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Why I’m So Going Pureland
By zweiya on 24 Jun 2009 under Odds & Ends |
39 Comments | Tags: Amitabha Buddha, meditation, Pure Land, rebirth
A friend remarked that in this Dharma-ending age, he was surprised that a recent Pureland retreat was not as well received by youngsters as meditation retreats. Most participants of the first are middle-aged and above. Pureland practice is often mistaken to be only for the old or dying, to be less intellectually challenging – as many think that Pureland practice is just chanting, and nothing else. The truth is, if mindfulness of Buddha is practised mindfully, one can actually realise the whole spectrum of the Buddha’s teachings as it encompasses the threefold training (戒定慧). Well, let’s not forget that the Pureland tradition is ‘an extremely hard to believe’ method, as proclaimed by the Buddha himself – because it seems simple, while truly profound.
Many feel that meditation should not be dismissed totally as Buddha himself did sit under the Bodhi tree to meditate towards enlightenment. Thus, many Buddhists might not see their spiritual path as complete if they had not tried sitting meditation. True enough… for myself too had gone through a systematic way of training in meditation before becoming a Purelander. Meditation has its advantages and it’s undeniable beneficial for the spiritual path. But when it comes to the subject of determining my next birth, my personal meditation skills might not be able to help me out of Samsara. That said, Pureland practice in terms of training mindfulness of Buddha by chanting (aloud or silently) can achieve Samadhi and insight as well. Pureland practice is relatively much easier, if I were to say, meet a car accident at this instant.
If one practises really diligently, one might become a stream-winner (Sotāpanna), and will have 7 or less lifetimes to go, before gaining enlightenment (Arahantship) – while not retrogressing below the human realm. But before one becomes an Arahant, one is still subjected to suffering and riding the roller-coaster of Samsara. Becoming an Once-returner (Sakadagami), one will have only one more lifetime before enlightenment, or one might become a Non-returner (Anāgāmi), reborn in the Pure Abodes. If one puts in even more effort, one will become an Arahant, out of the cycle of birth and death. However, even as an Arahant can abide in emptiness of self for aeons, one would still need to, eventually, further advance oneself till realisation of the emptiness of all phenomena (dharmas) is attained, thereby becoming a fully enlightened Buddha.
Of the four stages towards minimal enlightenment above, being an Anāgāmi or Arahant are the best options. However, if one is to became an Anāgāmi or Arahant, one would have to renounce lay life along the path, or as a result. As part-time cultivators burdened with much samsaric hassles, it’s just not possible for now. Even if I were to cultivate full-time with my dull mind, it would be a wonder if I can see the Three Universal Characteristics clearly. I know these might seem like bad excuses, but I’m not going to gamble when it comes to my next rebirth.
Just as I was worrying about my next and final destination, I stumbled upon Pureland Buddhism, which not only presents a swift path out of Samsara, but also a fairly easy method of practice – that is based largely on Faith (in Amitabha Buddha’s merits and vows), Aspiration (of wanting to to reborn in his Pureland) and Practice (of mindfulness of his name). Pureland Buddhism was extensively encouraged and endorsed by the historical Shakyamuni Buddha and Buddhas of all directions, and is especially recommended for this Dharma-ending age, when average human capacities are considered too dull for enlightenment.
Beings reborn in Pureland will not only be able to learn directly from Amitabha and his assembly, but from Buddhas of all directions too. Unlike an Anāgāmi, with one lifetime towards enlightenment of an Arahant, full enlightenment of Buddhahood is one lifetime away! Beings in Pureland are also adorned by Amitabha’s 48 vows – actualised by his boundless merits which he shares with us via various skilful empowerments. To name a few, one will have the divine ear – for hearing teachings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas and remember them all (Vow 7). One will have supernormal power of travelling anywhere in an instant, even beyond a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands (Vow 9). One will be able to expound the Dharma with the all-knowing wisdom (Vow 25). One will acquire eloquence and wisdom in upholding sutras and reciting and expounding them (Vow 29). The list goes on…
Speaking for myself, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that the Buddha taught such a wondrous method for beings like me. We just need to connect to Amitabha Buddha enough to deserve to be born in his presence. Pureland is certainly a spiritual paradise created out of perfect Compassion and Wisdom – a perfect school to train even ordinary beings like you and me to be warrior Bodhisattvas who re-enter Samsara to save others like ourselves and more. Amitabha’s Pureland is the ultimate skillful gateway, which all beings are encouraged to enter – from the person on the street to Bodhisattvas on the brink of Buddhahood. As long as one reaches Pureland, one will be at the stage of non-retrogression. Even if one who wishes to leave early to guide beings in accordance with their original vows, one will not experience suffering and karmic consequences of unenlightened beings. If great Bodhisattvas and Arahants are encouraged to go to Amitabha’s Pureland, who am I not to go!
On a side note, I can’t agree more with the 9th Pureland Patriarch Master Ouyi, who taught this – ‘无始妄认有己，何尝实有己哉。或未顿悟，亦不必作意求悟。但专持净戒，求生净土，功深力到，必悟无己之体，悟无己，即见佛，即成佛矣。’ (From beginningless time mistakening there is a self, where indeed is that self? If there’s no sudden realisation to that, there’s no need to seek it deliberately. But by upholding pure morals, aspiring to be reborn in Pureland, and practising deep till there is strength, one will certainly realise there is no form of self. Realising non-self, one will see the Buddha and become a Buddha.) Amituofo!
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Zweiya, why do you say it’s the Dharma-ending age now?
加油 Zweiya
Maybe, there should be a survey or poll or feedback form put everywhere, why people want this and not that and what do they want, then address the issues as required …
Sometimes, talking to different people, we will be surprise after listening them speaking from their heart …
I just talk to few persons, one said just don’t want to be rebirth at all. So I ask next, pureland your destination? No answer, anyway, the person is already getting close to Buddhism, whatever path this person chosen will have to depend on themselves, so not too worry about this …
Another person, don’t view Pureland as a way out, find that best training ground is now, this person think should not run away from current sufferings and but learn to conquer it … We can say limited knowledge of Buddhism, and therefore unable to make the choice. Is this their fault not to have full knowledge of Buddhism? No. Can we force them? No. Should they buy our opinion? Why should they? So what should be done?
And different people have different learning process and thinking which are wired by their life experiences, past life experiences and brought up, the environment they are in and etc. People now question things. So, without understanding this portion, it might be a little different to provide good information on Pureland Practices to match their ‘choosing criteria’ …
To be very frank, to spread Pureland Practices or Buddhism far, there is a need to revamp the current process, lot people pop in and out of Buddhist Temples and yet what have they ‘get’ out from there? People are there already … things need to be make more ‘Obvious’, because not many would go or know about it and look for it, there is a need for a little direction or guideline, to see there are such openings for them to choose.
Marketing via word of mouth might work or not work at all. What suit ones might not suit another and depending on marketing skill too …
To be successful, come back to this sentence – “ we have to think very hard about what is important (for them) and what is not (again, for them). “ and listening to them is best way to get the answer …
Just my personal feeling …
The Dharma-Ending Age is the last of the Three Ages of Dharma, during which the understanding and practice of the Buddha-dharma gradually declines and finally disappears. The Three Ages are 1) the Orthodox Dharma Age, 2) The Dharma Image/Semblance Age, and 3) the Dharma-Ending Age.
“The era when the Buddha dwelled in the world was called the Orthodox Dharma Age. At that time the Buddha taught the Dharma, and there were genuine Arhats and great Bodhisattvas; the sages were dwelling in the world. The Orthodox Dharma Age lasted for one thousand years. The Dharma-Image Age followed–after the Buddha entered nirvana. During this period, people who cultivated the Way were few; those who were attached to external appearances were many. People stressed the creation of Buddha-images and many were made, but genuine cultivators were few.
“After the Dharma-Image Age came the Dharma-Ending age. The Orthodox Dharma Age lasted for one thousand years. The Dharma� Image Age lasted another one thousand years. That is two thousand years in all. The Dharma-Ending age continues for ten thousand years. We are now living in the Dharma-Ending Age. What does the phrase ‘Dharma-ending’ mean? It means that the Dharma has nearly come to an end and is about to disappear. The ‘disappearance’ of the Buddhadharma involves disappearance of faith in the Buddha. In the Dharma-Ending Age living beings’ faith in the Buddha is not firm. When the Buddha dwelled in the world,peoples’ faith was so firm that if you held a person at knife-point and threatened his life saying, ‘Renounce your belief in the Buddha or I’ll murder you,’ he would rather die than surrender his belief. . . .
“In the Dharma-Image Age things were different. If a person believed in the Buddha and someone said, ‘If you believe in the Buddha, I’ll kill you,’ he would say, ‘Fine, I won’t believe in the Buddha.’ People would change their minds because their faith was not firm.
“Now, in the Dharma-Ending Age, you don’t even have to threaten a person with death. You merely have to say, ‘Don’t believe in the Buddha,’ and they quickly reply, ‘Fine’. . . . It is very difficult to promote faith. Figure it out for yourself. How many people are there in the world? Among the entire human race, how many believe in the Buddha? You can lecture the Sutras to those believers every day and they will still waver between doubt and faith. You can conduct a small experiment. Try this. Invite a person out to a movie. He’ll accept on the spot and away you go. Then try asking him to a Sutra lecture. He will say, ‘Ohhh . . . sitting there for two hours is nothing but suffering and tedium. It’s not half as much fun as a movie!’ That is the Dharma-Ending Age for you.”
Source: Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, http://www.drba.org/
Read more about Dharma ending age at http://www.drba.org/dharma/btts/9xxentrydetail.asp?wid=89
Hi Michi, it’s not my word but the Buddha’s. Regarding the Dharma-ending prophecy, you can find them in many sutta and sutra, specifically in Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra (悲华经), Majjhima Āgama (Middle-length Sayings)《中阿含經》卷第二十八(中阿含林品瞿昙弥经第十), The Buddha Speaks the Ultimate Extinction of the Dharma Sutra 《佛說法滅盡經》.
The true Dharma age (正法) lasted 500 years after the Buddha’s enlightenment. During this period, there were teachings, carrying out of the teachings, and attaining of fruits. The Dharma-likeness age (像法) lasted 1,000 years. During this period, there were teachings and carrying out of the teachings, but less attaining of fruits.
This year, 2009, marks the 2553rd anniversary of the Buddha’s Parinirvana. This means it’s about 2,598 (2553 + 45) years since the Buddha taught (for 45 years), which makes 2009 about 1,098 years or 10.98% into the Dharma-Ending Age.
I think surveys might not be that effective in the sense that the public must know Buddhism first before their opinions on it are accurate. But yes, we should chat with friends more to hear their views, and to try to encourage them to learn Buddhism systematically by attending classes (or talks for beginners). Books are a good start to spur interest.
Actually, to ‘not want rebirth at all’ is one thing; to know how to end rebirth requires Dharma practice. The person probably has no opinion on being born in Pureland because s/he doesn’t know what it’s about.
Pureland is a sure way out of Samsara. The best training ground is a safe one. That’s why all Buddhas urge beings to seek birth in Pureland. Being born in Pureland is not running away from suffering – the practice itself is a way to end suffering by tuning to the compassion and wisdom of Buddha (and our Buddha-nature) to face suffering. Pureland is a school that trains beings to be Bodhisattvas to help others in suffering too.
To learn more about Pureland teachings, here is an upcoming course: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/165 This course is certainly not dry or boring :-] And participants are highly encouraged to ask all kinds of questions. But don’t just take my word for it… Come and see! Amituofo
That person often volunteer in Buddhist Temple on a regular basis! So, I also wonder why?
And there is a batch of people in the past had study Buddhism in School when school offered religious studies as an examination topic … So, very basic knowledge of Buddhism should be there …
There are people who would think about the meaning of life itself – where it came from, where it is going, what is its purpose and so on, and maybe in a form of smaller meanings … Few years back, there was a newspaper article where 2 studies find 30-something new generation of Britons equipped with skill and savvy and willing to lead unconventional lives …they would halve their salaries for a “more meaningful life” … they fell in the corporate merry-go-round, there is a growing sense of unhappiness and a feeling of living in an unhealthy way …We see such situation in Singapore too.
There are also a group of people who are currently hapless, whoever able to show care and help them out, they will go with the flow of those who help them …
There will be a group of people, can’t get on yet, because they need to deal with daily issue of earning a living to get by and have no time to think any further …
In future, there will be a big group of people who are attached themselves to the virtual world, it is more difficult to get them out once it became a habit or addiction …
If there is a way to address their concerns, introducing Buddhism is much easier by understanding their needs and how Buddhism can come in to resolve all their concerns and then later talk about the deeper aspect of Buddhism …
People are not that keen to learn and study Buddhism as a study …, the only way is to understand their needs and let them see the light via other ways. Very simple, if I can’t even solve my current problems/issues or go inline with my interest, I would not have any extra capacity to take in new thing, to come and listen to new stuff or learn Buddhism.
Just like, trying to market Baby Product or Parenting Talks to a couple who just had a first their date, they are not interested … This is just from my own point of view (very limited), there are many different views out there that need to be considered, if the aim is to spread Buddhism …
We can ask others to go for Buddhism Class or Talks, whether they go or not, it all depends whether there is a match …
Hi Shian,
Any plans to have he class at PKS cos I missed the previous one..
Hi Wen, tomorrow is the first day of the new course: http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/06/understanding-amituofo-via-the-amitabha-sutra It’s at the newly renovated Pumingsi though. Hope you can come. Am not sure when the next one at PKS or Awareness Place will be yet. Amituofo
thank you for sharing. your article is sensible and reasonable. i hope you continue spreading the pure land method. it is the only method i know that is well fitted to our dharma ending age.
“Even if I were to cultivate full-time with my dull mind, it would be a wonder if I can see the Three Universal Characteristics clearly. I know these might seem like bad excuses, but I’m not going to gamble when it comes to my next rebirth.”
I share the above same thoughts as zweiya.
Meditation and Zen teachings are very popular with many people. So strong is the belief in practising zen meditation to achieve the glimpse of one’s Buddha nature, that should these groups of people come to hear of Pureland Buddhism, they might think or feel it is not logical or is a roundabout way to see one’s Buddha nature or attain Buddhahood.
So far my personal experience is this: even Venerables who are known to practise a mixture of Mahayana and Theravada teachings might not want to even consider studying more about Amitabha Buddha’s Pureland teachings, much less to want to try out the practice in daily life.
You see, not all (even Buddhists) are truly aware that they might be of average intellectual and spiritual capacities. Some may be slightly aware but may choose to brush it off for various reasons known only to themselves. Hence this might be a big reason why Zen teachings and meditation is seen as a direct and quick path to realising one’s Buddha nature.
If any Pureland practitioner truly feels great gratitude for Amitabha Buddha’s compassion in establishing the Pureland method, then he or she would truly do their best to spread this method in ways that appeal to the needs of each individual.
Even though such practitioners might lack the skilful means of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas presently, they need not feel inadequate.
Why?
If they are truly connected spiritually with Amitabha Buddha, they will DEFINITELY receive the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha’s vows in delivering all sentient being to his Pureland.
So my take-home message is this:
For those who are truly grateful for the chance to being able to hear of the dharma (not just Pureland teachings), and are truly concerned about the liberation of present and future generations of fellow human beings in the Dharma Ending Age;
I appeal to you with all my heart:
- Make a wholehearted aspiration to Amitabha Buddha or any Bodhisattvas, Buddhas. Ask for their spiritual guidance and empowerment in learning as many skilful means as possible in spreading the compassion and wisdom of all Buddhaswithin one’s lifetime.
Your sincere aspiration will definitely be answered; I got mine answered in a way too. I have a very, very long way to go though cos every now and then I still waver between doubt and faith.
May all gain swift liberation from samsara or/and be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pureland, and enjoy the highest happiness in being with the most compassionate, most wise people you could never imagine meeting in your mortal life.
Fully agree with Jilexin. Zen, Vajrayana, Meditation, and other methods are fine, but for a person like me with below average and dull capacities (not to mention my being in my twilight years), I see little prospect of getting out of samsara on the strength my own efforts.
Very difficult to practice in this Dharma ending age. I also live in a country that is not Buddhist (less than 0.1% and with a lot of in-fighting among ourselves at that). Thank you for people like you who keep us on track. Life is too precarious and too precious to waste even for a minute. I am a semi retired public school teacher due to retire in two years. I want to incorporate Pure Land teachings in my classes (I teach World Literatures). Perhaps you can help me come up with some ideas. I want my last two years of teaching to be the most telling in leaving behind something to my students. The best legacy is Pure Land.
Hi Carlos, you might be interested in the links to Pureland articles archived at http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/03/pureland-practice-fellowship-articles
You can also see more @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amituofo/messages and subscribe to new ones by sending a blank mail to amituofo-subscribe [at] yahoogroups [dot] com
Amituofo
I would view this differently … I am not into real meditation yet and just attended a meditation retreat. I went to the retreat to find out more stuff … and I got some answers …
Zweiya & jilexin concern had cross my mind too but I see the beauty of Meditation from a different view and in fact it can compliment Pureland Practices.
Reaching Nivana in this life was not my aim, it is the process of doing meditation (even I am not able to achieve even the first stage of mediation) that I would think it is going to help a great deal during when I died, my daily life, my body, help me to focus, the mind, to do reflection and thinking and to understand Buddha Dharma …(it is a long list, I just starting to digest it, so I can’t share much today)
One of the reasons, why people can’t generate faith and be determine in pursuing Buddhism, because Buddha Dharma isn’t tested in our heart to have the power, we didn’t spend enough time doing reflection and think about things, we find it hard to believe things in words etc.
Meditation is one of the ways to help person to sit down, calm down and think about things, to generate loving-kindness, Letting GO etc, so we are stronger to handle our daily problems, only then slowly we see the benefits of it.
A good mediator can see past lives and thus they will believe what is re-carnation, what is karma and that should be a powerful thing to stop anyone for doing evil.
Whether one choose Pureland Practices or Meditation, one things for sure – you need to spend time on training and work on it.
Never forget ONE very important thing – KARMA (good and bad, present life and also past)! When a person died, the state a person in is a reflection of what had been done (speech, body and mind), I think. That is a BIG determine factor, never never underestimate that … we can’t afford it … Strong karma, quick rebirth! So, our destiny (Pureland or not) is in our own hand!
There was a question asked during the retreat. The Answer is something like Pureland, if I understand correctly, if one can achieve a concentrated mind, then at the point, where you want to go, you can go (include of pureland). Via chanting or mediation or something else to achieve that concentrated mind! The key is CONCENTRATED MIND.
To me, put it very simple – The 5 percepts and 8 fold paths are the KEY things to practice everyday … start via baby steps, if it is too big a step to take …
At this point in time, I chosen to do practice Compassionate and Letting go, full acceptance of the Law of Karma as a whole, let the Buddha Teachings change my way of living bit by bit and be at peace, be contented at any moment no matter what … This is something I am going to work toward, because I haven’t achieved yet …
Faith and connection that I generated from some experiences will then be strengthen … so if I want to factor in Pureland later on, it should not be a problem for me …
I appeal to you with all my heart:
- Make a wholehearted aspiration to Amitabha Buddha or any Bodhisattvas, Buddhas. Ask for their spiritual guidance and empowerment in learning as many skilful means as possible in spreading the compassion and wisdom of all Buddhaswithin one’s lifetime.
Your sincere aspiration will definitely be answered; I got mine answered in a way too. I have a very, very long way to go though cos every now and then I still waver between doubt and faith.
May all gain swift liberation from samsara or/and be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pureland, and enjoy the highest happiness in being with the most compassionate, most wise people you could never imagine meeting in your mortal life.
jilexin, I fully agree with you on this. So nice of you to share …
It was a thought before I got in contact with Buddhism that I generated 18 years ago, took effect. And I felt that it guided me, before I embarked on a tough journey, it ‘back’ me up with little knowledge of Buddhism via a ZEN Theme Movie first and the later part happened because I generated more good intentions, like accompany my mother to Pureland practices and then get to learn about the very basic thing of the law of karma, then went vegetarian, start doing goods, so on. So, I didn’t sink and when things got real bad, the universe is helping me. Only I can understand what is going for myself.
And I also believe each one of us can do that and everyone will be slighty different maybe.
About 10 years ago, I heard of word – “真理” and I don’t know why I requested to learn it via a thought daily for a period of time. And there come my sufferings again, no joke, so tough! It was only after many years, I see the beauty behind all these bits by bits, because I spend most of my time in solitude now(not working) and done little reflections here and there … Today, I still trying to uncover what were all those hidden messages …
Stupid me, I should have requested wisdom and strength at the time too but whatever happened to me in my life, should be in this way, those are the valuable things for me to learn, those are my fertilizers ….
what I think and feel. So don’t fear sufferrings, they are great teachers … And everyone need to overcome them I think, in order to progress, don’t run away from it, it will haunt you. If one can’t take it now, give it a rest and then when ready, bring them up again. Settle them before dying – who knows, these will pop up again dying …
Check this out with Dharma Teachers and see what it makes sense, don’t just believe what I said.
“…I see the beauty of Meditation from a different view and in fact it can compliment Pureland Practices.”
I have no intention at all to put meditation in a bad light. I was speaking from a point of achieving liberation from samsara as soon as possible, and this may not necessarily be in this present lifetime, due to the need for many conditions to be cultivated and met.
Meditation is a fundamental mind training exercise that every Buddhist has to try out at one point in time or another, and hopefully maintain this exercise throughout one’s life.
Probably those who are not into Pureland practice might not know this, mindfully chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha is actually a kind of meditation practice.
Meditation is a very important mind training exercise with the basic purpose of calming down one’s mind to slowly achieve concentration, awareness or mindfulness, and then progressing to personal insight into one’s Buddha nature.
When any Buddhist engages in any meditation method, he or she should take note of their goals with regards to liberation from future rebirths.
Strictly speaking, if one were to able to reach nirvana in one’s present lifetime, one would at least have to attain the stage of Arahanthood in his or her spiritual practice. If not, future rebirths will still apply to that individual.
When we introduce Buddhism to any beginner, we would usually tell them the aim of any true practising Buddhist, regardless of which dharma door he or she chooses, would definitely be to achieve the basic aim of being free from future rebirths in as short a time frame as possible; being able to achieve this aim in one’s present lifetime is definitely cheered on by all, but not a must.
Let me give you an example:
If the total population of true practising Buddhists in Singapore is 100,000, then most likely only a small number of this total figure will achieve Arahanthood or be reborn in Pureland (if they choose the Pureland method).
This viewpoint is based on both personal inferences and direct quotations from scriptures like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra of Original Vows and the 3 main Pureland sutras.
As mentioning further would be off-topic, we can discuss this through private emails if need be.
Jilexin has a nice way of explaining Pure Land that is not only level-minded but soothing in its sanity and reasonableness. I am very grateful to be part of moonpointer. It is very educational. Most important, there are no hidden agendas. Only the wish to help all sentient beings be free from suffering asap.
From the above description mentioned on meditation, it seems more like a relaxing technique rather than Buddhist Samatha, Vipassana or Zen meditation. Most Buddhist meditation is not about thinking about things, but about training concentration and for insight. The generation of thoughts, unless it’s for contemplation or visualisation is usually seen as stray thoughts away from the subject of meditation.
Perhaps not many really understand how chanting of Amitabha’s name works. Chanting of Buddha’s name can also calm oneself down, leading to letting go of the body, to generating loving-kindness or concentration (depending on the purpose of practice). Chanting is a form of meditation if done well, which can lead to the ability to see past lives to more deeply understand how karma works.
Amituofo
p.s. Off-topic discussion is welcomed here, as long as it’s Dharma related.
In my comment above, I had put down this sentence, i even put chanting first – Via chanting or mediation or something else to achieve that concentrated mind! The key is CONCENTRATED MIND.”
This lead me to think, let say 5 minutes before I died, I see certain things which don’t fit into what I think should be, what is the reaction, what thought (karma) did I generated, at that moment, can I still be able to achieve a concentrated mind and die at peace?
I think Pureland can’t be classified as very simple, there are still lots of things to do (善根福德因缘 etc). Once a newbie go into it and think it as simple and not practicing much, then it is a big problem. And if it is marketed as very simple, when they get into it and find it different, then there is also a big problem.
My own feeling on spreading of Buddha Dharma …
Everyone had different needs at different points in time (even for those practicing it) and therefore, when people seek a religion, their purposes and intentions will be different. That sentence in one of the posts, What is your true aim in learning Buddhism? is very meaningful.
Newbies – who are they? Do they all come from with same abilities? Same education backgrounds? Same brought up? Same environment? Same thoughts? Same experiences? Same progress …? Same understanding on certain issues? Facing the same things …? Same needs and wants? Same ways of doing things?
In this confusing world, the most basic thing required is guidance; the very fundamental thing is to solve all the daily problems before embarking to the next level. If we are going to market Buddhism in another way, not many people would care to listen …
This is what I put down in the old moonpointer. To me, Buddhism is not just to get enlightenments or pureland, there are many beautiful teachings in it on how to live as an acceptable good person in the society, and our society greatly needs it – like certain codes of conduct so everything can be in harmony hopefully.
The beauty of Buddhism, if certain teachings are being followed, we can resolve some of the basic problems and then we can become a better person and then we can understand more stuff … then escalate to next level …
The key is try to fully understand why …
Your sincere aspiration will definitely be answered; I got mine answered in a way too. I have a very, very long way to go though cos every now and then I still waver between doubt and faith.
May all gain swift liberation from samsara or/and be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pureland, and enjoy the highest happiness in being with the most compassionate, most wise people you could never imagine meeting in your mortal life.
I agree the above points that jilexin had comments .
Sometimes I have these feeling of waver between doubt and faith …
When I am tight up with work life and part time business courses that I did not do my daily practice constantly I feel myself very far away from the Dharma instead of improving it .
However I always try to set some time aside for my practice no matter how tiring after a days of society activities it helps to calm me down and see things clearly .
Don’t worry Crystal, I repeated that comment on “chanting is a form of meditation“ again for folks that might have missed the point, not directing to anyone specifically. Well, to say concentrated mind is the key in Pureland Buddhism is not entirely true. Without enough faith, how can one generate enough aspiration and practice to achieve concentrated mind? If ENOUGH faith, aspiration and practice had been made, even without a very concentrated mind, one is still able to go Pureland. How so? By the merits of Amitabha Buddha.
How can distraction be concentration? To develop concentrated mind would mean one and only subject of mindfulness, not one more or less.
Pureland is relatively simple in the sense that Amitabha Buddha and ALL the Buddhas of six directions will be mindful of one if one is mindful of Amitabha Buddha. With ALL the Buddhas being mindful of one versus one challenging one’s karma, it’s obvious the former is much more effortless. It’s marketed as simple because one only need to do ONE thing, that is to be mindful of Amitabha Buddha. And Amitabha Buddha will do the rest with his immeasurable merits to rescue one from one’s negative karmic consequences. It’s true that merits are needed to facilitate practice too, which is why every good Pureland teacher will also emphasise on the importance of doing good to benefit one and all in this life.
Buddhism is about helping oneself and others to end suffering and gain enlightenment. That is the core teaching of the Buddha and that is why Prince Siddhartha left home to seek the truth and solution for himself and others.
Indeed the Buddha’s teachings are both meaningful and beautiful, and they can be applied to everyday life to make one’s life more peaceful and harmonious. But let’s remember that everything in Samsara IS transient – they do not last. True peacefulness and happiness is Nirvana per se, even if Buddhists do not want enlightenment enough for now, they should still bear in mind that the delusion that Samsara is satisfactory is certainly not the Truth, and that true refuge is enlightenment.
Amituofo.
When we say Pureland practice is simple, we are making a relative statement. This means, in comparison to all other dharma doors recorded in sutras, Pureland practice is very much simpler to understand and practise.
Next, I wish to go on to the issue of spreading dharma and guiding newbies.
Every one does have his or her own unique needs and level of understanding – which in turns affects the level of acceptance towards the wide variety of Dharma teachings encountered at any point in time.
From the scriptures, we can clearly see that the Buddha does not usually stress the basic aim of attaining liberation from samsara to every one.
This basic aim has been stressed or emphasised by many monastics and learned laymen Buddhists in books and other audio-visual for many reasons.
One of those minor reasons would be to differentiate Buddhism between the various religions known and practised by people all over the world.
From what I have researched so far, Buddhism is the only religion or teaching that emphasises the urgency in getting liberated from the painful samasaric cycle as soon as possible, in addition to simply leading a morally upright life: contributing within one’s means to bring about a harmonious society, etc.
That is definitely more to being a Buddhist than just learning to be a morally upright and useful person to the society. Otherwise, other teachings such as Confucianism would suffice for most people.
This is an exhortation, an encouragement to look a little further, rather than a demand towards any newbie, including me.
I used to feel very uncomfortable when I hear of repeated messages by many monastics and fellow Buddhists alike that, if your aim of learning Buddhism is simply to be a morally upright person; solving daily life problems etc. so as to bring about a harmonious society; then seriously, any established religion or teaching other than Buddhism can satisfy such needs.
I felt being imposed on; I felt upset at being implied that I’m naive and all that. However my thinking has changed along the years with personal experiences with people and things around me.
Very slowly, I have come to see the picture bit by bit. That no matter how good a life you can make for yourself and loved ones in this lifetime, nothing is really inherently lasting.
I dare not claim to have unshakeable faith and understanding in Buddhist teachings about rebirth, karma and the basic and urgent aim to get out of the samasaric cycle.
I would always think of myself as a 100% novice or newbie no matter how many years of Buddhist study I have and regardless of whether fellow Buddhists give any affirmation of my Buddhist knowledge or practice.
For now, I can only depend on myself. To learn and understand many basic but important Buddhist teachings on my own, at my own pace.
Personally I don’t chant every day; but I do practise self-reflection on my desires and fears using dharma teachings.
Without understanding myself, I can hardly know what I really need to concentrate on with the vast amount of Dharma teachings before me.
For newbies, I can only say this: make a sincere wish to the Triple Gems to guide you in your spiritual path. Do what you already know is good. While humans will confuse you with various logical teachings, the Triple Gems WILL NOT.
That is why we seek refuge in the Triple Gems WITHIN us.
All the best, fellow Buddhists!
Reading the comments in Moonpointer is very educational. It took me a long time of search until I came to discover this deep, rational, and methodical path that is Buddhism. What matter if I discovered it late in life. Better late than never. And the Dharma door that I find most suited for me is the Pure Land method. Call it instant affinity, but I have decided to adopt Honen’s “senchaku” or exclusive Pure Land practice. Not to discredit the other paths, but in order to reach one’s destination one has to make up one’s mind to ride one vehicle slowly but (hopefully) surely.
On the matter of escape from samsara, I see nothing objectionable about it. We do not want to escape per se. Compassion, the Bodhi Mind, does not make this possible. We aspire to go to Pure Land and gain enlightenment/freedom there for the benefit of all sentient beings.
That being said, this path is not escapist in any sense. Buddhism looks at life as a whole, including its socio-political-economic aspects. As far as I understand, it recognizes material welfare as an indispensable means to mental and spiritual progress. While on this physical plane, we all need to earn a living in order to fulfill the four basic necessities needed to survive: food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Without these four basic necessities, I think leading a pure life based on moral behavior and spiritual principles is very difficult to achieve. Deprived of these four basic necessities, our minds cannot be at rest. I know this for a fact because I live in an economically backward country.
Every work situation on earth, I think, is flawed. It is tinctured with compromises, hidden agendas, and especially greed. This is where Buddhist principles come in very handily so that we may lessen if not avoid altogether the karmic pitfalls of survival. Right Livelihood is abstaining from making a living through a profession that harms other sentient beings.
So what’s the difference between Buddhism and most other paths? Material welfare, however indispensable, is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, which is enlightenment. With this there are no apologetics.
“I used to feel very uncomfortable when I hear of repeated messages by many monastics and fellow Buddhists alike that, if your aim of learning Buddhism is simply to be a morally upright person; solving daily life problems etc. so as to bring about a harmonious society; then seriously, any established religion or teaching other than Buddhism can satisfy such needs. “
The beauty in these sentences, it acknowledges that other religions do have goodness. What make Buddhism wonderful is this :
“There are many religions in the world today but from the past to the present people of different faiths have continued to fight one another, each group believing threat their belief alone is true. Taking revenge because of a grudge had incurred another grudge and the misunderstanding has kept growing. While preaching love and peace, these warring groups continue fierce conflicts by force and arms. It will be impossible to attain true world peace and human happiness through such self-righteous and discriminatory attitudes. In this chaotic world of ours, Buddhism is the religion that can lead the modern world into peace. “ quote from – What Buddhist Believe? (available at KMSPKS – free)
Yes, any established religion or teaching other than Buddhism can satisfy such needs Would we prefer a person who go for the above in Buddhism or other religions and miss the chance to learn the Buddhist Teachings which can guide them to the right path and ultimate goal?
Maybe, we have not clearly show why we say such thing, so therefore, lead you to misunderstand the issue. I see this too beside the above:
The beauty of Buddhism, if certain teachings are being followed, we can resolve some of the basic problems and then we can become a better person and then we can understand more stuff … then escalate to next level …
From my personal experience, What I wanted to say is, I am not a Buddhist, but I practice some of the Teachings and I benefits from it and see the effects, that give me strength. Today, I am back to reading Buddhism stuff, go for Dharma talks etc. The important thing is practices the teachings, then a person will be on the right path, it will change a person to be a better person and then carry on, and then see the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
I value those Buddhist teachings for morally upright, for solving daily problems etc very much, those are the basic foundation (a building without sound foundation will be shaky and dangerous) , Everyday I still have to live, have responsibilities and come in contact with people …
our present determine our future …
If I keep on doing the wrong things, then it will have bad effects on me – full of worries, anger, depressed or anxiety, it will be extremely difficult to free myself to move forward?
These are the words that I find it make sense and meaningful, also from What Buddhist Believe? By K Sri Dhammananda
“There are various Buddhist denominations, which can be categorized into three Theravada, Mahayana and Vajirayana. Although they share the same origin, the teachings of Lord Buddha, each has characteristics of its own. I sincerely hope that readers of this book will make a positive effort to also learn the teachings of different denominations, return to the fundamental teachings of Lord Buddha, the origin of all the denominations and then proceed hand in hand toward Nirvana, that perfect and everlasting peace for all people and the final common goal for every Buddhist denomination. “ by Most Ven. Dr. Kyuse Enshinjoh on the Forword page.
For now, I can only depend on myself. To learn and understand many basic but important Buddhist teachings on my own, at my own pace.
Personally I don’t chant every day; but I do practise self-reflection on my desires and fears using dharma teachings.
Without understanding myself, I can hardly know what I really need to concentrate on with the vast amount of Dharma teachings before me.
I find that you have one important point here – “Without understanding myself, I can hardly know what I really need – “ I am also trying to understand myself in a very sincere and honest way, only then, I can see what is require and move forward , but I would still hope to find a True Teacher for guidance …
Before I find it, I will try to practice those many basic Buddhist Teachings that are worth practicing …, I will use the below as my guide:
Kalama Sutta
Do not believe in anything (simply) because you have heard it;
Do not believe in traditions, because they have been handed down for many generations;
Do not believe in anything, because it is spoken and rumored by many;
Do not believe in anything, simply because it is found written in your religions books;
Do not believe in anything, merely on the authority of your teachers and elders;
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
The part in bold, will be a continuous process for me, because what happened if my first observation and analysis is not that correct, so I need to keep that in open-mind manner and frequent reflection on it. This part take lots of efforts and willingess from me …
ps: what Carlos said is meaningful too …
“..What I wanted to say is, I am not a Buddhist, but I practice some of the Teachings and I benefits from it and see the effects, that give me strength. Today, I am back to reading Buddhism stuff, go for Dharma talks etc. The important thing is practices the teachings, then a person will be on the right path, it will change a person to be a better person and then carry on, and then see the ultimate goal of Buddhism.”
Hmm, what makes a Buddhist? When can one regard oneself as a Buddhist? These are questions in my head all the time.
From what is described by crystalmail, she practises some Buddhist teachings and has personally experienced the positive effects in her life.
To me, she’s a Buddhist, regardless of what other Buddhists might think.
For me, I am not really sure if I can be considered a Buddhist. I’m more like an explorer, a researcher at this stage of my life. The only thing I’m sure is that I’m inclined or more interested in spending more time in learning Buddhist teachings than that of other religions.
Most of my comments in this post serves as a sharing of my personal wish to answer these basic but yet very important questions in my mind:
- Do I really understand and believe in the Truth about rebirth and karma that is expounded by the Buddha?
If yes, what is next most realistic goal I should set for myself?
- The Pureland method is really for those who at least believe in these two basic goals: Liberation from samsara and/or returning to samsara as enlightened beings to help sentient beings gain liberation.
Practitioners of this dharma door aim to achieve one or both of these goals in the shortest time possible – with many emphasising the urgency of achieving these goals in one’s present lifetime.
Am I one of them?
- From my personal research so far about the goals in practising Buddhist teaching is this:
There are two big goals constantly mentioned by mainstream Buddhist sources, be it people or materials available in any media form.
1) To personally seek to be liberated from future rebirths.
2) To become a Buddha (This is a higher and the ultimate form of nirvana when compared to the first goal. Yes, there are two forms of nirvana, due to the different aspirations of people)
For most non-Buddhists, the life goal is always to ensure one is materially stable, morally upright and so on.
Solving life’s problems using any teaching, any method that is morally sound is everyone’s concern; regardless of religious belief or lack of it.
However for Buddhists, especially those who understand the concept of rebirth and karma to a large extent, ones would definitely make the goal of practising Buddhist teachings to be liberation from future rebirths, in addition to just being a good and useful person to the society.
That is to say, for most Buddhists, the scope of their goal is wider than non-Buddhists. That is all.
I wish to stress that NO ONE is a lesser being for simply wanting to lead a morally upright life, and is satisfied with cultivating enough wisdom to handle whatever life throws at them.
It is only that for buddhists, they have a wider range of personal responsibilities to take on in their strive to become a better human being, both in their present lifetime and for future ones.
Even though the Buddha did not emphasis on the aim of attaining liberation for all, it was always his eventual intention. For those not ready for renouncing Samsara, he taught how to do good and have better rebirths, which are more likely to lead towards better Dharma practice in time.
On learning by oneself, it’s important to learn from good teachers in person too, though the practice is still our own responsibility. Beyond just self-reflection, it’s important to actualise the Dharma in everyday life, and to try to have disciplined systematic learning and practice – such as going for classes, retreats, regular chanting/meditation sessions. If not, progress might be too slow or even possibly haphazard for most beginners.
Well-learned and well-practised human teachers should not, or should at least minimise the possibility of confusing those they guide. The true Sangha in the Triple Gem that we take refuge in is not ANY monk or nun – they are the Arya (Noble) Sangha – those who are at least stream-winners, who are capable of guiding us properly. The problem is we don’t know who are at least stream-winners. Even laypeople can be stream-winners. In this sense, the definition of Sangha is broad, and we should do our best to keep our minds open to learn from one another. External refuge is important at first, because it can guide us to realise our true inner refuge within.
To fully understand oneself, one has to gain insight and the only way to do that is through cultivation, be it chanting or meditation. I think there’s no time to waste on trying to ‘understand’ oneself, that’s if there’s a self to know in the first place. It’s like a dog chasing its own tail, except that there is no tail.
Hi, er… I think there is too much confusion here as to who is or is not a Buddhist. Technically, one is a Buddhist when one has gone through the refuge ceremony, but ultimately, when one’s heart and mind sees clearly that…
1. the Buddha is the best teacher,
2. whose excellent Dharma can lead to True Happiness,
3. whose well-practised Sangha (disciples who at least stream-winners, all the way to great enlightened Arahants and Bodhisattvas) can guide one towards True Happiness,
thus wishing to take the Triple Gem as the beacons to guide one’s life, then one is already a Buddhist. Even if a refuge ceremony was not gone through, this refuge is still real. But going through a proper ceremony can fortify the sense of refuge even much more. Here is a recent article on why @ http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/06/importance-of-taking-refuge
Those who have not taken refuge via ceremony or in person yet are usually so because they are not totally convinced of the value of the Triple Gem yet. It’s ok, but it’s good to step on the gas to speed up learning the Dharma more to be more convinced – because life is short.
For a simple but good set of reasoning on why rebirth and karma should be believed in despite some uncertainty on one’s part, please see the ‘Realisation’ article @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheDailyEnlightenment/message/669
Sedna, garbha>> It depends on what kind of self-reflection we are talking about. No matter what method you employ, the main purpose is to slowly calm down our mind and gradually achieve one-pointedness of the mind.
When one does self-reflection without the mindfulness of the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold path; which is what most non-Buddhists would do when they encounter difficult problems, the result is merely to calm down the mind and think more clearly.
Whereas for Buddhists, self-reflection is very much different. Chanting, retreats, meditation etc., are actually a kind of self-reflection exercise in my opinion. The term ‘understanding oneself’ is more profound than what I could express here. I can only use this term due to a lack of a better word in my limited mental vocabulary to describe my need at the moment.
I understand the concern about progressing too slowly or haphazardly, especially for beginners. This can be true for some. However, for most beginners, their basic concern is most probably to make sure they know what they are looking for when they learn Buddhism. In other words, they have to be clear of their needs at any point in time.
For example: those who aren’t ready to embrace the Mahayana school of thought (becoming a Bodhisattva and so on), would serve themselves better by reading up on Theravada teachings and learning concepts applicable to all Buddhist schools of thought.
We are not fully-enlightened beings. Even an Arahant has his or her limitations in understanding the complex and profound karmic tendencies of every sentient being. As such, when fellow Buddhists recommend certain teachings to beginner Buddhists or those simply interested in reading up on Buddhism, we should make every effort to find out what are their real needs, learning capabilities and spiritual ambitions.
I find it useful to observe and acknowledge as honestly as possible my own quirks and doubts towards certain Buddhist teachings, so that I can choose the most suitable method available in any Buddhist teaching. Therefore sometimes I chant, sometimes I simply meditate or sometimes that I just reach slowly into my mind to get in touch with my fears and desires.
Though it seems to be rather slow, haphazard or even foolish, but for now, this is what I can manage with.
I don’t know if I have any past karmic merits which will ripen in my lifetime and enable me to be guided by people who are at least stream winners. I would rather err on the side of caution and assume I don’t have any, so that while I can be subjective at times, I can also be a little objective at times when listening to certain teaching by any Sangha member (monks or laymen)
Hi atomant,
I do know both the technical and broader definition of who can be considered a Buddhist.
By technical definition, I am a Buddhist cos I have gone through the ceremony of taking refuge in the Triple Gems.
However, I’m not sure if I can be considered a Buddhist under the broader definition as mentioned by you here.
But I do appreciate the article from the web link you had provided here. I personally try to follow the Kalama Sutta’s guiding principles when listening and learning any Buddhist teaching from any source.
The Four Assurances tells us the importance of cultivating a pure mind, free from enmity and free will. However we also know, deep inside our hearts; not many people, even Buddhists alike; can claim to be able to maintain a pure mind at all times. Most Buddhists will strive for the goal of achieving a pure mind, but only a small number would achieve and maintain the purity of the mind after facing countless challenges, both internally and externally. A larger number would probably either be procrastinating or worse, have given up partially or completely.
There are people who don’t believe in rebirth and karma, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t know what is good and what is bad in terms of relating to people and other living things.
Observe closely non-Buddhist friends of yours; especially those that don’t particularly accept the Buddhist concept of rebirth and karma. Are all of them incapable of being nice to people and responsible for their own actions in daily life?
It is with such observations that I ask myself, why should I be interested in learning Buddhism? If purification of the mind is what sets Buddhism apart from other religions, then what should I do to achieve that without spending too much time on understanding a wide range of commonly heard or read Buddhist concepts or attending too many meditation retreats?
All the above is just thinking aloud, by the way.
One word that gravitated me heavily towards the Buddhist teachings is “dukkha.”
I think the word “dukkha” carries with it a great deal of semantic territory. Usually translated as suffering, the range of its meaning is much broader than what we normally associate it with.
Although the First Noble Truth is a stumbling block to many who encounter Buddhism for the first time, to me it was the most satisfactory, the most complete diagnosis of our human condition. Overtly, suffering appears to be not always true. Some examples: upon seeing your sweetheard, eating your favorite meal, receiving news that you have just won an award, and the like — in what sense can we say that these instances are evidences of suffering?
But if we look deeply into all these experiences, it is not hard to realize how everything is subject to change, which is another way of saying that everything is impermanent. No matter in what condition we find ourselves, whether good or bad, these conditions are always in the process of undergoing change. This phenomenon of impermanence formed one of the bases of dukkha that satisfied my inquiries.
The good news of Buddhism, however, is that it does not stop with the diagnosis. I think the entire teaching of the Buddha can be summed up in two things: the understanding of dukkha and the understanding of the way out of dukkha.
When I came across this, I felt like Keats’ “watcher of the skies.”
But nothing compares with the discovery of the Pure Land teaching.
I don’t know if I have any past karmic merits which will ripen in my lifetime and enable me to be guided by people who are at least stream winners. I would rather err on the side of caution and assume I don’t have any, so that while I can be subjective at times, I can also be a little objective at times when listening to certain teaching by any Sangha member (monks or laymen)
Just to share, people will always think that this life when they get into Buddhism was because of Good Karma in the past lives and didn’t really work that hard. For me, I cut that thinking off totally, I focus on the present – What am I going to do to move forward.
One very safe and secure way – Bodhicitta! and do it now, work on it now with good intention (not for oneself). Your loving-kindness energy generated will be connected to those with plenty of such compassionate energy –teachers, Bodhisattva etc. You would be ‘guided’ in a way even they are not around anymore. The more and greater the compassionate energy sent out, it will matured faster …
And by generating Bodhicitta, slowly, we will know how to resolve our worldly problems one by one, as we no longer emphasis so much on ‘Me, I, Mine’, things will be very different …
阿弥陀经》说，人不能以少善根福德因缘得生彼国，也就是你想往生西方极乐世界，一定要善根福德因缘具足。往生是莲花化生，要靠上求下化的菩提大愿，如果未发广度众生的宏愿，是不可能往生西方极乐世界的，要完全的利他才行。往生西方极乐世界只不过是一个修行的阶段，学习的阶段，学习圆满了，修行圆满了，不能够以此为满足，还要倒驾慈航来娑婆世界广度众生。如果没有这种广大宏愿，是不可能往生西方极乐世界的。 – – source : http://www.plm.org.hk/dispArticle.Asp?ID=99163
Well, I am not really concerned whether my learning of Buddhism was brought about by any good karma in previous lives. Not that important to me before I started learning about Buddhism and still about the same for me now.
But you are right to think about moving forward; getting on with the present.
For Mahayana teaching, bodhicitta is constantly emphasised and strongly encouraged. However, I’m not sure if you already know from scriptures, that the cultivation of loving-kindness for others (if that is what you are trying to imply) is not really Bodhicitta as meant by the Buddha.
Bodhicitta is beyond just cultivating loving kindness for others.
Very often, we use loving kindness and compassion interchangebly and casually.
Actually, compassion as shown in the scriptures is the ultimate essence of loving kindness and wisdom.
Most of us can probably cultivate loving kindness both in the secular sense and that befitting the Buddhist way. However compassion is quite different.
Though it builds on the foundation of loving-kindness, it requires some form of profound wisdom in understanding the truth of suffering, impermanence and emptiness. Without such pillars, loving kindness cannot progress beyond appearing to be (or really being) kind and gentle to others who you like to be with, or you deem to be needy.
Personally I am still doubtful as to the absolute need to develop Bodhicitta in order to ensure one’s rebirth in Pureland (as written in your chinese text).
I have a different view on that actually. I think Bodhicitta is important; but to say it is an absolute criteria to fulfil in order for one to start practising the Pureland teaching and succeed in gaining rebirth in Preuland…, then it would seem there’s not much hope for me. I’m struggling with developing loving-kindness. Meditation cds and materials I have come across so far on loving-kindness don’t really help much for me. Can’t sustain it in real life interactions with people.
It is mentioned in scriptures that there are two types of motivation we need to cultivate to get out of samsara: one is the loath of samsamric existence and the other the cultivation of Bodhicitta.
For those who have cultivated their mind in deep meditation of the unwholesomeness of samsaric existence, they were able to attain various stages of sainthood (from stream winner to Arahant, and also to PaccekaBuddha). These categories of people did not cultivate Bodhicitta when they started and so it was not really Bodhicitta per se that propelled them to help themselves or others. Arahants are not selfish and so are PaccekaBuddhas. It’s just they don’t actively preach the Dharma like Bodhisattvas.
My point is this: can developing the aspiration to be with the best of the wise and compassionate saints in Pureland be good enough to start considering trying out the Pureland practice?
I always refer to the smaller Amitabha Sutra for developing the right motivation for rebirth in Pureland, and not simply from the Larger sutra or that from ancient Pureland Masters alone.
I hope all with the same wish as me will still want to consider trying out the Pureland practice. Don’t be afraid if loving-kindness or Bodhicitta is a very big challenge for you now.
You are not alone.
Yes, Bodhicitta is precious and powerful indeed! However, these lines – “往生… 要靠上求下化的菩提大愿，如果未发广度众生的宏愿，是不可能往生西方极乐世界的，要完全的利他才行… 如果没有这种广大宏愿，是不可能往生西方极乐世界的。” – are NOT totally accurate because they refer to those of the higher grades of birth with strong Bodhicitta only. How so?
If we look at the Contemplation Sutra, we can see that in the criteria of birth for beings of the lowest grade of birth, there is no mention of Bodhicitta as a need. (Scroll to bottom of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/126 – Do read to know what is the bare minimum requirement!)
This is logical because such beings are already too tormented by guilt and/or fear to even think of generating Bodhicitta (while they still can be helped by Amituofo’s Bodhicitta by being mindful of him). Another reason this is logical is that the Pureland method, operating on the great all-encompassing compassion of Amituofo, is meant to help beings of ALL grades of practice – from the best (those with Bodhicitta) to the worst (those who have done great evil, provided that they truly repent and practise Buddha mindfulness). Amituofo!
People are aiming to go Pureland, yet can’t really accept the Bodhicitta can be generated and view it as something very BIG and unreachable … this is impossible for me lah … there are so many constraints … then many people can’t reach this mark … it is very negative and dangerous in this particular case … it is a type of bad ‘brainwashing process’ going on and we are going to be damaged by it … and not willing to try out or change at all …
How does a skyscraper been build? Out from no where? NO, it is starting from a very small bits .. bit by bit, it ‘grows’ into a BIG one …
Break that big word ‘Bodhicitta’ into smaller bite, and work from there with determination, with confidence, with resilient etc … change that mindset …
Just like, if you ask someone to walk 5km, all of them will give tons of excuses! But if you look carefully, how many hours people spend walking in shopping mall and still could continue on not feeling anything … if someone tag a counter with them, it is MORE than 5KM!
Even illness/sickness, all start from small, you think out of sudden Cancer Cell grow and spread, it start from one cell to another one, then finally very BIG and spread!
Start from small loving-kindness, then compassion, finally PURE COMPASSION. No matter what and where your starting point is today, you will become better.
No one said you need to complete this on earth, you start it and make sure you work hard, and then you cont’d to build that up in PURELAND later on. If miss Pureland, a good higher rebirth that allow one to learn Buddha Dharma. What is the problem?
What harms do you have by doing it? If you think you can’t achieve it, then don’t look at the final result, emphasis on the process, improve daily. You benefits from it while practicing it … you accumulates good merits at the same time … it changes your life currently on many things (are we afraid of changes, therefore we reject this or we just want easy way out) …?
If we want something, we need to work on it. Very simple logic. It seems we are looking for something easy and selectively choose how we want to understand things (what happened we understand it wrongly, start to cry at the point we die, regret not doing this and that?)
No doubt Amituofo is willing to help, we need to help ourself too! So what are we doing to help ourself? Talk and no action? Afraid of hard work?
Of course, out of compassion, we should work as hard as we can personally, and generate Bodhicitta best we can. But to insist that all others who want to go Pureland must do exactly the same is not compassionate, while it undermines Amituofo’s ability to receive all.
Imagine a dying old man on his deathbed, who is in his tormented fretful last days, who has never heard of Pureland beforehand… There is usually NO time to tell this person he must generate Bodhicitta, that he must want to help ALL beings… before he can reach Pureland. It would be cruel to insist all these when all he wants is peace of mind and assurance of a safe rebirth. What’s urgent is to inculcate faith in Amituofo and aspiration to go Pureland, along with the appropriate Buddha mindfulness practice.
“If miss Pureland, a good higher rebirth that allow one to learn Buddha Dharma. What is the problem?”
I understand what crystalbymail is getting at. It is true we can always start small and progress on to bigger things. I don’t dispute that.
What I’m sharing is something very individual – something that cannot be categorised as laziness, fear of taking on challenges alone, etc. They are part of me, but yet I know there’s something else that supports the arising of the laziness and fear in me. I’m not sure what is it, but I will work on it.
A good higher rebirth does not necessarily mean one will definitely be able to get in touch with the Dharma, let alone learn or practise it.
Allow me to explain a little more here.
There are many little stories recorded in Buddhist scriptures that mention about how devas lead their daily lives and how they had responded to the dharma preached by Sakyamuni Buddha.
One of them, if I recall correctly, mentioned that devas during Sakyamuni Buddha’s time were always attentive and highly appreciative when Sakyamuni Buddha gave any Dharma talk.
However… when they went back to their heavenly abodes, the heavenly pleasures would overwhelm them and they soon forget to practise the dharma with the aim of being liberated from samsaric existence.
And for some of them, their heavenly lifespan was about to come to an end, and with their heavenly eye, they could see where the next rebirth would be. Some of them had to accept they would be going to the 3 evil realms as they had not achieved any stage of sainthood. They then realised they couldn’t help themselves even though they had always been feeling great joy when listening to the Dharma.
Of course, there are also many heavenly beings who are able to practise the Dharma till they achieve some stage of sainthood. But it is the fallen ones that Bodhisattvas and Buddha give most of their attention to due to great compassion for their endless rebirths and accompanying sufferings.
What is my message here? A higher rebirth DOES NOT guarantee the chance to hear of the Dharma. And even if one hears of the Dharma in a more noble plane of existence, one might not practise it due to various delusions; one of them would be attachment to pleasure or pain. Too pleasurable, you would procrastinate in your dharma practise due to lack of strong motivation to aim for liberation. Too painful, and you would either be so fearful of the path ahead, that even one small baby step would seem like a leap of faith into the inmeasurable depths of repeated suffering. However, what is pleasurable or painful to one individual may be something useless or insignificant to another..
This is one of the main reasons why Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva needed to make new vows to help sentient beings during the Dharma-Ending period despite having reached the tenth Bodhisattva stage a very long time ago.
There is one big reason why we need to aim for Buddhahood and not settle for just Arahanthood; which fulfils the first most important aim of spiritual cultivation: to be liberated from endless rebirths.
Skilful means. Even the skilful means of a tenth stage Bodhisattva cannot be compared with that of the Buddha.
This is mentioned in the scriptures and not just my own imagination or inference. It is called Ten stages Sutra
–> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasabhumika_Sutra or Avatamsaka sutra –> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatamsaka_Sutra