The Insights of Pure Land

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The bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land have the ability to travel to all the Buddha Lands and any place in the entire Dharma Realm. The sutras teach that the past has no beginning and the future has no end. From this, we know that space [in Buddhism, it is called Dharma Realm] is immensely vast.

This is the area the bodhisattvas cover in their travels - the vastness of the Dharma Realm. If they have an affinity with a place, they will manifest themselves there to benefit the beings.

Like Sakyamuni Buddha, all Buddhas lecture according to the level of the audience. when the people in the audience have different capacities, there are many sutras that the Buddha would not speak.

But, they would definitely speak the three Pure Land sutras. Why? Because these sutras are suitable for all beings. These are the sutras that all Buddhas must speak. That is, they must introduce Pure Land teachings to all beings.

If the beings' conditions have matured and this being believes, makes the vow and practices the teachings, he will make accomplishments in this life. and the great vow of all Buddhas to help all beings will be fulfilled.

The conditions are mature for some beings but not for others. If a being does not have the conditions, one should help the being develop the conditions. If the conditions of a being are not yet mature, one should help them mature. If the conditions of a being have matured, one should guide that being to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Throughout the boundless worlds in the 10 directions, the bodhisattvas of the Land of Ultimate Bliss [1] seek the Buddhadharma and [2] help all beings. When they seek the Buddhadharma, they are not attached to the act of seeking. When they help beings, they are not attached to the act of helping. They discard all attachments and teach all beings. This way, they are able to attain infinite merits and virtues.

As Pure Land practitioners, we have to achieve a certain level of attainment and transcend the cycle of rebirth to be able to reborn into the Western Pure Land. Theravada practitioners need to reach at the least, the level of Stream-entering, which is achieved by severing wrong views. It is the lowest of the four stages of sagehood in Theravada Buddhism.

At this point o attainment, practitioners will continue to reborn into the heaven and human realms for seven more times. In this way, they are assured of attaining the state of arhat although it may take them a longer time to do so.

But, by not falling into the Three Bad Realms, they are considered to have achieved attainment.

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