If you were to produce a book on the Pure Land, what would be the scope and contents?
What do you think...
What do you think...
Yes... fellow Pure Landers...
If you were to produce a book on the Pure Land, what would be the scope and contents?
If you were to produce a book on the Pure Land, what would be the scope and contents?
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Zenshin 善心
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:29 pm
- Location: Fukuoka
Re: What do you think...
four possible ways i could go with this, three of which are unrealistic and/or beyond my scope...
1) a translations of essays by Manshi Kiyozawa and his students Kaneko Daie and Soga Ryojin, complete with commentaries. Although there are (esp. in the case of Kiyozawa) plenty of translated works already available, there is still a wealth of material waiting. unrealistic as my Japanese is pretty dire (and seeing as i'll be here at least until September, if not longer, i hope to fix that, beginning this month)
2) a comparitive study of Pure Land teachings and traditions of Tibet, China and Japan, focussing on commonalities and divergences. beyond my scope - not nearly knowledgable enough on the subject, and again, lacking the language skills that would undoubtedly benefit such an undertaking.
3) an account of personal experience - focussing on my time living at Sanrin Soja in London and learning from my master and Dharma friends. basically detailing how the illusion i had of myself as an honest and sincere practitioner and the shallow notion of temple life being all incense and lotus petals was dismantled before my eyes and i came face to face with the arrogant prick i can really be. how this benefited myself and my relationship with those around me as i was shown and began to realise the deeper dimension a life lived in gratitude can open up to oneself. beyond my scope - i am simply not very good at telling a story, be it factual or otherwise.
4) get off my lazy backside and begin to study Japanese with the aim of, towards the end of 2012, being able to help my master, at least at a basic and rudimentary level if nothing else, in his translations of various sutras, teachings and commentaries. realistic - but it is down to me.
1) a translations of essays by Manshi Kiyozawa and his students Kaneko Daie and Soga Ryojin, complete with commentaries. Although there are (esp. in the case of Kiyozawa) plenty of translated works already available, there is still a wealth of material waiting. unrealistic as my Japanese is pretty dire (and seeing as i'll be here at least until September, if not longer, i hope to fix that, beginning this month)
2) a comparitive study of Pure Land teachings and traditions of Tibet, China and Japan, focussing on commonalities and divergences. beyond my scope - not nearly knowledgable enough on the subject, and again, lacking the language skills that would undoubtedly benefit such an undertaking.
3) an account of personal experience - focussing on my time living at Sanrin Soja in London and learning from my master and Dharma friends. basically detailing how the illusion i had of myself as an honest and sincere practitioner and the shallow notion of temple life being all incense and lotus petals was dismantled before my eyes and i came face to face with the arrogant prick i can really be. how this benefited myself and my relationship with those around me as i was shown and began to realise the deeper dimension a life lived in gratitude can open up to oneself. beyond my scope - i am simply not very good at telling a story, be it factual or otherwise.
4) get off my lazy backside and begin to study Japanese with the aim of, towards the end of 2012, being able to help my master, at least at a basic and rudimentary level if nothing else, in his translations of various sutras, teachings and commentaries. realistic - but it is down to me.
All beings since their first aspiration till the attainment of Buddhahood are sheltered under the guardianship of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who, responding to the requirements of the occasion, transform themselves and assume the actual forms of personality.
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
Re: What do you think...
Hi plwk....interesting question. What I would include:
1. If not free, a portion of the proceeds from the book would go to a charity.
2. As db said, the history of Pure Land practice from it's roots in India to China, Japan, Tibet, etc. Using all the latest scholarly findings of course
3. Near death folklore - past and more importantly, recent stories like from Heng Sure which you've already seen:
4. Include liturgies from Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan traditions so people can start their own practice.
5. A chapter of quotes from Pure Land masters of all traditions.
1. If not free, a portion of the proceeds from the book would go to a charity.
2. As db said, the history of Pure Land practice from it's roots in India to China, Japan, Tibet, etc. Using all the latest scholarly findings of course
3. Near death folklore - past and more importantly, recent stories like from Heng Sure which you've already seen:
4. Include liturgies from Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan traditions so people can start their own practice.
5. A chapter of quotes from Pure Land masters of all traditions.
- How foolish you are,
grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
- Vasubandhu
Re: What do you think...
I'd try to find a spot of daylight with two characteristics: what has not yet been published and distributed, and also is needed right now by a particular group of people.plwk wrote:Yes... fellow Pure Landers...
If you were to produce a book on the Pure Land, what would be the scope and contents?
For instance, a legible, accessible-but-somewhat-detailed primer on basic Pure Land Buddhism might be useful to readers of Tricycle Magazine, who may be convinced that Pure Land practice isn't really Buddhism but is instead some kind of Asiatic cultural practice that is exotic and irrelevant to them. This is just speculating, but it might be an objective need.
Generally, you have to find your daylight and then build a book that will grow in it. Who needs this Dharma and how can you get it to them?
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Zenshin 善心
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:29 pm
- Location: Fukuoka
Re: What do you think...
come on plwk, don't be coy - we've shown you ours, time to show us yours! 
All beings since their first aspiration till the attainment of Buddhahood are sheltered under the guardianship of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who, responding to the requirements of the occasion, transform themselves and assume the actual forms of personality.
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
