The Lifeline of Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
4 March 2016
The lifeline of Pure Land Buddhism is Amitabha’s 18th Vow Pure Land Buddhism teaches us about deliverance through Amitabha. As stated by Shakyamuni Buddha in
Three Ways to Introduce the Pure Land Teachings in the Three Pure Land Sutras
Alan Kwan
5 February 2016
In my last article, we discussed three modes of belief in religious teachings: belief through direct experience (factual evidence); belief through irrefutable deduction (comparative analysis);
Three Ways to Believe – Initial Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
22 January 2016
The multiple meanings of the Chinese word “xin” In the Chinese language, faith and belief are described by the word “xin” (信), which can be
How is Dedication Related to Rebirth in the Land of Bliss?
Alan Kwan
8 January 2016
No dedication required for rebirth in the Pure Land through the primary practices Why is it important to differentiate between the Mind of Merit-dedication and
More about Merit-Dedication and Rebirth-Aspiration
Alan Kwan
24 December 2015
A summary of the mind of merit-dedication and rebirth-aspiration By relying on the general understanding of the dedication of merit in the traditional bodhisattva teachings, some
The Difference between Dedication of Merit on the Bodhisattva Path and Dedication-Aspiration in Pure Land Buddhism
Alan Kwan
11 December 2015
One is “born there at once” through the Three States of Mind As discussed in my last article, the context of dedication-aspiration in Pure Land
Three Ways, Two Paths, and One Practice for Rebirth
Alan Kwan
13 November 2015
Three ways to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss In my earlier article, “Karmic Circumstance—Who is Entitled to be Reborn in the Pure Land,”*
The Only Sutra Spoken to Ordinary Beings for Ultimate Liberation
Alan Kwan
30 October 2015
The significance of the Buddha’s response to Queen Vaidehi’s request In examining the literal meaning of the title of the Contemplation Sutra, we may have the
Karmic Circumstance—Who Is Entitled to be Reborn in the Pure Land?
Alan Kwan
16 October 2015
Meditative practitioners are entitled to rebirth in the Pure Land In the Contemplation Sutra, Queen Vaidehi asks Shakyamuni Buddha to teach her how to meditate and
A Comparison of the Two Ways of Seeing Amitabha Buddha and Attaining Rebirth in His Pure Land
Alan Kwan
2 October 2015
Two teachings by two Buddhas—the dual objective of the Contemplation Sutra In his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Master Shandao says: “Here, the objective of the Contemplation Sutra is
How to See Amitabha Buddha and Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land Through Name-recitation
Alan Kwan
18 September 2015
Three sages in the west appear in response to Shakyamuni Buddha’s promise From Shakyamuni Buddha’s reply to Queen Vaidehi’s three requests in the Contemplation Sutra, we
The Butcher Who Laid Down His Knife and Became a Buddha
Alan Kwan
24 July 2015
The story of Butcher Jing in Tang dynasty China The following episode is recorded in Part 28 of Collected Records of the Buddha:* In Chang’an, during