Forty-eight Vows (阿彌陀佛四十八大願)

Forty-eight Vows 阿彌陀佛四十八大願

The Buddha said to him, ‘You should proclaim this. Know that now is the right time. Encourage and delight the entire assembly. Hearing this, other bodhisattvas will practice this Dharma and so fulfill their innumerable great vows.’ 佛告比丘：汝今可說，宜知是時，發起悅可一切大眾。菩薩聞已，修行此法，緣致滿足無量大願。

The Bhiksu replied, ‘I beg you to grant me your attention. Now I will fully proclaim my vows.’ 比丘白佛：唯垂聽察，如我所願，當具說之。

(1)If, when I attain Buddhahood, there should be in my land a hell, a realm of hungry spirits or a realm of animals, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國有地獄、餓鬼、畜生者，不取正覺。(一)

(2) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should after death fall again into the three evil realms, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人壽終之後，復更三惡道者，不取正覺。(二)

(3) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be the color of pure gold, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不悉真金色者，不取正覺。(三)

(4) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be of one appearance, and should there be any difference in beauty, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，形色不同，有好丑者，不取正覺。(四)

(5) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not remember all their previous lives, not knowing even the events which occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不識宿命，下至知百千億那由他諸劫事者，不取正覺。(五)

(6) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine eye of seeing even a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不得天眼，下至見百千億那由他諸佛國者，不取正覺。(六)

(7) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine ear of hearing [268a] the teachings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas and should not remember all of them, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不得天耳，下至聞百千億那由他諸佛所說，不悉受持者，不取正覺。(七)

(8) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the faculty of knowing the thoughts of others, at least those of all sentient beings living in a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不得見他心智，下至知百千億那由他諸佛國中眾生心念者，不取正覺。(八)

(9) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the supernatural power of travelling anywhere in one instant, even beyond a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不得神足，于一念頃，下至不能超過百千億那由他諸佛國者，不取正覺。(九)

(10) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should give rise to thoughts of self-attachment, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，若起想念貪計身者，不取正覺。(十)

(11) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不住定聚，必至滅度者，不取正覺。(十一)

(12) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，光明有限量，下至不照百千億那由他諸佛國者，不取正覺。(十二)

(13) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，壽命有限量，下至百千億那由他劫者，不取正覺。(十三)

(14) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the number of the shravakas in my land could be known, even if all the beings and pratyekabuddhas living in this universe of a thousand million worlds should count them during a hundred thousand kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中聲聞，有能計量，乃至三千大千世界眾生悉成緣覺，于百千劫悉共計校，知其數者，不取正覺。(十四)

(15) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should have limited life-spans, except when they wish to shorten them in accordance with their ogirinal vows, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，壽命無能限量。除其本願，修短自在。若不爾者，不取正覺。(十五)

(16) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should even hear of any wrongdoing, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，乃至聞有不善名者，不取正覺。(十六)

(17) If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the land of the ten quarters should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方世界無量諸佛，不悉咨嗟稱我名者，不取正覺。(十七)

(18) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma. 設我得佛，十方眾生，至心信樂，欲生我國，乃至十念，若不生者，不取正覺。唯除五逆，誹謗正法。(十八)

(19) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds [268b] and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方眾生，發菩提心，修諸功德，至心發願，欲生我國，臨壽終時，假令不與大眾圍繞現其人前者，不取正覺。(十九)

(20) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who, having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my land, pland roots of virtue, and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be born there, should not eventually fulfill their aspiration, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方眾生，聞我名號，系念我國，植眾德本，至心回向，欲生我國，不果遂者，不取正覺。(二十)

(21) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be endowed with the thirty-two physical characteristics of a Great Man, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，不悉成滿三十二大人相者，不取正覺。(二一)

(22) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of other quarters who visit my land should not ultimately and unfailingly reach the Stage of Becoming a Buddha after One More Life, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excepted are those who wish to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original vows. For they wear the armour of great vows, accumulate merits, deliver all beings from birth-and-death, visit Buddha-lands to perform the bodhisattva practices, make offerings to Buddhas, Tathagatas, throughout the ten quarters, enlighten uncountable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, and establish them in the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Such bodhisattvas transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattvas, manifest the practices of all the bodhisattva stages, and cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra. 設我得佛，他方佛土諸菩薩眾，來生我國，究竟必至一生補處。除其本願自在所化，為眾生故，被弘誓鎧，積累德本，度脫一切。游諸佛國，修菩薩行，供養十方諸佛如來。開化恆沙無量眾生，使立無上正真之道，超出常倫諸地之行，現前修習普賢之德。若不爾者，不取正覺。(二二)

(23) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, in order to make offerings to Buddhas through my transcendent power, should not be able to reach immeasurable and innumerable kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands in as short a time as it takes to eat a meal, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，承佛神力，供養諸佛，一食之頃，不能遍至無數無量億那由他諸佛國者，不取正覺。(二三)

(24) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able, as they wish, to perform meritorious acts of worshipping the Buddhas with the offerings of their choice, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，在諸佛前，現其德本，諸所求欲供養之具，若不如意者，不取正覺。(二四)

(25) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able to expound the Dharma with the all-knowing wisdom, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，不能演說一切智者，不取正覺。(二五)

(26) If, when I attain Buddhahood, there should be any bodhisattva in my land not endowed with the body of the Vajra-god Narayana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，不得金剛那羅延身者，不取正覺。(二六)

(27) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings should be able, even with the divine eye, to distinguish by name alculate by number all the myriads of manifestations provided for the humans and devas in my land, which are glorious and resplendent and have exquisite details beyond description, may I not attain perfect Enlightenmet. 設我得佛，國中天人，一切萬物，嚴淨光麗，形色殊特，窮微極妙，無能稱量。其諸眾生，乃至逮得天眼，有能明了，辨其名數者，不取正覺。(二七)

(28) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, even those with little store of merit, should not be able to [268c] see the Bodhi-tree which has countless colors and is four million li in height, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，乃至少功德者，不能知見其道場樹無量光色，高四百萬里者，不取正覺。(二八)

(29) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not acquire eloquence and wisdom in upholding sutras and reciting and expounding them, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，若受讀經法，諷誦持說，而不得辯才智慧者，不取正覺。(二九)

(30) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the wisdom and eloquence of bodhisattvas in my land should be limited, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，智慧辯才，若可限量者，不取正覺。(三十)

(31) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my land should not be resplendent, revealing in its light all the immeasurable, innumerable and inconceivable Buddha-lands, like images reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國土清淨，皆悉照見十方一切無量無數不可思議諸佛世界，猶如明鏡，睹其面像。若不爾者，不取正覺。(三一)

(32) If, when I attain Buddhahood, all the myriads of manifestations in my land, from the ground to the sky, such as palaces, pavilions, ponds, streams and trees, should not be composed of both countless treasures, which surpass in supreme excellence anything in the worlds of humans and devas, and of a hundred thousand kinds of aromatic wood, whose fragrance pervades all the worlds of the ten quarters, causing all bodhisattvas who sense it to perform Buddhist practices, then may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，自地以上，至于虛空，宮殿、樓觀、池流、華樹，國土所有一切萬物，皆以無量雜寶、百千種香而共合成。嚴飾奇妙，超諸天人。其香普薰十方世界。菩薩聞者，皆修佛行。若不如是，不取正覺。(三二)

(33) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters, who have been touched by my light, should not feel peace and happiness in their bodies and minds surpassing those of humans and devas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方無量不可思議諸佛世界眾生之類，蒙我光明觸其身者，身心柔軟，超過天人。若不爾者，不取正覺。(三三)

(34) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters, who have heard my Name, should not gain the bodhisattva’s insight into the non-arising of all dharmas and should not acquire various profound dharanis, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方無量不可思議諸佛世界眾生之類，聞我名字，不得菩薩無生法忍、諸深總持者，不取正覺。(三四)

(35) If, when I attain Buddhahood, women in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters who, having heard my Name, rejoice in faith, awaken aspiration for Enlightenment and wish to renounce womanhood, should after death be reborn again as women, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方無量不可思議諸佛世界，其有女人，聞我名字，歡喜信樂，發菩提心，厭惡女身。壽終之後，復為女像者，不取正覺。(三五)

(36) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters, who have heard my Name, should not, after the end of their lives, always perform sacred practices until they reach Buddhahood, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方無量不可思議諸佛世界諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，壽終之後，常修梵行，至成佛道。若不爾者，不取正覺。(三六)

(37) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters, who having heard my Name, prostrate themselves on the ground to revere and worship me, rejoice [269a] in faith, and perform bodhisattva practices, should not be respected by all devas and people of the world, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，十方無量不可思議諸佛世界諸天人民，聞我名字，五體投地，稽首作禮，歡喜信樂，修菩薩行，諸天世人，莫不致敬。若不爾者，不取正覺。(三七)

(38) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not obtain clothing, as soon as such a desire arises in their minds, and if the fine robes as prescribed and praised by the Buddhas should not be spontaneously provided for them to wear, and if these clothes should need sewing, bleaching, dyeing or washing, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，欲得衣服，隨念即至，如佛所讚應法妙服，自然在身。有求裁縫、搗染、浣濯者，不取正覺。(三八)

(39) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not enjoy happiness and pleasure comparable to that of a monk who has exhausted all the passions, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中天人，所受快樂，不如漏盡比丘者，不取正覺。(三九)

(40) If, when I attain Buddhahood, the bodhisattvas in my land who wish to see the immeasurable glorious Buddha-lands of the ten quarters, should not be able to view all of them reflected in the jewelled trees, just as one sees one’s face reflected in a clear mirror, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，隨意欲見十方無量嚴淨佛土，應時如願，于寶樹中皆悉照見，猶如明鏡，睹其面像。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四十)

(41) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should, at any time before becoming Buddhas, have impaired, inferior or incomplete sense organs, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，至于得佛，諸根缺陋不具足者，不取正覺。(四一)

(42) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called ‘pure emancipation’ and, while dwelling therein, without losing concentration, should not be able to make offerings in one instant to immeasurable and inconceivable Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，皆悉逮得清淨解脫三昧。住是三昧，一發意頃，供養無量不可思議諸佛世尊，而不失定意。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四二)

(43) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not be reborn into noble families after their death, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，壽終之後，生尊貴家。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四三)

(44) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not rejoice so greatly as to dance and perform the bodhisattva practices and should not acquire stores of merit, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，歡喜踴躍，修菩薩行，具足德本。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四四)

(45) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not all attain the samadhi called ‘universal equality’ and, while dwelling therein, should not always be able to see all the immeasurable and inconceivable Tathagatas until those bodhisattvas, too, become Buddhas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，皆悉逮得普等三昧。住是三昧，至于成佛，常見無量不可思議一切諸佛。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四五)

(46) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able to hear spontaneously whatever teachings they may wish, [269b] may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，國中菩薩，隨其志願所欲聞法，自然得聞。若不爾者，不取正覺。(四六)

(47) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not instantly reach the Stage of Non-retrogression, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，不即得至不退轉者，不取正覺。(四七)

(48) If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the lands of the other quarters who hear my Name should not instantly gain the first, second and third insights into the nature of dharmas and firmly abide in the truths realized by all the Buddhas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.” 設我得佛，他方國土諸菩薩眾，聞我名字，不即得至第一忍，第二、第三法忍，于諸佛法不能即得不退轉者，不取正覺。(四八)