Master Yin Shun's on pureland

• JitKiat

  26 Feb 08, 17:08

  Extract from http://www.fzrj.com/dszz/read-database=yinshun&book=a17&block=2&innercode=1.htm

  我时常说∶「戒律与净土，�应独立�宗�。这如太虚大师说∶「律为三乘 共基，净为三乘共庇�。戒律是三乘共�的基础，�论在家出家的学者，都离� [P2] 开戒律。净土为大�乘人所共仰共趋的�想界，如天��贤首�唯识�三论以� 禅宗，都�以修净土行，�扬净土。这是佛教的共�倾�，决�一派人的事情。 站在全体佛教的立场说，与专�一端的看法，当然会多少��。

  Basically, Master Yin Shun thinks that pureland buddhism should be common to other branches rather than remaining as independent

   

  Extract from http://www.fzrj.com/dszz/read-database=yinshun&book=a17&block=5&innercode=1.htm

  念佛三�

  1. 信: 信阿弥陀佛的�正功德, 信念佛法门的殊胜德用

  2. 愿，除愿�佛�，愿度众生普通愿而外，主�是愿生彼国。愿生 彼国，约目的说。然在实行中，应该有深一层的愿求，就是愿得弥陀佛本愿的摄 �，回�文中，�有此�。约佛本身说，佛是无时�在悲愿摄�众生。�是众生 自己，�自动的�愿�求摄�，接�佛陀的悲愿，便�能为佛所摄�，佛与众生 间便脱了节。如海中救生艇，投下救生圈或绳索，若�海者心愿登舟脱险，�� 想接�救生圈或绳索，试问如何�以得救？所以往生净土，�仗阿弥陀佛的慈光摄�，尤须众生的�愿，愿�接�佛陀的本愿。

   

  三行∶概括的说，行有二∶一是往生净土的助行；一是往生净土的主行。以 净土三�说，『阿弥陀��说∶「��以少善根�德因缘得生彼国�。���培 �深厚的善根，增长���德，以作生净土的资粮。『观无�寿��说有三�， 如�敬父�，布施��戒�读诵大乘等。大本『阿弥陀��，也说到布施��戒 等。这些善根�德，修净土的人，应该�分�力去�，使善根增长，�德增胜。 往生净土，念佛是正因，培�善根�德是助缘。有些念佛人，好走�锋，以为生 [P101] 死事大，念佛都���，那里还有功夫去修�行。专�一��无阿弥陀佛就得了 。如告以「��以少善根�德因缘得生彼国�的�文，他�巧辩的说∶能�到阿 弥陀佛的，就是宿�善根，广修�德因缘了。这是多大的误解��说「��以少 善根�德因缘得生彼国�，并�说「��以少善根�德因缘得闻佛��。求生� �净土，助行还是需�的。但念一�弥陀的，�有适用於「平时�烧香，临（命 终）时抱佛脚�的�人（�『观��）；一般人平时修学，应该�分修集�德因 缘，以此功德回�净土。永明大师的万善�归，是比较稳当而正确的说法。

  往生净土的主行，就是称念「�无阿弥陀佛�。�无是皈投��义，内�希 求阿弥陀佛悲愿加�的�义。现在的念佛法门，�常�行，往往失去了本义。称 念是净土行，照净土法门说，应该�信�愿而起行。�是有些念佛人，�解念佛 之所以，既无信，�无愿，这与净土法门，当然��。有些念佛的，以念佛为冥 资。有些为了家庭的烦�而念，为了生�或政治的失�而念。一心念佛，以精神 集中，身体心�，都得到��清净，��喜�，或泛起��特殊心境。於是便自 [P102] 以为得了�用，沾沾自喜，逢人便说念佛好�念佛当然很好，但这还�是真正的 净土行者，还�是净土法门的真利益。充其�，这�过是类似的定境（正定也� 为难得），�是由於精神集中，�少了内心的散乱，浮动，�少一些烦�而已。 如以此为目的，何必一定�念「�无阿弥陀佛��念佛生净土，当然会有这�心 境，而且更好。若仅此而无信无愿，是�能往生的。所以净土法门的修行（念佛 ），�在深信诚愿的基础上，�在渴仰弥陀本愿的摄�中去念。空空洞洞的行， �会与阿弥陀佛的慈悲愿力相呼应，�相应便�能生净土。

  信愿行的总�，是净土法门的�诀�三者具足，�得往生。�他力而往生， 这�妨举喻�说∶如美国或�国，为东方人办了几个学校，欢迎我们去留学，� 以供给膳宿，甚至�以供给交通工具，他愿�我们去，��我们肯去。如我们对 他没有信心，或自己��生兴趣，这当然�能去了。�使你有信有愿，愿�去一 趟，但还缺少一件，还�彼此��的�明文件──护照。护照签了字，你就�� 他的飞机到那边去。这如净土行人，在阿弥陀佛的慈悲愿力中，有信�有愿，� [P103] 加上称念阿弥陀佛的签字手续，自然�以达到净土的目的地。净土法门的三�， 如鼎三足，缺一��。�具足三�而称念弥陀，等於一纸伪造文件，起�到实际 作用。

  VERY GOOD EXAMPLE INDEED ...

   

• Bodhi hut

  27 Feb 08, 01:14

  念佛å�·æ˜¯å‡€åœŸçš„方便法门，å�¯ä»¥é˜…图阿弥陀ç»�，或观无é‡�寿ç»�。。六字佛å�·‘å�—无阿弥陀佛’

   

  Extracted:

  一心念佛，放下万缘�布施。
  一心念佛，�诸烦���戒。
  一心念佛，无诤无求��辱。
  一心念佛，��夹��精进。
  一心念佛，妄念�起�禅定。
  一心念佛，信愿往生�智慧。

  阿彌陀佛心咒

  唵  阿彌爹哇  å•¥

   

   

• bohiruci

  27 Feb 08, 05:01

  Originally posted by Bodhi hut:

  念佛å�·æ˜¯å‡€åœŸçš„方便法门，å�¯ä»¥é˜…图阿弥陀ç»�，或观无é‡�寿ç»�。。六字佛å�·‘å�—无阿弥陀佛’

   

  Extracted:

  一心念佛，放下万缘�布施。
  一心念佛，�诸烦���戒。
  一心念佛，无诤无求��辱。
  一心念佛，��夹��精进。
  一心念佛，妄念�起�禅定。
  一心念佛，信愿往生�智慧。

  阿彌陀佛心咒

  唵  阿彌爹哇  å•¥

   

   

  阅图?? whats 阅图

• sanath

  27 Feb 08, 10:56

  I think he meant 閱讀

• sanath

  27 Feb 08, 12:40

  Will have to disagree with Ven Yin Shun here. Have to reply from a Pure Land perspective:

  选择本愿念佛集

  法然上人

  第一章 二门章——é�“绰禅师立圣é�“净土二门，而èˆ�圣é�“正归净土

  ---

  　　《安�集》上云：问曰：一切众生，皆有佛性，远劫以�，应值多佛，何因至今，�自轮回生死，�出�宅？

  　　答曰：�大乘圣教，良由�得二�胜法，以排生死，是以�出�宅。何者为二？一谓圣�，二谓往生净土。其圣�一�，今时难�，一由去大圣�远，一由�深解微。是故《大集月��》云：「我末法时中，亿亿众生，起行修�，未有一人得者。当今末法，现是五浊�世，唯有净土一门，�通入路。�是故《大�》云：「若有众生，纵令一生造�，临救终时，�念相续，称我�字，若�生者，��正觉。�

  　　��一切众生，都�自�，若�大乘，真如实相，第一义空，曾未措心：若论�乘，修入�谛修�，乃至那�罗汉，断五下除五上，无问�俗，未有其分。纵有人天果报，皆为五戒�善，能招此报，然�得者甚希：若论起�造罪，何异暴风驶雨。是以诸佛大慈，�归净土。纵使一形造�，但能系�专精，常能念佛，一切诸障，自然消除，定得往生。何���，都无去心也�

  　　�云：窃计夫立教多少，�宗��。且如「有相宗�立三时教，而判一代圣教，所谓有�空�中是也。如「无相宗�立二�教，以判一代圣教，所谓����声闻�是也。如「�严宗�立五教，而摄一切佛教，所谓�乘教�始教�终教�顿教�圆教是也。如「法�宗�立四教五味，以摄一切佛教，四教者，所谓��通�别�圆是也；五味者，所谓乳�酪�生�熟���是也。如「真言宗�立二教，而摄一切，所谓显教�密教是也。今此「净土宗�者，若��绰禅师�，立二门而摄一切，所谓圣�门�净土门是也。

  　　问曰：夫立宗�，本在�严天�等八宗�宗，未闻于净土之家，立其宗�。然今�一净土宗，有何��也？

  　　答曰：净土宗�，其��一，元晓《游心安��》云：「净土宗�：『本为凡夫，兼为圣人。���慈�《西方�决》云：�此一宗。��迦�《净土论》云：「此之一宗，窃为�路。�其�如此，�足疑端。但诸宗立教，�今正�。且就净土宗，略明二门者，一者圣�门，二者净土门。

  　　�「圣�门�者，就此有二：一者大乘，二者�乘。就大乘中，虽有显密�实等��，今此集�，唯存显大，�以�大，故当历劫迂回之行。准是�之，应存密大，�以实大。然则今真言�佛心�天���严�三论�法相�地论�摄论，此等八家之�，正在此也，应知。次�乘者，总是�乘�律论之中，所明声闻�缘觉，断惑��，入圣得果之�也；准上�之，亦�摄俱���实诸部律宗而已。凡此圣�门大�者，�论大乘�以�乘，於此娑婆世界之中，修四乘�，得四乘果也。四乘者三乘之外加佛乘也。

  　　次「往生净土门�者，就此有二：一者正明往生净土之教，二者�明往生净土之教。

  　　�「正明往生净土之教�者，谓「三�一论�是也。三�者。《无�寿�》�二《观无�寿�》�三《阿弥陀�》也。一论者：天亲《往生论》是也，或指此三��「净土三部��。

  　　问曰：三部��，亦有其例乎？答曰：三部��，其例�一：一者法�三部，谓《无�义�》�《法��》�《普贤观�》是也。二者大日三部，谓《大日�》�《金刚顶�》�《�悉地�》是也。三者镇国家三部，谓《法��》�《�王�》�《金光明�》是也。四者弥勒三部，谓《上生�》�《下生�》�《�佛�》是也。今者唯是弥陀三部，故�净土三部�也。弥陀三部者是净土正��也。

  　　次「�明往生净土之教�者，《�严》�《法�》�《�求》�《尊胜》等明诸往生净土之行之诸�是也。�《起信论》�《�性论》�《��毗婆沙论》�《摄大乘论》等明诸往生净土之行之诸论是也。

  　　凡此集中，「立圣��净土二门�者，为令�圣�入净土门�也。就此有二由：一由「去大圣�远�，二由「�深解微�。此宗之中，立二门者，�独�绰，昙鸾�天��迦��慈�等诸师皆有此�；且昙鸾法师《往生论注》云：

  　　「谨案龙树��《��毗婆沙》云：��求阿毗跋致有二��，一者难行�，二者易行�。

  　　难行�者：谓於五浊之世，於无佛时，求阿毗跋致为难，此难乃有多途，粗言五三，以示义�。一者外�相善，乱��法；二者声闻自利，障大慈悲；三者无顾�人，破他胜德；四者颠倒善果，能�梵行；五者唯是自力，无他力�。如斯等事，触目皆是，譬如陆路，步行则苦。

  　　易行�者：谓但以信佛因缘，愿生净土，乘佛愿力，便得往生彼清净土。佛力��，�入大乘正定之�，正定�是阿毗跋致，譬如水路，乘船则�。�

  　　此中难行�者，�是「圣�门�也；易行�者，�是「净土门�也。难行易行�圣�净土，其言虽异，其�是�。天��迦��之，应知。�《西方�决》云：

  　　「仰惟释迦��，弘益有缘，教��方，并沾法润，亲逢圣化，�悟三乘，�薄因�，�归净土。作此业者，专念弥陀，一切善根，回生彼国。弥陀本愿，誓度娑婆，上尽现生一形，下至临终�念，俱能决定，皆得往生。�����云：「夫以生居�季，去圣斯�；�预三乘，无方契悟；人天两�，�动�安，智�情弘，能堪久处。若也识痴行浅，�溺幽涂；必须远迹娑婆，栖心净域。�

  　　此中三乘者�是圣�门�也；净土者�是净土门�也。三乘净土�圣�净土，其�虽异，其�亦�。净土宗学者，先须知此旨，设虽先学圣�门人，若於净土门有其志者，「须弃圣�，归於净土�。例如彼昙鸾法师，�四论讲说，一�归净土；�绰禅师，�涅槃广业，�弘西方行。上�贤哲，犹以如此，末代愚�，���之哉�

  　　问曰：圣�家诸宗，�有师资相承，谓如天�宗者慧文��岳�天��章安�智��玄朗�湛然，次第相承。如真言宗者大日如��金刚�　�龙树�龙智�金智��空，次第相承。自余诸宗，��有相承血脉，而今所言净土宗，有师资相承血脉谱乎？

  　　答曰：如圣�血脉，净土宗亦有血脉，但於净土一宗，诸家��：所谓�山慧远法师�慈�三���绰�善导等是也。今且��绰�善导之一家，论师资相承血脉者。此亦有两说：一者���支三��慧宠��场法师�昙鸾法师�大海禅师�法上禅师。二者���支三��昙鸾法师��绰禅师�善导禅师�怀感法师�少康法师。

• Bodhi hut

  27 Feb 08, 18:03

  Sorry typo mistake..I meant 阅读。。。

  Share with you an article on 净土宗

  净宗简介

   

  �炳��居士讲述

  民国五�四年秋大专讲座

  弟�周家麟敬记

   

  （一）�典

   

  净土宗所根��典，说到专门上，�方佛都有，在这里�指阿弥陀佛��净土。为何�指阿弥陀佛��净土呢？因为阿弥陀佛愿力最大，专为人了生死故。有三部�典�资�明。第一�无�寿�，这部��述西方��世界�正庄严�阿弥陀佛因行果用，甚为详细，等于西方��世界�历�，�时说几�行为，就是��所修的六度万行。第二�观�，俗��六观�，系西方世界�六�观法。所谓观，就是�在那里想，想什么？想世界本没有东西�北，何以�指西方？因为太阳�西�的时候，光�猛烈，所以第一观，先教观太阳，观到开眼闭眼都能�到，就算�就。第二观改观水象，观�了�改观冰象，�改观金银界�，�改观树�等等，如此一层一层计�六层观法，�作�六观�，也是净土宗���典之一。第三�阿弥陀�，这部�专教念佛的方法，简�扼�。我们研究净土的学人，最低�度必须看这三部�。此外我们应知，��万论，处处指归，念佛法门，通一切法门，江味农居士曾说：「教研般若，行尚弥陀。��以想�。�者���净宗祖师，�代代相传，系修行有�，大家选出�的。祖师中除�光祖师，系专一净土，被公推为�三代祖师外，其中第�二代原是禅宗祖师�了果的，���往上修�进，乃改修净土。看看彻悟禅师语录，谈的并�玄妙，�是脚�实地的去�，也就够了。

   

  （二）义旨

   

  为什么�修净土法门呢？修净土法门的义旨，是因为�了生死，必须�明心�性，�明心�性，必断���二惑，断���二惑就是了生死的�二法门。但试问�能断��二惑呢？断��二惑�任何人能�得到，所以佛开净土法门，�修行人�惑带业往生。

   

  （三）结果

   

  往生以�，就能得神通。说到神通，佛学常识课本里有讲，��看六通略解。六通里有天眼�天耳�神足�宿命�他心��尽等，禅宗祖师教人，都用他心通，善能观机。最��的是�尽通，�尽了�能了生死，外��有五通没有�尽通。往生西方特殊胜妙处就是：第一���到了西方，神通自然就有，�比此土得了定��有。第二�到了西方以��有进境，没有退缘。第三�此土��诸烦惑，一�未断，就�能了生死。生到西方，�论功夫深浅，一律皆能�就。为什么说一律皆能�就呢？因西方世界莲有��，四�境界。四�境界，就是四土：凡圣�居�方便有余�实报庄严�常寂光等。这四土�三是方便，最�常寂光土是般若。四土皆有��，最高最低，皆在三�六�以内，所以说皆得�就，结果如此。还有一个结果，�退尚是�事，还能得一生补处。所谓一生补处，就是��修六度万行，到�地修满了，就是等觉，等觉就是候补佛�。我们若能往生西方，�一生就能断尽烦惑，就得候补佛�，所以说是一生补处，也��一生�办。

   

  （四）方法

   

  净土宗修行方法有四�：第一��，执��无阿弥陀佛六字��，无论闲忙，皆�放�，接接续续，一直这样�。第二是观�，对�阿弥陀佛圣�观看，看到开眼闭眼阿弥陀佛皆在眼�就�，这都是方便法。第三是观想，按照�六观�所说，一步一步修观，观至西方三圣，然�观自己，观久了，�处�下，境界就�，神识定于这�境界。第四是实相，这项�容易修，实相�体就是三如��，就是般若。修的时候，须观照万法皆空，须一步步次第�。这四�任选一�都�以，�三�是事，�一�属�。比较最究竟的，是实相，但是等于金刚�，��到，所以佛特设善巧方便。什么善巧方便呢？实相念佛��到，所以教你以心观心。以心观心��行，教你观�。观�环境��许，�人有主张��带观想的。明莲池大师改为专修��，因为观��是�便观的，必须按照�上所说，切实去观��，�则就是邪观。所以他教人采�径中径�径所示修法。四法之中，在家人所能�者，���一法。��的功效，就是�就「一心�乱�，所谓一心，��是使�心万心，�为一心，起念就是阿弥陀佛；�乱，是任何事�能扰乱。这办法�多久时间�能�就呢？有一辈���到的，快的七天就��就。这�难信之法，惟佛与佛，乃能究尽。念佛念到一心�乱时，若�是念，�懂般若的��，�懂事�懂�。�懂�，在修功课时，��事上修行。得了事一心�乱，�以�惑。若懂了�用功夫，�得�一心�乱，�断��惑。�罗汉须�天上人间七番生死，����一心，这里七天就�罗汉果。

   

  （五）修�

   

  修�的方法，以��而论，有四���，简言之，就是�求一心�乱，到了一心�乱，虽�能到�一心断惑，能得事一心��烦惑，也就�了险。念佛时万��起别念，志在修心，�人说：�念弥陀心散乱，喊破喉咙也枉然。但念时�心�起别念很难，这里有方便法，�必用念�。记数字，三�三�四，为�，�二�，�三�，......念到一百，�从头起，记须用心记，如银行敖钞票，�能�骛。�有念的时候，须注��沉�掉举，�沉的时候，或用两手�耳，或用冷毛巾�脸��对治。�这么�，必须求解，�则��起兴趣，现在简�的介�到这里。

  　

   

• Spnw07

  28 Feb 08, 23:06

  Can both TS, sanath and Bodhi hut summarise the main points of each of your quoted articles in English?

  I hope for more to understand. I also to wish to explain to those who I meet in real life, but can only understand English.

• Bodhi hut

  29 Feb 08, 00:43

  Hi, Spnw07,

   

  Let me introduce a link for your reading, which may help you understand more on Pureland buddhism, which the above chinese contend is more on the practise on Pureland Buddhism. If you want me to summaries in english, I would just say, recite Amitabha name, with a mindful heart, its not the number of times you recite, its how purified your heart is while reciting.

  If you are free, you may want to explore my forum for Amitabha pictures,and you can download the reciting mp3 from the blog.

  Here is the link for your reading on Pureland:

  http://www.cloudwater.org/pureland.html#The%20Sutras

  Bodh Hut Forum

  http://bodhihut.17.forumer.com

   

• sanath

  29 Feb 08, 02:06

  Hi,

  unfortunately i do not have my English version with me in Singapore right now but here is a synopsis of what is written in Master Honen's "Senjaku Hongan shu é�¸æ“‡æœ¬æ„¿å¿µä½›é›†", which deals with the founding of an independent Pure Land school (in Japan) :

  Chapter One - Classification of the Buddhist Teachings

  Chapter One begins with the heading: "Passages which relate how the Dhyana Master Tao-ch'o (Jp. Doshaku �綽禪師), setting up the two gateways, the gateway of the Holy Path and the gateway of the Pure Land, discarded the gateway of the Holy Path and took refuge in the gateway of the Pure Land." Then it quotes passages from Tao-ch'o's An-le chi (Collection of Passages on the Land of Peace and Bliss, Anraku-shu 安樂集). Honen argues that, from the standpoint of the Pure Land sect, Buddhism can be broadly divided into two categories the gateway of the Holy Path (shodomon 圣�門) and the gateway of the Pure Land (jodomon 凈土門). The purpose behind this classification, he declares, lies ultimately in rejection of the Holy Path and selection of the Pure Land Path.

  At the conclusion of this first chapter, Honen presents two possible ways of tracing the transmission of the Pure Land lineage from Bodhiruci to the later Chinese Pure Land patriarchs. According to Tao-ch'o's An-le chi, the succession is as follows: Bodhiruci, Hui-ch'ung, Tao-chang, T'an-luan, Ta-hai, and Master Fa-shang. According to the T'ang kao-seng chuan (Bibliography of Eminent Masters Complied in the T'ang Dynasty) and the Sung Kao-seng-chuan (Bibliography of Masters Compiled in the Sung Dynasty), the succession is as follows: Bodhiruci, T'an-luan, Tao-ch'o, Shan-tao, Huai-kan, and Shao-k'ang. To establish such a lineage was essential to establishing the legitimacy of Honen's teaching and to parrying his enemies' accusations of heresy.

  http://www.jsri.jp/English/Honen/WRITINGS/senchakushu.html

  Gassho

• sanath

  29 Feb 08, 10:29

  And to add, the classification of 3 streams of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism:

  Honen's Establishment of a Chinese Lineage

  A common method of legitimation which East Asian Buddhist sects have used is establishing a lineage of the transmission from Shakyamuni Buddha himself down to their particular founder, and from thence to the present age. This is always established in order to invest the teachings with authority. It was during the Sung Dynasty (960-1297) that the establishment of official lineages for the various schools of Buddhism became common. The Ch'an school lineage was established at this time through Tao-yuan's Ching-te-chuan-teng-lu. Yuan-chao (1048-1116) established the nine patriarchs of the Four Part Vinaya school in his Nan-shan-lu-tsung tsu-ch'eng-t'u-lu, and Chih-p'an (circa late thirteenth century) established the T'ien-t'ai lineage in his Fo-tsu-t'ung-chi. Pure Land Buddhism was in turn influenced by these earlier examples, and Tsung-hsio (1151-1214) established the Pure Land lineage in his Le-pang-wen-lei (T. 1469, vol. 47). This lineage is as follows: Hui-yuan of Lu-shan, Shan-tao, Fa-chao, Shao-k'ang, Sheng-ch'ang, and Tsung-tse. Honen's lineage, however, differs fundamentally in that he neither recognized Hui-yuan as Shan-tao's teacher nor as a patriarch at all.

  In Honen's Commentary on the Jodosanbukyo (Sanbukyo shaku), in reference to the Amida Sutra, he says:

  In the Pure Land school of Shan-tao, no one studied directly under him, and no one praises him. But I, through his writings, have inherited his intention and so have founded the Pure Land sect. Therefore, in the Pure Land school there is nothing one can call a lineage, nor is there any proof of the oral transmission of its teachings. Nevertheless, on the basis of the teaching of the sutras and commentaries, and on my personal experience, I have established the Pure Land sect. (SHZ. 145)

  Honen's Pure Land sect differed in this regard from the Buddhism of the Nara and Heian periods in that it made no claim to have been transmitted through a continuous master-disciple lineage. Although inspired by Shan-tao's works, it was in fact based on Honen's personal religious experience.

  This very lack of transmission provided grounds for harsh criticism, from the established Tendai and Shingon sects and the temples of Nara. Honen attempted to respond to such criticism in the Gyakushu seppo, when he named his own five patriarchs of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism (jodogoso) [T'an-luan, Tao-ch'o, Shan-tao, Huai-kan and Shao-k'ang] as constituting the Pure Land lineage.(SHZ. 264)

  The Chinese lineage established by Tsung-hsiao was not made on the basis of a direct master-disciple relationship or on the common thought of Pure Land masters, but rather on the respective careers of each in propagating Pure Land teachings and on chronological order. By the time Tsung-hsiao wrote the Le-pang-wen-lei in 1200, it had already been two years since Honen had dictated the Senchakushu in which he classified three different Pure Land lineages and insisted on the veracity of his five patriarch lineage. Honen designated the three lineages as those of Hui-yuan of Lu-shan, T'zu-min, and Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao.

  The first one of Hui-yuan was centered around the practice of the nembutsu with visualization. This form of nembutsu practice is advocated in the Pratyutpanna Sutra (Pan-chou-san-mei ching), one of the first sutras dealing with Amida Buddha, and stresses the nembutsu as a practical means or upaya for reaching ultimate wisdom and the samadhi of emptiness. Hui-yuan lived during a period in which he could have seen the Amida Sutra as translated by Kumarajiva and the P'ing-teng-chueh ching and Ta-ami-t'o ching (both earlier versions of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Wu-liang-shou ching). His nembutsu teaching, however, is mostly based on the Pratyutpanna Sutra and not on the sutras associated with the Sutra of Immeasurable Life, which expounds Amida Buddha's power of the original vow (hongan). This teaching succeeded onwards to the T'ien-t'ai master Chih-i (538-97) and the Hua-yen master Ch'eng-kuan (738-839). To Honen, who insisted on the recited nembutsu as the true practice, Hui-yuan's visualized nembutsu ought to be rejected. Thus, we can see why Honen differentiated Hui-yuan from Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao and established another lineage.

  The second lineage of T'zu-min is based around his syncretic teaching of the Ch'an, Pure Land and Vinaya schools in which he combined meditation, nembutsu practice, and observance of the precepts. Especially after the T'ang Dynasty (618-907), not only Pure Land but also other schools tended towards this syncretic mixing of teachings. Fa-chao of the middle T'ang, Wan-chao of the Sung, and Ch'u-hung (1532-1612) and Chih-hsu (1599-1655) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are examples of typical masters who brought other teachings into their own schools. T'zu-min's teachings also revolved around the visualization practices of the Pratyutpanna Sutra (Pan-chou-san-mei ching). Further, his syncretic approach contradicted Honen's principle of the selection of the exclusive practice of the nembutsu (senju-nembutsu), Honen clearly differentiated it from the Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao lineage which was firmly centered in the Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Wu-liang-shou ching), the Meditation Sutra (Kuan wu-liang-shou ching), and the Amida Sutra (A-mi-t'o ching).

  Finally, the third lineage of Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao is the very one which became the lineage of the Pure Land denomination (Jodo Shu) in Japan. In the Senchakushu, Honen lists the five patriarchs as follows: T'an-luan, Tao-ch'o, Shan-tao, Hui-kuan and Shao-k'ang. There are, however, two separate opinions on its Dharma transmission. The first begins with Bodhiruci and follows to Hui-ch'ung, Tao-chang, T'an Luan, Ta-hai, and Fa-shang. The second begins with Bodhiruci and follows to T'an Luan, Tao-ch'o, Shan-tao, Huai-kan, and Shao-k'ang (Senchakushu Chapt.1). In the Senchakushu, Honen does not distinguish which lineage is correct, but in his other works, he only uses the second transmission. He cites the T'ang Kao-seng-chuan (Bibliography of Eminent Masters Complied in the T'ang Dynasty)[T.50,425-707]1 and the Sung Kao-seng-chuan (Bibliography of Masters Compiled in the Sung Dynasty)[T.50,709-900]2 as sources for this transmission, although in actuality these works do not contain such a transmission (Ruiju Jodo Goso Den, SHZ. 843-57). The key master in this lineage is clearly Shan-tao. From his standpoint, Tao-ch'o, his teacher, is designated the Second Patriarch, and Hui-kuan, his direct disciple, is designated the Fourth Patriarch. The First and Fifth Patriarchs, T'an-luan and Shao-k'ang, are designated not on the basis of the master-disciple relationship but rather on the connection of commonness of thought. T'an-luan had a great influence on the thought of both Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao and was thus designated the First Patriarch. Shao-k'ang in turn was greatly influenced by Shan-tao, eventually becoming known as a latter day Shan-tao, and was thus designated the Fifth Patriarch. Honen's five patriarch lineage based on the master-disciple relationship and commonness of thought, therefore, clearly contrasts that of Tsung-hsiao's.

  If we reflect on Honen's classification of the three lineages of Pure Land Buddhism, we can easily see how he rejected Hui-yuan's lineage based on the nembutsu with visualization and T'zu-min's based on syncretic teachings and selected the one of Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao based on his unprecedented teaching of the exclusive recited nembutsu. However, this lineage was not one of direct transmission from one patriarch to the next. Historically speaking, although Shan-tao and Huai-kan were clearly related as master and disciple, this "lineage" of five Chinese patriarchs was Honen's own original concept. Thus his Pure Land sect continued to receive criticism as lacking any clear line of direct transmission.

  http://www.jsri.jp/English/Honen/TEACHINGS/clineage.html

• Spnw07

  29 Feb 08, 11:28

  Hi sanath, if you wish to have editing control over the type and size of fonts copied from websites, do use wordpad or Microsoft Word.

  Copy and paste the web text into such word editors and modify as you wish. After just cut and paste back here.

  The words from both your quotes are too small for comfortable viewing.

• An Eternal Now

  29 Feb 08, 13:12

  Edited for sanath.