In the Dharma-ending age, if one cultivates according to the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Contemplation of the Infinite Life Sūtra, the attainment is swift and secure. If we had a relatively detailed treasure map of the land of bliss (Sukhāvatī) to serve as a guide for contemplation, all of us would be able to contemplate from the first contemplation all the way through to the sixteenth. Upon accomplishing the third contemplation, rebirth in the land of bliss is guaranteed—far more reliable and secure than merely knowing the time of one's death—and meditative concentration (samādhi) will never be lost, with the Buddha's power bestowing blessings forever. When the third contemplation is accomplished, the samādhi is excellent, and the karma of the three evil destinies is eliminated; one will no longer fall into the three evil destinies due to karmic obstructions, and the samādhi will not regress. Therefore, rebirth there is certain.
By the seventh contemplation, one will certainly awaken to the true mind through direct realization. With the Buddha's power bestowing blessings, merely intellectual understanding is impossible—only direct realization can occur. Upon reaching the land of bliss, the retributive rewards are supremely extraordinary. The samādhi one cultivates oneself, because of karma and ignorance, will regress whenever conditions arise. But samādhi sustained by the Buddha's blessings will never regress. From the third contemplation onward, this is how it is.
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