Amitābha Sūtra in the context of "Amitabha Buddha"

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⭐ Core Definition: Amitābha Sūtra

The Amitābha Sūtra (Ch.: 阿彌陀經, pinyin: Āmítuó Jīng, or 佛說阿彌陀經, Fóshuō Āmítuó Jīng; Jp.: Amida Kyō, Vi.: A Di Đà Kinh), also known as the [Shorter] Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (Sanskrit, The Array of "the Blissful Land", or The Arrangement of Sukhāvatī) is one of the two Indian Mahayana sutras that describe Sukhāvatī, the pure land of Amitābha. The text was translated into Chinese in 402 by Kumārajīva (Taishō Tripiṭaka no. 366) and it is also known in Chinese as the "Small Sutra" (Xiaojing).

The Amitābha Sūtra is highly influential in East Asian Buddhism, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam since it is considered one of the "Three Pure Land" sutras which are the key scriptures in Pure Land Buddhism.

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Amitābha Sūtra in the context of Amitābha

Amitābha (Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɐmɪˈtaːbʱɐ], "Measureless" or "Limitless" Light), also known as Amituofo in Chinese, Amida Butsu in Japanese, Amita-bul in Korean, A Di Đà Phật in Vietnamese, and Öpakmé in Tibetan, is one of the main Buddhas of Mahayana Buddhism and the most widely venerated Buddhist figure in East Asian Buddhism. Amitābha is also known by the name Amitāyus ("Measureless Life").

Amitābha is the main figure in two influential Indian Buddhist Mahayana Scriptures: the Sutra of Measureless Life and the Amitābha Sūtra. According to the Sutra of Measureless Life, Amitābha established a pure land of perfect peace and happiness, called Sukhāvatī ("Blissful"), where beings who mindfully remember him with faith may be reborn and then quickly attain enlightenment. The pure land is the result of a set of vows Amitābha made long ago. As his name means Limitless Light, Amitābha's light is said to radiate throughout the cosmos and shine on all beings. Because of this, Amitābha is often depicted radiating light, a symbol for his wisdom. As per the name Amitāyus, this Buddha is also associated with infinite life, since his lifespan is said to be immeasurable. Amitābha's measureless life is seen as being related to his infinite compassion.

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