Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

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DesertDweller
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Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

Dear Friends,
I'm new here, though I've been "lurking" for a while and have found Dharmawheel to be an excellent Buddhist forum. This is my "Introduction" as well as a request for forum members' practical advice on Ch'an-Pure Land dual cultivation. I've been familiar with Buddhism and its doctrines, history, etc for quite a few years now, though it's only recently that I've actually "taken refuge" and begun to practice; and of course the transition into the practical realm from the theoretical is always a bit rough. At my stage in life, although it's true that one has never studied enough, I've come to feel that what I need more than anything else is consistent practice and focus on "on the ground" spiritual cultivation above all else. I feel naturally drawn to a dual cultivation of silent meditation, i.e. zazen, and the recitation of the nembutsu. They really both seem to fit together perfectly. To be honest, although I understand their respective points of departure, I'm rather put off by the sectarianism and dogmatism of the Japanese schools (i.e. "Zazen or nembutsu, but not both!") Possibly it's just my nature to have an affinity for both Self-power and Other Power methods combined; possibly it's also because I'm coming from a background in Islamic Sufism, where the conflict between Self Power and Other Power doesn't really exist since it is understood that, ultimately, "there's nothing in existence except God"--i.e. there is no Other! Practically, of course, one can still get caught up in an illusion that he is "getting somewhere through his own efforts," but it doesn't cause the kind of polarization in Sufism that seems to exist in the Japanese schools. Hence, I tend to be much more attracted to the Chinese approach to Chan and Pure Land.

At any rate, I was wondering if folks here--those who cultivate both Dharma Doors--could share how they integrate Chan and Pure Land in their daily practice: do they recite the nembutsu before zazen, or after, or both? What's their daily practice schedule like? Also, could they point me to teachers/websites and Dharma talks in English which address or are emenable to the dual cultivation? I've come across the books on the Young Men's Buddhist Association Website, which seem extremely useful, although mostly focused on mainland Pure Land. I've also become acquainted with the excellent material from Master Chin Kung's association (along with that of his student the Ven. Shi Wuling). I find these quite useful also, even though, again, the focus is mostly Pure Land without an explicit Chan.

Sorry for the long post. Any practical (hopefully positive) guidance will be appreciated. I look forward to participating on this forum in the future and to learning from you all!
:namaste:
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Dan74
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Dan74 »

Hi DesertDweller and thank you for asking your very good question.

My response is only tangentally relevant, in that even in Japan, where there is less tolerance of combining Zen (Chan) with Amitabha practice, as you said, there has been some contact between schools which focus on recitation of sacred names and mantras. One that springs to mind is Hakuin's (the great reviver of Rinzai Zen) letter to a nun of Nichiren sect:

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/ ... Letter.htm

In Chan, of course there is much contact down to the present day where many temples practice both Chan and Pureland. A related anecdote is the encounter of John Blofeld and the great Master Hsu Yun:

http://chanbuddhismuk.proboards.com/thr ... hn-blofeld

Both of these are of course, more from the Zen point of you, but maybe still of interest to you.

All the best with your practice!!!

_/|\_
d
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Astus
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Astus »

Buddha-remembrance and Chan has been practised together from the very beginning. Even before Huiyuan (334–416) and Bodhidharma (5th/6th century) the Pratyutpannasamadhi Sutra (translated to Chinese in 179) taught how one can meet Amitabha in samadhi and at the same time to realise that the whole visualisation is empty. Chan practitioners often aspired to be born in the Pure Land and buddha-remembrance practitioners often cultivated the mind-nature. There were many famous teachers who explained how the two are complementary methods.

Here's a saying, the fourfold summary, attributed to Yongming Yanshou (from "Yung-ming's Syncretism of Pure Land and Ch'an" by Heng-ching Shih in JIABS vol 10 no 1, p 118 ):

"With Ch'an but no Pure Land, nine out of ten people will go astray.
When death comes suddenly, they must accept it in an instant.
With Pure Land but no Ch'an, ten thousand out of ten thousand people will achieve birth [in the Pure Land].
If one can see Amitabha face to face, why worry about not attaining enlightenment?
With both Ch'an and Pure Land, it is like a tiger who has grown horns.
One will be a teacher for mankind in this life, and a Buddhist patriarch in the next.
With neither Ch'an nor Pure Land, it is like falling on an iron bed with bronze posters [i.e., one of the hells].
For endless kalpas one will find nothing to rely on."


Consider the following quotes from The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations (BDK edition):

"By intoning the ten sacred names, we have intended to assist [the deceased] in entering the Pure Land of Amitābha Buddha."
(from the funeral ritual of the deceased abbot, p 135)

"From three o’clock in the morning until dusk, every sentient being must reflect upon himself with the following prayer: “Even if my life should end at this very moment, may I immediately be reborn in the Pure Land.”"
(from the regulations of daily conduct, p 267)

"It is earnestly wished that Venerable So-and-so regain his health, as he has not lost the various supporting causes for his existence. If, however, it is unavoidable for him to come to the end of his life, may he swiftly realize the goal of rebirth in the Pure Land. Veneration to the Buddhas in the ten directions and the three times."
(from the prayer for ailing practitioners, p 294)

And these from Taming the Monkey Mind:

"To recite the Buddha's name is to recite the Buddha of the Self-Mind; the ears hearing the Buddha's name actually hear the Self-Mind. The sound comes from the Self-Mind and returns to the Self-Mind, turning around and around in a circle. Not even a bit of deluded thought remains, and as a result, all mundane dusts, all deluded realms disappear."
(aspect 28 commentary)

"As the sound of the Self-Mind surrounds you and the light of the Self-Mind shines upon you, the Mind-Nature naturally reveals itself. This True Mind is like a huge, round, bright mirror that nothing can obstruct. The Ten Directions, the Three Periods of Time, ourselves, the Buddhas and sentient beings, the cycle of suffering in the impure world, the lotus seat in the Pure Land - all are but images in the mirror. Thus, to recite aloud is to recite in the light, to recite in the mirror; it is neither the same nor different. This is the ultimate auspicious realm, completely free of the deluded mind. You should strive with all your might to attain it."
(aspect 31)

"Zen is Pure Land because both Zen and Pure Land aim at reaching one-pointedness of mind. Although two expedients are involved, the result is the same. However, Zen is ten times as difficult! "
(aspect 35 commentary)
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Fortyeightvows »

Here is a link to an English version of one of my favorite books ever:
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/yin_kuang.pdf
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Admin_PC »

Fortyeightvows wrote:Here is a link to an English version of one of my favorite books ever:
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/yin_kuang.pdf
Good call.
I'm about to start going through that again over on the Pure Land subforum now that my online class has wrapped up for the next month.

Some other items that might be of interest:

Sensei Ogui's "Zen Shin Talks" - book by former Socho (kind of like "bishop") of BCA, the largest Shin Pure Land Buddhist Group in the US, he also studied under Soto Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. The meditation program he introduced at the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago continues to this day.

"No Abode: The Record of Ippen - Ippen was a Pure Land practitioner, founder of the Ji Sect, who received Inka from a Zen master.

The late Rev Gyomay Kubose wrote many books such as Everyday Suchness and the Center Within, his presentation combines the Otani school (Higashi Honganji) of Shin Pure Land Buddhism with Zen. Rev Gyomay's son, Rev Koyo Kubose continues his father's legacy with books like Bright Dawn - Discovering Everyday Spirituality and his Bright Dawn Sangha (an online Sangha), having trained in the Otani school, as well as both Rinzai & Soto Schools while in Japan.

The Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut has been blending Zen and Shin practice for a while.

Regarding the Chinese schools:

In addition to the YMBA site, you may also want to check out City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, both affiliated with Ven Hsuan Hua.

The late Venerable Sheng Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain, while mainly a Ch'an practitioner, also provided a wealth of information on Pure Land practice, including videos.

I believe Fo Guang Shan also provides teachings on integrating both forms of practice.

Of course, there are regional temples, like CloudWater Zendo that practice both, so you may want to keep an eye out for places in your area.

FYI - there's a Chin Kung group in the same metro area where I live. They definitely do seated zazen meditation during their services.
DesertDweller
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

Dear Friends,
Many thanks for your kind replies. I'll break my responses into a few different posts, so that people don't have to wade through my responses to others if they don't want to.

Dan74:

Thank you for those links! I found the letter from Master Hakuin to be incredibly inspiring--probably the most useful thing I've ever read on understanding the Pure Land and "skillful means" in general--since in his comments on the various methods he speaks directly to my primary concerns. I guess at the end of the day it all comes down to his exhortation to "see the True Lotus once." I used to think--as a non-Buddhist but the parallels are nonetheless clear--that this would come through all the various "acts", such as those he mentions--i.e. reciting scriptures, etc--but I found myself to be constantly like the guy who's holding the bowl of water. All these practices are wonderful, but if one can simply penetrate the essence of one of them with the "Dharma eye," that's all that will ever be needed. Over the years I find myself drawn more and more to an essentialization of spiritual practice.

For me, the question really is (and anyone can chime in here): can the chanting of "Namo Amitabha Buddha" alone lead to this "seeing of the True Lotus". I would say (and it seems Master Hakuin would also say)" yes". Still, I tend to be rather crestfallen by people who tend to make of it a sort of exoteric issue of salvation in the next life (I'm not saying that this is what the Japanese schools unequivocally do, especially Shinran who I know had extremely profound insights on this; it's just what comes across sometimes from adherents). Now I certainly do not deny this "exoteric" aspect, and I agree that this post-mortem rebirth something eminently to be desired and not in the least to be slighted. But I also feel that it's something more--much more; that it points to the very essence of Mahayana itself. I also have a personally drive to work for Enlightenment here and now. I would like it to happen in this life. And this brings me to Chan and a Ch'an "understanding" of the nembutsu which tends to equate the essential "seeing the True Face of the Lotus" with Pure Land symbolism--in Master Hakuin's words--"to fulfill one's vow for rebirth in Paradise, to see before one's eyes the marvelous birds and trees of Paradise and to keep constantly in mind the wondrous ornamentation of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha."

So I guess what I keep circling around is a perspective that does not negate the "exoteric" meaning of the Pure Land doctrine--i.e. rebirth in the next life in the Pure Land--but also insists on penetrating to its absolute essence (Pure Land as "True Face of the Lotus") and personal effort. I'm not familiar enough with the Japanese schools teaching to know if they ever approach this perspective. I'm reading a book now by Suzuki about PL in Japan called Buddha of Infinite Light which seems quite excellent. Maybe this will help clear my doubts, although either way it's not really important for me to officially "join" any school.

I also appreciated Master Hakuin's metaphor of the sons of the farmer who felt they were too weak to work their inheritance. This is exactly the sort of thing that troubles me also in some of the Pure Land polemic which I have read. I just feel that one must strive in the spiritual life: "Self Power" really seems unavoidable and natural, although it is quite possible to use "Self-Power" without falling into a dualism, as Master Hakuin shows. As he says, "No matter what Law you practice, if you don't seek to open up the Buddha's wisdom, you will never be able to come into accord with the vow of the many Buddhas."

But, again, is the nembutsu alone sufficient as a practice for this, or is it necessary--for the sake of mental cultivation--to combine it with silent meditation? I enjoy silence, which is why "only just sitting" draws me so much. But will the constant nembutsu take me to the same place, with serious and focused cultivation, or is it best to use it as a "safety net"?

(Apologies if I offended anyone with my ignorant comments--I know I have a lot to learn :namaste:
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

Astus:

These quotes are much appreciated. Thanks! The Fourfold Summary is especially pertinent, but how does it come out in practice? Is it through approaching nembutsu with a "Ch'an" understanding (i.e. Master Hakuin or the "Who is chanting Amida's name" kung-an) or is it through setting aside time each day to do both Silent Illumination and nienfo?

I'm sure there are many who do both approaches, as has been mentioned with regard to Master Okui and the Chin Kung association, so I suppose it's just a matter of finding what one "wants" out of cultivation and what works best in one's circumstances. (By "what one wants" I just mean that some people--quite legitimately--say that "Hey, I don't really have time or capacity to seek Enlightenment, but I want to get out of samsara; so I say the nembutsu ten times a day." Other people know that they want to "see the True Face of the Lotus" which would in itself also entail salvation from the samsaric wheel. The question is for them, what is the best and "sharpest" method to attain this. And this is a rather tricky question, as the Fourfold Summary indicates.)
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

@Fortyeightvows:

Yes! I saw that the other day and it's definitely on my list. Thanks!

@Porkchop:

Thanks for these great resources. I had heard of Master Okui, but had no idea that he was so popular or that there were actually Shin Temples practicing zazen like this. It must be quite controversial though, no? Especially among the "one method only" purists and the older generation. However, I would say that, here in America, the eclecticism of Chinese and early Japanese Pure Land is simply bound to reemerge in some fashion, perhaps in many different fashions (which seems like a good thing to me!)

I have recently come across Ven. Hsuang Hua's and Ven. Sheng-Yen's writings and associations, and am reading their talks when I get the chance. Much to learn from them, indeed! I especially like master Hsuang Hua for some reason, and the 10,000 Buddhas website is a massive resource for Mahayana Buddhism in general!

I have really benefited from the Chin Kung association material. The books on Pure Land by the Ven. Shi Wuleng are pure gold in my opinion. It's nice to know that they also do sitting meditation; in general their approach to PL seems very Ch'an-oriented.

As for Cloudwater Zendo, it's funny you should mention that. I actually live in Ohio, but central Ohio, whereas the Zendo is up north in Cleveland. It's too bad it's so far, since I really like what they are doing there (so far as I understand it from the website.)

:namaste:
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Astus
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Astus »

From what you write it seems to me your priority is enlightenment in this life. Only repeating the name of Amitabha is not enough for that, but it can be used as something that can assist in seeing the nature of mind. See The Four Realizations and the Four Practices and the Four Methods of Buddha Recitation that describe how realisation can be integrated into buddha-remembrance.

Unlike in Japanese Buddhism (except for the Obaku school), there is no controversy between Chan and Pure Land. I strongly recommend you read this essay by Robert Sharf. It can answer many questions you have about Chan and PL.

The source of this problem that Chan and PL are something totally different comes from Japan's Kamakura Buddhism when first Honen started the exclusive nenbutsu movement and then various Zen institutions started to emerge. But if your look into Honen's selection of the single practice, he intentionally excludes interpretations of buddha-remembrance that fall into the category of self-power. It was his invention, his innovation. That's why I find it particularly strange that there are certain people who are happy to mix Shinran's teachings with Zen. But if one looks into Chinese Buddhism "nianfo chan" is the general and most common practice.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

@Astus:

Thanks for your response; I look forward to reading the links you posted. Yes, Enlightenment in this life is my priority. Just a quick note, re. what you said here: "Only repeating the name of Amitabha is not enough for that, but it can be used as something that can assist in seeing the nature of mind." Wouldn't this be a possibility, though, if there is a one-pointed focus ("Buddha recitation samadhi") combined with a sort of opening of oneself to the deeper significance of "Namo Amitabha Buddha"? Master Hakuin seems to think it's possible, as does Thich Thien Tam in the fifth method that he mentions (although he also seems to discourage it at the end):
5. Enlightened, Illuminating Recitation

With this technique, the practitioner on the one hand recites the Buddha's name and on the other, "returns the light" and illumines his True Nature. He thus enters into the realm of ultimate transcendental emptiness; what remains is only the consciousness that his body-mind and the True Mind of the Buddha have become one -- all-illuminating and all-encompassing. At that time, meditation rooms, cushions, gongs and all else have disappeared. Even the illusory, "composite body" is nowhere to be found.

With this practice, even while our present "retribution body" is not yet dead, silent illumination is attained. Uttering the Buddha's name, the practitioner immediately achieves the state of samadhi. There is no swifter method for common mortals to enter the realm of the saints.

Unfortunately, we cannot understand or practice this method unless we are of the highest capacity. Therefore, its scope is rather modest and limited.
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Admin_PC »

I already posted an example of a practitioner (Ippen) who disproves that statement as being a hard and fast rule, I could pretty easily find others. As for the rest of the post, I'm not sure I agree either. I will say I find Sharf's statement about "no intention of being a separate school" a bit curious when it was ShanTao who advanced the concept of exclusive practice and defined the 5 right practices, all of which were exclusive to Pure Land, but whatever. I, myself, enjoy reading Zen texts, but find enough in the Pure Land methods to keep me more than busy enough for my meager practice time. I don't find the method deficient at all, but to each their own. If you really want to learn the Pure Land method, I t might help to read up on the 3 minds mentioned in the sutras and spelled out by ShanTao - as they feature prominently in all forms of Pure Land.
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Astus »

DesertDweller wrote:Wouldn't this be a possibility, though, if there is a one-pointed focus ("Buddha recitation samadhi") combined with a sort of opening of oneself to the deeper significance of "Namo Amitabha Buddha"?
That combination with opening to a deeper meaning is where insight practice comes in, where one has to learn to see thoughts for what they are instead of just following them. Reciting the name is focusing on a single thought, so it helps in not grasping other concepts. Then reflecting on one's ongoing experience can become easier. That is what the question "Who recites the name?" points at. Once it is clearly understood that appearances are without substance, without a fixed essence to hold on to, that is being enlightened to no-birth, the true nature.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by 明安 Myoan »

The nembutsu also provides wisdom, not solely a reference point for insight that could be swapped out with the breath or a visualization. I can expand on this if someone wants.

It's my opinion that if the nembutsu is the foundation of one's practice, then other "sundry practices" like zazen can be themselves expressions of gratitude and a manifestation of Other-Power. But there's the risk of oscillating between two practices when one confronts you with boredom or there's frustration with seemingly no results, or even an apparent worsening of mood.
For example, if you're pissed off when you come to practice, you might think "God I'm REALLY not in the mood to recite today!"
Then it becomes a matter of following fickle preferences, instead of letting faith unwind the tight ball of anger, instead of letting the nembutsu arise seemingly on its own. Same for zen, I imagine!

That's just my two cents from the perspective of a fickle person who's jumped around a lot.
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

@Astus:
Thanks. I think I see what you're saying; but then this sounds sort of like--as duckfiasco puts it--something that could be "swapped" for some other thing like breath.

Which leads me to duckfiasco (love that name!)--
I can expand on this if someone wants.
By all means, please do! I have an idea, but I'd like to hear someone else's thoughts on this.

@Porkchop:

"I could pretty easily find others."

Please feel free to name sole names, if it's not too much trouble. This helps me quite a bit. I feel certain that in principle this is quite possible, but I'm not at all well versed in Shin or any other Pure Land literature to really have a grasp on how it worked out historically. I'm still getting the overall sense, though, that PL practitioners in general don't really see it as a path to Enlightenment in this lifetime. This is probably my ignorance speaking, but I'd be more than happy to be corrected.
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Admin_PC »

Maybe it would be helpful to read some of the interactions between Ikkyu (a famous Japanese Zen monk) and Rennyo (the "second founder" of Jodo Shin Shu). Or maybe look up the last words of the famous Zen master Ryokan (1758-1831). Here's a funny anecdote representative of Ikkyu & Rennyo's friendship. Here's a nice little comparison. This link has another summary of some of these figures and has some helpful information regarding your inquiry. FYI- I'm sticking with mostly Shin folks here because I've been knee-deep in Shin theory lately, doing an online course.

The nembutsu is a bit more than just a single thought. In a similar vein, the idea that you could replace it with the phrase "cocacola" and be just as effective is a Zen idea, not one embraced by actual Pure Land practitioners. I highly recommend reading up on ShanTao's explication of the 3 Minds and the 4 modes of practice that develop naturally as a result of recitation. Honen does a great job of explaining it if actual translations of ShanTao are limited (pick up Promise of Amida if you can, otherwise, they have helpful info at the Jodo Shu Research Institute site). From there it's easier to delve into ideas such as Anjin and/or Shinjin. For example, Shinran lists 10 benefits that can be experienced in this very life upon receiving Shinjin.
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Dan74 »

I'm learning from the replies above too! And of course there is some bias, especially Zennies talking about Pure Land, so take it with a grain of salt.

The way I see it (and sorry if this isn't really relevant to your inquiry now) is that if you find a practice that you resonate with, a practice that gets 'the juices flowing' - this is really great. Another practice may lay claim to being more profound (and maybe it is), but unless it truly resonates and involves us 100%, passionate life-and-death stuff, it's not going to be able to cut through the lifetimes of delusory habits. So if Pure Land hits that chord - fantastic!
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Astus »

If the goal is enlightenment in this life, that is not a Pure Land oriented attitude. Therefore, whatever practice one does, it is dedicated to one's own liberation now instead of awakening in Sukhavati. Thus the attainment of birth becomes a secondary matter at best.

Thich Thien Tam writes:

"If we were to use Buddha Recitation to discover the Mind-Ground and awaken to our Original Nature, the Pure Land method would be no different from other methods. However, when we rely on Buddha Recitation to seek rebirth in the Pure Land, this method has unique characteristics."

That is:

"What is operative in the terms Holy Path and Pure Land Path is thus the realm where people attain salvation. The Holy Path is the path of the few who attain it in this life and on their own. The Pure Land Path is the path of the many who need the help of Amida Buddha to attain it after death."
(Honen's Conceptions of Other Power (tariki) and Self Power (jiriki))

Buddha-remembrance combined with Chan can mean two things. Either it is aiming for the Pure Land supported by Chan, or aiming for enlightenment in this life supported by buddha-remembrance. If birth is the goal, then seeing the nature is understood as part of the bodhisattva path. If realisation is the goal, then recitation is understood as a meditation technique. We can see well from Honen's method of selection that there are those who aim for birth using various methods and work on accumulating wisdom and merit. Among them there are those who focus only on Amitabha and those who use other methods, but they equally dedicate merit towards birth in the Pure Land. In other terms, they have faith and vow but take a different stance on practice than those who only recite the name. On the other hand, those who do not have faith and vow may meditate on Amitabha but they will not be born in Sukhavati. As Ouyi writes:

"If your faith and vows are solid and strong, then even you recite the Buddha-name only ten times, or only once, as you are on the brink of death, you are sure to attain birth in the Pure Land. Without faith and vows, even if you recite the Buddha-name until [you achieve a level of concentration the Zen literature describes as] "wind cannot enter you and rain cannot wet you" and "you stand like a silver wall or and iron wall", you will still not have a way to be born in the Pure Land."

Yinguang writes:

"With this method, as long as their Faith and Vows are true and earnest, even those who have committed the Five Grave Offenses or the Ten Evil Acts, may, on the verge of death, when the marks of the hells appear, follow the advice of a good spiritual advisor and recite the Buddha’s name one to ten times. Then, thanks to the compassionate power of Amitabha Buddha, even they will be received and guided to the Pure Land – not to mention those who practice wholesome deeds and do not commit transgressions!"
(p 35)

"Rebirth in the Western Land thus requires, first of all, deep Faith and fervent Vows. Without these conditions, even if you were to cultivate, you could not obtain a response from Amitabha Buddha. You would merely reap the blessings of the human and celestial realms and sow the seeds of liberation in the future. Anyone who fulfills the conditions of Faith and Vows is assured of rebirth in the Pure Land."
(p 37)

As for the idea that recitation itself brings about wisdom, that would mean (1) there is no need for Amitabha's vows and (2) there is no need for the teachings and insight practices. Honen and all the other Pure Land teachers could not have said that they were ordinary deluded people as they had recited the name thousands of times in a single day.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by Admin_PC »

Well, since Sutras trump commentaries, let's just get right to it...
Great Strength Bodhisattva in the Surangama Sutra wrote:“The basis of my practice was mindfulness of the Buddha. I became patient
with the state of mind in which no mental objects arise. Now when
people of this world are mindful of the Buddha, I act as their guide to lead
them to the Pure Land. The Buddha has asked us how we broke through
to enlightenment. In order to enter samādhi, I chose no other method
than to gather in the six faculties while continuously maintaining a pure
mindfulness of the Buddha. This is the best method.”
Honen seems to agree
Honen in the Senchakushu wrote:Nembutsu is superior, and other practices are inferior. This is because into the Name flow all of Amida's countless virtues. That is to say, in the Name are contained all the merits and virtues of Amida's inner enlightenment, such as the four kinds of wisdom, the three bodies, the ten powers, and the four kinds of fearlessness. Also contained in His name are all the merits and virtues of His external attributes, such as major and minor physical characteristics, the emanation of light, preaching of the Dharma, and the benefit He brings to sentient beings. For these reasons, the merits of His name are incomparably 'superior.' Other practices are not the same; each one of them produces only a limited quantity of merit and virtue. For this reason they are called 'inferior.'

This may be likened to an ordinary house. The name, 'house,' includes all of its constituent elements; the ridgepoles, the beams, the rafters, the pillars -- but the parts themselves -- 'ridge pole,' 'beam,' 'rafters,' and 'pillars' -- do not denote the total 'house.' From this we see that the merits and virtues of Amida Buddha's name are superior to those of all other practices.

It must be for this reason that Amida Buddha cast aside the inferior and embraced the superior in establishing (the practice corresponding to) His Original Vow.
The context that you missed in your earlier Honen quote is that Honen spent the first part of the Senchakushu quoting Tao-ch'o's "Collection of Passages on the Land of Peace and Bliss" (a quote a lot of lazy academics have mistakenly attributed to Honen himself), which says that we're in the Dharma-Ending age (Mappo) and that almost no one is capable of Awakening anymore. That makes his point a little different. When you consider that he himself, and a LARGE number of his followers (at least one while remaining illiterate) achieved Nembutsu Samadhi, that says something. His point was that we don't do it on our own. He spends Chapter 5 of the Senchakushu spelling out the unlimited benefits in this lifetime from Nembutsu.

From the end of that same section of Thich Thien Tam by the way:
Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith wrote:True Realization of beings and realms [No. 3] is the ultimate goal of Pure Land practitioners. Nevertheless, the doctrine taught in the Three Pure Land sutras and the Commentary on Rebirth is No. 4 ( "not True Realization of realms and beings"), which is consonant with seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. This is because Buddha Sakyamuni knew that common mortals in this world of the Five Turbidities, especially in this Dharma-Ending Age, would have heavy and deep karmic obstructions; establishing a realm of marks [the Pure Land], enabling them to anchor their minds and cultivate, would be difficult enough -- not to mention abandoning all marks!

If common human beings of this Dharma-Ending Age cultivate while grasping at marks (i.e., the Pure Land), their Practice and Vows will be more earnest and the final result of rebirth in the Pure land easier to achieve. Once reborn in the Pure Land, why worry about not attaining the state of No-Birth and No-Mark?

For those who are not of the highest capacity or endowed with a sharp mind, hastening to achieve lofty goals and engaging in cultivation without marks leaves the mind with no anchor. Earnestness and sincerity are then difficult to develop. If their Vows are not earnest, how can they achieve rebirth in the Pure Land, and without rebirth in that Land, how can they escape Birth and Death? This is an instance of "haste makes waste," climbing high but landing low, wanting to be clever and ending up clumsy and awkward!

Many who like to voice lofty principles frequently reject the Pure Land method in these terms: "To recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is to grasp at marks, seeking the Dharma outside the Mind, failing to understand that all dharmas are Mind-Only." These individuals, seeking the subtle and the lofty, are in reality shallow and superficial! This is because they do not understand that if the Saha World is Mind-Only, then the Western Pure Land is also Mind-Only, and nothing can be found outside the True Mind. Thus, to recite Amitabha Buddha's name is to recite the Buddha of our own Nature and Mind; to be reborn in the Pure Land is to return to the realm of our own Mind -- not to an outside realm! Since neither the Saha World nor the Pure Land is outside the Mind, how can remaining in the Saha World, enduring samsara, scorched and burned by the fire of the Five Turbidities, be compared with returning to the tranquil and blissful Pure Land -- the pure and cool realm of freedom?

We should realize that the ones truly in a position to honor the Mind-Only Pure Land are those who have attained the Dharma-Nature-Body, always free and at ease in all circumstances. At that time, whether in the Saha World or in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, they are in a "pure land," in the state of Mind-Only -- in the state of liberation. Otherwise, though they may discourse endlessly on the mystery and loftiness of the Pure Land, they cannot escape bewilderment and delusion in the "bardo stage," and, following their karma, revolving in the cycle of Birth and Death!
Since we're quoting Patriarch Yin Kuang...
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Although Buddha Recitation is simple, it is very deep and encompassing. The
most important thing is to be utterly sincere and earnest, for only then will your
thoughts merge with those of Amitabha Buddha and will you reap true benefits
in this very life.
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Buddhist sutras teach followers to practice repentance constantly in order
to transcend delusion and achieve Buddhahood. Thus, even the Bodhisattva
Maitreya, who has attained the level of Equal Enlightenment, still pays respect
to the Buddhas of the ten directions during the six periods of the day, so as to
wipe out delusion and attain the Dharma Body. If this is true for the Bodhisattva
Maitreya, what can we say of common beings filled with heavy karmic afflictions?
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Pure Land is precisely the sublime method enabling the practitioner to turn his
back on worldly dusts to merge with Enlightenment and return to the source (the
Mind). Laymen bound up in mundane affairs cannot easily find the time to attend
retreats, practice meditation and recite the sutras. This method is, therefore, very
suitable for persons such as yourself. Each one can pay respect to the Buddhas and
recite sutras or Buddha Amitabha’s name according to individual circumstances
and capacities, dedicating the merits thus accrued to rebirth in the Pure Land. In
addition to your regular cultivation sessions, you should practice Buddha Recitation
when walking or standing, reclining or sitting, speaking or remaining silent, eating
or dressing, throughout the day, wherever you may be.
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Once having developed deep Faith and earnest Vows, you should hold fast
to the words “Amitabha Buddha.” Regardless of the occasion, whether walking
or standing, sitting or reclining, speaking or remaining silent, moving about,
meditating, dressing, eating, even when in the privy, you should keep the words
“Amitabha Buddha” firmly in mind. You should exert yourself until the recitations
are constantly before you, the whole Buddha is Mind, Mind and Buddha are one
– reciting to the ultimate point where all mundane feelings are forgotten. At that
time, the mind being empty, the Buddha appears.
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:...failing to teach people to develop Faith and Vows
seeking rebirth in the Pure Land, while advising them to meditate on the Buddha’s
name [as a koan] is utterly detrimental.

This is because, while awakening to the Way through meditation on the
Buddha’s name would be a fortunate development, an utterly sincere Vow for
rebirth in the Pure Land would still be necessary.

Meanwhile, if meditation is unsuccessful and the mind constantly grasps at
the koan “who is reciting the Buddha’s name,” correspondence between the
practitioner and the Buddha will be extremely difficult to realize and the benefit of
the “welcoming and escorting” Vow will be lost.

Those who really know “who is reciting the Buddha’s name” are precisely those
who have already awakened and clearly seen their True Nature. Nowadays, how
many practitioners can meditate to the point of awakening to the Way (Great
Awakening)?
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Sakyamuni Buddha taught the method of reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name,
seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, in order to help sentient beings resolve
the problem of Birth and Death in this very lifetime.
Yin Kuang: Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure Land wrote:Pure Land cultivators should not follow Zen meditation practices. This
is because most Zen followers fail to stress the issue of rebirth in the Pure Land
through Faith and Vows. Even if they practice Buddha Recitation, they merely
stress the koan “who is reciting the Buddha’s name?” seeking an Awakening. Pure
Land practitioners should recite Amitabha Buddha’s name for the sole purpose
of achieving rebirth in the Pure Land. Once having seen Amitabha Buddha, why
worry about not having experienced an Awakening?

In this Saha World, it may be possible to escape Birth and Death through
meditation if all delusive karma is eliminated. If, however, all delusive karma is not
eliminated, the Zen follower not only cannot rely on his own strength (self-power)
to achieve liberation, he cannot – lacking Faith and Vows – rely on the Buddha’s
power (other-power) to escape Birth and Death either. Unable to rely either on
self-power or on other-power, how can he escape the sufferings of this world?
You should know that even the Dharma Body Bodhisattvas [i.e., the higher level
Bodhisattvas] must rely on the power of the Buddhas – not to mention ordinary
beings such as ourselves, who are full of karmic obstructions. Who are we to keep
weighing the pros and cons of our own strength, while failing to seek the Buddhas’
help? Our words may be lofty, but upon reflection, the accompanying actions are
low and wanting! The difference between other-power and self-power is as great
as the heavens and the abyss! I hope fellow-cultivators will carefully examine and
forgive my straightforward words.
Let's move on to Patriarch Ou-I now...
Ou-I: Mind Seal of the Buddhas wrote:"Amitabha Buddha" is the all-inclusive term for the
myriad virtues. When you use the name of Amitabha to
summon virtue, all the virtues are engendered. Thus, reciting
the name of Amitabha is the correct practice, and you do not
need to get involved with other practices such as visualization
or meditation Reciting the name of Amitabha is the simplest
and most direct method.
Ou-I: Mind Seal of the Buddhas wrote:We must realize that reciting the name of Amitabha is not
only a method that is simple and direct, it is also a method for
sudden Complete Enlightenment.
Since [in reciting the
Buddha Name] you merge with Buddha from moment
to moment, without bothering with visualization or meditation,
you immediately witness perfect illumination, with no excess
and no lack.
Astus wrote:As for the idea that recitation itself brings about wisdom, that would mean (1) there is no need for Amitabha's vows and (2) there is no need for the teachings and insight practices. Honen and all the other Pure Land teachers could not have said that they were ordinary deluded people as they had recited the name thousands of times in a single day.
The first part of this statement displays (whether intentional or not) a complete and total misunderstanding of recitation - the fact that it is Buddha Remembrance, that at the very least in order to engage in sincere recitation one would have to have an idea of the general narrative of Amitabha, the 18th Vow, the career of Dharmakara, the Pure Land, and why one would want to go there (from here, the Saha world of the 3 poisons). Note: it is not, and never has been, the doctrine of Pure Land practitioners that one would only need to understand the sounds in order to engage in practice. I mentioned the "cocacola" thing because I've seen that phrase used verbatim on a couple of Zen blogs when presenting incorrect teachings on the Nembutsu.

The second (bolded) part could lead one to believe that you've completely glossed over my repeated recommendations for studying up on ShanTao's 3 Minds (which manifest through Pure Land practice), because otherwise you'd know EXACTLY why Honen & other Pure Land teachers referred to themselves as "ordinary deluded people". Since you're more apt to quote out of context then to actually read up on recommended doctrine, I'll try to spell it out for you...

The first of the 3 minds is the Genuine Mind. This is the mind that Genuinely & Sincerely engages in practices. It involves clearly evaluating one's capacities, motivations, and actions of body, speech, and mind. It means not saying one practices when one doesn't, not saying that one is a sage when one is clearly not, and not thinking one is pure in actions of body, speech, and mind when one is really fully in the grasp of the 3 poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance. This involves a certain amount of mindfulness practice (as spelled out by Bhante G in "Mindfulness in Plain English") - it just doesn't necessarily happen on the cushion, but during the midst of daily life, while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.

The second of the 3 minds is the Profound Mind. This is the mind that fully realizes just how deeply deluded we are, just how thoroughly we're drowning in the poisons of craving, aversion, and ignorance. It is also the mind that trusts fully in the 18th Vow, realizing that one is fully supported by Great Compassion, and lets go of the grasping self.

The third of the 3 minds is the Mind that Dedicates Merit towards Rebirth. This is the mind is the mind that dedicates all of one's merits towards being reborn in the Pure Land. In practice, none of the schools teach dedicating that merit just for oneself, but for all beings in the Dharma Realm. Thus, this mind becomes the mind that wishes for all beings to reach the Pure Land. It is also the mind that drives the "going & coming back" (genso eko), that engages with those who are suffering after we've made it to the Pure Land in order to help all escape Samsara.


@DesertDweller
Clark Strand has a beautiful article that presents a different way of looking at these teachings.
DesertDweller
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:13 pm

Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

Thanks, guys, for the posts :namaste:

Porkchop:

Really excellent quotations and commentary. I think that you and I are on the same page here, although of course I am not nearly so well-read in the literature as you are. I would venture to add that, from the perspective of Raja Yoga, the Name is not separate from the Named. I find that something similar is at play here, although I've never come across this particular formulation in Buddhist sources. Still, if we entertain the idea: if Amida is Infinite Light and Infinite Life, this Infinite Light and Life is present in the nembutsu itself! So, to take a mundane example, if one sits close enough to a fire, one is bound to get warm with the fire's quality of heat and possibly even catch fire himself. Just so with the nembutsu: would it be too much to imagine that through the single-minded recitation of Amida's Name we might "catch fire" with Amida and become like him--i.e. awakened and hence "not separate" ourselves from his Buddha nature? [Edit: I think Master Ou-i hits on this pretty directly, for which I'm grateful!]

On another note, the "problem" for me with the quote from Master Thich Thien Tam that you posted is that, even though he recognizes that the Pure Land and Amida are not outside the Mind (i.e. he embraces non-dualism) he still seems to be saying that it's pointless and even arrogant to try and find the Pure Land in this lifetime rather than just aim for the next. Of course, we always have to keep in mind that he was writing in particular circumstances that may not exactly fit our own. Still I'm correct in this reading, then this is a sort of dogmatism that rather perplexes and troubles me, to be honest. I simply don't understand (and this is where I'll sort of address Astus's quotes and remarks above) why a person who is sufficiently "ripe" might not recite the nembutsu--even if for the sake of argument we grant that he is aiming purely for post-mortem rebirth--and still be awakened in this life, almost despite himself, through the fire of his spirituality and sincerity and the great blessing of the nembutsu? Can not awakened beings enter the Pure Land? Are they not already there? Where is the line drawn?

I think Master Yin Kuang gets at this in-this-life awakening, or at least leaves possibility for it, i.e.
This is because, while awakening to the Way through meditation on the
Buddha’s name would be a fortunate development
, an utterly sincere Vow for
rebirth in the Pure Land would still be necessary.
(my emphasis)

Still, it seems rather strange to me that they don't just come out and directly state, "Yes, the nienfo/nembutsu can lead you to Enlightenment in this world AND, with faith and vows, you can be reborn in the Pure Land after death at the higher levels.

At the end of the day, it seems that what we're really dealing with here are "skillful means" that can work for many different people in many different ways, not excluding the highest way of Awakening (which seems implicit in the symbolism of the Sutras themselves--i.e. symbols by their very nature can be read on many different levels, from the most literal to the must esoteric, and who's to say--other than the Buddha himself--where to drawn the line between them, and where a certain level becomes inadmissible? This is why I appreciate Porkchop's gesture, with all respect for the commentaries, to also look directly at the Sutras themselves).
DesertDweller
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:13 pm

Re: Daily Discipline: Chan and Pure Land

Post by DesertDweller »

I also wanted to post this extraordinary quote that I came across on another website from Master Ippen's No Abode , which Porkchop recommended yesterday. I don't have page numbers since I'm copying directly from someone's blog, but those in possession of the book can verify for themselves. I think that this is quite relevant to the discussion at hand:
“There is neither Buddha nor self, much less any reasoning of this and that…. Among all living things—mountains and rivers, grasses and trees, even the sounds of blowing winds and rising waves—there is nothing that is not the nembutsu.”

“A multitude of doctrines have been established and left behind by the many wise masters, but they are all merely temporary statements made in response to different confusions. The practicer should therefore discard even these and simply say the nembutsu.”

“Namu-amida-butsu: When breath expended in saying Buddha’s Name is drawn again you sit on a lotus in the Pure Land.”

“When you have taken refuge in Immeasurable Light that is timeless and unperishing, you strip away the illusive thinking of self-attachment; that taking refuge and that taken refuge in become one, and the form of the original nothingness of birth-and-death is brought to realization as the six characters, Namu-amida-butsu.”

“To be totally unconcerned with all such matters as mindfulness or lack of mindfulness, exertion of will or failure to exert your will, and to attain Buddhahood in simply one thought-moment—this is wholeheartedly practicing the saying of the Name alone.”

“When you have taken refuge in Namu-amida-butsu, in which there is no ‘self’ and no ‘someone’, there is no person who must be raised up, no self that must be humiliated.”

“You must not, with a mind of self-attachment and self-power, seek to deal with the Name in one way or another.”

“Saying the Name moment by moment is constant repentance. Do not cultivate repentance with the mind of self-attachment in self-power.”

“It is the point where the dichotomies of ‘self-power’ and ‘Other Power’, ‘sentient being’ and ‘Dharma’, are done away with that is called Namu-amida-butsu.”

“Saying the Name is itself the true coming of Buddha. When you have realized that saying the Name is itself Amida’s coming, then Amida’s coming is decisively settled; hence, on the contrary, you are awaited. All things, apart from the Name, are but phantasmal.”

“Namu-amida-butsu is the nonduality of nowness and originalness.”

“In every one of the Buddhist teachings, a person attains emancipation from birth-and-death through entering the stage of the extinction of subject and object. The Name, right now, is the oneness of subject and object.”

“Prepare no foundations for saying the nembutsu. The manner of practice is not born in the Pure Land—not the quality of the voice, or the deportment of the body, or the attitude of the heart and mind. Only Namu-amida-butsu is born.”

“Once you have encountered the Name embodying supreme virtue in a single utterance, there is nothing for which you must live to the morrow. It is wishing to die immediately that becomes your fundamental desire.”

“Though you are taken and held by the Name, do not seek to take hold of it.”

“To expend your time in studies instead and neglect the nembutsu, or to become attached to the sacred teachings and fail to say the Name, is like pointlessly counting someone else’s treasure. It is like having a promissory note for a thousand pieces of gold and failing to collect it.”
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