13th Pureland Patriarch Yin Guang
Letter to Layman Ruan He Jing
I know that you have studied Dharma for many years and your family are all living in accordance to Buddhist principles. This is worthy of admiration. But I do not know if you are aware of the pureland practice which directly bypasses the stages of the Dharma path and whether you can develop true faith in it.
The Buddha taught countless Dharma practices; if one looks for the swiftest method, it can only be the Chan (Zen) practice. If one is of the highest calibre, simply listening to the teaching generates countless insights and one masters the meaning of all Dharmas. However, this is simply an insight, not a realization.
Someone who actually gains complete realisation and sees the nature of mind is, truthfully speaking, quite rare in this world. Many people are often mistaken about what they understood. What they call “insight” is often far from the case; those who truly have insight are quite few and far between. Even if one has attained genuine insight, it is still very far away from ending the cycle of birth-and-death.
This is because although the practitioner has gained some insight, the mental afflictions and habitual patterns from countless past lives still remain and need to be purified by various types of skilful methods. Once one has completely purified these mental afflictions and habitual patterns completely, then one can end the cycle of birth-and-death, entering the ranks of the holy beings. If mental afflictions are only partially eliminated — even if only a tiny bit of affliction remains — then there is no way to get out of the cycle of birth-and-death.
Therefore, if one imagines that simply recognising one’s own nature of mind is sufficient for accomplishing the path and that nothing else needs to be practiced, then this practitioner is greatly mistaken.
If a practitioner has truly recognized the nature of the mind and ceased all mental afflictions, then one could say that he has attained the path and uprooted the very basis for birth-and-death. Therefore, this person has liberated himself from samsara. However, if one recognizes the nature of mind and yet is unable to end mental afflictions entirely, how is it possible for him to depart from samsara?
Although a person who has recognized the nature of mind is superior to a person who does not have this recognition, he is still unable to end the cycle of birth-and-death. Taking rebirth in samsara again, this practitioner might become confused and lost in his next life— this is a very dreadful outcome. And here, I am speaking of those who have genuine recognition of the nature of mind.
For those who mistakenly believe that they have recognised the nature of mind, it is needless to describe (what their outcome would be).
The method of Chan practice depends on one’s own strength of practice; therefore, in comparison to the method of reciting Amitabha’s name, the benefits are as different as heaven and earth.
The method of reciting Amitabha’s name is a special method among the many methods that Buddha taught. It is a method suitable for practitioners of all levels of capacity, whether you are of a high or low capacity.
The practitioners of the highest capacities include great Bodhisattvas like Manjushri and Samantabhadra, whose practice do not go beyond the pureland method; while practitioners of the lowest capacity such as sinners who have committed the five uninterrupted karma and ten non-virtues are also able to engage in this practice.
Only those with genuine faith and ardent aspirations can take rebirth in the pureland while bringing along their karma. This is due to the Buddha’s kindness. If the pureland practitioner has already attained samadhi and cut all mental afflictions, he reaches the level of a great Bodhisattva when he is reborn in pureland. All Dharma methods come from this method and return to this method (ie, all practitioners take rebirth in the pureland and attain Buddhahood from there).
The pureland method seems simple and shallow, however its profundity is beyond estimation. It seems like an elementary practice, yet it covers the entire path without exception. All Buddhas attained Buddhahood and benefitted sentient beings with the assistance of this Dharma method, using it as a path with an excellent beginning and an excellent end.
I was afraid that you have not met anyone who truly understands the pureland method and may therefore belittle this practice, preferring instead to focus your efforts on the Chan practice of realizing the nature of mind, thinking that recognizing the nature of mind is all you need. Therefore, I cannot help but say these words.
My words here are insufficient to prove the point. Please read the texts “Ten Essentials of the Pureland Practice”, “The Records of Holy Practitioners of Pureland”, and my collected writings. Reading these will perhaps relieve you of the doubt that my words are without good reason or misleading.
If you truly understand the difference between relying on the power of Buddhas and relying on your own power, you will not be obstinate about only trying to recognize the nature of mind, thinking that recognition of the nature of mind is the path that eschews the need to recite Amitabha’s name and seek rebirth in the pureland.
Ancient practitioners like Chan Master Yuanze who knew the past and future clearly could not end the cycle of rebirth. The two Chan Masters Wuzujie and Caotangqing both had very deep insights; we might ask who among the contemporary Chan practitioners could equal them, yet even they both took further rebirth in samsara.
From this, it is quite evident that ordinary beings should practice the extraordinary method given by Buddha. No matter which calibre you are, you can be liberated from birth-and-death with the pureland method. This is due to the blessings and power of Buddha Amitabha. If one had to rely on oneself only, I am afraid your liberation would be even more far-fetched than a dream-fantasy, if you are willing to believe what I said.
