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1846

(Amidha Budha) receives and leads those who worship Budha and are virtuous to go far away and be born in the western region.

In comparison with the repairing of great and small roads—with the rendering to others of various kinds of assistance—with whatever is most straight forward, rapid, comprehensive, and easy (in order to secure our future happiness) everything is inferior to the worship of Budha. The whole object of the worship of Budha, is to seek, for life in the western region and is to obtain a pure country. This means that the western region is an extremely happy world, and is the pure country of Budha. There are 12 Classical or sacred books of the Three Tsáng (a name of Budha) and each of these leads to the great happiness. There are 84,000 doctrines (or law gates) each of which exhorts us to go to the western region. But the doctrine which enjoins the worship of Budha is by far the best and most important; and than it, there is no doctrine more conducive to a benevolent life.

(The Budha) Kúteh says, he who attends to the other doctrines is like an ant ascending a lofty mountain, which in an hour only gets a single step in advance. But the doctrine which enjoins us to go to the western region, is like a vessel with full sails and favorable wind and tide, which in an instant advances 1000 miles. When we have once reached the western region, we are no more obliged to go out, or exposed to fall. The highest grade (of votaries) is able to ascend the Budha's ladder. The lowest grade is far superior in happiness to those who live in an emperor's palace. The worshiper of Budha's merits are very lofty, his duties are very easy. All, whether honorable or mean, talented or stupid, old or young, male or female, the eater of ordinary food, or he who restricts himself to vegetables, the man who has left his family (the bonze) or he who still remains in it,—all may discharge these duties.

I therefore exhort the virtuous males and believing females of the ten region (all the empire), into whose hands this may come, immediately to put forth a believing heart, and with the whole heart to worship Budha and seek for a life in the western region. If