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#pure land
mahayanapilgrim · 1 year
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One day, a young student approached the Buddha and asked him to teach him about the nature of reality.
The Buddha led the student to a nearby river and pointed to the water rushing by.
"Do you see that water?" he asked.
"It's constantly moving, always changing. It flows downstream, never staying in one place for long. This is the nature of reality - it's constantly changing, always in motion."
The student nodded, understanding what the Buddha was trying to teach him.
Buddha continued, "Just like the water flows downstream, so too do our thoughts and emotions. They come and go, never staying in one place for long. But if we learn to let them flow, if we learn to let go of our attachments and desires, we can find peace and freedom within."
The student took the Buddha's words to heart, and he made a commitment to practice mindfulness and non-attachment in his daily life. And as he practiced, he began to experience a sense of peace and freedom that he had never known before.
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Sun Wukong's Buddhist Paradise
Some of my followers may be familiar with my past article in which I described Xuanzang's historical itinerary and discussed what a more realistic Journey to the West might be like. Towards the end, after the pilgrims return to China with the scriptures and the disciples (Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing) receive their elevation in spiritual rank, I stated: “They would thereafter leave to enjoy their divine lives in the Western Paradise.” But I’ve never really liked the idea that Monkey would forever abandon his people. This is especially true since his rebellion led to heaven decimating the monkeys and burning their cave (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, p. 31).
I think a better ending for this historical version would be for the “Victorious Fighting Buddha” to return to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, where he transforms it into his own Pure Land (Jingtu, 淨土). The monkeys killed in years passed would be reborn there, and everyone would receive periodic lessons on the dharma between bouts of play. It would be a paradise even grander than when the Great Sage was at the height of his power.
Here is some information about pure lands from the Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Gomez, 2004):
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I love this circa 1700 Tibetan painting of Amitabha in his pure land of Sukhavati. Just imagine the Victorious Fighting Buddha sitting in Amitabha's place, and monkeys would take the place of the monks, protectors, and devas.
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Sources:
Gomez, O. L. (2004). Pure Lands. In R. E. Buswell (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Buddhism (pp. 703-706) (Vols. 2). United Kingdom: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
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namandabu · 4 months
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Dharma Listening
One of the most important lessons I have learned from my experience of the Jodo Shinshu tradition is how to listen to the Dharma. I am utterly incapable of doing it properly, however. Still, when I have gleaned insight from it, it is because I could, for even a moment, truly hear what the words of the Dharma are saying.
When we read books, we are not just reading words off a page. We are conceptualizing the meanings of those words in their context on the page through our own lens. We never just read a book. We derive meaning from it by bringing our own biases to the reading.
This isn't always a bad thing. In fact, many creative authors rely on this to subvert the reader, creating an amazing story by tricking us into believing one meaning while communicating another. Authors also grapple with this problem of bringing our biases, and they become skilled at writing according to their audiences in order to facilitate a change of mind in the reader. Such twists and turns are what make reading, as well as other forms of media, fun and intellectually stimulating.
Authors who teach the Dharma must grapple with the same tendencies. And it is often difficult for new readers (like myself) to fully internalize what the author is saying because we either don't understand or don't *want* to understand what they are saying. There have been many times when I read a piece about Buddhism and simply ignored or discarded a line that doesn't suit my sensibilities. An example from Rennyo: "The mind/that even once/relies on Amida: that mind/is in accord/with the true Dharma."
This verse is from Rennyo Shonin's letters (Letter 4, Fascicle 4). It is truly a mind-boggling statement. The idea that such high attainment (being in accord with the true Dharma) is so easy (relying on Amida for a single moment) is hard to believe on its own. Yet it is at the core of Jodo Shinshu: With the one thought-moment of reliance, we are immediately saved by Amida from birth and death and are certain to be reborn in the Pure Land. So why is it so hard to believe?
When I read that line initially, I thought of...laziness. I thought of how such a view is lazy. Surely, this is a teaching for people who do not want to put in the work necessary for enlightenment, I thought to myself. And when I read it now, those thoughts still come up! However, they are also accompanied by a small joy that I have not experienced before. Even though my mind tries to scream and cry to drown the words out, I still "hear" them.
These thoughts come from a mindset that I brought to the text when reading it. In my life, people who don't want to work have been called lazy time and time again. I myself have done this, and I have also been called lazy myself. Growing up, this dichotomy of "lazy" versus "determined" was drilled into me from the cultural norm known as the "protestant work ethic." This is the attachment of value to hard work, especially concerning one's job. American folklore is filled with examples of this, from John Henry and Paul Bunyan to the myth of the self-made millionaire or billionaire in the modern day. But this is antithetical to what Rennyo is saying here, as well as other Jodo Shinshu writers going all the way back to Shinran.
Hearing these lines now, I must confess that I still struggle with this conflicting set of views. But I know that they are true. After all, the goal of a Buddha is to make others like themself: free from attachment and affliction and able to act with perfect wisdom and compassion. The best way to do that is to make a path that is so easy that anyone, regardless of capacity, could complete it. Hence, Amida realized the name and forged his vows to create this easy path.
In my mind, I'm immediately skeptical of shortcuts. And while the Jodo Shinshu path is still difficult in some ways, it is certainly easier. But here, the Buddha is saying, "Come on! I made this shortcut for you! Trust me, and you'll reach the other shore!" And I have to blame only myself and my preconceived biases for being hesitant.
Listening to the Dharma as someone new to Buddhism requires us to put aside our own views as best we can and open our minds to a new way of thinking about the world. Even if we disagree with what it is saying, we will only get the message if we can listen with an open mind. If we project our ideas onto the Dharma, we will just be reading a copy of our own thoughts. It is difficult, however, to put one's ideas aside and listen to something new with an open mind. After all, if detaching from our erroneous views were easy, then there would be no need for the many paths of Buddhism. Therefore, We should be thankful for authors who speak on the Dharma in ways that are designed to bring us to a new mode of thought from our current condition or in a way that is so plain and direct that misinterpretation becomes nearly impossible. I have found that many Jodo Shinshu figures, like Rennyo, Yuien-bo, and Shinran, fall within the latter category. As a result of reading them repeatedly, the walls of my own views are broken down by their straightforward words, which are easy to understand and digest. I cannot help but come to understand them, even when I am at the same time entrenched in my own views. This example is just one concept in Jodo Shinshu that is difficult to internalize, but I am happy to say that, little by little, I'm starting to get it.
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kongque-jiaan · 1 month
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Upcoming 3 Refuges and 5 Precepts Ceremony by Master Renshan
Amituofo, everyone!
Next March 28th at 7 PM China time Master Renshan, the abbot of Zhenning Buddhist Temple, is going to be holding a digital 3 Refuges and 5 Precepts ceremony over Zoom. To anyone wanting to formally convert to Buddhism, and especially to anyone wanting to learn from the Pure Land school, this is a great opportunity.
Master Renshan was the one who gave me my Dharma name and originally conducted my 3 Refuges and 5 Precepts ceremony and I'm going to be taking this opportunity to retake it. I hope that if I have convinced any of you to give it a shot that I'll see you there!
I have compiled a list of resources here for anyone interested in learning more.
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The Three Pure Land Sutras
While writing a recent blog post, I realized that I had mentioned, but never explained, what the Three Pure Land Sutras are in the Buddhist tradition, and their significance to Mahayana Buddhism as a whole. Think of this as a handy reference post. I haven’t done one of these in a while. 😊 The Buddhist Canon When you think of most world religions, they are usually based on one or two books.…
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infinitesofnought · 3 months
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Show your pain. Show your struggles to [your] pure and perfect nature. Show it, reveal it. Don't hold onto it. Light a lamp at the storage room that is full of old, dirty stuff, and let the light shine on that old, dirty stuff. Relax, surrender, offer yourself.
– Amrita Baba [x]
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comrade-pan · 9 months
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Hanging Lake, Colorado 🏞️
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sevengraces7777 · 3 months
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huhwhyme · 4 months
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youtube
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A Priest and His Disciples (by Hyakuzo Kurata): Book review
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Shinran(親鸞)
The play consists of six acts, and the two characters, Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, and Yuien, who served him well, appear throughout the play. The age difference is just 50 years old, and it feels like the relationship between a grandfather and a grandson. Shinran will live to be 90 years old, but Yuien will die when he is 40 years old and will be reborn in the Pure Land. It seems that the process up to that point was a very difficult road.
In the first place, the teachings of Honen (Shinran) are based on Amida Nyorai's wish that ``If you do not realize that you are an evil person and save all the ``villains'' who seek your salvation, you will not become a Buddha. And since Amida Nyorai has already attained Buddhahood, even the wicked are saved.” There is no such thing as a perfect human being, and from the perspective of a perfect Tathagata, everyone is the same villain. Here lies the secret of the “absolute power of others” of the Jodo sect and the Jodo Shin sect.
By the way, even if Shinran and Yuien entered the path of faith, their worldly desires would never go away.
In the case of Yuien, when he was 25 years old and in his prime, he had an unforgiving love affair with a 16-year-old courtesan, Kaede. When the senior monks notice this, they accuse Yuien of saying that love is forbidden and ask Shinran to banish him from the temple. This attitude was as ruthless as the Pharisees of Christianity.
Shinran's answer to this was, ``It is true that Yuien may be a bad person. It is because he is a bad person that he is here.” Although it violated the general precepts of Buddhism, it was a reasonable judgment in terms of the doctrine of the Pure Land Gate.
Time passes further, and Shinran is 90 years old and is on his deathbed. Yuien is also 40 years old, married to him "Kaede" named "Katsunobu", and she has two cute children. For Shinran, the last worldly desire in this world was Zenran, the child he had when he was in exile. Zenran liked debauchery and was a do-it-yourself son, so Shinran severed the relationship between parent and child. However, after meeting him at the end of his life, Shinran will leave this world and go to the Pure Land.
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mahayanapilgrim · 1 year
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One day, a Zen master was meditating in his garden when he was interrupted by a loud, persistent meowing.
He opened his eyes to see a cat sitting in front of him, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
The Zen master realized that the cat was hungry, so he reached for a bowl of milk and placed it in front of the cat.
As the cat began to drink, he resumed his meditation.
A few minutes later, the meowing resumed, even louder and more insistent than before. The Zen master opened his eyes again and saw that the cat was still sitting in front of him, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
He realized that the cat was still hungry, so he reached for another bowl of milk and placed it in front of the cat. The cat gratefully drank the milk and then curled up at the Zen master's feet, purring contentedly.
The Zen master resumed his meditation, and this time, the meowing did not return. As he meditated, the Zen master reflected on the lesson he had learned from the cat: that sometimes, the most persistent and persistent problems can be solved with simple acts of kindness and compassion.
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Amituofo Chant (1:45mins)
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namandabu · 4 months
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You think I'm a good person?
If I were a good person, I would be able to accept the Buddha's wisdom without a shred of doubt.
If I were a good person, I would not delight in poison.
If I were a good person, I would do good selflessly, benefiting friends and enemies alike.
And if I were a good person, I would be free. I am not free.
I'm not a good person. That doesn't mean I'm some kind of serial killer or sociopath, going around manipulating and exploiting people for my own gain. But I live my life selfishly. I do things which should not be done, think things which should not be thought, and say things which should not be said.
It is because of this, not in spite of it, that Amida's Vow is the only path for me. I will not accomplish the Buddha Way. I cannot make the Bodhisattva Vows honestly, knowing I won't fulfill them. And this is precisely what makes me the target of the Vow. It actually makes it EASIER to go to the Pure Land because the Path of Birth Through the Nembutsu is designed that way. Shinran states "Even a good person can make it to the Pure Land. How much easier it is for the evil person to get there!"
My karma is heavy. I regret myself. Namu Amida Butsu.
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kongque-jiaan · 1 month
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Resources for Beginning Buddhists
I compiled this list to help prospective converts and Buddhi-curious folks in learning more about Buddhism generally and the Chinese Pure Land tradition specifically ahead of Master Renshan's 3 Refuges and 5 Precepts ceremony on 03/28/24.
I was going to post it alongside a link to the registration page for the event but I thought it'd be nice to put it on a post all its own. In the future I'm also hoping to update with more resources from other schools.
Pure Land Buddhism YouTube channel by Master Renshan's student Jiawen:
What Exactly Did The Buddha Teach ☸️
4 Noble Truths (1): 8 Types of Suffering
4 Noble Truths (2): Craving is the Cause of Suffering
4 Noble Truths (3) & Noble Eightfold Path
What are the Three Refuges?
What are the Five Precepts?
Why do Buddhists Bow and How?
Why to Have a Dharma Name? #dharma
What is Pure Land Buddhism?
Why Pure Land is Not Another Heaven
5 Pure Land Sutras & 1 Treatise
Playlist of English-subbed clips from Master Renshan's Dharma talks available on his YouTube channel
Why is Nianfo the easiest and most effective practice?
How to cultivate the habit of Nianfo
How people have misunderstood Pure Land Buddhism
There are no requirements to study Buddhism and everybody can learn
Learning Buddhism is to live a happy life
Pure Land Buddhism resources from Jiawen's Website
Pure Land Sutras
Other Sutras
Books
Biographies of Pure Land Patriarchs
Animated Sutras produced by Aputi (Chinese with English Subs)
Amitabha Sutra
Visualization Sutra
Infinite Life Sutra
Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra
Bodhisattva Mahastamaprapta's Realization of Nianfo Samadhi
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Who Is Amida Buddha: the Buddha of Infinite Light?
Hello Readers, Recently I talked about the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, and in particular the Three Pure Land Sutras that are central to the tradition. But then I realized that I’ve never really explained who Amida (Amitabha) Buddha is. Now that the English language site for Jodo Shu has been retired, I wanted to fill in some gaps in information, and explain Amida Buddha’s significance to the…
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inaste · 10 months
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🌱🌲 Beautiful landscape
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