One day, the Buddha told Ananda how the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha came into being.

Long ago, many cosmic eons ago, there lived the ascetic Dharmakara. He conceived the noble aspiration to accumulate wisdom and virtue, the fruit of which would be the emergence of a perfect Pure Land. Dharmakara wished that the Pure Land, which he would create through the power of his merit, would be free of the lower realms where beings suffer and free of any conditions conducive to their emergence. In this land, beings would find refuge from disease, madness, discord, famine, and natural disasters.

The ancient ascetic resolved to grant liberation to all beings who would turn to his name as a refuge. To learn how to realize his intention, Dharmakara sought guidance from many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Each in their own way, they explained to him the teachings on the development of the six paramitas.

Over countless lifetimes, the ascetic applied the teachings he received, resulting in his name and form merging with the clear light of pure consciousness. Thus, the ascetic became known as Amitabha, Infinite Light, and Amitayus, Infinite Life. From then on, anyone who turns to him receives a vision of the infinite light that creates the perfect Pure Lands, where beings live freely and long-lasting lives. Thus, the ascetic achieved his goal. This great accomplishment took place ten lifetimes before the appearance of Buddha Shakyamuni in this world.

In the Pure Land of Amitayus, all matter is illusory and precious. The earth glows with a diamond-like radiance, and rocks and sand sparkle like gold and silver. Various tree parts take on the appearance of precious stones and metals. The denizens of the Pure Land wear garments woven from light. Bathing in crystal-clear ponds, they are healed of ailments and rejuvenated. The water rises from their feet to a comfortable height and recedes at their will. The ripples in this water produce sounds that calm the mind and awaken the teachings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. In the Pure Land, negative thoughts and disturbing sounds do not arise.

The inhabitants of the Pure Land have no need to eat ordinary food. Nourished by the aroma of good deeds, they become strong and content.

Amitabha's Pure Lands, in all their manifestations, possess three qualities: immensity, luminosity, and emptiness from suffering. The bodies of beings incarnating in these lands are also similar: their sensory activity is clear and unlimited, and their bodies are completely empty and free from all defilements and suffering.

Amitayus emits rainbow rays from his mouth, which fill all the surrounding lands and return, encircling his body three times, before gathering in his ushnisha. In this way, he makes the final state of consciousness in which he abides visible to all who turn to him.

When bodhisattvas from different directions come to the Pure Land of Amitayus to create similar lands, they receive the instruction: “Perceive all existence as a dream, an illusion, an echo, and you will be able to create worlds free from suffering by following the lightning path of supernatural wisdom.”

Bodhisattvas follow Amitabha's teachings and develop all the countless supernatural qualities of consciousness, including the memory of past lives, knowledge of the paths of reincarnation, and the attainment of nirvana. Their practice of the six paramitas—generosity, restraint, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight—becomes perfect, unbound by personal qualities. After describing the qualities of Amitabha and his Pure Land, the Buddha addressed the bodhisattva Maitreya and the assembly of gods and humans: "Strive to leave samsara and be born in this Pure Land. In this mundane world, both the poor and the rich, the strong and the weak, are subject to suffering, restlessness, and misfortune. Therefore, it is wise to abandon all worldly aspirations without regret and seek refuge in the perfect Pure Land. It is very easy to attain, but only rare beings take advantage of this auspicious opportunity. Most beings, out of weakness and delusion, cling to their passions and continue to live in pain and worry, relying on impermanent possessions and temporary pleasures. They wander in all directions of existence, finding no abode of peace and tranquility.

The Buddha told Maitreya: "I have resolved to preach to those who are bound by their evil inclinations and have taught them how to overcome this bondage. By overcoming their evil inclinations, they avoid the unbearable torment of the afterlife and are reborn in good realms, where evil inclinations are insignificant and virtue is honored. Therefore, one must cultivate good aspirations, just as Dharmakara once did."

The Buddha then told Ananda to honor Buddha Amitabha. Ananda stood, straightened his robe, turned to the west, and prostrated himself, invoking Amitayus. Amitayus then emitted rays of infinite light from his lands, and although Amitabha's Pure Land is an immeasurably vast distance from the earthly world, the rays immediately reached the sight of Ananda, Maitreya, and the entire assembly of gods and humans surrounding Buddha Shakyamuni. These rays eclipsed the light of all phenomena and beings in the earthly world; only the light of Buddha Shakyamuni remained clearly visible.

The Buddha then asked Ananda and Maitreya if they had seen the Pure Lands of Amitayus and their inhabitants, and both answered affirmatively. The Buddha then inquired, "Have you seen that on the borders of the Pure Lands there are those who dwell in radiant palaces in the form of fetuses?"

Ananda and Maitreya answered in the affirmative and asked the Buddha to clarify the consciousness and position of these beings.

The Buddha explained: “In samsara, there are beings who desire to attain the Pure Lands and have faith in them, but doubt that the Buddhas’ teachings on overcoming mental flaws and cultivating virtues are capable of creating these lands. If such beings do not perform evil deeds, they are reborn in radiant palaces as fetuses, and although they do not experience suffering, they still suffer the consequences of succumbing to these doubts. Their situation is like that of people chained to a royal throne with golden chains, unable to leave it and act as they please. They are burdened by their position, despite all the honors shown to them and the pleasures of the senses provided without limitation. Fetuses in the Pure Lands are bound for a long time by their earlier-formed attachment to sensory bliss and are unable to hear the preaching of Buddha Amitabha and the other Buddhas. This sermon teaches beings that everything that has arisen will disappear and that final salvation is achieved only by those who cease sensual thirst.”