Amitabha and Pure Land
-
tot might be Insightful for ppl:
There is a passage from the Avatamsaka Sutra (Book5,9.Gatha)
Some lands have a Buddha
And some land do not.
Some have just one Buddha
And some have countless Buddhas.
If a land has no Buddha,
Then a Buddha from another world
Will mistically appear there
To manifest the works of Buddhas-
Our world, the Southern Jambudvipa was without a Buddha,so Shakyamuni mistically appeared here, to teach us the activity of Amida Buddha. He Did not intended to teach a supramundane doctrine,only wanted to reveal the 48 vows of Amitabha, especially of his 18.th vow. In this vow Amida promised us, that whoever think of Him, or utter His Name, with faith that person in the end of the life will enter in His Paradise, moreover He will appear at his deathbed,and personally escort him to the Pure Land.
Amitabha is the primordial Buddha,and His Land is out of the Samsara.
Shakyamuni many times called the Nirvana as Amita. This Land is an environmental appearence of Nirvana. As Vasubandhu wrote in the Jodoron:
"The adornaments of the Land of Amitayus Buddha are phenomenal
aspects of a wondreous realm wich has arisen from the utmost reality."
Amida Buddha incarnated Himself as Dharmakara Bodhisattva in order to
create the Pure Land. His Name has three meaning:
1."The letter "A" of the Dharma" (The A is the symbol of the Pure
Land and Amitabha)
2."The essential mode of Dharma activity.
3."Dharma Tresury".
Amitabha, the Dharma Treasury (That is, Dharmakara) with essential
mode of Dharma-activity, created the Pure Land.
The Dharma Tresure has four parts: Nitya (permanence)
Sukha (blessing) Atman (true self) Subha (purity)
They are called the Four Gunaparamita, and are in contrast to the Trilakshana, wich is: Anitya (Impermanence), Dukha(suffering),Anatman (no-self),
as well as to Asubha(impurity).
So Dharmakara Bodhisattva inkarnated from Dharmakaya Amitabha, (Lokanatha Amitabha, or Lokesvararaja,also known in His secret Name as HRIH) created the Pure Land and become Samboghakaya Amitabha. His emanation (Nirmanakaya Amitabha) appeared in our world as Shakyamuni Buddha.NAMUAMIDABUTSU --Rev.Anraku
/\ -
�無阿彌陀佛
-
-
http://www.amtb.org.tw
-
-
There are four kinds of Nirvana equivalent to the 4 Abodes of PL:
Nirvana of pure, clear self-nature = Pure Abode of Good people and good Saints living together 凡圣�居土.
Nirvana with residue = Pure Temporary Abode with residue of Not Knowing 方便有余土, more for Arahants.
Nirvana without residue = Pure Abode of Permanent Reward å®žæŠ¥æ— éšœç¢�土, more for Bodhisattvas.
Nirvana of no dwelling = Pure Abode of Eternal Light and Tranquillity 常寂光土, more for Buddhas.yet it's interesting to note that the most wonderful Abode in Pureland is actually the Pure Abode of Good people and good Saints living together 凡圣�居土(more like a form world), instead of Pure Abode of Eternal Light and Tranquillity 常寂光土. also show the knowing that Samsara and Nirvana is not two.
inconceivable but true of Amitabha's Pureland.
/\
-
ok.
there's a slight different between pureland method and self liberation method. self liberation method totally uses self cultivation. however Pureland method is to transform the virtue/power of Amitabha Buddha into his/her Own virtue/power, as the idea of self and other are non-dual.
So even when there's this slight differences, there's this Similarity.
Both are reflecting inwardly into the mind. we must know that although, Pureland is using "other power", but this is totally different from "outside"(unorthodox) path. when the "outside"(unorthodox) path are worshiping their own root teacher/guru/god, they are seeking dharma/truth outside their mind. Pureland method is to reflect inwardly into the mind. The external phenomena are projected from internally. wholeheartedly focus inwardly in one-pointedness in order for Amitabha/Infinity Buddha(s) to connect and empower it, so that it transform our mind/heart into the Mind of the Buddha./\
-
just heard this from a talk by Ven Jing Jie.
阿彌陀佛四�八大願
http://www.budaedu.org/ghosa/L00097/C004/T010V/
Chinese to English:-
"One of the three pillar of Pureland, deep faith simply mean to abide by the original vow/aspiration, which is to aspire to be born in Pureland. There's no doubt in this original vow 18th.
When you recite Amitabha's name, you should totally let go of your ego thinking and totally accord with Amitabha's vow, as if you do not exist. Yes, you feel as if you do not exist. Even if you are an ordinary people who had commited many karma in the past or a diligent bodhisattva who had accumulated many merits, it doesn't matter, just let go of this self centeredness that created all these karma or merits. whole heartedly accord with Amitabha's original vow.
Patriarch Shan Dao uses two standard:- to believe 所信 and to have total conviction能信(?).
Three believes that we need to believe. First believe that we are a karmically ordinary person whom are unable to escape samsara by ourselves. believe that we did not cultivated from zero. This piece of paper is not blank, it had been scribbled.
Secondly, believe that we had been cycling in samsasra from time without beginning.
Thirdly, believe that there's no condition for us to escape samsara. We don't have the ablility to escapre by ourselves. Even if you stop eating, working and sleeping, practice nianfo, precepts, meditations etc, 24/7, you will still not be able to escape samsara. This is not the lack of ability to cultivate but because we are unable to do any of this practices.
After you have these three believes, you develop three confidences and confirmation.
Firstly, confirm that Amitabha made the 48 vows in order to deliver sentient
beings and one can use Buddha's vow power to be reborn in Pureland.
Secondly, confident of Buddha Amitabha and yourself. You cannot have any doubt and worries. If you do, it means that you are rejecting your original vow and hence Amitabha cannot help you. You cannot say that your karma is too heavy or you do not have enough merit, as you do not exist in the face of totally in accordance with Amitabha's vow.
Thirdly, by using Amitabha's vow power, you are sure to be reborn in Pureland.
For Amitabha to save you, it's as easy as 123. Throw away your ego, totally rely on Amitabha. "/\
-
pure land can be Both literal and state of mind.
it's easy to have the mentality of human and gods; avoid evils and do good.
it's also easy to have the mentality of hinayana; see everything as emptiness.
it's easy to think one sided-ly or incline toward one view.
we need to learn to think double sided-ly. we need to learn to be non-abiding yet have a mind of resolve; have a mind of resolve, yet be non-abiding. learn to be like a lotus that grow from the water yet do not abide in the water; or learn to be like the sun or moon that is in the sky yet do not cling to the sky.
such mentality of the Mahayana or Bodhisattva path of non-duality is not easy and can easily be lost. further more, there are many buddhists out there saying this and saying that, which can easily lead us to misunderstand Mahayana teaching.
so don't abide in one-sided view. be more flexible so to speak.taught by 淨界法師
http://www.budaedu.org/ghosa/L00097/C004/T010V/
/\
-
People who quote the Kalama sutta usually don't know this one:
""Excellent, Sariputta. Excellent. Those who have not known, seen, penetrated, realized, or attained it by means of discernment would have to take it on CONVICTION [shraddha, i.e. faith] in others that the faculty of conviction... persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment, when developed & pursued, gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation"
-- Pubbakotthaka Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn48/sn48.044.than.html
/\
-
念佛三昧 The sam�dhi in which the individual whole-heartedly thinks of the appearance of the Buddha, or of the dharmak�ya, or repeats the Buddha's name. The one who enters into this sam�dhi, or merely repeats the name of Amit�bha, however evil his life may have been, will acquire the merits of Amit�bha and be received into Sukhavati/Dewachen , hence the term.
thus heard, an advantage is that with the merits of Amit�bha, one don't easily encounter mara when practicing nianfo.
/\
-
that state the method of nianfo is 唯佛与佛方能究竟(only the Buddhas know or to clarify that in fullness, Buddha remembrance is a Most Complete path, not even arahats or Praetyka-Buddhas or Bodhisattvas can understand it's completeness.
一å�¥‘å�—æ— é˜¿å¼¥é™€ä½›'实在太深奥了,就连声闻,缘觉,è�©è�¨éƒ½ä¸�能完全ç�†è§£,唯佛与佛方能究竟。 æ— ä¸Šæ·±å¦™ç¦…. 大集ç»�云: 若人但念阿弥陀,是å��æ— ä¸Šæ·±å¦™ç¦…ã€‚
http://bookgb.bfnn2.org/books2/1339.htm
when Amitabha sutra was preached by Shakymuni, the bodhisattvas had no idea what to ask. that said bodhisattvas can expound(officially) the Lotus or the Avatamsaka Sutra but not for Pureland sutras. sort of they are not yet worthy enough to propagate (as in expound officially) the Pureland sutras. particularly, it's too difficult to believe.
/\
-
It's easier to put your mind and do a very proper, sincere and concentrated recitation of Amitabha's name than to do a proper recitation of a thousand Buddha's name.
/\
-
The most Beautiful Scenery of Western Paradise of Chinese Tradition in this website
http://www.yinitun.cn/show.aspx?id=403&cid=301
