Sukhavati

Sukhavati ( Sat सुखावती, Sukhāvatī; bo Dewachen བདེ་བ་ཅན་; .极乐Chinese, Pinyin jile vi CUC Lạc, . Jap.极 楽, Gokuraku ), "the Joyful " ( Sat sukha - vat ), the Name of the Pure Land ( Sat buddhakṣetra, literally " Buddha field") of the Buddha Amitabha, who is worshiped in Amitabha Buddhism and has great significance in the Vajrayana. Followers of these traditions hope to be reborn " Pure Country " in his. There are also in Buddhism further Pure Lands, the other Buddhas are assigned.

Amitabha in Sukhavati

There are pictures that show the way how to work with Amitabha and Sukhavati. In the middle you see the Buddha Amitabha. Above his head is the connection with the higher dimension ( Nirvana, emptiness and happiness in one), symbolized by a stupa and a blue sky. Links of Amitabha sits the Bodhisattva of power ( Vajrapani ), the right of him the Bodhisattva of Compassion ( Avalokiteshvara ). It takes inner peace ( Amitabha ), self-discipline and love for all beings to realize enlightenment and paradise - consciousness. Amitabha sends light to all people, to help them on their spiritual path. He wishes you a happy world full of happy people. At his feet, many spiritual practitioners can be seen in various forms.

It describes two ways to bring the so-called enlightenment energy. On one hand you can Amitabha in his Paradise ( Sukhavati ) visualize, think his name as a mantra and pray to him that he should a lead on the way to Sukhavati.

The second possibility is to visualize yourself as Amitabha and the world as a paradise Sukhavati. One is the meditating Buddha Amitabha, emits light to all people and wishes you a happy world. A typical Buddhist point of view, it is to recognize that one has everything in his life to spiritual practice and one day even become a Buddha. It is important to recognize the abundance in life and the enlightenment energy to awaken (the water in Paradise ) daily.

Origin of the doctrine

The doctrine of Sukhavati is mainly due to the small Sukhavativyuha Sutra and the Great Sukhavativyuha Sutra, in which Shakyamuni Buddha teaches his students a birth in this country as an excellent means to enlightenment.

Emergence of Sukhavati

In general, a Buddha has laid the roots for his special work through his practice on the path to enlightenment. The special feature of Amitabha Buddha are his vows in which he has vowed only to attain Buddhahood, he will manifest a pure land with his Buddhahood, can take in the essence of birth, which have an unclean spirit, and no stage of the realization have achieved. This country should be such that they can practice without obstacles there and then attain full Buddhahood. According to the Buddhist myth, with its enlightenment immeasurably long time ago this land emerged.

Nature of Sukhavati

The Land of Buddha Amitabha is in the west and there teaches that the Buddhist Dharma. It is called the land because the creatures do not suffer there, but only know different pleasures pure.

In the middle of the country Amitabha Buddha Avalokiteshvara is the Bodhisattva on his right and Vajrapani on the left. He is surrounded by a large number of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

There are seven rows of grids, networks and trees that are composed of four types of gemstones and extend over the whole country. By this blow gentle winds that bring music and tell of the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha from. Similarly, there are seven times decorated ponds that are filled with water from eight exquisite features and which give rise to levels of gold, silver and precious stones. In the ponds lotus flowers grow of sublime beauty and purity, which present fragrance and emits light.

Across the country, is heavenly music to listen to and the floor is made of gold. The inhabitants of the country gather flowers on the rain from heaven, and bring it to the Buddhas for sacrifices, teach them the Dhamma. Rare and beautiful birds sing six times a day melodious songs of the Buddhist teachings. The individual phenomena in Sukhavati be seen as different manifestations of the Buddha's teaching, so that residents can mature to Buddhahood in joy.

Birth in Sukhavati

The birth in Sukhavati is not made through a mother's womb, but in a lotus. The cause for the birth there is on the one hand, the vows of Amitabha and the other, the desire to be reborn there. In the Pure Land schools of China and Japan it is mainly expressed by reciting Amitabha's name ( Nianfo ).

Meditation practice

As a practice, a birth in Sukhavati is sought after death. This is a particularly simple way to enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is in addition a special meditation, which is executed when dying. ( Bo. powa ), especially in the Pure Land schools, but also in Tibetan Buddhism Sukhavati can be experienced by continuously reciting the name of Amitabha and Envision of the country and its Buddha in this life on this earth.

Iconography

Amitabha is often shown in the company of Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani. Sometimes Buddha Amitabha surrounded in the inkonographischen representation and the Eight Great Bodhisattvas.