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Building A Buddha Land
I - The Harmony Of Brotherhood
1. Let us imagine a desert country lying in absolute darkness with many living things swarming blindly about in it.
Naturally they will be frightened and as they run about without recognizing one another during the night, there will be frequent squirming and loneliness. This is indeed a pitiful sight.
Then let us imagine that suddenly a superior man with a torch appears and everything around becomes bright and clear.
The living beings in the dark solitude suddenly find a great relief as they look about to recognize one another and happily share their companionship.
By "a desert country" is meant a world of human life when it lies in the darkness of ignorance. Those who have no light of wisdom in their minds wander about in loneliness and fear. They were born alone and die alone; t do not know how to associate with their fellow men in peaceful harmony, and they are naturally despondent and fearful.
By "a superior man with torch" is meant Buddha a among a human form, and by His wisdom and coming He illumines the world.
In this light people find themselves as well as others are glad to establish human fellowship and harmonious relations.
Thousands of people may live in a community but it of one of real fellowship until they know each other have sympathy for one another.
A true community has faith and wisdom that illuminate it. It is a place where the people know and trust one another and where there is social harmony.
In fact, harmony is the life and real meaning of a e community or an organization.
2. Of organizations, there are three kinds.
Of course, the third or last of these is the only true organization, for in it the members live in one spirit, from which the unity of spirit and various kinds of virtue will arise. In such an organization there will prevail harmony, satisfaction and happiness.
Enlightenment is like rain that falls on a mountain and gathers into rivulets that run into brooks, and then into rivers which finally flow into the ocean.
The rain of the sacred teaching falls on all people alike without regard to their conditions or circumstances. Those who accept it gather into small groups, then into organizations, then into communities and, finally, find themselves in the great Ocean of Enlightenment.
The minds of these people mix like milk and water and finally organize into a harmonious Brotherhood.
Thus, the true teaching is the fundamental requirement of a perfect organization and, as mentioned above, it is the light which enables people to recognize one another, to become adjusted to one another and to smooth. out the rough places in their thinking.
Thus, the organization that is formed on the perfect teachings of Buddha can be called a Brotherhood.
They should observe these teachings and train their minds accordingly. Thus, the Buddha's Brotherhood will theoretically include everyone, but, in fact, only those who have the same religious faith are members.
3. The Buddha's Brotherhood will have two types of members: - there will be those who are teaching the lay members, and those who are supporting the teachers by offering the needed food and clothing. They together will disseminate and perpetuate the teaching.
Then, to make the Brotherhood complete, there must be perfect harmony among the members. The teachers teach the members and the members honor the teachers so that there can be harmony between them.
Members of the Buddha's Brotherhood should associate together with affectionate sympathy, being happy to live together with fellow-followers, and seeking to become one in spirit.
4. There are six things that will help to lead a Brotherhood to harmony. They are: first, sincerity of speech; second, sincerity and kindness of action; third, sincerity and sympathy of spirit; fourth, equal sharing of common property; fifth, following the same pure precepts; and sixth, all having right views.
Among these things, the sixth or "all having right views" forms the nucleus, with the other five serving as wrappings for it.
There are two sets of seven rules to be followed if the Brotherhood is to be a success. The first is, as a group:
A Brotherhood that follows these rules will never decline.
The second is, individually each should:
If its members follow these rules, the Brotherhood will endure and never decline.
5. As mentioned above, a Brotherhood should maintain harmony in its very essence; therefore, one without harmony can not be called a brotherhood. Each member should be on guard not to be the cause of discord. I f discord appears it should be removed as early as possible, for discord will soon ruin any organization.
Blood stains can not be removed by more blood resentment can not be removed by more resentment; resentment can be removed only by forgetting it.
6. Once there was a king named Calamity, whose country was conquered by a neighboring warlike king named Brahmadatta. King Calamity, after hiding with his wife and son for a time, was captured but fortunately his son, the prince, could escape.
The prince tried to find some way of saving his father but in vain. On the day of his father's execution, the prince in disguise made his way into the execution ground where he could do nothing but watch in mortification the death of his ill-fated father.
The father noticed his son in the crowd and muttered as if talking to himself, "Do not search for a long time; do not act hastily; resentment can be calmed only by forgetting it."
Afterward, the prince sought after some way of revenge for a long time. At last he was employed as an attendant in the Brahmadatta's palace and came to win the king's favors.
On a day when the king went hunting, the prince sought some opportunity for revenge. The prince was able to lead his master into a lonely place, and the king, being very weary, fell asleep with his head on the lap of the prince, so fully had he come to trust the prince.
The prince drew his dagger and placed it at the king's throat but then hesitated. The words his father had expressed at the moment of his execution flashed into his mind and although he tried again he could not kill the king. Suddenly the king awoke and told the prince that he had had a bad dream in which the son of King Calamity was trying to kill him.
The prince, flourishing the dagger .in his hand, hastily grasped the king and, identifying himself as the son of King Calamity, declared that the time had finally come for him to avenge his father. Yet he could not do so, and suddenly he cast his dagger down and fell on his knees in front of the king.
When the king heard the prince's story and the final words of his father, he was very impressed and apologized to the prince. Later, he restored the former kingdom to the prince and their two countries came to live in friendship for a long time.
The dying words of King Calamity, "Do not search for a long time," mean that resentment should not be cherished for long, and "Do not act hastily" mean that friendship should not be broken hastily.
Resentment can not be satisfied by resentment; it can only be removed by forgetting it.
In the fellowship of a Brotherhood that is based on the harmony of right teaching, every member should always appreciate the spirit of this story.
Not only the members of the Brotherhood but also people in general should appreciate and practise this spirit in their daily lives.
II - The Buddha's Land
1. As has been explained, if a Brotherhood does not forget its duty of spreading Buddha's teaching and of living in harmony, it will steadily grow larger and its teaching will spread more widely.
This means that more and more people will be seeking Enlightenment, and it also means that the evil armies of greed, anger, and foolishness, which are led by the devil of ignorance and lust, will begin to retreat, and that wisdom, light, faith and joy will dominate.
The devil's dominion is full of greed, darkness, struggling, fighting, swords and bloodshed, and is replete with jealousy, prejudice, hatred, cheating, flattering, fawning, secrecy and abuse.
Now suppose that the light of wisdom shines upon that dominion, and the rain of compassion falls upon it, and faith begins to take root, and the blossoms of joy begin to spread their fragrance. Then that devil's domain will turn into Buddha's Pure Land.
And just like a soft breeze and a few blossoms on a branch that tell the coming of spring, so when a man attains Enlightenment, grass, trees, mountains, rivers and all other things begin to throb with new life.
If a man's mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.
2. In a land where the true teaching prevails, every dweller has a pure and tranquil mind. Indeed, Buddha's compassion untiringly benefits all people, and His shining spirit exorcizes all impurities from their minds.
A pure mind soon becomes a deep mind, a mind that is commensurate with the Noble Path, a mind that loves to give, a mind that loves to keep the precepts, an enduring mind, a zealous mind, a calm mind, a wise mind, a compassionate mind, a mind that leads people to Enlightenment by many and skillful means. Thus shall the Buddha's Land be built.
A home with one's wife and children is transformed into a home where Buddha is present; a country that suffers because of social distinctions is likewise transformed into a fellowship of kindred spirits.
A golden palace that is blood-stained can not be the abiding place for Buddha. A small but where the moonlight leaks in through chinks in the roof can be transformed into a place where Buddha will abide, if the mind of its master is pure.
When a Buddha Land is founded upon the pure mind of a single man, that single pure mind draws other kindred minds to itself in the fellowship of a brotherhood. Faith in Buddha spreads from individual to family, from family to village, from village to towns, to cities, to countries, and finally to the whole world.
Indeed, earnestness and faithfulness in spreading the teaching of the Dharma are what build the Buddha Land.
3. To be sure, when viewed from one angle, the world with all its greed and injustice and bloodshed appears as a devil's world; but, as people come to believe in Buddha's Enlightenment, blood will be turned into milk and greed into compassion, and then, the devil's land becomes a Buddha Land of Purity.
It seems an impossible task to empty an ocean with a small ladle, but the determination to do it, even if it takes many, many lives, is the mind with which one should receive Buddha's Enlightenment.
Buddha is waiting on the other shore; that is, His world of Enlightenment, wherein there is no greed, no anger, no ignorance, no suffering, no agony, but where there are only the light of wisdom and the rain of compassion.
It is a land of peace, a refuge for those who suffer and who are in sorrow and agony; a place of rest for those who take a break in their spreading of the teachings of the Dharma.
In this Pure Land there are boundless Light and everlasting Life. Those who reach this haven will never return to the world of delusion.
Indeed, this Pure Land, where the flowers perfume the air with wisdom and the birds sing the holy Dharma is the final destination for all mankind.
4. Though this Pure Land is the place for taking rest, it is not the place for idleness. Its beds of fragrant flowers are not for slothful indolence, but are the places for refreshment and rest, where one regains energy and zeal to continue the Buddha's mission of Enlightenment.
Buddha's mission is everlasting. As long as men live and creatures exist, and as long as selfish and defiled minds create their own worlds and circumstances, there will be no end to His mission.
The children of Buddha, who have crossed to the Pure Land by means of the great power of Amida, may be zealous to return to the land whence they came and where they still have ties. There they will take their part in the Buddha's mission.
As the light of a small candle will spread from one to another in succession, so the light of Buddha's compassion will pass on from one mind to another endlessly.
The children of Buddha, realizing His spirit of compassion, adopt His task of Enlightenment and Purification, and pass it on from one generation to another in order to make the Buddha's Land glorified eternally and forever.
III - Those Who Have Received Glory In Buddha's Land
1. Syamavati, the consort of King Udayana, was deeply devoted to Buddha.
She lived in the innermost courts of the palace and did not go out, but her maid, Uttara, who had an excellent memory, used to go out and attend the Buddha's preachings.
On her return, the maid would repeat to the Queen the teachings of the Blessed One, and thus the Queen deepened her wisdom and faith.
The second wife of the King was jealous of the first wife and sought to kill her. She slandered her to the King until finally he believed her and sought to kill his first wife, Syamavati.
Queen Syamavati stood in front of the King so calmly that he had no heart to kill her. Regaining control of himself he apologized to her for his distrust.
The jealousy of the second wife increased and she sent wicked men to set fire to the innermost courts of the palace during the King's absence from home. Syamavati remained calm, quieted and encouraged the bewildered maids, and then, without fear, died peacefully in the spirit she had learned from the Blessed One. Uttara died with her in the fire.
Among the many women disciples of Buddha, these two were most highly honored: Queen Syamavati as a compassionate spirit and her maid, Uttara, as a good listener.
2. Prince Mahanama, of the Shakya clan and a cousin of Buddha, had great faith in the teachings of Buddha and was one of his most faithful followers.
At that time a violent king named Virudaka of Kosala conquered the Shakya clan. Prince Mahanama went to the King and sought the lives of his people, but the King would not listen to him. He then proposed that the King would let as many prisoners escape as could run away while he himself remained underwater in a near-by pond.
To this the King assented, thinking that the time would be very short for him to be able to stay underwater.
The gate of the castle was opened as Mahanama dived into the water and the people rushed for safety. But Mahanama did not come up, sacrificing his life for the lives of his people by tying his hair to the underwater root of a willow tree.
3. Utpalavarna was a famous nun whose wisdom was compared with that of Maudgalyayana, a great disciple of Buddha. She was, indeed, the nun of all nuns and was always their leader, never tiring of teaching them.
Devadatta was a very wicked and cruel man who poisoned the mind of King Ajatasatru and persuaded him to turn against the teachings of Buddha. But later, King Ajatasatru repented, broke off his friendship with Devadatta, and became a humble disciple of Buddha.
At one time when Devadatta was repulsed from the castle gate in an attempt to see the King, he met Utpalavarna coming out. It made him very angry, so he struck and seriously wounded her.
She returned to her convent in great pain and when the other nuns tried to console her she said to them: "Sisters, human life is the unforeseen, everything is transient and egoless. Only the world of Enlightenment is tranquil and peaceful. You must keep on with your training." Then she passed away quietly.
4. Angulimalya, once a terrible bandit who had killed many people, was saved by the Blessed One, and he became one of His disciples.
One day he went begging in a town and endured much hardship and suffering for his past evil deeds.
The villagers fell upon him and beat him severely, but he went back to the Blessed One with his body still bleeding, falling at His feet and thanking Him for the opportunity that had come to him to suffer for his former cruel deeds.
He said, "Blessed One, my name originally was `No Harming,' but because of my ignorance, I took many precious lives, and from each I took a finger; because of that, I came to be called Angulimalya, the collector of fingers!
"Then, through your compassion, I learned wisdom and became devoted to the three treasures of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Samgha. When a man drives a horse or a cow he has to use a whip or a rope, but you, the Blessed One, purified my mind without the use of whip or rope or hook.
"Today, Blessed One, I have suffered only what was my due. I do not wish to live, I do not wish to die. I only wait for my time to come."
5. Maudgalyayana, together with the venerable Sariputra, was one of the Buddha's two greatest disciples. When the teachers of other religions saw that the pure water of the Buddha's teachings was spreading among the people and found the people eagerly drinking it, they became jealous and applied various hindrances to his preaching.
But none of the hindrances could stop or prevent his teaching from spreading widely. The followers of the other religions attempted to kill Maudgalyayana.
Twice he escaped but the third time he was surrounded by many heathens and fell under their blows.
Sustained by Enlightenment, he calmly received their blows, and though his flesh was torn and his bones crushed, lie died peacefully.
