A Smile, a Father's Light, and "Not Far Away"

Sixth, within the condition revealing the practice of dispersed goodness, there are five points.

First, from "at that time, the World-Honored One thereupon smiled" down through "attained the fruit of non-returning," this makes plain that the light benefited the king, the queen's own husband. This makes plain that the Tathāgata, seeing the queen's own wish to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and her further request for the practice by which that rebirth is attained, found this to accord fully with the Buddha's own original intent, and further revealed Amitābha's own vow-intent — and, on account of these two requests together, broadly opened wide the gate to the pure land. Not the queen alone would be able to go there, but every sentient being who heard of it might go as well. It was on account of this very benefit that the Tathāgata smiled. As for "light of five colors emerged from the Buddha's own mouth": this makes plain that it is the natural way of every buddha's own mind and speech that whatever light emerges must bring some benefit. As for "each ray of light illuminated the crown of Bimbisāra's own head": this makes plain specifically that the light from his mouth illuminated no other place, but only the crown of the king's own head. For the Buddha's own light, wherever upon his body it emerges, must always bring some benefit. Light emitted from beneath the Buddha's own feet illuminates and benefits the path of hell-beings. Light emerging from his knees illuminates and benefits the path of animals. Light emerging from his hidden organ illuminates and benefits ghosts and spirits. Light emerging from his navel illuminates and benefits asuras. Light emerging from his heart illuminates and benefits the human path. Light emerging from his mouth illuminates and benefits those of the two lesser vehicles. Light emerging from between his brows illuminates and benefits those of the Great Vehicle. Now, this light in question emerged from his own mouth, and, directly illuminating the crown of the king's own head, thereby bestowed upon him the lesser fruit. Had the light instead emerged from between his brows, and entered through the crown of the recipient's own head, this would have bestowed a bodhisattva's own prediction of future buddhahood instead. Meanings of this kind extend broadly, beyond measure, and cannot here be set forth in full. As for "at that time, the great king, though still confined in seclusion" and what follows, this makes plain that the king's father, receiving this light upon the crown of his own head, had the eye of his own mind opened — and though many obstructions still stood between them, he beheld the Buddha of himself, quite naturally. This was thus a beholding of the Buddha brought about through this very light, entirely beyond what he himself had ever anticipated. Paying homage and taking refuge, he thereupon transcended directly to the third fruit.

Second, from "at that time, the World-Honored One" down through "broadly explained through many parables," this makes plain the answer to the queen's own earlier particular choice and her request for the practice. This makes plain that the Tathāgata, from the point where he vanished from Vulture Peak above and appeared within the royal palace, all the way down to this present passage, the World-Honored One sat in silence throughout, without speaking a single word. But everything that occurred in between — the queen's own repentance and questioning, the emitted light, the revealed lands, and all the rest — was witnessed by Ānanda from within the royal palace, in the Buddha's own presence; and only once this affair had concluded, and he had returned to the mountain and related it before the great assembly at Vulture Peak, did this present passage come to be recorded. This should not, then, be understood as the Buddha speaking these words without any elapsed time at all — this should be understood. As for "at that time, the World-Honored One addressed Vaidehī" and what follows, this makes plain that he issued his own command, granting permission to speak. As for "Amitābha is not far away": this makes plain specifically the marking out of this realm as an object upon which to fix the mind, and this carries three meanings. First, this makes plain that, in terms of measured distance, it is not far — beyond a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-lands from this very place lies Amitābha's own land. Second, this makes plain that, though the road there is distant, in the very moment one goes, one arrives at once. Third, this makes plain that Vaidehī and all sentient beings of future ages who share this same karmic affinity, fixing their own minds and contemplating steadily, will find that their meditative state corresponds directly to that realm, so that the practitioner naturally and constantly beholds it. It is on account of these three meanings that it is said to be "not far away." As for "you should now fix your thoughts" and what follows, this makes plain that ordinary beings' own delusions run so deep, and their own minds are so often scattered and stirred, that unless they cast off entirely their own habitual grasping at objects, this pure realm has no way at all to appear before them. This is thus the direct teaching for settling the mind and abiding in this practice — and it is precisely by relying on this method that what is called the accomplishment of pure karma comes about.