We now return to our series based on the large compendium of the Māhāratnakūṭa Sutra. Our focus at this junction is on a sutra pertaining to a Pure-Land. Many mistakenly assume that the only “pure-land” that exists in Buddhism is that of Amitabha (Amida) Buddha. On the contrary, he shares that most noble position with other Buddha-brothers from his Dhyāna-Buddha family. Sutra 6 in the Māhāratnakūṭa is The Dharma-Door of Praising Tathagata Akṣhobhya’s Merits. It pertains to Akṣhobhya’s early Bodhisattva Career, his rise in Bodhipower through the Inconceivable-field of the prajñapāramitā; his firm and immovable position in the Buddhadharma as a Dharma-Lord; and the ensuing establishment of his Buddha-land:
Then the Venerable Śāriputra said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, most extraordinary is the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is so skillful in explaining the inconceivable states of Buddhas, the inconceivable states of dhyānas, the inconceivable states of dragons, and the inconceivable karmic results. World-Honored One, when the Bodhisattva Akṣhobhya abided in the initial generation of bodhicitta, he embraced the before-mentioned merits; when he received the Tathagata’s prophecy, he perfected those great, inconceivable merits…”
“Śāriputra, in wearing the armor of vigor, Bodhisattva Akṣhobhya had no peer among countless thousands of other Bodhisattvrs. Śāriputa, with his firm vows, Bodhisattva Akṣhobhya has realized supreme enlightenment. Now he is living in the World of Wonderful Joy and is named Tathagata Akṣhobhya, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. .” [emphasis mine]
We will also be exploring the nature of his Buddha-land, the merits that need to be acquired in order to enter into it, and its vast significance in the larger scheme of the Dharmadhātu. It goes without saying that Tathagata Akṣhobhya plays a dominant mystical-role in the annals of Buddhism, in particular with the latter Vajrayana Vehicle. It is an honor to initiate this series.
The Akṣhobhya Buddha Dharani
Namo bhagavate Akṣhobhaya, tathagataya arhate
Samyaksam buddhyaya. Tadyatha:
Om kamkani kamkani, rochani rochani.
Trotani trotani. Trasani trasani. Pratihana pratihana.
Sarva karma param para nime
Sarva sattva nancha svaha.