Is Western Paradise similar to the promise of heaven?

Louis dave36 SG

no offence, but is the western paradise similar to the concept of heaven?

sanath SG

Hi,

no it isn't. The Western Paradise, or in Buddhist terms, the Pure Land of Amitabha to be more precise, is a Buddha-land; thus it is a land of enlightenment, out of the three realms of existence. The concept of "heaven" in Buddhism, is that even though longevity there is long, it is not permanent, so those reborn there are still bound in the cycle of birth-and-death.

However, those in the Pure Land, especially Amitabha's Pure Land, will or have attained the same level of enlightenment as Amitabha Buddha. Thus they have already transcended the bounds of birth-and-death.

A term expressing the idea that the realm of enlightened beings has been purified of blind passions and human defilements (buddhaksetraparisuddhi). It indicates in particular the land of Amida Buddha, expressed in Sanskrit as sukhavati, realm of ultimate bliss, peaceful bliss, peaceful rest, and so forth. Sukha, bliss, is contrasted to duhkha, pain and suffering.

T'an-luan states that Amida's land is called the Pure Land, in contrast to our world of pain and defilement, because it is not tainted by human ignorance or passion. Shinran describes it as the land of Immeasurable Light, presided over by the Buddha of Inconceivable Light. It expresses formless reality through form. The Pure Land is also called the "fulfilled land," because it was established as the consequence of fulfilling Amida's Forty-eight Vows for the enlightenment of all beings.

Fugazzi SG

Heaven and Hell - a myth! .It is not geographical and it never was. It is within one and a reflection of one's state of being. Being eg, negative, loving, accepting, grateful, kind or ...

Two prisoners were holed up in a cell and one night there was moonlight outside of the prison. One looked at it and partook of and deligted in the moon. The other cursed cos all he could see were the prison bars on the cell's windows.

Same situation but two existential expereinces!

wisdomeye SG

hi louisdave,

your question is similar to what i have thought many times before. After reading and hearing abit, i conclude that heaven is not same as pureland.

Western pureland is out of samsara, heavens are still in samsara. Samsara means cycle of rebirth that continues endlessly until we purify the ignorance that traps us in samsara.

There are many heavens in the desire, form and formless realms and in general we say that the causes to be reborn there are great virtue/merit and for the form&formless realms' heavens, we say that it requires very strong meditation power in the sense the one is able to still the mind to a very deep level. After your merit run out or after you come out of the meditation which lasts for a very very long time, you still have to experience rebirth.

Western pureland on the other hand is created by Buddha Amitabha to save sentient beings from samsara. The causes for being reborn there is strong aspiration or wish to do so, accumulating merit, purifying negative karma, developing bodhichitta, visualising Amitabha and the pureland. In Mahayana pureland school, it is also said that just by wishing very much to go there and reciting the name of Amitabha, one certainly will do so. On being born there, one can be freed from samsara.

For certain very good practitioners who have realised emptiness thoroughly, everywhere is pure to them and for them, there is no coming nor going to a pureland. Thus to them, pure-land is the nature of their mind because they have no preferences, even if they shd descend to hell, it wld be like pureland to them. So anyway, that is another connotation of pureland and it is an experience beyond most peoples' reach.

I hope i have answered your question in a simple way. For more info, you have to read up yourself more. If your question is related to a comparative study between Christianity & Buddhism, i have a source in mind that may be useful.

Rooney9 SG

if Amitabha can create pureland, why doesnt other Buddha's like Shayamuni Buddha or the previous Buddha, like Kassapa or Dipankara Buddha create their own pureland?

but that said, Buddha's are only teachers. but if you are not enlightened, what make so sure that you will be reborn in pureland enlightened or reach the same enlightenment as Amitabha Buddha. it took many aeons for one to practise perfections to be a Buddha.

reborn76 SG

Hi Louis dave

Wester Paradise is definitely difference from Heaven.

In Buddhist context, there is many difference types of heaven as per mentioned by Wisdomeye. In fact, the Christian heaven is also a type of heaven describe in the Buddhist sutra.

That's why, the Bible command the children of Israel to obey ten commandments so that they will live a proper earthly life. At the end of their lives, they will be able to go to heaven to meet god.

In Buddhist context, you will notice that Buddhist do not seek to go to heaven as it is still within the realm of Samsara.

Last time, when I read the bible I always wander why God get upset and angry with the Israelite and His creations. Subsequently, when I read it in the context of Buddhist I realised that God is suffering too (see 4 noble truth). When one cannot get one desire, he suffers. Hence in heaven the Beings there still have desire, that why it is part of the Samsara.

Western Paradise is known to be a place create by Amitabha vows. It is a land when there is no terrain. There is no hell, hungry ghost and animals. It is imply that there is hatred, greed and ignorance. The beings there is like Amitabha. Everyone is a potential Buddha.

wisdomeye SG

dear Rooney9,

I am not sure about why Buddhas do what they do. I'm sure it's for the benefit of sentient beings in some way.

From what i do know, the present Saha world is the pureland of Buddha Shakyamuni. As I've said, there is a level at which whatever you see becomes pure. So in one sutra, one Bodhisattva and Shariputra(i think) debated about what this Saha world is pure or not and Buddha Shakyamuni showed for a short while to Shariputra that it is pure, only his defilements make it impure.

In a treatise that Mipham Rinpoche (a great Nyingma scholar) composed to refute the doubts of those who disbelieved in the possibility of rebirth in Amitabha pureland, he gave one reasoning that I find quite thought-provoking. He said that the people who believe in the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni who yet object to the possibility of rebirth in the pureland of Amitabha are contradicting themselves.

This is because on one hand, they believe in Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings in what he says for instance about, the length of the path being 3 eons, needing to go through the bhumis and so on, but on the other hand, the very same people disbelieve the Amitabha pureland which are the very teachings of Lord Buddha himself. If one pick and choose in believing different parts of the teachings, there's no logic. In any case, you can say you dun believe, but it's not reasonable to use Buddha's doctrine as a reason to raise doubt.