I heard somebody say that we do not need to aspire for
birth in the Pure Land because “everything is in the mind”.
My answer:
Those
who say that we don’t need the Pure Land to attain perfect Enlightenment and
discover our innate Buddha nature because “everything is in the mind” are
gravely deluded. As we all know from daily life, in some places and with some
people we become more agitated or more calm. Although everything happens in the
mind, the environment and the people around us influences our minds. There will
always be more peace in our minds when we are in the presence of peaceful
people.