Introduction to Pureland Buddhism
Материал из Buddha World.
Time: January 22, 2012 from 10am to 4pm
Location: The Buddhist House
Street: 12 Coventry Road
City/Town: Narborough Leicester LE19 2GR
Phone: 0116 286 7476 or 0116 275 0756
Event Type: retreat
Organized By: Aramati and Rachel Mchugh
Take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy time to breathe, relax, call out to the Buddha of Infinite light and life and learn a little about chanting and the Nembutsu. The day will include sharing and practise and also have time for any questions you may want to ask. The retreat day is an introduction to Pureland Buddhism and will be led by Rachel Mchugh and Aramati. It is on Sunday 22 January 2012 10.00am to 4pm followed by Sunday service at 5pm then supper for anyone who wants to stay. Please bring vegetarian/ vegan food to share for lunch and let us know you are coming.
The Buddhist House is the home temple of Amida-shu a Pureland Buddhist community practising the Nembutsu and engaging in a diverse range of activities.
The Buddhist House is
A Dharma Centre for Other Power inspired arts and creativity
Home of the Amida religious community and a place to live and train full-time as a Buddhist.
Seminary for the education of Buddhist ministers, chaplains and priests
A place of retreat, therapy, study and reflection
Academy affiliated to the World Buddhist University
Course centre for Buddhist psychology and Buddhist studies
Centre for Other Power inspired arts and creativity
Base camp for socially engaged Buddhist work at home and overseas
Central office of the Amida Trust
Hub of activities for the Amida-shu and the Amida Order
The Buddhist House is in Narborough village, just south of the city of Leicester, in the very centre of England, with easy road and rail communications. The house itself is spacious and dates from about 1880. There is also an annex a few minutes walk away giving ample accommodation for the groups and courses sponsored by the Trust as well as the resident community of Order members and longer term visitors. The house is open to visitors for short or long stays.
Our Amida-shu is a rather "religious" form of Buddhism. That is not to everybody's taste, but it is very much to some people's. For those who are open to it, Amidism can touch a much deeper spot in their heart than any secularised presentation of Dharma is capable of. Buddha did not leave his Pure Land and appear in our Saha world simply to teach a self-help technique. He came to reveal the Unborn, the Light of Eternal Love.
Also, it makes no sense to dispute the ways of naming that which is "deeply interfused" and gives meaning to our lives. Because we are “religious Buddhists” we can find friends in other religious traditions. This is not something to be shy or ashamed about.
Amida's work is to be done here and now. It is even better to support the faith of another than to find faith oneself. There are innumerable people in this world who have a hunger for true spirituality. They are like people lost in a desert. The desert of our world is materialism. It is destroying our planet. With this in mind, I recently took the initiative to suggest the formation of a grouping called Green Amida that seems to have struck a chord.
We are a small religious denomination, but just as one nembutsu suffices, so one true heart redeems all people. We all have worldly troubles, but we all have one Other-worldly Light. Each of us aspires in their own way and each will be uniquely blessed.
The cold days of winter are soon to be past All the things of this life slip away Friends flourish and ail Yet Amida, without fail, Stands by our side through each day Until, self-forgetting, we find Him at last.
In a material sense what we can offer is tiny in comparison with the suffering that is found in the world. In a spiritual sense, however, the knowledge that others care and are willing to come is immensely strengthening to the local people. They themselves must repair the fabric of their lives for themselves, for those who come after, and for all of us, and it strengthens them in this to know that there are others who have faith in and with them. The spirit given us by Lord Buddha is the greatest gift we can offer.
It is like that in individual lives too. The will to rise above adversity springs from faith. Some have reached the state of anjin - faith that is settled - but, for many, faith itself is still conditional and fluctuates with circumstance. The ethos of those around us is a critical variable in this respect. This is why the Buddhas say, “Keep good company,” and exhort us to manage our relationships in an equable way. In this way we all support the faith of one another. Faith will always be tested, won’t it? It is the nature of life.
When suddenly there is nothing circumstantial to rely upon, we need that which transcends circumstances. Faith brings ease and reasonableness and so enables one to persevere in difficult times and become a source of strength to others when they are all at sea. Thus faith gives rise to compassion and practical wisdom, too. It brings consistency and strength into one’s life - an ability to act on principle and not simply be swayed by the dynamic of the group one happens to find oneself in. Shakyamuni Buddha often used the figure of crossing a river to express this point. The current is going a different way from the direction of the wader. He or she has to persist even when the current is crosswise or counter or swirling. The spiritual life is like that.
Thus each day we join together for our services. Performing a religious service regularly gives life a centre of gravity. I strongly recommend to every member of Amida-shu to have a service that you do at least several times per week. Depending upon your circumstances it may be short or long. When we chant the nembutsu we know that Amida hears us and we also know that we are in connection with all the other members of Amida-shu and with millions of other Pureland Buddhists around the world who also call Buddha’s Name.
Our Buddhism is not an individual thing. It is not about attaining or maintaining a particular state of mind. It is about being rescued from our self-centred life by Amida; by Buddha, Dharma and Sangha; by the thought of the Pure Land toward which all merit can be tranferred. Our services are not magic nor are they primarily about personal transformation - they are assurance and connection. They are refuge.
A service should always include chanting nembutsu and this may be in different rhythms or forms. Whether you say “Namo Amida Bu”, “Namo Amitabhaya”, “Namo Tassa...” , “Infinite Light...” , “Kimmyo Jinjipo Mugeko Nyorai”, or some other form is not what matters, though we usually say “Namo Amida Bu”. What matters is that you intend the nembutsu in your heart and express that intention with the voice. The Chinese character for “faith” combines the characters for “person” and “voice”. It shows a person standing by their word. Expressed true intention is the act of faith and it is the act of faith that brings complete assurance.
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