The Reason for Teaching the Dharma of Pure Land

There are three vehicles in the Dharma [vehicles of the Sravakas, Pratyeka Buddhas, Bodhisattvas] for people to study and practice. But my fear about all of them is that if the practitioner cannot achieve results in one lifetime, he may drown in the ocean of Birth and Death, unable to escape [for eons to come].(13)

Zen practitioners may end the cycle of Birth and Death in one lifetime. But too many false thoughts and deeply ingrained habits make it difficult to practice Zen.

If one has not attained Enlightenment in this life, he will continue to revolve in the cycle of Birth and Death. Therefore, Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma of Pure Land. It does not matter if one is of superior, mediocre or low capacities. It does not matter if one is wealthy, in high position, or humble and destitute. As long as he practices this Dharma, he is assured of results in one lifetime. There is no other more expedient or wonderful Dharma than this shortcut of Buddha Recitation. Why? It is because when we remain in this Saha world, we are in a world filled with suffering. There is the suffering of birth, the suffering of old age, the suffering of disease, the suffering of death, the
suffering of unfulfilled wishes, the suffering of meeting with the uncongenial, and so forth; there are so many kinds of suffering. In short, these sufferings are indescribable. Even when a person of high position and wealth seems to find the joys of life, they are all the causes of future suffering.(13)

Because all this suffering in the Saha world is very difficult to escape, Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma of Pure Land. In that land all beings live free from suffering and enjoy every bliss, and therefore it is called the Land of Utmost Bliss. Because that realm is without defilement, it is called the Pure Land. All beings are born from a lotus blossom. Therefore, there is no suffering of birth. All beings have infinite life. Therefore, there is no suffering of old age and death. Food and clothing are provided naturally. Therefore, there is no suffering of unfulfilled wishes. Because one is able to join the company of superior beings all gathered in one place, there is no suffering of meeting with the uncongenial. Because that Land is adorned with the seven treasures, it is not defiled by rubble or thorns. All this is stated in the sutras. Those who wish to be reborn in the Pure Land need only concentrate singlemindedly on reciting the Buddha's name.

For correct practice, during recitation visualize yourself seated on a lotus blossom. Then, in your final moment, you will see Amitabha Buddha and a great lotus emitting light appearing before you to lead you to rebirth in the Pure Land. You will never again retrogress or drown in the ocean of Birth and Death. This is the result of practicing Pure Land and obtaining the merits of Buddha Recitation.

One who sincerely recites the Buddha's name will not find it necessary to seek Enlightenment or to see his Self-Nature. It is necessary only to visualize Amitabha Buddha and recite His name. Making donations and offerings to the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), as well as accruing other merits by adorning the Buddha lands, are supporting activities.

However, even if you practice Buddha Recitation and make a vow for rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you must still sever the roots of Birth and Death to ensure rebirth. What are the roots of Birth and Death? Greed and grasping at everything in the world. Many things that bring enjoyment, such as beautiful colors, pleasant sounds, flavors and bodily comforts are causes of suffering [because they disturb the mind]. Other causes are anger, hatred, grasping and the delusions of heterodox teachings. Do not believe in them at all. You need only concentrate on Buddha Recitation, recite the Amitabha Sutra twice a day and the Buddha's name a few thousand times or [if you are very fervent] more than ten thousand times, in thought after thought without interruption. This is the hua-t'ou and this is your Original Face.

You might ask, what is life and what comes after death? Those who creates evil causes in life will find the evil realms appearing before them after death. But those who recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth in the Pure Land will, in their final moments, see the realm of Amitabha Buddha, the Pure Land, appearing before them. The Surangama Sutra states: "The thinking process made the continents."

To practice Zen, you must sever all false thoughts, and that is very difficult. To practice Pure Land is to use pure thoughts to transform impure thoughts. When the lotus appears, that is the perfection of your visualization.

There are countless expedient methods, but according to the Buddhas and Patriarchs, the Dharma of Pure Land is particularly important. It is not necessary to understand your own mind or to see your Self-Nature. It is only necessary to recite the Buddha's name. The word "Buddha" means Enlightened One. If you recite the Buddha's name in thought after thought, never forgetting Him for an instant, then, every thought is an enlightened thought. If your mind forgets Amitabha Buddha, that is not Enlightenment. If you can engage in Buddha Recitation in your dreams as you do in the daytime, that is constant awareness. If your mind is not confused in the present and is not confused in your final moments, then you will certainly be reborn in the Pure Land.
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(13) See the concept "Third lifetime" in Glossary.

Source Of Information:
《Pure Land of The Patriarchs》, by Zen master Han-Shan Te-Ch'ing, translated by Dharma Master Lok To, Sutra Translation Committee of The United States and Canada, New York - San Francisco - Toronto, published in March, 2001, distributed by Amitabha Buddhist Society Malaysia (92, Jalan Pahang, 53300 Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.

Pure Land Can Save All Sentient Beings in the Ocean of Suffering

Buddha Sakyamuni specially taught the Pure Land Dharma to rescue all sentient beings in the Saha world. He enjoined people to recite Amitabha Buddha's name and make a vow for rebirth in the Pure Land. This wonderful Dharma was taught in the Amitabha Sutra and extolled by all the Buddhas in the ten directions. Pure Land is a special teaching adapted to all sentient beings in this Dharma-Ending Age.

There are many different methods of Pure Land practice. If a group of people practice together in a temple, there is a procedure set forth in the Pure Land commentaries. An individual who practices the Dharma of Pure Land alone bows to the Buddhas and recites either the Amitabha or the Diamond Sutra once each session. He then recites Amitabha Buddha's name five to ten thousand times, after which he makes a vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, saying: "I wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, with the nine grades of lotus blossoms as my parents. When the lotuses are in full bloom, I shall see Buddha Amitabha and be enlightened to the Absolute Truth, with non-retrogressing Bodhisattvas as my companions." This is done in the morning and then in the same manner in the evening.

Apart from these sessions, during the entire day, the practitioner just recites the Buddha's name and keeps Buddha Amitabha in mind, in thought after thought, without interruption, holding the name of Amitabha as his very life. Whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining, he always recites Buddha Amitabha's name. If he should meet with adversity or favorable circumstances and is moved to anger or to happiness, he need only concentrate on reciting Buddha Amitabha's name for the anger, defilement [and other mind-disturbing states, such as happiness] to cease.

Since defilement is the root of Birth and Death, we recite the Buddha's name to rid ourselves of defilement and avert the suffering of Birth and Death. If one who recites the Buddha's name rids himself of defilement, he can end the cycle of Birth and Death. If he can overcome defilement during Buddha Recitation, he can overcome it in his dreams. If he can overcome it in his dreams, he can overcome it during illness as well. And if he can overcome defilement when ill, he can overcome it in his final moments. Thus it is very clear that he can be reborn in the Pure Land.

This is not difficult, but a sincere, earnest mind is necessary for ending the cycle of Birth and Death. In reciting Amitabha Buddha's name, think of nothing else over an extended period of time, and you will then obtain great bliss. All practitioners should understand this Dharma. Anyone who can recite the Buddha's name and practice this Dharma is a true practitioner. Anyone who abandons this method will find no better way to achieve this goal.

Do not listen to people with heterodox teachings, lest you develop wrong views. There is a wonderful method [in addition to the oral recitation method described above] that I would like to teach all of you: picture a great lotus, shaped like a wheel and colored blue, yellow, red or white. During meditation and Buddha Recitation, always contemplate this lotus blossom clearly. Also, think of yourself as sitting on this lotus seat. Think about Amitabha Buddha emitting light, illuminating your own body. While visualizing, do not be bound by walking, standing, sitting or reclining positions. Also, do not be bound by time. Just visualize the Pure Land clearly. Whether your eyes are open or closed, [the image] should never be blurred. Even in your dreams you should still see Amitabha Buddha, the Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara) (Kuan Yin) and Mahasthamaprapta (Shih Chih) and all other Bodhisattvas sitting each on his own lotus blossom -- all radiant and clear.

If the practitioner can visualize the lotus with complete concentration until the final moment, he can end the cycle of Birth and Death. At the time of death, the lotus will appear before him and he will see himself seated upon it. He will also see Amitabha, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta, all coming to lead him to rebirth in the Western Pure Land, never to return to the Saha world, never again to endure the suffering of Birth and Death.

Anyone who practices the Dharma of Pure Land will achieve rebirth in the Pure Land in one lifetime. It is stated many times in the sutras that this is a direct method and the shortest route to the Pure Land. One need only take the shortcut of reciting the Buddha's name. Anyone who abandons this wonderful Dharma has no better path to follow.

related post:  The Reason for Teaching the Dharma of Pure Land

Source Of Information:
《Pure Land of The Patriarchs》, by Zen master Han-Shan Te-Ch'ing, translated by Dharma Master Lok To, Sutra Translation Committee of The United States and Canada, New York - San Francisco - Toronto, published in March, 2001, distributed by Amitabha Buddhist Society Malaysia (92, Jalan Pahang, 53300 Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.

The Important Doctrines of Pure Land and Zen

Those who engage in the [dual practice] of Buddha Recitation and Zen should take the name of Amitabha Buddha as a hua-t'ou. During Buddha Recitation, you should ask "who is it that recites the Buddha's name?” If you ask again and again, there will come a time when all false thoughts suddenly cease. No such thoughts can arise, or if they do, they will be quickly suppressed. You will have only a single, clear thought, like a bright sun in the sky, and never engender false thoughts. The confused mind will reign no more. Rather, you will experience stillness and awareness. The Great Master Yung-Chia said:

Stillness with awareness is right, but stillness without mindfulness is wrong. Awareness with stillness is right, but awareness with confused thinking is wrong.

If stillness does not lead to confusion and lack of mindfulness and awareness does not lead to confused thinking, then awareness and stillness will flow together. You let go of both "sinking" and “floating” until not a single thought arises in mind, not of past, present or future; then, suddenly the pitch blackness cracks and you see your Original Face. Body, mind and world are immediately at peace. Then the flowers in the sky [i.e.,this illusory world] disappear, and everything in the ten directions is bright because a great light is shining everywhere.

When you arrive at this stage, this complete brightness is always present in your daily life and you will no longer have any doubts. You will believe your own mind, which is intrinsically thus. Then you are no different from the Buddhas and Patriarchs. When you reach this level, you will no longer grasp at Emptiness. If you grasp at Emptiness, you will fall into the evil of heterodox views. Nor will you grasp at Existence or at the Wonderful. If you grasp at Existence, you will also fall into evil ways.

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If during practice, you find some realm appearing in the mind, you must not grasp at it but just let it be. Then the realm will vanish. You should neither fear evil realms nor take delight in auspicious realms when they appear, for this is the action of demons. If worry or joy arise, these are also the views of demons [see Glossary]. A practitioner should understand that these realms come from his own mind and not from outside. You must understand that our minds are intrinsically clean and pure, without a single thought, neither confused nor enlightened. We belong neither to the world nor to the realm of the holy, nor to any other realm. But, because we are at present confused, we must practice to reduce ignorance and bad habits.

If anyone could open up his own mind -- originally bright, all-encompassing, clean and pure -- that would be Wonderful Suchness and there would be no need for practice. However, because today's cultivators have not yet seen their Self-Nature (Mind), they must practice diligently in order to reach the highest stage and end the cycle of Birth and Death.

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Buddha Sakyamuni taught the Dharma of Mind. There are countless Dharma methods, but they are all for the purpose of enlightening the mind. The very important method of Zen has been established by some Patriarchs, but enlightenment of the mind and Buddha Recitation have been taught by the Buddhas and by numerous Bodhisattvas of the ten stages. In short, you must practice Buddha Recitation (mindfulness of the Buddha) to become a Buddha. Even the Bodhisattvas who have already attained the level of True Thusness (Bhutatathata) and Enlightenment can never depart from mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

[In the Avatamsaka Sutra,] the youth Sudhana visited fifty-three Good Spiritual Advisors. The first was the monk Cloud of Virtue, who taught him the salvation Dharma of Buddha Recitation. The last one he visited was the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, wno taught him that to attain Wonderful Enlightenment, he need only turn towards the Western Pure Land, behold the Tathagata of Infinite Light (Amitabha Buddha) and receive a prediction of Enlightenment. Take note of this: even the supreme vehicle of Hua-Yen (Avatamsaka school), which encompasses the entire Dharma realm, also promotes Buddha Recitation. The Bodhisattvas of the ten stages, even those who have already attained Enlightenment, still practice mindfulness of the Buddha (Buddha Recitation).

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There are those in this Dharma-Ending Age who dare to deprecate Buddha Recitation as an inferior practice. But why should they have doubts concerning differences between Zen and Pure Land? Such people lack knowledge and fail to understand the intent of the Buddhas. They are creating a false dichotomy. According to Mind-Only Pure Land, if the mind is pure, the land is pure. Therefore, anyone who practices Zen but cannot rein in his mind should engage in Buddha Recitation to still his mind. The Pure Mind is the enlightened mind.

Even Bodhisattvas who are already enlightened still practice Buddha Recitation, because without Buddha Recitation (mindfulness of the Buddha) they cannot attain complete Enlightenment. We know that all the Patriarchs attained Enlightenment through mindfulness of the Buddha (Buddha Recitation). Anyone who practices Buddha Recitation singlemindedly and without distraction will find that all defilement vanishes. With their minds thus pure, they are called enlightened. Look at it this way: Buddha Recitation is Zen. No Bodhisattva abandons mindfulness of the Buddha after Enlightenment. All Patriarchs have achieved rebirth in the Pure Land [of their minds]. Thus, Buddha Recitation is Zen, Zen is Buddha Recitation.

Since ancient times, this question has remained unsettled; I want to speak out now and shatter the view that Pure Land and Zen are different. If all the Buddhas were to appear in the world, they would say the same thing. To abandon this Dharma and embrace false words is the work of demons and not the true Dharma.

related post:  Pure Land Can Save All Sentient Beings in the Ocean of Suffering

Source Of Information:
《Pure Land of The Patriarchs》, by Zen master Han-Shan Te-Ch'ing, translated by Dharma Master Lok To, Sutra Translation Committee of The United States and Canada, New York - San Francisco - Toronto, published in March, 2001, distributed by Amitabha Buddhist Society Malaysia (92, Jalan Pahang, 53300 Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.