way for the natural revitalization of Infinite Compassion.

                                       低头弥陀 如来 吟唱 以下

                 要行径 普济众生 产生 娘胎 普济众生 

                    进一步 普济众生 获取 普济众生

                太极解放天 ??  成就。

                                   dītóu Mítuó rúlái yínchàng yǐxià 

        Yào xíngjìng pǔjìzhòngshēng chǎnshēng niángtāi pǔjìzhòngshēng 

                    jìnyībù pǔjìzhòngshēng huòqǔ pǔjìzhòngshēng

                                      Tàijí jiěfàng tiān ?? svapohe

       I, bowing to Amitabha Tathagata (thus gone), recite as follows:

            "May the behaviour (path) of Infinite Compassion arise from the same-womb of Infinite Compassion,

      stepping beyond Infinite Compassion (may I) gain Infinite Compassion,

                  the ultimate liberation of heaven ??? so be accomplished."

The first concept here of importance is 低头, dītóu; this bowing has the sense of 拱手相让, gōng shǒu xiāng ràng, "bowing and giving way readily" to Amitabha, who represents the Light of Compassion. It is evident that the idea is that the Dharani repetition wishes to reinforce Yuan Shen, the transformation of the Natural Infinite Compassion from the womb program (fount) to the masculine expression of that Compassion.

It then affirms that one must step beyond conceptual Infinite Compassion to attain the pure non-cognitive state of the unconscious experience itself.

This Infinite Compassion, then, must be understood as the 太极, Taiji, is the Absolute or Supreme Ultimate, the source of all things within Dao which liberates one, thus achieving the Natural State of Heaven.

   The characters 普济众生, pǔjìzhòngshēn, presents Infinite Compassion as the "universal mercy and succor of Buddha."

(Sanskrit)

   namo amitabhaya tathagataya tadyatha

           amitabhave amitasambhave

      amitavikrante amitavikrantagamini

             gagana kurtachare svaha