A couple of months ago, I asked if it was acceptable to do some sort of meetup in a park to introduce Pure Land to other people. I still haven't gone through it because I was traveling, but I worked on a pamphlet that would explain it for whoever came.

It's still a draft, but I think it's mostly finished. I need to add sources and additional reading at the end, but that's a minor addition. If anyone cares to read it and comment, I would appreciate it. Also if you have suggestions on good reading material (other than the sutras themselves) to put at the end.

Link to PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VfohFPP2q03PIWcLBu1mbmWpjky4oS1r/view?usp=sharing

namo amitoufo

I am hoping this will not be a concern for a long time but I wanted to hear opinions, as I own a cat. I am glad to say as of now he is young and healthy.

I understand we are not supposed to kill animals under most circumstances.

But I understand in circumstances where an animal is terminally ill or unable to live without excruciating pain, many people consider euthanizing an animal the most responsible and humane thing to do.

So, you can see how this can be a conflicting situation.

If you were to find yourself in such a position what would be the right thing to do?

The 29th day of the ninth lunar month is the Medicine Buddha's birthday. The Medicine Buddha is often thought of as the great, compassionate healer of all sufferings, whether physical, mental, or spiritual.

In honor of the Medicine Buddha's birthday, here are a few of the truly endless benefits of hearing and cherishing the Buddha's name (quoted and paraphrased from the Medicine Buddha Sutra):

• There are those who accept and uphold the eight precepts for a year or three months and who, with these good roots, seek rebirth in Amitabha's Pure Land. If these people lack confidence in their rebirth but hear the Medicine Buddha's name, at the time of their death, eight great bodhisattvas will appear and guide these sentient beings to the Western Pure Land.
• Cultivators of Brahma conduct who have violated any of the three clusters of precepts will, upon hearing his name, regain their purity and not fall into the evil destinies. (Fifth Vow)
• Those who suffer from mental and physical illnesses, afflictions and imperfections will, upon hearing his name, be freed from their sufferings. (Sixth Vow)
• Those who are sick and poverty-stricken and have no place or no one to turn to (whether that be family, relatives, a doctor, medicine, and other aid) will, upon hearing his name, be cured of their sufferings and become peaceful and happy in body and mind. Moreover, they will have a family and relatives, and acquire an abundance of property and wealth, and even realize unsurpassed Bodhi. (Seventh Vow)
• Those who have fallen into the hands of the law and are subjected to various oppressions, humiliations, hardships, and torments will, upon hearing his name, be liberated from all worry and suffering by means of the Buddha's blessings, virtue, and awesome spiritual power. (Tenth Vow)
• Those who are so plagued by hunger and thirst that they create all kinds of bad karma in their quest for food, upon hearing the Buddha's name and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, will be filled with delicious food and drink and afterward will, by means of the flavor of Dharma, settle in ultimate peace and happiness. (Eleventh Vow)
• Those who are poor and without clothes and thus afflicted day and night by mosquitoes and flies, cold and heat, will, upon hearing the Buddha's name and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, be blessed with all kinds of fine and wonderful garments that accord with their tastes, as well as a variety of precious adornments, flower garlands, fragrant balms, and the enjoyments of music and various kinds of talents, so that all their hearts' delights will be fulfilled. (Twelfth Vow)

Namo Medicine Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!

What about remembering Amitabha, listening to a recitation of his Name, touching his statue, etc be as effective as vocal recitation? Is it really necessary for Pure Land rebirth?

Asking a genuine question. I wonder those people who just can't say anything for some reason. Are they doomed not to be reborn in Pure Land?

I've heard of Mahayana methods of liberation by seeing, touch, listening, etc for example. Ive read a source on the internet that says that just by seeing or touching a particular Mahayana/Vajrayana mantra one is liberated from samsaric existence. I wonder if that works the same way with Amitabha Buddha.

There are days where I can't vocally say the Name. Sometimes it's just easier to just think literally of Amitabha, gaze on his statue, listen to a Nianfo recording, etc.

Chores of all kinds are rhythmic, so it's easy to recite the Buddha's name to the movements, letting the mind rest free from boredom or unhappiness for a while.

I don't always make time for formal recitation sessions. But things like cooking and working can't be put off. Luckily, Amida Buddha's name follows me where I have to go.

Guandu Temple Medicine Master Buddha

Should we be thinking "Homage to Amida Buddha", "May I be born in the Pure Land" or just focusing on the words with no thoughts? Or something else?

The Shurangama Mantra Class.
Dharma Master Heng Chih.
Dharma Realm Buddhist University - DRBU.

*如何參加楞嚴咒詳解免費課程? 請上法界佛教大學註冊 How to attend online free class? Please register through DRBU Extension Online Class https://form.jotform.com/92697194167169

*About Rev.Heng Chih: On 19 June 1969, Rev. Heng Chih was initiated into Buddhist monastic life as a novice nun by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua at the Buddhist Lecture Hall in San Francisco, California, USA. In November, 1969, she became a fully ordained Buddhist nun, one of the first five Caucasian monastic disciples of Master Hsuan Hua. Thirteen years later, in 1982, she was granted permission to receive ordination a second time at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, with Master Hua presiding as Precept Transmitting Master. She is a founding member of the Buddhist Text Translation Society (BTTS) and since its inception in 1971 has served on all its four committees, helping prepare English publications of Buddhist texts and Master Hua’s commentaries on Mahayana Sutras and Shastras. During her monastic life, Heng Chih has been a resident nun at several of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association’s monasteries and has lectured on Buddhism in many Asian countries. She is one of the world’s most senior Buddhist nuns and in her decades of service has helped train many others in the monastic way of life.

❤欲支持贊助宣公上人創辦法界大學者,請上法界佛教大學網站: https://www.drbu.edu/giving/annual-fund

At that time, Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva, the Great Lord of Mysteries, addressed the Buddha, saying:

Bhagavān! When the Buddha Bhagavān was teaching the Dharma in this way, was there not something contrary to what the Tathāgata taught to me? Did some follow [those contrary teachings]? What the Tathāgata teaches is extraordinarily profound and vast; what the Tathāgata teaches is extraordinarily profound and secret. It is difficult for all people to believe, understand, and penetrate its core. Bhagavān! The mind of all Tathāgatas is decidedly true and real. I understand the profound Dharma that the Tathāgata taught me because the superior wisdom of all the Tathāgatas dwells in my body—this is not in my power as a human being.

The Buddha said:

Lord of Mysteries! It is just as you have said, it is just as you have said. Why? You should now understand that the Tathāgata explains all Dharma teachings by setting up similes and that the superior wisdom possessed by all Tathāgatas dwells in the bodies of all sentient beings. Why? Lord of Mysteries! It would not be possible otherwise for all sentient beings abiding anywhere to accord with the secrets that the Tathāgata teaches if they did not contain the Tathāgata’s power of assistance and accord with the Tathāgata’s Dharma nature. Furthermore, if one hears, if one speaks, and if one has an understanding about the profound Dharma of the secrets taught by the Tathāgata, then that is all by virtue of the power of the Tathāgata’s assistance.

Moreover, Lord of Mysteries, when the Tathāgata speaks, it is with the right words. One should know that the nature of the Tathāgata’s Dharma is thus true, that the nature of his Dharma is real and permanent. Furthermore, what the Tathāgata does is true. What he does is real and permanent. Therefore, the Tathāgata teaches this True Dharma teaching with the right words.

Tathāgataguhyasūtra, Chapter 15,

translated by Shaku Shingan

I got a copy of The Promise of Amida Buddha (containing translations of texts from Honen) and I'm in love with the book. 10/10 binding, nice looking book, and the content is even better. However, reading one chapter caused my eyebrow to raise.

Chapter 7, An Outline of Nembutsu, page 143:

It is now in the fifth five-hundred-year period after the death of Buddha Śākyamuni, known as the period of a steadfast engagement in doctrinal disputes, in which one has extreme difficulty accomplishing Buddhist practices and teachings other than birth in the Pure Land through nembutsu for achieving enlightenment.

When did Honen think the historical Buddha lived? Realistically, Guatama was alive around 600-500BCish, and by Honen's time (1100-1200ish) we would have been in only the 3rd or 4th 500-year period after Gautama's death/parinirvana.

Is it just a mistranslation? When did the people around Honen's time think that the historical Buddha existed? Am I just bad at math?

"All Buddhas and all sentient beings are no different from the One Mind. In this One Mind there is neither arising nor ceasing, no name or form, no long or short, no large or small, and neither existence nor non-existence. It transcends all limitations of name, word and relativity, and it is as boundless as the great void. Giving rise to thought is erroneous, and any speculation about it with our ordinary faculties is inapplicable, irrelevant and inaccurate.

Only Mind is Buddha, and Buddhas and sentient beings are not different. All sentient beings grasp form and search outside themselves. Using Buddha to seek Buddha, they thus use mind to seek Mind. Practicing in this manner even until the end of the kalpa, they cannot attain the fruit. However, when thinking and discrimination suddenly halt, the Buddhas appear.

The Mind is Buddha, and the Buddha is no different from sentient beings. The Mind of sentient beings does not decrease; the Buddha's Mind does not increase. Moreover, the six paramitas and all síla, as countless as the grains of sand of the Ganges, belong to one's own mind. Thus there is no need to search outside oneself to create them. When causes and conditions unite, they will appear; as causes and conditions separate, they disappear. So if one does not have the understanding that one’s very own Mind itself is Buddha, he will then grasp the form of the practice merely and create even more delusion. This approach is exactly the opposite of the Buddha's practice path. Just this Mind alone is Buddha! Nothing else is!

The Mind is transparent, having no shape or form. Giving rise to thought and discrimination is grasping and runs counter to the natural Dharma. Since time without beginning, there never has been a grasping Buddha. The practice of the six paramitas and various other disciplines is known as the gradual method of becoming a Buddha. This gradual method, however, is a secondary idea, and it does not represent the complete path to Perfect Awakening. If one does not understand that one's mind is Buddha, no Dharma can ever be attained.

The Buddhas and sentient beings possess the same fundamental Mind, neither mixing nor separating the quality of true void-ness. When the sun shines over the four directions, the world becomes light, but true void-ness is never light. When the sun sets, the world becomes dark, but void-ness is never dark. The regions of dark and light destroy each other, but the nature of void-ness is clear and undisturbed. The True Mind of both Buddhas and sentient beings enjoys this same nature.

If one thinks that the Buddha is clean, bright and liberated and that sentient beings are dirty, dark and entangled in samsára, and, further, if one also uses this view to practice, then even though one perseveres through kalpas as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges, one will not arrive at Bodhi. What exists for both Buddhas and for sentient beings, however, is the unconditioned Mind (Asamskrta citta) with nothing to attain."

I could've sworn I've seen an image of them both together, either a painting or a woodblock. But a google search is coming up with nothing. The image in mind is of both of them sitting, in robes, holding beads. Has anyone else seen this image I'm thinking of? Is it some other pair of people that I'm mistaking these two for?

Master Shandao was born during a time period where the concept of 别时意 (kālāntarābhiprāya or ‘selective interpretation’) was widely popular. This concept appeared in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, a key work of the Yogacara school written by Asanga which includes a statement saying that if someone chants the name of the Buddha, such as chanting Prabhutaratna (多宝佛) from the Lotus Sutra, they will achieve the state of non-retrogression toward supreme enlightenment, meaning that they will not fall back on the path to Buddhahood. In this context, it suggests that by chanting the Buddha's name, one can attain Buddhahood. However, this is not something that can be achieved in a single lifetime; rather, it serves as a distant cause for attaining Buddhahood in a distant future. This is the essence of kālāntarābhiprāya.

This concept is applied to the Contemplation Sutra's teaching on the ten recitations for rebirth in the lowest lotus grade. The idea here is that if chanting the Buddha's name ten times allows one to be reborn in Sukhavati, it is similar to the notion that chanting the name of Prabhutaratna leads to Buddhahood. It is not something achieved in this lifetime but rather a distant cause for the future. It is likened to someone who has one coin and can eventually accumulate a thousand coins. They do not receive a thousand coins on the same day but achieve this sum gradually over time. In the same way, chanting Amitabha’s name ten times serves as a distant cause for rebirth in the Pure Land in the future, not in this present life. This is the meaning of kālāntarābhiprāya (別時意).

When you hear this explanation, it does sound quite reasonable. A lot of ancient masters before Shandao, from other schools, applied this concept to Pure Land and spread it. But that’s not what the sutras actually say. The Pure Land sutras, such as the Amitabha Sutra, tell us: “Shāriputra, if there is a good man or a good woman who hears spoken ‘Amitābha’ and holds the name, whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days, with one heart unconfused, when this person approaches the end of life, before him will appear Amitābha and all the assembly of holy ones.” There is no mention of the distant future; it clearly refers to this lifetime. Additionally, the 19th of the 48 great vows expresses the vow that “all who diligently cultivate virtues and recite my name, I will come to welcome them at their life’s end.” This, too, refers to this lifetime, not to a distant cause for the future.

For this reason, Master Shandao was deeply saddened by the concept of kālāntarābhiprāya. This idea led many people to stop reciting the Buddha’s name for a hundred years. Master Shandao questioned why such a notion would be introduced. Ordinary people believe in the words of Hinayana texts, yet would they put aside the sincere words of the Buddhas? The Amitabha Sutra declares that by reciting the Buddha's name, one can attain rebirth in the Pure Land in this very life, and the Buddhas of the ten directions, as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges, extend their long tongues to affirm this as the truth. Shouldn’t the testimony of all Buddhas of the ten directions be believed over ordinary commentaries and theories, even those authored by great masters or bodhisattvas? ¹ ²

Thus, Master Shandao emphasized the principle of relying on the Buddha's words and not on bodhisattva commentaries as guides. If one clings to such interpretations, it will only lead to misleading oneself and others. He further analyzed the Asanga’s commentary, which actually advocates that, to attain rebirth or Buddhahood, one must have both aspiration and practice. If one only has the aspiration without the practice, rebirth cannot be achieved. The vow and practice must go hand in hand to bring success.

— The Chapter on the Nine Grades of Rebirth in the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra (4 Volumes) by Master Da’An

Notes:

1. The Treatise on the Great Prajñāpāramitā by Nagarjuna states that due to the difficulty to comprehend the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the Buddha extended his long tongue to affirm this teaching as true and not false and to increase faith for those who hear this Dharma. The Buddha did not display this characteristic for lower teachings that are considered expedient means, as in to guide a disciple to a higher teaching in a distant future. The fact that Buddhas of the six directions all extended their tongues to certify the Amitabha Sutra proves the authenticity and validity of the Pure Land teachings. Pure Land is a direct Dharma Door towards Buddhahood and not something that plants seeds for an individual to be ready for higher teachings in a distant future.

2. The Great Master Ouyi has said that Pure Land teachings can only be fully understood by fully attained Buddhas but not Bodhisattvas. For this reason, he advised people to be very careful when reading any Pure Land commentaries that contain statements not aligning with Pure Land sutras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlDAwifSCiA

妙色身如來，又稱妙色甘露王如來、忍辱身甘露水王如來；是「施餓鬼七佛」之一，妙色身如來的任務，就是將這個人的身體重新組合成為一個完整色身，變成完整微妙的靈魂，往生到佛國淨土。
Surupaya Tathagata, also known as Wonderful Color Body Tathagata, is one of the "Seven Buddhas Who Give to Hungry Ghosts". The task of Wonderful Color Body Tathagata is to reassemble this person's body into a complete color body. The being then becomes complete and subtle and is reborn in the pure land of Buddha.

Chant 21 to 108 times a day for peace of mind.

南無阿弥陀仏のお念仏、私の心の井戸を掘る。井戸の清水の涌くように、弥陀の救いに、生かされる。

The chanting of Namu Amida Butsu digs a well in my heart. Just as clear water flows from a well, I am brought to life by Amida's salvation.

source: Keizouin Temple

Karmic ties from past lives bring us friends. For us Amitabha-reciters, a distinct Buddhist group, our friends come in four shades.

First Type: Fellow Amitabha-reciters

Amitabha-recitation unites fellow practitioners globally like siblings. These fellow reciters are our most precious friends. Though not blood related now, we’ll be reborn as Amitabha enlightened lotus children. Even if abandoned by others, Amitabha and our fellow reciters remain steadfast by our side. Master Shandao repeatedly urges us to stay close to one another.

As ordinary beings, our faith might waver, but fellow reciters provide staunch support. We share the same teachings, aspirations, and look up to the same Buddha. We’re like-minded Dharma friends, journeying together to the most precious destination - the Pure Land - caring for and supporting each other along the way. This support is crucial in our chaotic, Dharma-ending age. Daily challenges and dissenting views test our resolve. Group recitations, even online, fortify our faith. Like a bundle of chopsticks, we’re stronger together. Alone, we might falter; united, we stand firm against skeptics.

As the proverb goes, "Pliant grass amid erect hemp straightens itself." Immersed in an environment dedicated to the practice of reciting the name of Amitabha, we naturally align with the Buddha’s compassion. This subtle influence by the environment works its magic gradually over time.

The ancients likened this to walking in mist - our clothes do not get visibly wet, yet we feel the moistness all the time - a subtle, yet constant influence.

True friends are blessings to cherish. They are companions and teachers, just as Amitabha vowed to be an “uninvited friend” to all sentient beings. A truly virtuous friend kindles our faith where there is none, strengthens our existing faith, spurs us on when we’re slothful, dispels our doubts with wisdom, lends us an ear and offers comfort in times of trouble, stands by us amid calamities, and even offers assistance in Amitabha-recitation in our final moments. How can we not cherish them?

Master Shandao stresses: Fellow Dharma friends on the Pure Land path Should stay close to each other and never part. Countless kin, though dear, Aren’t the transformative condition for enlightenment.

The Master values these friendships above family ties, which often entangle us in negative emotions. These intense feelings can dominate our every thought, potentially leading us to the three wretched realms. In contrast, fellow practitioners foster conditions that lead to liberation and rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Second Type: Buddhist Friends Practicing Non-Pure Land Paths

We encounter many such friends. Some may have drifted from Pure Land practice and become this type of friend, while others in this group might later join the Pure Land path. These friends, lacking shared doctrine, feel less close. Yet, compared to non-Buddhists, we feel a kinship and rejoice in their practice. When interacting with them, we should heed Confucius: 'A cultivated person maintains accord without compromising his own ideas.’

While respecting their practices and rejoicing for them, we should stay vigilant. Those unfamiliar with Pure Land teachings might, due to attachment to their own path, hinder our cultivation. They might try to persuade us to follow their path. Faced with different understandings of the Dharma, reflect on Master Shandao’s teaching: “Why confuse me with practices that don't resonate with me? What resonates with me may not be what you seek, and vice versa. If we each follow our path with joy, we'll achieve liberation swiftly. At the intellectual level, one can explore all teachings - from those guiding ordinary beings to become sages (such as Arhats, Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas), all the way up to attainment of Buddhahood. However, if one wishes to practice the teaching, one must rely on the Dharma one has affinity with. This approach yields significant benefits with minimal effort.”

Master Shandao says these friends are like the eastern bank bandits in the parable of the Two Rivers and the White Path. They call out to the traveler who has just taken a couple of steps on the white path, determined to follow it without doubt or apprehension: “Come back! This path is treacherous. You’ll surely die. We mean no harm.”

These friends, though well-intentioned, might cause a retreat from the white path. In such moments, remember Master Shandao’s words: “The traveler, hearing their calls, neither looks back nor wavers. Single-mindedly, he presses forward, his thoughts fixed on the path. In but a moment, he reaches the western shore, forever leaving behind all perils. There, he is greeted by virtuous friends and feels boundless joy.”

--translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team

http://www.purelandbuddhism.org/

I found these words from my favourite Pureland Master Ippen online which has really brought me comfort and assurance, Namo Amituofo 🙏 Namu Amida Butsu 🙏 really wish there was a Ji Shu school outside Japan or at least a English online Sangha, anyway I hope you find peace with these words of wisdom.

Master Ippen Words

Everyone laments not awakening faith that their birth is decisively settled. This is completely absurd. No settledness is to be found in the hearts of foolish beings. Settledness is the Name. Thus, even though you lack faith that your birth is decisively settled, if you say the Name leaving all to your lips, you will be born. Birth, then, does not depend on the attitude of heart and mind; it is through the Name that you will be born. If you think you can attain birth by establishing, a firm faith in yourself, you will only return again to the working of your own mind. When you cast away your heart and mind and realize that it is wholly through the Name that you are born, the settled mind will immediately arise of itself.

Decisive settlement is the Name. Our bodies and our hearts and minds are unsettled. This body is the form of our drift in the flow of impermanence, hence from instant to instant i arises and perishes. This mind is false thought; hence it is unreal and delusional. Do not rely on body or mind.

The name is such that because we say it, we attain birth through the wondrous and inconcievialbe working of Other Power, regardless of whether we believe in it or not. You must not, with a mind of self-attachment and self-power, seek to deal with the Name in one way or another. The Land of Bliss is the field of no-self; hence, birth there cannot be attained through self-attachment. You must be born through the name....

Make no judgments about the nature of your heart and mind. Since the mind is delusional, both when it is good and when it is evil, it cannot be essential for emancipation. Namu-Amida-Butsu itself is born.

I know as a Jōdo Shinshū practitioner I am not supposed to think I am gaining benefit by saying the nembutsu. It is about giving homage to Amida and having the entrusting heart and ultimately shinjin. However, I constantly feel like I am saying nembutsu with a sense of self power, and it is very hard to shake this. Any advice from fellow Jōdo Shinshū practitioners?

Hello,

I'm interested in learning more about Pure Land because of some excepts I read from D.T. Suzuki about Shin Buddhism and how I felt it had many points that resonated with Kierkegaard's philosophy and his influence which eventually contributed to the development of Existentialism in the West and also existential interpretations of Christianity.

I was particularly interested in asking here if someone know whether there have been writings from the Pure Land perspective that interacted with this current of Western Philosophy.

Thank you and have a good day!