Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Dharani
The full name of this mantra is the Dhāraṇī for pulling out the fundamental cause of karmic obstacles and obtaining rebirth in the Pure Lands (Chinese: 拔一切業障根本得生淨土陀羅尼).
It can also be recited to help the spirits of the animals that a person has killed in the past, including poultry, game, aquatic creatures, insects, etc.
The word "rebirth" tends to make people think that this mantra is only about "being reborn", and that it can only serve the particular purpose of going to the Pure Land.
Aaron Proffit explains the benefits of the long version of the dharani according to the tradition of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism as follows:[4]Chanting this dhāraṇī one thousand times is said to purify all past karma, bestow rebirth in the highest level of Sukhāvatī, and produce visions of Sukhāvatī, Amitāyus Buddha, and assemblies of bodhisattvas.
From these honored ones, the practitioner will hear all of the sutras and, at the moment of death, attain rebirth in Sukhāvatī, emerging from a lotus blossom at the rank of a bodhisattva.
Oskar Von Hinuber cites other versions from Central Asia such as:[6] namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā amṛ[te am]ṛto-bhate amṛtasaṃbhave amitagaganakīrtakare svāhāand namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā maṛte phu amṛte phu amṛtaviśodhane phu svāhāFrom CBETA's Gunabhadra edition (Taisho 0368):[7] The Sanskrit titles of this long version is called the Dhāraṇī of Amitāyus Tathāgata 無量壽如來根本陀羅尼 (Ārya Amitābha nāma dhāraṇī) or the Sarvatathāgatāyurvajrahṛdaya-dhāraṇī.
Amoghavajra's Wuliangshou rulai guanxing gongyang yigui (無量壽如來觀行供養儀軌 T. 930) is "arguably one of the most influential Esoteric Pure Land texts in East Asia" according to Proffit.
The Sanskrit of Amoghavajra's version is called Ārya Amitābha nāma dhāraṇī:[9]Namo ratna-trayāya, Namaḥ āryāmitābhāyā, Tathāgatāyārhate samyak-saṃbuddhāya, tad yathā, Oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛta-saṃbhave amṛta-garbhe, Amṛta-siddhe amṛta-teje amṛta-vikrānte, Amṛta-vikrānta-gāmine amṛta-gagana-kīrti-kare, Amṛta-dundubhi-svare sarvārtha-sādhane,
The Sanskrit of the dharani in the Stein collection print is:[8] Namo ratnatrayāya Nama āryāmitābhāya tathāgatāyārhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya Tadyathā: oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛtasaṃbhave amṛtagarbhe amṛtasiddhe amṛtateje amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini amṛtagaganakīrtikari amṛtadun-dubhisvare sarvārthasādhani sarvakarmakleśakṣayaṃkari svāhā
He further adds that "as for the sequence of the incantations, after the prime dhāraṇī dedicated to the depicted deity, further formulas are included most probably to enhance the efficacy of the amulet.
These objects were probably meant for a Chinese-speaking lay clientele in exchange for donations and must have been folded, wrapped and worn on the body.
Gergely Hidas' critical edition of the Sanskrit text is as follows:[8] [1] namo ratnatrayāya | nama āryāmitābhāya tathāgatāyārhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya | tadyathā | oṃ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛtasaṃbhave amṛtagarbhe amṛtasiddhe amṛtateje amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini amṛtagaganakīrtikari amṛtadun-dubhisvare sarvārthasādhani sarvakarmakleśakṣayaṃkari svāhā | [2] oṃ amoghavairocanamahāmudrāmaṇipadmajvāla pravartaya hūṃ| [3] oṃ bhara bhara saṃ bhara saṃbhara indriyaviśodhani hūṃ hūṃ ruru cale svāhā | [4] namo bhagavatoṣ ṇīṣāya | oṃ ruru sphuru jvala tiṣ ṭha siddhalocane sarvārthasādhani svāhā | [5] ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥ | [6] oṃ vajrakrodhana hūṃ jaḥ |
The four assemblies are universally encouraged to keep and wear this [amulet] to create a karmic basis [for a good future] and it is also avowed that they [will] ascend together to the true and eternal wonderful fruit.
