Question 18 （Doubts and Questions about Pure Land）

by Elder Zen Master T'ien Ju

Question 18

Living in the evil world of the five turbidities, each sentient being must have committed transgressions. If he has not committed the five grave offenses, he must have been entangled in other transgressions. Suppose a cultivator has not practiced repentance, or, despite having repented, has not yet wiped out all his bad karma. Under these circumstances, if such a practitioner recites the Buddha’s name wholeheartedly during the course of
his life and at the time of death, can he achieve rebirth?

Answer

All those who cultivate in such a manner can achieve rebirth, thanks to the power of the great, unfathomable Vow of Amitabha Buddha. The sutra Questions of King Milinda states:

   “For example, if you place a huge block of stone on a boat, because of the ‘strength’ of the boat, the stone does not sink and can be carried to the other shore. Without the boat, even if you place but a single grain of sand on the surface of the water, it will sink to the bottom of the river.”

The huge block of stone stands for the practitioner with heavy karma, while the grain of sand represents the practitioner with only light karma. The boat stands for the vow-power of the Buddha. People who repent and wholeheartedly recite the Buddha’s name will be welcomed and escorted back to the Pure Land, however heavy their karma may be. Those who have light karma but do not recite the Buddha’s name will, according to their karma, endure suffering and revolve in samsara at the time of death — like the grain of sand which, unlike the block of stone, sinks because it is not carried by boat.(90)
    
This is precisely the rationale for the doctrine of “carrying one’s karma to the Pure Land” [i.e., being reborn in spite of one’s remaining bad karma]. Therefore, it is stated in the Pure Land Letters, in the section referring to the four Lands, that “those who are filled with defiled karma can still be reborn in the Common Residence Pure Land.”
    
Take the case of the three notorious men mentioned in Pure Land treatises whose profession was the slaughter of livestock.(91) All three [saw an evil omen appear] at the time of death, but thanks to their wholehearted recitation of the Buddha’s name, they all escaped the karma of hell and achieved rebirth.

Such occurrences are clearly recorded in the Biographies of Pure Land Sages and Saints. What are they, if not evidence of the Buddha’s power?

I shall cite another example to clarify the matter. Supposing someone has committed an offense under local law and is subject to imprisonment. If he seeks the help of the king, he may obtain deferral of his sentence until such time as he can perform public service instead. Because of the intercession of the king, the local magistrate cannot carry out the sentence, and thus the culprit can proceed directly to the capital without hindrance.(92)
Therefore, it is stated in a Pure Land treatise that:

   “Sentient beings are reborn in the Pure Land because of the guidance of Sakyamuni Buddha, the welcoming and escorting of Amitabha Buddha and the support and protection of the Buddhas of the ten directions. This is similar to a person who has the opportunity to cross the open seas in a large, sturdy boat, with an excellent, honest guide and favorable winds as well. Thus, he can swiftly reach the other shore. If he is now unwilling to step onto the boat, remaining continuously adrift in this evil world, he has only himself to blame.”
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90. The concept as expressed here can be likened to the modern idea of executive clemency, whereby a head of state or a state governor can commute the sentence of a death row inmate. On a lower level, even a judge can set aside the decision of a jury under certain circumstances.                              

91. These three men are singled out because in all schools of Buddhism and in all rules of discipline, whether for monks or laymen, the prohibition against killing sentient beings is the cardinal precept.                      
92. This is, of course, a precursor to the creative sentencing of modern jurisprudence: a guilty person can be given a suspended sentence or made to perform a certain number of hours of community service. It is also in line with the concept that a reformed offender is no longer a threat to society and therefore does not require harsh punishment.    

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.