The first Buddhist stupa in Bucharest - Romania

Homage to all Dharma gates taught by Shakyamuni

and to all authentic lineages of transmission.

Homage to Amida Buddha

whose Name is praised by all Buddhas!

I was blessed with the opportunity to give a little help to my Buddhist friends from The Garden of Maitreya - FPMT Bucharest who built their first stupa. You are always welcome to visit it when you travel to Romania. Here is their website (English and Romanian),
www.gardenofmaitreya.com

As I have repeatedly said, I believe that non-asiatic Buddhists should stop wasting their energy, wealth and work in asiatic countries and focus on the establishment of Buddhism in their own countries. 

We must have our own sacred places and pilgrimage routes in Europe, USA, South America etc, and support/visit each other in a true nonsectarian spirit because Buddhism is not the property of anybody and beings with different karmic affinities must be helped to find their own place witthin the Buddha Dharma. 

I do this in Romania, by constantly helping, promoting and visiting through pilgrimage on foot all places related with Buddhism, no matter to which school they belong and I hope that others will follow my example. I exclusively rely on the Dharma Gate of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and do not mix it with other practices, but I show respect and support all Dharma Gates and authentic lineages of transmission because they all originated from the same Buddha and they can all can lead beings to Liberation if they are practiced properly.

Yours in Namo Amida Bu

Please read my article

Do not despise other Buddhas, Dharma Gates

 and Buddhist teachings because you have faith in Amida 

If you can, please support the Stupa of All Buddhas that I am trying to build at Amidaji temple with a donation:

Any little help is useful and deeply appreciated.
Yours in Namo Amida Bu

Against the superstition of auspicious/inauspicious days

 

Question: I saw many Buddhist calendars on various Buddhist websites who mention “auspicious” or “inauspicious days” for doing various activities from cutting one’s hair, to Dharma activities. What is the view of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism on this matter?
 
My answer: I am glad to say that in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and based on the words of Shakyamuni Buddha himself, we do NOT believe in propitious/auspicious or unpropitious/inauspicious times. The Power of Amida and all Buddhas surpass any influence caused by spirits, gods, bad energies, elements, etc that might create unpropitious times.

Propitious/auspicious or unpropitious have a meaning only for superstitious samsaric beings who don't experience the Power and guidance of Buddhas in their lives. However, for those who take refuge in the Buddhas, in the Dharma and Sangha, who say the Name of Amida or any Buddhas or their mantras, such things have no influence and must be treated as mere illusions in an illusory world composed of illusory phenomena.

Here are just two quotations from the sutras used by Shinran Shonin in his works:

NEWS! The first Buddhist Black Metal album - To Receive The Adamantine Heart by Urschwur (Horai Alessandro Coletta)

Dear friends,

I am happy to share with you this great news! Many of you  already know that we at Amidaji are very strict about the doctrine and how this is to be explained and transmitted, but very relaxed when it comes to the method of transmission. 

Music is an important expression of the human soul and also a vehicle. Since ancient times people have expressed their feelings but also their convictions and meditations through music. I, for example, am a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist who enjoys Black Metal and like me there are many. So, why not having Black metal music with Buddhist lyrics that talk about one's experience of being a bombu (a person filled with blind passions) and having faith in Amida Buddha? For many years I talked with various people about this possibility.

To many it sounded strange but some were happy about it, and yet, nobody dared to do something...until Horai Allesandro Colleta did it and he did it in a great way! 

Horai Alessandro Coletta during
hisstay at Amidaji where he
received theThree Refuges

So, I invite you, dear readers and Dharma friends who like this type of music, to listen to and follow Horai's Buddhist Black Metal project -  Urschwur and his first album - To Receive the Adamantine Heart. 

You can follow him on YouTube  and Instagram  where you can also find news about his activities and concerts. 

At this link  https://remoteradiancerecords.bandcamp.com you can also order his album, T-shirts and various items related with his project. 

And you can write to him personally at his email: horaisattvahr@gmail.com

Also, please read his interview in the Lunatic Magazin that I am sharing with you bellow this video. It is filled with many profound insights into the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teachings and Horai's deep religious experience.

Namo Amida Bu 

Commentary on the Sutra on Amitayus Buddha (Smaller Amida Sutra) - free edition and printed edition for sale

For this commentary on the Smaller Amida Sutra I used the English translation made by Rev Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart and published under the title The Three Pure Land Sutras by Numata Centre for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003. 

It is a section-by-section explanation in which I tried my best to convey in simple language the message of the sutra in both its explicit and implicit meanings. As the sutras in general have many layers of interpretation and were explained in various ways according to different lineages and schools, I relied in my commentary on Master Shinran’s interpretation[2] and read it through the eyes of faith in the Primal Vow of Amida. Honestly speaking, without Master Shinran Shonin I could never understand the deep meaning of the Three Pure Land sutras and could not transmit it to others, so my gratitude to him is impossible to express in words.
 
Whatever I say that is true and useful to others awakening to faith arises in my mind due to Amida’s influence and the benevolence of my Master Shinran, and whatever I say wrong is due to my limited spiritual capacities. Thus, I ask the reader to always pray to Amida for guidance whenever he or she engages in the study of this sutra and the three Pure Land sutras in general.

The method for birth in the Pure Land – commentary on section 5 (part2) of the Smaller Amida Sutra (Amidakyo)

This is a fragment from my 

Commentary on the Smaller Amida Sutra (Amidakyo) 

- work in progress and under constant revision - 

 “Śāriputra, those sentient beings who hear of that land should aspire to be born there. Why? Because they will be able to meet such sages of supreme virtue. Śāriputra, one cannot attain birth in that land with few roots of good or a small store of merit. 

Śāriputra, if a good man or woman who hears of Amitāyus holds fast to His Name even for one day, two days, three, four, five, six, or seven days with a concentrated and undistracted mind, then, at the hour of death, Amitāyus will appear with a host of holy ones. Consequently, when their life comes to an end, the aspirants’ minds will not fall into confusion and so they will be born immediately in the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitāyus. Śāriputra, perceiving these benefits, I say: ‘All sentient beings who hear this teaching should aspire to birth in that land.’”[1] 

We must notice these words “sages of supreme virtue (merit)” and “one cannot attain birth in that land with few roots of good or a small store of merit (virtue)”.

Outline of the Smaller Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life

This is a fragment from my 

   Commentary on the Smaller Amida Sutra (Amidakyo) 

 - work in progress and under constant revision - 

The sutra begins with Shakyamuni Buddha in the Jeta Grove monastery situated in Anathapindada’s garden in the city of Sravasti with an assembly of twelve hundred and fifty arhat monks and some Enlightened Bodhisattvas, including Manjushri.
The Buddha starts delivering this sutra spontaneous to Sariputra and all those present, without being asked a question, thus showing how important the teaching about Amida is.
(section 1 and section 2)
 
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