Pure Land, Part 2

With faith, vow and the recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha, we will be able to be reborn in the Pure Land and never again fall back in our practice. Up until now, we have made progress in one lifetime only to fall back for lifetimes after that. This is constant progression and retrogression is why it is taking us so long to attain enlightenment.

But once, we are in the Pure Land, we will never fall back again, which will allow us to attain our goal much more quickly. And as we are progressing, we will learn the infinite ways in which we can help all those we have vow to help be liberated from suffering as well.

What is the nature of the mind? An example, which is easy to understand, is called purity of mind in the Pure Land school. when our minds are pure, all of our deeds will be good. Thus, we will accumulate far more than just 10,000 good deeds. Amitabha Buddha is a name of millions of virtues. As we gradually come to understand the true reality, we will realize that what Great Master Ouyi said was ligical, that Amitabha Buddha encompasses all the infinite ways of practice.

He said: 'If we are able to be mindful of Amitabha Buddha, then we will understand all the wisdom of the Buddhist cannon'. We, as Pure Land practitioners cannot make people practice the Pure Land method. When someone's condition has matured, we should voluntarily introduce Buddhism to help the person. There are many stages in learning Buddhism.

As the person gradually advances in practice, he or she will naturally find the most direct route - the wondrous Pure Land method. Therefore, to help all beings skillfully and expediently, we should therefore, be patient.

Amotabha's Pure Land is a land where saints and ordinary beings live together, but it includes all Four lands. When we go there, of course we go to the Land of Common Residence of Ordinary Beings and Saints because we carry residual karmas.

In all other Buddha lands of the ten directions, the Four Lands are separate. Sakyamuni Buddha's Land of Real Reward is in the Dharma Realm of the One Reality and his Land of Expedient Liberation is in the four enlightened worlds. The lands are separate.

It is like schools in this world. Elementary schools, middle schools and universities are separate. The Western Pure Land is unique. The students of elementary schools, the students of middle schools, the students of universities and post-graduate students all share the same classroom. This is unique and this is why it is called a teaching that is hard to believe.