Sukhavati


Sukhāvatī, or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. The Sanskrit sukhavatī is the feminine form of sukhāvat,
from sukha and -vat.

In other languages

There are a number of translations for Sukhāvatī. The Tibetan name is Dewachen . In Chinese, it is called Jílè, Ānlè, or Xītiān. In Japanese, it is pronounced Gokuraku or Anraku. In Korean, it is called the "Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" or simply Jeongto "Pure Land". In Vietnamese, it is called Cực lạc or Tây Phương Tịnh Độ.

Nine levels of birth

In the final part of the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra, Gautama Buddha discusses the nine levels into which those born into the pure land are categorized.

Buddhist funerals

In Tibetan Buddhism, the world of Sukhavati is invoked during Buddhist funerals as a favorable destination for the deceased. Such rituals are often accompanied with the tantric technique of phowa to the pure land of Amitābha, performed by a lama on the behalf of the departed. Halkias explains that
"Sukhavati features in funeral rites and scriptures dedicated to the ritual care of the dead. The structure and performance of Tibetan death ceremonies varies according to a set sequence of events...For the duration of these rites, the consciousness of the dead is coaxed into increasing levels of clarity until the time for the ritual transference to Sukhavati."
Raigō in Japanese Buddhism is the appearance of the Amida on a "purple" cloud at the time of one's death. The most popular belief is that the soul would then depart to the Western Paradise. A number of hanging scroll paintings depict the western paradise.

Namesakes

A number of temples are named after Sukhāvatī: