“In the twenty-one verses of the Buddha lands, the merit and adornment of the matter are clearly understood and understood, like one Buddha land, the Buddha land that is included, surpassing that.”

With just one verse in the Infinite Life Sutra, we have three words talking about the Buddha land. (Please read the Note at the end of the article, talking about the four types of Pure Lands)

The Bhikshu Dharma Zang, needed to ask his teacher, the Worldly Samadhi Self-Mastery King Tathagata. What he asked was to know “Buddha Realm”.

If we discuss according to the Mind School, the beginning of this sutra has two things:

1. The name of the student is Dharma Zang (representing the alaya consciousness)

2. The name of the teacher is: The Worldly Concentration Self-Mastery King (representing the mind free from all worldly dharmas)

In terms of practice, if Dharma Zang (the store consciousness) always resides in concentration and wisdom, he will purify the unwholesome seeds in the store consciousness into goodness and finally, when he enters the Prajna principle, he will be free from all dharmas, symbolized by the Worldly Self-Mastery King Tathagata.

When the monk Dharma Zang (alaya consciousness) is completely pure, he is the Dharma Realm Store Body Amitabha Buddha (the body that transforms everywhere and contains all merits), the Buddha body that contains all dharmas in the ten directions of the world, and every dharma is Infinite Light (that is, the wisdom acquired after attaining, bright and perfect; symbolizes Amitabha Buddha Da (Amitabha)).

In terms of appearance, Dharma Zang only wants to learn: Adorn the Buddha land (Buddha realm).

There are two different ways of thinking about the meaning of adorning the Buddha land:

1. Adorn the land (appearance, scene).

2. Adorn the mind (mind, consciousness).

The Buddha did not found or create the Buddha land (Buddha realm), but he adorned the Buddha land with the merit of practice. If he adorned his mind, then the adornment of the main report will be the cause for the adornment of the supporting report.

For those who are not yet free, these two adornments of scene and mind are the means to guide and support them, especially in the aspect of enlightenment to become a Buddha, these two adornments are very necessary.

The mind has its own scene! Actually, the mind and scene go together (all dharmas are only mind, only consciousness). Mice and rabbits like the scene in the cave. People living on this earth, depending on their karma, also have different living conditions around them. People born and living in Vietnam must enjoy the living conditions in Vietnam. Vietnamese people who crossed the border to America also have the fate to live in the circumstances of America. Both are Vietnamese, but the minds of these two Vietnamese people are very different according to the circumstances. In short, cultivating the mind according to good dharma will create merit, energy, and capacity. This meritorious energy makes the main report become more and more solemn. The good main report and the peaceful supporting report are only the inevitable results according to the law of cause and effect of karma, in which the mind is the main operating factor. The mind and the circumstances are the supporting conditions of karma and also the results of karma. The Buddha's land is dignified due to the power and merit of cultivating the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha, which is the result of karma and also the support for the peace and liberation of sentient beings to become Buddhas.

When not yet enlightened, not yet entered the Prajna, the mind creates the scene, generates energy that sometimes affects the minds of others. For example: A grumpy, irritable person, entering a happy crowd, often makes that crowd less happy. The people in the country are restless and worried about a fierce battle; suddenly the loudspeakers cheer the news of victory; the whole people are relieved and happy. Through these examples, we see that energy, either the mind or the scene, can transform living conditions.

In life, we only see, hear, or know through the scene. For example:

Two cars collide, we see that they have the power to change the physical objects, the two cars are dented, not only that, the collision also contributes to changing the operation of the universe; But this energy is so small compared to the energy of the universe that we do not know it. Throwing a stone at a dog's foot, we see and know that it has power because the dog cries out in pain and runs around. Suppose you can hold the smallest dust particle and throw it on the ground or toss it up in the sky. This action also creates energy and power. We do not see or know because we do not have enough tools to measure it; it does not mean that the energy generated does not exist; it also does not mean that this very small energy does not contribute to the operation of the universe. These are the energy creations of matter.

A word, an action, a consciousness emitted always consumes energy and creates energy. A practitioner tries to keep the precepts, be diligent in right speech, right action, live right livelihood; stabilize his mind with right mindfulness, right concentration; that practitioner tries, is determined to live with right thinking, right wisdom. All these efforts, mental and spiritual efforts must be made with effort, so there must be force or energy, called mental energy or spiritual energy.

Dharma Zang has strived to cultivate good karma throughout five great kalpas. He skillfully cultivated to the point of completing the 48 vows to save sentient beings. He followed the skillful means displayed and taught by the Tathagata Tu Tai Vuong, along with his skillful thinking and skillful selection, then applied the practice of the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, and now the merit has been fulfilled (through the manifestation of the extremely solemn Pure Land that all Buddhas in the ten directions praise). This merit has immense supernatural power, benefits everywhere, not only affecting a group of grumpy people but a vast Buddha land to be reborn and become Buddha.

Amitabha Buddha did not give birth to or create the Pure Land world like an almighty god; that the Pure Land is due to the merit of cultivating the body, speech, and mind in accordance with the principles, which has created such a world of Peace and Bliss. All of this is due to the power of skillful cultivation, the result of cultivating according to his original vows for the benefit of all.

The practices that the monk Dharma Zang practiced were practiced by all Buddhas of the ten directions. He also used the 37 Bodhi-aids, the ten Paramitas, the ten thousand practices... which are the common Dharma of the Buddhas of the ten directions, adding to the special Dharma merits to adorn the Pure Land by observing and absorbing the merits of the Buddha lands. The merits of cultivation completed in five great kalpas, skillfully absorbing the two hundred and ten billion Buddha minds necessary into one Buddha mind, fulfilling the 48 great vows; that is the greatest merit in rebirth and becoming a Buddha.

Practitioners of Pure Land practice reciting Amitabha Buddha means always remembering, always admiring, respecting the Buddha's merits and making a vow to rely on his power of support; that is, we must contemplate the scene (the name and the solemn land...) and contemplate the mind (compassion, great vows, the Buddha's blessings, etc.) as taught in the Contemplation Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life.

Namo Amitabha Buddha means to turn back and rely on Amitabha Buddha through his power to bless both the mind and the scene.

Living in a community, no one can be independent and not rely on anything. If anyone is proud to think that they do not need to rely on anything but only need to rely on themselves, then we just say "Amitabha Buddha" and sincerely pray for them to clearly understand the original aspirations and compassionate vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to overcome all obstacles to knowledge and enter the ocean of acceptance of the Tathagata, and to quickly attain peace and liberation.

Speaking of dependence, before entering Nirvana, Buddha Shakyamuni also advised us to rely on “precepts”. In this world, when we are young, every child relies on their father, mother, brother, sister, etc. I am sitting here, looking out the window, the leaf is shaking in the sunlight. I am relying on the leaf to see, to survive because the leaf is creating oxygen for me to breathe, etc. All things around me, as small as the dust you just brushed off the table. That dust is also contributing to the operation of nature, of the law of cause and effect. A stable, natural operation and mutual dependence. As a Buddhist, one takes refuge in the Three Jewels:

I take refuge in the Buddha.

I take refuge in the Dharma.

I take refuge in the Sangha.

I always recite the Buddha's name with respect and a mind that relies on the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha in the ten directions.

When reciting the name of any Buddha, the Buddha's virtue and wisdom will appear clearly in the mind of the reciter when they recite with understanding of the Buddha's virtue and wisdom and with a sincere heart, gratitude and gratitude towards him.

Tran Duc Han

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Note:

Speaking of Pure Lands, there are 4 different types: 1. The Land of Saints and Ordinary People: This refers to the Buddha realm where Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and ordinary people live together, like the Wonderful Joy world of the Buddha Akshobhya (A Suc Phat), although very mysterious, there are still ordinary people living there. 2. The Holy Means of Dwelling: This is the realm where the Bodhisattvas in the Three Sages and Ten Saints and the Arahants of the Returning Mind are born into according to their cultivation and attainment. The Holy Means of Dwelling does not have ordinary people but only pure Saints. This is not a separate world but is the realm of cultivation and attainment of those Saints and the Buddha's power of support to help them manifest and transform. 3. The Realm of Adornment: There are 2 different types of the Realm of Adornment: a. Self-Enjoyment of the Realm of Adornment: This is the place of the Buddha's Self-Enjoyment of the Reward Body, the Buddha's self-realization realm that only the Buddha can realize. The Self-Enjoyment of the Realm of Dwelling means that the realm throughout the Dharma Realm has no different characteristics, which is the result of the adornment of wisdom. The Buddha's Self-Enjoyment of the Reward Body is complete and perfect in all the characteristics of merit, which is the result of the adornment of merit. b. The Pure Land of True-Rewarding-Adorning-Adorning-Body of the Other-Rewarding-Body: This is the abode of the Buddha of True-Rewarding-Body of the Other-Rewarding-Body, which is also the Pure Land manifested by the Buddhas to save the Bodhisattvas in the Ten Grounds. The first ground is seen according to the first ground, the second ground is seen according to the second ground, gradually increasing until the Ten Grounds. 4. The Pure Land of Eternal-Quiet Light: There is no form of realm, no place, everywhere, no form of opposition. The Pure Land of Eternal-Quiet Light refers to the self-nature of the Dharma-body of the Buddhas, synonymous with the Nirvana without abode.

Buddha-body:

Dharma-body: The body of truth, the body of prajna, the body of tranquility and formlessness.

Reward-body: The body of immeasurable merits and virtues. From the first stage to the tenth stage, the Bodhisattva's mind state must be sufficiently compatible to be able to enjoy a part of this merit or be born in this Retribution Land.

Response body: The body manifests to save living beings, manifests for the sake of living beings.

The Buddha realms are different because of the means of saving living beings. The result of wisdom is the realm of the Dharma body, the result of merit is the realm of the Retribution body (saving Bodhisattvas) and the realms of the Response body (saving all living beings)

All-seed wisdom is the wisdom that knows all general and specific dharmas such as the natures, karma and all appropriate means of saving living beings, it is the ultimate perfection of the Bodhisattva's seed wisdom and emptiness wisdom (non-self wisdom or liberation wisdom of the Sravakas). The Avatamsaka Sutra mentions Buddha wisdom, divided into many types to partially express the nature, appearance and function of the All-Knowledge, as follows:

“Liberation wisdom: wisdom that has removed all afflictions and wrong perceptions.

All-Knowledge: all-Knowledge is perfect, ultimate, nothing more.

Sharpening wisdom: sharp wisdom.

Deep wisdom: profound wisdom.

Slow wisdom: quick wisdom, etc.

All-Knowledge:

All-Knowledge is the liberating wisdom of Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas, the wisdom that knows the general principles of all dharmas is the wisdom of non-self. This wisdom does not clearly know all the differences in the world and the expedient wisdom to save living beings like the all-Knowledge of the Buddhas.