The Infinite Life Sutra is a Mahayana Buddhist sutra, and the primary text of Pure Land Buddhism. It is the longest of the three major texts of Pure Land Buddhism. In the Longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the Buddha begins by describing to his attendant Ananda a past life of the Buddha. Amitabha. He states that in a past life, Amitabha was once king who renounced his kingdom, and became a bodhisattva monk named Dharmakara ("Dharma Storehouse").Under the guidance of the buddha Lokesvararaja ("World Sovereign King"), innumerable buddha-lands throughout the ten directions were revealed to him. After meditating for five eons as a bodhisattva, he then made a great series of vows to save all sentient beings, and through his great merit, created the realm of Sukhavati ("Ultimate Bliss").This land of Sukhavati would later come to be known as the Pure Land.The sutra describes in great detail Sukhavati and its inhabitants, and how they are able to attain rebirth there. The text also provides a detailed account of the various levels and beings in the Mahayana Buddhist cosmology.The sutra also contains the forty-eight vows of Amitabha Buddha to save all sentient beings. The eighteenth vow is among the most important as it forms a basic tenet of the Pure Land school. This vow is most commonly known as shi nian bi sheng yuan, because it states that if a sentient being makes even "ten recitations" of the Amitabha Buddha's name they will attain "certain rebirth" into the Pure Land.

The Infinite Life Sutra (Sanskrit: Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra) is a Mahayana Buddhist text and a primary text of Pure Land Buddhism. The sutra describes in great detail the Land of Bliss (Sukhavati) and its inhabitants, how they are able to attain rebirth there and provides a detailed account of the various levels and beings in the Mahayana Buddhist cosmology. In the Longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the Buddha begins by describing to his attendant Ananda a past life of the Buddha Amitabha. He states that in a past life, Amitabha was once king who renounced his kingdom, and became a bodhisattva monk named Dharmakara (Dharma Storehouse). Under the guidance of the Buddha Lokesvararaja (World Sovereign King), innumerable Buddha countries throughout the ten directions were revealed to him. After meditating for five eons as a bodhisattva, he then made the forty-eight vows of vows to save all sentient beings, and through his great merit created the realm of Sukhavati.

"Infinite Life Sutra" by Anonymous (translated by Max Müller). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

In August 1993, Venerable Master Chin Kung gave an eight-hour lecture series titled Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra at Ta Kioh Buddhist Temple in San Francisco, USA. The Hwa Dzan Lecture Notes Team transcribed the recorded lectures and organized them. In addition, relevant segments from the lectures on the Infinite Life Sutra given in San Jose in June 1992 were excerpted as a supplement. This compiled transcription was given to Vener-able Master Chin Kung for correction and editing. Originally titled Lecture Notes on the Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, it has now been translated and published under its original name. Freely circu- lated, it is humbly offered to readers for them to benefit from the Dharma. Pure Land Translation Team Toowoomba, Australia November 2013

The larger sutra on Amitāyus (Taishō volume 12, number 360) -- The sutra on contemplation of Amitāyus (Taishō volume 12, number 365) -- The smaller sutra on Amitāyus (Taishō volume 12, number 366).

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is a very important Buddhist sutra. It can be seen as a turning point in the Buddha teachings, coming after He had already expounded the Dharma for over forty years. It is also an introduction to the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, Master Cheng Yen often stresses that the Sutra of Infinite Meanings contains the essence of the Lotus Sutra. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is divided into three chapters - Virtues, Expounding the Dharma, and The Ten Merits. These Infinite Meanings arise from One Dharma; this One Dharma is of non-appearance. As living beings have infinitely varying capacities, the Buddha used an infinite number of teachings. Since there are infinite teachings, their meanings are also infinite. The world is fundamentally this simple and pure - without appearance - yet humans stubbornly remain attached to appearances. The Buddha taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings and the Lotus Sutra to eliminate the habitual tendencies humans have accumulated and to teach the multitudes of living beings with severe habitual tendencies and desires how to return to the Great Bodhi Path. A commentary Master Cheng Yen gave on the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was published several years ago. The adapted verses of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings were compiled by Mr. Wang Tuan-Cheng, who distilled the central ideas of the sutra and turned them into lyrics that could be set to music. It thus enables people to carry the Buddha in their hearts and live out the Dharma. In this book, Master Cheng Yen expounds each of the verses from the musical adaptation of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings in the hopes of getting straight to the core of the sutra's teachings. While explaining the main principles of this sutra, the Master also brings in relevant teachings from the Lotus Sutra and other Buddhist sutras. The body text is interwoven with her explanations on the sutra verses and her reflections and comments, making it an insightful and inspiring read. Readers will be able to see how the Dharma manifests in Tzu Chi's work worldwide over the past 40-plus years, thus gaining a better understanding of the underlying spirit of the Jing Si Dharma-lineage and the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism as well as the mission of a modern-day Buddhist practitioner. This book is translated by the Tzu Chi USA Editorial Team, which specializes in translating Master Cheng Yen's books, including Dharma As Water (Volume 1 & 2), The Path to Truth, etc. It includes footnotes explaining terms and references to facilitate readers' easy understanding of the contents.