21335901 levels of amitabha practice

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The teachings on the qualities of Buddha Amitabha and his pure land are found mainly in the Smaller andLarger Sukha-vati-Vyu-ha, the shorter or longerDescription of the Pure Land of Great Bliss (1st and 2ndcentury AD), and in theAmita-yur-Dhya-na-Su-tra, the Sutra of the Meditation on the Buddha of

Limitless Life (3rd century AD). In addition to these three Sutras the method of getting in connection withthe pure lands and taking rebirth there is praised in numerous Mahayana Sutras. These include some 200

Sutras and commentaries, such as theAvatamsaka, Surangama, Lotus and Prajnaparamita Sutras. Alsothe Treatise on the Awakening of the Faith by Asvaghosha explains this practice very clearly.

In general, there are four causes for a rebirth in the Pure Land of Great Bliss. The first and main cause is

the wish to be reborn there. To visualize the Buddha and his pure land in one's mind as clearly as possible

is the second cause. The third cause is to avoid negative actions and to practice positive actions. Finally,

the fourth cause is to develop Bodhicitta, the Enlightened Attitude, the wish to obtain enlightenment for

the benefit of all beings on the basis of love and compassion. But on the basis of these general teachings

there exist many different levels of practice that the Buddha gave in correspondence with the different

capacities of his students. It is these practices that one can divide into the two main categories of Sutra and

Tantra which will be briefly described below.

The Sutra Level

In terms of the Amitabha practice, the Sutra level of teachings is the basis for the Pure Land School,

which is the biggest Buddhist school in the world with more than one hundred million followers. This

school's main practice is the recitation of the name of the Buddha Amitabha together with three kinds of

accumulations.

The first accumulation is confidence in the Western Pure Land and in Buddha Amitabha's promise to

rescue all who recite his name, as well as confidence in one's own self-nature, which is intrinsically the

same as his. To recite the Buddha's name is to recite the true nature of mind. The second is to make

wishes, the determination to be reborn in the Pure Land, in one's pure mind, in order to be in the position

to save oneself and others from all sufferings. The third is to practice, which in this school means that onemainly has to recollect the Buddha Amitabha, reciting the Buddha's name until one's mind and that of

Buddha Amitabha are in unison, i.e., to the point of single-mindedness. Stable meditation and insight are

then achieved. Besides recollecting the Buddha Amitabha it is also necessary to study the Sutras of the

Mahayana, and to do various kinds of positive activities. In this way one can build a bridge to Dewachen,

the Pure Land. But one can also say that these three aspects - confidence, wishes, and practice are actually

one and the same in essence, as the one contains all and all are contained in one.

The main practice in the Pure Land School is to recite the name of Amitabha, but there are also three other

forms. In one form one recollects the Buddha by looking at a statue or form of the Buddha. Another form

is to recollect the Buddha by vizualisation, and a third form is to recollect the Buddha by meditating on

the true nature of mind. The recitation of the name of a Buddha has the same effect as reciting a mantra.

This is the connection to the Tantric or esoteric schools. Buddhist masters of different traditions often

commented, "The method of reciting the name of a Buddha encompasses the Meditation (Zen), Sutra

Studies, Discipline (Vinaya), and Esoteric Schools." This is because when reciting the Buddha's name,

one rids oneself of all delusions and attachments, which is Zen. The sacred words 'Amitabha Buddha'

contain innumerable sublime teachings, hidden in and springing forth from those words, which is the

Sutra Studies School. Reciting the Buddha's name purifies and stills the three karmas of body, speech and

mind, which is the Discipline School. The Esoteric School will be explained in the context of the Tantra

level.

The formal title of the Pure Land School in China is Ching-t'u Tsung, corresponding to theJodo Shu inJapanese Buddhism. Devotion to Buddha Amitabha was, prior to Hui Yan (334 - 416), an optionalpractice within Buddhism. Hui-yan established this practice as an independent activity, and developed a

Buddhist school around this practice by founding the White Lotus Society in the year 402. He emphasizedthe Buddha Amitabha's promise to cause all faithful beings to be reborn in his pure land, focusing on the


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practice of repeating the phrase known as the Nien-fo: "Na-mo A-mi-t'o Fo," literally meaning, "Homage

to Amitabha Buddha." This practice is also used in the Japanese version of the Pure Land School, where it

is calledNembutsu (Namo Amida Butsu).

The eminent 16th century Zen Master Chu Hung has said, "This (Pure Land) is the most primal and the

most subtle and wondrous. It is also the simplest. Because it is simple, those of high intelligence overlook

it. Birth and death are not apart from a single moment of mindfulness. Consequently, all the myriad

worldly and world-transcending teachings and methods are not apart from a single moment of

mindfulness. Right now, take this moment of mindfulness and be mindful of Buddha, remember Buddha,

recite the Buddha's name. How close and cutting! What pure essential energy, so solid and real! If you see

through where this mindfulness arises, this is the Amitabha of our inherent nature. This is the meaning of

the patriarch coming from the West (the meaning of Zen)."

In Zen Buddhism one has to understand the truth of self-nature Amitabha,Mind-Only Pure Land. As theVimalakirti-Nirdesha Sutra states: "When mind is pure, the Buddha land is pure." Rebirth in the pure landis, ultimately, rebirth in our pure mind. This high level form of pure land is practiced by those of deep

spiritual capacities: "When the mind is pure, the Buddha land is pure ... to recite the Buddha's name is to

recite the mind." Thus, at an advanced level, Pure Land and Zen are the same in essence.

The Tantra Level

On the Tantra level, or the level of the Diamond Way, again many different forms of practice exist. The

main focus of the Diamond Way is identification: to behave like the Buddha until one becomes a Buddha

oneself. Even if one can already do the practice without having many special prerequisites, because the

Buddha Amitabha made such strong wishes for all sentient beings, the practice actually becomes more

powerful if one has received an authentic transmission from one's teacher. This transmission consists of

the Amitabha empowerment (Tib.: wang), the 'oral transmission' or authorization for the practice (Tib.:lung), and the exact explanation how to practice in a correct way (Tib.: thri).

Every Tantra practice can be divided into two or three parts. The two parts are the development phase,

where one builds up a certain visualization, and the completion phase of the meditation, where one

dissolves whatever one has built up and lets the mind rest in its own nature. When divided into three parts,

the aspects of practice are called "Mudra, Mantra, and Samadhi" in Sanskrit, and the Mantra recitation is

added in connection with the development phase. The first part, Mudra, building up the form of the

Buddha with all details in one's mind, functions to purify the defilements of the body and as a result of

that to manifest the pure aspect of the body which is the emanation body of a Buddha (Skr.:Nirmanakaya). The Mantra recitation fulfills the purpose of purifying the defilements related to speechand to manifest the pure aspect of speech which is the body of enjoyment of a Buddha (Skr.:Samboghakaya). Finally, the function of the dissolving or completion phase (samadhi) is to purify thedefilements related to mind and to manifest the state of truth or the body of phenomena of a Buddha (Skr.:

Dharmakaya). These functions are basically the same, whether one takes a short, medium, or extensiveform of Amitabha practice. The longest forms can last a day or more and include many different kinds of

rituals like offerings, etc. Because the meaning of these practices is very profound, it is not possible to

explain all aspects in this context.

The Diamond Way also contains a very special form of practice, one of the most profound teachings the

Buddha has given. This is the so-called "Transference of Consciousness" (Tib.: phowa) or the practice ofconscious dying. In the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism it is taught in the context of the SixTeachings of Naropa. It is also taught as a part of the Tantric Teachings of the Nyingma lineage given by

the great Indian master Padmasambhava who was the main founder of Buddhism in Tibet.

During Phowa practice one learns to direct one's mind towards Buddha Amitabha and to transfer one's

consciousness into the Pure Land of Great Bliss. Thus it is possible to establish a definite connection with

the Buddha Amitabha and to arrive at a direct experience of this extremely pure and joyful state. This is


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especially useful at the time of death. Instead of being driven through the intermediate state (Tib.: bardo)into a new rebirth in the cycle of existence, one goes directly into the state of highest bliss, from where

one can freely choose whether or not to come back for the benefit of beings. Being in the state of the

Buddha himself one receives further teachings and develops very quickly towards the state of full

enlightenment.

However, through this kind of practice it is even possible to realize more and more the pure nature of

one's mind, which means to manifest the pure land here and now. In this case one doesn't need to send

one's energy and awareness to the Pure Land and one needn't wait for the result to come when one builds

up the causes. Instead, one can develop, in this lifetime, a huge capacity to benefit others and to liberate

them from all sufferings. This is the actual meaning of the Phowa practice. It is a great gift, and the most

powerful of all the different forms of Amitabha practice.

21335901 levels of amitabha practice

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