Chapter 40 The City Of Doubts Beside The Buddhaland

The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, "There are those living beings who with a deluded and doubtful mind, cultivate merits and virtues and vow to be born in that land. Because they do not understand the wisdom of The Buddha that is inconceivable, immeasurable, the broad wisdom of the great vehicle that is incomparable, unsurpassed and the foremost. But he still believes in blessings and sins. So he cultivates the good roots and vows to be born in that land. Moreover, there are living beings who have amassed good roots in search of the wisdom of The Buddha, the wisdom that is all pervasive, uncomparable, powerful, virtuous, broad and great and inconceivable, but he has no confident or faith in his good roots. With such hesitating mind, he is unsure that he will be born in the Pure Buddhaland. But he still continues to be mindful of The Buddha unceasingly. With such a good vow as the foundation, he is able to be born there. Because of such causes and condition, even though these people have a chance to be born there, they are unable to go to the dwelling of The Buddha of Immeasurable Lifespan. So they will stop at the realm beside the Buddhaland. They are born in the City of Seven Gems. This is because The Buddha did not allow them to go forth to Him. The path of the rebirth of the man is determined by the mind that is influenced by the karmic actions. They also have lotus flowers and jewelled ponds and are born naturally. Their enjoyment of the food and bliss is just like the Tushita Heaven. But they are unable to leave the city. Their houses are rooted to the ground and unable to grow high and big according to their wish. They are unable to to see The Buddha for five hundred years and do not have the chance to listen to His Dharma. They also miss the chance to see the Bodhisattvas and the Sound Hearers sagely assemblies. They do not possess the true wisdom and moreover they know very little about the sutras. Their hearts are all closed up and they do not understand the Dharma. Their mind is with no bliss but filled with sadness. That is why they are known as the beings who are born from the wombs in that Land.

But there living beings who have pure faith in the wisdom of The Buddha, who understand the unsurpassed wisdom and uproot all causes of doubts. They also believe in their own good roots while cultivating the different kinds of merits and virtues. Sincerely they will transfer the merits and virtues to The Land of Ultimate Bliss. These living beings will then naturally be born from transformation in the lotuses of seven gems. They will sit uprightly in the lotus posture, and within a very short time, everyone of them will receive a body that is bright, adorned with wisdom, merits and virtues, just like the other Bodhisattvas who have fully completed and accomplished such adornments.

Maitreya Bodhisattva, you should know this. Those who are born from transformation possess the great wisdom but those who are born from the wombs have not cultivated wisdom in their past lives. So for five hundred years, they are unable to see The Triple Gems, to understand the practices of Dharma by the Bodhisattvas, to cultivate the merits and virtues. They do not have the basic foundation and causal ground to wait upon and serve The Buddha Of Immeasurable Lifespan. So they have to receive the retribution for their doubtful minds."