What is Pure Land?

The goal of all Buddhist practice is to achieve Enlightenment and transcend the cycle of birth and death: that is, to attain Buddhahood. It is said that the Buddha taught 84,000 different methods to reach enlightenment. Most of these methods depend upon one’s own power. These are called self-power methods. Progress along the path to enlightenment is achieved through intense and sustained personal effort. Most ordinary people, struggling to make a living in difficult circumstances, with continual distractions and diversions do not have the external conditions or mental and physical ability to necessary to achieve enlightenment on this path. The path of other-power relies not upon one’s own power but upon the power of the Buddha Amitabha. Over 10 aeons ago the monk Dharmakara (who later became the Buddha Amitabha) made 48 powerful vows to enable those with genuine, sincere faith to be reborn in his Pure Land, Sukhavati, the Land of Ultimate Bliss. In that idyllic environment, free of the accumulation of new negative karma, anyone can attain nirvana in one lifetime.

Pure Land Buddhism is a religion of faith, of faith in Amitabha Buddha and in one’s capacity to achieve Buddhahood. The immediate goal of Pure Land Buddhists is to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land. There, in more favourable surroundings, in the presence of Amitabha, beings will eventually attain complete enlightenment. The essence of Pure Land practice consists of the recitation or remembrance of the name of Amitabha Buddha. Beginning practitioners also read the Pure Land Sutras, and make vows to be reborn in the Pure Land for their own benefit and for the benefit of all beings.

Pure Land Buddhism belongs to the Mahayana tradition in that one seeks liberation not only for oneself but for the sake of all beings.

Extract from the Amida-Shu Blog, For Love

Click on the title to link to their blog

For Love

Every community has at its core its discernment of the sacred.

Our community has at its heart the nembutsu, which is our expression of our love for the Buddha and, more importantly, our gratitude for his love of us. We gather round the Buddha as the bearer of light: the light of love, the light of compassion, the light of joy, the light of peace, the light that outshines sun, moon and stars, the unimpeded light, light of eternity. Buddhas discern such light, declare it, and walk their talk. In love of Buddha, therefore, we who are not particularly brave in nature work for peace, for an end to cruelty, for mutual respect, for freedom. In love of Buddha we who are not particularly generous in nature go forth for the good of the many: for the poor in India, for the sick in Africa, for those troubled in spirit in the corners of the affluent world. In love of Buddha we who are not particularly harmonious in nature try to live in goodwill together, making community, and creating the infra-structure of a better world. We whose ability to discern the light of the world is at best intermittent, nonetheless can remember the love of the awakened ones who are constantly working for the sake of all benighted beings adrift in the flood. In brief, through nembutsu, we resist oppression; through nembutsu we assist the afflicted; through nembutsu we demonstrate an alternative. Our vision is wholly religious, wholly grounded in faith, because we are not enlightened, not perfected, not so wise, not so competent as to be able to do all things by our own power. Amida-shu has at its core a particular discernment of the sacred, the measureless, the spirit that is the unconditional friend of all, Amida. Amida comes into our lives and transforms our work. We who are bombu are raised up by faith, guided by faith, equalized by faith. The world measures and grades, dividing the legitimate from the illegitimate, the good from the bad, the certificated from the uncertificated. The most that worldly charity offers is access to privilege. Amida transcends such divisions. Before Amida Nyorai we are all equal. In our discernment of the sacred, Amida accepts the bad, the excluded, the uncertificated, the displaced, even more readily than those who are already accomplished or privileged. Nyorai's grace is not limited to those who cultivate the right mind state, pass the right exam, belong to the right lineage, or jump through the right hoops. We are an outpost of Nyorai's Pure Land. We, the misfits, fit here. We are trying to live a life that is genuine - a life free from spin - while recognising that we are just ordinary, unenlightened beings. Namo Amida Bu.

(Thank you Amida Shu for reminding us of that the Light shines, no matter who we are, or what we think ourselves to be.)

Namo Amitofo

南無阿彌陀佛

Benefits of Pure Land practice

Extracts from a talk by Master Hui Re given during the Pure Land retreat of July 2007

I would like to share with you some of my experiences and accomplishments on my Pure Land Buddhist path. They are not something that I have striven for. They are just things that come without you even knowing it.

Let me tell you what I have attained from these six characters: "Na Mo A Mi To Fo." My Pure Land practice has allowed an internal eye to open. I now see how precious the Pure Land is. I understand its treasures. This genuine Dharma eye is nothing other than the 48 great vows of Amitabha Buddha. These are the 48 basic, essential vows. The essence of the Pure Land path, its Dharma, relies totally on these 48 Great Vows. If you can deeply understand and see these 48 vows very clearly your true Dharma eye will open.

The eighteenth vow is the most important of all the vows. This is the eye within the eye. It states that those who want to come to Amitabha's Pure Land, whether they are good or bad, regardless of their ordinariness, need only want to come to His Pure Land and recite His name ten times, to attain rebirth in His Pure Land. He will accept all such beings to his Pure Land. He promises that if he does not accomplish this he will not attain realisation, great enlightenment.

In the Pure Land all you do is spiritual cultivation and practice. Everyday you think only about the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. You purify all 6 roots. You work constantly, purely toward attaining Buddhahood at an extremely fast rate. So every time Amitabha Buddha accepts someone to His Pure Land, he is making him or her a Buddha. Can you think of anything more beautiful?

Thus the proper understanding with which to recite the Buddha's name is an understanding of these 48 great vows. If you do not think about the vows, if you do not believe them or understand them as you recite, your recitation will be flavourless, lifeless. But if you recite with an accurate, genuine understanding and belief in the vows then your recitations will be full of life and joy

These 48 great vows are the fountain of the pure Land. The Dharma springs from these 48 great vows like a warm water fountain. When you discover the truth about these 48 great vows, it's like discovering a fountain in your heart. All your faith, understanding and experiences will flow from this fountain in your heart. It will never stop from that moment onwards. If you have deep faith in this path, in Amitabha Buddha, you will know the method to follow to achieve your result. You will recite continuously. Thus you will gain liberation. As you recite the Buddha's name, if you have that great faith, Amitabha Buddha's vows are there, at that moment. If you achieve real faith in the Pure Land you will chant joyously all the time. You will never stop chanting because you know, you have that guarantee in your mind.

My unwavering faith and my proper practice have arisen from my understanding of these 48 great vows. Because of my faith and my practice I have achieved the benefits I was seeking. I have attained assurance on this path. Although I am still a normal sentient being, I know I will be reborn in the Pure Land. The most important practice is to rely on the original vows and to chant the Buddha's name. Rely on the vows. Keep the Buddha's name on your lips and in your heart all the time. Since I have entered these vows deeply, so that they are with me all the time, it is as if those 48 vows are my 48 vows. I am swimming in the ocean of the Buddha's vows. Even though my body is sitting here in this world, my mind swims in the ocean of vows. What are the 48 great vows? They are Amitabha's mind and heart. My mind swims in his mind, my heart in his heart.

The second thing I want to tell you is that I have accomplished the karma that will force me to be reborn in the Pure Land. I will go to the Pure Land when I die. In Buddhism it is said, "as is the cause, so is the effect". Because I have planted the karma that will send me to the Pure Land, the effect must be that I go to the Pure Land. I am guaranteed of this. I know I will go to the Pure Land. There is no obstacle, no obstruction, there is nothing that could happen that will prevent me going to the Pure Land

When you enter deeply into the 48 great vows you uncover a fountain in your heart that never stops pumping. You will never ever be able to stop it. It will never be cut off. Your heart will just open up. Your Pure Land mind will just open up. When Amitabha Buddha opens up in your heart, it is as if you have a permanent connection to the internet. You can go anywhere on the net. It's all just Amitabha Buddha wherever you go Amitabha Buddha is right there with you.

If you are connected with Amitabha Buddha you have the entire Pure Land resources at your disposal. If you have a problem, just send a thought and help will come. You will get instructions on what you must do.

You used always to be alone, even in a crowd. Now, even when you are alone, you have an infinite host of Bodhisattvas around you all the time. You have a great and powerful host always surrounding you. Always helping you. You will never be alone again.

Why is this body still sitting here? My job is not yet finished. My mission is not yet accomplished.

Translated by Ben Le, abridged and edited by Maxine

Brief Amitabha Aspiration Prayer

EMAHO!
Wonderful
NGO TSAR SANGYÉ NANGWA TAYÉ DANG
Amitabha, magnificent Buddha of Boundless Light,

YÉ SU JOWO TUKJÉ CHENPO DANG
With the great compassionate lord Avalokiteshvara to his right,

YÖN DU SEMPA TU CHEN TOP NAM LA
And the mighty bodhisattva Vajrapani on his left,

SANGYÉ CHANG SEM PAKMÉ KHOR GYI KOR
Surrounded by an assembly of countless buddhas and bodhisattvas

DÉ KYI NGO TSAR PAK TU MÉPA YI
In the place of wonder and boundless joy and happiness—

DEWA CHEN SHYÉ JA WÉ SHYING KHAM DER
That is the heavenly realm of Sukhavati, the Blissful Paradise.

DAK NI DI NÉ TSÉ PÖ GYUR MA TAK
When the time comes for me to leave this present life,

KYEWA SHYEN GYI BAR MA CHÖ PA RU
May I go there directly, without any other birth upon the way,

DÉ RU KYÉ NÉ NANG TÉ SHYAL TONG SHOK
And being reborn there, may I see Amitabha face to face!

DÉ KÉ DAK GI MÖNLAM TABPA DI
May this, my fervent prayer of aspiration,

CHOK CHÜI SANGYÉ CHANG SEM TAMCHÉ KYI
Be blessed by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions

GEK MÉ DRUBPAR CHIN GYI LAP TU SOL
So that it is accomplished, without the slightest hindrance!

TEYATA PENTSIN DRIYA AWA BODHANAYÉ SOHA

When Tulku Mingyur Dorje was thirteen years old, on the 7th day of the month of Saga Dawa, Fire Bird year (1657), he had a vision of the deities of the mandala, and Buddha Amitabha spoke these words directly.