The following vows refer mainly to highly advanced bodhisattvas in aspiration from various worlds who entrust to Amida Buddha and say His Name in faith, wishing to be born in His Land. They are already on one of the ten bodhisattva stages (bhumis) and very close to Enlightenment, but still not enlightened. Because they entrust to Amida and are in accord with His Primal Vow - in their case, hearing the Name of Amida means to hear and entrust, to hear with faith and to say Amida’s Name in faith, they will too be born in His Pure Land by transformation (“true fulfilled land/”center” of the Pure Land) where they will attain perfect Enlightenment[1]. The difference between them and us is that they are already very advanced on the Buddhist path and very close to Enlightenment while we are the lowest of the low in terms of spiritual evolution and the similarity is that we both entrust to Amida and dwell in the stage of non-retrogression for entering the Pure Land and attainment of Enlightenment there. However, because their spiritual capacities are already extremely high in comparison with ours and their senses very much purified, when they entrust to Amida and say His Name in faith they automatically receive more benefits than us, ordinary people. These benefits are explained in this category of vows.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Vows related with bodhisattvas in other lands (not yet born in the Pure Land)
The following vows refer mainly to highly advanced bodhisattvas in aspiration from various worlds who entrust to Amida Buddha and say His Name in faith, wishing to be born in His Land. They are already on one of the ten bodhisattva stages (bhumis) and very close to Enlightenment, but still not enlightened. Because they entrust to Amida and are in accord with His Primal Vow - in their case, hearing the Name of Amida means to hear and entrust, to hear with faith and to say Amida’s Name in faith, they will too be born in His Pure Land by transformation (“true fulfilled land/”center” of the Pure Land) where they will attain perfect Enlightenment[1]. The difference between them and us is that they are already very advanced on the Buddhist path and very close to Enlightenment while we are the lowest of the low in terms of spiritual evolution and the similarity is that we both entrust to Amida and dwell in the stage of non-retrogression for entering the Pure Land and attainment of Enlightenment there. However, because their spiritual capacities are already extremely high in comparison with ours and their senses very much purified, when they entrust to Amida and say His Name in faith they automatically receive more benefits than us, ordinary people. These benefits are explained in this category of vows.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Vows explaining the characteristics, the capacities and activities of beings who attained Enlightenment in the Pure Land after being born there
Friday, September 27, 2019
Returning from the Pure Land - explanation of the 22nd Vow of Amida Buddha
Section from the Larger Amida Sutra Mandala. Samantabhadra is seen near the Shakyamuni Buddha on his white elephant.Maitreya and Manjushri are also depicted in the right and left of the Buddha. |
“If, when I
attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of other directions who come
and are born in my land[1]
should not ultimately and unfailingly reach the Stage of Becoming a Buddha
after One More Life, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excepted are those
who wish to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original
vows. For they wear the armour of great vows, accumulate merits, deliver all
beings from birth and death, visit Buddha-lands to perform the bodhisattva
practices, make offerings to Buddha Tathagatas, throughout the ten directions,
enlighten uncountable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the River
Ganges, and establish them in the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Such
bodhisattvas transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattva
stages and actually cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra”.[2]
the 22nd Vow
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Vows made for those who still cling to their own power - explanation of the 19th Vow and 20th Vows of Amida Buddha
“If, when I
attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions, who
awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely
desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before
them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect
Enlightenment.”[1]
(19th
Vow)
“If, when I
attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who,
having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my land, plant roots of
virtue, and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be
born there, should not eventually fulfil their aspiration, may I not
attain perfect Enlightenment.”[2]
Generally speaking, Buddhist practices taught by Shakyamuni can be
classified into two groups:
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Helping animals make a connection with Amida Buddha
Here it looks like Codita is bowing his head in front of Amida image |
No
human being arrived today for the service, so I recited Nembutsu with one of
the dogs of Amidaji - Codita.
Even if animals may not understand human language is beneficial for them to hear the sacred Name and see holy images of Amida. This plants a seed in their mental stream and will help them make a karmic connection which Amida Buddha and His Dharma, which one day, perhaps in a better rebirth, will result in becoming open to His Primal Vow. This is why I encourage you to say Nembutsu in the presence of animals, make them see Amida images and even put statues with Amida on the crown of their head.
Even if animals may not understand human language is beneficial for them to hear the sacred Name and see holy images of Amida. This plants a seed in their mental stream and will help them make a karmic connection which Amida Buddha and His Dharma, which one day, perhaps in a better rebirth, will result in becoming open to His Primal Vow. This is why I encourage you to say Nembutsu in the presence of animals, make them see Amida images and even put statues with Amida on the crown of their head.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Biography of Shinran Shonin (audio version)
This
is the official biography of Shinran Shonin as accepted by Nishi Hongwanji
branch of Jodo Shinshu, and also by our temple, Amidaji. The reason I say so is
that this biography is recited aloud on every Hoonko week (Shinran’s Memorial)
at Nishi Hongwanji mother temple between January 9th to January 16th.
The
title of the biography is “An Illustrated Biography of Shinran, Honganji's
Shonin (Honganji Shonin Shinran Denne)” and was compiled by Kakunyo, the 3rd
Monshu of Hongwanji temple.
The narrator of this biography is Gansen John Welch, a member, and teacher in
Amidaji temple sangha. The edition he uses was translated by Rev Zuio Hisao
Inagaki and can be accessed at this link,
http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/horai/denne-index.htm Please click there if you
wish to read the whole text together with an introduction, images, and notes.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
The karmic situation of beings who have no aspiration for Enlightenment and Shakyamuni’s encouragement to do good in daily life and wish to be born in the Pure Land – commentary on sections 31 - 40 (PART II) of the Larger Sutra
2) Shakyamuni’s encouragements to do good in daily life and aspire for
birth in the Pure Land for the attainment of Enlightenment
To counter the
karmic effects of the evil acts described previously one has two options: to do
good and/or to aspire to be born in the Pure Land. Even without having the
aspiration for birth in the Pure Land, people can still do good and change
their karmic situation for the better. Also, the aspiration for birth in the
Pure Land and the non-discriminative salvation offered by Amida does not mean
one should not try to have a good behavior towards others. As long as one is
clearly aware that his/her salvation depends entirely on the Power of Amida
Buddha and abandons any idea of transferring his pitiful merits towards birth
in the Pure Land, his efforts to lead a decent life and do as much good as
possible is not in contradiction with the Primal Vow. Thus, to try to lead a
moral life and aspire for birth in the Pure Land can be followed in the same
time by those who have faith in Amida.
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