Pure Land Buddhism
“The Pure Land school focuses on the cultivation of a pure mind. When the mind is pure, the land will be pure. The connection between us and Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land lies in a pure mind. ”
introduction
The Pure Land school of Mahayana Buddhism is widely practiced in Asia. Though still in its formative years in the West, its roots extend all the way to ancient India …
practice
Practice and study are complementary. We practice to calm the mind so our innate wisdom will arise. We study to understand the principles, and to better understand why we practice …
chanting
The simplest way to practice Pure Land is by chanting “Amituofo,” which is the name of Amitabha Buddha in Chinese. In Sanskrit it is Amitabha Buddhaya. It does not matter whether we chant in Chinese, Sanskrit …
SYMBOLISM AND USE
The various objects traditionally placed on the gongzhuo each represent different teachings related to our practice and study. The image of the Buddha symbolizes our …
HOME GONGZHUO
Our chanting can be done anywhere, anytime. But if we wish to have a special place for practice in our home, we first need to decide where we would like it to be …
FORMS OF PRACTICE
To begin our practice, we put our hands together, palm to palm in front of our heart. Fingers are also placed together, without any space between them …
HOME PRACTICE SESSION
In the following simple ceremony, which we follow sequentially, we primarily chant “Amituofo.” We also vow to be born in the Pure Land and dedicate the merits from our practice to …
TEN RECITATION METHOD
This convenient, yet effective, way to practice Buddha-name chanting is especially suitable for those who find that they have little time for cultivation …