Master Shandao’s Exegesis of the Sincere Mind, Part Two
Alan Kwan
16 December 2016
In the first part of our exploration of the Sincere Mind, we concluded that there was a problem. Apparently, to be reborn in the Land
The Many Forms of Avalokiteshvara
Meher McArthur
25 November 2016
To many practitioners of the Mahayana schools of Buddhism of East Asia and the esoteric traditions of the Himalayas and Japan, bodhisattvas, or “enlightenment beings,”
What is a Buddha?
Alan Kwan
11 November 2016
A finger pointing at the moon The simple question of “What is a Buddha?” was raised in a casual discussion with a venerable Pure Land
The Cause of Assured Rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land, Part 2
Alan Kwan
28 October 2016
Causes of rebirth in different realms With regard to my previous article* discussing the cause of assured rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land, many readers were surprised
The Hanging Sculptures of the Little Western Paradise
Guoying Stacy Zhang
14 October 2016
Qianfo’an (千佛庵), the Temple of One Thousand Buddhas, better known as Xiaoxitian (小西天) or the Little Western Paradise, is located in present-day Xi County, Linfen
Cognitive Ease and Mantra Recitation
Malcolm Hunt
7 October 2016
Recently, I was sitting on a train coming back home from Sydney Central and couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between a teenaged girl and
How does Faith Arise from Amitabha’s Name (Rather than from the Delusive Mind)?
Alan Kwan
19 August 2016
Two ways of establishing faith from Amitabha’s Name Master Shandao states in Praise of Rites of Rebirth: “The honorable Amitabha set forth an extremely solemn vow. He
When There is Here. A Monk Returns Home to a New Awakening
Malcolm Hunt
19 August 2016
The small van drove through the archway of the monastery where I had been ordained and spent four years of my life as a monk.
What is Attained through Amitabha-Recitation?
Alan Kwan
22 July 2016
Rebirth attained exclusively through Amitabha-recitation As discussed in my previous article*, all practitioners of Pure Land Buddhism should understand and believe in the concept of
Amitabha’s Name is the Essence of the Pure Land Teachings
Alan Kwan
24 June 2016
Deliverance of sentient beings through the Name According to Buddhism, Buddhas have four different ways of delivering sentient beings in the Ten Directions: 1. Bodily
The Active Principle of Amitabha’s Deliverance in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
10 June 2016
Is Amitabha truly existent? We know about Amitabha Buddha from the three Pure Land sutras spoken by the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. However, just as Shakyamuni
Another Characteristic of Faith in Buddhism: Inheritance
Alan Kwan
27 May 2016
The root of virtue can be inherited life after life In Buddhism, faith is the first of the Five Roots of Virtue—faith, zeal, mindfulness (invocation),