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| Amida Buddha and His Pure Land |
Why did Shakyamuni spend so much time and effort to describe the
wonders of the Pure Land? Why did He offer so many detailed explanations of the jeweled trees and their fruits, the Bodhi tree, the bathing pounds, the
monasteries, palaces, pavilions, the flowers with their exquisite aromas, the
sounds, and so on? The reason is very simple. Because He wanted us to wish to
go there! If you know about a nice resort, you would encourage your friends to visit
it, wouldn’t you? It’s the same with the Pure Land! Shakyamuni wants us to go
there and He makes a lot of publicity to it. Of course, no one ever makes publicity
to something which does not exist, and especially Shakyamuni would never praise
and describe in so much detail the Pure Land if that place was not real. Please
bear this in mind as it is of extreme importance. By making the efforts to
describe the Pure Land, Shakyamuni transmits us a double message:
1)
the Pure Land exists; it is a real enlightened place, and
2)
you should go there.
The wish to be born in the Pure Land is part of the three requirements of thePrimal Vow, the other two being faith and the Nembutsu of faith. No one can go
to a place he thinks it does not exist, so Shakyamuni puts a lot of efforts
into convincing us about the existence of the Pure Land.
The many wonders and enlightened manifestations of the Pure Land are explained with words and concepts that are
familiar to us here in samsara, like jewels, precious stones, trees, ponds, etc,
so that we can have a clue about what awaits us there and which cannot be
understood by our limited minds.
If you are to describe a
luxurious car or a plane to a tribesman living in isolation and who has never
seen one in his entire life, you would say it is like a chariot or a big bird.
Indeed, a car is like a chariot, and a plane is like a big bird, but this does
not mean a car is a chariot and a plane is a bird. In the same way, Shakyamuni
uses the names of the most beautiful jewels of this world and images of trees,
ponds, flowers, etc, to describe the wonders of the Pure Land, but this does
not mean that those manifestations are exactly
like their samsaric counterparts. The fact that He makes a lot of reference to
the wonders of the Pure Land, shows that they really exists, just like when you
talk to a savage tribesman about cars and airplanes you are talking about real
existing cars and planes, but because your interlocutor is somebody who cannot
understand such advanced technology, you can only make comparisons and use
images that he is familiar with.
Our minds cannot conceive, at the
level we are now, the wonders of the Pure Land, as they are beyond all the
things that we know and experienced as samsaric beings, but this does not mean
they do not exist.
It is extremely important to realize that Shakyamuni does not
speak about the Pure Land in terms of ultimate reality beyond forms, but in
descriptive words, and by making a clear distinction between us/our samsaric world and the Pure Land of Enlightenment.
The
Larger Sutra does NOT use the
language of the Heart Sutra or other difficult
teachings on the self-power path in which the Buddha addresses to people who
are already beyond words and forms, or very close to this state. The Larger Sutra is
NOT a Dharma Gate of direct entering to ultimate Dharmakaya beyond form, but
the Dharma Gate of faith in Amida as a clear individuated Buddha and in His
Pure Land as a real enlightened place. On
this Dharma Gate, form is used, words are important, the dualistic vision is
accepted as normal and simple faith is needed. Practitioners of the Pure
Land Dharma Gate (Amida Dharma) must be aware of Shakyamuni’s intent and embrace
the dualistic vision of the One who saves (Amida) and those to be saved (us) or
the Pure Land of Enlightenment vs Samsara with us wishing to escape the latter
by being born into the former. Only after we arrive in the Pure Land where
everything is conducive to Enlightenment, we will forever dwell in ultimate
Dharmakaya while also manifesting a Sambhogakaya body in that realm, and
multiples Nirmanakayas (accommodated/transformed bodies) all over the universe
to save all beings.
Next, what do we see when we read the wonderful description of
the Pure Land? We see order, beauty, harmony and symmetry:
“These jewelled trees are in
parallel rows, their trunks are evenly spaced, their branches are in level
layers, their leaves are symmetrical, their flowers harmonize, and their fruits
are well arranged. The brilliant colors of these trees are so luxuriant that it
is impossible to see them all. When a fresh breeze wafts through them, exquisite
sounds of the pentatonic scales, such as gong
and shang, spontaneously arise
and make symphonic music.”
What
do we have here in samsara? Chaos and disorder both inside and outside of us. This
is because the inner world is karmically reflected in the outside world. Even
if we enjoy days of beauty when we go out in the nature and the weather is
calm, it can always turn into storm, thunder, flood, etc, and accidents or even
death may occur. Today’s beauty can become a nightmare if the weather changes.
Extreme cold or extreme heat can kill people, heavy rains with hailstone
destroy crops and provoke famine, etc. Also, in other realms it’s even harder
than here, especially in the hells where the environment is a constant enemy to
those born there and the suffering never stops. Just as samsara with its various planes of existence is the effect or emanation of our personal and collective karma, the Pure Land is the effect of the Enlightenment and Vows of
Amida Buddha. Our inner state of imbalance and chaos reflects into our outside
world, while the inner state of Amida and the inhabitants of His Pure Land are
reflected into the perfect beauty, symmetry, and harmony of that enlightened
realm.
For
example, what we experience here with the five senses leads to delusion and attachment,
and our momentary happiness always ends in dissatisfaction and suffering. We hear,
see, touch, taste or smell things, and we want them - our own state of mind
depends on having or not having the objects of our desire. However, when the
inhabitants of the Pure Land see, hear, touch, smell or taste things belonging
to that realm, enlightened states of mind arise. Shakyamuni said:
“When humans and devas of that land see the
Bodhi tree, they will attain three insights: first, insight into reality
through hearing the sacred sounds; second, insight into reality by being in
accord with it; and third, insight into the non-arising of all dharmas.”
The
reality mentioned here is the
ultimate reality of Dharmakaya or Buddha nature. Those born in the Pure Land
have access to this ultimate reality which, in fact, is the essence of the Pure
Land. So, beings born there are in accord with this ultimate reality, as the
Pure Land and Amida himself accords with ultimate reality. All the forms and
manifestations of the Pure Land were produced in accord with ultimate reality
and are the effects of Amida’s Vows, while the manifestations of our samsaric state of existence appeared as effects of our own delusions and unenlightened karma. The sacred sounds are first of all the Name
of Amida Buddha said in various ways, including and not limited to His Twelve
Lights, and are mentioned in order to show that Amida’s Name too, corresponds
with ultimate reality and leads beings to it.
“Insight into the non-arising of
all dharmas (phenomena)[1]” is the spiritual awakening in
which one deeply understands that from the perspective of ultimate reality,
nothing really arises or perishes. This insight together with the benefit of
entering the stage of non-retrogression and other benefits mentioned below can also be achieved by
practitioners who are not yet born in the Pure Land on the condition that they hear the Dharma
sounds produced by the breeze which wafts through the branches of the Bodhi
tree and pervade “all other Buddha-lands
in the ten directions” or if they perceive it by other senses:
“When a gentle breeze wafts
through its branches and leaves, innumerable exquisite Dharma sounds arise,
which spread far and wide, pervading all the other Buddha lands in the ten
directions. Those who hear the sounds attain penetrating insight into dharmas and dwell in the
stage of non-retrogression. Until they attain Buddhahood, their senses of
hearing will remain
clear and sharp and they will not
suffer from any pain or sickness. Whether they hear the sounds of the Bodhi tree, see its colors,
smell its perfume, taste its flavours, perceive its lights, or conceive of the
Dharma in their minds, they all attain profoundly penetrating insight into dharmas and dwell in the
stage of non-retrogression. Until they attain Buddhahood, their six sense organs
will remain sharp and clear and they will not suffer from any pain or
sickness.”
All
samsaric worlds and universes are called Buddha-lands in the sense that there
is a Buddha there who appeared and taught the Dharma, and so He takes care of
that land. Our universe is actually the Land of Shakyamuni Buddha[2], because He appeared here and
turned the Wheel of Dharma, so whenever you hear words like “Buddha-lands in
the ten directions” you should know it does not refer only to Pure Lands, but
also to samsaric universes.
Some
practitioners living in the Buddha lands of the ten directions, and who are
very close to Enlightenment attain all benefits mentioned above, while we, ordinary beings
filled with blind passions, only enter the stage of non-retrogression by
entrusting ourselves to the salvific Power of Amida Buddha [3]. In our case, to hear the sounds produced by
the breeze which wafts through the branches of the Bodhi tree spreading towards
all the Buddha-lands of the ten directions means to receive faith and enter the stage
of non-retrogression. We don’t actually hear with our limited ears, but those
sacred sounds give rise to faith if we are open enough to Amida. In other
advanced Bodhisattvas, still in training but close to Enlightenment, hearing
these sacred sounds may give rise to various powers and spiritual achievements
besides those mentioned above, but in us, the lowest of the low, it has only
the effect of assuring us of birth in the Pure Land (the stage of
non-retrogression).
The Bodhi
tree of Amida is infinitely more splendid than that of Shakyamuni in this
world. It could not be otherwise as the land of Shakyamuni is a samsaric realm,
while that of Amida is an enlightened place:
“The Bodhi tree of Buddha
Amitayus is four million li in height and five thousand yojanas in circumference at its base. Its branches spread two hundred
thousand li in each of the four directions. It is a natural cluster of all
kinds of precious stones and is adorned with the kings of jewels, namely,
moonbright maṇi-gems and ocean-supporting wheel gems. Everywhere between its
twigs hang jeweled ornaments with a thousand million different colors
intermingling in various ways, and their innumerable beams shine with the
utmost brilliance. The Bodhi tree itself is covered with nets of rare, excellent gems, and on
it appear all kinds of ornaments in accordance with one’s wishes.”
[1] When the word “dharma” is used with small “d” it
refers to all existence and phenomena in general.
[2] It’s
like you are the king or leader of a country, so that country is called yours
because you assumed the responsibility for beings living there. If you read
chapter six of Shinran’s Kyogyoshinsho you will see that he quotes extensively from
various sutras on how Shakyamuni gave strict instructions like a spiritual
ruler or king to various non-human beings to take care of different places and
beings living there, especially those who practice the Dharma.
[3]We, ordinary beings who entrust to Amida Buddha also receive ten benefits in this life which I explained in my book The Meaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinsh Buddhism, p. 162 – 207, and which include entering the stage of non-retrogression.
[3]We, ordinary beings who entrust to Amida Buddha also receive ten benefits in this life which I explained in my book The Meaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinsh Buddhism, p. 162 – 207, and which include entering the stage of non-retrogression.
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