What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is the teachings of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha, born during the 6th century BCE in Lumbini, nowadays Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan. His birth name was Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha renounced his luxurious prince lifestyle to live as a wandering ascetic. After practising extreme asceticism for six years, he discovered the Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, which led him into Nirvana (ultimate enlightenment), that is, completely freedom from all suffering in life, exiting the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) and complete awakening to the truth of life and the Universe. He realised that all beings possess Buddha-nature (the original pure nature that connects all and knows all). It is only due to delusions and attachment that one cannot realise this.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in what is now India, he began to share his teachings to as many people as possible, regardless of their backgrounds and caste. He later became known as the Buddha, a title given to someone wholly awakened to the truth of life and the Universe.
Most people would regard Buddhism as a religion, but if one has studied the teachings of the Buddha, one would realise that its essence is not really a religion. In fact, it transcends mere religion and philosophy. It is the right path which can help us awaken, i.e., to become free from all suffering in life and to realise the truth of life and the Universe.
You can watch the video here in which Jiawen talks about the essence of Buddhism and why it can be practised by all beings regardless of background and religion.
What is Pure Land Buddhism?
There are many schools in Buddhism which focus on different practices taught by the Buddha to help us attain enlightenment and realise Buddhahood (perfect enlightenment), to be completely awakened and to realise the truth of life and the Universe. In the sutras (Buddha's teachings), the Buddha told us there are 84,000 Dharma Doors (practices). There are, in fact, innumerable paths to enlightenment.
Pure Land Buddhism is the largest and most significant branch of Mahayana Buddhism in Chinese Buddhism. It is the most popular and widely practised form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Vietnam and other East Asian countries. The reason for its popularity is due to the ease of practice; much easier than, for example, Chan (Zen) Buddhism and other forms of Buddhism.
Nianfo (Amitabha-recitation)
The primary practice in Pure Land Buddhism consists of Nianfo 念佛 (Chinese, which means “mindfulness of the Buddha”), also known as “Amitabha-recitation,” where one recites the Name of Amitabha Buddha repeatedly to help one obtain peace of mind in the present and also to attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the time of death to transcend the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation).
The Pure Land path is known as the easiest path as there is no need to realise enlightenment to attain rebirth in the Pure Land. One only needs belief (faith), vow and practice (Nianfo) to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, which can be accomplished due to Amitabha Buddha’s great vows. Once one is in the Pure Land, one has entirely transcended the cycle of reincarnation, and one can realise Buddhahood much more quickly there.
Shakyamuni Buddha said in the sutra that during the Dharma-ending Age (which began 2,000 years after the Buddha entered Parinirvana), the Pure Land Dharma Door will be the easiest method for beings to successfully transcend the cycle of reincarnation and realise Buddhahood. It will become extraordinarily difficult for anyone to realise enlightenment entirely on their self-effort during the Dharma-ending Age, when there is too much desire and suffering permeating the world.
The Dharma-ending Age is the period we are currently living in.
More on Nianfo
Nianfo practice is taught to us by Shakyamuni Buddha in several Mahayana sutras, perhaps most notably in the Amitabha Sutra, where Shakyamuni Buddha said:
“To the West, over a hundred thousand million Buddha-lands away, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss. In that Land, there is a Buddha called Amitabha, now teaching the Dharma.”
Please note that in Mahayana sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha told us that he had, in fact, realised Buddhahood countless eons ago. Still, he kept coming back to help us (this is the same with other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas due to their great compassion and the vows they made). He also told us there are infinite Buddhas in infinite worlds, teaching the Dharma to help save sentient beings. Since Buddha-nature is within all beings, it is only natural that there are other Buddhas in other worlds.
In the Amitabha Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha described the Pure Land as a land without suffering but filled with bliss. He often implored us to take belief in this teaching — although it can be difficult to believe — and to vow to attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land by reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name (Nianfo) single-mindedly without confusion at the time of death. Then one can attain rebirth successfully.
Of course, one should not wait until the end of life to recite His Name. One can practice Nianfo now to obtain peace of mind in the moment and develop a firm belief that we can attain rebirth in the Pure Land at the time of death to exit the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) and to be liberated from all suffering in life.
Amitabha Buddha & His Pure Land
Please note that Amitabha Buddha is not God, as in an absolute creator. In Buddhism, there isn’t an absolute creator who governs and controls everything. If there were a God like that, he would be doing a poor job in this world with so much suffering — Why would God allow his creation to suffer? Why is there suffering and evil in the first place? All of these problems do not seem to have logical explanations. A famous quote from Epicurus can help put things into perspective:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
― Epicurus
Similarly, Shakyamuni Buddha questioned the logic behind an all-powerful, all-loving creator god while he was a bodhisattva:
“If there exists some Lord all powerful to fulfil
In every creature bliss or woe, and action good or ill,
That Lord is stained with sin. Man does but work his will.”
― Mahabodhi Jataka
Instead, Buddhism offers a more logical explanation as to how things come into existence. In Buddhism, we say that all things arise dependently due to causes and conditions, with the nature of all things are also emptiness (i.e., all things are constantly changing, without a permanently fixed nature). The true nature of things have no beginning and no end. That is our Buddha-nature.
Amitabha Buddha, like Shakyamuni Buddha, is a completely awakened being who, through countless eons of cultivation, realised Buddhahood and created the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through the power of His great vows. Amitabha Buddha currently resides in the Pure Land and has countless incarnations in infinite worlds to help save sentient beings. Amitābha Buddha only creates the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, not the suffering world here. If there were a “God” in Buddhism, it would be our Mind. We create our heavens and hells.
Also, the Pure Land is not heaven. The heaven realm is still one of the six realms of reincarnation (the six are: heavens, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts & hells), and beings who reside in the heavens are subject to a limited lifespans (although they will enjoy tremendously long lifespans). When life ends in heaven, one still has to come down from such a lofty abode. At death, heavenly beings will likely fall into the lower realms of existence and remain trapped in the cycle of reincarnation.
One can think of Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land (Buddha-land) as another dimension, the highest dimensional existence where the Buddha resides and teaches the Dharma to help beings realise Buddhahood. Beings in the Pure Land of Amitabha will realise Buddhahood and attain Infinite Light and Life. Upon realising enlightenment in the Pure Land, one can also be like the Buddhas, with countless manifested forms in countless worlds to help save sentient beings.
Shakyamuni Buddha also told us there are infinite Buddha-lands in the ten directions. However, Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land is the easiest for us to go to, due to Amitabha Buddha's great vows he made before he realised Buddhahood. The Infinite Life Sutra (Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra) detailed Amitabha Buddha's past lives and the Forty-eight Great Vows he made to create the perfect Pure Land and help save sentient beings.
Rebirth vs Reincarnation
“Rebirth” is a word you will commonly hear when it comes to the Pure Land teachings. Rebirth in the Pure Land context is different from reincarnation. When discussing rebirth in Pure Land Buddhism, we specifically mean that one can attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Whereas for reincarnation, one is still being born in one of the six realms (heavens, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hells), the words “rebirth” and “reincarnation” may be used interchangeably in other schools of Buddhism. This is not the case in Pure Land Buddhism.
If one can attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, then one can be liberated from the cycle of Samsara (repeated births and deaths), be liberated from all suffering in life and easily realise Buddhahood.
In the sutras (written records of the Buddha’s teachings), Shakyamuni Buddha told us that this is the easiest method for anyone to exit the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) during the Dharma-ending Age (recap: 2,000 years after the Buddha entered Parinirvana and where a diluted form of teachings exist and enlightenment is rarely attained). This is the age we are currently in.
The Pure Land path is also known as the “easy path” because one does not need to attain enlightenment to exit the cycle of reincarnation. One can simply recite the Name of Amitabha Buddha with faith and vow to be born in His Pure Land, relying on the power and vows of Amitabha Buddha, one can attain rebirth into His Pure Land.
Relevant background information:
Rebirth Cases
In the Infinite Life Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha described a past life of Amitabha Buddha before he realised Buddhahood, and how he practised for five eons to attain Buddhahood and create the perfect Pure Land known as the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to receive all sentient beings to be born in His Pure Land. The Infinite Life Sutra also details the forty-eight great vows Amitabha made to create the Pure Land, particularly the 18th vow which says that for “all the beings of the ten directions, who sincerely believe and joyfully vow to be born in my Land, reciting my Name for even ten times, they can be born in my Land, except for those who commit the five grave offences and slander the right Dharma.”
This may sound quite far-fetched and unbelievable to most people at first, but from ancient time in China until nowadays, many people have seen Amitabha Buddha and been received by Him into His Pure Land at the time of death. For some people who practised diligently, they even came to know their time of rebirth beforehand (Amitabha Buddha informs them before death), and implored others to come and witness their rebirths. That is how Pure Land Buddhism spread so quickly all over China and has now become the largest and the most popular form of Buddhism in China.
There is also a book called “A Record of Sages of the Pure Land” (净土圣贤录 Jìngtǔ shèngxián lù) which recorded in much detail how so many people have sought rebirth into the Pure Land since the days of ancient China. There are also books which record modern rebirth cases. We are currently undergoing the process of translating more rebirth cases and will hopefully publish a book in English soon.
Please note that other rebirth cases also happened in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, US, Australia and many other countries in which Pure Land Buddhism is practised (despite many may not be recorded or told to the public).
You can watch videos of true rebirth cases here, shared by Jiawen.
Your one-stop resource for everything related to Pure Land Buddhism.
This website is intended to be your one-stop resource for everything Pure Land Buddhism related. You can find relevant videos, sutras, books, articles etc., on the Dharma, particularly the Pure Land Dharma.
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
A wonderful Pure Land animation directed by Master Renshan which introduced Amitabha Buddha and His Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss (based on the Amitabha Sutra).
VR360 Pure Land Scenery: If you have a virtual headset, you can wear it to watch this video and Nianfo. You will feel like you are sitting in a lotus in front of Amitabha Buddha and the Three Sages, and already in the Pure Land.
In Praise of Amitabha Buddha 赞佛偈
Incredible New Pure Land Animation by Alcoo based on the Amitabha Sutra.