Best place to start for a beginner to Pureland

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T@sh!
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Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2022 5:53 pm

Best place to start for a beginner to Pureland

Post by T@sh! »

I'm interested in learning more about Pureland. I have mostly a Tibetan Buddhist background with some Zen and Nichiren thrown in when I just started out with the Dharma a few years ago. Does anyone have any advice on where and how to start?

Thank you :anjali:
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Zhen Li
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Re: Best place to start for a beginner to Pureland

Post by Zhen Li »

The best place would be at a Pure Land temple in the tradition to which you are drawn. If there's not one nearby, it might be helpful to find an online saṅgha or teacher.

As for practice, every Pure Land school will recommend reciting the Nembutsu/Nianfo. Other liturgies and practices will depend upon the tradition.

As for readings, every Pure Land school will suggest focusing on the three Pure Land sūtras. After that, focus on the teachings of your tradition. There are some anthologies of readings of the works of the founders of both Jōdo-shu and Jōdo-shinshū. As for Chinese/Taiwanese and Vietnamese sects, it becomes a bit more individual to the school. If you decide on a particular tradition, then we can easily give you some more specific recommendations or a reading list.

I have two additional recommendations (which I reviewed on this forum earlier this year), which can help for practicing both Chinese Pure Land and Japanese Pure Land:
Charles B. Jones's Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice
and
Charles B. Jone's Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: Understanding a Tradition of Practice

I think he provides the most accessible and thorough overview of the Pure Land traditions. Although they are from the academic perspective, they can answer a lot of questions that you will have as a beginner to Pure Land, and might also give you an idea of the kind of tradition you would be interested in pursuing.
T@sh!
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2022 5:53 pm

Re: Best place to start for a beginner to Pureland

Post by T@sh! »

Wonderful! Thank you very much.
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