Dynamic Concentration in Pure Land Buddhism

 

Dynamic Concentration

in Pure Land Buddhism

See video first: https://youtu.be/l4IDayXV6r0

Yuki's comment: I did a bit of searching online and was surprised to find that this practice at Ichikukai was originally practiced with the name of Amitabha, e.g. was a form of nembutsu, just as described in your What’s Next book and just like we practice with our Gurus' name in Amrita Mandala!!! Story goes that the founder of this method, Inoue Masakane (b. 1790) learned this from a woman who was a practitioner of an esoteric Pureland Buddhism called “hidden nembutsu”. He had an awakening with this method, but due to his father’s dying will to penetrate into the meaning of Shinto prayer, and his later having a vision of a Shinto deity, adopted his awakening experience and the method for it into a Shinto practice, that has been passed on to this day at a place like Ichikukai. Some of his disciples actually continued practicing it in its original form of rhythmic shouting of Amitabha’s name, which they called “kosho nembutsu” (loud voice nenbutsu), and apparently was practiced as recently as 1990s and may still be practiced somewhere in Japan. I thought this to be a compelling story as I have heard of your strong connection to Pureland Buddhism and so is your teacher Terayama-Roshi”.

New and Fresh Zen!

New and Fresh Zen!

Today, I am reminded of my past training in zen buddhism and zen art. Due to many past lives as a zen buddhist, I always felt at home with zen, and I miss it. I miss that spirit.

Few years ago I sketched a zen method, basically a new zen tradition, and today I felt like writing a book about it. Well, a booklet since I'm not much of a writer but anyway. Terayama Sensei asked me to continue teaching after him but like he didn't continue the traditional syllabus of rinzai zen, I definitely would not use or write about the practices of traditional zen, because they weren't that effective for me or for Terayama Sensei. Sensei didn't teach koans because he didn't think they were that effective in relation to time and effort that you have to put into it. Later, he actually took up Amitabha practice and I can very well understand why. I always felt it would have been much better if Pure Land Buddhism had first spread to the West instead of zen... but anyway.

It is not diffcult to have recognition of buddhanature (j. kensho, satori) if we know how the mind works and how we can strike through it, to make the original face show up. While quietive methods don't work so well, dynamic concentration, together with bodhicitta, works in excellent manner. Many zen teachers say the same, that it is not difficult to have kensho but it takes a lot of time to integrate them. In a sense that is true but I have a different take on this.

 

Photo of Terayama Sensei and me in 2005, in front of Yamaoka Tesshu's Tiger and Dragon at Tsukuba Dojo, Chiba, Japan.

There is no buddhist practice other than recognising oneself as a fully enlightened buddha. In other words, kensho is the one and only practice. In other words, all the time spent in non-recognition is nothing else than samsara. 

 

Practitioners need to do practices that enable them to have this recognition at *every session* of practice. Practitioners need to do practices that enable them to have short momentary glimpses, and small and big breakthroughs (kensho) on *daily* basis, not just every now and then, or years apart. The training need not take decades but can be done in years through dynamic practices. This is the correct and the only way to understand samadhi for there is no other samadhi except wisdom (skt. prajna) and compassion (karuna) of the buddha.

This is a point that is hammered hard by the ancestors. One after the other they make it diamond clear that the practice of zen is the practice of recognising ourselves as buddhas. I know from my experience as a teacher and treasure revealer of tantra and atiyoga that this is possible from beginners to advanced bodhisattva-practitioners.

There are very different types of methods with very different types of practicing experiences than the ones we are familiar with. Like the masters of the old times, I am just making my voice being heard for those who have ears to hear. Maybe I should write that book.

I send my love and appreciation to Terayama Sensei. You encouraged me to ask questions that others didn't dare to ask. For that I am ever greatful.

Kim

Vows of the Purehearted Being

 

Vows of the Purehearted Being

If, after I attain buddhahood, I fail to bring sentients beings to buddhahood, may I not attain buddhahood.

If, after I attain buddhahood, I fail to teach the dharma of liberation to sentients beings, may I not attain buddhahood.

If, after I attain buddhahood, I fail to bring sentients beings from samsara to nirvana, may I not attain buddhahood.

If, after I attain buddhahood, I fail to offer a place of rest to sentients beings, may I not attain buddhahood.

If, after I attain buddhahood, I fail to be like a mother to all sentients beings, may I not attain buddhahood.

Namo Yeshe Tsogyal Ma,

Kim Katami, 30.9.2020

Pemako Buddhism

www.pemakobuddhism.com

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Pure Land Buddhism and the Philosophy of Honen and Shinran By Mark Unno

 

Pure Land Buddhism and the Philosophy of Honen and Shinran
By Mark Unno

Pure Land school.

Advocates of the Pure Land teachings can be identified quite early in Chinese Buddhist history, but Pure Land Buddhism emerged as a major force in the T'ang Dynasty along with Zen. While both arose partially as a reaction against the metaphysical excesses of the philosophical schools, Zen focused on awakening through monastic practice, while Pure Land focused on attaining birth in the Pure Land of the Buddha Amitabha through practices that were accessible to lay people.

Pure Land Sutras.

Three of the most prominent sutras of the Pure Land schools of East Asian Buddhism are The Larger Sutra of Eternal Life, The Amida Sutra (Smaller Sutra of Eternal Life), and The Meditation Sutra. Like many other Mahayana Sutras such as the Lotus, Flower Ornament, and Vimalakirti, these sutras were compiled near the beginning of the Common Era. At the center of these sutras is the story of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara, a former king who decides to set out to seek enlightenment. In the process of doing so, he establishes the Western Pure Land; when sentient beings accumulate sufficient virtue, they are born there, and due to the ideal conditions, immediately attain enlightenment. In later developments, especially in Japan, the Pure Land becomes virtually synonymous with ultimate reality, emptiness, nirvana.

Practitioners aspiring to birth in the Pure Land visualize the jewelled paradise of the Buddha Amitabha, where the evil karma of his or her past is transformed into the Pure Land and the virtue of its Buddha. Ultimately, even the Pure Land is transcended, and the practitioner attains awareness of the non-origination of things, a virtual synonym of emptiness.

Amitabha Buddha.

Bodhisattva Dharmakara eventually becomes the Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of infinite light. Amitabha is also known as Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, hence the title of the Larger Sutra. In China and Japan, these two names, sometimes referring to distinct Buddhas in the Indian context, are referred to singularly as A-mi-t'o in Chinese and Amida in Japanese. Furthermore, although male in the Indian context, Amitabha becomes increasingly referred to in female, maternal terms in East Asia. The distinctive characteristic of Amitabha is compassion.

The Name of Amida Buddha.

In the Meditation Sutra, it is stated that, for those who are unable to achieve the meditative visualization of the Pure Land, the recitative invocation of Amitabha's name is sufficient to attain birth. In China, and especially Japan, this becomes the most widespread form of practice, known as the nembutsu, in which the repetition of the name, Namu Amida Butsu (I take refuge in Amida Buddha), is the very manifestation of Amida. Philosophically, to take refuge in Amida Buddha is to abandon ego-centered, attached thinking and to entrust oneself to the infinite wisdom (light) and infinite compassion (life) of Amida. Since the ultimate body, or dharmakaya, of Amida is formless, one attains formless reality through the name.

Kannon.

Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, is an emanation of Amida. Originating as a male bodhisattva in India, Avalokiteóvara, this bodhisattva became female in East Asia and has been one of the most popular deities of devotion.

Honen (1133-1212).

Exponent of Pure Land Buddhism. Honen broke with the traditional views of other Buddhists who looked to a variety of teachings and instead advocated the single-minded recitation of the nembutsu, Namu Amida Butsu. Honen was known for his broad and deep philosophical understanding, the purity of his observance of the precepts, and his ability to cultivate various states of meditation including visualizations.

Self-power and other-power.

However, he abandoned ritual observance of all of these practices at the age of forty-three and turned his attention solely to the nembutsu. His conclusion was that, no matter how skillful he may have appeared outwardly, inwardly it was impossible to become free from thoughts of attachment, conceit, and insecurity. The failure of this self-effort or self-power (jiriki) opened up the realm of other-power (tariki), the formless reality of the highest truth taking shape in the wisdom and compassion of boundless light, Amida Buddha, embodied in the name. The two ideas of self-power and other-power are complementary. Without seeing the one, the other cannot be seen; they are like the clouds and the sun that shines through them.

Foolish being.

Honen states, "In the path of the Pure Land one attains birth by returning to an ignorant fool." One aspect of this indicates the foolishness of sentient beings, the other aspect the wisdom of one who is aware of foolishness, a kind of beginner's mind. Thus the same being who attains awareness of his or her foolishness is also regarded as "equal to the buddhas."

Pure Land beyond form.

The Pure Land no longer refers to a jewelled paradise here; it refers to the realm of emptiness in which all beings and phenomena are grasped in their suchness. When a disciple asked Honen near the end of his life, "Master, what is the importance of visualizations," Honen replied, "At first I, Honen, also engaged in such frivolities, but no longer. Now I simply say the nembutsu of entrusting." "Even if one is able to see the jewelled trees [of the Pure Land], they could not be more beautiful than the blossoms and fruit of plum and peach trees [found in this world]."

In a sense, the Pure Land can be understood to be the realm of emptiness. Honen taught that the unfolding of Amida's compassion and wisdom was felt in this life, but birth in the Pure Land in the next. This parallels the relationship between nirvana and Parinirvana in the life of Sakyamuni. As long as one has attachments, it can be misleading and dangerous to say that emptiness is already present. However, at the very end of is life, when a disciple asked Honen if he would be born in the Pure Land, he replied, "Since I have always been in the Pure Land, that will not happen."3

Shinran (1173-1262).

Exponent of Pure Land Buddhism who studied with Honen. His form of Pure Land Buddhism is often referred to as Shin Buddhism, reflecting his expression, Jodo-shinshu, the true teaching of the Pure Land. Like his teacher, he emphasizes the awareness of the foolish being who, endeavoring to free him or herself from the cycle of ignorance and attachment, sees more and more clearly his or her own foolishness.

Shinjin.

Like Honen, Shinran advocated the recitation of the nembutsu. Whereas Honen emphasized simply repeating the name constantly, Shinran emphasized the simultaneous awareness of foolishness and the awareness of boundless compassion. The term for this is shinjin, which is often rendered as true entrusting, a letting go of all attachments which enables the natural unfolding of compassion and wisdom. One who attains the wisdom of true entrusting is regarded as the equal of buddhas. Since the heart of the nembutsu, as is the case in all forms of practice which are thought to embody highest truth, is beyond distinctions, Shinran states, "In the nembutsu, no meaning is the true meaning."4 At the same time, Shinran cautions, "If you talk about [this] too much, then 'no meaning' will appear to have some kind of special meaning."5

Naturalness.

The foolish being is always contriving or calculating to reach a goal dualistically, whether that goal is material, such as worldly success or health, or is spiritual such as enlightenment or birth. The one who becomes aware of this foolishness and is receptive to the compassion of Amida is led beyond this contrivance to a realm of spontaneous freedom. This spontaneity, in contrast to the contrivance of the foolish being, is called jinen honi, the suchness of spontaneity, or more simply, naturalness.

The Vow of Amida.

Shinran understands Amida Buddha in terms of two aspects of the dharmakaya, or dharma-body: dharmakaya-as-emptiness and the dharmakaya-as-compassion. The awareness of dharmakaya-as-compassion leads to the realization of dharmakaya-as-emptiness. The process of being led to the life of spontaneity through the dharmakaya-as-compassion is expressed as entrusting oneself to the Vow of Amida, the vow to lead all sentient beings to buddhahood by awakening them out of their foolishness

Awakening - Assuming the Center of the Mandala

 

Awakening -

Assuming the Center of the Mandala

Buddhism is a vast collection of teachings and practices. Some teachings are easy to learn and understand, others are complex. Forms vary yet the essence of buddhist practices is the same. Buddhism is a tradition of awakening from existential fantasy to existential reality.

Roughly speaking, buddhist yogas – meditations and yogic practices –can be divided into two categories,

1. primary practices that directly generate awakening from self-based delusion and

2. secondary practices that support the primary practices

This categorisation is oversimplification but at the same time we can easily see which practices and approaches generate instant recognition of wakeful awareness common to all mind phenomena, and which do the same but in a roundabout (long or short) manner.

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land Buddhism, commonly known as Pemako Buddhism, begins with a primary exercise known as the Two-Part Formula. The two parts or mind modes of the Two-Part Formula (2PF) are selfless state and self-based state. What is unique to 2PF, which is also the reason why it is so effective, is that the self-based mode is purposefully brought back every time it disappears. All thoughts come and go in the mind, and similarly the I- or me-thought comes and goes in impulsive and random fashion. The Two-Part Formula doesn't allow this and the sense of gross I, me, mine-thought is brought back with the affirmation, so that it can be investigated under the microscope of mindful awareness. Because of these two factors together, recognition of selfless awareness and affirmation, the grossest sense of self is put under pressure that it cannot persist. Inevitably sooner or later there will be a shift – awakening - in one's mind.

In our system of training, the technical term for this shift is opening of the 1^st bhumi. From the tantric perspective it can be described as assuming of the center of the enlightened sphere or mandala, which in terms of tantric deities belongs to Amitabha Buddha. According to the categorisation above, the 2PF is a primary practice that's sole purpose is to generate awakening from self-delusion. This is the beginning of not only Pemako buddhist path but the beginning of all buddhist paths. Awakening is universal, there is no doubt about that. See Lion-Faced Guru Podcast episode titled Universal Awakening. 

 

Yourself depicted as Amitabha Buddha radiating as pure light and blessings

As a human being whose existence is marked by painful self-based ignorance, my whole life I have sought for peace and harmony, and I know many who have had the same problem. Acting and reacting from a solid belief in individual self is a world of pain and suffering. This belief, this solidifed, calcified, hardened, crystallised thought causes problems and conflicts in endless ways. This belief, this stubborn belief, is the root cause of our suffering. The good news is that, on the other hand, it is none other than a deeply stuck belief, and as stubborn as it may be it is possible to remove it by investigation. It is as simple as that.

There is no reason whatsoever to think that we wouldn't be ready or fit for awakening, or that awakening should be postponed. Within you, me and everyone else there is a perfectly awake buddha living but she is dormant, as if asleep... Please, wake her up!

Help yourself and come in contact with the reality yourself. I have written extensively about awakening and its implications in Awake-book, that is free of charge.

Namo Amitabha,

- Kim Katami, 12.9.2020

Pemako Buddhism,

www.pemakobuddhism.com

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

I would like to start this article by telling of a few recent events.

On an advanced retreat held at our center in January 2017, next happened.

”We had finished our fourth practice session of the fifth day at the retreat and were about to have dinner. Karl, our head chef, brought in our food which was fish. I stood up from the couch and delighted of having a proper meal instead of mere veggies, I joufully announced, "Yes! Eating that is like entering Padmasambhava's Pure Land!". *BANG* At that instant I was hit with a huge blow of energy into my head, the back of my head on the right side. Seen with subtle visions, it looked like a meteor that shot across the sky and landed on my head. It was like getting hit by a boxer. I uttered, "What was that...?" and was stunned. I have gone unconscious many times so I know perfectly well how it feels just before the lights go out. It was exactly like that, hovering on the verge before the lights go out. I felt dazed and sat down on the floor and a few moments later lied down completely. It was like getting punched in the head, just without any pain, of course. At first I didn't know what was going on, and people around me, preparing the dinner were astonished what I was doing, lying there in the middle of the floor, with one hand on the neck measuring my pulse. I didn't pass out but as if having received a heavy blow on the head, I was trying to make sense what just happened. After a few minutes I could sit up. I figured there was a connection to when I loudly mentioned Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land but I was still unsure what was going on. I have never ever lost consciousness, or were close to losing it because of a spiritual charge. I did not even know it was possible.

After about 10 minutes, I was able to eat some. My legs were soft spaghetti and I knew I couldn't stand up or walk. After getting some food, I felt like closing my eyes to find out some facts of what was going on, while people around me were finishing their meals and talking. At this point, perhaps 15-20 minutes after the meteor hit me, the charge spread to my body, descended into the stomach, then to arms and legs.

This was something I had never experienced before. It was like combining very high intensity soft martial art (yiquan) practice with very intense rigpa-energy. It felt like Guru Rinpoche was practicing yiquan in my body. It was something very unusual that I hadn't experienced before in perhaps a few thousand sessions of guru yoga that I had practiced. After about 30 minutes, I told people they could tune into the charge if they wanted but they actually really had no choice because all the surroundings were swept by the power of the blessing. The power of it was really unique. This is hard to convey to others if they weren't there.

The only thing I can compare this is Amma's devi bhava with the exception that Amma's energy is motherly soft while this was intense and wrathful, yet penetrating. Guru Rinpoche's charge swept through the whole group.

As minutes passed the charge became more integrated with my body and my rational mind switched on again. After a few hours it had smoothened out while the reverberations continued for a few days afterwards.”

This happened in January. Now I know that we had visited Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land, Zangdok Palri, The Copper Coloured Mountain.

The same happened twice in February on the last day of another retreat and in a private online session with a sangha friend. It has also happened with less intensity while giving dharma talks, recorded here and here.

Pure Lands

Many buddhas have pure lands, or buddhakshetras. Buddha Amitabha's Pure Land (skt. Sukhavati) is probably most well known through Pure Land Buddhism which is widely practiced in China and Japan, also in the West. There are many other pure lands.

A pure land is actually a vibrational field, sphere or dimension which is governed by a particular buddha or mahasiddha. While none of the pure lands are out of reach of anyone, karmic connections with the governor of the pure realm is a key factor whether one can access it or is allowed to live there.

Pure lands can be briefly visited. For example if we have a sincere wish to visit Amitabha's pure land, it is possible. We only need to tune in with Buddha Amitabha and ask him to take us for a visit there. Then we can feel being transported to Sukhavati. If one has some skills of subtle seeing or hearing one may be able to perceive how it looks like there, who are there and so on. If one wishes to visit a pure land, any of them, sincerity and devotion towards the governor of that pure realm is essential. None of the pure lands can be accessed from the ego.

If we have the desire for it, we can be in tune with the governor of the pure land and the pure land itself. It is possible to live within the pure realm created by Padmasambhava while still in the physical body, living in the Earth-realm, if the connection has been well established.

The moment we leave this body, we are instantly transported to the Copper Coloured Mountain, not having to go through the intermediate states between death and rebirth (tib. bardo). If we had difficulties in subtly seeing and hearing the pure land while in the body, after death we can see everything that goes on in there just like we can see and hear what happens around us in the physical world now.

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land is a beautiful place, not only aesthetically but also the beings there. Imagine a garden city where everyone has close karmic connections Guru Rinpoche himself, who have strong spiritual inclinations and who practice for the liberation of all beings. Imagine hearing Guru Rinpoche or other mahasiddhas like Yeshe Tsogyal give dharma talks, instructions and transmissions. Imagine meeting Guru Rinpoche in person so that you can see eye to eye. Everyone there is safe and supported with basic necessities, unlike here on Earth. Because of these reasons it is called a ”world of the buddha”.

Pemako – The Hidden Land of Guru Rinpoche

A while ago I was pondering that as Open Heart is the name of our method, what would be the name of our lineage, as methods are passed within certain lineages. As we were sitting in a cafe with Karl talking about this, all of a sudden we were swept by Guru Rinpoche's blessings and the word ”Pemako” popped into my mind. I didn't know what it meant so I googled it and got to know that Pemako is a special area in India and Tibet which is considered very sacred in it's connection to the Guru. Many great lamas and rinpoche's have been born, lived and died there.

”If people die here (Pemako), they do not take

karmic rebirth; they go to the Pure Lands.

I do not tell lies. It is like that. Keep it in mind.

• Guru Rinpoche

So traditionally Pemako refers to a physical area in the East but in this case, referring to our lineage and teachings Pemako refers to hidden realm of Guru Rinpoche, that is, his pure land. This realm is accessed by following the teachings of the Open Heart and by taking refuge.

Taking refuge Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

For the above mentioned reasons and master's direct instruction, taking refuge in Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land is going to be added to our refuges.

Five Refuges

I take refuge in the Guru

I take refuge in His Pure Land

I take refuge in the Buddha

I take refuge in the Dharma

I take refuge in the Sangha

May all beings be free.

Thank you for reading.

- Kim, 15.5.2017