如是我聞 一時佛在舍衛國 祇樹給孤獨園 與大比丘衆 千二百五十人俱 皆是大阿羅漢 衆所知識 長老舍利弗 摩訶目犍連 摩訶迦葉 摩訶迦旃延 摩訶俱絺羅 離婆多 周利槃陀伽 難陀 阿難陀 羅睺羅 憍梵波提 賓頭盧頗羅墮 迦留陀夷 摩訶劫賓那 薄拘羅 阿耨樓馱 如是等諸大弟子
Rú shì wǒ wén yī shí fó zài shě wèi guó qí shù gěi gū dú yuán yǔ dà bǐ qiū zhòng qiān èr bǎi wǔ shí rén jù jiē shì dà ā luó hàn zhòng suǒ zhī shí zhǎng lǎo shě lì fú mó hē mù jiàn lián mó hē jiā yè mó hē jiā zhān yán mó hē jù chī luó lí pó duō zhōu lì pán tuó qié nán tuó ā nán tuó luó hóu luó jiāo fán bō tí bīn tóu lú pō luó duò jiā liú tuó yí mó hē jié bīn nà bó qū luó ā nòu lóu tuó rú shì děng zhū dà dì zǐ
▸The Amitābha Sūtra opens with the standard formula 'Thus have I heard' (如是我聞, rú shì wǒ wén) and introduces the setting: the Buddha dwelling at the Jetavana Monastery (祇樹給孤獨園) in the land of Śrāvastī (舍衛國), together with an assembly of twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus.
The Amitābha Sūtra opens with the standard formula 'Thus have I heard' (如是我聞, rú shì wǒ wén) and introduces the setting: the Buddha dwelling at the Jetavana Monastery (祇樹給孤獨園) in the land of Śrāvastī (舍衛國), together with an assembly of twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus. The disciples enumerated are all 'great arhats' (大阿羅漢) — elders who have attained complete liberation. The Buddha's ten great disciples are named, including Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and Mahākāśyapa, establishing the stature of this assembly. What is particularly distinctive about the Amitābha Sūtra is that it is an unsolicited discourse (無問自說, wú wèn zì shuō) — the Buddha speaks without being asked. This is rare in the canon and signifies that this teaching arose not from a disciple's question but from the Buddha's own compassion, spontaneously overflowing.