Delve into the depths of Pure Land Buddhism with "Going Home to the Pure Land." Now, journey deeper into the profound teachings of the Amitabha Sutra alongside Great Master Ouyi, a revered figure in Buddhist tradition. Discover the hidden meanings behind the descriptions of the Western Pure Land and gain practical insights for your spiritual practice. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to Pure Land Buddhism, this book offers a concise yet illuminating guide to unlocking the mysteries of enlightenment.

In what appears to be a long time ago, in the summer of 1990, a friend drew our attention to a manuscript anthologizing the teachings of two eminent Chinese masters of the sixteenth century. We recall reading through the text with keen interest, hoping that it would soon become widely available. • The matter then skipped our minds as we busied ourselves, in the intervening years, with editing and publishing the four-volume Pure Land Series of the Sutra Translation Committee. One thing leading to another, in early 1993, we were reminded of the manuscript, still unpublished at the time, and opened discussions in earnest with the translator, Dr. J.C. Cleary. One more year would go by, however, before the matter was finally settled, thanks in large part to the assistance of Master Lok To and Mr. Lee Tsu-ku. Causes and conditions having finally met, we believe that the reader will find Dr. Cleary's translation a lucid and inspiring text on Pure Land - a Buddhist tradition widely followed in Asia but little known in the West. The present volume contains Dr. Cleary's original manuscript, except for the section on Master Chu-hung's "Answers to Forty-Eight Questions on the Pure Land," which is being considered for a separate publication. Transcription of names is in the Wade-Giles system to conform to other works in this Pure Land Series. *** To those pressed for time and hungry for solace, Buddha Sakyamuni left behind a treasure trove of 84,000 Dharma gems. All of them are rare, exquisite and priceless, beyond mankind's deepest and wildest dreams; Whatever gem strikes your fancy, be it the brilliant Zen diamond or the fiery Esoteric ruby, do not forget the translucent green jade of Pure Land, bestowed upon Sudhana - the quintessential seeker of the Way. In the words of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Sudhana's fifty­ third and last teacher in the Avatamsaka Sutra: The supreme and endless blessings of Samantabhadra's deeds, I now universally transfer. May every living being, drowning and adrift, Soon return to the Land of Limitless Light -· of Amitabha Buddha!

Before his passing, Venerable Master Miao Lien urged his disciples to cultivate their original “Mind of Great Compassion.” This can only be realized, he said, “by practicing the Dharma sincerely and honestly.” In publishing this book, Lingyen Mountain Temple’s wish is that everyone can take up the Venerable Master’s challenge and “make the courageous resolve to help others as well as your¬self to obtain liberation.” “You don’t think you can’t do it,” the Venerable Master said, “because you feel you are just an ordinary person and dare not make great vows.” Let A Compassionate Life inspire you to cultivate your Mind of Great Compassion courageously and continuously, so we can all follow the Venerable Master from this sea of suffering to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

After the demise of the historical Buddha, His teachings spread in two main directions, southward (Theravada tradition) and eastward into China, Vietnam, Ko- rea, Japan (Mahayana tradition). In East Asia, these teachings developed into ten different schools, several of which remained important to this day: Zen, Tantric and Pure Land. Pure Land is by far the most widespread form of Buddhism in East Asia. All these schools teach the same basic truth: “Do not what is evil, do what is good, keep the mind pure.” True to this spirit, the Pure Land approach is simple and straightforward. Through mindfulness of the Buddha (i.e. Buddha Recitation), the practitioner can calm his mind and achieve samadhi and wisdom. Thus reborn in the Pure Land (i.e., in his pure Mind), he will eventually attain Buddhahood. This is also the core teaching, the very essence, of Zen and all other Mahayana schools. As D.T. Suzuki has pointed out, “the psychological effects of the repetition of the holy name are close to the effects of Zen meditation.” This notwithstanding, the main emphasis of the Pure Land school lies elsewhere. Pure Land provides a safety net, a refuge of last resort for everyone, through the compassion of Amitabha Buddha – through His Vows. Taken together, these two concepts of the Pure Land – as Mind and as a transcendental land – “effectively brought ... within the reach of all men the deliverance taught by Sakyamuni” (Allan A. Andrews). But why do we have to purify the mind and seek deliverance? It is because in the wasteland of Birth and Death, subject to the three poisons of greed, anger and delusion, we all undergo suffering – the ultimate suffering being, of course, death. Echoing this conclusion, a well-known American professor made this observation about the motivation of Western Buddhists: Probably the majority of non-Orientals who become practicing Buddhists do so because of an overriding need for relief from suffering. Sometimes the suffering is physical, but more often it is emotional and often psychosoma- tic. The individual practicing meditation, chanting, or any kind of Buddhist “self-cultivation” is motivated by a need for symptomatic relief, mitigation of anxiety and depression, reduction of hostility ... (Emma McCloy Layman, Buddhism in America, p. 269) This is precisely why Buddha Sakyamuni, when preaching the Four Noble Truths to Kaundinya and his friends, taught them first the Truth of Suffering. The letters of Master Yin Kuang address this issue squarely. If you are suffering and if you realistically discover that you have only average motivation, fortitude and self-discipline, then Pure Land is for you. Pure Land is about suffering and the liberation from suffering. This book consists of excerpts of selected letters by the Patriarch Yin Kuang [...]. Each letter can be considered a unit in itself [...]. Please note that in this text, the expressions “Buddha Recitation” and “Buddha’s name” refer specifically to Amitabha Buddha. [...] Here, then, are the letters of the Patriarch Yin Kuang. We hope the Western reader will enjoy and benefit from them, as several generations of Eastern readers have. As a Zen Master has written in another context, “read them once, read them twice and look for the same thing that Bodhidharma brought to China: look for the print of the Mind.”

Step into the rare world of Buddhadharma with Venerable Master Chin Kung, who has dedicated over sixty years to sharing profound teachings. "Rare Gems of Wisdom" is a curated collection by devoted students, offering a taste of the Master's insights. With over fifty years of patient and clear guidance, Master Chin Kung's wisdom, drawn from talks and writings, is presented as a treasure trove for seekers of true happiness. This book is a heartfelt tribute, capturing a fraction of the transformative wisdom shared by the Master since the early 1990s. Explore the essence of Buddhadharma in this condensed volume, an invitation to savor the rare gems of enlightenment.