Let's go to Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land- An Introduction to Pure Land Buddhism

© 嘉欢 Jiahuan (J S Hincapié Arana) 2021. Some rights reserved.

No part of this book may be altered without permission from the

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www.budismotierrapura.com

Master Renshan’s 仁山法师 website China:

https://www.haihuishan.net

Pure Land Buddhism YouTube Channel by 嘉文 Jiawen

https://www.youtube.com/c/PureLandBuddhism

The Three Western Sages

Amitabha Buddha/ 阿彌陀佛 Amituofo (center)

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva/ 宽音菩薩 Kuān yīn púsà (right)

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva / 大勢至 Dàshì zhì púsà (left)

May all sentient beings in the all the worlds of the ten

directions be free from all suffering and attain Buddhahood.

May they all be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.

May all sentient beings in all the universes of the ten directions

fully entrust themselves to Amitabha Buddha, recite His Name

fervently day and night, and wish to be reborn in His Pure Land

in order to attain Buddhahood.

I dedicate this book for the benefit of all sentient beings and as an

expression of gratitude to my Dharma teacher Master Renshan

仁山法师 from Zhenning temple, China, with whom I have had

the privilege of taking the three refuges and the five precepts and

from whom I have received my Dharma name (Jihuan 嘉欢 ).

I also express my gratitude to his disciple 嘉文 Jiawen who has

begun to spread the Pure Land School’s teachings in English.

Their great efforts in spreading Pure Land Buddhism have

connected the hearts and minds of many beings with Amitabha

Buddha. I wish them to continue their valuable and noble efforts

for many more years to come for the benefit of all sentient beings.

4

LET’S GO TO AMITABHA BUDDHA’S PURE LAND

An Introduction to Pure Land Buddhism

Foreword ............................................................................................ 6

Part I: ................................................................................................. 11

What did the Buddha teach? ....................................................... 11

1. The Six Realms in the Cycle of Reincarnation………….14

2. The Buddha-Nature within all sentient beings:............. 26

Part II ................................................................................................ 29

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land ....................................... 29

Part III ............................................................................................... 38

True Cases of Rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land ......... 38

Part IV ............................................................................................... 53

The Way to be Reborn in the Pure Land .................................... 53

Part V ................................................................................................ 58

The Nine Grades of Rebirth......................................................... 58

Part VI ............................................................................................... 62

The Chinese Pure Land School ................................................... 62

Part VII .............................................................................................. 74

Methods to practice Nianfo Daily ............................................... 74

and Arranging an Altar at Home ................................................ 74

Part VIII ............................................................................................ 85

Recommended Material .............................................................. 85

5

Foreword

The Buddha-Dharma (the Buddhist Teaching) could be

compared to a great palace containing marvelous and

countless treasures. This palace does not contain ordinary

objects but supramundane treasures that are far more

valuable than any glory that could be conceived by human

imagination.

The Buddha Dharma is not an abstract subject removed from

our daily lives but a path that leads to true happiness and

peace beyond the all the limitations in life. The Buddha spoke

of a happiness and peace that are eternal and not transitory

like the joys and sorrows of mundane existence. The

Buddha’s discourses speak about this path to true happiness

and peace. These discourses are voluminous and profound.

They cover a great variety of topics ranging from morality,

and psychology to cosmology, meditation and other

contemplative practices. All of these discourses of the

Buddha and the commentaries of the great Buddhist masters

throughout the centuries who came after him, are so rich and

profound that it would be fair to say that one-lifetime (or

even several lifetimes) would not be sufficient to truly

appreciate them all.

As many others before me, I felt like a curious child entering

this vast palace and I just marveled at the noble and beautiful

path of the Buddha-Dharma. At first I could not but feel

happily bewildered by the outstanding clarity of the

Buddhist teachings. I had struggled for many years in my life

to find answers to life’s toughest and most important

questions. (The nature of life, death, the origin of the

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universe, morality...etc). They became so vivid in my mind

that I could hardly think of anything else; that is why I

decided to study Philosophy as a career. I studied what the

great minds of the western culture had to say about these

matters and even if I found many interesting answers

something deep inside felt these answers were not sufficient

to quench my thirst for truth.

As soon as I started to read the sutras (the discourses of the

Buddha) and the many writings of the Buddhist masters from

the past I felt like a traveler who has crossed a deadly desert

and stumbles upon an oasis at the end of his journey. I drank

the nectar of the Buddhist teachings and I confess I literally

devoured hundreds of articles and dozens of books and

documentaries in less than a year.

All my longed for questions where thoroughly answered in

the Buddha-Dharma with exquisite accuracy and clarity. I

realized that the Buddhist teaching was not like other

spiritual paths or philosophies but it was something special

that should be placed in a completely different category.

Little by little I realized that you could not travel this path

alone but you need the assistance of a Sangha (the Buddhist

Community). And so my journey throughout many different

Buddhist Schools began. Buddhism has many different

lineages and schools that focus on one particular aspect or

method of the Buddha-Dharma.

We could compare this to several universities, each one

possessing its own strengths and character. I learned and

practiced the Theravada school, several Tibetan schools for

7

some time but I realized that I was not getting results from

my practice and understanding.

I compared myself with all the great Buddhist practitioners

from the past and I just thought that Buddhism was

something tailored for super-humans capable of noble deeds

but not for an ordinary person who cannot meditate for many

hours, and complete long spiritual retreats that challenge

both body and mind. Buddhism for me was only about selfdiscipline,

wisdom and purification, so if you could not

handle that then it was your own fault.

Then I learned about Pure Land Buddhism which is a

particular Mahayana Buddhist School that is quite popular in

Asia. In fact it is the most widely practiced School in China,

and it is well-known in other countries like Vietnam and

Japan. I realized this school is especial as it relies not only on

self-power but on the compassion of Amitabha Buddha, the

Buddha of Infinite Life and Light.

I became aware that Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of Amitabha

Buddha and His Pure Land of Utmost Bliss and Peace many

times in the sutras. So I started to practice Pure Land

Buddhism with a heart filled with gratitude as I realized that

Buddhism was not only about wisdom and purification but

also about loving-kindness and compassion. I started to see

the Buddhas not only as teachers but also as loving friends

and mothers who make great efforts to take us to the

liberation and happiness they enjoy.

I also discovered later that Pure Land Buddhism had

different schools and lineages in different parts of Asia so I

also studied the Jodo Shu and Jodo Shinshu schools from

8

Japan. I studied the writings of their founding Dharma

teachers and greatly admired their devotion for Amitabha

Buddha, however the more I read about the rich history of

the Pure Land School I started to feel there were missing parts

of the Pure Land School teachings that seemed essential to

me. I felt like I could not complete a jigsaw.

I later discovered that the source of the Pure Land lineages

that reached Japan was to be found in China where the Pure

Land School had been already practiced several centuries

before Japan by many admired Mahayana Buddhist masters

like Masters Huiyuan, Shandao and Chi-I. I became

fascinated by the spiritual richness of the Chinese Pure Land

School which has been practiced in China for over 1600 years.

The Buddhist sutras (the discourses of Shakyamuni Buddha)

were translated into Chinese almost 1800 years ago and at

that time they had contact with Buddhist Universities and

temples in India who were thriving like the Nalanda

University. Many Indian Buddhist masters traveled to China

to spread the Buddha Dharma and to translate texts from the

Sanskrit into Chinese, and so the Taisho Tripitaka, the

Chinese Collection of Sutras and Treatises (shastras).

As soon as I studied the Chinese Pure Land School of the 13

Patriarchs all my doubts melted like snow before fire and I

became aware of all the different aspects of the teachings on

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land in all their richness.

I am not a Buddhist scholar or expert by any stretch of the

imagination but due to my fondness for Buddhist books and

my background in philosophy I felt in a position to be of some

service to others by writing a simple book that summarizes

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the most important aspects of the Buddha Dharma and the

Chinese Pure Land School in particular. As the Buddha-

Dharma has so many lineages, schools and texts it could be

quite overwhelming for some to grasp the basics, especially

if they don’t have too much time for studying and reading.

I hope this simple and synthetized book can help the reader

to understand the fundamental teachings of the Buddha and

the importance of the Pure Land School which is centered on

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land of Utmost Bliss and

Peace.

The heartfelt devotion for Amitabha Buddha is still felt

strongly to this day; even to the point that there are far more

Amitabha Buddha’s statues and images than monuments for

Shakyamuni Buddha in China and other parts of Asia. Such

is the importance of Amitabha Buddha in Mahayana

Buddhism. Why is this so? The Pure Land School can be

practiced by everyone: housewives, children, grandmas,

grandpas, monks, nuns, fools and brilliant people, alike,

everyone is invited as all can say Namo Amitabha Buddha

(Homage to Amitabha Buddha) and seek the profound

assistance of Amitabha Buddha in daily life. May this book

be a warm invitation to practice and learn about the Chinese

Pure Land School. May all beings be free from suffering and attain

Buddhahood.

Jiahuan 嘉欢 (J S Hincapié Arana)

10

Part I:

What did the Buddha teach?

Shakyamuni Buddha was a great

spiritual master who lived in what

is now India approximately 2,600

years ago. Since he was a child, he

showed great spiritual talents. The

king's advisers (of the Sakya

kingdom, one of the independent

kingdoms that was located in what

is now Nepal) assured that the

young prince was destined to

become a great spiritual leader or

an outstanding monarch. His father

noticed his son was not an ordinary

boy.

There were many signs that pointed to his future as a great

spiritual master. Some wise men of the Sakya court thought

that the little prince would one day become a Buddha, a being

who has reached perfection in wisdom and compassion (a

“Buddha” means Awakened one).

Due to this prediction, his father, who wanted his son to

become a king and perpetuate the power of the royal family,

was determined to keep the young prince inside the palace

with all kinds of luxuries and pleasures to distract him from

the sufferings in life and any deep inquiry into the nature of

existence.

Prince Siddharta then married the beautiful princess

Yashodara with whom Prince Siddhartha had a son named

Rahula. Once the young prince left the palace he encountered

a sick person, an old man, a dead man and an ascetic

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wanderer meditating under a tree. He was shocked by the

fact that human beings cannot escape old age, illness and

death, so the prince, who was almost 30 years old, left his

palace, his family and friends, and retired to solitude in the

forest, he cut his hair, took off his jewels and put the simple

clothes of a homeless spiritual seeker. The young prince was

determined to find a solution to the deep problem of

suffering.

After long years of much toil and suffering he visited many

renowned spiritual masters of the day, but he was

disappointed because he could not quench his spiritual thirst.

He could not find a way out of suffering. He found out that

even the most sublime teachings he found could only lead to

a heavily rebirth among the gods but that was not what he

was looking for as he realized even gods die in the end and

suffer. Some other teachings he found were concerned with

rituals and superstitions, and other teachings tortured the

body in pursuit of supernatural powers.

No matter how hard he tried he always found that the

question on how to overcome suffering permanently was still

unanswered.

Prince Siddhartha Gautama decided then to follow his own

path and sat under the Bodhi tree to meditate. He was

determined not to stop until he reached the end of suffering;

liberation from the cycle of death and birth (samsara). After

spending several days in profound meditation he attained

Nirvana/ Enlightenment, perfect liberation. Shakyamuni

Buddha, found the end of suffering and the eternal bliss of

Nirvana, Buddhahood.

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He then began his teaching career preaching the Buda-

Dharma, the teachings of the Enlightened Ones (the Buddhas,

the word “Buddha” means “Awakened One”).

His teaching was about Compassion and Wisdom. He taught

the Dharma to everyone, men, women, rich, poor, wise, fools,

evil and good people alike. Unlike other teachers,

Shakyamuni Buddha made no distinction between social

classes and taught that everyone had the potential to

awaken to the same reality he had awakened to. He also

emphasized reason, logic and praised those who put his

teaching to the test by asking questions.

The revolutionary message of the Buddha’s teachings is

that all beings can become Buddhas, awakened ones,

beings who have awakened to their true nature of infinite

Wisdom, Compassion and transcendence over all physical

and mental limitations. For almost 50 years Shakyamuni

Buddha taught tirelessly for the benefit of all sentient beings

thus awakening the minds of countless beings.

His teaching forever changed the history of Asia where

Buddhism has been practiced for many centuries in

numerous countries ranging from ancient Afghanistan to the

snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas.

In the Mahayana sutras it is revealed that Buddhas have

always existed and will continue to exist for all eternity in the

universe. They always come into the world to guide beings

through the teaching of the Dharma (the path to

Enlightenment taught by the Buddhas) and to heal their

suffering through wisdom and compassion. To this day the

Buddha's message of wisdom and compassion lives on and

in the last century, the Buddha-Dharma (the Buddhist

13

teaching) has spread to several countries in western

countries.

1. The Six Realms in the Cycle of Reincarnation (Samsara):

The Buddha taught in

many sutras (Buddhist

teachings that were later

put into written form) that

Samsara is the Cycle of

reincarnation (cycle of

birth and death) in

which-un-enlightened

beings suffer and

wander.

The Buddha taught that

unenlightened beings are

asleep in a world of

illusions that is created by their own limited conceptions and

ignorance. Unenlightened beings are trapped in samsara due

to their tendencies of thoughts, words and actions resulting

in reincarnation in six different realms of existence within

samsara.

These six realms are: the hell realm, the realm of hungry

ghosts, the animal realm, the human realm, the realm of

asuras (demigods) and the realm of celestial beings or gods.

Beings are born and die due to their own mental tendencies.

Beings cultivate various limited tendencies in mind, speech,

and body so as a consequence of this unenlightened minds

experience birth and death according to their own mental

inclinations.

In other words, there is a correspondence between a being’s

state of consciousness and the environment his mind

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experiences. The mind determines the realm of existence that

beings experience. In the same way we usually have several

dreams in succession when we sleep at night; be them good,

bad or neutral, so beings in samsara co-create their own

reality through their own karma (tendencies in mind, words

and actions which generate results in one lifetime or future

lives).

There are infinite worlds in all directions of the universe that

have sentient beings in varying degrees of mental

development, however, if they are not liberated from

samsara all of them, even the gods who enjoy long lifespans

and pleasures, die and are reborn according to their karma.

Like a wheel that spins endlessly, the wheel of the six

realms of existence spins due to the three poisons of greed,

ignorance and hatred.

So, no matter how high we go in the wheel of reincarnation,

we will eventually go down if we don’t get out of this vicious

cycle. If the karmic tendency of beings is based on anger and

cruelty, they are born in the hell realm where beings suffer

for a long time (but not eternally because they are eventually

reborn in other realms of existence). These sufferings are not

caused by a judge but due to their own karmic obstacles.

If one’s mind is overcome by greed, beings are reborn as

hungry ghosts where they suffer from hunger and thirst. If

one’s karma is based on ignorance and basic instincts

(eating, sleeping and having sex) beings are born in the

animal realm where many are exploited and hunted.

If one’s karmic tendency is based on some degree of morality

and generosity combined with various mental hindrances

that come from the three poisons that bind beings to samsara

(anger, greed and ignorance) beings are born as human

15

beings, where they are burdened by various concerns and

difficulties like the three marks of samsaric existence:

impermanence, absence of real identity and dissatisfaction

and the eight sufferings: birth, illness, old age, death,

encountering what is unpleasant, being separated from what

is pleasant, not getting what one wants and the sufferings

that are inherent to the five skhandas or aggregates that

constitute a human being: physical form, memory, feelings,

mental formations and consciousness.

If one’s karmic tendency is based on great virtue and

discipline, but this tendency is combined with jealousy and

rivalry, beings are born as demigods / asuras. These are

beings of great power and ingenuity who despite their skills

are always fighting each other relentlessly and fruitlessly

engaging in conflicts with some of the celestial beings above

their level of existence.

If one's karmic tendency is based on great virtue and

discipline, but this is combined with pride, beings are born

as celestial beings (gods-devas) where they enjoy long lives,

beauty and various pleasures.

There are numerous heavenly realms; the higher they are, the

more pleasures and the longer one lives in them, however,

the gods are still non-enlightened so they must eventually die

and continue to be reborn in other realms of existence

according to their karma. Falling from the realms of heavenly

beings to the lower realms is described as a very painful

process, so the goal of Buddhism is not to be reborn in the

various heavenly realms but to transcend all six realms of

samsara completely.

The hell realm, hungry ghost realm and animal realm are

called the three lower realms because in these three realms

16

beings suffer much more intensely than in the rest of samsara.

The three higher realms are: the human realm, the realm of

demigods/asuras and the realm of the gods/celestial beings.

These beings enjoy pleasures and advantages that are not

found in the three lower realms.

The greatest advantage is that the beings of the three higher

realms have the opportunity to listen to the Buddha-Dharma

and study it, especially in the human realm where there is a

balance between pleasure and pain which makes it a very

suitable realm of existence for the practice of Buddhist

teachings.

Samsara can also be divided into three large sections, (which

in turn can be subdivided into 31 different planes of

existence) the Desire Realm (Kamadhatu), the Form Realm

(Rupadhatu), and the Formless Realm (Arupadhatu). The

Desire Realm includes the six realms of samsara already

described above up to the gods of the World of Desire

(Kamadhatu). The higher the plane of existence the more

pleasure and lifespan one enjoys.

What characterizes the World of Desire (Kamadhatu) is that

all beings are moved by sensory desires and are not in a state

of great meditative concentration. The World of Form

(Rupadhatu) and the World of Formlessness (Arupadhatu),

the world without form are only inhabited by various

celestial beings who have mastered meditative abilities and

enjoy vast lifespans, however they are still unenlightened

beings as they have gotten attached to these pleasurable

mental states.

Only Buddhahood / Nirvana which includes infinite

compassion and wisdom is true freedom and true happiness,

as the Buddha taught. Beings are reborn in samsara

according to the natural and self-existing law of cause and

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effect (Karma). Once the physical body of dies,

consciousness takes the direction of its habitual thought

tendencies and is reborn in the realm of existence according

to its degree of mental development.

The Buddha explained that there is no judge that punishes

beings for their evil actions nor a deity that rewards good

deeds, but instead he taught that there is a natural law of

cause and effect (karma).

Whatever beings think, say and do affects their present and

their future and these effects influence not only our present

life but can also influence our next life in samsara. In fact

beings are trapped in samsara due to their own ignorance, so

they go from one life to the next creating karma (in mind,

speech and actions) that binds them to the cycle of

reincarnation (samsara) where they experience the results of

their actions in various realms of existence that correspond to

specific mental hindrances.

The world is generated by the minds of sentient beings, that

is why consciousness is the factor that generates reality

according to the Buddha’s teachings.

Depending on the state of consciousness, beings experience a

specific realm of existence (dimension) where they have

experiences that they share with beings with whom they have

a similar mentality. The different experiences of beings in

samsara are created in a process called the 12 Links of

interdependent origination

Ignorance generates a set of causal links that end up in

aging, suffering, illness and death in the cycle of

reincarnation (samsara).

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Due to ignorance beings generate mental formations, then

this mental formations generate a vehicle to experience

these attachments, and subsequently this vehicle is affected

by experiences than can cause further ignorance and

craving for more existence in the six realms in the cycle of

reincarnation.

(The 12 links of dependent origination)

Depending on the specific karmic tendency and its

combination of various degrees of positive and negative

karma, beings are born in the six realms of samsaric existence.

Buddhism classifies ten negative actions that lead beings to

further suffering in samsara.

The Ten Negative Actions are: 1. Killing or hurting living

beings, 2. stealing, 3. engaging in sexual misconduct

(especially making others suffer due to sexual attachment) 4.

Lying, 5. Using vulgar or offensive language, 6. Idle or

frivolous talk, 7. Speak ill of others, 8. Greed, 9. Anger and 10.

Ignorance or views against the Dharma (Buddhist teaching)

19

1, 2 and 3 correspond to the karma of action, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are

the karma of speech; 8, 9 and 10 correspond to the karma of

the mind. These are the three types of karma and their

relationship with the ten negative actions

The Ten Meritorious Actions that help beings to be free from

samsara and attain Enlightenment are: 1.Charity /

generosity, 2.Morality, 3.Cultivate the mind / meditation,

4.Reverence or respect, 5. Service / helping others, 6.Sharing

merits with others, 7.Rejoice in the merits of others, 8 .Sharing

and teaching the Buddha Dharma (Buddhist Teachings),

9.Listening to the Dharma, and 10.Correcting wrong views

through the study and practice of the Buddha Dharma.

1.

Generosity

(Dana)

2.

Virtue

(Sila)

3.

Patience

(Ksanti)

4

Diligence

(Virya)

5.

Meditation

(Dhyana)

6.

Wisdom

(Prajna)

These Ten Meritorious Actions are integrated with the Six-

Perfections that lead beings to become Buddhas when they

are taken to their maximum level. They are classified as

follows: Generosity (Dana), Virtue (Sila), Patience (Ksanti),

Diligence (Virya), Meditation (Dhyana), and Wisdom

(Prajna). If beings practice the Dharma (Buddhist Teachings)

they can overcome: anger, greed and ignorance, which are

the Three Mental Poisons that cause beings to transmigrate

in the six realms of samsaric existence.

Shakyamuni Buddha taught that beings are trapped in

samsara due to the fact they don’t understand the Four Noble

Truths, these are: there is Suffering, the origin of suffering is

desire and attachment, the end of suffering is to relinquish

one’s attachments and desires and the path that leads to the

end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.

20

These Path consists of the gradual purification of actions,

speech and mind through the three pillars of Buddhist

practice which are morality, meditation and wisdom.

1.Suffering exists: birth, old age, illness, death, separation from

what is pleasant, encounter with what is unpleasant, not obtaining

what one wants and the suffering associated with the physical and

mental elements that make up one’s vehicle of birth in samsara.

2. The Origin of suffering is attachment / desire to mental states,

situations, people, objects ... etc.

3.The end of suffering is to abandon the cause of suffering which

is desire and attachments

4.The Noble Eightfold Path is the path that leads us to the end of

suffering)

21

22

Through the cultivation of the ten meritorious actions, the

Eightfold Noble Path and the Six Paramitas beings gradually

purify their mind, speech and actions and can eventually

attain enlightenment

In addition to these meritorious actions of the Dharma

(Buddhist teaching) the Four Great Mahayana Vows are also

of great importance. These can be summarized as follows 1.

I promise to purify all mental afflictions. I promise to

master all Dharma practices 3. I promise to become a

Buddha 4. I promise to free all living beings in the universe

from suffering through the Buddha-Dharma.

Those who sincerely wish to become Buddhas and are

practicing to attain this goal are called Bodhisattvas.

Bodhisattvas must go through various levels (called the Ten

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Bhumis) where they gradually cultivate the perfection of

wisdom and compassion until they develop all the

transcendental powers of the Enlightened beings and finally

become Buddhas.

Where does the Universe come from according to the

Buddha-Dharma? It has no beginning or end. There are

unlimited systems of universes in all directions. Each worldsystem

is full of living beings in various degrees of mental

development and each is comprised of the six realms of

samsaric existence.

Mahayana Buddhism teaches something that science has

only known for less than a century and that is that the

universe is truly vast beyond our human imagination.

Not long ago, it was thought that the Milky Way (our galaxy)

was all there was in the universe and that our planet was

unique. It is now known that there are at least a trillion

galaxies and that planets like ours are not uncommon, not

even in our galaxy. Let's keep in mind that this is just the

physical universe as it appears to our human mind.

Could we safely say that this is all there is? Buddhism says

that there is much more than the physical world that our five

senses and our present human perspective allow us to

appreciate.

All of this is naturally explained by the law of cause and

effect (karma). This is a distinctive feature of the Dharma

worldview which has brought a rich conversation between

modern science and Buddhism Before the recent scientific

discoveries about astrophysics and psychology, the Buddha

had already taught ideas that resemble many of this modern

scientific paradigms (such as the concept of multiverses)

more than 2500 years ago.

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Universes go through vast stages of emanation,

development, and destruction just like the bodies of living

things. As long as beings remain trapped in the six realms of

unenlightened existence in samsara they will never know

true freedom and true happiness. Buddhas tirelessly assist

sentient beings by appearing again and again to teach the

Dharma (the teaching of the Buddhas) to living beings in all

world systems.

A Buddha’s mind has already gone beyond all duality and

bondage so Buddhas can freely help beings through various

methods known or unknown to samsara beings by entering

into samsara and manifesting themselves in the ways that are

best suited to the minds of the beings they help.

The Buddha frequently taught that Buddhas appear very

occasionally in world systems (this because not all worlds

have beings that are willing to study the Dharma and possess

the adequate karmic tendencies) so therefore we should not

postpone our pursuit of true freedom from samsara and

should study and practice the Buddha Dharma with a sense

of sincere diligence and gratitude.

The Buddha taught in the sutras that all beings have been our

friends and relatives in past lives. An ant could have been my

mother or son, a dog in this life could have been a brother in

past lives. My best friend today could have been an enemy in

a past life. Samsara is a wheel where we are all related to each

other in a great complex network of causes and effects,

therefore we have accumulated many debts in the past with

many beings whom we have hurt, insulted or even killed!

As long as we are not enlightened beings, we uselessly

perpetuate our own pain and that of others despite our best

intentions, therefore, to really benefit others and ourselves,

we must exit samsara and reach the freedom of Nirvana, or

25

in other words, we must become Buddhas to lead all beings

to true happiness, true freedom and true peace.

2. The Buddha-Nature within all sentient beings:

The Buddha taught that beneath all the layers of attachments

and ignorance, sentient beings possess a hidden treasure

called Buddha-Nature. This Buddha nature is like a precious

jewel that is under layers of dust. Once we remove the dust

from this Buddha-Nature the light and beauty of this jewel

will shine and beings recognize that this Buddhahood was

always within themselves from the beginning. This Buddha

Nature is neither created nor destroyed, it is eternal.

The objective of the Buddhist path is not momentary

happiness but the total transcendence of the six realms of

samsaric existence and the attainment of Buddhahood which

is to liberate one’s mind from ignorance, greed and hatred

and to attain limitless wisdom and compassion.

Buddhas do not remain inactive outside of the sufferings in

the Cycle of Reincarnation (Samsara), in fact Buddhas are

eternally active throughout the Universes tirelessly helping

the beings in samsara so that they too become Buddhas in

the future.

Buddhas are beyond the limitations of space and time, they

have omniscience and the ability to move between the

various realms outside and within samsara, they also have

total control over their spiritual capacities which allows them

to perfectly benefit all beings.

Buddhas can bring beings to Enlightenment through

numerous skillful means that allow them to benefit others in

profound ways. The Buddhas have become one with the

Dharmakaya which is the supreme nature of reality beyond

all forms, names and limited ideas.

26

This is why they are always united with all beings in the

universe in all places and at all times. In addition, they

emanate innumerable and varied manifestations and bodies

from this Supreme Reality in order to help beings to also

attain the same level of supreme spiritual attainment they

have attained (Buddhahood).

This could be compared to a frog trapped inside a dark well.

A frog that has been born inside a dark well and has never

been out is not aware of anything outside it. The frog

cannot even start to imagine all the beauty and freedom that

lies beyond the limitations of the dark well.

Buddhas are like birds who come to the well of samsaric

existence and tell us that there’s a whole world outside the

dark well of samsaric existence and that we can also go

there if we follow their instructions.

All beings have the potential to become Buddhas, just as

anyone who sleeps can wake up from a mere dream. Our

“Buddha Nature” (Tathagatagarbha in Sanskrit) is like a

seed. If this Buddha-Seed is properly nurtured by the

compassion and wisdom of the Buddhas then this seed will

grow.

The Buddhas teach all their disciples about the Three

Refuges: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. To take refuge in the

Buddha is to accept the Buddha as one’s spiritual teacher and

to recognize that we can also become a Buddha ourselves. 4

Taking refuge in the Dharma is to practice and respect the

Buddha-Dharma and taking refuge in the Sangha is to rely on

the community of monks, nuns and lay people who support

and spread the Buddhist teachings in our world.

In addition to the Three Refuges all Buddhist are encouraged

to also guide our lives by the Five Moral Precepts (not to kill

27

or harm life, not to steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct,

and not to consume intoxicants like alcohol or drugs that

cloud the mind). This moral rules of conduct are important

for all Buddhists, both monastic (monks and nuns) and lay

people.

Buddhas awaken beings from the false and painful dream of

Samsara and compassionately lead us to the freedom of the

supreme reality (Nirvana, Buddhahood), or in other words,

Buddhas are like good gardeners who take care of our

Buddha-seed (Buddha-Nature) so that this seed can rapidly

grow and become a Tree of Enlightenment, which is

inherently full of compassion, wisdom, infinite life and

infinite light just like the enlightened hearts of all Buddhas

in the universe.

28

Part II

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land

One of the most important

abilities of the Buddhas is to use

skillful means (Upaya), which

are various methods that allow

them to benefit sentient beings.

One of these skillful methods to

benefit sentient beings is the

creation of Pure Lands, which

are pure and wonderful places

that are emanated from their

enlightened minds. Depending

on the vows of each Buddha, an

enlightened being can generate

various aspirations to help

sentient beings in specific ways,

thereby generating an environment with certain beneficial

qualities where Buddhas can easily teach the Dharma and

awaken the minds of sentient beings more effectively outside

the obstacles inside.

As we will see among the millions of Pure Lands that exist,

the most important one by far is the Pure Land of Amitabha

Buddha.

The same way humans have institutions where they provide

the necessary environment to learn about science, medicine

and the arts, Buddhas also create special environments to

bless and teach sentient beings in an effective and profound

way. These environments are not only buildings but entire

realms of existence which are called Pure Lands.

29

Samsara is like a dream that is emanated through the mental

hindrances of a multitude of unenlightened sentient beings

whereas Pure Lands are emanated by virtue of the perfect

minds of Enlightened beings which are imbued with

Wisdom and Compassion, therefore the environment in the

Pure Lands is beautiful, pure, harmonious and conducive

to Enlightenment as Buddhas emanate these realms

precisely for this purpose.

Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Life and Light of

whom Shakyamuni Buddha spoke in numerous Mahayana

sutras, especially the Five Pure Land Sutras as studied in

Chinese Pure Land Buddhism.

In the Chinese Pure Land School we also study Bodhisattva

Vasubandhu’s Rebirth Treatise (Sukhavativyuha-Upadesa-

Sastra in Sanskrit).

1

The Larger Sutra on The Buddha of Infinite Life- the

larger Sukhavativyuha (in Sanskrit)

2

3

The Contemplation Sutra or Amitayurdhyana Sutra

(in Sanskrit)

The Amitabha Sutra or the shorter Sutra on the

Buddha of Infinite Life

4

The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra

Bodhisattva (the 40th Chapter of the Avatamsaka

Sutra)

5

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva’s Mindfulness of

Amitabha Buddha to universally realize Samadhi

(A passage of the Surangama Sutra)

6

“Bodhisattva Vasubandhu’s Rebirth Treatise

(Sukhavativyuha-Upadesa-Sastra)

30

Amitabha is Buddha just like Shakyamuni Buddha, who

attained Buddhahood in a distant past. What makes

Amitabha Buddha very special is that He made 48 great

Vows (promises) that talk about the creation of a special

Pure Land to help all sentient beings regardless of their

spiritual capacities. Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is the

best known Pure Land in the many teachings that

Shakyamuni Buddha provided in the Mahayana Sutras.

More than 290 Mahayana Sutras talk about Amitabha

Buddha and His Western Pure Land of Utmost Bliss and

Peace .Shakyamuni Buddha taught this noble realm is located

at vast distance to the west of our particular samsaric

universe.

As we have explained, according to the Buddha Dharma (the

Buddhist teachings) there are innumerable universes in all

directions, and these universes also have beings in various

degrees of mental development. These universes also have

Buddhas who are constantly active for the benefit of sentient

beings.

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is like the capital of the

Buddhas’ Noble Realms. It is a place of inconceivable beauty,

splendor, wisdom and compassion. It could be compared to

the best university in existence where one can get a PhD in

the Buddha-Dharma (Buddhahood/Nirvana). So to graduate

from the Buddhas’ educational System (the Buddha-Dharma)

one has to become a Buddha and then you can benefit all

sentient beings in the universe just like all Buddhas do.

Amitabha’s Pure Land (Sukhavati in Sanskrit) stands out

from the rest of Pure Lands due to the fact that you don’t need

to be a spiritual prodigy or an advanced practitioner to be

born there. Amitabha’s Pure Land accepts all beings, even

beings who have committed evil deeds, as long as they have

31

faith in Amitabha Buddha and recite His Name (Namo

Amitabha Buddha) with a sincere wish to be born there after

death. If a being is born in the Pure Land then his days in

samsara are over and he is assured of attaining

Enlightenment in the future.

Just like a fertile soil in the hands of the best gardener in

the world is assured of becoming a tree in a short time so

beings in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land (who also carry

within themselves the seed of Buddhahood) can grow

safely and swiftly into great flowers of Enlightenment in

the Western Pure Land.

Amitabha Buddha made the promise to take all sentient

beings to his pure land as long as beings have sincere faith in

him, they wish to be born there and recite his name which is

the Nianfo practice; to recite Namo Amitabha Buda- Namo

Amituofo in Chinese)

Due to the fact that Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is

recognized and praised by its excellence in all the vast

universes, it is natural that Shakyamuni Buddha also taught

about it many times in different sutras (Buddhist teachings

that were later put in written form) and encouraged us to be

born there after death in order to ensure our future

Buddhahood.

Since the vast majority of beings are not spiritual prodigies

and might even struggle to maintain basic moral rules of

conduct it is almost a certainty that without Amitabha

Buddha’s help most beings will still remain trapped inside

the six realms of samsara once our present human body fades

away.

32

Amitabha Buddha offers all beings the best environment

possible for spiritual cultivation in order to guarantee our

attainment of Enlightenment (Buddhahood).

It is quite difficult to practice the Buddha-Dharma (the

Buddhist teachings) in samsara and it is very easy to find

hindrances to one’s practice whereas in Amitabha Buddha’s

Pure Land there are no obstacles and everything (from the

ground to the trees and breeze there) are spiritual treasures

that have been designed to awaken one’s mind and skillfully

guide us to Enlightenment.

Shakyamuni Buddha went to great lengths in his descriptions

of Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land (especially in the Five Pure

Land Sutras). The Buddha described that in Amitabha’s Pure

Land there are innumerable Bodhisattvas (beings who are

walking the path that leads to final Buddhahood), great saints

and Masters from all corners of the universe.

He described Sukhavati as the capital of a Flourishing

Civilization of Enlightened beings and those who are close to

reaching this level. He escribed its countless golden

pavilions, columns, landscapes of inconceivable beauty,

flowers and lotuses made of light and pearls, precious

jeweled trees and blessed lakes. And all of these beauties

incarnate the single purpose of leading all beings to

Buddhahood.

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is the Supreme Enlightened

Realm, full with Wisdom, Beauty, and everlasting Life and

Light. Shakyamuni Buddha taught us that no other realm can

be compared to Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, and so He

encouraged all of us to be born there in order to swiftly

advance towards Enlightenment.

33

Why did Shakyamuni Buddha make such detailed

descriptions? It's simple: because he wants us all to be born

there after death in order for us to secure our future

Buddhahood in the best possible hands.

Just like a good doctor in a university recommends the best

educational institutions and the best teachers to his students

so that in the future they can become the best possible health

professionals, so too Shakyamuni Buddha encourages us to

study in the best educational institution that exists whose

purpose is to lead all beings to the attainment of

Buddhahood. This realm/institution is Amitabha Buddha’s

Western Pure Land of Utmost Bliss and Peace.

Due to the fact it is easy to remain trapped in samsaric

existence due to the accumulation of evil karma throughout

countless cosmic cycles, sentient beings are encouraged by all

Buddhas to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land so that

they exit the cycle of reincarnation and live in a great

environment that allows them to swiftly advance on their

path towards final Buddhahood.

To stay in samsara is to remain trapped in an environment in

which beings need tremendous efforts to advance towards

Buddhahood. Vices and distractions of all kinds abound in

the six realms, and therefore beings tend to remain stagnant

for a long time, even being reborn in the three lower realms

where suffering is particularly acute and prolonged.

This is why the Buddha skillfully guides us to the Pure Land

of Amitabha Buddha which is a supremely blessed and

conducive environment for cultivation of the Buddha-

Dharma. Furthermore, Shakyamuni Buddha never spared

words praising the marvelous beauty of Amitabha Buddha’s

Pure Land, which is not only useful but also wonderfully

adorned with transcendental treasures that were from the

34

enlightened mind of Amitabha Buddha in order to help all

beings to advance towards Supreme Enlightenment.

Because of all this, Shakyamuni Buddha insisted that we

learn the Buddha-Dharma from such an exalted Master as

Amitabha Buddha, whose light Shakyamuni Buddha and all

the Buddhas of the ten directions praise in unison. In addition

to Amitabha Buddha, many other great beings (mahasattvas)

such as the great Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and

Mahasthamaprapta also teach the Buddha Dharma in the

Pure land along with countless saints and masters who come

there from all corners of the universe. All these great beings

filled with virtue, compassion and wisdom inhabit this

blessed land.

Buddhahood is not an ordinary state but the utmost spiritual

achievement in the universe, the liberation from all

limitations in samsaric existence and the attainment of

countless spiritual capacities that allow Buddhas to benefit

sentient beings with perfect wisdom and compassion.

In order to attain Buddhahood beings must cultivate the Six

Paramitas and ascend through many stages of spiritual

development, so this could be compared to climbing a steep,

rugged and tall mountain where it is very easy to fall back if

you are not an expert hiker.

According to the teachings in the sutras and the teachings of

the Pure Land Buddhist Masters (the Buddhist Masters that

specialized in the method to attain Enlightenment through

birth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land), the vast majority of

sentient beings still struggle to uphold basic moral rules, so

they are far away from cultivating the skills that are necessary

to attain Buddhahood on their own, that is way the Pure Land

Dharma Door is of vital importance for all beings.

35

Amitabha Buddha’s vows and power can be compared to a

great ship that helps all beings that are struggling to swim in

the dangerous seas of the six realms of reincarnation.

If we get on board Amitabha Buddha’s Ship we will easily

cross the six realms of samsaric existence and get to the other

shore of Nirvana, whereas if we try to swim by ourselves we

have a high probability to remain trapped in the cycle of

reincarnation as the vast majority of sentient beings are not

spiritual prodigies but common ordinary beings that still

struggle with basic issues that often prevent them from

attaining favorable births in samsara.

The Pure Land Path has been practiced by many great

masters throughout history with outstanding results. It is

also a path that can be easily practiced by people from all

walks of life and it can be equally effective. These are some of

the many reasons why many great Mahayana Buddhist

Masters such as Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Huiyuan, Chi-I,

Huiyuan and Shandao were devotees of Amitabha Buddha

and wished to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.

Even for great Buddhist masters and practitioners from the

past, the path towards final Buddhahood remained a longterm

challenge as many difficulties may come up along the

way, so, in order to ensure their future attainment of

Supreme Enlightenment/Buddhahood these great masters,

(who were outstanding meditation practitioners and great

Buddhist scholars) recognized that they still needed to learn

a lot more in order to complete their training in the Buddha-

Dharma. The academy they chose and recommended to all of

their disciples was Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, which is

praised by all Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas in all

universes.

36

Shakyamuni Buddha himself insisted many times that even

if we practice very hard in one lifetime this might not be

enough, so he highly recommended that all beings be born in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land in order for all of us to be

secure, away from the dangers of samsaric existence and on

a safe path towards Buddhahood.

Many great masters from many Buddhist lineages have been

born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, often in a miraculous

and noble ways.

There are also thousands upon thousands of cases of ordinary

farmers, monks and nuns who have also been born in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land often predicting the exact

moment of their physical death and displaying similar

transcendental manifestations (such as aromas, holy sounds

and lights) that are associated to the direct presence of

Amitabha Buddha and Great Bodhisattvas.

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land are a vivid reality in

many parts of Asia such as China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam,

and to this very day hundreds of similar reports confirming

Amitabha Buddha’s compassion and power still happen

nowadays.

37

Part III

True Cases of Rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land

Amitabha Buddha is real and His

Pure Land is also a reality. The

Pure Land path is a time-tested

method that has helped

thousands upon thousands of

people to attain liberation from

samsara in a single lifetime.

Many beings have experienced

the profound power of Amitabha

Buddha. Amitabha Buddha’s

power has caused many

marvelous manifestations of light, aromas and mass visions

that have been witnessed by many people throughout

history. One of the outstanding results of a deep practice of

the Pure Land method is to accurately predict the day and

hour of your physical death as we will see in the following

examples of true cases of rebirth.

There are literally hundreds of documented cases of

auspicious rebirths in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land in the

1600 years in which the Pure Land path has been practiced in

China.

There have also been many cases in Vietnam, Japan,

Mongolia and Tibet. The following are some representative

cases in China.

38

The famous case of Master Haixian (2013, Henan province,

China) 1

In Henan province, China, in 2013

lived a humble monk called Haixian

(1901-2013). The 112-year-old monk

lived in a humble temple where he

devoted 92 years of his life to the sole

practice of Nianfo (Chanting

Amitabha Buddha’s Name). Master

Haixian was known by Master Chin

Kung, a famous Pure Land Master

that to this date (2021) is still

spreading the Buddha-Dharma

worldwide, and he attested to Master

Haixian’s great piety. He came from a very poor Buddhist

family. His family could not afford to send him to school so

he became a monk in the local Temple. He was instructed by

his Master to just recite the name of Amitabha Buddha all the

time.

The young monk accepted this advice and devoted the next

92 years of his life to the same practice. Everybody in the area

knew that there lived an old monk who just practiced Nianfo

all the time and worked in the fields all day. Even when as

112 year old man, many people witnessed how Master

Haixian could still work and did not need anyone to take care

1 The rebirth case of Master Haixian summarized by Jiawen.’s Pure Land

Buddhism YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr_QVAcqTdo&list=PL-

RSgVFbZXSycbQdFZ-poQcVMGNPa41nc

39

of him. He just worked, took care of the house and practiced

Nianfo on his own all the time.

Suddenly he told a close friend: “I saw Amitabha Buddha two

days ago and He told me he would come and pick me up in one

month”, his friend was surprised.

During that last month Master Haixian behaved in a singular

way by working more than usual. He cleaned the roads near

his house and removed plants and corn leaves from the rural

area. Nobody knew why a 112-year-old would be exerting

himself at this point in his life so some people came to help

him on his task.

Five days before he passed away Master Haixian broke an old

wall and put some bricks on a corner where one his disciples

wanted to build a stupa (Buddhist monument) for his old

Dharma teacher.

This is a sign of humbleness as Master Haixian did not want

anybody to spend money for him so he broke an old wall

himself and put the bricks for his own stupa. It is said Master

Haixian visited many old friends and relatives and he said

goodbye to all of them as he was confident that Amitabha

Buddha would come for him soon to take him to the Pure

Land. In one of the last Interviews the old monk gave, some

Buddhist friends asked him.

“Don’t you want someone to help you to practice Nianfo in

your final moments?”

He answered. “No. I don’t need that. That is for people who

still don’t believe so they need help to awaken faith and

vows, but if one believes you can go (to the Pure Land) on

your own.” He also said:

40

“If you practice well in this life your consciousness will

become a Buddha in the next life and other people will see

that”

Master Haixian was talking about the long tradition of the

Pure Land path that has thousands of practitioners who have

gone to the Pure Land at will, often inviting people to their

houses, saying farewell and joyfully and willingly

abandoning their physical body without any discomfort.

He said that his own mother was a very good Buddhist

practitioner; she was a vegetarian since she was very young.

One day she told him that she would leave to the Pure Land

so she cooked some food for his sisters and him. She asked

him to call everyone to her house so that she could say

goodbye. His mother passed away peacefully chanting

Nianfo.

One-day Master Haixian came and practiced Nianfo for

longer than usual in a loud and solemn voice, which caught

the attention of one of his disciples. His disciple came to his

room and saw how Master Haixian had already passed away

peacefully as he was sitting.

His face looked radiant and many witnessed how his face

looked way younger than before, as black hair replaced his

usual white eyebrows. Many people from the region came to

his funeral service and chanted Nianfo. His disciples touched

his body and realized it was extraordinarily soft and flexible.

His skin looked bright and his face looked peaceful.

(Something that is time and time again reported in this cases).

Then many of his friends and disciples understood why he

had cleaned the road some days before and why he had

41

broken the old wall to get some bricks for his own

monument. “Master Haixian had it all planned” this is what

everyone realized, so they felt inspired by his noble example

and single-minded practiced Nianfo seeking rebirth in the

Western Pure Land.

His body was then put in lotus-meditation position (inside a

ceremonial jar that symbolizes longevity) in a stupa (a

Buddhist monument) so that people could pay their respects

to Master Haixian.

The famous case of Master Juxing: (1925) 2

Master Juxing’s case is a wonderful

testimony to the power of Amitabha

Buddha-

The story begins in a mountain

monastery administered by the

famous master Xuyun (Empty

Cloud) around the 1920’S in China.

Master Xuyun (1840-1959) was a

renowned Chinese master of Chan

Buddhism, who lived to be almost

120 years old. His considered to be a

master who attained high degrees of spiritual development

in the Buddha-Dharma.

2 Zhang Chuoxian, “Juxing dashi xingye ji 具行大事行業記 [Record of the

Passing Away of Master Juxing],” Foyin, v. 1, no. 10-12 (1925), in MFQ 145:

473-474. (Account of this extraordinary event in Master Xuyun’s

biography) Cen Xuelü 岑學呂 ed, Xuyun fashi nianpu 虛雲法師年譜 [The

Chronicle of Master Xuyun] (Beijing: Zongjiao wenhua chubanshe, 1995),

59-61.

42

A’bian was very poor householder who prowled around the

outskirts of the temple seeking refuge as he did not have a

fixed place of residence. A’bian had a family of eight

members, (wife and children) and he insisted so much that

Venerable Xuyun agreed to give this family the opportunity

to stay on the temple grounds in a cabin near the mountain

behind the main building.

In time A’bian expressed his wish to Master Xuyun to become

a monk. However, he confessed that he could neither read

nor write and that he lacked any deep knowledge about the

Dharma. A’bian then became one more monk in the temple

and received the Dharma name of Juxing. Eventually all eight

members of his family also entered the monastery and lived

a monastic life as nuns and monks.

Juxing was very quiet and in fact it was said that he was

almost deaf. People used to ignore him because he did not

speak and did not usually listen. Due to his humility Juxing

used to take on minor temple tasks like cleaning and cooking,

it was said that he did nothing but working in the temple.

Master Xuyun not only taught Chan but also the practice of

the recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name (Nianfo).

This is a common practice throughout China where all

Mahayana Buddhists, regardless of whether they meditate or

do other miscellaneous practices, all have great devotion and

respect for Amitabha Buddha. Master Xuyun recommended

to Juxing that he should recite “Namo of Amitabha Buddha”

(Namo Amituofo) all day long and focus on nothing except

wishing be born in the Pure Land with the Nianfo as his main

practice.

Juxing, who lacked a complicated mind and spent his time

working all day, accepted Venerable Xuyun’s advice and it

43

was said he only chanted Nianfo all day long without

stopping as he did all the temple chores. From morning sun

until moonlight, Juxing did nothing but work and Nianfo.

Then Master Xuyun told Juxing to go on a trip to learn from

the great masters of China. Although Juxing did not want to

leave, he finally agreed and went out to live in various

monasteries and learn from other teachers.

Five years went by and Master Xuyun (who played a great

role in the expansion and strengthening of Chinese

Buddhism in the 20th century) was constructing a new

temple. Juxing found out about this and after his long journey

of several years, he returned and greeted the Master.

Venerable Xuyun asked him. "Did you learn new things on

your trip to other temples?" But Juxing replied “No Master

(Shifu), everything is basically the same as before. I only

practice Nianfo and seek to be born in the Pure Land. I didn't

learn much”

Then Juxing returned to live in the same temple with Master

Xuyun and continued as usual working in the temple doing

all kinds of basic tasks and saying practicing Nianfo nonstop.

Master Xuyun realized that Juxing already knew how to read

and write, and in fact he already recited sutras fluently. After

reciting he would bow down to the sutras and do many

prostrations. Xuyun was pleased to see Juxing's

advancement, devotion, and humility. Master Xuyun

44

cordially invited Juxing to a refuge ceremony 3 to give a

Dharma sermon to the new monks and told everyone that he

really knew nothing but to say the Name of Amitabha

Buddha (Nianfo) with faith and aspiring to be born in the

Pure Land and that was what his whole life consisted of, so

he said nothing more.

This left everyone somewhat surprised. It is said in a report

that Master Juxing suddenly sold all his belongings and used

the funds to provide a vegetarian feast for Buddhist monks

and nuns, and also lay followers.

One day Juxing said to Xuyun "I would like to stay tonight in

the backyard and take care of it here" His Master understood

the hidden message behind his words. Juxing was going to

seek rebirth to the Pure Land. Then the Master said “Do what

you must do. I will be here to help you if you need it. ” So it

is said that during that day when Juxing sat in meditation

outside the temple building, many farmers from that area

reported a tremendous flash of white light across the whole

sky.

The commotion was so great that many thought that the

temple was on fire or that it was some sort of extraordinary.

Nobody understood the cause of this white which light lit up

the entire sky in the area. "What the heck was that?" many

wondered this and discovered that the light came from the

courtyard where Juxing was sitting in meditation (focusing

on Amitabha Buddha’s name).

3 Where people take refuge in the Three Jewels, Buddha Dharma and

Sangha

45

They found him in the lotus posture meditating and wearing

his monk's robe. He seemed to be sleeping. When Master

Xuyun entered and reached the courtyard, Master Xuyun

exclaimed “Please don't touch the body! If you do, it will turn

into ashes. Juxing has used the fire of samādhi 4 to burn his

body from the inside out” (a great spiritual achievement of

mental and physical control).

Many who approached Master Juxing’s body were surprised

to see that if one looked in more detail, the shoes and robes

in which he was sitting were already completely burned. Yet

in some mysterious way his entire body was still

miraculously held in his lotus posture and his body seemed

intact externally.

Many were the reporters, monks, and people of the town who

came by to witness this miraculous event. Due to Master

Xuyun’s, they knew that if the master had this disciple then

it was something reliable and real. Master Xuyun himself was

all along in deep prayer trying to spiritually accompany

Juxing in his meditation to go to the Pure Land and it is said

that he noticed how his entire body raised its internal

temperature to the point of burning his whole body from the

inside out. Master Xuyun knew this even before everyone

realized it.

The powerful white light that Master Xuyun noticed and

everyone in the town witnessed signaled that Juxing had

4 Samadhi is a state of profound meditative absorption/concentration.

Some of this states of Samadhi can bring spiritual powers (Siddhis)

according to the Buddha-Dharma. In the case of Master Juxing this

profound Samadhi was caused by his devotion for Amitabha Buddha and

his diligent Nianfo practice.

46

already been successful and had gone to the Pure Land in a

masterful way.

Once all the newspaper reporters had taken their photos and

notes and all the locals had satisfied their curiosity, Master

Xuyun rang a bell three times next to Master Juxing’s head.

Just before that he said “We are very grateful Master Juxing,

thank you very much for your great demonstration, now you

can go.” Once the third blow of the bell was over, Master

Juxing’s body began to vibrate, it subsequently pulverized

and only ashes remained.

Then Master Xuyun bowed deeply to Master Juxing and

humbly admitted that Master Juxing had already surpassed

him in the practice of the Buddha Dharma and showed his

great gratitude by bowing to Master Juxing. Dozens of people

witnessed this, monks, lay Buddhist followers and also just

curious villagers from the sector. This was popular news

throughout China at that time (1925).

After this event, many people began to seek rebirth in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land and to practice Nianfo with

fervent devotion as they were inspired by this miraculous

event. These types of events are not unique in Buddhism’s

vast history of supernatural events, nevertheless this was a

superb demonstration of spiritual mastery by a person who

devoted his whole religious life to the practice of Nianfo

(Recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name).

Other disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha are said to have

burned their bodies in the end as to express the

impermanence of life and to give a final demonstration of

spiritual mastery over mind and body in order to awaken

faith and diligent practice in the Sangha. This is one of those

47

cases when even the most skeptical person has to wonder

“what happened here?”, some would call it “paranormal

phenomena” but in reality is just the extraordinary power of

Amitabha Buddha and His name.

The great rebirth cases of the Pure Land Patriarchs:

The famous case of Master Huiyuan,

the first Patriarch of the Chinese Pure

Land School (334-416 CE):

Master Huiyuan was a great Buddhist

Master who spread the Pure Land Path

far and wide in China. He led 123

practitioners to Mount Lu, where they all practiced together

to attain birth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.

It is said that Master Huiyuan was able to attain birth

sitting in lotus posture (meditation position) consciously

and willingly. There were also great manifestations of

light, holy music and exquisite aromas related to Amitabha

Buddha.

The case of Master Shandao, the second Patriarch of the

Chinese Pure Land School: (613-681 CE):

Master Shandao was a great

Buddhist Master who spread

the Pure Land teaching and

popularized it in an

unprecedented way.

He led an impeccable moral

and spiritual life, he never broke his monastic precepts, he

restored pagodas, temples, copied thousands of copies of the

Pure Land Sutras, was also skilled in the art and science of

48

building temples and was a great religious painter as well,

having painted Pure Land sceneries many times in various

locations.

In the year 681, in March Master Shandao was in his Temple

called Bright Light Temple. It was so named because Master

Shandao was famous for emitting light from his mouth when

he recited Amitabha Buddha’s name so the emperor built a

temple for him to spread the Pure Land Teachings and to

draw beautiful Pure Land paintings.

One day he suddenly told the workers who were helping him

to hurry up and finish soon, and when asked why, he said

I'm going to seek rebirth (in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land) soon,

just stay for 2 or 3 more nights. The 14th day of the 3rd Lunar

month he showed a mild illness, and closed his door. He then

sought rebirth to Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land peacefully

at the age of 69.

His disciples and friends found out his body was completely

soft, his facial expression seemed like usual, and many

wonderful and miraculous events were experienced by many

like divine music and wonderful fragrances that are

commonly associated with Amitabha Buddha’s presence.

Master Shandao went to the Pure Land exactly when he

wished and there were many similar indications of

Amitabha Buddha’s presence that mirror Master Huiyuan’s

rebirth case and those of other great practitioners and

patriarchs.

We carefully study these various cases we can see these

common elements:

49

1. They Knew exactly when and how they would go to

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land

2. They were all free from suffering and doubt when

they faced death

3. Their passing was accompanied by transcendental

manifestations of lights, mass visions and/or holy

sounds related to Amitabha Buddha that were

witnessed by many people.

These are only brief examples from thousands upon

thousands of cases that have happened in China alone. These

include the 13 Patriarchs of the Chinese Pure Land School,

many other Mahayana and Vajrayana masters from other

Buddhist Schools and common people like farmers and

housewives.

There are also many similar cases in Japan, Korea, Tibet,

Mongolia and Vietnam. For instance the famous case of Jigme

Phuntsok Rinpoche (1933-2004), a famous Tibetan Master

from the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism who was also

born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land as witnessed by many

of his disciples. 5

This shows that the Pure Land Path is not only for those who

formally follow the Pure Land School but for all Buddhists

who want to ensure their swift advancement towards

Buddhahood in their next life. Many great Mahayana and

Vajrayana masters from the Chan, Tiantai, Shingon and the

Vajrayana lineages have sought rebirth to Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land thus setting an example for all disciples.

This proves the universality and effectiveness of the Pure

5

A great summary of this case:

https://youtu.be/T3MPVBO37v8

50

Land Path throughout centuries of similar reports and

testimonies throughout the centuries.

We must bear in mind that it is not necessary to have these

lofty manifestations to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure

Land. Many beings demonstrate more subtle signs like peace

of mind, confidence and even joy in their deathbed, so we

should not get attached to these transcendental phenomena.

As we will explain in the next section the only requirement

to be born in the Western Pure Land is just Nianfo

(recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name) faith and a sincere

wish to be born there.

These great cases are just being shared to proof the literal

existence of Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land and to

encourage students to practice diligently. These cases are

certainly moving and inspiring for all students of Pure Land

Buddhism because they express the full scope of Amitabha

Buddha’s power and when great practice, faith and vows

exist in a practitioner’s heart and mind.

There are dozens videos in this playlist 6 of famous true

rebirth cases that you can see in which you can notice the

great similarities related to the previous examples we

mentioned above.

Amitabha Buddha is real, the Pure Land is real, and the

possibility for all beings being born there safely and

6 True rebirth cases playlist, Pure Land Buddhism YouTube Channel. 41

videos on famous cases (so far).

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-RSgVFbZXSycbQdFZpoQcVMGNPa41nc

51

quickly is real too. But even if we read millions of these cases,

which would not be enough if we did not practice.

In the same way that a fruit is only fully known by tasting

and eating it, the wonderful blessings and joyful spiritual

connection experienced through Nianfo can only be

experienced if we practice, by opening our mouth and

saying "Namo Amitabha Buddha", entrusting ourselves

wholeheartedly to Amitabha Buddha and sincerely

wishing to be born in His Pure Land after physical death.

Even if we still have doubts, Amitabha's compassion is so

great that He always manifests himself in many different

ways in our lives and makes us aware of his subtle and

powerful presence; so we just need to be sincere and

dedicated.

Once we experience Amitabha Buddha’s Life and Light, all

doubts will vanish like mirages and we simply enjoy our

personal relationship with Amitabha Buddha from then on.

52

Part IV

The Way to be Reborn in the Pure Land

According to the Chinese Pure Land

School beings can be born in

Amitabha Buddha if the meet three

essential criteria which are called the

Three Provisions. These are: Faith,

Vows and Practice.

Faith: is to have faith in Amitabha

Buddha, in His Pure Land and in the

fact he has the power to take us there

after this present life ends. It also

includes faith in the general

Mahayana Buddhist teachings and in the fact we cannot rely

on our self-power to attain Enlightenment and that we

certainly need Amitabha Buddha’s help to exit the cycle of

reincarnation and eventually attain Buddhahood in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.

Vow: It is the sincere wish and aspiration to be born in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land after death.

Practice: This practice is Nianfo, which is to recite or chant

Amitabha Buddha’s Name, Namo Amitabha Buddha (in

Sanskrit)/Namo Amituofo (in Chinese). This recitation can

be done mentally or out loud and can be practiced anytime

and anywhere we are so it is quite a simple and yet profound

and powerful practice.

53

The Chinese Pure Land Masters often compare the Three

Provisions to a three legged chair in that all three are

provisions are important for our cultivation of the Pure

Land Path. We cannot stress one provision over another.

Faith is important in order to wish to be born in Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land, but this wish and these faith would be

shallow without proper Nianfo practice (recitation of

Amitabha Buddha’s Name).

Our recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name is important but

without vow (a sincere wish to be born in Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land after death) then it would be impossible

to be attain rebirth.

So, as we can see all the Three Provisions are to be understood

as a whole because they support and strengthen each other.

The more we practice Nianfo the more our faith can be

nourished and grow, and the more our faith grows the

stronger our determination to be born in the Pure Land will

be. In turn, the stronger our determination to be born in the

Pure Land (Vow) the stronger our Nianfo practice will be.

As Pure Land Buddhists it is important to have the clear goal

of being born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land. So, whatever

meritorious action we do (practicing generosity, reciting

sutras, studying the Buddha-Dharma, making offerings to

the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas…etc) we should dedicate all

the accrued merits towards birth in the Pure Land. Doing

meritorious actions (like trying to cultivate the six paramitas

and the ten meritorious actions taught in the Buddha-

Dharma) are actions that help our minds and hearts to

resonate in the same frequency of the Buddhas, which is a

frequency of peace, compassion and wisdom.

The more we practice meritorious actions the more our

Buddha Nature will be strengthened. However, to exit the

54

cycle of reincarnation we must also rely on Amitabha

Buddha’s power as it is quite difficult to purify all the mental

poisons by relying just on our individual capacities.

Even monks and nuns who have abandoned all worldly

concerns tend to struggle to advance towards final liberation

by relying on their own efforts, what to say then of ordinary

beings who have not abandoned worldly concerns and

remain influenced by many obstacles that hinder our

spiritual progress?

Samsara generates endless problems for Dharma

practitioners therefore even if we manage to advance on the

path towards Buddhahood there is the possibility to fall back

into the six realms due to the strength of our usual karmic

tendencies that have been accumulated over countless past

lives in samsara. Then we could get caught in the six realms

again and forget everything we learned in a next life if we are

careless.

It is taught in the sutras that even great Bodhisattvas that are

very close to final Buddhahood must still rely on the

assistance that Buddhas provide, especially Amitabha

Buddha’s help. Many of these great Bodhisattvas like

Samantabhadra, Manjushri and Mahasthamaprapta (among

many others) have vowed to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s

Pure Land due to the great benefits this enlightened realm

provides for all beings.

We should not be confused by complicated practices that do

not solve the great problem of birth and death and focus our

Dharma practice around the Three Provisions (faith, vow and

Nianfo Practice). We are encouraged to read the sutras and

cultivate wisdom and compassion in our daily lives as any

other Mahayana Buddhist path, however, in Pure Land

Buddhism we recognize that in order for our practice to be

55

successful we need the assistance of Amitabha Buddha in

order to be born in the Pure Land.

In that way our future will be in the best hands possible and

we will surely advance towards Enlightenment in this life

and the next.

The Pure Land method is different from other schools that

solely rely on self-power as the decisive factor. In this path

the vows of Amitabha Buddha who, promised to help all

sentient beings who sincerely wish to be born in his Pure

Land, practice Nianfo (Recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s

Name) and have faith in him, are a crucial factor that allows

us to attain liberation.

This could be compared to traveling by airplane vs traveling

on foot. If we want to get to a distant country on foot it will

be quite a troublesome journey, on the other hand if we travel

by airplane we will get to our destination briefly and

comfortably. This is similar to the Pure Land Path which

strongly relies on Amitabha Buddha’s power.

However, we do need to buy the ticket and get to the airport

on time, this means that we need to walk the Pure Land Path

which is based on the Three Provisions: Faith, Vow and

Nianfo Practice. Amitabha Buddha helps us but we need to

also practice, have faith and the sincere aspiration to be born

in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land

Recommendations to strengthen our Three Provisions.

(Faith, Vow and Nianfo Practice)

1. Study the Five Pure Land Sutras with a good Dharma

Teacher. Or read good books on them by qualified

and recognized Dharma Masters.

2. Practice Nianfo diligently in your daily life

56

3. Study the hundreds of true rebirth cases that have

happened throughout history and still happen to this

day.

4. Try your best to live a moral live based on wisdom

and compassion to the best of your ability as this

increases your karmic connections with the Buddhas

and your own Buddha nature.

5. Study the general Buddhist teachings on karma,

rebirth and samsara in order to awaken a sincere

aspiration to overcome suffering and attain

Buddhahood for your own sake and the benefit of all

sentient beings.

57

Part V

The Nine Grades of Rebirth

There are Nine Grades of Rebirth in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land

according to Shakyamuni Buddha

as explained in the Visualization

Sutra (one of the most important

sutras from the Five Pure Land

Sutras). These grades can in turn be

divided into three groups.

The higher grade, the middle

grade and the lower grade. Each

grade is divided into three levels.

The higher the grade and level the

more karmic affinity one has with

the Amitabha Buddha and all great Bodhisattvas, and the

lower the grade and level the weaker this affinity is.

Amitabha Buddha takes all beings to His Pure Land

regardless of their spiritual development if and only if they

have the Three Provisions, namely, Faith, Vow and Nianfo

Practice. Depending on the individual level of cultivation a

being advances quickly or more slowly once he is born in


For instance if a person has the three provisions and on top

of that she is compassionate, virtuous, has awakened

Bodhiccita (the Bodhi Heart, the heart that wants to attain

Enlightenment for the sake of all beings) and knows many

Mahayana Sutras perfectly then once she is born in the Pure

Land, the level of attainment is higher than a person that has

the Three Provisions but still lacks Bodhiccita and violates the

moral precepts constantly. Both types of beings are born in

58

the Western Pure Land and are assured of attaining

Supreme enlightenment in the future, however, the higher

one’s Bodhiccita and knowledge of the Mahayana path, the

more rapidly one will be benefited by the full scope of the

spiritual blessings that are found in the Western Pure Land.

The Three Levels of the Higher Grade have the Bodhi Heart

(Bodhiccita) in an admiration for the teachings of the larger

Mahayana sutras (that talk about the Bodhisattva Path) as a

common denominator. These beings attain a high level in the

path of the Bodhisattva not long after they are born in the

Pure Land, so they are quite close to final Buddhahood

almost in no time.

The Three Levels of the Middle Grade have the practice of

moral precepts in common. These are practitioners who

dedicate their upholding of the moral precepts to be born in

the Pure Land. They still lack Bodhiccita and knowledge of

the Mahayana Path so once they are born in the Pure Land

they attain Arahatship (which is the first level of liberated

beings.

They still lack the Bodhi Heart and are not Buddhas yet) but

they take some time to adapt their minds to the Bodhisattva

Path. Once they overcome their attachment to their former

practices they awaken Bodhiccita (the heart that wants to

liberate all beings from suffering) and attain the first Bhumi

(level or ground) in the Bodhisattva path. Then they start to

walk the path towards Buddhahood just like the higher

grades.

The Three Levels of the Lower Grade not only lack

Bodhiccita but also lack proper conduct based on the

Buddhist moral precepts. These beings do evil deeds all their

lives. The lower the grade the more evil they do. The lowest

level commits the worst possible acts one can commit (raping

59

a nun, destroying Buddhist monuments, killing an Arahat,

trying to harm a Buddha or Bodhisattva, killing one’s own

parents. Etc).

However these beings have the good karma (from previous

lives of cultivation) to find a good spiritual advisor or friend

who encourages them to say Amitabha Buddha’s Name, tells

them about Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land and mentions the

tittles of the Mahayana sutras.

These beings then awaken faith, and practice Nianfo with a

sincere aspiration to be born in the Western Pure Land and

are able to be born there.

Once they are born there it takes several kalpas for their lotus

to open, but when it does they are taught the Buddha-

Dharma by Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta and so

they awaken Bodhiccita easily as they did not have any

formal practice in their previous life. They are like a blank

sheet of paper (as it were).

The fact that beings with such heavy evil karma can be born

in the Pure Land should not be interpreted as an excuse to

do evil in this life.

This point is extremely important. If these beings with such

a heavy karma could find themselves in the situation of

being helped by a good and wise teacher at exactly the

moment they needed to be born in the Pure Land is not due

to random circumstances but due to their good roots (good

karma) from previous lives.

It would be fair to say that the vast majority of sentient beings

who have created evil karma throughout their whole lives are

not born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land and even if they

find a good spiritual teacher it would be very hard for all of

them to be easily born in the Pure Land.

60

So according to the Pure Land sutras and the teachings of all

the Pure Land Patriarchs, we must do our best to cultivate

good karma, develop wisdom and compassion as soon as

possible in order to foster our karmic affinities with

Amitabha Buddha and the great Bodhisattvas.

If we awaken Bodhiccita and do our very best to cultivate our

Three Provisions (Faith, Vows and Practice) in our daily lives

then we will be easily be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure

Land as our hearts and minds will resonate with the

enlightened energy of Amitabha Buddha.

All patriarchs insist on the fact we should not be lax in our

practice and aspire to be born in the lower grades but

actually we should do our best to practice Nianfo

wholeheartedly by awakening Bodhiccita and cultivating

wisdom in the process if possible.

So we should not aim low but aim high in our spiritual

practice. We should aspire to be born in the highest grade

possible in order to advance swiftly towards Supreme

Buddhahood once we are finally born in Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land.

If our Three Provisions are strong then the process of dying

won’t be so painful, it could actually become a celebration of

our certain birth in the Pure Land, like being reunited with

an old friend we love. If we have diligently practiced Nianfo

during life (with faith and vow) then our final moments in

this world will be full with confidence and joy.

61

Part VI

The Chinese Pure Land School

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have

innumerable skillful means to teach

sentient beings because the ways in

which beings learn the Dharma are

different (due to their particular

talents and karmic hindrances).

However we must not forget that all

Dharma Paths have the same goal

which is Supreme Buddhahood. The

methods may differ but the goal is the

same.

This general principle also applies to the Dharma methods

focused on Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land as there

have been several schools that have adapted the Pure Land

teachings for the benefit of sentient beings in particular

circumstances.

There are several Pure Land lineages that flourished in Japan

like the Jodo Shu School and the Jodo Shinshu School. The

founder of the Jodo Shu School was Honen Shonin (1133-1212

CE) and his disciple Shinran Shonin (1173-1263 CE) was the

founder of the Jodo Shinshu School.

Honen Shonin emphasized the practice of Nembutsu

(Japanese for Nianfo) to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure

Land. He taught all kinds of people from monarchs to

peasants during a particularly troublesome time in Japan

filled with the horrors of war, conflict and famine.

Honen Shonin simplified the teachings of Master Shandao,

the second Patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land School. When

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he read a passage from one of Master Shandao’s works (the

commentary on the Visualization Sutra). Honen felt inspired

to devote his entire life to the practice of Nembutsu. Shinran

Shonin, one of Honen’s disciples, stressed the concept of faith

(Shinjin) as the assurance of salvation in this life and rejected

all notion of personal merits or merit transfer to attain birth

in the Western Pure Land.

Neither Honen nor Shinran stressed the teaching on the Nine

Grades of Rebirth, (although they did mention it in their

commentaries and in some of their sermons) as their teaching

style was simplified for the benefit of sentient beings. They

focused on Nembutsu/Nianfo and the desire to be born in

Amitabha’s Pure Land. Honen stressed Nembutsu/Nianfo

and Shinran stressed Faith (Shinjin) as the key element.

The Shandao Lineage or Pristine Pure Land School has been

also founded in recent years in Taiwan and some parts of

mainland China by a teacher that was heavily influenced by

Honen Shonin’s teachings.

All these lineages have some things in common: 1. they tend

to focus on one aspect of the Pure Land Teachings 2.

Sometimes they focus on one sutra or a limited set of passages

from the Pure Land Sutras 3. They tend to emphasize one of

the Three Provisions 4. They tend to emphasize one of

Amitabha Buddha’s Vows which is the 18 th Vow. So what is

the difference between these newer schools and traditional

Chinese Pure Land Buddhism?

Let’s first mention a few things about the Chinese Pure Land

School. Chinese Pure Land Buddhism is actually the oldest

Pure Land Tradition.

63

The great Master Huiyuan (334-416 CE) is considered the

First Patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land School. He practiced

the Pure Land method with other 123 practitioners with

outstanding results (all of them were born in Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land with auspicious and miraculous signs

the expressed a great spiritual communion with Amitabha

Buddha).

Nowadays Donglin Temple in Mount Lu is one of China’s

most important centers of Buddhist pilgrimage and houses

the biggest Amitabha Buddha statue in the world.

Master Shandao (613-681 CE) is considered the Second

Patriarch and he greatly admired the previous patriarch

Huiyuan. Master Shandao is considered the founder of the

Chinese Pure Land School, however other great masters

before him like Huiyuan, Daochuo and Tan Luan had already

spread the Pure Land Teachings in China. Due to the

accomplishments of these Masters later historians and

masters recognized Master Huiyuan as the First Patriarch

and Master Shandao as the second Patriarch.

Master Shandao summarized and complemented the

teachings of Master Daochuo and Master Tan Luan. He

explained many important elements of the Pure Land

method, like the Nine Grades of Rebirth, (he explained this in

the 4 th Chapter of his famous Commentary on the

Visualization Sutra), and how to attain birth in Amitabha

Buddha’s Pure Land. He quoted passages from many Sutras

and commentaries in his writings.

The Nine Grades of Rebirth is a topic that is seldom discussed

among western Pure Land circles, partly due to the fact that

64

the entirety of Master Shandao’s works have not been

translated into English or other western languages yet.

After Master Shandao 12 more Patriarchs came such as Great

Masters Shaokang (the fifth Patriarch), Yongming (the sixth

Patriarch), Lianchi (the eighth Patriarch), and Ou-I (the ninth

patriarch). They all stressed different aspects of the Pure

Land Path and its connection with general Mahayana

teachings found in great Mahayana sutras such as the

Avatamsaka Sutra and the Surangama Sutra.

All of these patriarchs showed great spiritual power at the

time of their birth in the Pure Land that was often

accompanied by transcendental manifestations of light,

aromas and sounds related to Amitabha Buddha and the

great Bodhisattvas at the exact moment of their physical

death. Master Yin Kuang (1861-1940 CE) the 13 th Patriarch

carried this Pure Land tradition to our modern times which

has produced a vast amount of recorded cases of birth in the

Pure Land that mirror the ones from past centuries.

Devotion for Amitabha Buddha already existed in the old

Mahayana Communities in India, and other places in the

Middle East and Asia where Buddhism was practiced (like

the ancient regions of Gandhara and Kashmir) but the Pure

Land method was not so widely practiced as it was when it

reached China and other Asian countries like Japan and

Vietnam that where benefited by the Chinese School which

influenced the development of Pure Land Buddhism in

several regions in Asia throughout history.

The Chinese school teaches about the harmony and synergy

of all the Three Provisions. Without vows (sincere wish to

be born in the Pure Land) there is no true Nianfo practice.

65

Without true Nianfo practice there is no faith and without

faith there is no vow. So faith, vow and practice mirror and

strengthen each other all the time. This harmony between

the different aspects of the doctrine is also seen in the way the

Chinese Pure Land School understands Amitabha Buddha’s

48 vows.

While the Japanese schools (and other schools influenced

by Japanese Pure Land teachers) emphasize the 18 th Vow,

the Chinese school sees the harmony of all the 48 Vows. The

18 th Vow tells us that all those who recite Amitabha’s Name,

with faith and vows will be born in the Pure Land, even if

they only recite Amitabha’s Name ten times. The

Visualization Sutra also talks about this situation but the

context of this vow is for a person that is about to die, so his

recitation can be powered by a deep necessity to be helped by

Amitabha Buddha at that crucial moment.

Some Japanese Lineages go so far as to say we only need to

say Amitabha Buddha’s name once in our lifetime. They also

separate the 18 th Vow from the rest of the vows. However

from the perspective of the Chinese Pure Land School the 18 th

Vow should be understood in the context of all the Pure Land

Sutras and the Rebirth Treatise of Master Vasubandhu.

The Chinese Pure Land School focuses on the Five Pure Land

Sutras: the Infinite Life Sutra, the Visualization Sutra, the

Amitabha Sutra, the 40 th Chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra:

The Great Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra

and a passage from the Surangama Sutra

“Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva’s Mindfulness of Amitabha

Buddha to Universally Realize Samadhi”. In addition to this

five sacred texts we also study the Rebirth Treatise of

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, one of the great Mahayana

66

Masters in history, who wrote this comprehensive

commentary on the different ways to gain rebirth in


So as you can see, the Chinese Pure Land School does not

look at only one sutra but to these six central texts and

actually complements these teachings with the other sutras

and treatises in the Chinese Canon (collection of Sutras and

commentaries) which has more than 290 sutras that mention

Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land. Among these 290

sutras the Five Pure Land Sutras and Vasubandhu’s Treatise

were chosen by the Pure Land Masters as the most vital and

important writings for Pure Land practitioners. If we

thoroughly study these texts we will understand everything

there is to know about the Pure Land Dharma Door.

The vows that mention how to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s

Pure Land are also understood as working together. The 19 th

Vow expresses the importance of making offerings to

Amitabha Buddha and dedicating all merits from virtuous

actions and Buddhist practices towards future birth in the

Pure Land.

The 20 th Vow talks about the importance of practicing Nianfo

in a diligent way and to focus our minds constantly on

Amitabha Buddha during life. So as we can see the 18 th , 19 th

and 20 th Vow are not in conflict but in harmony, and they

should be understood in the context of the Five Pure Land

Sutras, the Rebirth Treatise and the general understanding of

general Mahayana Buddhism.

This shows the relationship of the Pure Land School with the

broad picture of general Mahayana teachings that praise the

cultivation of wisdom and compassion. The Chinese Pure

67

Land School encourages Dharma students to cultivate

wisdom and compassion as to energize our three provisions,

in that way the all students are led to attain the highest grade

of birth possible.

Traditional Chinese Pure Land Buddhism encourages us to

uphold the five precepts whereas other lineages tend not to

stress precepts and the cultivation of wisdom and

compassion as they often conceive this as attachment to Jiriki

(Japanese term for self-power/practices based on individual

efforts).

Chinese Pure Land Buddhism does not understand the

practice of Nianfo as exclusively “Other Power” (relying

solely on Amitabha Buddha) or exclusively “Self-Power”

(relying solely on your own merits) but as a skillful

combination of both, so Nianfo is Other Power and Self

Power working together.

In that manner, the Chinese Pure Land School avoids falling

in some extreme interpretations that do not stress our

cultivation of basic virtue, wisdom and compassion.

Amitabha Buddha helps us to be born in His Pure Land but

we must also cultivate our Three Provisions and make an

effort (like any other Buddhist) to purify our mind, speech

and action in order to strengthen our connection with

Amitabha Buddha, and all Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas.

This method of self-power and other power working

together in harmony has produced great results throughout

the history of Pure Land Buddhism in China, so we must

bear in mind that the Chinese Pure Land School is not only

speaking from a theoretical level but from many centuries

of practice and spiritual experiences that have confirmed

68

time and time again the effectiveness of this balanced

method to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land. The

vast amount of confirmed and documented rebirth cases in

China alone is solid proof of the effectiveness of this

method. (As explained in Part III)

The tendency to simplify the teachings in the Japanese

Schools must be properly understood as skillful means to

help beings in dire moral situations who might feel

discouraged to practice the Dharma if they found they could

not practice morality, so at least they practice Nianfo and

have a chance to be born in the Pure Land, nevertheless the

precepts are of vital importance for all Buddhists regardless

of the Dharma Method they choose to practice.

The Japanese schools interpret Amitabha’s 18 th Vow as being

completely “Other Power” (Tariki in Japanese), in other

words Amitabha Buddha does everything for us and we need

only to rely on His power. In the Chinese Pure Land School

we talk acknowledge Amitabha’s power but we also cultivate

our own practice, so as we have explained, it is a balance

between Amitabha’s power and our own spiritual cultivation

which is assisted by Amitabha.

Shakyamuni Buddha clearly states in many sutras, including

the Pure Land Sutras, that upholding moral precepts,

cultivating wisdom and compassion, and studying and

reciting the Mahayana sutras is of paramount importance for

all Buddhists, including those who practice the Pure Land

method. Even if we have problems trying to do this, it does

not mean we cannot try to be the best Buddhists we can be so

that we can attain a higher level of rebirth in the Pure Land

by cultivating Bodhiccita (the Bodhi heart), wisdom and

morality.

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The teaching on the Nine Grades of Rebirth is of

paramount importance in Chinese Pure Land Buddhism,

this is truer than ever nowadays because this important

teaching found in the Visualization Sutra (one of the Five

Pure Land Sutras) is rarely mentioned outside Chinese Pure

Land Buddhism in detail.

Once this teaching on the Nine Grades is properly

understood in the context of the Five Pure Land Sutras and

the commentaries of the great Masters from the past it will be

clear that there is a balance between self-effort and the

external help that Amitabha Buddha offers us.

Amitabha’s help is great as He offers all beings a good

environment to practice and swiftly advance towards final

Buddhahood, however beings advance at different speeds

according to their previous level of spiritual cultivation

before they are born in the Pure Land. This is clear when we

read several passages from the Infinite Life Sutra and the

Visualization Sutra (among many other Mahayana Sutras)

that talk about this.

So, even if a criminal can be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure

Land the fact he finds a good spiritual friend that helps him

to awaken the three provisions (Faith, Vow and Practice) is

due to very good karma from past lives.

We have to admit that it would be almost impossible for the

vast majority of beings to encounter such a beneficial

situation at the end of one’s life if evil karma has been the

dominant factor in one’s mind during many years and one

has not cultivated the Three Provisions during life.

Cultivating the Three Provisions should be done in balance

70

with other key Dharma elements such as morality, and the

cultivation of wisdom and compassion.

If we lack cultivation of wisdom, compassion and morality

and we practice Nianfo with faith and vows we can still be

born in the Pure Land if we have karmic affinities with

Amitabha Buddha from past lives and if we have cultivated

virtues and merits in previous lives (as mentioned in the

Amitabha Sutra which states that we cannot be born in

Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land without this good karma

from past lives) but if we manage to be born in the Pure Land

we will be born in the lower grades.

On the other hand, if we cultivate the three provisions and

we do our best to practice Nianfo diligently and cultivate

wisdom and compassion, then not only is our birth assured

but we will also be born in the higher grades and we will

attain Buddhahood more rapidly and effectively.

So the Chinese Pure Land School does not forsake moral

precepts, and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion in

order to strengthen our Three Provisions. The Chinese

School promotes a balance and harmony between our own

effort and the help that Amitabha Buddha offers us.

These harmony among the Three Provisions, and the

cultivation of wisdom, compassion and morality is a

distinct feature of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism. Even if

other schools have explained this differently or have adapted

it for the sake of sentient beings, the Chinese school’s

understanding comes directly from the sutras, shastras

(commentaries from ancient Masters and Patriarchs) and the

experience and teaching of the 13 Patriarchs other great

Mahayana masters who have been born in Amitabha

71

Buddha’s Pure Land throughout the centuries. This is a

summary in eight points that differentiate Chinese Pure Land

Buddhism from more recent lineages:

1. The harmony among the 48 Vows (they should be seen as

a whole)

2. The harmony among the Three Provisions (faith, vow and

practice are important and should be understood as a

whole)

3. The harmony among other devotional aspects of the

Mahayana. For instance devotion for Kuan Yin

(Avalokitesvara) and Ksitigharba Bodhisattva (among

other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas) is encouraged as

auxiliary practice that help us to foster our three

provisions. It also provides variety to our practice and can

help beings who like to do many things in their

devotional life.

4. The vast amount of documented rebirth cases that help to

strengthen one’s faith.

5. The importance of the Five Precepts and the cultivation

of wisdom and compassion that links the Pure Land path

with the general Mahayana teachings.

6. Chinese Pure Land Buddhism encourages us to practice

Nianfo for our mental well-being and happiness as well,

as Amitabha Buddha cares for our hearts and minds. We

are also encouraged to seek rebirth in the Pure Land but

this is also balanced with our wish to be good Buddhists

who try to cultivate wisdom, peace and compassion in

our daily lives.

7. The Chinese Pure Land School has a thorough

understanding of the Nine Grades of Rebirth as taught by

Shakyamuni Buddha in the Visualization Sutra

(Amitayurdhyana sutra). This understanding was of

great importance for all the Patriarchs because it

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encourages us to seek rebirth in the Pure Land in the

higher grades which requires that we try to cultivate

wisdom and compassion in our daily lives. Once we are

born in the Pure Land our level of cultivation determines

how fast we attain Buddhahood there, although, even the

lowest grade is assured of Buddhahood eventually. Since

all beings in samsara suffer we must not waste time and

attain Buddhahood as quickly as possible for the benefit

of all beings.

8. The harmony between all the Five Pure Land Sutras.

Chinese Pure Land Buddhism’s understanding on how to

be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is informed by

all the teachings found in the Five Pure Land Sutras and

other great Mahayana Sutras. It does not focus just on one

sutra, one passage, or one teacher’s commentary but

instead it has a universal understanding of all the

teachings recorded in the Five Pure Land Sutras and their

deep relationship to other Mahayana sutras and

doctrines.

We should not belittle the Pure Land Schools that spread in

Japan and elsewhere as these lineages have helped many

people to connect their minds and hearts with Amitabha

Buddha, however we should realize the importance of the

Chinese Pure Land School from the perspective of its

harmony with the general teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.

This traditional school can be of great benefit to many

sentient beings who may want to practice in a comprehensive

path that incorporates all the elements of the Five Pure Land

Sutras and the teachings of all great Mahayana Masters from

the past.

73

Part VII

Methods to practice Nianfo Daily

and Arranging an Altar at Home

How to practice Nianfo? :

Nianfo can be done (and it should be

done) everywhere and at all times. It

is a mistake to think we should only

practice Nianfo when we are in front

of an altar or in a temple. Nianfo is

easily done in all postures: sitting,

lying down, reclined, standing,

walking and even jogging. You can

Nianfo in your own mind and heart

while you sleep, you can Nianfo

while you take a shower (although it

is best to do it mentally to not be disrespectful) or while you

are on the toilet.

If you are doing things that require concentration like

intellectual activities, working or operating machinery it is

best not to Nianfo, but if we are doing activities that don’t

require our full attention like for instance walking in the park

or washing the dishes, taking care of our garden or doing

exercise we can Nianfo at ease. (Out loud or mentally)

Two sessions (one in the morning and other in the evening)

are recommended (although, we can have as many sessions

as we prefer). We should recite a verse of aspiration before

practice in order to foster our faith and vows. There are many

formulas we can use. This one is easy to memorize:

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I vow to become a Buddha in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land of

Utmost Bliss and Peace

May develop the three provisions of faith, vows and practice and in

the future deliver all sentient beings from suffering just like

Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta.

After reciting this prayer then you bow three times in front of

an Amitabha image or statue and start to Nianfo. You can

also do your own variations as long as the idea is the same,

namely, focusing the mind and heart on the goal of attaining

birth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land in order to attain

Buddhahood swiftly and safely.

Once there we will reach the perfection of the Bodhi Heart

and benefit countless sentient beings like all Buddhas in the

10 directions. It is quite important to make this sincere

aspiration formally during our fixed sessions of practice and

also to remember this vow throughout the day while we

Nianfo.

Then at the end of the session you include a dedication of

merits prayer. This is a popular one:

May the merits accrued from this work

Adorn Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land

Repay the four great kindnesses above and

Relieve the suffering in the three paths below 7

May all those who see and hear of these efforts

Generate the Bodhi-Heart,

7 The four kindnesses above are: the kindness of our parents, the kindness

of our teachers, the kindness of the Buddhas, and the kindness of our good

leaders. To alleviate the sufferings, bellow in the three paths is to dedicate

merits as to alleviate the suffering of the three lower realms: hells, hungry

ghosts and animals.

75

dedicate their lives to the Buddha Dharma

and may be born together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

Namo Amitabha Buddha.”

Just say the name of Amitabha Buddha with your voice in a

clear and distinctive way: “Namo Amitabha Buddha” you

can also say it in Chinese “Namo Amituofo” or any other

language, or just “Amituofo/Amitabha Buddha”. You can

say it slowly, or rapidly. The important thing is to engage

the hearing faculty.

You just need to hear your own voice saying the name of

Amitabha Buddha. If random thoughts appear you just carry

own chanting or reciting like you did not notice anything.

Mental recitation is also as effective if done with proper

mindfulness, faith and vows, but pure land masters agree

that oral recitation is quite suitable for the majority of beings

as it energizes body and mind, and it facilitates mindfulness.

All famous Nianfo practitioners from the past have never

neglected their recitations out loud even if they also practiced

mental recitation.

If you are drowsy or sleepy, chanting with a soft voice is not

convenient, so exert yourself and say it out loud and at a good

pace so you can be energized. If on the contrary, you are

agitated it is best you practice Nianfo softly and calmly in a

slow or middle pace. If your voice is not strong or you get

tired easily you can just recite softly or whisper it as you

chant along one of the many Nianfo tracks that are available

online (there are literally millions on YouTube alone).

If you don’t like to sing along a Nianfo track, then recite

following the pace of your own voice and engaging the

76

hearing faculty. You can seat in your formal sessions in a

cushion, on the floor, on a chair or in your bed as long as your

back is straight (if possible) and your body relaxed and alert.

(If you are sick, or unable to use your legs or move your body

at ease then you can still practice Nianfo. Only make sure

your mind is as alert as possible and your body is as

comfortable as possible)

I highly recommend the online sessions that are offered by

the Pure Land Buddhism Online Sangha. It offers 24 hours

Nianfo tracks, and four guided sessions, at dawn, in the

morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening 8 . If you

prefer to practice alone you can also use a bell or a wooden

percussion instrument to accompany your recitation, if this is

not convenient then you can recite quietly or mentally.

The Ten Recitation Method: This method was advocated by

Master Yin Kuang to help us increase our mindfulness of

Amitabha Buddha’s name. There are several ways to do it.

-You can use one breath to say the name of Amitabha Buddha

in one rapid sequence. (1. Inhale deeply ---then you say 2.

Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo,

Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo, Amituofo)

So that sequence of ten Amituofo utterances would count in

this style as one recitation. If you do ten of these it would be

100 recitations. This is a skillful method to increase

mindfulness and the number of recitations at the same time.

(You can also say Amitabha, Namo Amitabha, or your

preferred way to say Amitabha Buddha’s name)

8 https://www.youtube.com/c/PureLandBuddhism

Jiawen also offers sutra classes in English on Pure Land Buddhism and

Mahayana in general for free. I highly recommend this channel and the

kind services it offers to Pure Land followers who don’t speak Chinese.

77

Another way would be to use recitation beads or a Buddhist

mala which consists of 108 beads (they are quite easy to buy

or make in case you don’t have one). You say “Amitabha” (or

your preferred way to say Amitabha’s name) and at the same

time you count one bead by holding it with your fingers

(usually using your thumb and index finger), then you

complete ten beads/recitations.

The idea is to recite clearly with your voice and listening

carefully to each syllable while you count to ten each

recitation must be clearly related to the specific number.

When you reach ten you may either count from ten to one

and then start again from 1 to 10, or you can start counting

again from one to ten. The main point is to eliminate straight

thoughts and have a pure mindfulness of Amitabha

Buddha’s name.

Using numerical sequences: There are other alternatives to

complete ten recitations by using beads.

3-3-4: You count to three twice (you keep reciting

“Amitabha” as before. (1) Amitabha, (2) Amitabha, (3)

Amitabha, and then repeat the sequence. Then you say it four

times (completing ten recitations in total) and you start all

over again. This might seem simple by just reading it but

when you actually try to do it is not so easy for most people

to keep constant mindfulness of the numerical sequences. It

really helps the mind to focus and avoid random thoughts

not related to the simple recitation of Amitabha’s Name.

5-5: You do the same as in the sequence above but divide it

into two sequences of five recitations.

78

Practicing Nianfo in lotus posture and with eyes closed.

If you know how to seat in full lotus posture then you can do

so and Nianfo, you can also seat in the half lotus posture. Put

your right palm over your left palm and touch both thumbs.

Close your eyes and synchronize Nianfo with your breathing.

It can be done like this:

AAAAAAMIIIIIIII (You inhale as you say it) TAAAAA

BAAAAAA (you exhale as you say the last two syllables),

then repeat. It can be done slowly and with a soft voice or

strongly. You can also breath and exhale and repeat the name

of Amitabha Buddha in your mind (It is recommended that

you use the short versions of His Name, Amituofo or

Amitabha).

Even if you don’t chant out loud if you chant mentally your

mind recreates your own voice naturally so you can chant

inside your mind/heart by synchronizing your breath with

Amitabha Buddha’s Name.

We chant or recite Amitabha Buddha’s name as one of our

three provisions, the other two being faith and vows. So we

must never forget our aspiration to be born in the Pure Land

and our faith in Amitabha Buddha’s vows, if we recite and

focus our mind on Amitabha’s name with faith and vows

then our recitation becomes profound and truly meaningful.

I am sharing with you some different ways to practice

Amitabha Buddha recitation, so you can pick and choose

what you find useful, but never forget that regardless of the

method you practice we must do our best to remember to

recite Amitabha’s name in all circumstances of life and also

in formal sessions of recitation.

79

These two factors are decisive for an earnest Pure Land

Practitioner. So be diligent and also enjoy Amitabha’s name

as it is a true miracle. There are so many ways to practice and

enjoy Amitabha Buddha’s presence in your life by chanting

His name so we should indeed practice with a joyful and

sincere heart.

Wearing a bead bracelet and walking around using it to

recite Amitabha Buddha’s Name: There are bracelets made

of 20 or 15 beads (it varies depending on the bracelet). I

highly recommend having them as they help you to Nianfo

a lot. (I have seen many teachers recommend it). You can

wear the bead bracelets all the time and they can be easily

used to Nianfo.

Some 108 bead malas are good for reciting when you are

sitting or in a formal practice session, but small bracelets

made of 20 or 15 beads can be taken anywhere very easily.

You can switch between using them and then putting them

back on your wrist easily as well.

So going to work, walking in the park or just walking around

your neighborhood can be a good opportunity to practice

Nianfo. When you wear beads around your neck or wrist

you will automatically remember to Nianfo more. Even

watching the beads can cause a desire to recite Amitabha’s

name and that is good for our practice.

Hearing Nianfo music is enjoyable and useful for our

practice: We should see positive changes in our daily life

with diligent Nianfo practice. A person’s life is never the

same when the Three Provisions are being earnestly

cultivated, so it is important to create a religious atmosphere

in our life to improve our cultivation of the three provisions.

80

Nianfo is the only addiction that actually helps you. If you

are addicted to toxic substances then they will cloud your

mind and damage your health, but if you become addicted to

the taste of Nianfo with faith and vows then you will become

an Enlightened being in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land and

in the meantime you will live a happy and tranquil life in this

world. Useless thoughts won’t matter to you so much as you

will have Amitabha’s name always close to your lips and

heart as you walk the path that brings you closer to liberation

day by day. What could be better than this?

Listening to Nianfo music frequently creates a good religious

atmosphere in your life and will allow you to enjoy and be

benefited by Amitabha Buddha’s presence in your daily life.

As Master Lianchi the 8 th Patriarch said “Keep your mind on

Amitabha Buddha’s name. And don’t change the subject” or

as a lotus brother put it “Speak less and Nianfo more”. These

are simple yet incredibly powerful advices. My heart

advice is that you chant Nianfo all day and all night long with

deep faith and sincere vows and the blessings will be

unmeasurable. (I say this to myself as well, as I am now

starting to understand why Nianfo cannot be practiced

enough).

How to arrange a Pure Land Altar at home:

There many ways to arrange an altar. The essential elements

of a Pure Land Buddhist Altar are: One main image or statue

of Amitabha Buddha. (Which is at the center of the altar). 1

image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at our right

(Amitabha’s left). And another image of Mahasthamaprapta

Bodhisattva at Amitabha’s right (our left). There are some

images that feature all three holy beings. (The three Western

81

Sages). They should be at the very center of the altar.

Avalokitesvara should be at the left side of Amitabha Buddha

and Mahāsthāmaprāpta at his right side. (In case you choose

to have separate images and then put them together).

The images can be hung. Below you may put a small or

medium sized table where an incense burner may be put, a

candle at one side (or both sides) of the table and some

ornaments like flowers. You may also offer fruits, rice, water,

incense (any product that is free from meat and is not related

to intoxicants or harm to sentient beings) to Amitabha and

the Bodhisattvas if you wish. Make sure you choose images

that you find beautiful and meaningful to you.

There are many Amitabha Buddha images and statues, so

make sure you choose one that you love in particular so you

feel more encouraged to practice Nianfo. (There are many

more formalities and things you can add, but this is a basic

Pure Land Altar that you can easily arrange).

If you cannot have an altar (due to various reasons) you can

print your favorite Amitabha Buddha image and take it out

wherever you want to practice, put a candle in front of it and

just practice. You may also put flowers and candles and add

other pictures or/and statues of other great Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas next to the main altar at home.

We should not be attached to external forms to practice

Nianfo. Altars are just aids that reminds us to practice, but

actually even if you don’t have an altar that is no problem, as

the most important thing is to practice Nianfo, with Faith and

Vow. For people who have no difficulty having an altar at

home then they should by all means arrange one in order to

foster Nianfo Practice, Vows and Faith.

82

If an exquisite altar is arranged, or even expensive statues

and works of art are bought but no practice is done then this

is not to honor the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, whereas if a

person only has one tiny crooked candle but she practices

with devotion; then this is a beautiful altar.

The main point is to have an altar (if your circumstances

allow it) in order to foster your enthusiasm for Nianfo

practice with faith and vows, then the place in which you

practice, be it an altar or just a quiet spot in your house, will

certainly become a cherished place where you will connect

your mind and heart to Amitabha Buddha.

83

Pure Land altar at home. Notice Amitabha Buddha at the center with the

two Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta at both sides.

We also see flowers, candles and other various Buddhist ornaments we

may also add.

Buddhist prayer beads (Mala/Juzzu)

made of 108 beads. Ideal to practice

during the day and also during formal

practice sessions

Buddhist bead bracelet.

Ideal to practice Nianfo

during the day.

84

Part VIII

Recommended Material

Suggested list of videos for new students:

(Pure Land Buddhism You Tube Channel by Pure Land

Jiawen)


1. What is Pure Land Buddhism?

2. Why do we need to exit the cycle of reincarnation in one

lifetime?

3. Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land-Why they exist

3. Why the Pure Land is not another heaven

4. Why the Pure Land is not impermanent, not an illusion

5. Self Power vs. Other Power

6. Film on the Amitabha Sutra (where the characteristics of

the Pure Land are briefly summarized and the Buddha

encourages us several times to be born there to in order to

swiftly and safely attain Enlightenment)

7. Film on the Infinite Life Sutra (where the story of Amitabha

Buddha is told and the reason why he created the Pure Land)

8. Film on the Visualization Sutra (where the 9 grades of birth

in the Pure Land and the various ways of being born in the

Pure Land are clearly explained in detail)

9. Is aspiring to be born in the Pure Land selfish?

10. How to transcend the fear of death?

11. The true rebirth case of Maester Haixian

12. The true rebirth case of Master Juxing

85

1. https://youtu.be/rs3hNdyvU7Q

2. https://youtu.be/TA_UDrTXEdI

3. https://youtu.be/8HMOVa54hFQ

4. https://youtu.be/u9_OZLtdqFE

5. https://youtu.be/Dgta72TqXNI

6. https://youtu.be/5GdU47wJmvw

7. https://youtu.be/y0qzv0Ljiho

8. https://youtu.be/fohhPXxL0q0

9. https://youtu.be/c3uAGzrt1lU

10. https://youtu.be/O_9f15pXwTM

11. https://youtu.be/Rr_QVAcqTdo

12. https://youtu.be/5_LH6N-yllA

You can also learn from many other videos in the channel.

This is only a short list of key topics that we recommend you

study at first.

Master Renshan- 仁山法师 Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8o03OZkNA2M8n

do5DZbIjg

“Pure Land Buddhism” YouTube Channel


86

Recommended Pure Land Dharma books

and sutras to study:

Small Pure Land and general Mahayana library (The Five

Pure Land Sutras, Master Yin Kuang's Letters, Master Ou-I's

Treatise on the Amitabha Sutra, Venerable Thich Thien Tam's

Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith, Venerable Chin Kung’s books,

Venerable Wuling’s In One Lifetime and general Mahayana

texts such as the Avatamsaka sutra and many other books.

Other books by 嘉欢 Jiahuan J S Hincapié Arana

A Seed in Amitabha’s Hands-Pure Land Buddhism’s Path to Peace

in this Life and the next

Passages from the Five Pure Land Sutras.

You can download all these books for free in this link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10vv4hV77WRwB

d_N_2ymauZWUURTuK4x7?usp=sharing

87

Master Renshan- 仁山法师 Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8o03OZkNA2

M8ndo5DZbIjg

“Pure Land Buddhism” YouTube Channel by 嘉文

Jiawen:


Author: 嘉欢 Jiahuan (J S Hincapié Arana):

Budismotierrapuraparatodos@gmail.com

Edited by MaryEly Arriaga

“Budismo Tierra Pura para todos” Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIbrhZ8WCgJlt

-7IhWlfaw

(Amitabha Buddha’s Sacred Name in Sanskrit,

Chinese and Tibetan)

HOMAGE TO AMITABHA BUDDHA

NAMO AMITUOFO

May all the beings in all the universes of the ten

directions attain birth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure

Land.

Let's go to Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land- An Introduction to Pure Land Buddhism

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