2. The Contemplation Sutra zQueen Vaidehi and the Buddha yQueen’s plight: son/king (Ajatasatru) intended to kill her yprayed to the Buddha for help  the Buddha appeared with Mahamaudgalyayana and Anada zthe Buddha came to Vaidehi in response to her wish yrevealed to her the multitudinous Buddha-fields yinformed her of the Buddha Amitayus and his Pure Land. ytaught her to practice the three acts of merit

3. Three Acts of Merit: Pure Karma zcaring for one’s parents, attending to one’s teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing and doing the ten good deeds ztaking the three refuges, keeping the various precepts, and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct zawakening aspiration for Enlightenment, believing deeply in the law of causality, chanting the Mahayana sutras, and encouraging people to follow their teachings

4. Pure Land Meditation: the exercise of visualizing zContemplation in 13 stages:  Contemplation, 1st stage-- visulalizing the setting sun ysit in the proper posture, facing west yclearly gaze at the sun, with mind firmly fixed on it yconcentrate your sight and don’t let it wander from the sun ycan visualize the sun clearly now whether eyes are open or closed

5. Contemplation, 2nd stage z2nd stage--visualizing water yenvision the western region as entirely flooded by water ypicture the water as clear and pure, and let this vision distinctly perceived ykeep your thoughts from distracted yafter having visualized the water, envision it becoming frozen ice and see it turning into beryl ywith this vision, imaging the beryl ground shines xsupported by columns made of diamond and the 7 jewels xhung with golden banners xcolumns have 8 sides and 8 corners, each adorned with 100 jewels xeach jewel emits a thousand rays of light xeach ray has eighty-four thousand colors that are reflected on the beryl ground xgolden path on this beryl ground divide into areas made of one of 7 jewels

6. Contemplation, 3rd stage z3rd stage:visualizing ground zafter visualizing the water and beryl ground ysee each object clearly without losing the image, whether eyes are closed or open ysee ground of the Pure Land clearly and distinctly after attaining samadhi ythis is third contemplation xevil karma will be extinguished xone will be reborn in the Pure Land

7. Contemplation, 4th stage zContemplation 4th stage--visualizing the jeweled trees yvisualize each one and form an image of 7 rows of trees xeach being 8,000 yojanas high and adorned with 7-jeweled blossom and leaves xeach blossom and leaf has the colors of various jewels xeach issue one of 7 jewels’ light xsplendid nets of pearls cover the trees xbetween these nets are palaces adorned with exquisite flowers yvisualize the leaves, blossoms, fruits of the tree and their colors yfruits issue forth great floods of light that transform themselves into jeweled canopies

8. Contemplation, 5th stage zContemplation 5th stage--visualizing the ponds y8 ponds, each made of 7 soft and pliable jewels ythe water springs from a wish-fulfilling king mani-gem xforms 14 streams, each in the color of the 7 jewels; its bank made of gold, and its bed colorful diamond sand xnumerous lotus flowers in each stream xwhen rippling, it produces exquisite sounds the sounds proclaim the truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence praises the physical characteristics and marks of the Buddhas ythe king mani-gem emits a splendid golden light which transform itself into birds with colors of a 100 jewels xtheir songs are melodious and elegant ythis is the visualizing of the water of the eight excellent qualities

9. Contemplation, 6th stage z6th Contemplation--a composite visualization yjeweled pavilions in which innumerable devas play heavenly music ymusical instruments suspended in the sky, like heavenly jeweled banners, spontaneously produce tones xthese tones proclaim the virtue of mindfulness of the Three Jewels ywhen completed, this contemplation is called the general perception of the jeweled trees, jeweled ground, and jeweled ponds of the Pure Land.

10. Contemplation, 7th Stage The visualizing of the Lotus Throne

11. Contemplation 8th stage Visualizing the Buddha Visualizing the image of bodhisattva Avalokitesvara Visualizing the image of bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta

12. Contemplation 9th stage Visualizing physical characteristics and the light of the Buddha Amitayus

13. Contemplation 10th stage Visualizing the true physical features of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara

14. Contemplation 11th stage Visualizing the true physical characteristics of the bodhisattva Mahathamaprapta

15. Contemplation 12 th stage Visualizing yourself (aspirant) as born in the Land of Utmost Bliss

16. Contemplation 13 th Stage zVisualizing the Triad: yAmitayu yAvalokitesvara yMahathamaprapta