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| Amida Buddha and His Pure Land always guiding samsaric beings to what is true and real |
The innate qualities of Buddha nature
are activated when we attain perfect Enlightenment, that is, when we actually
discover it. As I explained earlier, the discovered Buddha nature is called Dharmakaya. This Dharmakaya and its innate qualities enter into action in the
moment of Enlightenment, taking various forms and manifestations for the sake
of saving sentient beings.
While
the mind-streams of beings and the samsaric environment in which they live are
the effect of various causes and conditions and are thus considered to be empty
of themselves, the Dharmakaya is only empty of illusions, blind passions and
any samsaric phenomena, but NOT empty of itself. Because of this, the ultimate
reality and everything that is rooted in it has true and real existence.
Buddhas (fully Enlightened Beings) are true and real no matter the form they
manifest or the emanations they create for the salvation of samsaric beings.
The
minds of people in samsara are constantly changing like feathers in the wind,
depending to various causes and conditions, while the minds of Buddhas are
fixed in true reality like mountains. Anything the samsaric beings think, say,
do or manifest is false, while everything the Buddhas think, say, do or
manifest is true.
What
do unenlightened beings manifest? They manifest samsaric realms and samsaric forms which lead to more illusions, blind passions and suffering.
What
do the Buddhas manifest? They manifest enlightened reams and enlightened forms
which lead to wisdom, Buddha nature and happiness.
The
manifestations of Buddhas include Pure Lands, transcendental forms or various
sacred formulas like Names and mantras, dharanis, etc. All these are true and
real because they belong to what is true and real. Such manifestations do not
depend on causes and conditions or on the limitations of the mind-streams of
samsaric beings, but on the Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion that is
inherent in the ultimate Dharmakaya or Buddha nature. When we attain perfect Enlightenment and discover
our Buddha nature in the Pure Land of Amida, we’ll also be capable to manifest whatever
forms we want to save others.
Anything related with the ultimate
reality of the Buddhas, their activities and manifestations is included in the teaching
on the Two Bodies or the Three Bodies (Trikaya)[1].
The
Two Bodies doctrine that we use at Amidaji was explained by Master T’an-luan in his Ojoronchu. According to him, all Buddhas have two bodies (aspects):
1.
Dharmakaya of Dharma-nature (Hossho Hosshin)[2]
2.
Dharmakaya of Expediency (Hoben Hosshin), which is also called Dharmakaya of
Compassionate means[3].
The first is the ultimate, unconditioned reality beyond form – the discovered Buddha nature or the Buddha nature activated when attaining perfect Enlightenment. This Nirvanic body is equally shared by all Buddhas[4], while the second is the specific and individuated manifestation of each one of them for the sake of saving sentient beings.
The first is the ultimate, unconditioned reality beyond form – the discovered Buddha nature or the Buddha nature activated when attaining perfect Enlightenment. This Nirvanic body is equally shared by all Buddhas[4], while the second is the specific and individuated manifestation of each one of them for the sake of saving sentient beings.
The
relation between the two is described as follows (words in brackets are my own):
“From the
Dharmakaya of Dharma-nature originates the Dharmakaya of Expediency; through
the Dharmakaya of Expediency, the Dharmakaya of Dharma nature is revealed.
These two Dharmakayas are different, but inseparable;
they are one, but not the same. For
this reason, the extensive presentation and the condensed presentation enter
into each other. These two are comprised
in the Dharmakaya”.[5]
“The Nirvanic
Dharma-body is the body of Dharma-nature (Buddha nature); since the
Dharma-nature is Nirvanic, the Dharma-body is formless. Because it is formless,
there is no form which it cannot manifest. For this reason, the Body adorned with the marks of
excellence (Dharmakaya of Compassionate means) is itself the Dharma-body”. [6]
As
we have seen in the above passages, all manifestations of the Buddhas are
themselves ultimate Dharmakaya, included in the Dharmakaya, manifested from
Dharmakaya, not separated from Dharmakaya. As Dharmakaya is the ultimate
reality of Buddha nature, all Buddha’s manifestations are not empty or false
like the samsaric phenomena, but true and real.
The
various Dharmakayas of compassionate means are “different” and “not the
same” in the sense that they do not appear in the same way to the
unenlightened beings for which they are manifested, but “are one” and “inseperable” because they are the
ultimate Dharmakaya of Dharma nature (Buddha nature) itself.
The
Dharmakaya of Compassionate means (Dharmakaya of Expediency) includes, as I
said above, the Pure Lands of the Buddhas, their transcendental forms or bodily
forms in accordance to the beings they save, various sacred formulas like Names
and mantras, etc. The Pure Land of Amida Buddha[7],
Amida Himself[8] in
many manifestations and His Name are part of this Dharmakaya of Compassionate
means and are inseparable from the ultimate Dharmakaya of Dharma nature. Because of that they are truly existent and NOT empty of themselves. Only samsaric phenomena are ultimately non-real (they
exist only at relative level), while the Nirvanic manifestations are always
REAL.
Amida, in His causal
stage as Bodhisattva Dharmakara made the following promise about His Pure Land:
My
land, being like Nirvana itself,
Will
be beyond comparison.”[9]
This means that all the manifestations of the Pure
Land are grounded in the perfect Enlightenment of Amida Buddha and are
conducive to Enlightenment. We ourselves will attain Enlightenment when we are
born in the Pure Land because the essence of the Pure Land is
Enlightenment/Nirvana/Dharmakaya/Buddha nature itself. Otherwise, if the Pure
Land was not an enlightened realm and not grounded in ultimate Buddha nature,
it would produce only sensorial attachments, like other Samsaric realms do, but
Shakyamuni Buddha[10]
and our Masters[11]
were very clear that this is not the case.
Also, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu stated in his Jodoron[12]:
"The adornments of the Land of the Buddha of
Immeasurable Life are the wondrous manifestations of the ultimate reality
(Dharmakaya/Buddha nature)".
And in the Essentials of Faith Alone, Master
Seikaku said:
“’The Land of Bliss is the realm of Nirvana, the
uncreated’.
The “uncreated” is referring of course, to ultimate
Dharmakaya beyond forms or the Buddha nature from which all the manifestations
for the sake of saving sentient beings emerge in accordance with the specific
vows of different Buddhas. In our case, the Pure Land of Amida appeared when He
attained perfect Enlightenment and thus brought His 48 vows to fulfilment. In
that moment, from ultimate Dharmakaya or Buddha nature, His land took the form
and manifestations described in the sutras and especially in His 31st
and 32nd Vows, while also maintaining its formless Dharmakaya
essence.
Because the Pure Land is Nirvana in manifestation and it
is grounded in the ultimate reality of Dharmakaya of Dharma nature, it is NOT
empty of itself like the samsaric phenomena, but truly REAL.
to be continued
[1] The Dharmakaya of Dharma-nature is identical with the Dharmakaya
reffered to in the Trikaya doctrine, and the Dharmakaya of Expediency
(Dharmakaya of Compassionate means) corresponds to the Sambhogakaya or Recompensed
Body. Nirmanakaya or various Transformed Bodies are manifested/emanated from
Sambhogakaya and thus, we can consider it as part of the Dharmakaya of
Expediency.
[2] In the Hongwanji
edition is translated as “Dharma body as Suchness”. The Pure Land Writings, Volume II, Tanluan, Commentary on the
Treatise on the Pure Land, The Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu
Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, Japan, 2018, p.134
[3] In the Hongwanji
edition it is translated as “Dharma body as Compassionate means” . The Pure Land Writings, Volume II,
Tanluan, Commentary on the Treatise on the Pure Land, The Shin Buddhism
Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, Japan, 2018, p.134
[4] T’an-luan said: “All Buddhas Tathagatas are called ‘equally
enlightened ones’”. Master Shan-tao said: “All Buddhas have attained one
and the same Enlightenment”. Also in the Garland Sutra, quoted by
Shinran Shonin in his Kyogyoshinsho, it is said: “The bodies of all
Buddhas are only one Dharma body”.
[5] “Ojoronchu – T’an-luan’s Commentary on Vasubandhu’s Discourse on
the Pure Land, A Study and Translation” by Hisao Inagaki, Nagata
Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1998.p.264-265
[6] Ojoronchu, Master
T’an-luan, as quoted in The Three Pure
Land Sutras, A Study and Translation from Chinese, by Hisao Inagaki in
collaboration with Harold Stewart, Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto, 1995, chapter 3 –
Development of the Pure Land teaching in China, p.88
[7] See the chapter “The
two aspects of the Pure Land” from my book, The
True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, Dharma Lion Publications,
Craiova, 201, p.101
[8] See the chapter “The
doctrine of the Three Buddha-Bodies and Two Buddha-Bodies in relation with
Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, from my book, The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, Dharma Lion
Publications, Craiova, 201, p.88
[9] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from
Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo
Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003,
p.9-10
[10] For example, when He explained the role and origin of the wonderful
birds of the Pure Land, Shakyamuni said:
“Shariputra, you should not assume that
these birds are born as retribution of their evil karma. The reason is that
none of the three evil realms exists in that Buddha-land. Shariputra, even the
names of the three evil realms do not exist there; how much less the realms
themselves? These birds are manifested by Amida Buddha so that their singing
can proclaim and spread the Dharma”.
[11] For example,
Master T’ao-ch’o said in his An Le Chi, „The streams, birds, and
forests all expound the Dharma, which awaken people to the principle of
non-arising.”
[12] Treatise on
the Pure Land, in The
Pure Land Writings, vol I – the Indian Masters, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 2012, p. 57
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