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PURE
LAND BUDDHISM
Fo
Guang Shan Buddhist Order and its Los Angeles branch temple, Hsi
Lai Temple, practice the integration of Ch'an Buddhism
(self-power) and Pure Land Buddhism (other-power) which, as one
looks more deeply, one begins to understand and experience that
self-power is other-power and other-power is
self-power. This is so because Truth is divisibly one.
After the death of the historical Buddha, the
teachings of the Buddha spread in two basic directions:
southward and became known as the Theravada tradition, and
eastward to China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and became known as the
Mahayana tradition. In East Asia, the Buddha's teachings
developed into ten different schools or approaches to practicing
the teachings. Several of these schools have remained important
to this day: Ch'an (Zen), Tantric and Pure Land. Pure Land is by
far the most widespread form of Buddhism in East
Asia.
Through
the development of Mahayana thought, there developed a more
flexible spiritual tradition and practice that combined
self-power with other-power; it is called Pure Land Buddhism.
The main practice of Pure Land Buddhism is reciting the name
of Amitabha Buddha, cultivating one's single-minded vow,
diligent practice and the development of a strong faith for the
purpose of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha
through the power of Amitabha's 48 great vows. However, as D.T.
Suzuki has pointed out, the psychological effects of the
repetition of Amitabha's name are close to the effects in Zen (Ch'an)
meditation: calmness, deep concentration and wisdom.
The Western Pure Land, as it
as also called, is a perfect training ground in which to attain
Enlightenment and Buddhahood. One is no longer subject to
retrogression because he or she has left the cycle of birth and
death behind forever and can now freely, without obstruction,
focus his or her efforts to attain Buddhahood. Amitabha Buddha
exemplifies the Bodhisattva ideal within the Mahayana tradition.
(See
Pure-Land Zen, Zen Pure-Land, Letters from Patriarch Yin
Kuang, Translated by Master Thich Thien Tam, Forrest
Smith, editor for further information.)
Strongly influenced by the
reformist teaching of the Mainland Chinese monk, Venerable Tai
Hsu, our teacher, Venerable Master Hsing Yun teaches that the
Pure Land is a fundamental aspect of our minds and is our
highest standard and our highest ideal. And how can we begin to
establish the Pure Land in this world? Major changes don't
happen overnight. However, as any community learns how to
function with kindness, compassion and ungrudging support for
its members, then that community can be said to have established
a piece of the Pure Land in this world. Insofar as any family
can establish respectful and harmonious relations among its
members, that that family can be said to have planted the seeds
of the Pure Land in this world. Insofar as any individual can
base his or her thoughts and motives on selflessness, compassion
and mutual benefit, then that individual has done his or her
part to bring the Pure Land here to us on earth.
Venerable
Master Hsing Yun teaches that the Pure Land will be built in
this way, piece by piece, heart by heart, home by home. We will
not establish a Pure Land here if we place our hopes in some
other world that can only be attained after death. In the
deepest levels of reality, the Pure Land is not something
separate from us. It is properly, part of our minds. How can we
ever expect to establish it, then, if we do not establish it in
our minds?
Our selflessness will lead our families toward
harmony, our communities toward cooperation, and our nations
toward compassion. In the end, the entire world will be bathed
in the light of Buddha's wisdom and his illimitable concern.
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