Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
asahi
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Re: Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Post by asahi »

SecretSage wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:51 pm
My personal belief is that the majority of Pure Land followers probably don't make it to Pure Land and go to hell, the animal realm, or the realm of ghosts after death unless their devotion is accompanied by good works and cleansing their heart.

But if it was really possible, why didn't the Buddha insist much more on this possibility to reach a Pure Land in the next life? Is it really so easy (compared to the monk) to reach the Pure Land?
We dont really knows if most of them made it to pureland or not but those who practiced inline with Sila surely will not landed in ghost , hell and animal realms . Pureland practice is not an immediate way to end dukkha . This path is for the weakling which is suitable for majority of people . It is not very difficult to reach pureland , observe 5 precepts , always do good deeds , always remind yourself to vow reborn in pureland & keep on reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha name . There is a point where one could reach a samadhi state in chanting repeatedly the Buddha's name . Well , not as easy as many thinks though .
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Jack19990101
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Re: Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Post by Jack19990101 »

Not intend to swing faith but since it is talking about hardship here -

Since it is said about next world, assume it implies -
The recitation has to be executed while dying.
Recitation done while alive, is to make a habit, not a stash.

It means that the recitation must be the strongest habit above all during dying.

That is the reason it is not easy. Dying is a difficult process, lots of stuff stir up.

I would assume the hardship we can not stick with anicca, would be same hardship we can not stick with recitation or mantras.

It is the same (awful) quality - foe for all techniques.
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Mahabrahma
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Re: Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Post by Mahabrahma »

Dukkha in it'd most definitive understanding points to the choking up of the body right as death would occur. Will Pureland teachings stop your death from happening? You'd better take to some Path, even that one, and diligently and Spiritually in order to be taken into the Pure Land in the Deathless, or achieve Parinirvana, never to come back into the Saha World, ever, again.
That sage who has perfect insight,
at the summit of spiritual perfection:
that’s who I call a brahmin.

-Dhammapada.
Ontheway
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Re: Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Post by Ontheway »

In Theravada tradition, we have Pure abodes. Not Pure land.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
pudai
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Re: Is it so easy to reach the Pure Land?

Post by pudai »

DeadBuddha wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:59 pm Hello.

I find that if it is possible to reach a Pure Land simply by having a deep faith in Amithaba and reciting his name, then I don't see why becoming a monk would be such a big deal. After all, most of the beings in the universe will continue to wander in samsara for billions of lifetimes, so the technique of being reborn in the Pure Land after our human life is something so great that there is "almost" no difference with the monk who reaches nirvana in this life. Even if the Pure Land is not nirvana, it is still a wonderful place, extremely peaceful, without suffering, without negative thoughts, in which it is easy to awaken and in which one can never fall into samsara.
But if it was really possible, why didn't the Buddha insist much more on this possibility to reach a Pure Land in the next life? Is it really so easy (compared to the monk) to reach the Pure Land?

Thank you in advance.

May all beings become fully awakened Buddhas.

In my opinion pure land was/is an attempt to bring monastic Buddhism back to the lands of Chan and Zen using the forest tradition method of repeating.... Namo Amida instead of Buddho since both of those traditions Chan/Zen had largely fallen into Shin or just families that once were Buddhist in practice or just identify as such and do not practice other than keeping the holidays. Like the spiritual but not religious "Abrahamic" U.S. population majority does.

There is mindful repetition and mindless repetition is all I can really say about any mantra system as a practice.
The six senses accommodate; All the factors of existence... The All.
Apart from; The All... Nothing exists.
The senses are empty of a self & what belongs to a self.
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