AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 3. Shakyamuni Buddha and Amida Buddha

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1. Human history, as we know it, is only a very small fraction of the endless and inconceivable time of the universe. This means that many world systems and beings living in them had existed before this earth and will continue to exist after its disappearance. Thus, in the beginnigless past a great number of Buddhas appeared in various worlds and will continue to appear in the never ending future.

2. The Enlightened Person who taught the Dharma during our present human history was Shakyamuni Buddha and the teachings and methods presented by Him were transmitted to us in the form of sutras (discourses).

3.Different Buddhist schools were created based on various sutras (discourses). Our Jodo Shinshu school

( the True Pure Land School) which we also call Amida Dharma was formed based on the The Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life (Larger Sutra). A lineage of Masters from India, China, and Japan transmitted and explained the teaching of this sutra, among which the most important is Shinran Shonin, the founder of this school in Japan, and Rennyo Shonin, the restorer.

4.The Larger Sutra was considered by Shinran Shonin to be the most important teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime, and the main reason for His appearance in our world. In this sutra He told the story of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, encouraging all beings to entrust to Him, say His Name (NamoAmida Bu) and wish to be born there.

5.As Shakyamuni told us, Amida was a monk named Dharmakara, in another era long before ours, who made the aspiration to become a Buddha. But what differentiates Him from other Buddhas is that He made special vows which promise salvation (Buddhahood) not only for those capable of hard practices and virtues, but for all, and especially for those who are incapable of any practice. Thus, He promised the creation of a special Pure Land named Sukhavati in which everybody can have access and, once born there, they will themselves become Buddhas, completely free from birth and death and capable to save other beings. According to His Primal Vow (the 18th Vow), the only condition for birth in His Pure Land is to have faith in Him, say His Name (NamoAmida Bu) and wish to be born there after death.

6. At the moment Dharmakara attained supreme Enlightenment and became Amida Buddha, His vows and His Pure Land became real and effective in the salvation of beings.

7. Amida, which is the Name of this Buddha, means Infinite Life and Infinite Light. Thus, Amida is the Buddha of Infinite Life and Infinite Light.

8.Unlike Shakyamuni, Amida is not a historical figure, so He does not belong to human history as we know it, but a transcendent Buddha who attained Enlightenment many eons ago, in the distant past, even before the apparition of our universe. However, He is as real as Shakyamuni or any Buddha of any time as all Buddhas remain forever active in the salvation of sentient beings.

9. In order to prove His existence and to make us, disciples of future times, entrust to Him, Shakyamuni Buddha showed Amida and His Pure Land to Ananda and all those gathered on Vulture Peak in India who listened that day to the Larger Sutra. Thus, all the assembly saw and enjoyed the splendor of His Powerful Light. They also saw the glory and happiness of enlightened beings born there and they further transmitted the good news of the unconditional salvation this Buddha offers to all beings irrespective of their spiritual capacities.

10. Because it is the easiest  method through which all beings, no matter their capacities, can attain freedom from samsara, all Buddhas, not only Shakyamuni, urge us to entrust ourselves to Amida, say His Name in faith (Namo Amida Bu) and wish to be born in His Pure Land after death.

11.The environment in which we now live is the product of our personal karma and the collective karma of all beings. This impure common karma gave rise to an impure environment that also influences us and in which it is hard to have a true spiritual evolution. We ourselves are sick, our fellow beings are sick and the environment we inhabit is also sick. This is why we are urged to aspire to be born after death, in the Pure Land. This land is the healthy enlightened realm of Amida, a suitable environment which is not the product of evil karma but of His pure karmic merits. Once born in such a sane environment our insanity is cured instantly, our delusions are naturally melted like ice meeting fire, and Enlightenment appears naturally.

12.Samsaric or unenlightened beings are like seeds dropped in infertile soil. Although the potentiality of any seed is to become a tree, if you place it in poor soil, devoid of any good nutrients, and in the presence of various bad weeds, the seed will not grow.

Just like the seed, the potentiality of any being is to become a Buddha, but because we live in this samsaric world, itself the effect and echo of our own evil karma, we cannot grow and transform ourselves into Buddhas.

This is exactly why we need to let Amida take us to His Pure Land. That Land is the best soil for seeds like us to quickly develop their natural potential and become Buddhas.

13.Unlike the various samsaric planes of existence, the Pure Land is the soil (realm) of Enlightenment, the perfect garden manifested by Amida Buddha where everything is conducive to Enlightenment. So, we should all simply entrust to Him and wish to be planted (reborn) there, where by receiving all the necessary nutrients and by being free from all bad weeds (obstacles), we’ll naturally transform ourselves into Trees of Enlightenment.