Faith in Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance through the exclusive recitation of his Name

The Pure Land teaching is a special kind of Buddhist teaching, different from all of the other Buddhist teachings spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha. In today’s world, the popularity of the Pure Land teaching has been increasing as people become more panicked and insecure about the threats of wars, illnesses, and starvation.

People have been more prone to ask whether there is a place free from all afflictions and suffering. It is similar to when Queen Vaidehi said to Shakyamuni Buddha, “I do not wish to live in this defiled and evil world of Jambudvipa (our planet Earth) where there are many vile beings. I wish that in the future I shall not hear evil words or see wicked people.”

Our world is full of greed and hatred. Thus, it is a place of affliction and suffering, without any eternal peace and joy. Worldly peace and joy come and go as fast as a flash of lightning. People are scared to fall into the Three Wretched Realms, particularly the hell realm with its unremitting suffering for eons.

The Pure Land is a realm free from all suffering and we experience only manifold kinds of joy. There, only virtuous buddha-like beings live together in one place. Through rebirth in the Land of Bliss one will have eternal life and utmost bliss, the same as Amitabha Buddha and his dependents.

The Pure Land teaching is open to all living beings in the universe who wish to leave the world of suffering and aspire to be reborn in this land of no sorrow or no afflictions. Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance is unconditional and absolutely equal, whether or not you are a Buddhist, good or evil, wise or ordinary, and so on.

The Pure Land teaching simply requires faith in Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance and exclusive recitation of his Name, as stated in his Fundamental Vow. In this way, all living beings can attain assured rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s buddha-land, where they will experience ultimate liberation and happiness. Namo Amituofo!

How to make a karmic connection with Amitabha Buddha through sincere Name-recitation

How does one begin to learn the Pure Land teaching? By the way, if you have no time to deeply learn about it; but wish to go to the Land of Bliss as soon as possible, please just open your mouth and sincerely recite the following syllables: “Namo Amitabha Buddha” or “Na-mo A-mi-tuo-fo.”

Through just that you immediately form a connection with Amitabha Buddha!

As the Contemplation Sutra says:

Those who hear Amitabha’s Name will be instantly embraced by Amitabha Buddha in the form of light and never forsaken.

If you always remember Amitabha Buddha and exclusively recite his Name, you will see Amitabha Buddha when he comes to receive you, when your life comes to an end.

In this respect, Amitabha Buddha is always in the mind of an exclusive Amitabha-reciter in the form of light. Because of this, it becomes much easier and more natural for one to believe, accept, and understand Amitabha Buddha’s teaching of deliverance through his vow-power for rebirth in his Pure Land.

This is also applicable for a beginner in the Pure Land teaching. It is important to always have Amitabha Buddha inside your mind and beside your body (through exclusive recitation of his Name) when learning and practicing the Pure Land teaching. This is because Amitabha Buddha is the only one who can protect, deliver, and assure you of rebirth in his buddha-land in this lifetime.

One more step required for a Buddhist to switch to the Pure Land teaching

For a Buddhist who wishes to switch from Shakyamuni Buddha’s teaching on the cultivation of self-powered meditative and non-meditative practices, to Amitabha Buddha’s teaching of deliverance through other-powered Amitabha-recitation practice, one has to go through a process of merit-dedication and rebirth-aspiration. This serves as a “bridge,” as I wrote in my previous article.

This sequence must be followed because the Land of Bliss is a realm of unconditioned Nirvana; so those who have “few” miscellaneous merit and virtues attained within the realm of conditioned birth and death cannot be reborn in the Land of Bliss. As stated in the Amitabha Sutra, “one ought to know.”

Please take note: when a Buddhist starts to learn the pristine Pure Land teaching, he must dedicate all of the merit and virtues he has attained, to allow Amitabha Buddha’s merit and virtues to entirely direct his mind for the sake of rebirth in the realm of unconditioned Nirvana.

Referring to the definition of the Path of the Great Vow written by Master Shandao: “The great vow and pure karmic power of Amitabha Buddha (contained in his Name) are the augmentative causes for all good and evil ordinary beings to be reborn” [in the Pure Land].” This explains the infinite power of Amitabha-recitation.

Among the Three States of Mind, Faith is the cause and Amitabha-recitation is the practice

In the Contemplation Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha advised all of his disciples and followers who wish to switch to the pristine Pure Land teaching to set forth the Three States of Mind: the Sincere Mind, the Deep Mind, and the Mind of Merit-Dedication and Rebirth-Aspiration. Then they would be assured of rebirth.

The Sincere Mind means one genuinely aspires to be reborn in the Land of Bliss and solely relies upon Amitabha Buddha’s splendid and unsurpassed merit and virtues for rebirth in the Pure Land. You do not rely upon any of the merit and virtues you attained through assorted virtuous practices in the Defiled World.

A Pure Land practitioner should also have the Deep Mind. There are two aspects: the first is to establish deep faith in the context of people. Believe only in the Buddha and not other people. The second is to establish deep faith in the context of practice, as stated in the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. The final aspect consists of the Minds of Merit-Dedication and Rebirth-Aspiration.

With this mindset, a Pure Land practitioner should pay full attention (be mindful) and go straightforward on the “white path” toward the Western Pure Land, without being side-tracked by worldly disturbances and afflictions, such as greed and hatred.

It is essential for a practitioner of the bodhisattva teachings in switching to the Pure Land teaching to change their understanding of the role played by the practitioner from, “I am the one who can deliver,” to, “I am the one to be delivered.” The targets of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance are sentient beings who need to be delivered.

In the Pure Land teaching, the one who can deliver is the infinitely compassionate and capable Amitabha Buddha. He is like a doctor and the ones to be cured are all sentient beings who suffer in samsara, and have no karmic conditions to leave the cycle of birth and death.

Related features from BDG

The Bridge Between the Teachings of Shakyamuni and Amitabha
Approaching Buddhism by Reading the Buddhist Sutras
Is Pure Land the Teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha or Amitabha Buddha, or Both?

More from Pristine Pure Land Teaching by Alan Kwan