By Master Jiankai (translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team; edited by Householder Fojin) The merit of nianfo is inconceivable. Arguably, by committing countless transgressions and evil karmas life after life, sentient beings must suffer the retributions in the six realms and three domains as they are bound in samsara, much like fish confined […]
Pure Land Buddhism
What Is Life?
Translated by the Pure Land Translation Team; edited by Householder Fojin. From purelandbuddhism.org By Master Huijing In the Buddhist Parable Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha explained to us “What exactly is life?” with a famous metaphor. The metaphor is like this. On a lonely autumn evening, in the endless wilderness, a traveler hobbled on his way. Suddenly, […]
All Worldly Things Are Impermanent. When You Are Sad, Think of These Four Points
By Ping Seng Ye Cheng (Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team; edited by Eddie Cao) We always hope that reciting Amitabha’s name enables us to live peacefully for the rest of our lives, embraced by his light, without mood swings. Once this life is over, our lotus flower in the Land of Bliss […]
The Radical Other Power of Shinran (1173–1263): A Normative or an Outlier Position in Mahayana Buddhism?
A one-day Zoom symposium was held on the 11th, sponsored by the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS) and the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. “The Radical Other Power of Shinran (1173–1263): A Normative or an Outlier Position […]
Master Huijing’s Dharma Teaching on the Infinite Life Sutra
The Infinite Life Sutra mainly reveals the cause and effect of Amitabha’s deliverance of sentient beings, and emphasizes the merits and virtues of exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name. The merits and virtues of exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name are vast. Whether you are a monastic or householder, a practitioner or not, you can exclusively recite […]
How Huayan Led Me to Pure Land
Guan Yin Temple. From Planet Lantau (see their temple photo gallery here) The first thing a visitor perceptive in Mahayana aesthetics notices at Guan Yin (or Kwun Yam, officially) Temple on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, is the pervasiveness of Huayan symbolism and imagery in the original hall, which was built in 1910, and the top […]
Love Versus Principle
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foying, edited by Fojin Love rules in a family, whereas legal principles rule in a court of law. Love is the name of the game for people who are fond of each other. But those who are in conflict resort to principles. A society will not be harmonious unless love […]
Master Huijing’s Dharma Words about Departure and Reincarnation
Art by ryky.deviantart.com Common people in the world want to pursue wealth, complete high education, and seek for boundless knowledge. However, no matter how high his academic qualification and how knowledgeable he is, the Buddha will call him a fool if he does not believe in retributions resulted from good and evil karma, and is […]
Amitabha Buddha’s Twelve Kinds of Light: A Brief Explication (General Exposition)
Dharma Master Huijing; translated by Sam Suen, edited by Householder Fojin —Part 8— 8. Hope for All Sentient Beings The Buddha of Infinite Light relates to time while the Buddha of Boundless Light relates to space. Both surpass time and pace, and cannot be impeded. As elaboration normally follows a chronological order, let us start […]
Breathing In, Breathing Out
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foying, edited by Jingxing Human beings are naturally greedy, always lusting after more than they receive. But such a mindset of “getting something for nothing” contradicts the very law of nature. When breathing, for example, it would be ludicrous to only inhale and not exhale – as if the air we […]