Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

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Sonrisa
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Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Sonrisa »

I have heard that there is an Eastern Pureland (Medicine Buddha) as spoken in the sutras. Or Maitreya Buddha's pureland (though Im not sure if Tusita is a pureland).

How come most people do not vow to be reborn in let's say, Bhaisajyaguru's pureland. I have heard that rebirth in these purelands, one can still fall back into samsara. But someone else said no, because it's still a pureland.

Can anyone explain?
Namo Amitabha
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Namo Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

May I continue to practice loving-kindness and compassion for sentient beings. May my friends and loved ones be free from suffering. May those who have hurt me also be free from suffering.

Hatred is like throwing cow dung at someone else. You get dirty first before throwing it to someone else.
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Nosta
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Nosta »

In general one can try to attain other purelands, but its more easy to go to Amithaba pureland because of His 48 vows. He is a Buda more devoted, so to say, to rescue "low" beings.

You may try other pure lands, but Amithaba is best because of his vows.
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Huifeng
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Huifeng »

It's got a lot do to with the complex history of Buddhism in Central and East Asia, which groups of people followed which teachings, and who had the ability to put their favorite teaching into the dominant position.

Amongst the nomadic peoples, such as the Turkic groups, the Mongols, and Jin and Liao, all to the north of China, there was a huge amount of devotion towards Maitreya. The Han later turned more towards Amitabha, for a number of reasons. Many Maitreya devotion groups were downright outlawed - it is easy for a rebellious group to claim that their leader is Maitreya, a powerful move; one can't really do that with Amitabha.

Teachings about Bhaisajyaguru were a bit later anyway, and likewise other Pureland notions, so didn't get the same foot hold. The eastern world of Aksobhya has pretty high entry criteria, so was unlikely to be that popular from the outset.
spiritnoname
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by spiritnoname »

You cannot fall from a Pureland, you can however make aspirational vows to leave them to help samsaric beings or so I've heard lamas say.

Maitreya is not one of the Buddha families, Amitabha is though, so that's an advantage I think haha.

Yeah, people thinking they are Maitreya are a problem, I've met so many psychos who think they are,.. real trouble makers too because they're so deluded. :coffee:
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Jechan
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Jechan »

Does Shakyamuni Buddha have a Pure Land? or is Shakyamuni Buddha's Pure Land this Saha world? :thinking:
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User 3495
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by User 3495 »

Jechan wrote:Does Shakyamuni Buddha have a Pure Land? or is Shakyamuni Buddha's Pure Land this Saha world? :thinking:
There is a discussion about that in this thread.
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Sonrisa
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Sonrisa »

Thank you everyone for your reply :3

Huifeng, thank you so much for the historical reasons as well. I really enjoyed reading and learning about it.

Hmm, perhaps do you also think that it could be affinity as well?
Namo Amitabha
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Namo Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

May I continue to practice loving-kindness and compassion for sentient beings. May my friends and loved ones be free from suffering. May those who have hurt me also be free from suffering.

Hatred is like throwing cow dung at someone else. You get dirty first before throwing it to someone else.
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sinweiy
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by sinweiy »

Question 3

All the Pure Lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions have equal qualities and virtues. Their Dharma Nature is also the same. Therfore, the practitioner should meditate on all the virtues of the Buddhas and seek rebirth in the various Pure Lands of the ten directions. Why should he specifically seek rebirth in the Pure Land of one particular Buddha (i.e., Amitabha)? Is this not contrary to the truth of "equally in seeking rebirth"?

Answer

All the Pure Lands of the Buddhas are, in truth, equal. Nevetheless, since the majority of sentient beings in our world generally have dull faculties and defiled, scattered minds, it will be difficult for them to achieve samadhi, unless they concentrate exclusively on one realm.

The practice of constantly focussing on Amitabha Buddha is the "Single Mark Samadhi". Because the Mind is exclusively devoted to one thing, the practitioner achieves rebirth in the Pure Land. In the Sutra Rebirth According to One's Vows, Buddha Sakyamuni was asked by a Bodhisattva, "Honored One! There are Pure Lands in all ten directions. Why do you especially extol the Western Pure Land and urge sentient beings to focus continuously on Amitabha Buddha, seeking rebirth in His Land?"

The Buddha replied, "Sentient beings in this Saha World generally have polluted, scattered minds. Therefore, I only extol one Pure Land in the West, focussing their Minds on a single realm. If they meditate on all Buddhas, the scope of attention will be too broad, their Minds will be lost and scattered and they will find samadhi difficult to attain. Thus, they will fail to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.

"Furthermore, seeking their virtues of one Buddha is the same as seeking the virtues of all Buddhas -- as all Buddhas have one common Dharma Nature. That is why to focus on Amitabha Buddha is to focus on all Buddhas, to be born in the Western Pure Land is to be born in all Pure Lands."

Thus, the Avatamsaka Sutra states:

"The bodies of all the Buddhas / are the body of any one Buddha. / They have the same Mind and the same wisdom. / They are also equal in power and fearlessness."

The Avatamsaka Sutra further states:

"It is like the full moon, round and bright, its image reflected in all rivers and ponds. Although the reflection is everywhere, there is but a single moon. So it is with ... (the Buddhas). Although they appear in all realms, their bodies are non-dual."

In summary, based on these examples, the wise will understand the truth that "one is all, all is one". When this truth is grasped, concentrating on one Buddha is precisely concentrating on all Buddhas.
(famous)
Ten Doubts about Pure Land
By Tien Tai Patriarch Chih I
Translated by Master Thich Thien Tam
http://www.purelandbuddhism.com/10Doubts.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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"Enlightenment is to turn around and see MY own mistake, Other's mistake is also my mistake. Others are right even if they are wrong. i'm wrong even if i'm right. " - Master Chin Kung
gingercatni
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by gingercatni »

Sonrisa wrote:I have heard that there is an Eastern Pureland (Medicine Buddha) as spoken in the sutras. Or Maitreya Buddha's pureland (though Im not sure if Tusita is a pureland).

How come most people do not vow to be reborn in let's say, Bhaisajyaguru's pureland. I have heard that rebirth in these purelands, one can still fall back into samsara. But someone else said no, because it's still a pureland.

Can anyone explain?
I've asked this question myself. Really despite Amitabha's vows, it really depends which Buddha you have a connection with. For me it's Medicine Buddha and I vow everyday to be born into the Eastern Pureland of Pure Azure Radiance. No Buddha, no matter whatever pureland known or unknown to us would let you fall from their guidance, once you're in the work to bring you to enlightenment begins, not to send you back to a life of suffering.
Artziebetter1
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Artziebetter1 »

gingercatni wrote: Sat Oct 15, 2011 11:53 am
Sonrisa wrote:I have heard that there is an Eastern Pureland (Medicine Buddha) as spoken in the sutras. Or Maitreya Buddha's pureland (though Im not sure if Tusita is a pureland).

How come most people do not vow to be reborn in let's say, Bhaisajyaguru's pureland. I have heard that rebirth in these purelands, one can still fall back into samsara. But someone else said no, because it's still a pureland.

Can anyone explain?
I've asked this question myself. Really despite Amitabha's vows, it really depends which Buddha you have a connection with. For me it's Medicine Buddha and I vow everyday to be born into the Eastern Pureland of Pure Azure Radiance. No Buddha, no matter whatever pureland known or unknown to us would let you fall from their guidance, once you're in the work to bring you to enlightenment begins, not to send you back to a life of suffering.
I would like to vow to be reborn in this land and focus on it.what are the entry requirments?just to make aspiration prayers?can any being not on the bhumis be reborn in this purwe realm?
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Fortyeightvows »

There is like a whole sub forum about it bro!
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Re: Pureland of othe Buddhas besides Amitabha's

Post by Queequeg »

Locked because this thread is very old.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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