Question about Long Life Sutra

[dakini_boi]

What are the 108 names of Amitayus mentioned again and again in this sutra?

The mantra has far fewer than 108 words in it.

http://saraswatibhawan.org/wp-content/u ... e-Sung.pdf

[viniketa]

THE SUTRA OF BUDDHA’S LECTURE ON BUDDHAS’ NAMES
(Translation from Sanskrit to Chinese inYuan Wei Dynasty by Northern India Master Bodhiliuchi)

here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/62263479/The- ... ha-s-Names

[dakini_boi]

Thank you, it looks like that about covers it!!

But if you look at the link I posted, it says to recite the 108 names of Amitayus, and then comes a long dharani which presumably would be the 108 names, except there are fewer than 108. So I'm wondering if anyone can make sense of this.

[Kaji]

I did a search for the sutra and found it to be:

Taisho Tripitaka Indian Compilation
T19 Esoteric Teachings Division II
936. The Mahayana Limitless Life Sutra

I tried searching for a Sanskrit transliteration of this dharani. This is what I found:

Namo bhagavate aparimita-āyur jñāna su-viniścita tejo-rājāya tathāgatāya arhate samyak-saṃbuddhāya. Tadyathā, oṃ, sarva saṃ-skāra pari-śuddha dharmate, gagana samudgate svabhāva vi-śuddhe, mahā-naya pari-vāre svāhā.

The main difference between that and the transliteration in dakini_boi's link is the line "Om punye punye mahapunye aparimita punye aparimita punya jnana sambha ro pachite", which is missing in the above version.

If you think a dharani containing all 108 names of one Buddha is amazing, take a look at this sutra:

Taisho Tripitaka Indian Compilation
T21 Esoteric Teachings Division IV (1199 – 1420 sutras)
1350. The Buddha Speaks of the Dharani Sutra of All Names of Thus Come Ones

The single dharani within contains the names of ALL Buddha!

Then of course there is the Casket Seal Dharani, which is the whole-bodies of ALL Buddha!

[viniketa]

This may partly answer (or, at least, give a hint at an answer) to your question and, in any case, is an interesting read:

http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/pwj3-9/15Payne39.pdf



P.S. Also see pg. 125, here: http://books.google.com/books?id=P1G9Pw ... &q&f=false

[dakini_boi]

Thank you. I think the first link is not working. . . and the second, yes it does somehow address my question, but doesn't provide an answer. I would think that a list of 108 names of Amitayus would actually contain 108 names.

[viniketa]

Thank you. I think the first link is not working. . . and the second, yes it does somehow address my question, but doesn't provide an answer. I would think that a list of 108 names of Amitayus would actually contain 108 names.

The first link does work, you just have to copy into your browser address line rather than 'click' the link. Has something to do with their server. I would attach, but it is too large for this forum. Basically, it is a summary of the diffusion of Aparimitāyus practice in India to the practice that became named Amitayus and Amitabha in China and Japan. There is said to be great merit in copying it, so it has been copied many times and under many names. Not all copies are exact.

Now I've found this document that gives good Sanskrit and Wylie Tibetan names for the original sutrā, dhāraṇī, etc. Perhaps if you can access one of those you will find the entire list of 108.

Document here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/76911687/Tibskrit-2011

Extract from there of the dhāraṇī name:

Aparimitāyurjñānahṛdaya-nāma-dhāraṇī ('Phags pa tshe dang ye shes dpag tu med pa'i snying po zhes bya ba'i gzungs). Tôh. no. 676 (also, no. 850). Derge Kanjur, vol. BA, folios 220v.5‑222v.1. Tr. by Puṇyasambhava and Pa tshab Nyi ma grags.
— EoB, with summary of contents, reference to Chinese translation.
— Berthold Laufer, Verzeichnis der tibetischen Handschriften der Königlichen Bibliothek zu Dresden, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, vol. 55 (1901), pp. 113-114 (no. 83).