What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is the teachings of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha, born during the 6th century BCE in Lumbini, nowadays Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan. His birth name was Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha renounced his luxurious prince lifestyle to live as a wandering ascetic. After practising extreme asceticism for six years, he discovered the Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, which led him into Nirvana (ultimate enlightenment), that is, completely free from all suffering in life, to exit the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) and to completely awakened to the truth of life and the Universe. He realised that all beings all possess the Buddha-nature (the original pure nature that connects all and knows all), it is only due to delusions and attachment that one cannot realise.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in what is now India, he began to share his teachings to as many people as possible regardless of their backgrounds and caste systems. He later became known as the Buddha, i.e. a title given to someone wholly awakened to the truth of life and the Universe.
Most people would regard Buddhism as a religion, but if one has studied the teachings of the Buddha, one would realise that the essence is not really a religion. In fact, it transcends mere religion and philosophy. It is the right path which can help us awaken, i.e. to be free from all suffering in life and to realise the truth of life and the Universe.
You can watch the video here in which Jiawen talks about the essence of Buddhism and why it can be practised by all beings regardless of background and religion.
What is Pure Land Buddhism?
There are many schools in Buddhism which are all about the different practices taught by the Buddha to help us attain enlightenment and realise Buddhahood (perfect enlightenment), to be completely awakened and to realise the truth of life and the Universe. In the sutras (Buddha's teachings), the Buddha told us there are 84,000 Dharma Doors (practices), in fact, innumerable paths to enlightenment.
Pure Land Buddhism is the largest and most significant branch of Mahayana Buddhism in Chinese Buddhism. It is the most popular and widely practised form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Vietnam and other East Asian countries. The reason for its popularity is due to the ease of practice, which is much easier than Chan (Zen) Buddhism and other forms of Buddhism.
Nianfo (Amitabha-recitation)
The primary practice in Pure Land Buddhism consists of Nianfo 念佛 (Chinese, which means mindfulness of the Buddha), also known as Amitabha-recitation, where one recites the Name of Amitabha Buddha repeatedly to help one obtain peace of mind in the present and also to attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the time of death to transcend the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation).
The Pure Land path is known as the easiest path as there is no need to realise enlightenment to attain rebirth in the Pure Land. One only needs belief (faith), vow and practice (Nianfo) to attain rebirth in the Pure Land due to Amitabha Buddha’s great vows. Once one is in the Pure Land, one has entirely transcended from the cycle of reincarnation, and one can realise Buddhahood much more quicker in the Pure Land.
Shakyamuni Buddha said in the sutra during the Dharma-ending age (2000 years after the Buddha entered Parinirvana) the Pure Land Dharma gate is the easiest for beings to succeed (i.e. to transcend the cycle of reincarnation and realise Buddhahood) due to it will be really difficult for anyone to realise enlightenment entirely on their self-effort in the Dharma-ending age where there is too much desire and suffering filled in the world (which is currently the period we are in).
More on Nianfo
The Nianfo practice is taught to us by Shakyamuni Buddha in many of the Mahayana sutras, notably in the Amitabha Sutra, where Shakyamuni Buddha said:
“To the West, over a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands away, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss. In that Land, there is a Buddha called Amitabha, now teaching the Dharma.”
Please note that In Mahayana sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha told us that he had, in fact, realised Buddhahood countless eons ago. Still, he kept coming back to help us (this is the same with other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas due to their great compassion and the vows they made). He also told us there are infinite Buddhas in infinite worlds, teaching the Dharma to help save sentient beings. Since Buddha-Nature is within all beings, it is only natural that there are other Buddhas in other worlds.
In the Amitabha Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha described the Pure Land as a land without suffering but all bliss. He kept on telling us to take belief in this teaching (although it can be difficult to believe), and to vow to attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land through reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name (Nianfo) single-heartedly without confusion at the time of death and then one can attain rebirth successfully.
Of course, one should not wait til the end of life to recite His Name. One can practice Nianfo now to obtain peace of mind in the moment and firmly believe that we can attain rebirth in the Pure Land at the time of death to exit the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) and to liberate from all suffering in life.
Amitabha Buddha & His Pure Land
Please note that Amitabha Buddha is not God as in an absolute creator. In Buddhism, there isn’t an absolute creator who governs and controls everything. (If there were a God like that, he would be doing a poor job in this world with so much suffering - why would God allow his creation to suffer? Why is there suffering and evil in the first place? All of these do not seem to have logical explanations. The famous quote from Epicurus will help put things into perspective:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
― Epicurus )
Instead, Buddhism offers much more logical explanations as to how things come into existence. In Buddhism we say things arise dependently due to causes and conditions, with the nature being emptiness (i.e. all things are constantly changing without a permanently fixed nature). The true nature of things have no beginning and no end, that is our Buddha-nature.
Amitabha Buddha, like Shakyamuni Buddha, is a completely awakened being who, through countless eons of cultivation, has realised Buddhahood and created the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through his great vows. Amitabha Buddha currently resides in the Pure Land and has countless incarnations in infinite worlds to help save sentient beings. Amitābha Buddha only creates the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, not the suffering world here. If there were God in Buddhism, it would be our Mind. We create our heavens and hells.
Also, the Pure Land is not heaven. The heaven realm is still one of the six realms of reincarnation (heavens, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts & hells), and beings who reside in the heavens are subject to limited lifespans (although they will enjoy tremendously long lifespans). And when life ends in heaven, one still has to come down, most likely falling into the lower realm of existence and still being trapped in the cycle of reincarnation.
One can think of Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land (Buddha-land) as another dimension, the highest dimensional existence where the Buddha resides and teaches the Dharma to help beings to realise Buddhahood. Beings in the Pure Land of Amitabha will realise Buddhahood and attain Infinite Light and Life. Upon realising enlightenment in the Pure Land, one can also be like the Buddhas to have countless incarnations in countless worlds to help save sentient beings.
Shakyamuni Buddha also told us there are infinite Buddha-lands in the ten directions. However, Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land is the easiest for us to go due to Amitabha Buddha's great vows he made before he realised Buddhahood. The Infinite Life Sutra (Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra) detailed Amitabha Buddha's past lives and the forty-eight great vows he made to create the perfect Pure Land and help save sentient beings.
Rebirth vs Reincarnation
Rebirth is a word you will commonly hear when it comes to the Pure Land teachings. Rebirth in the Pure Land context is different from reincarnation. When discussing rebirth in Pure Land Buddhism, we specifically mean that one can attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Whereas for reincarnation, one is still being born in one of the six realms (heavens, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hells), although the word rebirth and reincarnate may be used interchangeably in other schools of Buddhism, this is not the case in Pure Land Buddhism.
If one can attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, then one can liberate from the cycle of Samsara (repeated births and deaths), to liberate from all suffering in life and to realise Buddhahood easily.
In the sutras (written records of the Buddha’s teachings), Shakyamuni Buddha told us that this is the easiest method for anyone to exit the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) during the Dharma-ending age (2000 years after the Buddha entered Parinirvana and where a diluted form of teachings exist and enlightenment is rarely attained), which is currently the age we are in.
The Pure Land path is also known as the easy path in that one does not need to attain enlightenment to exit the cycle of reincarnation, one can simply recite the Name of Amitabha Buddha with faith and vow to be born in His Pure Land, relying on the power and vows of Amitabha Buddha one can attain rebirth to His Pure Land.
Relevant background information:
Rebirth Cases
In the Infinite Life Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha described the past life of Amitabha Buddha before he realised Buddhahood, and how he practised for five eons to attain Buddhahood and to create the perfect Pure Land known as the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to receive all sentient beings to be born in His Pure Land. The Infinite Life Sutra also details the forty-eight great vows Amitabha made to create the Pure Land, particularly the 18th vow which says that for “all the beings of the ten directions, who sincerely believe and joyfully vow to be born in my Land, reciting my Name for even ten times, they can be born in my Land, except for those who commit the five grave offences and slander the right Dharma.”
This may sound quite far-fetched and unbelievable to most people at first, but from ancient time in China until nowadays, many people have seen Amitabha Buddha and received by Him to His Pure Land at the time of death. For some people who practised diligently, they would even know their time of rebirth beforehand (Amitabha Buddha will inform them earlier) and told people to come to witness their rebirths. That is how Pure Land Buddhism spread so quickly all over China and has now become the largest and the most popular form of Buddhism in China.
There is also a book called “A Record of Sages of the Pure Land” (净土圣贤录) which recorded in details how many people sought rebirth in the Pure Land since the time of ancient China. There are also books which record modern rebirth cases. We are also undergoing the process of translating more rebirth cases and, hopefully, will publish a book in English soon.
Please note that other rebirth cases also happened in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, US, Australia and many other countries in which Pure Land Buddhism is practised (despite many may not be recorded or told to the public).
You can watch videos of true rebirth cases here which Jiawen shared.
Your one-stop resource for everything Pure Land Buddhism related.
This website is intended to be your one-stop resource for everything Pure Land Buddhism related. You can find relevant videos, sutras, books, articles etc., on the Dharma, particularly the Pure Land Dharma.
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
A wonderful Pure Land animation directed by Master Renshan which introduced Amitabha Buddha and His Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss (based on the Amitabha Sutra).
VR360 Pure Land Scenery: If you have a virtual headset, you can wear it to watch this video and Nianfo. You will feel like you are sitting in a lotus in front of Amitabha Buddha and the Three Sages, and already in the Pure Land.
In Praise of Amitabha Buddha 赞佛偈
Incredible New Pure Land Animation by Alcoo based on the Amitabha Sutra.