Search found 20 matches

by cheondo
Fri Apr 19, 2013 4:43 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Doubts about Pure land
Replies: 76
Views: 21141

Re: Doubts about Pure land

Wow. I've been reading this forum for years. The quality of answers to doubts about PL Buddhism have gotten much better. PWLK's analyis was brilliant. :twothumbsup: The beauty of PL is that it can be as complex or as simple as you want it. It appeals to both scholars and simpletons, the latter being...
by cheondo
Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:33 am
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Paul Williams critique of Pure Land
Replies: 29
Views: 9368

Re: Paul Williams critique of Pure Land

Steveb1 and nighthawk, I totally agree with your observations. My main dharma friend is Yin-Kwang in "Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land." A book can only be so good a friend -- flesh and blood is needed. I contacted the Amitabha Buddhist Society in Dallas and only got a monk who's not intereste...
by cheondo
Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:06 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: What is shin buddhism? IS it monotheistic?
Replies: 16
Views: 6086

Re: What is shin buddhism? IS it monotheistic?

Hi Dan, The Chinese strains of Pure Land Buddhism have a much stronger self-practice component. Ethics and practice are heartily encouraged. This is kind of where I am, too. If you're interested in this, you can google Amitbha Buddhist Society.. or masters like Yin Gwang, Chu-Hung, Tien-ju. I think ...
by cheondo
Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:34 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Doing zazen but drawn to Pure Land,
Replies: 29
Views: 8803

Re: Doing zazen but drawn to Pure Land,

Hi, I'm also drawn to and practice both Pure Land and Zen. I find nembutsu painful to do all the time, so I mix periods of zazen with recitation. The most helpful thing for me has been to start off with chanting the Buddha's name for ten to fifteen minutes with a moktak and then do zazen. Chanting m...
by cheondo
Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:34 am
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Is there a difference between Shin and pure land buddhism?
Replies: 2
Views: 1397

Re: Is there a difference between Shin and pure land buddhism?

Reading DT Suzuki's "Buddha of Infinite Light" may help clarify this. Shin is either the apex or a degeneration of Pure land Buddhism, depending on how you look at it. Whatever the case may be, Shin is part of Pure Land (PL) Buddhism. Shin relies completely on Amida's vows to deliver all b...
by cheondo
Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:39 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: No Auspicious Signs = No affinities with Amitabha?
Replies: 20
Views: 6176

Re: No Auspicious Signs = No affinities with Amitabha?

I think it's unfortunate this was recorded by Tienju. I thought this over for a while. First, Amita has affinity with all sentient beings, as recorded in the sutras. The sutras obviously trump a human being's utterance, therefore give precedence to the sutras. Second, much of these "writings&qu...
by cheondo
Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:34 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Pureland Westerners?
Replies: 33
Views: 9997

Re: Pureland Westerners?

I've had this trouble too. I'm thinking of starting a group in Austin. There's a Chinese temple, but I don't feel like chanting in Chinese. Pure Land is just not well known in the US, and most Buddhists are agnostic-types who want nothing to do with faith. Here's a blog I keep to answer objections t...
by cheondo
Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:48 am
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Near Death Experiences as Evidence of the Pure Land
Replies: 10
Views: 4029

Re: Near Death Experiences as Evidence of the Pure Land

Unfortunatly, such sights of a place filled with light, etc, etc are more related to the Christian Paradise than PureLand: first, the witnesses were westerners with no affinity to pure land, secondly, you the descriptions are vague enought to fill on any religion you wish. But i was about to create...
by cheondo
Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:11 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Near Death Experiences as Evidence of the Pure Land
Replies: 10
Views: 4029

Near Death Experiences as Evidence of the Pure Land

I've recently read Dr. Jeffrey Long's book "Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near Death Experiences." It's the most recent and successful book published on the topic. It's convinced me that the Pure Land is either real or certainly could be. He's collected over 2500 stories of fol...
by cheondo
Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:06 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: zen and pureland views
Replies: 23
Views: 5864

Re: zen and pureland views

I've recently read Dr. Jeffrey Long's book "Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near Death Experiences." It's convinced me that the Pure Land is either real or certainly could be. He's collected thousands of stories of folks who died and came back. Many of these, like 50%, have visit...
by cheondo
Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:51 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Pureland Westerners?
Replies: 33
Views: 9997

Re: Pureland Westerners?

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. :-) I live in Austin, TX. I contacted the Dallas Amitabha society looking for guidance. I only found one monastic who wanted to discuss with me but she was essentially not interested in Pure Land. She was moving on to esoteric practices. The Chinese temples I've be...
by cheondo
Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:09 am
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Pureland newbie!
Replies: 24
Views: 9715

Re: Pureland newbie!

I've written an essay about how Pure Land is in accordance with the Pali Canon, for those who care such things. I consider Theravada my second home, so to speak. http://purelandway.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/seeds-of-the-pure-land-in-the-pali-canon/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return fa...
by cheondo
Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:10 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Re: Korean Pure Land Buddhism

Reminds me of a time my friend and I went into Bongeunsa -- we'd go every Saturday for Yeombul. And one day this helpful Korean fellow pointed out that the big gold statue was Buddha. IOW, white people and Buddhism? Nah. :shrug: My friend joked when he was back in England in a church and saw a Korea...
by cheondo
Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:16 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Re: Korean Pure Land Buddhism

I have a similar situation, but I was there only four years and have only one child. It reads that you're in the UK -- are you involved with the Amita Trust? Looks like an interesting organization. No, I've no connection to the Amita Trust. Just to clarify then, you lived in Korea for four years an...
by cheondo
Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:28 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Re: Korean Pure Land Buddhism

I have a similar situation, but I was there only four years and have only one child. It reads that you're in the UK -- are you involved with the Amita Trust? Looks like an interesting organization.
by cheondo
Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:15 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Re: Korean Pure Land Buddhism

I'm still here! My wife and I are translating Jung Mok's article. Korean is not easy to translate into English, especially Buddhist Korean. Kwanseum, looks like you can speak Korean, maybe you want to have a go at looking at what this Jung Mok's monk is up to. So far I gather he's published 10 volum...
by cheondo
Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:18 am
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Re: Korean Pure Land Buddhism

Cheonghwa was a Korean monk in the 20th century who propagated yeombul practice combined with Seon. To me it seems that the mainstream view of the majority of the elite monastics and teachers is about the combined Seon and yeombul method where it is more about attaining a pure mind rather than birt...
by cheondo
Fri Mar 25, 2011 1:58 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Korean Pure Land Buddhism
Replies: 23
Views: 8996

Korean Pure Land Buddhism

Hi all, I'd say my home tradition is Korean Buddhism, but not the austere zen type, rather the living, devotional type, which is what I experienced over there. There's very little information about Pure Land in Korea (Jung To). I speak low level Korean and was able to find a monk named Jeong Mok who...
by cheondo
Fri Mar 25, 2011 1:51 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Ven. Chin Kung to enter Pureland soon?
Replies: 23
Views: 9977

Re: Ven. Chin Kung to enter Pureland soon?

I'd really like to get involved with this group as well, but have had a difficult time getting a hold of them. I called and left messages but no return calls. I live in Austin, TX, and there are two centers by me, relatively speaking, but all of their info is in Chinese. I wish there were more Pure...
by cheondo
Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:57 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Ven. Chin Kung to enter Pureland soon?
Replies: 23
Views: 9977

Re: Ven. Chin Kung to enter Pureland soon?

I'd really like to get involved with this group as well, but have had a difficult time getting a hold of them. I called and left messages but no return calls. I live in Austin, TX, and there are two centers by me, relatively speaking, but all of their info is in Chinese. I wish there were more Pure ...

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