Pure Land Buddhism - Dialogues With Ancient Masters

Introduction

The Pure Land School

Zen, T'ien T'ai and Pure Land are among the best known schools of Buddhism in East Asia. Pure Land, in particular, has the widest appeal.1 However, unlike Zen and the Tantric School, which have many exponents in the West, Pure Land is little known to Westerners, except, perhaps, in scholarly circles.

This book presents the teachings and major tenets of Pure Land, as seen from the perspective of two major sister schools: Zen and T'ien T'ai (Lotus School).2 Further insights, from the viewpoint of a contemporary Pure Land Master, are included in the Appendix. The principal teachings of the Pure Land School are summarized below, for the benefit of readers.

The goal espoused by all Buddhist schools is for the practitioner to achieve Buddhahood, i.e., to become an 'Enlightened Being." Thus, to practice Buddhism is to cultivate enlightenment, to attain Wisdom.

Although there are many paths to reach this goal, they all involve severing greed, anger and delusion, thus perfecting the qualities of the Mind ("paramitas"). Traditionally, Buddhist sutras enumerate six or ten paramitas, but they may be reduced to three: Discipline,

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Concentration and Wisdom (the second, fifth and sixth paramitas, respectively)3.

Pure Land, or Buddha Recitation, is a Mahayana approach that employs, inter alia, the techniques of meditation/visualization (of the Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha ...) and of oral recitation of the Buddha's name, to realize these paramitas.4

That is, when a practitioner is busy visualizing the Buddha5 or reciting the Buddha's name, he cannot

.commit transgressions or violate the Buddhist precepts. Therefore, he has effectively fulfilled the paramita of Discipline. Likewise, reciting the Buddha's name with a completely focussed Mind is nothing less than fulfilling the paramita of Concentration. Once Concentration is achieved, the practitioner's Mind becomes empty and still, leading to the emergence of his innate wisdom -­ the Wisdom of the Buddhas.6

Thus, a Buddha Recitation practitioner, by dint of his own effort, effectively attains Buddhahood. This is a simple, straightforward alternative7 to strict monastic ascetism (Theravada School),8 deep and extensive study of the Buddhist Canon (Sutra Studies School), esoteric yogic ractices, ceremonies and services (Tantric School) or intensive meditation under the J'ersonal instruction of highly competent mentors (Zen).1

According to Pure Land doctrine, however, most practitioners in this Degenerate Age11 find the "self-power," self-help approach too difficult and arduous; therefore, in their Pure Land teachings, the Buddhas and Sages compassionately emphasized the additional element of "other-power."12 This involves reliance on the Vows of Amitabha Buddha, made countless eons ago, to welcome and escort all sentient beings to his Land of Ultimate Bliss13 -- an ideal training

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ground, an ideal environment.14 Once this "Land" is reached and training completed, the practitioner will naturally discover that "training is no training" and that the training ground, the Pure Land, is Mind-Only. Rebirth at the time of death is rebirth within our own Mind.15

Thus, to the Pure Land advocate, this approach, grounded in wisdom and faith, is profound yet simple, and can be practiced at any time, anywhere, under any circumstances, with no special training or guidance. It is, therefore, infinitely adaptable to practitioners at all levels of intellectual and spiritual development.16