Why Could King Ajātaśatru Eliminate His Hellish Karma and Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land?

King Ajatashatru, due to the obstruction of his karmic retribution for patricide, received teachings directly from the Buddha. He attained only a rootless faith (mūlāśraddhā) and did not eradicate the fundamental view of self to realize the first fruition (srotāpanna). He reached merely the preliminary stage towards the first fruition (srotāpattipratipannaka). Even this preliminary stage towards the first fruition is sufficient to eliminate the karma leading to the three lower realms (durgati), bringing one close to the initial stage of liberation. Therefore, he was able to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhāvatī). Generally, when the Buddha personally teaches and embraces someone face-to-face, as long as their karmic obstacles are not extremely heavy, they will attain a fruition – ranging from the first fruition (srotāpanna) to the fourth fruition (arhat). Yet, King Ajatashatru did not attain any fruition, undoubtedly because the karma of killing his father was not light. Nevertheless, this rootless faith was already quite good; attaining the preliminary stage towards the first fruition was sufficient to eliminate the karma for hell.

In a future life, King Ajatashatru may inevitably have to encounter his father again and repay the karmic debt by being killed once. However, if King Ajatashatru had karmic enmity (vaira) with his father in a past life, and in this life King Ajatashatru was taking revenge to settle that past enmity, then this karmic debt would be settled and need not be repaid again. In fact, the reason King Ajatashatru killed his father was precisely because he had karmic enmity with his father from a past life; this life was an act of karmic retribution (vipāka). Therefore, the karma of patricide was not as heavy, and it was eliminated upon hearing the Buddha's teaching. Moreover, his father attained a fruition; after death, he ascended to the heavens and continually followed King Ajatashatru, repenting for his own past transgressions, constantly encouraging and blessing (adhiṣṭhāna) him. Consequently, King Ajatashatru felt shame and remorse (hri and apatrāpya), and upon encountering the Buddha's teaching, the hellish karma for patricide was eliminated.

The embracing power (adhiṣṭhāna) of the Buddha, who can eliminate karma, is immensely great, incomparable to anyone else. King Ajatashatru, whose karma was eliminated, possessed a repentant mind (kaukṛtya) and a mind of shame and remorse (hri-apatrāpya). His karmic obstacles were not extremely heavy, and there were also prior causes. Therefore, the result was that King Ajatashatru did not have to descend to hell but was reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If it had not been the Buddha who taught King Ajatashatru, but another Bodhisattva, or an Arhat, or an ordinary person, King Ajatashatru might not necessarily have attained rootless faith, thereby eliminating the hellish karma and achieving rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Karma is eliminated through wisdom (prajñā). Different levels of wisdom eliminate different levels of karma. When karma is exhausted, one becomes a Buddha. Eliminating the karma for the six realms of rebirth (ṣaḍgati) is the stage cultivated by Arhats of the fourth fruition (arhat) and Pratyekabuddhas. Ordinary beings (pṛthagjana) also eliminate karma, but only superficial karma. There are many kinds and levels of karma; according to an individual's level of practice, different levels and kinds of karma are eliminated. Only the severing (prahāṇa) of all defilements (kleśa) constitutes true elimination of karma. When karma is eliminated, it is not created again. If defilements are not severed, although some karma may be eliminated, it might be recreated again when conditions arise. Some people do not seek to understand the truth (tattva), they only seek to eliminate karma, imploring Buddhas and Bodhisattvas everywhere to eliminate it for them. After the karma is eliminated, they create it again. Eliminating karma in this way is futile. Only when understanding arises and the mind changes, will the karma be eliminated and not reappear. Changing the mind, however, is one's own affair; others cannot help with it.