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52-484: The term "Pure Land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism ( Chinese : 淨土 ; pinyin : Jìngtǔ ). In Sanskrit Buddhist sources , the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field ( buddhakṣetra ) or more technically a pure buddha-field ( viśuddha-buddhakṣetra ). It is also known by the Sanskrit term buddhabhūmi (Buddha land). In Tibetan Buddhism meanwhile, the term "pure realms" (Wyl. dag pa'i zhing )

104-474: A "pure vision" of this realm as being the pure realm of the deity, along with the visualization of their chosen deity . To fail to do this at all times is a deviation from the tantric practice and the esoteric view taught in the tantras . As explained by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche : Mandalas , especially sand mandalas , are 'Pure Lands' and may be understood as Nirmāṇakāya , as are all murti , thangka and sacred tools that have consecrated, dedicated and

156-501: A historical figure like Gautama Buddha , rather than mythic or legendary, and as such Vimalakīrti is not commonly venerated on altars or in tantric rituals, but as a prehistoric Zen , i.e., Chan preacher. Both groups agree that the descriptions of his acts in the Vimalakirti Sutra were allegorical in nature. The Vimalakirti Sutra portrays Vimalakirti as the personification of skill in liberative techniques . Vimalakirti

208-537: A process of the development of lotus ( padma )-symbolism in Pure Land Buddhism. The final outcome of the thought was as follows: the aspirants of faith and assiduity are born transformed ( anupapāduka ) in the lotus flowers. But those with doubts are born into the lotus-buds. They stay in the calyx of a lotus ( garbhāvāsa ) for five hundred years without seeing or hearing the Three Treasures. Within

260-652: A schema of five main Buddhas (called the Five Tathāgatas ). In this schema, which is popular in Esoteric Buddhism and is organized as a mandala , there the five Pure Lands of the five key Buddhas are: In Chinese Buddhism , the Pure Land was commonly seen as a transcendent realm beyond the three realms (the desire realm, form realm and formless realm) into which one can be reborn after death. This view

312-769: A similar function to pure lands in Buddhism. This pure land is the realm of Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén also known by the longer title Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Savior from Suffering, the Great Emperor of Azure Radiance (青華大帝太乙救苦天尊). Taiyi, like Amitabha, is also said to provide salvation for all sentient beings in the 10 directions, with a different incarnation for each direction. Chinese Manichean texts also contain depictions of pure lands. There are various Pure Land worlds described in various texts of various Chinese folk religions and Chinese new religions . East Asian Buddhism East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana

364-479: A synthesis of these various views on the nature of the pure land. East Asian Buddhist thinkers taught various schemas which outlined different types or levels of the pure lands. One of the most influential of these was that taught in the Tiantai school which outlined four pure lands: In Japanese Pure land Buddhism meanwhile, a common distinction is between two main lands that Pure Land devotees can be reborn in:

416-581: A thousand years with the first woodblock printed edition being published in 983. A major modern edition of this canon is the Taishō Tripiṭaka , produced in Japan between 1924 and 1932. Besides sharing a canon of scripture, the various forms of East Asian Buddhism have also adapted East Asian values and practices which were not prominent in Indian Buddhism , such as Chinese ancestor veneration and

468-546: A wish to be reborn there. Other Buddhist monks, such as Xuyun , have also been known to have dreamt of going to the Inner Court of Tushita. Some Yiguandao followers claimed to have traveled there. The Inner Court of Tuṣita was historically a popular place for Buddhists to wish to be reborn in; however, the vast majority of Pure Land Buddhists today hope to be reborn in Sukhavati . Later Indian Buddhism developed

520-624: Is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed across East Asia and which rely on the Chinese Buddhist canon . These include the various forms of Chinese , Japanese , Korean , and Vietnamese Buddhism in East Asia . East Asian Buddhists constitute the numerically largest body of Buddhist traditions in the world, numbering over half of the world's Buddhists. East Asian forms of Buddhism all derive from sinicized Buddhist schools that developed during

572-479: Is already pure, we cannot see the purity of the world due to our delusion and afflictions (as per the Vimalakirti Sutra ). However, on attaining the higher bodhisattva stages, the purified mind will be able to witness the purity of this world, along with the majestic displays of the jeweled ground, divine flowers, and so on. Furthermore, Tibetan Vajrayana deity yoga methods require the yogi to maintain

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624-535: Is also associated with the Lotus Sutra assembly over Vulture Peak (靈鷲山釋迦淨土). While Zhiyi was chanting the Lotus Sutra , he saw the meeting of Gautama Buddha and bodhisattvas there. Nanyue Huisi (慧思大師) said, "Only you can know that, only I can prove you". According to the Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra , the whole universe is a vast pure buddha-field which has been purified by Vairocana Buddha. This

676-460: Is also called "other direction" or "western direction" pure land. This view of the Pure Land as an actual realm or place was defended by masters of Pure Land Buddhism like Shandao . Another interpretation of a Pure Land is that it is non-dual with our world since the whole world is mind-only . The Vimalakīrti Sutra was widely cited by exponents of this non-dual view of the Pure Land, often called "mind-only" Pure Land (wéixīn jìngtǔ 唯心淨土). This

728-856: Is also used as a synonym for buddhafield. The various traditions that focus on attaining rebirth in a Pure Land are often called Pure Land Buddhism . The English term is ambiguous. It can refer to a way of practice which is found in most Mahayana traditions which employ various means to attain birth in a pure land. This specific concept is termed the "Pure Land Dharma gate" (Ch: 淨土法門, Pinyin: jìngtǔ fǎmén) in East Asian Buddhism . The English term can also refer to specific Buddhist schools or sects which focus on Pure Land practice. Specifically these would be termed Jìngtǔzōng (淨土宗) in Chinese and Jōdo bukkyō in Japanese. Pure Lands are also found in

780-663: Is an array of billions of worlds in a lotus shape. Furthermore, Ghanavyūha (Dense Array or Secret Adornment) is considered to be the supreme pure buddhafield specific to Vairocana . It appears in Mahayana sutras like the Ghanavyūha Sutra . According to this sutra, by following virtuous teachers, hearing and contemplating Buddha Dharma, and letting go of all concepts and craving, one can be reborn there, achieve enlightenment, and manifest in countless ways to help all beings. In East Asian Esoteric Buddhist traditions, like Shingon ,

832-607: Is far away and is called "Unsurpassable" (Chinese: Wúshèng 無勝). The Buddha manifests from his Pure Land into our world in order to teach the Dharma. Under the influence of the Lotus Sutra , Japanese Buddhist schools like the Tendai and Nichiren schools saw Śākyamuni's pure land as being continuous with this supposedly impure world. This pure land was called "Jakkōdo" (寂光土, Land of Tranquil Light). Śākyamuni Buddha 's pure land

884-522: Is impure. Numerous Mahayana sutras , such as the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā , Lankavatara , Vimalakirti , and Lotus Sutras , also state that this dualism between purity and impurity is illusory and instead state that even this world is a pure buddha-field. Thus, according to the Vimalakirti , this seemingly impure world is actually pure. It only appears impure because

936-463: Is inhabited by people with enlightened pure minds then it is a Pure Land." Numerous Mahayana sources also connect the concept of a purified buddhafield ( pariśuddha - buddhakṣetra ) with the purity of one's own mind. Hence, the Vimalakirti sutra states: "the bodhisattva who wishes to purify his buddhakṣetra should, first of all, skillfully adorn his own mind. And why? Because to the extent that

988-452: Is interfused with all worlds in the multiverse and indeed with all phenomena (dharmas). This view of the Buddha's Pure Land is inconceivable and all pervasive. Since for Fazang, the entire Dharma realm is visible within each particle in the universe, the Pure Land is therefore contained in every phenomena and is non-dual with our world. Later Chinese thinkers similarly attempted to synthesize

1040-405: Is respectful to everyone he interacts with including the Buddha however he is not intimidated by them either. He also claims himself to be among the "Great Sorcerers" and is capable of performing miraculous feats to teach fellow practitioners. In Chinese Chan Buddhist monasteries, a common word for abbot is Fāngzhàng (方丈) meaning "one square zhàng (equal to ten square feet)", a reference to

1092-578: Is the basis, ground, or "source" ( Tibetan : ཆོས་འབྱུང , Wylie : chos 'byung ; Sanskrit: dharmodaya ), the true nature of reality, out which all buddhas and buddhafields arise. Tibetan Buddhism also holds that this world is also a pure land, since samsara and nirvana are non-dual . Specifically, our world is the pure land of the Sambhoghakaya Vairocana Buddha, as stated in the Avatamsaka sutra . Though our realm

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1144-491: Is the view of Pure Land which is found in the Chinese Huayan tradition. According to this view, our world is just one small part of this universal Pure Land which is named: "Ocean of worlds, whose surface and inside are decorated with an arrangement of flowers" (Sanskrit: Kusumatalagarbha-vyūhālamkāra-lokadhātusamudra ). It is also called the "Lotus Treasury World" (Chinese: 華蔵世界, Skt. Padmagarbha-lokadhātu ), since it

1196-684: The Han dynasty and the Song dynasty , and therefore are influenced by Chinese culture and philosophy . The spread of Buddhism to East Asia was aided by the trade networks of the Silk Road and the missionary work of generations of Indian and Asian Buddhists. Some of the most influential East Asian traditions include Chan (Zen) , Nichiren Buddhism , Pure Land , Huayan , Tiantai , and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism . These schools developed new, uniquely East Asian interpretations of Buddhist texts and focused on

1248-552: The Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16th century, leading to a slow period of recovery that lasted into the 20th century. The Seon school, derived from Chinese Chan Buddhism , was introduced in the 7th century and grew to become the most widespread form of modern Korean Buddhism, with the Jogye Order and Taego Order as its two main branches. Bordering southern China, Buddhism may have first come to Vietnam as early as

1300-682: The "three pure land sutras", the main sources for East Asian Pure Land Buddhism: the Smaller Sukhāvatī-vyūha (T 366), the Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra , and the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra ( i.e. The Contemplation Sutra ). According to Mahayana scriptures, in his past life, Amitabha was a devoted king of a joyous kingdom in a distant eon who renounced his throne to become a monk and vowed to attain buddhahood . He made forty-eight vows which focus on

1352-507: The 'deity' ( yidam ) invoked and requested to reside. Some namkha are Pure Lands. According to Nirmāṇakāya (as tulku ) theory, nirmanakaya spontaneously arise due to the intention, aspiration, faith and devotion of the sangha . Chinese Daoism adopted the idea of heaven realms similar to pure lands from Chinese Buddhism. One popular afterlife in Chinese Daoism is the pure land of eternal bliss (Chánglè Jìngtǔ, 長樂淨土). It has

1404-459: The 3rd or 2nd century BCE from the Indian subcontinent or from China in the 1st or 2nd century CE. Vietnamese Buddhism was influenced by certain elements of Taoism , Chinese spirituality , and Vietnamese folk religion . Vimalakirti Vimalakīrti ( Sanskrit : विमल vimala "stainless, undefiled" + कीर्ति kīrti "fame, glory, reputation") is a bodhisattva and

1456-614: The 8th century, the Chan school began to emerge, eventually becoming the most influential Buddhist school in East Asia and spreading throughout the region. Buddhism was officially introduced to Japan from China and Korea during the 5th and 6th centuries AD. In addition to developing their own versions of Chinese and Korean traditions (such as Zen , a Japanese form of Chan and Shingon , a form of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism), Japan developed their own indigenous traditions like Tendai , based on

1508-591: The Chinese Tiantai , Nichiren , and Jōdo Shinshū (a Pure Land school). Buddhism was introduced to Korea from China during the 4th century, where it began to be practiced alongside indigenous shamanism. Following strong state support in the Goryeo era, Buddhism was suppressed during the Joseon period in favor of Neo-Confucianism . Suppression was finally ended due to Buddhist participation in repelling

1560-1034: The Confucian view of filial piety . East Asian Buddhist monastics generally follow the monastic rule known as the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya . One major exception is some schools of Japanese Buddhism where Buddhist clergy sometimes marry, without following the traditional monastic code or Vinaya . This developed during the Meiji Restoration , when a nationwide campaign against Buddhism forced certain Japanese Buddhist sects to change their practices. Buddhism in China has been characterized by complex interactions with China's indigenous religious traditions, Taoism and Confucianism , and varied between periods of institutional support and repression from governments and dynasties. Buddhism

1612-448: The Dharma and where sentient beings can be reborn into (due to their good karmic acts). A buddha-field is a place where bodhisattvas can more easily progress spiritually on the bodhisattva path. Jan Nattier has argued that this idea became popular because the traditional understanding of the extreme length of the bodhisattva path seemed very difficult and training under a buddha in a buddha-field (especially prepared to train bodhisattvas)

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1664-575: The Pure Lands may be different, with a day in one Pure Land being equivalent to years in another. Mahayana sources speak of three kinds of buddha-fields: pure, impure, and mixed. An example of an "impure" field is often this world (called Sahā – “the world to be endured"), Sakyamuni's field. Purified fields include Amitabha's buddha-field of Sukhavati . Some sutras say that Sakyamuni chose to come to an impure world due to his vast compassion. However, not all Mahayana texts agree that Sakyamuni's world

1716-643: The Transformed Land and the Fulfilled Land. Shinran (1173 – 1263), the founder of Jōdo Shinshū , discusses this theory, drawing on the teachings of Shandao . Shinran's schema is as follows: According to Hanshan Deqing (1546–1623), there are three kinds of Pure Lands (associated with the trikaya , the three bodies of the buddha): In Tibetan Buddhism, buddhafields (Skt. buddhakṣetra ; Wylie : sangs rgyas kyi zhing ) or pure realms (Wyl. dag pa'i zhing ) are understood as realms arising due to

1768-475: The arising of a purified buddha-field, which is the manifestation and reflection of a Buddha's activity. Mahayana sources state that bodhisattvas like Avalokiteśvara and Manjushri will obtain their own buddha-fields after they attain full buddhahood . In the Lotus Sutra , Buddha's close followers, such as Śāriputra , Mahākāśyapa , Subhuti , Maudgalyāyana and Buddha's son Rāhula are also predicted to attain their own Pure Lands. The relative time-flow in

1820-571: The central figure in the Vimalakirti Sutra , which presents him as the ideal Mahayana Buddhist upāsaka ("lay practitioner") and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha (6th to 5th century BCE). There is no mention of him in Buddhist texts until after Nāgārjuna (1st century BCE to 2nd century CE) revived Mahayana Buddhism in India . The Mahayana Vimalakirti Sutra also spoke of

1872-581: The city of Vaisali as where the lay Licchavi bodhisattva Vimalakirti was residing. The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra characterizes Vimalakīrti as a wealthy patron of Gautama Buddha residing in the ancient city of Vaishali which is now situated in the Indian state of Bihar . There is an ongoing debate as to the historicity of Vimalakirti with modern scholars grouping him with other figures in Mahayana literature, such as Avalokiteśvara and other bodhisattvas. Traditional scholars, however, take him to be

1924-629: The closed lotus-flowers they enjoy pleasures as though they were playing in a garden or palace. Sukhāvatī ("The Blissful") is by far the most popular pure land in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism . It is also the main goal of Pure Land Buddhism , which is centered around faith and devotion to Amitābha Buddha as the means of attaining rebirth in his pure land. It is also a popular pure land in Tibetan Buddhism as well. The key canonical teachings on Sukhāvatī are found in

1976-411: The deluded and impure minds of sentient beings perceive it like that. As Paul Williams explains: "The impurity that we see is the result of impure awareness, and also the Buddha's compassion in creating a world within which impure beings can grow. Thus the real way to attain a Pure Land is to purify one's own mind. Put another way, we are already in the Pure Land if we but knew it. Whatever the realm, if it

2028-517: The deluded hope to be born in a faraway land in the west, while the wise who know their nature is empty seek the Pure Land by purifying their minds. These two views of the Pure Land led to many debates in Chinese Buddhism . In a similar fashion, according to the Huayan school patriarch Fazang , the ultimate view of the Buddha's Pure Land (derived from the Avatamsaka sutra ) is that it

2080-512: The dual mandalas of the Vajradhatu and Garbhadhatu mandalas are considered to be the representation of the buddhafield of Mahāvairocana Buddha, the supreme cosmic Buddha. The "Inner Court of Tushita" (兜率內院) is Maitreya's pure land, which is actually located in the deva realm of Tuṣita. Some Buddhist scriptures have noted that Maitreya is currently teaching at the Inner Court of Tuṣita. Some Buddhist Masters, such as Xuanzang , expressed

2132-498: The greatness of his future pure land, pledging that he would not accept buddhahood if any of these vows went unfulfilled. The vows are dedicated to establishing a pure realm accessible to all beings who aspired to be reborn there. This monk would ultimately become Buddha Amitabha. His vows were grounded in hearing his name ("Amitabha"), establishing virtue, and dedicating merit toward rebirth in this pure land. Some Mahayana sutra teachings say that after Amitabha attains final nirvana ,

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2184-470: The intention and aspiration of a buddha or bodhisattva. They are also understood to manifest effortlessly and spontaneously from the Buddha qualities. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is generally held there are two main types of pure lands or buddhafields: All buddhafields are understood as ultimately arising from the Dharmakāya , the foundational aspect of the "triple body" of Buddhahood ( trikaya ). The Dharmakāya

2236-451: The mind of a bodhisattva is pure is his buddhakṣetra purified." Nakamura (1980, 1987: p. 207) establishes the Indian background of the padma imagery of the field which is evident iconographically, as well as in motif and metaphor: The descriptions of Pure Land in Pure Land sutras were greatly influenced by Brahmin and Hindu ideas and the topological situation in India. There was

2288-533: The non-Buddhist traditions of Taoism and Bon . The Mahavastu defines a buddha-field as a realm where "a tathagata , a holy one, fully and perfectly enlightened , is to be found, lives, exists and teaches the Dharma , for the benefit and happiness of the great body of beings, men and gods." The Indian Mahayana sutras describe many buddha-fields. Mahayana sources hold that there are an infinite number of buddhas, each with their own buddha-field where they teach

2340-428: The primary religious texts for other countries in the region. Early Chinese Buddhism was influenced by translators from Central Asia who began the translation of large numbers of Tripitaka and commentarial texts from India and Central Asia into Chinese . Early efforts to organize and interpret the wide range of texts received gave rise to early Chinese Buddhist schools like the Huayan and Tiantai schools. In

2392-502: The rest of East Asia at large. Such religious transmissions were able to be afforded to enable the inexorable percolation of Buddhism into East Asia over a millennia due to the vibrant cultural exchanges that were able to be made at that time as a result of the Silk Road . Chinese Buddhism has strongly influenced the development of Buddhism in other East Asian countries, with the Chinese Buddhist Canon serving as

2444-474: The study of Mahayana sutras . According to Paul Williams, this emphasis on the study of the sutras contrasts with the Tibetan Buddhist attitude which sees the sutras as too difficult unless approached through the study of philosophical treatises ( shastras ). The texts of the Chinese Buddhist Canon began to be translated in the second century and the collection continued to evolve over a period of

2496-610: The successors of Amitabha in Sukhāvatī will be Avalokiteśvara , followed by Mahāsthāmaprāpta . There are numerous East Asian texts discussing the various experiences of Pure Land Buddhists who have gone to the Pure land or had a vision of Sukhavati. Some Buddhists and followers of other religions claimed to have seen Sukhavati and numerous East Asian popular faiths and cults also discuss Sukhavati. The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states that Śākyamuni Buddha has his own Pure Land which

2548-441: The two ideas. Yúnqī Zhūhóng (1535–1615) saw the Pure Land as an actual place which is a useful upaya (skill means) created by the Buddha. Once beings reach this realm, they realize that it is just the Buddha mind, and that the Buddha's wisdom was not ever separate from their own mind. Real sages can see that both ideas are interconnected and thus can affirm both without any conflict. Similarly, Hānshān Déqīng (c. 1546–1623) taught

2600-731: Was commonly defended by masters of the Chan / Zen school, but was also accepted by some figures of the Pure Land school and the Yogacara school . Another sutra which teaches the view that the pure land is mainly a kind of pure mind or wisdom (i.e. the five wisdoms ) is the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra (Scripture on the Buddha Land, Ch: 佛說佛地經, Taishō Tripitaka no. 680). In the Platform Sutra for example, Huineng states that only

2652-495: Was first introduced to China during the Han dynasty , at a time when the Han empire expanded its nascent corresponding geopolitical influence into the reaches of Central Asia. Opportunities for vibrant cultural exchanges and trade contacts along the Silk Road and sea trade routes with the Indian subcontinent and maritime Southeast Asia made it inevitable that the percolation of Buddhism would penetrate into China and gradually into

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2704-453: Was seen as a faster way to buddhahood, known as stream winning. Sentient beings who are reborn in these pure buddha-fields due to their good karma also contribute to the development of a Buddha-field, as can bodhisattvas who are able to travel there. These buddha-fields are therefore powerful places which are very advantageous to spiritual progress. According to Indian sources, the bodhisattva path, by ending all defilements , culminates in

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