The aim of Pure Land teaching is rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Land of Bliss, and the method to attain rebirth is recitation of Amitabha’s Name, as said by Shakyamuni Buddha. Is it the teaching of Shakyamuni or Amitabha, or both? What are the similarities and differences between the two teachings in Pure Land Buddhism? Lots of doubts and confusion? Better clarify it because it involves the Buddha’s original intent of appearing in the world to deliver us for attaining perfect Enlightenment and ultimate liberation.
Buddha-invocation (Ch. nianfo; J. nembutsu) in its various forms is the most common practice in Buddhism. It is a routine daily practice in nearly all schools of
Wisdom and Faith: Two Sides of the Same Coin For years, I have been searching for the meaning of life, the absolute truth, the ultimate
The Importance of “Sincere Mind” “Sincere Mind” is the first of the “Three States of Mind,” in other words, “Sincere Mind,” “Deep Mind,” and “Mind
The Faith Approach and the Wisdom Approach Pure Land Buddhism is a teaching of deliverance by other-power for rebirth in the Land of Bliss, not a teaching
A Brief History of the Formation of the Land of Bliss According to the Infinite Life Sutra, in the era of Lokeshvararaja Tathagata, there was once
Two Kinds of Nature As a Pure Land, the nature of the Land of Bliss is pure in every sense of the word. As declared by
What is the difference between Heaven and a Buddha’s Pure Land? This is a question that has vexed outsiders and beginners to Pure Land Buddhism.
The title of my article was posed as a question in the Commentary of the Contemplation Sutra, written by Master Shandao, the de facto founder of
In the Infinite Life Sutra, one of the main texts of the Pure Land tradition, Amitabha Buddha made his 18th vow: “If, when I attain Buddhahood,
In the last three articles in my column, we’ve been discussing a lot about Amitabha-recitation “by ten times”. There are actually two “discrepancies” between the
Rebirth by Amitabha-recitation in 10 times Master Tanluan (476??542 CE), a prominent patriarch in Pure Land Buddhism, interpreted ‘reciting Amitabha ten times’ with an analytical set
Many within Buddhism itself criticize the concept of ‘other-power’ (?L?O) or Buddha power, asserting that it is over-emphasized in Pure Land Buddhism. They might say,
