Light Pervading All, Gathering Without Abandoning: Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva and the Buddha-Recitation Path

The Other Attendant

When people speak of the Western Pure Land, the most familiar figures are probably Amitābha Buddha and Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) Bodhisattva. But there is actually a third figure, standing on Amitābha's right side, facing Avalokiteśvara from across—this is Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva.

Compared to Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta seems less well-known. Avalokiteśvara is renowned for compassion, hearing cries and rescuing those in suffering, responding to every prayer—extremely popular in folk belief. Mahāsthāmaprāpta is somewhat different. He represents wisdom—a quiet, profound kind of power.

The name "Mahāsthāmaprāpta" is interesting. "Sthāma" means strength or power; "prāpta" means arrived or attained. Together it means "one who has attained great power." Power to reach where? To reach the other shore, to reach awakening, to reach every place that needs illumination.

According to the scriptures, when Mahāsthāmaprāpta takes one step, the worlds of the ten directions tremble; when his foot comes down, beings in the hell realms are liberated. This "great power" is not forceful domination but the power of wisdom. True wisdom has power. It can pierce through darkness, shake off ignorance, and help lost beings find their way home.

That Lotus on His Crown

Mahāsthāmaprāpta and Avalokiteśvara look quite similar—both wear jeweled crowns and celestial robes in majestic appearance. But one detail distinguishes them: Avalokiteśvara's crown typically has a small Buddha image (Amitābha), while Mahāsthāmaprāpta's crown bears a lotus flower, or a vase radiating light.

This lotus (or vase) carries symbolic significance. The scriptures say it emits the light of wisdom, illuminating all worlds in the ten directions. This light is not ordinary light—it is the light of Prajñā wisdom, capable of revealing beings' true nature and awakening their inherent enlightened awareness.

The Amitābha image on Avalokiteśvara's crown represents his constant mindfulness of the Buddha and his gathering of beings through compassion. The lotus light on Mahāsthāmaprāpta's crown represents his illuminating beings with wisdom, guiding them back to their true nature. One bodhisattva specializes in compassion, the other in wisdom—together they assist Amitābha in welcoming all who recite the Buddha's name throughout the ten directions.

The Chapter on Buddha-Recitation Samādhi

Mahāsthāmaprāpta's most important teaching is recorded in a section of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra called "Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's Chapter on Perfect Penetration Through Buddha-Recitation." This text contains only 244 characters, yet Pure Land Buddhism treasures it as a supreme teaching, ranking it alongside the Amitābha Sutra, the Infinite Life Sutra, and the Contemplation Sutra as one of the Four Pure Land Scriptures.

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha asks twenty-five sages each to explain their method of attaining realization. When it's Mahāsthāmaprāpta's turn, he speaks these profoundly condensed words:

"In my causal ground, through the mind that recites the Buddha, I entered the patience of the unborn... Gathering in all six sense faculties, with pure thoughts following one upon another, I attained samādhi. This, I consider foremost."

These few lines are the core of the Buddha-recitation path. Let's examine them slowly.

"Through the mind that recites the Buddha, I entered the patience of the unborn"—Mahāsthāmaprāpta says that while practicing in his causal stage, he attained "the patience of the unborn" through Buddha-recitation. The patience of the unborn is a very high stage, the genuine realization that all dharmas neither arise nor cease. And the method to reach this state is simply "reciting the Buddha."

This is surprising. Isn't Buddha-recitation practice for old folks? How can it lead to such an elevated state? But Mahāsthāmaprāpta demonstrates it himself: Buddha-recitation can bring realization, and the highest realization at that.

"Gathering in all six sense faculties"—this is the method of Buddha-recitation. The six sense faculties are eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Normally they chase after external objects and scatter wildly. "Gathering in" means drawing them all back, concentrating on one point. When reciting the Buddha's name, the eyes don't wander, the ears don't stray, the mind doesn't drift—all attention is placed on this one phrase: the Buddha's name.

"Pure thoughts following one upon another"—the thoughts of Buddha-recitation must be pure and continuous. Pure means no stray thoughts, only this single Buddha-name. Continuous means unbroken, one recitation after another, thought after thought without stopping.

"I attained samādhi; this, I consider foremost"—practicing this way leads to samādhi (meditative absorption), and moreover "foremost" samādhi. Among the twenty-five methods of perfect penetration, Mañjuśrī finally recommends Avalokiteśvara's ear-faculty penetration as foremost. But Mahāsthāmaprāpta himself declares Buddha-recitation samādhi "foremost." This isn't a contradiction—it illustrates that the method suited to oneself is the foremost method.

Mother and Child Remembering Each Other

The Chapter on Buddha-Recitation Samādhi contains a famous analogy:

"It is like two people: one only remembers, one only forgets. These two, even if they meet, are as if they did not meet; even if they see each other, it is as if they did not see. But if both remember each other, and their remembrance deepens, then life after life they will be together like body and shadow, never apart. The Tathagatas of the ten directions compassionately think of sentient beings as a mother thinks of her child. If the child runs away, what use is the mother's remembrance? But if the child remembers the mother as the mother remembers the child, then mother and child, through lifetime after lifetime, will not be far apart."

This analogy is deeply moving.

Two people: one constantly remembers the other, but the other has forgotten. Even if they meet, it's as though they haven't met. But if both are remembering each other, and remembering deeply, then life after life they'll be together like shadow and body, never separating.

The relationship between Buddha and beings is the same. The Tathagatas of the ten directions compassionately think of beings just as a mother thinks of her child. But if the child only runs outward, forgetting the mother, no amount of the mother's longing helps. Only when the child also begins to remember the mother—and remembers as deeply as the mother remembers—will mother and child reunite.

This analogy makes the principle of Buddha-recitation crystal clear. The Buddha has never abandoned us. Amitābha's vow-power is always there. The question is whether we are thinking of the Buddha. Reciting the Buddha is the child remembering the mother. When our Buddha-reciting mind corresponds with the Buddha's compassionate mind that thinks of beings, rebirth in the Pure Land becomes certain.

Gathering Without Abandoning

Mahāsthāmaprāpta has a special vow called "gathering without abandoning."

What does this mean? It means that any being who recites the Buddha's name, Mahāsthāmaprāpta will certainly gather in and never forsake. Regardless of whether your capacity is sharp or dull, regardless of whether your karmic obstacles are light or heavy—as long as you recite the Buddha, he gathers you, blesses you, guides you.

This resembles Avalokiteśvara's "hearing cries and rescuing from suffering," but with different emphasis. Avalokiteśvara hears beings' cries for help and goes to rescue them—extending a hand when beings encounter difficulty. Mahāsthāmaprāpta, as long as beings recite the Buddha, whether or not they're in difficulty, comes to gather them in and guide them to rebirth in the Pure Land.

The phrase "gathering in" has a vivid image. Like light gathering darkness—not by destroying darkness, but when light appears, darkness naturally ceases to exist. Mahāsthāmaprāpta's wisdom-light gathers in Buddha-reciters, leading them out of the darkness of ignorance into the luminous Buddha-land.

Why Wisdom-Light

At this point, someone might ask: Mahāsthāmaprāpta represents wisdom, so what does his Buddha-recitation method have to do with "wisdom"? Isn't Buddha-recitation the simplest practice? Where does it need wisdom?

This is a good question.

My understanding is this: Buddha-recitation looks simple but actually contains profound wisdom.

First, choosing the Buddha-recitation method itself requires wisdom. Among countless methods, recognizing that Buddha-recitation is most suited to oneself, most reliable, most certain—this is a wise choice. Many people have high standards but low ability; they look down on this method and that method, ending up accomplishing nothing. Being able to set aside pride and sincerely recite the Buddha is great wisdom.

Second, the process of Buddha-recitation requires wisdom. "Gathering in all six sense faculties, pure thoughts following one upon another"—these eight characters are easy to say, hard to do. How do you gather the six faculties? How do you keep thoughts pure? How do you maintain continuity without break? This involves many techniques, many insights, many aspects of awareness—all requiring wisdom.

Most importantly, the depths of Buddha-recitation contain wisdom. When recitation reaches its ultimate point, the mind that recites and the Buddha being recited become one—mind and Buddha not-two. This is "Buddha-recitation samādhi"; this is "entering the patience of the unborn." At this point, Buddha-recitation is no longer mindless repetition but entry into the true nature of all dharmas. This is the highest wisdom.

Mahāsthāmaprāpta illuminates Buddha-reciters with wisdom-light not to teach them some other method, but to let them awaken wisdom through Buddha-recitation. Buddha-recitation is the door; wisdom is the treasure inside.

The Way Home

Mahāsthāmaprāpta stands on Amitābha's right, together with Avalokiteśvara, waiting for everyone who recites the Buddha.

Avalokiteśvara gives us compassion, comforting us when we suffer. Mahāsthāmaprāpta gives us wisdom, telling us how to go home. These two, together with Amitābha Buddha, constitute the "Three Sages of the Western Pure Land," the core of the Pure Land path.

If you are already reciting the Buddha, congratulations—Mahāsthāmaprāpta is gathering you in right now. Just keep reciting, gathering in all six faculties, with pure thoughts following one upon another. At the time of death, the Three Sages will certainly come to welcome you, taking you back to that pure home: the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

If you haven't started reciting the Buddha yet, why not try? Starting today, spend some time each day reciting "Namo Amitābha Buddha." It doesn't need to be long—a few minutes, ten minutes, whatever you can manage. When reciting, draw your mind back in; don't think of anything else; just focus on this one phrase of the Buddha's name.

This is the method Mahāsthāmaprāpta taught us, the method countless beings who attained rebirth have practiced, and the simplest, most reliable path home.

Namo Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva.