http://www.blia.org/english/publications/booklet/pages/14.htm
III.
The Different Types of Pure Lands
[In
addition to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, there are many other
pure lands.] The many pure lands can be classified into four main
categories: the distinctive pure lands of the Mahayana School, the
pure land of the Three Vehicles, the pure land of the Five
Vehicles, and the pure land on Earth.
A. The Distinctive Pure Lands of the Mahayana
School
The
distinctive pure lands of the Mahayana (or the Great Vehicle)
School include the Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss
and the Medicine Buddha's (i.e., Bhaisajyaguru Buddha) Pure Land of
Azure Radiance. In fact, Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land of Ultimate
Bliss is especially remarkable.
Although
there are numerous discussions in Mahayana sutras regarding the
many pure lands of the various Buddhas of the ten directions and
espousing their many easy-to-travel paths of cultivation, it is the
Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha that elicits the most awe and
wonderment. Of the many Dharma methods discussed in the sutras, the
most extraordinary is that of the Pure Land practice where one
recites and remembers the name of Amitabha Buddha so that one may
be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This Dharma method is
an unique feature of Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land and is the result
of the strength of the forty-eight great vows which Amitabha Buddha
made while he was cultivating [to become a Buddha]. With the merits
of his compassionate vows, Amitabha Buddha manifests the Pure Land
of Ultimate Bliss. Amitabha Buddha also proclaims categorically
that anyone who believes in the great vows of Amitabha Buddha and
wishes to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss should
contemplate the name of Amitabha Buddha, be it for one day, two
days, or even just ten times. If the person is sincere and can
contemplate the name of Amitabha Buddha with one-pointedness of
mind, the strength of Amitabha Buddha will guide the person to be
reborn by transformation into a lotus flower in the land of
Ultimate Bliss, even though he or she may still be burdened with
karma. Once one reaches the Pure Land, [one does not regress back
into the wheel of rebirth. This is because in the Pure Land,] one
continues to practice so that one will eventually become free from
the wheel of rebirth and attain the ultimate bodhi. [Because of the
unique features of this Dharma method,] it is said that the Pure
Land of Amitabha Buddha is most remarkable.
The
other pure land is the Medicine Buddha's Eastern Pure Land of Azure
Radiance. While the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha symbolizes
restoration, the Pure Land of Medicine Buddha symbolizes growth. It
says in the sutra that when Medicine Buddha was cultivating the
path of Buddhahood, he made twelve great vows. He vowed to help us
sentient beings so that we grow in wisdom and are successful in our
careers and endeavors; he vowed to help us when we are handicapped,
poor, and helpless. He vowed that we will not be lacking in food
and other neces-sities, that we do not fall prey to false
teachings, that we do not break the law and thus are safe from the
pain of punishment, that there is equality between the genders, and
that we will become Buddhas. With his great vows, Medicine Buddha
manifests the Pure Land of Azure Radiance in the east. Most
remarkably, the Bhaisajyaguru Sutra points out that those
who recite the name of Medicine Buddha can also be reborn in the
Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha in the west if they so desire and
practice accordingly.
Some
people may say that the heaven of the Christian religion is the
same as the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in Buddhism. Actually, the
two are not the same. Venerable Yin Shun, a contemp-orary master,
pointed out two differences between the Buddhist Pure Land and the
Christian heaven.1.
Complete equality with no class differ-ence. In the
Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, there is complete equality, with no
class difference. This is not true for the Christian heaven, where
only God is God and other heavenly beings will never become God. In
the Pure Land, everyone can become Buddha. There is no class
difference.
2. Continuing practice and not final fulfillment.
Christians believe that going to heaven is the final fulfillment or
the ultimate state. This contrasts with the Buddhist teachings that
one still needs to practice even after being reborn into the Pure
Land. In the Pure Land, as one is reborn by transformation into a
lotus flower, one must continue to practice until the lotus flower
blooms. In other words, one learns the Dharma and practices
accordingly until Buddhahood is attained.
B.
The Pure Land of the Three Vehicles
The
Pure Land of the Three Vehicles—sravaka,
pratyeka-buddha, and Bodhisattva—is
the liberation they realize as they practice and cultivate
according to the following stages: eliminate defilements, realize
the truth, and become liberated from life and death. Although the
Pure Land they realize is from the same Dharma and results in the
same liberation—just
as all rivers entering the sea will acquire the same salty taste of
the sea—their
state of mind tends to be founded on self-liberation. Though it is
true that these holy practitioners do not create any more new karma
and will not go through the suffering of life and death again, they
should continue to further their practice toward an even more
sublime state of mind. The Pure Land of the Three Vehicles is not
the ultimate goal; it is only a stop on their way to the
destination. Thus, the holy practitioners of the Three Vehicles
should also recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and aim for the Pure
Land of Ultimate Bliss so they can continue on their path to
Buddhahood.
C. The Pure land of the Five Vehicles
The
Pure Land of the Five Vehicles—human,
celestial being, and the three vehicles mentioned in the last
section—is
in fact the Tusita Pure Land of Maitreya Bodhisattva, whom
Sakyamuni Bud-dha had prophesied will be the future Buddha of our
world. The Tusita Pure Land, also known as the Inner Court of
Tusita, is a majestic, pure heaven within the three realms, where
Maitreya Bodhisattva is currently teaching the Dharma. If one is
reborn in the Tusita Pure Land, one will be able to see Maitreya
Bodhisattva. When Maitreya Bodhisattva becomes the Buddha of our
world in the future, one will also follow Maitreya Bodhi-sattva and
be reborn into this world. In this way, one has the opportunity to
personally listen to the teachings of the Maitreya
Buddha.
D. The Pure Land on Earth
An
example of the Pure Land on Earth is the one described in the
Vimalakirti Sutra. It was said in the sutra that though
Vimalakirti lived in the saha world, his state of mind was that of
the Pure Land. [So, what does the Pure Land on Earth mean? Before,
we explore the answer to this question, we have to first understand
the where-abouts of pure lands.]
When
we speak of pure lands, be it the Mahayana Pure Land, the heavenly
Pure Land, or the earthly Pure Land, we can use the colloquial term
"heaven" to
speak of them. When people ask where heaven or hell is, they are,
in a certain way, also raising the question of the whereabouts of
pure lands. In this regard, I would like to make the following
three points.
1. Heaven can be found in heaven, and hell can be found in
hell.
2. Both heaven and hell can be found among
us. There are many of us, who because of previous
merits and good causal conditions, enjoy a peaceful and happy life.
Is this not life in heaven? Then, there are those who are beset
with mental anguish and are afflicted with physical pain. Is this
not life in hell?
3. Both heaven and hell are in one's mind. There
are people whose minds are filled with grudges, discontentment,
mistrust, hatred, greed, and delusion—this
is hell. If we can forget about disputes with others, expand our
hearts and minds to accept everything, give generously to others,
be complimentary of others, or treat others with
compassion—this
is heaven. As we have not been reborn into the Pure Land of
Ultimate Bliss at this moment, the way that we can be close to
Amitabha Buddha is to work together to transform our saha world
into a Pure Land on Earth.
If
we want to construct a Pure Land on Earth, we have to start with
our minds because "when the mind is pure, the land is also
pure." We
have to start with eliminating unwholesome attach-ments to the five
desires (wealth, beauty, fame, food, and sleep) and the six worldly
dusts (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea).
Once,
Sariputra asked the Buddha, "The Buddha lands of the ten directions
are all very pure. Why is our saha world so corrupted and
filthy?"
The
Buddha replied, "You cannot comprehend the world in which I
live." With
this, the Buddha pressed the earth with his toe. Immediately, the
world became brilliant, pure, and magnificent. The Buddha then
continued, "This is the world in which I live."
From
this, we can see that while we may be doing the same task in the
same place at the time, we all react differently. The worlds within
our minds are all different.
Among
the different types of pure lands in Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha's
Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss of the distinctive Mahayana teachings
is especially remarkable. While there is the Pure Land of the Three
Vehicles, it is biased toward liberation only for themselves.
Although the "easily accessible" Pure
Land of Maitreya Bodhisattva is open to all, it does not provide
the opportunity of "realizing Buddhahood in one lifetime"
that
is available in Amitabha's Pure Land. Also, as the Maitreya Pure
Land is within the Tusita Heaven, it is still within the three
realms [of the wheel of rebirth]; in contrast, the Amitabha's Pure
Land is one in which those who are reborn into it will never
regress [back into the swirl of rebirth.]
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