The Teachings of Pure Land Buddhism
Extensively plant roots of virtue. Do not violate the precepts of the Way. Practice patience and diligence. Be compassionate and single-minded. “Extensively plant roots of virtue.” “Plant” means to plant and nurture. As to “roots of virtue,” for Mahayana bodhisattvas, the basis of all virtues is the Six Paramitas. For Theravada practitioners, it is the Read More …
Rectify your mind. Rectify your behavior. Rectify your ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Behavior and mind should be pure and clean, and accord with virtuousness. Do not let your leisure pursuits or desires take control. Do not commit any evil deed. Speech and facial expressions should be gentle. Cultivation should be focused. Body and eye Read More …
Honor the sages and respect the virtuous. Have compassion and loving-kindness. “Honor the sages and respect the virtuous.” We should honor, admire, and emulate the sages of this world and beyond. We need to respect the people of virtue and good deeds in this world. We need to do our best to help others accomplish Read More …
Trivial matters can develop into matters of great angst and extreme severity. This is all due to a desire for wealth, lust, and an unwillingness to give. Each one thinks of nothing but one’s own enjoyment and disregards what is right or wrong. Compelled by ignorant desires, people want to benefit themselves and compete for Read More …
If in that environment, one can single-mindedly suppress one’s thoughts, correct one’s behavior and mind, have one’s deeds match one’s words, have one’s actions be of the utmost sincerity, do only good deeds, and commit no evils, then one will be liberated and obtain virtues and good fortune from these. “If in that environment, one Read More …
Between heaven and earth, the Five Paths are separate and distinct. Good retribution, bad retribution, good fortune, and misfortune intermingle continually with one another. One has to bear them alone. No one else can take one’s place. “Between heaven and earth, the Five Paths are separate and distinct.” “Between heaven and earth” refers to the Read More …
People in this world are indecisive and indolent. They are unwilling to do good deeds, be disciplined in their behavior, or cultivate [proper] karmas. They disobey their parents and rebel against their teachings. They are like foes to their parents, who may as well not have them as children. They are ungrateful, go against ethics, Read More …
People in this world do not think of practicing goodness. They use divisive speech, harsh speech, false speech, and enticing speech. They detest and are jealous of virtuous people. They discredit the worthy and the wise. They are not filial to their parents, and they are not respectful to their teachers and elders. They are Read More …
People in this world are born from interrelated karmic causes. How long can one live? Unvirtuous people are not proper in their behavior and thoughts. They usually harbor evil intentions and their minds are constantly preoccupied with immoral lust. Restlessness fills their minds, and their exterior persona reveals wantonness. They waste away their family fortune. Read More …
People in this world do not follow laws and rules. They are extravagant, indulge excessively in desires, and are arrogant—they willfully do whatever they want. Those who hold high positions are corrupted; they are not upright in their duties. They falsely incriminate others and harm loyal and upright people. What they think is contrary to Read More …