A pure land is the celestial realm or pure abode of a buddha or bodhisattva in mahayana buddhism. Here, lopez provides what he calls the plot summary of the lotus sutra. Our aim is to introduce to international audiences the teachings and practices of pure land buddhism according to the lineage of master shandao ad 6681 of tang dynasty, founder of buddhisms pure land school. The pure land teachings first became prominent in china with the founding of donglin temple at mount lu chinese. The below are some instances, as found in the lotus sutra. The term pure land is particular to east asian buddhism chinese. Tibetan buddhism and the pure land great middle way. In reality, however, this world is a buddha field, a pure land. The lotus sutra is one of the most popular and influential mahayana sutras, and the basis on which the tiantai, tendai, cheontae, and nichiren schools of buddhism were established. He looked down from on high, he beheld but five heaps, and he saw that in their ownbeing they were empty. The smaller sutra on amitayus is the shortest of the three basic sutras of the pure land faith, and is known informally as the smaller sukhativyuha or the smaller amida sutra, and is frequently recited at religious services.
Of these three sutras, scholars generally agree that the meditation sutra. Sanskrit buddhaksetra, the realm of a buddha, a pure land. Of these three sutras, scholars generally agree that the meditation sutra did not originate in india. When their lotus flowers open they hear the dharma. The heart sutra school of pure land pure land buddhism. In this, nichiren placed himself arnong the initial critics of honens pure land buddhism, including j6sh6 fepe, k6in tzitza 11451216, a priest ofthe rllendai school at the oajeji eqzaii, and k6ben fi fi 11731232.
Known as the king of sutras, the lotus sutra is one of the most influential texts in east. It has often been stated that pure land buddhism is a simple buddhism. Here is a list of the 7 sutras in which bodhisattva avalokitesvara appear. It took a little more than twelve hundred years before this. The main text of the pure land schools is the sukhavativyuha sutra pure land sutra. Pure land buddhism was first introduced to china in early 147 ce when kushan buddhist monks lokaksema started translating original pure land buddhist sutras into chinese.
It starts by describing the splendors of sukhavati, the western paradise of amitayus, and then explains what must be. Numata center for buddhist translation and research, p. Understanding pure land sect part 4 the basic goal of pure land buddhism if one seeks to learn and understand buddha dharma, one may follow the customary approach to practice the three studies, namely, disciplines or percepts, meditation and wisdom. As a basis for establishing his new community, honen selected three essential sutras for the study and practice of the pure land way. Most of the mahayana sutras, which number over two thousand, were written between 200 bce and 200 ce, the period in which mahayana buddhism developed. The larger sutra is the only extant sutra that relates the narrative of how the bodhisattva dharmastorehouse dharmakara established and fulfilled vows to become amida immeasurable light and life, the buddha of compassion who leads all. Homage to the perfection of wisdom, the lovely, the holy. By nichirens account, han ens 32 disciples argued that the lotus sutra was too profound for people of this deluded age.
Avalokita, the holy lord and bodhisattva, was moving in the deep course of the wisdom which has gone beyond. Buddhist sutra the visualization of amitabha pure land sutra. In the ponds there are lotus flowers as big as cartwheels. The original chinese titles are yin kuang fa shih wen chao and yin kuang ta shih chia yen lu. Pure land buddhism prominent buddhist tradition in china. The three primary texts of the tradition, known as the three pure land sutras, are the infinite life sutra, the amitabha sutra and the amitayurdhyana sutra. As a higher practice of pure land buddhism, meditation on amitabha and his pure. As a young man, huiyuan practiced daoism, but felt the theories of immortality to be vague and unreliable, and unrepresentative of the ultimate truth. Pure land buddhism is a broad branch of mahayana buddhism and one of the most widely practiced traditions of buddhism in east asia. Pure lands lotus flowers in the lotus sutra purelanders. Lotus claims to be a record of the words of the historical. Amitabhas pure land sutra text amitabhas pure land.
The lotus sutra begins, like so many buddhist sutras, with the buddha seated on. A collection of buddhist sutras addeddate 20531 20. In pure land buddhism, three sutras form the core of the teaching. This is an electronic version of the book pureland zen, zen pureland second edition 1993. One is expected to relinquish delusory thought patterns otherwise one cannot. The pure land teachings and practices quickly spread all over the china. Numata center for buddhist translation and research, isbn 1886439184, archived from the original on may 12, 2014 cs1 maint. His life coincided with the beginning of what is known as the golden age of pure land doctrinal development th to th centuries. More than two thousand years have passed since the buddha expounded the lotus sutra in india. Pure land buddhism download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. A pure land in which one is reborn as a reward for former deeds 2.
Topics buddha, buddhism, sutras, enlightenment collection opensource. Pure land method in cultivation a flexible method for all buddhists the namereciting method of the pure land sect, embracing both the dharmas of being and nonbeing, is broad, extensive and miraculous. Among these is the birthplace of pure land buddhism. The pure land sutras and discourses were first transmitted to central asia and then. Buddha, shakyamuni meaning sage of the shakyas, the. Written in northwestern india probably before the beginning of the 2nd century ce, the sukhavativyuha exists in two original versions, a longer one that emphasizes good works and a shorter version that emphasizes faith and devotion alone. Perhaps this is due to the dominant position of academics and nihilists in western buddhist circles, although there has been connivance by some tibetan teachers in this misrepresentation of the dharma as elitist, complex, and. Dogen 12001253, founder of the soto sect of zen buddhism. There is a strong and unfounded belittling of pure land teachings and practice in the western understanding of tibetan buddhism.
This group, called the white lotus society, vowed before an image of amitabha buddha that they would be reborn in the western paradise. What are the flower ornament, lotus and pure land sutras. Where is the pure land controversy in chinese buddhism on the nature of pure land, pacific world journal new series 3, 3645. Japanese pure land philosophy stanford encyclopedia of. In this sutra, shakyamuni explains the importance of performing certain meritorious acts in order to be reborn in the pure land. According to british professor paul williams, for many east asian buddhists since early times, the lotus sutra contains. Prior to the buddhas expo sition of this, amitayus, accompanied by his two attendant bodhisattvas avalo. It divides aspirants for amidas pure land into the upper grade, middle grade, and lowest grade according to their capacities and attributes, and furthermore subdivides each of these three. In 402 ce, the monk and teacher huiyuan 336416 gathered 123 followers in a monastery he had built on the slopes of mount lushan.
Those of the middle grade refers to one of the three ranks described in the meditation on the buddha infinite life sutra. A comparison of the lotus and other sutras nichiren buddhism. Larger sukhavativyuha sutra, the meditation sutra ch. In this book, we introduce the pure land teachings to those who may not yet be familiar with this profound practice, hoping. Nichiren, in particular, revered the lotus sutra, and at the risk of his life he. Back to the visualization of amitabha pure land sutra i. Our english website is in its early stages of construction. The lotus sutra bucknell digital commons bucknell university. The true pure land sect of japanese buddhism, or shin buddhism, grew out of the teachings of shinran 11731262, a tendaitrained monk who came to doubt the efficacy of that tradition in what. Choosing the heart of the lotus sutra nichiren buddhism library. The pure land dharma door is the most popular form of buddhism in asia, though it is largely unknown in the west. Although the pure land tradition sees the three pure land sutras to be its main ones amitabha sutra, infinite life sutra and contemplation sutra, teachings related to amitabha buddha are mentioned in around 300 other sutras. Saddharma puarika sutra, literally sutra on the white lotus of the sublime dharma is one of the most popular and influential mahayana sutras, and the basis on which the tiantai, tendai, cheontae, and nichiren schools of buddhism were established. Infinite life sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing.
Honen shonin 131212, as the founder of japans first independent pure land buddhist community, is one of the most essential figures of japanese buddhism. Different divisions of mahayana buddhism emphasize different sutras, but some texts, like the lotus sutra and heart sutra, are important to most branches of mahayana. But the pure land buddhism became prominent only after 3 centuries after the foundation of donglin temple at mount lu in 402 ce. The teacher of the law chapter in the fourth volume of the lotus sutra reads, this lotus sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand. Pure land buddhism has at its centre faith in the amitabha buddha and that by being one in mind with the amitabha buddha, the buddha of infinite light and life, one is able to end the cycle of birth and death and attain birth in the pure land. Whether youre experienced with the lotus or have never endeavored to read it, youll. Instead, he turned to buddhism and became a monk learning under daoan chinese. Shariputra, the land of ultimate bliss is complete with all these adornments and virtues. Within the buddhist canon, the lotus sutra is one text that should be read. According to paul williams, for many east asian buddhists since early times the lotus sutra. The various traditions that focus on pure lands have been given the.
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