What Is the Pure Land Like?

The manifested body of the Blissful Pure Land appears in many ways similar to the highest qualities of the human and god realms. So, for example, beings born there will take on forms like those of human beings and gods.

Although this manifested pure land appears as the object of dualistic concepts and emotions, it nonetheless blossoms with openness and positive qualities.

It is a celestial land, situated in the sky (not in the ocean or on earth) and filled with precious substances.

It functions within a hierarchical order of teachers and disciples.

All beings who are born into this pure land are disciples, and among these disciples are bodhisattvas who in turn serve as teachers to others.

The Blissful Pure Land resembles the human and god realms in having dimensional structures, distinctions of size and distance, and a relative time zone.

However, it is not subject to human sufferings such as the pains of birth, old age, sickness, and death, nor to the sufferings of the gods, such as death and falling to lower realms.

Explaining why it is called the Blissful Pure Land, Shakyamuni Buddha said:

“In the Blissful Pure Land, there is no suffering in the bodies of beings. There is no suffering in their minds. There are immeasurable causes of happiness. That is why this is called the Blissful Pure Land.”

The terrain of the Blissful Pure Land is soft and even, like the palm of a youthful hand.

It is boundless, young, fresh, tender, and comforting to the touch, with no thorns, pebbles, rocks, or slopes.

It is quiet, peaceful, joyful, and immaculate. It is made of seven precious materials [gold, silver, beryl, crystal, coral, red pearl, and diamond] and adorned with golden designs without any trace of harshness, grossness, roughness, filth, dullness, or decay.

It is bright and colourful, emitting rays of light.

In this very pure land, other immeasurable buddha pure lands appear like reflections in the face of a clear mirror. One can see these reflected pure lands just as if one were watching other continents on a TV in the living room.

This pure land has no dark or ordinary mountains, but it is adorned with many kinds of smooth mountains of precious gems with high and low peaks.

Here and there, the mountains are adorned with heaps of precious gems, mines of precious treasures, caves of precious jewels, and huts made of exquisite vines.

Exquisite trees in colourful designs adorn the landscape.

There are trees made of one, two, or three precious substances.

Many others are made of seven precious substances: the roots are made of gold, the trunks of silver, the branches of lapis lazuli, the leaves of crystal, the petals of carnelian, the flowers of mother-of-pearl, and the fruits of rubies.

These trees are soft and comforting to the touch, spreading sweet fragrances in all directions.

Soothing sounds are carried by the currents of the wind.

This pure land is adorned with chains of wide and deep lakes, ponds, and rivers where many beings are at play with great ease.

Comfortable steps of precious gems lead you to the ponds and lakes filled with uncontaminated water.

The ground is made of precious jewels covered with golden sand.

The ponds are filled with water with eight healthful qualities: it is clear, cool, light, tasteful, soft, pure, healthful for the throat, and healthful for the stomach.

Heavenly lotuses emitting a celestial aroma float upon the waters.

The temperature of the water changes according to your wish.

Rivers flow with the sounds of hundreds of thousands of symphonies that are incomparable even to any celestial music.

The banks of the lakes and rivers are filled with richly scented groves.

The rivers vibrate profound and vast Dharma teachings at your bidding.

Infinite celestial birds manifested by the buddha inhabit the pure land.

Like the mountains, flowers, and other features of the land, the birds are all manifestations of the buddha and are the buddha himself.

As such, they are a source of peace, joy, wisdom, and enlightenment, not sources of confusion, grasping, greed, or hatred.

Just as a person in an ordinary realm hears ordinary birdsong, in this pure land you will hear the birds singing the blissful sounds of the Dharma.

However, if you prefer silence, what you will hear is solely the sound of silence.

All the flowers are made of precious substances in various colours.

They are as big as a half, one, or ten yojana (a yojana equals four thousand fathoms).

From each flower arises an infinite number of rays of golden light.

On each ray of light, infinite numbers of buddhas appear.

Appearances of the buddhas fill immeasurable world systems, proclaiming the roar of teachings to the ears of all beings who are open to them.

Disciples in the pure land do not rely on gross food.

But if they wish, any delicacies they desire will appear before them and please them without their needing to eat them.

Likewise, whatever they want – incense, perfume, parasols, banners, musical instruments, clothes, or ornaments – will appear before them as they wish.

But these things will not appear for those who do not wish for them.

For those who want mansions, there will appear multi-storied, multi-domed mansions made of precious materials, filled with priceless seats, beds, celestial ornaments, and amazing decorations.

Each mansion is filled with thousands of celestial beings providing limitless music and pleasing entertainment.

Disciples travel through the sky together with their divine mansions, gardens, forests, rivers, and ponds.

Every morning, noon, afternoon, dusk, midnight, and dawn, breezes from the four directions visit everyone.

They bring the rain of scented flowers from the trees and cover the earth with blossoms as soft as silk.

When you are touched by the scented breezes, you feel as blissful as if you are in meditative absorption.

Soon all the older flowers on the ground will disappear, replaced by fresh ones.

Now and then, scented showers bring a sprinkling of celestial flowers and ornaments, accompanied by music and dances performed by celestial beings.

In the pure land, all forms, sounds, and feelings are images, sounds, and experiences of the Dharma.

This does not mean that the forms become buddha-images or the sounds become words of the Buddhist scriptures; but rather that all are the source or presence of peace, joy, and enlightenment.

In the center of this abundant pure land is the Tree of Enlightenment.

Its height is six hundred thousand yojana.

It is adorned with ravishing leaves, flowers, and fruits, and decorated with precious gems and golden garlands.

As they are touched by the wind, they emit enchanting sounds heard in numerous world systems.

All who hear, see, or smell the Tree of Enlightenment – or who taste its fruits, touch its lights, or think of it mentally – will be freed from wavering concepts and afflicting emotions.

The size and form of the Tree of Enlightenment are described here according to the way ordinary people might see it, but in reality it is inconceivable.

At the foot of the tree is a huge lotus seat. This is the seat of the Buddha of Infinite Light, from which he teaches and liberates all.

Source: Based on Thondup, Tulku. Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook. Shambhala. Kindle Edition.

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