Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro
All Mahayana Buddhists must cultivate renunciation and bodhicitta. There is no exception. Although the terminology used in different systems of practice vary somewhat, their content is largely the same. Whether one practices Sutrayana, Vajrayana, Chan (Zen) or Pureland, renunciation and bodhicitta are indispensable.
If a practitioner lacks even this most basic foundation of practice, what is the motivation for reciting Amitabha’s name? What is the motivation for practicing Chan? Only when this foundation is present, can the practice truly be called Pureland or Chan practice.
Why then does Chan Buddhism not explicitly teach these preliminary practices like ngondro? It is well known that, from Bodhidharma to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, the practitioners in the Chan lineage already possessed extremely sharp faculties which enable them to gain realisation.
From the biography of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, we can see that although he was illiterate, his spiritual capacity was already highly developed. When he followed the Fifth Patriarch, he did not study many scriptures, nor did he spend a long time practicing; he merely worked in the backyard of the monastery. After eight months, when the conditions were ripe, the Fifth Patriarch taught him the Diamond Sutra. A single sentence from that sutra triggered Huineng’s realisation.
It was not that he did not need preliminary practices. The purpose of preliminary practices is to give rise to renunciation and bodhicitta, which Huineng already possessed. This is like flowers or leaves in autumn, a gentle breeze is all it takes to make them fall from the tree. In spring or summer, however, even a strong wind cannot make the leaves fall.
Similarly, when a person’s spiritual capacity is matured, a single sentence can make them realize their true nature. The Diamond Sutra that the Sixth Patriarch heard is exactly the same sutra we recite today. He attained realisation from one sentence, whereas we did not, this is because our capacities are not yet mature. Therefore, we must rely on a gradual system of practices such as preliminaries and main practices.
Many Chan practitioners think that the Southern School of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is the best. However, for the vast majority of modern people, the Northern School of Master Shenxiu may be more suitable. Because his school is like practicing the preliminaries step by step, eventually reaching the realisation of Chan.
Master Huineng did not emphasize the earlier preparatory stages, but spoke directly of the highest realization. Thus, although Chan Buddhism does not explicitly discuss these preliminaries, in reality, it still requires renunciation and Bodhicitta.
In the Pureland tradition, the most important scripture is the The Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on Amitābha. This is a Sutrayana text, translated into both Chinese and Tibetan from the same Sanskrit original. The sutra states that in order to be reborn in Sukhavati pureland, one must avoid two obstructive conditions and possess four qualifications.
For the obstructive conditions, the first is committing the five uninterrupted karmas and the second is abandoning the Dharma. Amitābha Buddha taught that all beings in the world who aspire to be reborn in the pureland can reach it, except for those who have committed the five uninterrupted karma or abandoned the Dharma.
Other non-virtues such as killing or stealing, or even more serious misdeeds can be purified through sincere recitation of Amitabha’s name. However, these two obstructive conditions cannot be eliminated even through reciting Amitabha’s name, and therefore must be avoided.
(Note: It is possible to purify these negative karmas through practices such as Vajrasattva and Akshobhya etc)
As for the four qualifications: first, one must visualize Amitābha Buddha and Sukhavati; second, one must accumulate extensive merits; third, one must generate Bodhicitta; and fourth, one must dedicate the merit and make vows to be reborn in Sukhavati. With these conditions in place, single-minded recitation Amitabha’s name leads to rebirth in the pureland.
Here, it is not that Bodhicitta is unimportant but Amitabha recitation must be practiced single-mindedly with the motivation of Bodhicitta. Renunciation is, of course, also necessary. The Amitābha Sutra explains that without renunciation, one will cling to worldly things. If one cannot release such attachment, rebirth in the pureland is impossible.
Clinging to worldly things is an obstacle because it prevents the aspiration for pureland from arising; or even if it does arise, the aspiration or wish for going to the pureland will not be strong enough. Therefore, rebirth in pureland cannot be achieved.
From this, we see that Chan and Pureland practices alike emphasize renunciation and Bodhicitta. All Mahāyāna Buddhism is identical in this respect. This is the first characteristic in common.
The second shared characteristic is the realization of emptiness. After rebirth in Sukhavati, one must still realize emptiness. Without realizing emptiness, one cannot realize one’s true nature, nor can one attain the state described in Vajrayāna.
We are ordinary beings now who recite Amitabha’s name. Once reborn in the pureland in the proper way, one immediately realizes the true nature of mind and attain the first Bhumi of Bodhisattva grounds. All Bodhisattvas in Sukhavati are at least first-stage Bodhisattvas.
Although we are ordinary beings now, when we are reborn in Sukhavati and see Amitābha Buddha, he places his hand upon our heads in blessing, the combination of his aspirations and our accumulated merit enables us to realize emptiness immediately, reaching the level of a first-stage Bodhisattva. Thus, pureland practice indirectly leads to the realization of emptiness, otherwise, Buddhahood would be out of reach.
After rebirth in Sukhavati, one is still a bodhisattva, not yet a Buddha, and must continue practicing to attain Buddhahood. Rebirth in Sukhavati can lead to realization for those who are reborn there in a proper manner. Are there improper rebirths? Yes, and this is why Chinese Buddhism speaks of the “nine grades of lotus.”
Tibetan Buddhism also teaches that if a person who recites Amitabha’s name lacks strong faith in the Pureland practice and still harbors doubts about whether rebirth in the Sukhavati is truly possible, they may still be reborn there if their recitation is good, but for a considerable period of time they are unable to see Amitābha Buddha. During that time, they remain an ordinary being. This is an improper rebirth.
Therefore, practitioners who recite Amitabha’s name must emphasize faith. Otherwise, although rebirth in the pureland might happen, one will not see Amitābha Buddha for a long time. Even so, one who goes to Sukhavati will not return to samsara but will remain in the pureland. Though temporarily unable to see Amitabha, eventually one will see him. Upon seeing the Buddha, one will realize emptiness and then continue one’s practice towards Buddhahood. Thus, the pureland path also requires realization, but it does not emphasize realization in this lifetime. Rather, realization occurs in Sukhavati. There is no path to Buddhahood without realizing emptiness.
On the other hand, Chan Buddhism emphasizes realizing the nature of mind or seeing the true ‘nature’. What is ‘nature’? ‘Nature’ refers to the ultimate nature of all phenomena. What is the true nature of all phenomena? The true nature of all phenomena is none other than the emptiness and luminosity of one’s own mind.
For example, when we look at a vase, is its colorful appearance its true nature? No. That is merely an illusion imputed and reinforced by our visual consciousness. Its true nature has never departed from emptiness and luminosity. Seeing the true nature means seeing the nature of our mind. Thus, Chan Buddhism also requires the realization of emptiness.
The realisation spoken of in Vajrayāna is no different from that spoken of in other traditions. Ignorance means not seeing emptiness; at the moment of realisation, one clearly experiences and understands emptiness. Only by realizing emptiness can one accomplish the practice.
From this perspective, Sutrayana and Vajrayana Buddhism are the same. both require renunciation, bodhicitta, and the realization of emptiness. In fact, no Mahāyāna tradition leaves out these three points.
