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MIND-SEAL OF THE BUDDHAS
EDITORS' NOTES
1. "The Pure Land School is presently the school of Buddhism in China and Japan that has the most followers." (The Shambala
Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, p. 174.) According to Jean Eracle (Curator, Museum of Ethnography, Geneva), Pure Land has
more than a hundred million adherents worldwide. (Trois Soutras et un Traite' sur la Terre Pure, p. 7.)
2. Since every school or method is an expedient, adapted to a particular target audience, each one is perfect and complete
for a given person or group at a given time. See also the following passage from D.T. Suzuki: Buddhist theology has a fine
comprehensive theory to explain the manifold types of experience in Buddhism, which look so contradictory to each other.
In fact the history of Chinese Buddhism is a series of attempts to reconcile the diverse schools ... Various ways of classification
and reconciliation were offered, and ... their conclusion was this: Buddhism supplies us with so many gates to enter into
the truth because of such a variety of human characters and temperaments and environments due to diversities of karma. This
ls plainly depicted and taught by the Buddha himself when he says that the same water drunk by the cow and the cobra turns
in one case into nourishing milk and in the other into deadly poison, and
that medicine is to be given according to disease. This is called the doctrine of [skillful] means ... (The Eastern Buddhist,
Vol. 4, No. 2, p. 121.)
3. See the following passage, by the late founder of the Buddhist Lodge and Buddhist Society (London), on the true goal of
all Buddhist practice:
In the West, the need for some guidance in mind development was made acute ... by a sudden spate of books which were, whatever
the motive of their authors, dangerous in the extreme. No word was said in them of the sole right motive for mind-development,
the enlightenment of the meditator for the benefit of all mankind [i.e., development of the Bodhi Mind], and the reader was
led to believe that it was quite legitimate to study and practice mindfulness, and the higher stages which ensue, for the
benefit of business efficiency and the advancement of personal prestige. In these circumstances, Concentration and Meditation
... was compiled and published bv the [British] Buddhist Society, with constant stress on the importance of right motive,
and ample warning of the dangers, from a headache to insanity, which lie in wait for those who trifle with the greatest force
on earth, the human mind. (Christmas Humphreys, The Buddhist way of Life, p.100.)
4. The Avatamsaka Sutra teaches the interpenetration of all dharmas -- the smallest dharma contains the largest and vice versa.
As a modern example, a single computer chip can contain numerous books. This teaching is clearly expressed in chapter 26 of
the sutra, which describes the last phases of practice of a Bodhisattva before final Buddhahood. In that chapter, it is taught
that at each and every stage, the actions of the Bodhisattva "never go beyond Buddha Recitation": This is a summary of the
tenth stage of enlightening beings, called Cloud of Teaching ... Whatever acts they undertake; whether through giving, or
kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, it is all never apart from thoughts of Buddha [Buddha Recitation], the
Teaching, the Community ... (Thomas Cleary, tr., The Flower Ornament Scripture {Avatamsaka Sutra), Vol. II, p. 111.)
5. The strength and pervasiveness of Pure Land are such that its main practice, Buddha Recitation, is found in other schools,
including the Tantric and Zen schools. In Pure Land, Buddha Recitation is practiced for the immediate purpose of achieving
rebirth in the Land of Amitabha Buddha. In the Tantric school, the immediate aim is to destroy evil karma and afflictions
and generate blessings and wisdom in the current lifetime. In Zen, the koan of Buddha Recitation is meant to sever delusive
thought and realize the Self-Nature True Mind. The ultimate~goal of all three schools is, of course, the same: to achieve
Enlightenment and Buddhahood.
6. The importance of vows is illustrated by the following story:
Once Sakyamuni Buddha and his disciple Mahamaudgalyayana went with a large gathering of followers to another country to convert
living beings. When the citizens saw the Buddha they shut their doors and ignored him. When they saw Maudgalyayana, however,
they ran to greet him, and everyone, from the King and ministers to the citizens, all bowed and competed to make offerings
to him. The Buddha's disciples thought this most unfair. "World Honored One," they said, "your virtuous conduct is so lofty;
why is it that they do not make offerings to you, but instead compete to make offerings to Maudgalyayana?"
"This is because of past affinities," said the Buddha. "I will tell you.
"Limitless aeons ago, Maudgalyayana and I were fellow countrymen. He gathered firewood in the mountains and I lived in a hut
below. A swarm of bees was bothering me and I decided to smoke them out. But Maudgalyayana refused to help even though they
stung him until his hands were swollen and painful. Instead, he made a vow, 'It must be miserable to be a bee,' he thought.
'I vow that when I attain the Way I will try to save these asura-like bees first thing!'
"Many lifetimes later the bees were reborn as the citizens of this country. The queen bee became the King, the drones became
the ministers, and the workers became the citizens. Because I didn't like the bees, I now have no affinity with these people
and therefore no one makes offerings to me. But because of his vow, all the citizens revere Maudgalyayana".
According to the Buddha, as sentient beings, we all have strong attachments -- particularly to our bodies and possessions.
At the time of death, as we are about to lose both body and possessions, our consciousness, impelled by these deep-seated
attachments, rushes to reincarnate itself in another body. It is at this juncture that vows, particularly the vow for rebirth
in the Pure Land, are crucial: instead of just following our karma, good and evil, we may, through the power of these vows
achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.
7. See Glossary, Three Pure Land Sutras.
8. Note Dr. D.T. Suzuki's view on the relevance of Pure Land.
Dr. Suzuki is generally associated with the Zen school, so it is often a matter of surprise to hear that he translated many
Pure Land Buddhist texts into English and nourished a belief that Pure Land rather than Zen might be the form of Buddhism
most suitable for Westerners. (John Snelling, The Buddhist Handbook, p. 216.)
Most Buddhists in the world, by far the vast majority, practice a Faith or devotional form of worship. Dr. D.T. Suzuki strongly
believed that the direction American Buddhism would take was towards Shin Buddhism [Pure Land] and its practice of Faith.
It may turn out at this time that most Westerners, originally seeking personal enlightenment, will find themselves choosing
a devotional path. (Ryushin Sarah Grayson in Butsumon, Fall 1989.)
9. Although most sutras are preached by the Buddhas, there are instances where the words of Bodhisattvas are recorded as sutras.
A case in point is the Avatamsaka Sutra, chapter 40, where the Buddha merely signifies His approval at the end with the words
"Sadhu, sadhu" ("Good indeed, good indeed").
10. See the following explanation of the same basic principle by Master Hsuan Hua:
This sutra is a Mahayana Dharma ... and takes the Real Mark as its substance. The Real Mark is no mark. There is no mark,
nothing at all, and yet there is nothing which is not marked. Unmarked, it is true emptiness, and with nothing unmarked,
it is wonderful existence... True Suchness, the One True Dharma Realm, the Thus Come One's Store Nature, all are different
names for the Real Mark (Hsuan Hua, A General Explanation of the Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra [the Amitabha Sutra], p.
23).
The teaching of the Mind "creating" sentient beings and the environment, expressed in many Mahayana sutras such as the Avatamsaka,
Surangama and Lotus Sutras, is epitomized in the following stanzas:
If one wishes to understand fully
All Buddhas of all time,
He should contemplate the nature of the Dharma Realm
Everything is made from Mind alone (Avatamsaka Sutra, ch. 20).
One wholesome thought is the condition
for the creation of the Buddha-lands;
One errant thought is the very cause
of the nine realms of samsara.
This does not mean creation in the sense of creating something out of nothing. This doctrine means that practically speaking,
the world only "exists'' as such because of our awareness, and that what we take to be the world in itself is our experience
and inference based thereon. The conceptual order which is taken to be characteristic of objective reality is, according to
this doctrine, a projection of the mind, a description that filters and shapes experience in accord with mental habits developed
throughout the history of the species, the civilization, and the individual. (Thomas Cleary, The Flower Ornament Scripture
[the Avatamsaka Sutra], Vol. One, p. 23).
11. For an in-depth explanation of this concept, please refer to Pure Land Buddhism: Dialogues with Ancient Masters, Part
I, Patriarch Chih I, Question 10 (Sutra Translation Committee, publisher).
12. Single-minded recitation. This concept is understood in two ways. For the Patriarch Chih-i, Master Ou-i and others of
the T'ien-t'ai, Zen and Avatamsaka traditions, it is equivalent to concentration and samadhi. For Pure Land Patriarchs such
as Tao-ch'o and Shan-tao, on the other hand, it refers to recitation with utmost faith in Amitabha Buddha and the Pure Land.
Although the two concepts are in essence the same (one cannot recite with utmost faith without being in a state of concentration
or samadhi), the distinction may be useful and expedient for beginning practitioners.
13. Garden of Jeta and Anathapindika. At the time of the Buddha's ministry, there was a wealthy merchant named Sudatta living
in the kingdom of Sravasti. Because of his concern and generosity towards the less fortunate, he was given the epithet "Anathapindika"
or "provider for widows and orphans". It once happened that having invited the Buddha to preach in Sravasti, Anathapindika
set about trying to find a suitable place for the World-honored One and his company of 1,250 monks. Determining that the estate
of Prince Jeta, son of King Prasenajit, with its grassy fields and leafy trees, would be ideal, he approached the prince and
offered to buy it. The prince, startled, said in jest, “I am prepared to sell you as much land as you can cover with
gold." Anathapindika remained silent for a moment, at which point the Prince laughed, "That seems to be too much for you,
does it not?"
"Why, no," replied the merchant. "I was simply considering which of my storehouses to take the gold from ..." Thereupon,
as the Prince watched in amazement, bullock cart after bullock cart arrived at his estate, and the workers laid a carpet of
gold upon the land, stretching in all directions. The only patches of ground Which could not be covered were those where the
trees stood. Prince Jeta, realizing that the Buddha must be an exceptional man, then decided to donate these patches of land.
In honor of the two benefactors, the estate was henceforth known as the Garden of Jeta and Anathapindika.
Here the Buddha spent nineteen rainy seasons. This monastery where the Buddha spent the major part of his life was the place
where he delivered many of his sermons (Narada Maha Thera, The Buddha and His Teachings, p. 93 and 94).
In Buddhist literature, the name of Anathapindika has become synonymous with selfless, extreme generosity in the cause of
the Dharma (building temples, printing sutras and commentaries, etc.)
14. Bodhi Mind. See Glossary for this important term. Without the development of the Bodhi Mind, the Pure Land practitioner
is in danger of seeking liberation for himself alone, without any thought of rescuing others. Though he may achieve a favorable
rebirth in the human or celestial realms, he cannot be reborn in a Buddha-land such as Amitabha's Land.
15. See Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith, sect. 27, p. 114.
16. See Editors' foreword, p. ii. (2nd para.)
17. Theravada vehicle. This is an important point as the Theravada tradition is silent about the Mahayana pantheon in general
and Amitabha Buddha and the Pure Land sages in particular.
18. This vivid description of the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha is not unique in Mahayana Buddhism. The Avatamsaka Sutra, for
example, contains many passages reflecting the same basic idea: the purification of a land by the merits and virtues of a
great Bodhisattva.
Great enlightening beings [Bodhisattvas] also dedicate the roots of goodness ... to the aspiration to purify all Buddhalands
..., each of those lands adorned with arrays of pure exquisite treasures, as measureless as the cosmos -- countless thrones
of pure jewels spread with precious robes, countless jeweled curtains and jeweled nets draping, countless precious canopies
with all kinds of jewels reflecting each other, countless jewel clouds raining jewels, countless jewel flowers all around,
completely pure, countless pure arrays of balustrades made of jewels, countless jewel chimes always emitting the subtle tones
of the Buddhas circulating throughout the cosmos, countless jewel lotuses of various jewel colors blooming with glorious radiance,
countless jewel trees arrayed in rows all around, with flowers and fruits of innumerable jewels, countless jewel palaces with
innumerable enlightening beings [Bodhisattvas] living in them, countless jewel mansions, spacious, magnificent, long and wide,
far and near, countless jewel ramparts with exquisite jewel ornaments, countless jewel gates hung all around with strings
of beautiful jewels ... (T. Cleary, The Flower Ornament Scripture,j, Vol. One, p. 681).
19. The lotus flowers represent the Mind or Self-Nature; the essence of the Self-Nature (Mind) is ever quiescent but always
luminous. Hence the image of lotus flowers shining with light.
20 Kalavinka: A bird whose singing is very melodious and which is first heard while still in the shell (possibly a kind of
sparrow or Indian cuckoo). Jivanjiva: A two-headed bird, the heads representing mind and perception (possibly a kind of pheasant).
(Hozen Seki.)
21. Birds preaching the Dharma. This can be understood as an allegory, similar to the traditional definition of a Pratyeka
Buddha: a sage who becomes enlightened by observing the falling leaves and realizing, for example, the impermanence of life.
It is in this sense that the falling leaves can be said to preach the Dharma (the Buddha's teachings).
The image of inanimate objects, such as the ground, the trees, the rain, precious stones, etc. expounding the Teaching is
found throughout such high-level Mahayana texts as the Avatamsaka Sutra"
Buddha's blessings and mystical powers
Adorn everywhere with precious gemstones;
The ground and the enlightenment tree
Alternately emit light and sound expressing the truth.
Precious lamps, infinite, rain from the sky,
Studded with regal sapphires,
All emitting subtle sounds speaking truth ...
(T. Cleary, The Flower Ornament Scripture, Vol. One, p. 139).
22. This passages raises several questions pertinent to Pure Land teachings that require clarification:
a) Single-minded recitation. On the everyday level, this means focussing on Buddha Amitabha and Buddha Amitabha alone, to
the exclusion of all other thoughts while reciting the Buddha's name. At a deeper level, the practitioner always focuses on
Buddha Amitabha, be it during recitation sessions or outside of such sessions, when he is engaged in mundane activities -
i.e., at all times.
b) Single-minded recitation from one to seven days. According to the Amitabha Sutra, to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land,
it is necessary to recite the Buddha's name from one to seven days to the level of one-pointedness of mind (i.e., single-minded
concentration). This, as any practitioner can attest, is an extremely difficult condition -- one which very few cultivators
can ever hope to fulfill. Therefore, in the Meditation Sutra, the Buddha taught an alternate way: to recite the name of Amitabha
Buddha with one-pointedness of mind, from one to ten times, at the time of death. Please note, however, that this is a solution
in-extremis, as at the time of death we are like turtles being skinned alive!
The crucial condition is one-pointedness of mind, which has been rendered variously as "with all one's heart", "without inversion",
"with one Mind", "in all sincerity", etc. Unless the cultivator fulfills this condition, his mind will not be on the same
wave length as that of Buddha Amitabha. Thus, he will not be in a position to take advantage of Amitabha Buddha's vows and
achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.
c) Cause and effect. A question often raised is what happens to the law of cause and effect, the basis of all Buddhist teaching,
when a sinner is reborn in the Pure Land thanks to reciting the Buddha's name?
On the level of Mind (noumenon level), since all transgressions, worries and fears are born of delusion and ignorance, once
we are enlightened (through rebirth in the Pure Land), all these transgressions, worries and fears are gone. This is as if,
in the dark, we mistakenly take a rope for a snake. When we switch on the light and realize that it is only a rope, there
is no longer worry or fear -- nothing to change or repay, no remaining evil karma.
On the level of everyday life (phenomenal level), good and evil karma do exist, but once we are enlightened and realize that
nothing has intrinsic nature, evil karma and retribution no longer carry the heavy weight they do for ordinary beings. in
fact, an enlightened person often uses such karma to help the very person he has wronged. For example, supposing there are
two brothers playing a game of chance on the beach. The elder one, in a moment of greed, cheats on the younger one, who becomes
angry and upset. Once their father convinces them that the game is only a make-believe, with no real gain or loss, the elder
brother is awakened. He can then gladly accept his brother's anger and even turn around to help the younger one understand
as well.
Another explanation of how a sinner can be reborn in the Pure Land is the other-power of Amitabha Buddha:
A minute grain of sand, dropped on the surface of the water, will sink immediately. On the other hand, a block of stone, however
large and heavy, can easily be moved from place to place by boat. The same is true of the Pure Land practitioner. However
light his karma may be, if he is not rescued by Amitabha Buddha, he must revolve in the cycle of birth and death. With the
help of the Buddha, his karma, however heavy, will not prevent his rebirth in the Pure Land (Questions of King Milindra, in
Thich Thien Tam, Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith, sect. 68 A).
23. See the following passage:
On the subject of rebirth, [Zen Master Hsing An] stated, quoting the Amitabha Sutra: "the Sutra says 'You cannot hope to be
reborn in the Pure Land with little merit and virtue and few causes and conditions or good roots.'
Therefore, you should have numerous merits and virtues as well as good roots to qualify for rebirth in the Pure Land. However,
there is no better way to plant numerous good roots than to develop the Bodhi Mind, while the best way to achieve merits and
virtues is to recite the name of Amitabha Buddha. A moment of single-minded recitation surpasses years of practicing charity;
truly developing the Bodhi Mind surpasses eons of cultivation. Holding firmly to these two causes and conditions assures rebirth
in the Pure Land" (Thich Thien Tam, Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith, sect. 11).
The development of the Bodhi Mind (the aspiration for Enlightenment to benefit both self and others) is crucial in Pure Land
Buddhism. Without this Bodhi Mind, the cultivator will not be fulfilling the ultimate intention of the Buddhas -- to help
all sentient beings become fully enlightened.
24. The treatise "Doubts and Questions about the Pure Land" by Master T'ien Ju is found in Pure Land Buddhism: Dialogues with
Ancient Masters (Thich Thien Tam, tr.).
25. - Ocean Seal Samadhi. See Glossary.
Great Perfect Wisdom Mirror. This is a reference to the all-seeing wisdom of the Buddhas, which is likened to an immense,
round mirror as large as the universe.
26. The Amitabha Sutra belongs to the "self-spoken division" of the Tripitaka (Buddhist canon):
Because its principles were too profound and wonderful for the Sravakas or Bodhisattvas to comprehend, no one requested the
Pure Land Dharma-door. Nonetheless, it had to be revealed and so the Buddha spontaneously spoke this very important sutra,
doubly important because it will be the last to disappear in the Dharma-ending age (Master Hsuan Hua, A General Explanation
of the Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra [the Amitabha Sutra], p. 1).
The Brahma Net Sutra (which contains the lofty Bodhisattva precepts) and the Avatamsaka Sutra (the Mahayana sutra par excellence)
are the only other well-known examples of self-spoken sutras.
27. Please note that the Sutra uses the word "virtues", not "merits". See Glossary, "merit and Virtue".
28. This passage reflects the concept "one in all, all in one", expressing the essential unity of all things, a major tenet
of the Avatamsaka school.
29. Horizontal transcendence (escape). "Horizontal" and "vertical" are figures of speech, which can readily be understood
through the following example. Suppose we have a worm, born inside a stalk of bamboo. To escape, it can take the hard way
and crawl "vertically" all the way to the top of the stalk. Alternatively, it can poke a hole near its current location and
escape "horizontally" into the big, wide world.
The horizontal escape, for sentient beings, is to seek rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.
30. Life provisions. See the following passage:
Faith, Vows and Practice are called the "three provisions" of the Pure Land method. Just as travelers embarking on a distant
journey must make provisions for medicine, food, clothing and funds sufficient to cover their needs en route, so, too, Pure
Land practitioners require Faith to make firm Vows. However, Faith and Vows are hollow without Practice. Likewise, even if
Practice is adequate, without Faith and Vows, that Practice will go astray, lacking criteria and direction. Therefore, Faith,
Vows and Practice are the "provisions" of those returning to the Pure Land from afar (Thich Thien Tam, Buddhism of Wisdom
and Faith, sect. 21).
31. These vows of Master Ou-i are -well-known among Pure Land Buddhists and reflect the essence of Mahayana practice.
32. Full title of Chapter 40: On Entering the Inconceivable State of Liberation through the Practices and Vows of the Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra. See Glossary, "Avatamsaka Sutra".
33. Eight Divisions: Includes gods, dragons, yaksas (ghosts or demons), asuras, garudas, kinnaras and mahoragas.
34. Bodhi Mind: See Glossary, this term and "Awakening vs Enlightenment".
35. Among the various offerings to the Buddhas, the offering of the Dharma is the highest because it enables the practitioner
to transcend Birth and Death and, ultimately attain Buddhahood. The offering of the Dharma is explained in the third Vow
as:
practicing according to Dharma, benefitting all sentient beings, never abandoning the Bodhi Mind ...
36. Important point: Each of the ten Vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is put into practice without interruption, in thought
after thought, with body, speech and mind. Thus, the three karmas of body, speech and mind of the practitioner are pure, empty
and still. In his lifetime, he has sown the seeds of rebirth in a pure realm. At the time of death, he will naturally be reborn
in such a realm, of which the most representative is the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. This is a good illustration of the
Pure Land/Zen teaching, "if the mind is pure, the land is pure".
37. This is a popular Pure Land image indicating that a person has transcended birth and death -- the common fate of all sentient
beings in samsara.
38. Lions Among Men, Lights of the Worlds, Lights of the Future: metaphors for the Buddhas.
39. Turn the Dharma Wheel: preach the Buddhas' teachings.
40. Important point: the ultimate goal of all Mahayana Buddhist practice is to lead the practitioner toward Buddhahood. Any
other goals are either secondary or just temporary expedients.
41. Demon states: See Glossary, under "Demons".
42. & 43. These stanzas express a key concept in the
Avatamsaka Sutra - unimpeded interpenetration of phenomena
(one mote of dust contains a multitude of worlds) and unimpeded interpenetration of space and time (one hairtip contains the
past, present and future).
44. Compress all eons: The advanced practitioner always has his mind under control and dwells only in the present, without
thinking of the past or the future. He is said to have compressed the three periods of time -- past, present and future.
45. Manjusri: represents the perfection of wisdom, the wisdom of the Buddhas.
46. This stanza is very well-known in Mahayana Buddhism and has been incorporated into the daily liturgy.
47. To have faith in the Vows of Samantabhadra is to sow the seeds of Enlightenment. These unconditioned (transcendental)
merits and virtues lead to Buddhahood. They are therefore superior to mundane offerings (even gold and jewels) as such offerings
can bring only conditioned (temporal) merits and virtues, leading to a favorable rebirth in the human or celestial realms
-- not Buddhahood.
48. Fields of merits: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats and all sentient beings, whether friends or foes, are fields of merits
for the cultivator because they provide him with an opportunity to cultivate merits and virtues. For example, needy people
provide the opportunity for the cultivator to practice charity.
Thus, they are fields of merits for him. As this text states, "Bodhi belongs to living beings. Without living beings, no Bodhisattva
could achieve Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment."
49. Anyone who reads, recites, accepts and explains Samantabhadra's vows sows the seeds of Buddhahood and ultimately becomes
a Buddha. His rewards are therefore of an unconditioned nature (without outflows) and beyond the Triple Realm -- beyond the
knowledge and vision of all, except for the Buddhas.
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