by Elder Zen Master T'ien Ju
Question 16
The doctrine of rebirth is now clear to me. However, how many of today’s numerous Buddhist scholars thoroughly understand it? Thus, they all think that the Western Pure Land, ten billion Buddha lands away, is very distant. How can it ever be reached at the time of death? Do you, Master, have any way of clarifying this point?
Answer
That is a most foolish doubt! I have explained many times that there is no land outside the Mind and there is no Mind outside the lands. How is it that you still fail to understand?
However, this error is understandable; it is due to the fact that many people mistakenly consider their Minds to be limited within the narrow confines of their physical bodies. Little do they realize that what they consider as Mind is merely deluded consciousness. In reality, the True Mind of each person is all-encompassing, covering worlds as numerous as the grains of sand in the River Ganges and filling all the empty space in the universe. Therefore, the boundless empty space of the ten directions and the untold number of lands and worlds, as numerous as grains of sand in the River Ganges, are all encompassed and entirely filled by the Mind.
Thus, the ten billion Buddha lands are squarely within our Mind; they are, in reality, not distant but very near! Likewise, rebirth at the time of death is merely rebirth within our own Mind. This is really very easy. Where is the difficulty?
The Treatise Ten Doubts about Pure Land [Question 9] states:
“The Western Pure Land is described as being ten billion Buddha lands away from here only with respect to the limited concepts of ordinary people with eyes of flesh and blood, mired in Birth and Death. For those who have attained the pure karma of rebirth, the Mind in samadhi at the time of death is precisely the Mind reborn in the Pure Land … as soon as the thought [of rebirth] arises, rebirth is achieved. Thus, the Meditation Sutra states that ‘the Land of Amitabha Buddha is not far from here!’Moreover, the power of karma is inconceivable. In the space of one thought, rebirth in the Pure Land is achieved. There is no need to worry about distance.
“This is analogous to a person asleep and dreaming. Although his body is on the bed, his Mind can travel to any faraway place as though he were awake. Rebirth in the Pure Land is, generally speaking, similar to this example …”
Some sutra passages state that rebirth is achieved in a finger snap, while others indicate that it occurs within the time it takes to contract and extend one’s arm, or within an instant. Therefore, it is stated in one treatise that “in an instant, the practitioner spans ten billion Buddha lands, because the Self-Nature is inherently wonderful.” These examples demonstrate, in general, that because the practitioner is reborn within his broad and spacious True Mind, such rebirth is very easy and very near.
Now, let us put aside the all-encompassing features of the True Mind. I shall cite a simple example based on your small, narrow mind of an ordinary being. The [sea] route from China to India, for instance, passes through many countries and covers thousands of miles. Suppose someone who has never set foot in India listens to the detailed account of another traveller, paying particular attention and carefully memorizing each and every feature. Later on, as he is lying down or sitting up, memories cross his Mind. He recalls the travel accounts and begins to remember which country is so many miles from India and which other country is so many miles away, and how India is finally reached. As he does so, he immediately witnesses scenes from each stage of the journey, and each time his thoughts linger on a particular stage or country, it seems as though he has personally reached that land.
Rebirth in the Western Pure land is no different from this truth. In the span of a finger snap or a single thought, the practitioner has reached it. Where is the difficulty? To reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss without practicing the Pure Land method is, of course, difficult. However, if your Pure Land karma has reached maturity, travelling to the Pure land is very easy. A resolute Mind is all you need to fulfill your aspiration for rebirth. The Buddhas and sages never indulge in misleading words!
related post: Question 17 （Doubts and Questions about Pure Land）
Source Of Information:
《Pure Land Buddhism (Dialogues with Ancient Masters)》, by Elder Zen Master T'ien Ju, translated with annotations by Master Thich Thien Tam, printed and donated for free distribution by: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation (11F, 55, Hang Chow South Road Sec 1, Taipei, Taiwan), printed in February 2023.
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.
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