How Does Faith in the Pure Land Teachings Arise?
Alan Kwan
5 August 2016
Faith in the Pure Land teachings arises from Amitabha’s name The Treatise of Great Wisdom says: “The Buddhist teachings are as vast as the great sea, so
The Independent Action of “Namo Amitabha”
Alan Kwan
8 July 2016
The substance of all the Pure Land sutras is Amitabha’s Name Master Tanluan, an eminent Pure Land patriarch in 6th century China, says in his Commentary
Faith is an Essential Root of Virtue in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
18 March 2016
Faith is one of the five roots of virtue When we talk about the five roots of virtue in Buddhism, most of us think of
The Butcher Who Laid Down His Knife and Became a Buddha
Alan Kwan
24 July 2015
The story of Butcher Jing in Tang dynasty China The following episode is recorded in Part 28 of Collected Records of the Buddha:* In Chang’an, during
Can Amitabha-recitation Help One to Overcome Lust?
Alan Kwan
10 July 2015
The question of lust in Pure Land practice For a Pure Land practitioner, the simple answer to the question of whether Amitabha-recitation can help one
Is Merit-dedication Allowed in Pristine Pure Land Buddhism?
Alan Kwan
26 June 2015
The general concept of merit-dedication By definition, bodhisattvas are those who follow the Buddhist path in order to deliver other sentient beings from suffering. In
How Does a Pure Land Aspirant Practice “Bodhichitta”?
Alan Kwan
12 June 2015
Pure Land practitioners are puzzled by a moral dilemma Despite the fact that aspiring to be reborn in the Land of Bliss is the same
Is “Bodhichitta” one of the Causal Conditions Necessary for Rebirth in the Pure Land?
Alan Kwan
29 May 2015
The role of Bodhichitta in Pure Land practice Referring to Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, Master Shandao identified Name-recitation to be the karma of assurance of rebirth. It is
Confusion, Doubt, and Misunderstanding in the Exclusive Practice of Amitabha-recitation
Alan Kwan
15 May 2015
Practitioners following the Path of the Great Vow in Pure Land Buddhism as classified by Master Shandao take exclusive Amitabha-invocation as their main practice. By
The Transition from Mixed Practice to Exclusive Practice
Alan Kwan
30 April 2015
The Two Paths in Pure Land Buddhism Practitioners who have studied the Shandao tradition of pristine Pure Land Buddhism will in all probability possess an
What is “Right Mindfulness” in Pure Land Buddhism?
Alan Kwan
17 April 2015
Rebirth is assured by practicing with “right mindfulness” When interpreting the Third Contemplation in his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Master Shandao wrote: “If when a
Can Pure Land Aspirants be Reborn Using Mixed or Miscellaneous Practices?
Alan Kwan
2 April 2015
Three different kinds of mixed practices Having discussed the importance of the exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation for assured rebirth in Amitabha’s Land of Bliss, we