Mindful Visualization of the Lotus Seat
A Mindfulness Practice Taught by Sakyamuni Buddha
Mindful Visualization of the Lotus Seat is the 7th of the sixteen visualization practices directly extolled by Sakyamuni Buddha to Queen Vaidehi, the queen of the city of Rajagrha, some 2,500 years ago in response to her yearning for a place to be reborn that is free of afflictions and sufferings.
Queen Vaidehi requested the Buddha to teach her how to visualize such a place where she may hear no evil words, see no evil beings, and be reborn there. Among all the Buddha-lands revealed, the Queen chose to reborn in the Western Pure Land (the Land of Ultimate Bliss). This preaching, known as the Visualization Sutra, was then passed on to all of us sentient beings in this world.
What’s better than learning to practice mindfulness directly from our teacher, the Buddha? Let’s dive deep into the words of the Buddha for the practice of the Visualization of the Lotus Seat.
The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi,
“Listen closely! Listen closely! Consider my words carefully. I shall now analyze and expound for you the Dharma by which you may free yourselves from sufferings and afflictions; keep it in your minds, and explain it widely for the benefits of the multitudes of beings.”
After Sakyamuni Buddha had spoken these words, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (Buddha Amitabha) appeared in the sky with the two great beings, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta standing in attendance to the left and right. They shone with such a radiant and brilliant light that it was impossible to see them in detail. The golden hue of the sands of a hundred thousand Jambu rivers could not compare to it.
Once Vaidehi saw the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, she fell to her knees at the feet of Sakyamuni Buddha saying, “O World-Honored One, it is by your transcendental power that I am now able to see the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the two Bodhisattvas; but how can sentient beings in the future visualize the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the two Bodhisattvas?”
The Buddha said to Vaidehi,
“Those who wish to visualize that Buddha should concentrate their thoughts and form the visualization of a lotus flower on the seven-jeweled ground; each petal of that lotus flower has the color of hundreds of jewels and eighty-four thousand veins that are likely heavenly patterns; each vein has eighty-four thousand rays of light so clear and distinct that one can see all of them.
Even the smallest petals are two hundred and fifty yojanas in diameter. Each lotus flower has eighty-four thousand such petals, and between each petal are a billion mani-pearls, the king of jewels, serving as dazzling ornaments. Each of these mani-pearls sends forth a thousand rays of light which, like canopies made of the seven kinds of jewels, cover the entire land.
“There is a pedestal made of sakrabhilagna-mani jewels, and this lotus flower pedestal is studded and adorned with eighty thousand diamonds, rubies, and wondrous nets made of Brahma mani-pearls. Four columns with jeweled banners spontaneously arise from this pedestal, each jeweled banner as large as hundred trillion Mount Sumerus.
“Atop these bannered columns is a jeweled canopy like that of the Palace of the Yama Heaven, and this canopy shines with five billion rare and exquisite jewels that serve as dazzling ornaments. Each of these precious jewels emits eighty-four thousand rays of light, and each ray of light creates eighty-four thousand different shades of gold. Each golden ray of light illuminates the entire jeweled ground and transforms itself everywhere into various forms: some become diamond pedestals, some form nets of pearls, and others create clouds of various kinds of flowers. In all the Ten Directions, they transform themselves according to one’s wishes, performing the works of the Buddhas. This is the Visualization of the Lotus Seat and is called the Seventh Visualization.”
The Buddha further said to Ananda and Vaidehi,
“These exquisite flowers were originally created by the power of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara’s vows. Those who wish to be mindful of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life should first visualize the image of the Lotus Seat. When visualizing this image they should not stray into other visualizations, but should perceive each detail one by one. Each petal, each jewel, each ray of light, each pedestal and each bannered column should be as clear and distinct as when seeing the reflection of one’s own face in a mirror.
For those who have completed this visualization, the evil karma binding them to birth-and-death for fifty thousand eons is eliminated, and they assuredly will be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Performing this visualization is called the right visualization; if one performs another visualization, that is called an incorrect visualization.”
Consider it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come across and practice this method, as one will then achieve non-retrogression (no falling back to lower realms) to ultimately attain the Highest Perfect Enlightenment. If anyone is interested in learning the entire sixteen visualizations, one may read the full sutra text of the Visualization Sutra.
Set aside time to practice it everyday. Immerse your mind in this visualization to cultivate a pure state of mind.
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Resources:
Visualization Sutra — Full sutra text
Five Pure Land Sutras
Amitabha Mindful Chanting Music Collection
