Sorry to wake this thread up. Just have a little something to say. I think maybe you can ask for more detail answer. Just because you ask someone who is a meditator doesn't mean he or she will always answer a question accurately or in this case, see the existence of pureland. I think you need not relate such question with meditation, since you do not know his or her meditative capability.DharmaSean wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:59 am Hey Guys,
Just thought I'd post this here as I thought it'd be of interest to some. I've been living in Thailand for 5 years and have studied Theravada, Mahayana, as well as Tibetan Vajrayana. I've sought the advice of many Theravada monks in helping me to improve my practice of meditation. It's been interesting to see the range of beliefs and practices in this rich Buddhist country.
Recently, I have been in contact with one Western Theravada monk by the name of Ajahn Achalo. His main teacher is Ajahn Anan and both have temples here in Thailand. Ajahn Anan is well respected as the senior lineage holder of the venerable Ajahn Chah. The forest monks are known for their practice of samadhi and strict adherence to the vinaya rules.
I saw some videos of a layman asking questions of the venerable Ajahn and he mentioned that the bodhisattvas such as Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Samantabhadra, and so forth do in fact exist. This may come as a surprise to some as some Theravadins don't even consider Mahayana to be the teachings of the Buddha.
I decided to ask Ajahn Achalo, via e-mail, if, according to Ajahn Anan, the pure land of the Buddha Amitabha did exist or not. He responded and said that Ajahn Anan had said that this pure land does in fact exist and that if one recites the mantra of Amitabha throughout ones life, one's perceptions may very well turn to that realm at the time of death.
Anyway, I thought that some would be inspired on hearing such a confirmation from someone with great meditative abilities, who also, happens to be outside the Mahayana tradition.
Best wishes for your practice!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Second, this question seems to have no good answer rather than 'yes' pureland exist. If he or she says 'no' what do you think will happen to pureland sect or pureland Buddhism? It creates chaotic situation with no definite and real evidence to support the answer. Nevertheless, this Buddhist sect has been there for long time so there is no good reason for Buddhists to ends it. So I think I also would say yes it does exist.