Sukhavati 極樂世界／極樂淨土

Sukhavati

Sukhavati (Skt. Sukhāvatī; Tib. བདེ་བ་ཅན་, Dewachen; Wyl. bde ba can or bde ba chen) is the blissful buddha field of Amitabha. One of the buddha fields of the five families, said to be located in the western direction.

Four Causes of Rebirth in Sukhavati

According to Jamgön Ngawang Lekpa, the four causes of rebirth in Sukhavati are:

1. Generating bodhichitta
2. Accumulating merit in many ways
3. Repeatedly bringing the buddha field to mind
4. Dedicating all one's sources of merit as causes for rebirth in that pure realm

Lala Sonam Chödrup, in his famous commentary on the Prayer of Sukhavati (Tib. Démön; Wyl. bde smon), gives them as:

1. the support, visualizing the pure realm
2. accumulating merit and purifying obscurations
3. the aid, generating bodhichitta
4. the circumstance, pure prayers of aspiration, dedicating all sources of virtue so that oneself and others may be reborn in Sukhavati

Literature

Sutras

• Amitabhavyuha Sutra (Skt. Amitābhavyūhasūtra), which is also known as the longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra
• Sukhavativyuha Sutra (Skt. Sukhāvatīvyūhasūtra)
• Amitayurdhyana Sutra (Skt. Amitāyurdhyānasūtra)

Prayers to Be Reborn in Sukhavati

• Brief Amitabha Mönlam, 'spoken' directly by Buddha Amitabha to Tertön Mingyur Dorjé
• Aspiration to be Reborn in the Pure Realm of Sukhavati (aka Dechen Mönlam or Dé Mön), by Karma Chakmé Rinpoche (aka Raga Asé)

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Sogyal Rinpoche, San Diego, 3 December 2010
• Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 5 September 2010
• Mingyur Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 13 July 2008

Further Reading

• J. Eracle, La Doctrine bouddhique de la terre pure (Paris: Devry Livres, 1973)
• Trois Soutras et un traité sur la terre pure (Geneva: Aquarius, 1984)
• Tulku Thondup, Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2005), Ch.7 'The Buddha of Infinite Light and His Blissful Pure Land'.