Pure Land is a Mahayana concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddhahood or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and Other power. Pure lands are said to be places without the sufferings of samsara and to be beyond the Trailokya. Many Mahayana Buddhists aspire to be reborn in a Buddha's pure land after death.
The term "Pure Land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism (). In Sanskrit Buddhist sources, the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field () or more technically a pure buddha-field (). It is also known by the Sanskrit term (Buddha land).[Keenan, John P. The Interpretation of the Buddha Land, p. xiii. BDK America Inc. 2002.] In Tibetan Buddhism meanwhile, the term "pure realms" ( Wylie: ) is also used as a synonym for buddhafield.
The various traditions that focus on attaining rebirth in a Pure Land are often called Pure Land Buddhism. The English term is ambiguous. It can refer to a way of practice which is found in most Mahayana traditions which employ various means to attain birth in a pure land. This specific concept is termed the "Pure Land Dharma gate" () in East Asian Buddhism. The English term can also refer to specific Buddhist schools or sects which focus on Pure Land practice. Specifically these would be termed (淨土宗) in Chinese and in Japanese.
Pure Lands are also found in the non-Buddhist traditions of Taoism and Bon.
In South Asian sources
The
Mahavastu defines a buddha-field as a realm where "a tathagata, a holy one,
Samyaksambuddha, is to be found, lives, exists and teaches the
Dharma, for the benefit and happiness of the great body of beings, men and gods."
[Sharf, Robert H. On Pure Land Buddhism and Ch'an/Pure Land Syncretism in Medieval China. T'oung Pao Second Series, Vol. 88, Fasc. 4/5 (2002), pp. 282-331, Brill.]
The Indian Mahayana sutras describe many buddha-fields.[ 淨土思想之考察 釋聖嚴 ][Williams, Paul (2008). Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations 2nd Edition, p. 215. Routledge.][Nattier, Jan. (2003) The Indian Roots of Pure Land Buddhism: Insights from the Oldest Chinese Versions of the Larger Sukhåvativyuha.] A buddha-field is a place where can more easily progress spiritually on the bodhisattva path.
Sentient beings who are reborn in these pure buddha-fields due to their good karma also contribute to the development of a Buddha-field, as can bodhisattvas who are able to travel there. These buddha-fields are therefore powerful places which are very advantageous to spiritual progress.
According to Indian sources, the bodhisattva path, by ending all defilements, culminates in the arising of a purified buddha-field, which is the manifestation and reflection of a Buddha's activity.
Purity of buddha-fields
Mahayana sources speak of three kinds of buddha-fields: pure, impure, and mixed.
An example of an "impure" field is often this world (called Sahā – “the world to be endured"),
Gautama Buddha field. Purified fields include Amitabha's buddha-field of
Sukhavati.
[Williams, Paul (2008). Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations 2nd Edition, p. 216. Routledge.] Some sutras say that Sakyamuni chose to come to an impure world due to his vast compassion.
[Williams, Paul (2008). Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations 2nd Edition, p. 217. Routledge.]
However, not all Mahayana texts agree that Sakyamuni's world is impure. Numerous Mahayana sutras, such as the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā, Lankavatara, Vimalakirti, and , also state that this dualism between purity and impurity is illusory and instead state that even this world is a pure buddha-field.
Thus, according to the Vimalakirti, this seemingly impure world is actually pure. It only appears impure because the deluded and impure minds of sentient beings perceive it like that. As Paul Williams explains: "The impurity that we see is the result of impure awareness, and also the Buddha's compassion in creating a world within which impure beings can grow. Thus the real way to attain a Pure Land is to purify one's own mind. Put another way, we are already in the Pure Land if we but knew it. Whatever the realm, if it is inhabited by people with enlightened pure minds then it is a Pure Land."
Numerous Mahayana sources also connect the concept of a purified buddhafield ( pariśuddha- buddhakṣetra) with the purity of one's own mind. Hence, the Vimalakirti sutra states: "the bodhisattva who wishes to purify his buddhakṣetra should, first of all, skillfully adorn his own mind. And why? Because to the extent that the mind of a bodhisattva is pure is his buddhakṣetra purified."
Iconography
Nakamura (1980, 1987: p. 207) establishes the Indian background of the
padma imagery of the field which is evident iconographically, as well as in motif and metaphor:
In Pāḷi sources
The
Theravada Pali literature, including the
Pali Canon, contains various references to "Buddha-fields" (
buddhakhetta). One example is a Pāḷi Canon text called
Buddhāpadāna which discusses the nature of Buddha-fields where many Buddhas reside, describing it as a kind of palace decorated with amazing features like many jewels and lotus flowers.
[Proffitt 2023, p. 17.] The text states that there are numerous Buddhas with such fields in the ten directions, "as many as are there the numerous jewels, both in the heaven above and on the earth below."
Another Pāḷi text, the
Buddhavamsa, describes how the Buddha is able to use his supernormal powers to generate jewelled walkways and pillars for the benefit of others.
Buddhaghosa in his Visuddhimagga discusses three types of Buddha-fields, which may be pure, impure, or mixed:
-
The birth-field ( jāti-khetta) of a Buddha, which comprises 10,000 worlds, all of which shake when a specific Buddha is born.
-
The "field of authority" of a Buddha ( āṇā-khetta), which spans 100,000 koṭīs.
-
The field of the cognitive domain of a Buddha ( visaya-khetta), which is infinite.
Mahayana Pure Lands
Amitābha's Sukhāvatī
Sukhāvatī ("The Blissful") is by far the most popular pure land in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. It is also the main goal of Pure Land Buddhism, which is centered around faith and devotion to Amitābha Buddha as the means of attaining rebirth in his pure land. It is also a popular pure land in
Tibetan Buddhism as well. The key canonical teachings on Sukhāvatī are found in the "three pure land sutras", the main sources for East Asian Pure Land Buddhism: the
Amitabha Sutra (T 366), the
Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, and the
Amitayus Contemplation Sutra (
i.e. The Contemplation Sutra).
According to Mahayana scriptures, in his past life, Amitabha was a devoted king of a joyous kingdom in a distant eon who renounced his throne to become a monk and Bodhisattva vow. He made forty-eight vows which focus on the greatness of his future pure land, pledging that he would not accept buddhahood if any of these vows went unfulfilled. The vows are dedicated to establishing a pure realm accessible to all beings who aspired to be reborn there. This monk would ultimately become Buddha Amitabha. His vows were grounded in hearing his name ("Amitabha"), establishing virtue, and dedicating merit toward rebirth in this pure land.[Khadro, Chagdud (1998, 2003). P'howa Commentary: Instructions for the Practice of Consciousness Transference as Revealed by Rigzin Longsal Nyingpo. Junction City, CA, USA: Pilgrims Publishing, pp.11–12]
Some Mahayana sutra teachings say that after Amitabha attains final nirvana, the successors of Amitabha in Sukhāvatī will be Avalokiteśvara, followed by Mahāsthāmaprāpta.[ 觀音淨土的呼喚 ]
There are numerous East Asian texts discussing the various experiences of Pure Land Buddhists who have gone to the Pure land or had a vision of Sukhavati. Some Buddhists and followers of other religions claimed to have seen Sukhavati and numerous East Asian popular faiths and cults also discuss Sukhavati.[ 《極樂世界遊記》]
Śākyamuni's Pure Land
The
Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states that
The Buddha has his own Pure Land which is far away and is called "Unsurpassable" (Chinese: Wúshèng 無勝). Śākyamuni Buddha is said to manifest from his Pure Land into our world in order to teach the Dharma.
[Jones, Charles B. (2021). Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice, pp. 42-43. Shambhala Publications, ]
The Buddha is also associated with the assembly in open space over Vulture Peak (靈鷲山釋迦淨土), which is the site of the preaching of the Lotus Sutra. Tiantai tradition holds that while the founder Zhiyi was chanting the Lotus Sutra, he had a vision of this pure assembly. His teacher Nanyue Huisi is said to have told Zhiyi that they had met in a previous life at this assembly.[ 灵山一会 ] The Japanese monk Nichiren taught his disciples that through faith in the Lotus Sutra, one could be reborn in the pure land of Vulture Peak after death, promoting it as an alternative postmortem destination to Sukhavati.[Stone, Jacqueline. The Moment of Death in Nichiren's Thought. In Watanabe Hoyo Sensei koki kinen ronbunshu: Hokke bukkyo bunkashi ronso. Kyoto: Heirakuji shoten, 2003]
Japanese Buddhist schools like Tendai and Nichiren Buddhism see Śākyamuni's pure land as being continuous with this world. This becomes pronounced in Nichiren Buddhism, which affirms the non-duality of this world and the pure land of Vulture peak. Even when addressing one's postmortem destination, Nichiren insisted that the "pure land of Vulture Peak"—while including the deceased faithful—is also a sacred reality accessible in this world through faith in the Lotus Sutra. For Nichiren, the samsaric world itself, when properly understood and engaged through faith, is the eternally abiding pure land. This leads to the attainment of buddhahood in one's present body ( sokushin jōbutsu), without rejecting samsara or aspiring to a realm beyond it.[Groner, Paul (2022), Precepts, Ordinations, and Practice in Medieval Japanese Tendai, p. 203. University of Hawaii Press.][Dolce, Lucia (2002) 'Between Duration and Eternity: Hermeneutics of the "Ancient Buddha" of the Lotus Sutra in Chih-I and the Nichiren.' In: Reeves, G, (ed.), A Buddhist Kaleidoscope: Essays on the Lotus Sutra. Tōkyō: Kosei Publishing Co, pp. 223-239.]
Pure Lands of Buddha Vairocana
According to the
Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra, the whole
universe is a vast pure buddha-field which has been purified by the cosmic
Vairocana Buddha. This is the view of Pure Land which is found in the Chinese
Huayan tradition and in Chinese Esoteric Buddhism.
[Prince, Tony (2014). Universal Enlightenment, An introduction to the teachings and practices of Huayen Buddhism, pp. 222-223. . Kongting Publishing Company Ltd. Taiwan.] According to this view, our world is just one small part of this universal Pure Land which is named: "Ocean of worlds, whose surface and inside are decorated with an arrangement of flowers" (Sanskrit:
Kusumatalagarbha-vyūhālamkāra-lokadhātusamudra).
[Susumu, Otake, "Sakyamuni and Vairocana", in Gimello et al. (2012). Avataṃsaka Buddhism in East Asia: Huayan, Kegon, Flower Ornament Buddhism; origins and adaptation of a visual culture, p. 37. Asiatische Forschungen: Monographienreihe zur Geschichte, Kultur und Sprache der Völker Ost- u. Zentralasiens, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, ] It is also called the "Lotus Treasury World" (Chinese: 華蔵世界, Skt.
Padmagarbha-lokadhātu), since it is an array of billions of worlds in a
Nelumbo nucifera shape.
[ Lotus Treasury World [蓮華蔵世界・華蔵世界], Nichiren Buddhism Library Dictionary. ]
Furthermore, Ghanavyūha (Dense Array or Secret Adornment) is considered to be the supreme pure buddhafield specific to Vairocana. It appears in Mahayana sutras like the Ghanavyūha Sutra.[Brunnhölzl, Karl (2014). ]When the Clouds Part, The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra, pp. 38-41. Boston & London: Snow Lion. According to this sutra, by following virtuous teachers, hearing and contemplating Buddha Dharma, and letting go of all concepts and craving, one can be reborn there, achieve enlightenment, and manifest in countless ways to help all beings.[ Ghanavyūhasūtra (Dasheng Mi Yan Jing) 大乘密嚴經, Scroll 2, NTI Reader.]
In East Asian Esoteric Buddhist traditions, like Shingon Buddhism, the dual Mandala of the Diamond Realm and Womb Realm mandalas are considered to be the representation of the buddhafield of Vairocana Buddha, the supreme cosmic Buddha.
Inner court of Tuṣita
The "Inner Court of Tushita" (兜率內院) is
Maitreya pure land, which is actually located in the deva realm of
Tushita.
Some Buddhist scriptures teach that Maitreya is currently teaching at the Inner Court of Tuṣita. Some Buddhist Masters, such as
Xuanzang, expressed a wish to be reborn there.
Other Buddhist monks, such as Xuyun, also aspired to be reborn in the Inner Court of Tuṣita in order to meet Maitreya.
The Inner Court of Tuṣita was historically a popular place for Buddhists to wish to be reborn in;
Some followers of the Chinese Salvationist religion called Yiguandao have also claimed to have traveled there.[ 彌勒淨土遊記]
Pure Lands of the Five Tathāgatas
Later Indian Buddhism developed a schema of five main Buddhas (called the Five Tathāgatas). In this schema, which is popular in
Vajrayana and is organized as a
mandala, there the five Pure Lands of the five key Buddhas are:
-
In the center, Akaniṣṭha-Ghanavyūha, hosted by Vairocana. In Tibetan Buddhism, Ghanavyūha Akaniṣṭha is the supreme Saṃbhogakāya buddhafield of Vajradhara, out of which emanate all Nirmāṇakāya Buddhas and Buddhafields such as Sukhavati.
[Wallace, B. Alan (2018). Fathoming the Mind: Inquiry and Insight in Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence, 209. Simon and Schuster.][Changkya Rölpai Dorjé, Donald Lopez (translator) (2019). Beautiful Adornment of Mount Meru, chapter 13. Simon and Schuster.]
-
In the East, Abhirati, hosted by Akṣobhya Buddha
-
In the South, Śrīmat, hosted by Ratnasaṃbhava Buddha
-
In the West, Sukhāvatī, hosted by Amitābha Buddha
-
In the North, Karmaprasiddhi or Prakuṭā, hosted by Amoghasiddhi
Other identified Pure Lands
-
Abhirati ("Joyous") is the buddhafield of Akshobhya Buddha, located in the eastern direction. This pure land is suggested by some scholars to be the earliest buddhafield mentioned in Mahayana sutras.
-
Vaidūryanirbhāsa (“Pure Blue Beryl”, Ch: 東方淨琉璃世界) of Bhaisajyaguru in the east is compared by some Pure Land Buddhists to Amitabha's Pure Land in the west.
-
Vimala
-
The city Ketumati is also described as Maitreya's future Pure Land on earth.
-
The female bodhisattva Tara was also held to have a pure land, either termed Khadiravaṇa (Acacia Forest) or "Turquoise Leaf Land" (Tibetan: Yulokod).
-
Zangdok Palri (Glorious Copper Colored Mountain) the Pure Land of Padmasambhava described in Tibetan sources.
-
Shambhala, a pure land in the Vajrayana Buddhist Kalachakra cycle of tantras and teachings.
-
The pure land of Vajrayogini, called Khechara or Dhagpa Khadro.
In East Asian Buddhism
Transcendent land vs non-dual land
In
Chinese Buddhism, the Pure Land was commonly seen as a transcendent realm beyond the
Trailokya (the desire realm, form realm and formless realm) into which one can be reborn after death. This view is also called "other direction" or "western direction" pure land.
[Jones (2019), p. 48.] This view of the Pure Land as an actual realm or place was defended by masters of Pure Land Buddhism like
Shandao.
Another interpretation of a Pure Land is that it is Nondualism with our world since the whole world is Yogachara. The Vimalakīrti Sutra was widely cited by exponents of this non-dual view of the Pure Land, often called "mind-only" Pure Land (wéixīn jìngtǔ 唯心淨土). This was commonly defended by masters of the Zen school, but was also accepted by some figures in various traditions including in Tiantai, Pure Land, Yogachara, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism.[Jones (2019), pp. 42-50, 107] Another sutra which teaches the view that the pure land is mainly a kind of pure mind or wisdom (i.e. the five wisdoms) is the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra (Scripture on the Buddha Land, Ch: 佛說佛地經, Taishō Tripitaka no. 680).[Keenan, John P. A Study of the Buddhabhūmyupadeś́a: The Doctrinal Development of the Notion of Wisdom in Yogācāra Thought. Institute of Buddhist Studies and Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, 2014.][Keenan, John P. The Interpretation of the Buddha Land, p. xiii. BDK America Inc. 2002.]
In the Platform Sutra for example, Huineng states that only the deluded hope to be born in a faraway land in the west, while the wise who know their nature is empty seek the Pure Land by purifying their minds.[Jones (2019), p. 51.] These two views of the Pure Land led to many debates in Chinese Buddhism.[Jones (2019), pp. 43, 49-50.]
In a similar fashion, according to the Huayan school patriarch Fazang, the ultimate view of the Buddha's Pure Land (derived from the Avatamsaka sutra) is that it is interfused with all worlds in the multiverse and indeed with all phenomena (dharmas).[Sato, Kaion 佐藤海音. The Theory of Pure Land in Fazang’s Huayan wujiao zhang [『華厳五教章』に於ける浄土論]. Indogaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyū (印度學佛教學研究, Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies) v.66 n.2 (n.144) 2018.03.20, pp. 520 - 523.] This view of the Buddha's Pure Land is inconceivable and all pervasive. Since for Fazang, the entire Dharmadhatu is visible within each particle in the universe, the Pure Land is therefore contained in every phenomena and is non-dual with our world.[Jones (2019), p. 52.] Similarly, Hanshan Deqing (c. 1546–1623) taught a synthesis of these various views on the nature of the pure land.[Hsu Sung-Peng (1979), A Buddhist Leader in Ming China. The Life and Thought of Han-shan Te-Ch'ing, p. 114. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press]
Types of pure lands
Tiantai schema
East Asian Buddhist thinkers taught various schemas which outlined different types or levels of the pure lands. One of the most influential of these was that taught in the
Tiantai school which outlined four pure lands:
[ 四土 four lands, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism]
-
The Land of Sages and Commoners (凡聖同居土), a.k.a. Land of Enlightened and Unenlightened Beings. In this realm, all types of beings dwell, including, devas, śrāvakas, and ordinary human persons (manuṣyà).
-
Land of skillful means with remainder (方便有餘土), in this type of land, beings who have rid themselves of unenlightened views and thoughts (見思) are reborn, such as śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
-
The Land of eternal reward and liberation (實報無障礙土), a realm inhabited by Bodhisattva.
-
The Land of Eternally Tranquil Light (常寂光土), this is the Pure Land of the Dharmakāya; true Buddhahood, the realm of the Buddha's eternal nirvana.
Japanese Pure Land
In Japanese Pure land Buddhism meanwhile, a common distinction is between two main lands that Pure Land devotees can be reborn in: the Transformed Land and the Fulfilled Land.
Shinran (1173 – 1263), the founder of Jōdo Shinshū, discusses this theory, drawing on the teachings of
Shandao. Shinran's schema is as follows:
[Bloom, Alfred; Shinran. The Essential Shinran: A Buddhist Path of True Entrusting, p. 111. World Wisdom, Inc, 2007.]
-
The Borderland (Jp: 辺地, Henji) - A place where one may be born which is on the border of the real pure land and one does not see the Buddha for some time until one has been purified of afflictions. It is also called realm of sloth and pride, the castle of doubt, or the womb palace. It is still a pure land from which one will not fall back into samsara, but it is not the true Transformed Land.
-
The Transformed Land of compassionate means (方便化土, Hōben Kedo) - the Trikaya pure land which is described in the sutras as having various features (trees, jeweled ponds, etc) and is the land that is created by Other power. Those who meditate on the Buddha Amitabha with faith, but have not fully abandoned self-power and have not attained shinjin (absolute trust in Amitabha Buddha without any doubt or calculation) will be reborn here. Here they instantly attain the bodhisattva stage of non-retrogression (Skt: avaivartika, Ch: 不退轉), gain a divine body and other qualities.
-
The Truly Fulfilled Land (真実報土, Shinjitsu Hōdo) - the eternal and uncreated original Dharmakaya, i.e. Nirvana, Buddhahood, the ultimate reality. According to Shinran, those who have attained shinjin attain this land instantly after death, thus bypassing all the bodhisattva stages.
Hanshan Deqing
According to
Hanshan Deqing (1546–1623), who was a leading
Zen monk in
Ming dynasty China, there are three kinds of Pure Lands (associated with the
trikaya, the three bodies of the buddha):
-
the Eternal Land of Calm Illumination, also known as the Pure Land of mere-mind. This is the land where the Buddhas and bodhisattvas live.
-
the Majestic Land of True Reward, which refers to the Huayan view of a Pure Land that pervades the entire universe and is interfused with every particle and phenomenon in existence.
-
the Incomplete Land of Expediency, which is the 'Western paradise" of Sukhavati taught in the Amitabha sutras, and is only one of a myriad of such skillfully manifested Pure Lands in existence. This land is associated with the nirmanakaya.
In Tibetan Buddhism
In Tibetan Buddhism, buddhafields (Skt.
buddhakṣetra; Wylie:
sangs rgyas kyi zhing) or pure realms (Wyl.
dag pa'i zhing) are understood as realms arising due to the intention and aspiration of a buddha or bodhisattva. They are also understood to manifest effortlessly and spontaneously from the Buddha qualities.
Types of buddhafields
In Tibetan Buddhism, it is generally held there are two main types of pure lands or buddhafields:
[Brunnhölzl, Karl (2018). A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart: The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra and Its Commentaries, p. 334. Simon and Schuster.][Harding, Sarah (2011). Niguma, Lady of Illusion, end note # 191. Shambhala Publications.]
-
The Trikaya buddhafield, which is Akaniṣṭha Ghanavyūha (i.e. the Densely Arrayed Akaniṣṭha, Tib. 'Og min rgyan stug po bkod pa; Skt. Ghanavyūhakaniṣṭha), is only accessible to bodhisattvas on the pure stages (eighth to tenth bhumis). This is because traditionally it is held that the sambhogakāya (co-enjoyment body) cannot be perceived by anyone with afflictive obscurations. Akaniṣṭha is where the cosmic Trikaya, Vairocana or Vajradhara, resides. It is also the source out of all Nirmāṇakāya Buddhas and Buddhafields such as Sukhavati emanate from. Furthermore, it is the supreme buddhafield in which all Buddhas attain Buddhahood.
[Wallace, B. Alan (2018). Fathoming the Mind: Inquiry and Insight in Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence, 209. Simon and Schuster.]
-
Nirmāṇakāya buddhafields - which are many, and include Sukhavati, Abhirati, Zangdokpalri (the field of Padmasambhava) and so forth. The nature of these fields vary, some can be attained by all types of beings, others have certain spiritual attainments as requirement.
All buddhafields are understood as ultimately arising from the Dharmakāya, the foundational aspect of the "triple body" of Buddhahood (
trikaya). The Dharmakāya is the basis, ground, or "source" (; Sanskrit:
dharmodaya), the true nature of reality, out which all buddhas and buddhafields arise.
[Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé (author, compiler); Elio Guarisco (translator); Ingrid McLeon (translator, editor) (2005). The treasury of knowledge: book six, part four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra. Ithaca, New York, USA: Snow Lion Publications. p. 399. .]
Pure vision
Tibetan Buddhism also holds that this world is also a pure land, since samsara and
nirvana are
Nondualism. Specifically, our world is the pure land of the
Trikaya Vairocana Buddha, as stated in the
Avatamsaka sutra and other scriptures. Though our realm is already pure, we cannot see the purity of the world due to our delusion and afflictions (as per the
Vimalakirti Sutra). However, on attaining the higher bodhisattva stages, the purified mind will be able to witness the purity of this world, along with the majestic displays of the jeweled ground, divine flowers, and so on. Furthermore, Tibetan Vajrayana
deity yoga methods require the yogi to maintain a "pure vision" of this realm as being the pure realm of the deity, along with the visualization of their
Yidam. To fail to do this at all times is a deviation from the tantric practice and the esoteric view taught in the tantras.
[Dza Kilung Rinpoche. The Relaxed Mind: A Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice, pp. 128-129. Shambhala Publications, Nov 10, 2015.]
As explained by Dilgo Khyentse:
- From the Vajrayana perspective, however, the understanding of buddha fields is a deeper one. The root of the Vajrayana is "pure vision", or the perception of the perfect purity of all phenomena. To enact this purity of perception, we do not perceive the place where we are now as just an ordinary place; we imagine it to be a celestial buddha field.
[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Guru Yoga, p. 3. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.]
Mandala
, especially
, are 'Pure Lands' and may be understood as Nirmāṇakāya, as are all
murti,
thangka and sacred tools that have consecrated, dedicated and the 'deity' (
yidam) invoked and requested to reside. Some
namkha are Pure Lands. According to Nirmāṇakāya (as
tulku) theory,
nirmanakaya spontaneously arise due to the intention, aspiration, faith and devotion of the
sangha.
In other Chinese religions
Chinese Taoism adopted the idea of heaven realms similar to pure lands from Chinese Buddhism. One popular afterlife in Chinese Taoism is the pure land of eternal bliss (Chánglè Jìngtǔ, 長樂淨土). It has a similar function to pure lands in Buddhism. This pure land is the realm of
Taiyi Zhenren also known by the longer title Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Savior from Suffering, the Great Emperor of Azure Radiance (青華大帝太乙救苦天尊).
Taiyi, like Amitabha, is also said to provide salvation for all sentient beings in the 10 directions, with a different incarnation for each direction.
Chinese Manichean texts also contain depictions of pure lands.[Halkias & Payne (2019), pp. 707-744.]
There are various Pure Land worlds described in various texts of various Chinese folk religions and Chinese new religions.
See also
Notes
Bibliography
-
-
-
Jones, Charles B. (2019) Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, Understanding a Tradition of Practice. University of Hawai‘i Press / Honolulu.
-
-
-
Galen, Amstutz; Blum, Mark L. (2006). Editors’ Introduction: Pure Lands in Japanese Religion. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 33 (2), 217-221
-
Halkias, Georgios (2013). Luminous Bliss: a Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet. With an Annotated Translation and Critical Analysis of the Orgyen-ling golden short Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra. University of Hawai‘i Press, 335 pages.
-
Halkias, Georgios; Payne, Richard K. (2019). Pure Lands in Asian Texts and Contexts: An Anthology. University of Hawaii Press.
-
Proffitt, Aaron P. Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhist Studies. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, April 2023. Hardcover edition, ISBN 978-0-8248-9361-3; Paperback edition, January 2024, ISBN 978-0-8248-9371-2. UH PressAbeBooks+1UBC Press
External links
