Buddhism originated in India. After its introduction into China right up to the Sui 隋 and Tang 唐 period, the founders of the 8 Buddhist traditions, discerned sentient beings' intellect and the various depth of the Buddhist teachings, established the 8 Buddhist traditions. PureLand tradition 淨土宗 being one of them was founded by Master Shan Dao 善導大師 of the Tang Dynasty.
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Master Shan Dao is highly esteemed to be the incarnation of Amitabha Buddha, his words no different from the Buddha. The reasons behind the establishment of the Pureland tradition are found in his work "Commentary on Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra 觀經疏":
Master Shan Dao's teaching clarifies all misinterpreted and distorted explications of the Pureland tradition's principles discoursed by various Buddhist masters in the past and present time. He revealed the pristine teachings endorsed by all Buddhas that would later become Pureland tradition's abided by central principles and standard. Therefore, explications that are in concert with Master Shan Dao's can be abided by, but cannot if they convey any contrary message.
The primary lineage of this pristine Pureland tradition started from Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 龍樹菩薩, Vasubandhu 天親菩薩, Master Tan Luan 曇鸞大師, Dao Chuo 道綽大師 down to Shan Dao 善導大師. The teaching of this Pureland lineage in brief has the following distinctive characteristics :
Pureland tradition, as the name implies, recites Buddha's name "Namo Amituofo 南無阿彌陀佛" with an aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss 極樂世界, will be born there, forms the tenet of this tradition, regardless of who it is, whoever recites "Namo Amituofo" is bound to be born in the Land of Bliss 極樂世界. Pureland tradition refers to Amitabha Buddha's Salvation --
For this reason, in the Chapter of the Easy Path 易行品, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva praises Pureland tradition to be the Easy Path in which one attains Buddhahood instantly. He used a metaphor of crossing the sea on a vessel where it is comfortable and trouble-free. The rest of the other Dharma traditions are considered to be a difficult path, as if walking on land, difficult and arduous, with no assurance of reaching any state of enlightenment. Master Tan Luan 曇鸞大師 praised Pureland tradition to be the perfection of all Dharma traditions, and practitioners of this pristine Dharma tradition would for certain reach a state of non-regression 不退轉.
Pureland tradition is Amitabha Buddha's salvation, saves all sentient beings of the ten quarters, treats each and every being equally without discrimination. Thus, saints who are born in the Land of Bliss promptly attain complete enlightenment, and ordinary defiled beings who are born in the Land of Bliss attain Buddhahood just as promptly due to the fact that all of them recite "Namo Amituofo“ with resolute faith in Amitabha Buddha's vow of salvation. As Master Tan Luan puts it : "be they Boddhisattvas, Arahats, Celestial beings or Humans practicing various paths, once born in the Land of Bliss, no one is born without relying on Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation which is whoever recites "Namo Amituofo" with aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss, will be born there". Master Shan Dao also gave endorsement : "all good and evil ordinary beings who are repentant and aspire to be born in the Land of Bliss will be born there by drawing advantage of Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation". Thus, Buddha Shakyamuni repeatedly gave praises to this glorious Dharma tradition in over 200 Buddhist scriptures. Master Shan Dao also went on to say that no other Buddhist practice is comparable to Pureland tradition.
In the Lankavatara Sutra 楞伽經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "among all sentient beings, Boddhisattvas and Dharma or Reward bodied Buddhas, be they incarnation or transformation, they originate from the Land of Bliss of immeasurable life and light. Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss delivers Buddhas to the ten quarters to expound Pureland Dharma to sentient beings of the ten quarters, to guide them towards the Land of Bliss". That is to say, all Buddhist Dharma originate in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss ; all Dharma traditions and practice are pointing the way to the Land of Bliss. Therefore, Pureland Dharma is the one and only teaching of all Buddhas coming into being to convey to sentient beings to aspire to return to the Land of Bliss.
In the Lotus Sutra 法華經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "There exists only darkness and anxiety in the 3 realms of existence 三界, like a house on fire, filled with sufferings, living in fear". There is no other way but to believe and have resolute faith in Amitabha Buddha's salvation, recite his name “Namo Amituofo” with aspiration to be born in his Land of Bliss. Upon arrival, residents of the Land of Bliss are thoroughly free of all sufferings from endless transmigration 輪迴 in the 3 realms. They enjoy absolute bliss.
Amitabha Buddha's salvation is all-inclusive, no one is left out. It is a beacon of light and hope to defiled sentient beings of this Dharma Ending Age 末法時代. In the Mahavaipulya Mahasamghata sutra 大集經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "Practice other than recitation of Amitabha Buddha's Name, even if there were billions of practitioners, rarely anyone attains true enlightenment and emancipation". Master Yin Guang 印光大師 gave endorsement : "If Buddha Shakyamuni had not expounded this Dharma tradition, sentient beings of this Dharma Ending Age would have no chance of freeing themselves of endless rebirth in the 3 realms. Pureland tradtition is the one and only central practice for all aspirants toward Buddhahood as well as to teach and deliver defiled sentient beings towards the Land of Bliss".
Pureland tradition, the recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name is to all sentient beings : "medicine to the outlaws, a haven to violators of precepts, treasure to the poor, food to the hungry, guide to the disoriented, home to the homeless, sight to the blind, wisdom to the foolish, light in darkness, and a vessel at the sea of sufferings".
** You may click wordings in blue for more information **
Master Shan Dao is highly esteemed to be the incarnation of Amitabha Buddha, his words no different from the Buddha. The reasons behind the establishment of the Pureland tradition are found in his work "Commentary on Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra 觀經疏":
- to clarify Buddha’s true intent and set in motion PureLand's genuine teaching for both past and present time,
- pristine teaching endorsed by all Buddhas,
- Master Shan Dao's teaching is no different from Amitabha Buddha's. There are neither added text nor omission. What was spoken corresponded to actual events, no less no more.
Master Shan Dao's teaching clarifies all misinterpreted and distorted explications of the Pureland tradition's principles discoursed by various Buddhist masters in the past and present time. He revealed the pristine teachings endorsed by all Buddhas that would later become Pureland tradition's abided by central principles and standard. Therefore, explications that are in concert with Master Shan Dao's can be abided by, but cannot if they convey any contrary message.
The primary lineage of this pristine Pureland tradition started from Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 龍樹菩薩, Vasubandhu 天親菩薩, Master Tan Luan 曇鸞大師, Dao Chuo 道綽大師 down to Shan Dao 善導大師. The teaching of this Pureland lineage in brief has the following distinctive characteristics :
- It is a set of theoretically unified and comprehensive teaching,
- Its teaching is a direct and continuous line of transmission from teachers to students,
- This tradition was established based wholly on Amitabha Buddha's primal vow,
- All explications of Pureland tradition's sutras referenced wholly scriptures of the Pureland tradition and have none whatsoever foreign perspective from the other schools of "Path of the Sages 聖道門",
- its scale is well-organized with a comprehensive and rigorous set of instruction and practice.
Pureland tradition, as the name implies, recites Buddha's name "Namo Amituofo 南無阿彌陀佛" with an aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss 極樂世界, will be born there, forms the tenet of this tradition, regardless of who it is, whoever recites "Namo Amituofo" is bound to be born in the Land of Bliss 極樂世界. Pureland tradition refers to Amitabha Buddha's Salvation --
- the approach is utmost easy : it is for all sentient beings and does not discriminate, whoever recites "Namo Amituofo" is certain to be born in the Land of Bliss,
- reach an extremely high enlightened spiritual state : once born in the Land of Bliss, enters into a state next to attaining Buddhahood without having to go through the aeons of practice and the many stages of enlightenment.
For this reason, in the Chapter of the Easy Path 易行品, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva praises Pureland tradition to be the Easy Path in which one attains Buddhahood instantly. He used a metaphor of crossing the sea on a vessel where it is comfortable and trouble-free. The rest of the other Dharma traditions are considered to be a difficult path, as if walking on land, difficult and arduous, with no assurance of reaching any state of enlightenment. Master Tan Luan 曇鸞大師 praised Pureland tradition to be the perfection of all Dharma traditions, and practitioners of this pristine Dharma tradition would for certain reach a state of non-regression 不退轉.
Pureland tradition is Amitabha Buddha's salvation, saves all sentient beings of the ten quarters, treats each and every being equally without discrimination. Thus, saints who are born in the Land of Bliss promptly attain complete enlightenment, and ordinary defiled beings who are born in the Land of Bliss attain Buddhahood just as promptly due to the fact that all of them recite "Namo Amituofo“ with resolute faith in Amitabha Buddha's vow of salvation. As Master Tan Luan puts it : "be they Boddhisattvas, Arahats, Celestial beings or Humans practicing various paths, once born in the Land of Bliss, no one is born without relying on Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation which is whoever recites "Namo Amituofo" with aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss, will be born there". Master Shan Dao also gave endorsement : "all good and evil ordinary beings who are repentant and aspire to be born in the Land of Bliss will be born there by drawing advantage of Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation". Thus, Buddha Shakyamuni repeatedly gave praises to this glorious Dharma tradition in over 200 Buddhist scriptures. Master Shan Dao also went on to say that no other Buddhist practice is comparable to Pureland tradition.
In the Lankavatara Sutra 楞伽經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "among all sentient beings, Boddhisattvas and Dharma or Reward bodied Buddhas, be they incarnation or transformation, they originate from the Land of Bliss of immeasurable life and light. Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss delivers Buddhas to the ten quarters to expound Pureland Dharma to sentient beings of the ten quarters, to guide them towards the Land of Bliss". That is to say, all Buddhist Dharma originate in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss ; all Dharma traditions and practice are pointing the way to the Land of Bliss. Therefore, Pureland Dharma is the one and only teaching of all Buddhas coming into being to convey to sentient beings to aspire to return to the Land of Bliss.
In the Lotus Sutra 法華經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "There exists only darkness and anxiety in the 3 realms of existence 三界, like a house on fire, filled with sufferings, living in fear". There is no other way but to believe and have resolute faith in Amitabha Buddha's salvation, recite his name “Namo Amituofo” with aspiration to be born in his Land of Bliss. Upon arrival, residents of the Land of Bliss are thoroughly free of all sufferings from endless transmigration 輪迴 in the 3 realms. They enjoy absolute bliss.
Amitabha Buddha's salvation is all-inclusive, no one is left out. It is a beacon of light and hope to defiled sentient beings of this Dharma Ending Age 末法時代. In the Mahavaipulya Mahasamghata sutra 大集經, Buddha Shakyamuni spoke these words : "Practice other than recitation of Amitabha Buddha's Name, even if there were billions of practitioners, rarely anyone attains true enlightenment and emancipation". Master Yin Guang 印光大師 gave endorsement : "If Buddha Shakyamuni had not expounded this Dharma tradition, sentient beings of this Dharma Ending Age would have no chance of freeing themselves of endless rebirth in the 3 realms. Pureland tradtition is the one and only central practice for all aspirants toward Buddhahood as well as to teach and deliver defiled sentient beings towards the Land of Bliss".
Pureland tradition, the recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name is to all sentient beings : "medicine to the outlaws, a haven to violators of precepts, treasure to the poor, food to the hungry, guide to the disoriented, home to the homeless, sight to the blind, wisdom to the foolish, light in darkness, and a vessel at the sea of sufferings".
The Pureland Lineage :
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