Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Twenty-five

They travel to all the Buddha Lands. There is none that they like or dislike; and there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting. Neither do they have thoughts of “others” or of “I,” nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.

The bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land go often to the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to teach and help all beings. Some Buddha Lands are magnificently adorned with seven jewels, but others are very polluted or unpleasant. When there is affinity, the bodhisattvas will go there, whether a situation is favourable or not. Moreover, they do not like or dislike any situation. In other words, they travel around all the Buddha Lands without feeling attachment or aversion. They do not give rise to any thought, discrimination, or attachment.

When we go abroad to visit other countries, if we feel like or dislike, then our minds are polluted. We should cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom during the trips. When we see and understand everything clearly, we have wisdom. When we do not have any like or dislike, we have meditative concentration. Therefore, when we visit other countries we should simultaneously cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom.

Furthermore, in daily life when we interact with people and engage in tasks, we should also cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom. For example, if someone tries to anger us and we are able to not give rise to any thought, we are cultivating One Mind Undisturbed. The person who tries to anger us is a good teacher for us. Without him or her, how can we achieve the paramita of patience?

These situations—someone says charming words to us but we do not attach to the words, or someone tries to stir up trouble but we feel no anger—help us to cultivate and attain meditative concentration and wisdom.

One Mind Undisturbed and the Buddha-name Chanting Samadhi taught in Pure Land Buddhism are both attained in this way. If one’s mind is perturbed by others gossiping or starting rumors about us, one should immediately feel remorse: “I am wrong again. I am affected by the external environment again.”

Daily, in every thought, stay awakened and do not be deluded when interacting with others and engaging in tasks. Any situation at any time is a good teacher for us.

“And there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting.” It is erroneous to wish for something. When one wishes for something, suffering follows. When one gains something, something will be lost. Both are painful.

It is also erroneous to [have thoughts of] not wishing for something, because one would reject all opportunities. [Thoughts of] wishing for something is seeking affinities. [Thoughts of] not wishing for something is also seeking affinities. Therefore, bodhisattvas practice the Middle Way: when they teach beings, they are according with conditions, not seeking affinities.

“Neither do they have thoughts of ‘others’ or of ‘I,’ nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.” The thoughts of “others” and “I” are in the four marks taught in the Diamond Sutra: the Mark of Self, the Mark of Others, the Mark of Being, and the Mark of Life Span. “Dissatisfaction and enmity” means that one bears resentment and hatred when others go against one’s wish, and one forms attachment when they go along with one’s wish.

Therefore, we should be impartial to all people in any situation, whether they are good or bad. An impartial mind will lead to a pure mind. Attachment as well as dissatisfaction and enmity are wandering thoughts. When one is free of all wandering thoughts, all discriminations, and all attachments, one will attain a pure and impartial mind. When the mind is pure and impartial, one will definitely be awakened, not deluded. One will then realize the goal of “purity, impartiality, and enlightenment.”

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung  

We Need Permission???

Question: I'd love the idea to go to Pure Land after living here on Earth. But I am having a hard time to believe that this is possible only to chant the name of Buddha Amithaba. Could you help me, please? I also would like to know more about the Dharma ending-age, please. Do you think what happened on Tibet was because of this Dharma ending-age that we are living? I also read on the internet that Buddha Amitabha has to give permission to people here on Earth to believe in him. Thank you so much!

Response: Thank you for the questions!

First, for almost two millennia, Chinese Buddhist patriarchs and masters have stressed the importance of adhering to a code of morality. The Buddha spoke of the importance of moral behavior in the Visualization Sutra (one of the Pure Land sutras) explaining that the Three Conditions were “the true causes of pure activities of all Buddhas of the three time periods.” In other words, all Buddhas of the three time periods of the past, the present, and the future, rely on the Three Conditions as the foundation for their cultivation and attainment of Buddhahood.

The First Condition is be filial to and care for one’s parents; be respectful to and serve teachers; be compassionate and not kill any living beings, and cultivate the Ten Virtuous Karmas, which are as follows. Physically, we are to refrain from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Verbally, we are to refrain from false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, and enticing speech. Mentally, we are to refrain from giving rise to greed, anger, and ignorance.

The Second Condition is take the Three Refuges; abide by the precepts; and behave in a dignified, appropriate manner.

The Third Condition is generate the Bodhi mind; believe deeply in causality; study and chant the Mahayana sutras; and encourage others to advance on the path to enlightenment.

As we learn from the Pure Land sutras, to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, we need belief, vow and practice. “Practice” comprises mindfully chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha and living morally. “Living morally” includes adhering to the Five Precepts and the Three Conditions. Living morally is vitally important because without doing so, we will not have the conditions to encounter Pure Land Buddhism, practice it, and attain rebirth in the Pure Land.

Second, regarding your next question, as I am not awakened, I do not know the causes of “what happened on Tibet.” Not knowing the causes, I do not speculate.

The Dharma-ending Age is a time when people do not understand the teachings and when misinformation abounds. The Internet can be a source of valuable information. It is also a fount of misinformation where anyone can post all manner of silliness and much, much worse.

To address your third question, why would Buddhas—awakened beings who have made the vow to help all beings end suffering and attain enlightenment—say we needed “permission” to practice? What sutra does this come from? We do not need “permission” to believe in Amitabha Buddha; we need to have planted the right causes and conditions! The Buddhas teach selflessly and tirelessly. They have done and continue to do everything they can to teach us. We have to do the hard work to live morally and practice so we will have those right causes and conditions. Believing in Amitabha is up to us!

I strongly encourage all readers to do the good deeds in the Three Conditions so you will have the right cause and conditions to learn the correct teachings. Find a qualified teacher to learn from, and read the sutras to learn what the Buddha taught. 

From a Reader: Observation - Folks are Funny

Amituofo. I'm amazed at the dynamics that arise among people in various groups, be they families, groups of friends, political groups, social groups, religious groups, etc., It seems the human tendency to consider oneself wholly correct and others less so, in varying degrees, can cause strife even among cultivators. Further, if a group largely professes one viewpoint, a few dissenting voices are looked at with disfavor, perhaps hostility. Are you an American or a foreigner, a Republican or Democrat or Independent,man or woman, straight, gay or bi, vegetarian or eater of three-pure-meat,Mahayana or Theravada, Pure Land, oh great-what sect-Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese -Jodo Shu or Jodo Shinshu?

It seems the universe between one's ears has the potential to (frequently) rub someone else 's universe the wrong way. Such episodes cause arguments, disunity and can escalate to poisonous thinking and emotions, as well as outright violence in different forms. Clearly, the goal of cultivation, any variety, is the transcendence of attachment to views that limit one's ability to interact in a civil, compassionate manner with other sentient beings. For Pure Land cultivators, mindfulness of Amituofo, and the remembrance of one's true identity that accompanies it, can overcome this human tendency; allowing one to be a Buddha moment-by-moment.

Just an observation from an average cultivator with a lot of work to do.

Do You Pray to a Deity Like Theists Do?

Question: If I may pose to the Venerable on the topic of 'Theism and Pure Land.' How would the Venerable respond to the statement--Pure Landers practice similarly to theists: where both 'pray' to a 'deity' and hope for a post mortem 'good abode.'

Response: The Buddha said he was not a god and explained he was "awake."Buddhism is not a religion but a teaching of how to become awakened through one's own personal cultivation and hard work.

For our practice, Pure Land Buddhists who follow Chinese teachings (I can only speak for the school I am familiar with) strive to live a moral life that adheres to the Five Precepts and Ten Virtuous Conducts in everything we think, say and do, and chant (a form of meditation) the name of Amitabha Buddha. Our goal is to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land where we will be one lifetime away from becoming a Buddha. We seek to become enlightened not just for ourselves but so that we may fulfill our vow to help all beings alleviate their suffering.

Regardless of whether people are Pure Land Buddhists or something else, one's final thoughts lead one to his or her next lifetime. To create the right conditions, Pure Land Buddhists who follow the Chinese teachings work very hard to live morally and to sincerely chant "Amituofo" to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. They do not "pray" to a "god." They meditate to form a connection with Amitabha Buddha (an ordinary being who awakened) to be reborn in his Pure Land. They do not "hope" for "a post mortem good abode," they actively seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land as they are dying. .

For more on the above, please read the entry titled Is Buddhism a Religion? and search the blog for "religion."

The Cause of Mental Suffering

All our mental sufferings are caused by selfish desires for pleasure. Think about that. They are caused by the desire to be what we are not, to have what we do not have, and not to have the things we already have. If we think hard and long about it, there is no denying that the chief culprit in our inability to enjoy a sense of happiness is desire.

What is fear but the desire to avoid; greed, the desire to have; jealousy, the desire that others shall not have; grief, the desire to regain something or someone. All our negative emotions can be worked out in terms of desire, the chain that binds us. The only way to avoid this restlessness is to reduce or get rid of the desire that causes it.

~ K. Sri Dhammananda