Cultivating the Pure Land Way, Part 2

About 3,000 years ago, the Buddha knew completely what was going to happen in society today. He did not fail those of us who truly sought transcendence, who truly sought enlightenment. In the Great Collection sutra, he said that in the Dharma-perfect Age, one could succeed in cultivating by observing the precepts; in the Dharma-ending Age, one could succeed in cultivating by learning the Pure Land method.

The Buddha was telling us, the people today, that we will definitely succeed in our cultivation if we learn and practice the Pure Land method.

The most important thing in our cultivation is to correct our wrong behavior. If we are not happy with a person or a thing, it will obstruct our rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, because our minds are not pure.

This is why it is hard to attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and why Mr Li Bingnan said that only one or two our of 10,000 Pure Land Practitioners succeed in attaining rebirth there. Most practitioners only managed to suppress, not eradicate their afflictions. It depends entirely on their luck when they are on deathbed. If they cannot suppress their afflictions that arise at the moment of their last breath, they will fall into the Three Evil Paths.

The Western Pure Land is an ultimate, perfect state. If a person wants to learn a particular method, this person, whatever his capacity, will hear the method that accords with his or her capacity. For example, if one has the capacity for Theravada teachings, one will hear the Buddhas and bodhisattvas lecturing on Theravada teachings. If one has the capacity for Mahayana teachings, one will hear nothing but Mahayana teachings.

A being will immediately hear what he or she wants to hear - all at the level of the being's capacity. This is great perfection and truly ultimate.

There are two ways to be reborn into the Pure Land. One way is to cultivate and accumulate merits and virtues daily and follow the regular way of practice to seek rebirth into the Pure Land. The other way is for those who have committed egregious evil deeds to be deeply remorseful at the last moment of their life.

Therefore, do not look down on those who have committed wrongdoings. Perhaps at the last moment of their lives, their ability to feel deep remorse will be so strong that they may attain a higher level of rebirth than we can. This is very possible.

It is said that a prodigal who returns home is more precious than gold. Ordinary people cannot be compared with them. Thus, we cannot look down on those who have committed wrong doings.