This is the version of the Larger Pureland Sutra, one of the major Pureland texts, used by my sangha, the Amida-shu. Dharmavidya, our Dharma teacher and head of our Order, gave a series of Dharma talks on this sutra during the July 2006 retreat at Amida France.
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Full text of the Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra: manifesting the land of bliss in the recension used by the Amida-shu
[The Scene] *
1. Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying at the Vulture Peak at Rajagriha.
2. At that time the Buddha was attended by twelve thousand monks, all of them arhats.
3. Among them were
- the Buddha’s first five disciples, the first arhats, Ajnatakaundinya, Ashvajit, Bashpa, Mahanama, and Bhadrajit;
- the first lay disciples who had all subsequently ordained: Yashas and
his four friends, Vimala, Subahu, Purna son of Maitriyani, and
Gavampati;
- the three Kashyapa brothers, Uruvilva Kashyapa, Gaya Kashyapa and
Nadi Kashyapa, together with Kashyapa the younger and Kashyapa the
great;
- the two friends, Maudgalyayana and Shariputra;
- the disciples Kapphina, Chunda, Aniruddha, Nandika, Kimpila, Subhuti,
Revata, Khadiravanika, Vakkla, Svagata, Amogharaja, Parayanika, Pantha,
Pantha the younger;
- the Buddha’s half brother Nanda, his son Rahula, and his cousin and closest disciple Ananda;
4. The Buddha was also attended by a great many bodhisattva mahasattvas with Maitreya at their head.