"Just like The Sagely Wheel Turning King who owns a prison that is made from seven gems. If the prince were to commit wrong act, he would be kept in this prison of precious gems, which consisted of many floors of towers and beautiful palaces. In this prison there are golden beds, precious nettings, window railings, beds and seats which are decorated with beautiful special gems. They are served with drinks, food and clothings which are of the same standard as The Wheel Turning King. But their two legs will be tied with golden locks. Do you think the small princes will love to remain under such treatment?"
Maitreya Bodhisattva answered, "No, World Honoured One. When they are being locked up in the prison, their minds will not be at ease. So, by all kinds of efforts they only wish to leave the prison. They will seek help from the nearby officers, but of no avail. Only when The Wheel Turning King is satisfied with their behaviours, then they will obtain their freedom."
The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, "The living beings just mentioned are also like these princes. If they wish to seek the wisdom of The Buddha, to obtain the broad and great wisdom, but do not have faith in their own good roots, and are doubtful and remorseful. Due to their good roots of having heard The Buddha's Name, and have faith in Him, they are born in the lotus flowers in that land. But even though they are born in the lotuses, they are unable to come out but to dwell in the wombs of the lotus. They might feel as though they are in the garden and among the palaces. Why are they dwelt such? The pure dwelling are clean and free from evils and filth. But for five hundred years, they are unable to see The Triple Gems, to make offerings and serve The Buddhas and are prevented from obtaining such special, unsurpassed good roots. In fact they will feel sad for their present positions,for being unable to cultivate these good roots. If such a living being is able to realise his original fault, to feel regretful and remorseful for his wrong views and seeks to leave the present dwelling, when he has finished undergoing the punishment for his fault in his former life, then he will be able to leave the place and be born in the pure dwelling of The Buddha of Immeasurable Lifespan. He will have the chance to listen to the Dharma. After a long time, he will be able to have his wisdom opened and he will then be endowed with true bliss. He can also pervasively make offerings to innumerable and immeasurable Buddhas and cultivate all kinds of merits and virtues. Ajita, you should know this. The Bodhisattvas who maintain a doubtful mind will lose all benefits and experience the harmful effects. So, everyone should should thoroughly understand this and bring forth the true faith in the unsurpassed wisdom of all the Buddhas."
The Compassionate Maitreya Bodhisattva asked, "Why are there some living beings in this world realm who also practise good deeds but do not seek to reborn there?"
The Buddha told The Compassionate One, "These people possess very little and superficial wisdom. They discriminate that the Western Land is not as good as the heavens, not as blissful as the heavenly realms, so they do not wish to go there."
The Compassionate One further said, "The living beings like this, with their false thinkings and discriminating mind, are unable to seek rebirth in the pure Buddhaland. They will be unable to avoid the rebirths on the turning wheels of birth and death."
The Buddha said, "The roots that they planted are not free from attachment to form. That is why they do no seek the true wisdom of The Buddha but attach deeply to the worldly enjoyment, the rewards and blessings of the human realms. Their cultivation of blessings is to seek the fruits and rewards in human and heavenly realms. Hence they will obtain abundant blessings according to the good causes that have been planted. But they will be unable to leave the bonds of Triple realms. Even if their parents, wives and sons, relatives of both sexes wish to save and help them, but their strong karma of deviant views will bind them so that they are unable to be free. They will undergo rebirths on the turning wheels of six paths continuously and never to obtain liberation.
You see, these beings who are so deluded, who are unable to plant good roots, will feel as though they are very intelligent and love to argue on worldly issues and knowledge. These bad behaviours will again enhance the evil energy in their mind and so how are they able to leave the acute sufferings of birth and death?
There is another type of living being who have also planted good roots and cultivated the fields of blessings. But their minds are full of attachment and discrimination. Their hearts are bound up in very heavy and deep thought for sensual love and filthy desire. Even though they try to seek for freedom from the turning wheels of birth and death, they will not get free. But if they are able to use the wisdom of non-attachment and no form, and plant all kinds of virtuous roots, with bodies and minds that are pure and untainted, and without any discriminating thoughts, while seeking to be born in the Pure Land, then they are sure to be born in the Buddhaland. Finally, they will attain true liberation."
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