A Dialogue about Lineage in the Pure Land School
Alan Kwan
25 March 2019
A conversation between two Pure Land practitioners
Master Shandao’s Exegesis on the Deep Mind: Faith Established in the Context of Practice, Part One
Alan Kwan
25 August 2017
Primary practices and miscellaneous practices To establish faith in “context of person,” a Pure Land practitioner needs not ask or seek advice from anybody about
Master Shandao’s Exegesis on the Deep Mind—The Four Scenarios of Doubt IV
Alan Kwan
11 August 2017
In his exegesis on the Deep Mind (the second of the Three States of Mind) in the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Master Shandao explains:
Master Shandao’s Exegesis on the Deep Mind–The Four Scenarios of Doubt: The Claims of So-called “Buddhas”
Alan Kwan
28 July 2017
Answering the challenges of even enlightened beings
Master Shandao’s Exegesis on the Deep Mind, Part One: Determinant Deep Faith Concerning Aptitude
Alan Kwan
10 March 2017
After his exegesis on the Sincere Mind, Master Shandao set forth to explain the meaning of the Deep Mind. The Deep Mind is the second
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
Pure Faith: The Broader and Deeper Meaning of Faith in Buddhism
Alan Kwan
13 May 2016
The broader meaning of faith in Buddhism Religion, in its simplistic definition in the Western world, is synonymous with faith. Many religions talk about an
How Does Amitabha-recitation Nourish the Root of Faith?
Alan Kwan
1 April 2016
Faith through devotion is not necessarily the result of the root of wisdom One must have previously cultivated deep roots of virtue in past lives
Evidence Based on Sutras, Commentaries, and Accounts
Alan Kwan
19 February 2016
The teachings of Pure Land Buddhism are easy to practice but difficult to believe in At the end of the Amitabha Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha observes that
Three Ways to Introduce the Pure Land Teachings in the Three Pure Land Sutras
Alan Kwan
5 February 2016
In my last article, we discussed three modes of belief in religious teachings: belief through direct experience (factual evidence); belief through irrefutable deduction (comparative analysis);
Three Ways to Believe – Initial Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
22 January 2016
The multiple meanings of the Chinese word “xin” In the Chinese language, faith and belief are described by the word “xin” (信), which can be