Four years ago, one of my best friends visited Hong Kong. The first cultural landmark I took him to was Chi Lin Nunnery, which I
The Two Other Kinds of Perseverance It is joyful to read the books written by Master Shandao, the de facto founder of Pure Land Buddhism,
If you have ever felt joyful upon hearing of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance and admittance to his Pure Land, you are now on the right track
Shakyamuni’s “Secret Message” for Ultimate Liberation Many people have the general impression that Buddhism is very difficult to understand. Just as in many other subjects,
An Easy Path for Uncultured People I first approached Buddhism as a philosophy in 1988, when I was searching for the truth about life and
My Dad was Skeptical about Buddhism My dad passed away in April 2012 at the age of 95. He was not well educated, and had
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
“What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?” scoffed the early church writer Tertullian, and in so uttering drew the battle lines between reason and
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
Fourteen years ago, José Cabezón argued brilliantly that “theology” should no longer be a dirty word in Buddhism (despite being derived from the Greek word theos, or “God”).
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
