Transcending the Imagination

Technically, a certain Amida Buddha might not have existed long ago as he only exists in the Buddha world Sukhavativyuha, hence called the Pure Land of Bliss.

All of the possible Pure Lands do not exist in material space-time as they are of a Buddhist metaphysical nature.

Indeed, it may become necessary to believe in the Pure Land and in Amida Buddha in order to implement Nembutsu practice faithfully, as belief in the Pure Land is based on what is called the Primal Vow, which might place them next to God and unicorns.

This is similar to the stigma of mental illness where "it's all in your head." If God and unicorns are made up and due to the wildness of one's imagination, then the same thing might be said of Amida Buddha.

However, this is like comparing apples to imaginary oranges. The apple of this world may exist, but imaginary oranges only exist in the mind. Even though you cannot taste the oranges, you can still have a mind's view of them.

Likewise, the mind's view of Amida Buddha and the Pure Land is but a metaphysical reality.

Belief in the Pure Land is based on faith in the Primal Vow and especially rebirth in the Pure Land.

While there has never been any proof that the Pure Land exists except as metaphysical reality, a Buddhist would have to suspend disbelief, believe in what the three Pure Land Sutras say about Amida, and — as a result of his studies — have faith in the Primal Vow.

Indeed, I sometimes try to transcend my imagination when chanting Nembutsu quietly. For I believe in what the three Pure Land Sutras says about Amida Buddha and the Pure Land of Bliss.

That is what metaphysics is about: transcending the physics of this reality for the higher goal of happiness and peace for all sentient being in the Six Realms of Desire!

For information on the Primal Vow and other Buddhist terms in this article, check the tags below.

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Original post: June 24, 2013 1242H PDT

Faith that removes all Doubt

Faith that removes all doubt is what Amida Buddha offers.
This is why I believe earnestly in Amida's Primal Vow —

In the Infinite Life Sutra, Amida's Primal Vow is the 18th Vow of his 48 Vows:

If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings
in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely
and joyfully entrust themselves to me,
desire to be born in my land, and
call my Name, even ten times, should not
be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
Excluded, however, are those who commit
the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma.

When I recite the Buddha's Name, I do so to confirm this faith through working of this Vow and the original intent behind the 48 Vow Amida made in his incarnations as Dharmakara.

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Reference:

Dharmakara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmakara
Infinite Life Sutra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Life_Sutra
Primal Vow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primal_Vow

My religion has a lot of flavours

I'm a deistic panentheist with a respect for the whole universe, and all sentient beings including me and you, that based on realizing reality (life, the universe and everything) is God (the Absolute).

Then a person might ask me: what of good and evil?

Well, that's like having a magical coin: one side's good, the other side' evil, and the creator of that coin is God who symbolizes moral judgment.

"What about salvation?" another person might ask.

If there is a God, and given that God created the soul within me, which was loaned to me at birth, and knowing that my soul returns to God (with interest), then my mindful practice of unconditional love is in effect a form of salvation in itself.

For the process involved in practicing that love is in effect salvation.

Thus the story of Jesus serves as an inspiration to people who want to know God.

However, the closest thing to God as the Absolute is the description of Heaven!

Essentially, my religion has the following flavors: a Buddhist panentheism in which an almost infinite number of universes exist with an infinite number of Buddhas willing to instruct all sentient beings in their infinite number of Pure Lands, and an infinite number of bodhisattvas able to help all sentient beings awaken to the truth. In this multiverse there also exists the Absolute, which is the closest I get to God.

In practicing Buddhism, Buddha Recitation and meditation are the main parts of the mindful practice that I use to "worship God". This is a worshipless worship since it is empty of worship. It would be incorrect to call Buddha Recitation worship when it is done to remind me of the Buddha. Hence it is called Buddha Remembrance.

Perhaps intellectually understanding a Buddhist concept such as the Absolute is a form of worship, but it too is a worshipless worship since the Absolute transcends a dualistic notion of God. As well, intellectual understanding of a concept has no element of worship.

Calling understanding worship is incorrect. Rather, it is a part of the process of learning.

Returning to mindful practice, it consists of Buddha Remembrance to pay homage to the Buddha, and meditation to help calm my mind. Once my mind is calm, the clear mind arises to help me to the next level of meditation, insight.

With clarity of mind, I am able to attain the samadhi of loving-kindness, that single-minded insight symbolized by the boundless light of Great Wisdom that is Amida and the boundless life of Great Compassion that is Amitayus, both of whom are the dual aspects of Amida Buddha.

Thus, my religion has a lot of Buddhist flavors, and the only sparkle of God is the Absolute which might be similar to the Christian heaven. As a deist, I accept the Christian heaven as a place where all its members live eternally in Jesus. However, Jesus and God are not a part of this Buddhist multiverse, for the Christian Heaven and Hell dwell in their little universe.

What connects God to the Buddhist multiverse is loving-kindness, for both Amida Buddha and Jesus are symbols of the unconditional love known as loving-kindness.

As you can tell, my religion is a panentheism with a deistic component of which the Christian universe as described exists outside of the Buddhist component. Additionally, the deistic component has a respect for the Shinto deities but without any worship of them, because they exist only on an intellectual level.

Were I to practice Shinto it would be best expressed in dance, usually to the tune of Asian music, preferably the Yoshida Kiyoshi's Rising Sun, complete with shamisen and taiko drums.

As well, I have a respect for Veershaivism, the Lingayatism of Basavanna, the Shiva saint of 12th Century India.

As you can tell my religion has a lot of flavours.

The First Truth of Buddhism (poem)

Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we have no concept of Now.

In our delusion, we think
we are free, caught up
in strife, ignorant of history.
No one knows what, when,
where, who, why, or how.

Yet there is a Light boundless
from across the Ocean of Peace,
a bright and shining beacon,
where both gods and men confess:
"Boundless Life is He."
With open arms does He beckons,
offering compassion and mercy to all.

All we need to do, all we need to say
to attain birth in the Pure Land, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.

Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Forget yesterday and tomorrow!
Live for here and now!

Cut through delusion, and become free.
Take a hold of your life, and abandon misery.
For there is a cure to
suffering, and here is how:

All we need to do, all we need to say,
to join the land of Bliss, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.