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),
“Faith through Devotion” is Favored over “Faith through Interpretation” in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
15 April 2016
One must have previously cultivated deep roots of virtue in past lives in order to believe in the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism upon first
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);
How is Dedication Related to Rebirth in the Land of Bliss?
Alan Kwan
8 January 2016
No dedication required for rebirth in the Pure Land through the primary practices Why is it important to differentiate between the Mind of Merit-dedication and
More about Merit-Dedication and Rebirth-Aspiration
Alan Kwan
24 December 2015
A summary of the mind of merit-dedication and rebirth-aspiration By relying on the general understanding of the dedication of merit in the traditional bodhisattva teachings, some
Why Is It Important for Pure Land Aspirants to Dedicate their Merit and Aspire to Rebirth in the Path of Importance?
Alan Kwan
27 November 2015
All beings can be reborn in the Land of Bliss if they dedicate and aspire accordingly Referring to the teachings of the two Buddhas, Master
Three Ways, Two Paths, and One Practice for Rebirth
Alan Kwan
13 November 2015
Three ways to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss In my earlier article, “Karmic Circumstance—Who is Entitled to be Reborn in the Pure Land,”*
The Only Sutra Spoken to Ordinary Beings for Ultimate Liberation
Alan Kwan
30 October 2015
The significance of the Buddha’s response to Queen Vaidehi’s request In examining the literal meaning of the title of the Contemplation Sutra, we may have the
Karmic Circumstance—Who Is Entitled to be Reborn in the Pure Land?
Alan Kwan
16 October 2015
Meditative practitioners are entitled to rebirth in the Pure Land In the Contemplation Sutra, Queen Vaidehi asks Shakyamuni Buddha to teach her how to meditate and
A Comparison of the Two Ways of Seeing Amitabha Buddha and Attaining Rebirth in His Pure Land
Alan Kwan
2 October 2015
Two teachings by two Buddhas—the dual objective of the Contemplation Sutra In his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Master Shandao says: “Here, the objective of the Contemplation Sutra is
How to See Amitabha Buddha and Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land Through Name-recitation
Alan Kwan
18 September 2015
Three sages in the west appear in response to Shakyamuni Buddha’s promise From Shakyamuni Buddha’s reply to Queen Vaidehi’s three requests in the Contemplation Sutra, we
Shakyamuni Buddha’s Responses to the Three Requests of Queen Vaidehi
Alan Kwan
21 August 2015
A typical understanding of the afterlife and a poor knowledge of the Pure Land The Land of Bliss, one of the Buddha’s splendid pure lands