A practice utilizing the Pure Land Dharma door, the “Buddhas from the 10 directions all standing before one samadhi” is found in the Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi. In this sutra, this practice is described in great detail. For those curious to undertake this training, some excerpts are below.
Bhadrapāla Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “What Dharmas should Bodhisattvas carry out in order to develop wisdom, like the immense ocean accepting myriads of streams? What should they do in order to acquire broad knowledge and understand what they have heard without doubts? What should they do in order to know their past lives and the reasons why they have been reborn? What should they do in order to live a long life? What should they do in order to be reborn into a family with a great name and to be loved and respected by their parents, brothers, relatives, and friends? What should they do in order to be endowed with even, comely good features? What should they do in order to acquire superb talents, outstanding in the multitude, and to develop penetrating and all-encompassing wisdom? What should they do in order to fulfill the merit and the sublime appearance of a Buddha, to have immeasurable awesome powers, and to form a magnificent Buddha Land? What should they do in order to subjugate the hostile māras? What should they do in order to achieve self-mastery so that their vows will never fail? What should they do in order to enter the Door of Total Retention? What should they do in order to acquire the transcendental powers to travel to Buddha Lands everywhere? What should they do in order to acquire fierce valiance like that of a lion, with nothing to fear, untouchable by māras? What should they do in order to realize their holy Buddha nature and to accept and uphold the Dharma in the sūtras with understanding, without forgetting? What should they do in order to have contentment, free from sycophancy and flattery and untouched by the three forces—arrogance, the five desires, and the wrong views? What should they do in order to hold the overall wisdom-knowledge without any hindrance, never deviating from the Buddha’s intention? What should they do in order to win people’s trust? What should they do in order to acquire the eight tones [of a Buddha] and master 10,000 koṭi tones? What should they do in order to fulfill the sublime appearance of a Buddha? What should they do in order to acquire the power of all-hearing? What should they do in order to acquire the Bodhi-eye for seeing into the future? What should they do in order to acquire the Ten Powers and the true wisdom? What should they do in order to see, with a single thought, all Buddhas from the ten directions appearing before them? What should they do in order to know that the four appearances of dharmas have never had any reality? What should they do in order to see right here innumerable Buddha Lands in the ten directions and to know the good and evil life-journeys there of the people, gods, dragons, spirits, and wriggly insects? These are my questions. I pray that the Buddha will explain and resolve all of my doubts.”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, “There is a samādhi called Buddhas from the 10 Directions All Standing Before One. If you can train in this Dharma, you will have the answers to all of your questions.”
Bhadrapāla asked the Buddha, “I pray that You will pronounce it. What the Buddha will now pronounce is all-encompassing. It will give peace to sentient beings in the 10 directions and present great illumination to Bodhisattvas.”
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, “There is a samādhi called Concentrated Mind. Bodhisattvas should constantly guard, learn, and uphold it, never to follow other ways. Of all virtuous ways, this is the foremost.”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, “Those who train in this way will attain this samādhi, during which present Buddhas all stand before them. If, among bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, there are those who want to train according to this Dharma, they should observe their precepts completely and live alone in a place to think of Amitābha Buddha, who is in the west. According to the teachings heard, one should also think of His land called Sukhāvatī, which is 10 million koṭi Buddha Lands away from here. Contemplate single-mindedly for one day and one night, or even seven days and seven nights. After the seventh day, one will see Him.
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
The Buddha continued, “Bodhisattvas in this land can see Amitābha Buddha by thinking intently only of Him. When they see Him, they can ask, ‘What Dharma should I uphold in order to be reborn in Your land?’ Amitābha Buddha will reply, ‘Those who desire to be reborn in my land should think of my name. If they can continue without taking rest, they will succeed in being reborn here.’”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
The Buddha said, “Very good, Bhadrapāla. Because the medium is clear, the reflection is clear. Likewise, if one wishes to see a Buddha, one with a pure mind will be able to see. When one sees Him, one can ask questions, and He will give a reply. Having heard the teachings, one will be exultant and think this thought: ‘Where does this Buddha come from and where am I going? As I think of this Buddha, He comes from nowhere. Nor am I going anywhere. As I think of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, these three realms are formed by my mind. I can see what I think of. The mind creates a Buddha for itself to see. The mind is the Buddha mind. My mind forms the Buddha. My mind is the Buddha, the Tathāgata, and my body.’
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
“Although the mind sees a Buddha, the mind neither knows itself nor sees itself. The mind with perception is the false mind; the mind without perception is nirvāṇa. Dharmas as perceived are not something pleasurable. They are empty thoughts, nothing real in existence. This is what is seen by Bodhisattvas who abide in this samādhi.”
Then the Buddha spoke in verse:”The mind does not know itself; the mind does not see itself.
The mind that fabricates perception is false; the mind without perception is nirvāṇa.
Dharmas are not firm, always founded upon thinking.
Those who see emptiness with this understanding
Are free from perceptions and expectations.”
The Buddha continued, “There are four things through which Bodhisattvas can quickly attain this samādhi. First, have indestructible faith. Second, make energetic progress that nothing can deter. Third, have wisdom-knowledge that no one can compare. Fourth, always work under a beneficent teacher.
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
If there are sūtras that these Bodhisattvas did not hear or uphold before, they will obtain them because of the awesome power of this samādhi. If they do not obtain them during the day, they will receive them in a night dream.”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, “Bodhisattvas who uphold this samādhi can think four thoughts to activate their sympathetic joy: First, past Buddhas who upheld this samādhi with sympathetic joy all attained, through self-realization, anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi, fulfilling their wisdom-knowledge. Second, the innumerable present Buddhas in the ten directions, by thinking these four thoughts, have attained Buddhahood by upholding this samādhi with sympathetic joy. Third, future Buddhas will attain Buddhahood by thinking these four thoughts as well to activate their sympathetic joy. Fourth, I too have sympathetic joy.”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
“Having attained this samādhi, one should abide in it and always remember the kindness of one’s teacher. This samādhi is hard to encounter. There are those who seek for 100,000 kalpas but cannot even hear the name of this samādhi. How could anyone who has learned it not progress diligently? If there are those who give as alms treasures filling as many Buddha Lands as the sands of the Ganges, they cannot be compared to the one who is learning this samādhi or the one who has attained it, is progressing energetically, and is teaching it to others.”
– Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of the Pratyutpanna Buddha Sammukhāvasthita Samādhi
Further details are given in the Teaching for Bhadrapala Sutra on the related samadhi known as ‘Contemplating Buddhas Face to Face’.
Bhadrapala, I taught the Samadhi of Nonduality as it should be practiced by bodhisattvas. There is a samadhi by the means of which even greater merit can be obtained. Samadhi known as ‘Contemplating Buddhas Face to Face’ brings the highest merit to a bodhisattva who is intent on making progress in his or her practice. The meditator should uphold the appropriate precepts, purify his or her actions and stay in seclusion while contemplating Amitabha, the Lord of the Western Paradise, and his Land of Bliss, or the Tathagata and the Arhat Samyak-sambuddha. The meditator should be thinking of that world of utmost joy tremendous distances from here, where Amita Buddha is teaching Dharma to all bodhisattvas. He or she should concentrate on Amita, on the Tathagata and on the Arhat Samyak-sambuddha, visualizing them.
Teaching for Bhadrapala Sutra
Using the Right Thought, the mind can generate a clear perception of buddha even if that meditator’s wisdom eye was not opened; he or she can hear the Dharma even though his or her wisdom ear was not opened; without leaving this world, such a person can enter other worlds, even though he or she was not endowed with supernatural powers. Having practiced in this manner for some time such a person will brighten and sharpen considerably his or her wisdom and perceive Amitabha, Tathagata, and Arhat Samyak-sambuddha; he or she will receive the Dharma in the manner of a bodhisattva, in the assembly of bodhisattvas. The experience is accompanied by samadhi; upon the meditator’s exiting that mind-state his or her perception of the world, as well as his or her speech will remain orderly and articulate.
Teaching for Bhadrapala Sutra
Bhadrapala, those who want to enter the Samadhi of Facing the Buddhas should first attain one pointed mind, and then focus on the Tathagata. If the practitioner wants to see the buddhas, he or she must complete three prerequisites, to wit: attain samadhi; accept his or her dependence on buddhas; develop the root of goodness.
Teaching for Bhadrapala Sutra
Having heard the Buddhadharma, they keep one-pointed mind focused on the Tathagata, which brings them joy. They may ask where do buddhas come from, or where does their body
Teaching for Bhadrapala Sutra
come from. After a while the Tathagata comes from no particular place, goes no particular place, nor does he abide in any particular place. My own body is also that way: Since it
originally came from nowhere, it has no place to return to. One should contemplate the three realms in the same manner, i.e. as being created by the mind. Why? Because as one thought
arises, all the rest arises with it. I know my mind is buddha, but my mind does not know it: It can neither know nor see itself. When a single thought arises, that is birth and, consequently,
death. A complete absence of thought is Nirvana; phenomena have no reality of their own, they are produced by causes and conditions. There is no object, no phenomena and no subject or mind. Once a bodhisattva understands this through own experience, he or she attains samadhi and accordingly enters the path to Bodhi.”