AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 12. The Three Refuges

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1.As disciples of Amida and all Buddhas, our only refuge is Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. When we enter the Buddhist Path and we are welcomed in the community of believers (Sangha) we say the Three Refuges with faith and devotion: „I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha”.

2.For us who follow Amida Dharma or the Dharma Gate of birth in the Pure Land, to take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in Amida Buddha. Only through Him can we attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land as He is the only Buddha among all Buddhas who made the Vow of saving everybody, no matter their spiritual capacities.

3.By taking refuge in Amida, we automatically honor and take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher who showed us the path of Amida Dharma (His main reason for coming into this world) and in all Buddhas in the ten directions, as they all encourage us, teach us and guide us to entrust to Amida Buddha.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 11. The benefits of birth in the Pure Land after death

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1.Those born in the Pure Land through the Gate of True Faith immediately attain supreme Enlightenment. From the very moment they are born in Amida’s Pure Land they stop being ordinary beings subject to karma, repeated births and deaths, or to the various delusions and sufferings that are inherent to samsaric existence because they become all-powerful Buddhas free from all obstacles.

2.Unlike samsara, where the bodies of beings differ in beauty, health and lifespan, in the Pure Land they will have glorious and eternal manifestations, full of beauty and endless power. Also, they will be able to travel to any direction of the universe and take whatever form they wish, to help all beings, without actually leaving the Pure Land and without being affected by any suffering. Unlike here, where we are limited by time and space, in the Pure Land there will be no limits or obstacles and therefore, we will be able to be in billions of places at the same time.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 10. The benefits in this life of those who have faith in Amida Buddha

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1. The disciple who has faith in Amida is protected and sustained by various spirits, gods and unseen powers who are themselves followers of the Buddha-Dharma

2.The disciple who has faith in Amida is protected by all Buddhas. They accompany him day and night like his own shadow.

3.The disciple who has faith in Amida is protected by the Light of this Buddha’s heart. No demon, spirit or evil god can harm him.

Also, those who have faith in Amida will never lose it.

We are stable and constant in our faith due to Amida’s influence on us, His protection and the protection of all Buddhas. Amida’s Power is always working inside our minds and keeping us on the right Path to His Pure Land. A person who has genuine faith in Amida will never fall back to non-Buddhist paths, never embrace wrong views or doubt Amida’s salvation. On the contrary, he will, due to Amida’s protection and the protection of all Buddhas, be constant in his profound understanding that self-power is useless in attaining supreme Enlightenment, and so he will never waver from true and real faith (shinjin) in Amida.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 9. The five conditions for birth in the Pure Land

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1.There are five conditions that someone must meet in order to be born in the Pure Land: karmic good from the past, a good spiritual teacher, Amida’s Light, faith (shinjin) and the saying of Amida Buddha's Name (Nembutsu)

2.The good from the past represents our good karma from past lives and this life (prior to the awakening of faith) which manifests itself as an opening or receptive state of mind towards the message of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha.

In Jodo Shinshu a very important practice is to listen to the teaching. However, a lot of people hear the teaching about the Primal Vow but few are opened to it. This openness is very important in our tradition and it is the manifestation of the karmic good from the past. Also, if you listen again and again to the teaching in this life, thus becoming immersed with all your being in the Dharma, this listening will become a karmic good which one day will make you open to the Primal Vow.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 8. The way to Faith - listening to the teaching

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1.If we do not listen deeply to the teaching, but instead we are full of our egos and with ideas of what we think we can achieve through our personal power, or if we are under the influence of various non-Buddhist religions then we cannot receive faith nor say the true Nembutsu which is the natural manifestation of faith.

2.Faith and Nembutsu are not imposed by force in our hearts by Amida Buddha, so if somebody does not show interest in the Buddhist teaching and especially in the teaching on the Primal Vow of Amida then that person cannot entrust to Amida.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 7. The answer to the Call of Buddha Amida

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1.Like the sun who sends its rays everywhere, Amida is calling all beings to entrust to Him; nevertheless some people close the windows of their minds and hearts while others keep them open. But even if you open your window, the rays of light belong to the sun, and not to yourself. It is the same with faith.

2.It is because of Amida that one entrusts to Amida. The echo of Amida's Call in one's heart (faith) is due to the power of the One who calls (Amida).

Some people become open to this Call while others don't. Your openness depends on how karmically mature you are in relation to this Call, which is why in our school we are asked to listen again and again to Amida Dharma until we finally become open to it.

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 6. The eight precepts of faith

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1.Those who wish to be in harmony with the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and to protect the transmission of true faith for other generations, helping themselves and others to not fall into wrong views, must have faith themselves and posses the eight elements of faith. They must also follow the eight precepts of faith.

2.The first precept of faith:

A true disciple of Amida and all Buddhas shall not himself deny, or encourage others to deny the actual, literal existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land. He must not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of denying the existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land. As a true disciple of Amida and all Buddhas he must have devotion and faith in Amida Buddha, always helping sentient beings to entrust to Him and aspire to be born in His Pure Land.