My Experiences with
Amitabha Buddha
by Rev. Tri Ratna Priya
Karuna
I never thought that our
Abbess Rev. Karuna would ask me to give another Dharma talk on Amitabha
Buddha so soon after the last one. I thought I would be back to such
subjects as the Four Brahma Viharas or the Twelve Links of Causation.
Nevertheless, I am delighted to have another opportunity to talk about
Amitabha Buddha and the teachings associated with Him.
It is safe to state
categorically that no religion in world history has managed to survive for
hundreds of years, let alone over two millennia, if it has appealed only
to scholars and intellectuals. Therefore, since Buddhism has flourished
for over 2500 years, there must be important elements in it that have
nourished and sustained millions of people through the centuries who, even
if they were born with less than brilliant minds or lacked the educational
opportunities to develop their mental abilities, were nevertheless endowed
with rich emotional resources and the capacity for deep faith.
The poor, humble, hard
working people gained their primary satisfaction not from scholastic
pursuits, but from the expression and involvement of their emotions in
various relationships. They wanted to give love, of course, but most of
all they wanted to feel loved, nurtured and protected, not just by a human
support group like family, friends and lovers, but also by some infinitely
caring and compassionate divine powers.
The great masters who shaped
and developed the Mahayana or Great Vehicle during the latter decades BCE
and the early centuries CE, were keenly aware of the deep need that
existed among the majority of lay persons who followed the Dharma
teachings for a primarily devotional form of Buddhism that could bring
meaning and inspiration into their drab lives.
With the appearance of the
three sutras which tell the story of Amitabha Buddha and the development
of the trikaya doctrine which I discussed in my last talk, a purely
devotional sect of Buddhism not only became a possibility, but eventually
a reality. In India, a preference for the intellectual approach and the
supreme importance of wisdom as the ultimate goal prevented any form of
Buddhism that emphasized faith and devotion from becoming an independent
school there. However, it is interesting to note that the great
Nagarjuna--who lived in the second century CE, founded the extremely
influential Madhyamika sect, and according to tradition, revealed the
Prajnaparamita literature to the world--expressed the view "that for those
who seriously undertake to lead the Buddhist life, two paths are open, the
difficult path of self reliance and the easy path of dependence upon the
compassion of the Buddha." Nagarjuna has been called by some authorities
the second most important figure in the history of Buddhism, and because
of his recognition of the legitimacy of the path of faith and devotion, he
is considered to be the first Patriarch of the Pure Land devotional
schools of the Far East.
Nagarjuna stated that the
principal activity of those who follow the devotional path should be
simply the worship of the Buddha of the future, Maitreya, and Amitabha
Buddha.
Maitreya, waiting in the
Tusita heaven until it is his time to come into the world, is obviously
not--now or for thousands of years to come--involved in the unfolding
destiny of the world. Thus it would seem that the deities most deserving
of veneration in Nagarjuna's day, as well as our time, are Amitabha Buddha
and his son/daughter Kwan Yin, since it is they who are actively in charge
during this world-period.
Even though for many
centuries devotional Buddhism of one sect or another was practiced by all
schools of Mahayana as an integral part of their programs of study,
practice and worship, it was not until the fourth century of the common
era in China that a monk named Hui Yuan (333-416 CE) developed an
intensely devotional sect whose adherents concentrated upon the worship of
Amitabha Buddha. Eventually, this sect became acknowledged as a separate
school, the Pure Land school, which in time was accepted universally as
one of the four main schools of Mahayana Buddhism.
Buddhism in general passed
through many vicissitudes in China, reaching its zenith of power,
influence and popularity during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), declining
and periodically reasserting itself during later centuries. In time, as a
result of all the strains to which Buddhism was subjected, the scholastic
sects fell by the wayside, while only the two strongest and most popular
sects managed to survive. These two were the Ch'an sect, known as Zen in
Japan, and the Pure Land sect.
In Japan, where Buddhism was
originally introduced in 552 CE, it was not until the Kamakura period
(1185-1397 CE) that Pure Land Buddhism, which emphasized the idea of
salvation through the grace of Amitabha Buddha, was propagated. Before
long it gained a wide following among the farmers, fishermen, laborers,
and shopkeepers, who were grievously oppressed by the higher classes of
society.
Toward the end of the twelfth
century, two great masters appeared on the scene, and it is to their
credit that Pure Land Buddhism has flourished and grown until it has
become the most popular and widely accepted form of Buddhism in Japan. The
first of these masters, Honen Shonen (or Saint Honen) founded the Jodo
shu, Pure Land sect, and later Shinran Shonin (Saint Shinran) founded the
Jodo Shin shu, the True Pure Land sect. Both masters emphasized that those
persons who, while longing to be reborn in the Pure Land, thought of
Amitabha Buddha with sincerity and faith and repeated the nembutsu or the
mantra Namo Amida Butstu, would after their death, be welcomed into the
Sukhavati, Pure Land. Honen and Shinran both believed that calling upon
the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha (Amida Butsu, Jap.) was sufficient ,
since the name itself contains the essence of Amida Buddha and is
inseparable from Him.
Honen, while not disparaging
other Buddhist practices such as study, meditation, asceticism, etc.,
clearly considered that the repetition of the nembutsu was superior to all
other practices. However, he repeatedly states that unquestioning faith in
Amida Buddha and his power to lead one to rebirth in the Pure Land is
absolutely essential for the attainment of this goal. Shinran, on the
other hand, taught that the desire to be reborn in the Pure Land was
sufficient to ensure rebirth there, because Amida Buddha himself, will
supply this unquestioning faith once a devotee sincerely wishes for
salvation and begins to believe in Him.
Honen taught that Amida
Buddha has the power to come forth and welcome to his Pure Land those
persons who possess the very worst karma, because humankind has so
seriously degenerated since the time of Sakyamuni Buddha. Shinran went
even further and stated that Amida Butsu's vow of salvation was intended
primarily for the sinner, since a virtuous person can attain enlightenment
through self effort. Devotional Buddhism, then, after twelve centuries of
development, reached its climax in the teachings of Shinran Shonin. He
went so far as to state categorically that rebirth in the Pure Land is
identical with the attainment of Nirvana. In a beautiful quotation Shinran
said, "In the Pure Land is unsurpassed Enlightenment."
Shinran recommended that we
should seek rebirth in the Pure Land or Enlightenment not so much during
the course of our everyday lives, with all their stress and distractions,
but especially when we are dying. Then the faith that Amida himself has
supplied, if we have fervently and sincerely desired to be reborn in the
Pure Land, will lead us to an instant of pure egolessness, during which we
will realize that any attempt to gain Enlightenment by our own efforts
will only strengthen our sense of separateness.
As we drift closer to death,
we will surrender unconditionally to the Compassion of Amida Buddha,
relying on Him to carry us, regardless of our unworthiness, to the blessed
shores of Sukhavati. Just imagine that after a life fraught with
suffering, frustration and anguish, the heart in your bosom begins to
falter, and each new breath requires a supreme effort. A minister of the
Jodo Shin shu has been called to console you in your moment of extreme
distress. He has brought with him to your bedside a beautiful painting or
image of Amida Buddha, and he will place in your hand one end of a golden
thread. The other end of the thread will be attached to the radiant figure
of Amida Buddha, and symbolically you are united with him. As your
consciousness leaves your worn out body, your eyes will linger for a
moment on the painting or image of Amida, and then as your spirit rises
from your discarded physical remains, the depiction of Amida will fade and
be replaced by the real Amida Buddha, accompanied by Kwan Yin and Seishi,
and surrounded by His heavenly host. Amid the rejoicing and celestial
music of innumerable angels, you will be carried off to the Happy Land of
Bliss, Sukhavati, the Western Paradise. Once there you will never again be
subject to the law of karma and have to be reborn in one of the six realms
of the wheel of transmigration. However, even at this point you will not
retreat into the cool refuge of final Nirvana, detached from the world and
all of its suffering creatures. Nothing will force you to return to the
earth except your own overflowing compassion and intense desire to
liberate other beings from suffering if and when the opportunity arises.
Eventually, according to the inexorable will of Amida Buddha, all beings
in one way or another will be led to Enlightenment.
Now let us look at the
figures which I have brought for you to see. The main figure, naturally,
represents Amitabha Buddha, looking in all respects exactly like Sakyamuni
Buddha, because they are in essence the same. The hands are in the mudra
which symbolizes Amida's vow to save all beings. To the left of Amitabha
you see the representation of his son/daughter Avalokitesvara, called Kwan
Yin in China and Kannon in Japan, a personification of the compassion of
Amitabha. She holds in her hands a lotus blossom with a reliquary, in
which she will carry the spirit of the deceased human back to the Western
Paradise, where it will be reborn. On the other side of Amitabha, you see
a representation of Mahastamprapta, which literally means One Who Has
Gained Great Power, called Seishi Bosatsu in Japan, he can be thought of
as a personification of great wisdom.
The other two figures I have
placed on the altar, one on each side of the triad of deities, may at
first glance, appear incongruous and inappropriate. Instead, they are
touching depiction of the most humble devotees one could hope to find
anywhere. To me they represent those millions of oppressed persons who
possibly must wear rags and hardly have a crust of bread to eat or a place
in which to sleep. These humble ones are worthy to stand beside Amitabha
because they are not separated from him by a false sense of a permanent
self or ego, which is the worst barrier that can prevent a person from
receiving the transforming grace and abundant life energy that Amitabha
eagerly sends to all his children. They see only beauty around them,
reflected from the purity and benevolence of their own inner beings, and
all outward unpleasantness fades into nothingness compared to the bliss
and security they feel coming from Amitabha's limitless love for
them.
I am sure that everyone here
today, like the imaginary couple we have just discussed, would prefer to
cast his/her cares aside and experience the peace and bliss of the Pure
Land here and now in their own daily lives. It is as though each of us is
a lightbulb, until the electricity which is Amitabha is turned on. As far
as rebirth in the Pure Land is concerned, once we allow Amitabha Buddha to
shine through us, we become like homing pigeons that instinctively will
find our way home to Sukhavati, no matter what the distance, difficulty or
danger of the flight.
So, what does Amitabha mean
to my own life? I can state categorically that without the influence and
inspiration of Amitabha I would not be here today. I accept the doctrine
of Anatta or no permanent soul and realize that lacking any essence of my
own, I only function as a channel through which Amitabha may send his
healing, enhancing, nourishing energy to all other living beings. If there
is any merit in my work, it is because Amitabha Buddha is expressing
himself through me.
However, practically all of
my training in Buddhism has been here at I.B.M.C., which considers itself
to be a Zen temple. Therefore, in addition to my faith in Amitabha, I
believe that every sincere Buddhist devotee should have a meditation
practice if he is mentally equipped to do so. My channel through which
Amitabha flows is partially obstructed and the flow of Amitabha's grace is
impeded by the accumulated sludge of defilements which I have allowed
through ignorance, anger and delusion to creep into my consciousness. I
know of no better way to scour, cleanse and unblock my channel than by the
daily practice of meditation. Is it possible to be both a Zen Buddhist and
a Pure Land Buddhist at the same time? For the answer to this question I
refer to the inspiring book Zen
Philosophy, Zen Practice, by our esteemed founder Dr. Thich Thien-An.
He states that certain eminent scholars who advocate the exclusive
development of Zen style "self power" do not consider reliance on the
"other power", meaning that they rely only on the Zen master who teaches
them how to sit, discipline the mind , work with a koan and practice
shikentaza. Dr. Thien-An asks the question, "Without the constant prodding
of the master how many people would reach satori?"
This question leads to the
inescapable conclusion that if a Zen master who has realized only a
limited amount of wisdom and compassion can be of such enormous assistance
to his students during their quest for enlightenment, then Amitabha Buddha
who has reached a state of perfect wisdom and infinite compassion,
undoubtedly can help them infinitely more.
Dr. Thien-An states
categorically that belief in the "other power" of Amitabha Buddha helps us
develop our "self-power". In fact, he strongly recommends a practice which
combines the development of Zen-style "self power" with reliance on the
"other power" of Amitabha Buddha. In other words, the student should
combine formal meditation with the chanting of the mantra "Namo Amitabha
Buddha." The meditator and the Buddha become fused together in a mystical
union. No longer is there any distinction between Zen and Pure Land,
self-power or other power, wisdom or compassion, for everything has become
transformed into the brightness of Infinite Light. Samsara becomes
Nirvana. All the bliss and purity of the Western Paradise are realized in
the here and now of every day life. Here the Zen and Pure Land schools
meet in that common center from which they both emanate, the One Mind of
Buddha, which is our true and permanent Essence of Mind.
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