A Buddhist Journal

August 24, 2006

Setting Forth Pure Lands – 莊嚴淨土

 

Photo shows Lord Buddha (Tathagata) was turning the wheel of Dharma.
His top disciples Ananda and Gaya stood next to him. two (Quan-Yin and  Pu-Hsien)
Boddhisattvas and two Devas were lined-up aside.

These statues were created by monks at High Tang Dynasty and were
discovered in Mogao caves, DunHuang, China.
DunHuang is an acient busy city located on the silkroad. Buddhism was
brought into China through this passage from India.

金剛般若波羅蜜經
 
 
Diamond Sutra, Chapter 10.      

Setting Forth Pure Lands

Buddha said, “Subhuti, what do you think?
In the past, when the Tathagata was with Dipankara, the Fully
Enlightened One, did He learn any doctrines from him?”

“No, Lord. There is no such thing as a doctrine to be learned.”

“Subhuti, know also that if any Bodhisattva would say,
‘I will create a paradise,’ he would speak falsely.
And why?
Because a paradise cannot be created nor can it not be uncreated.“Know then, Subhuti, that all Bodhisattva lesser and greater,
should experience the pure mind which follows the extinction of ego.
Such a mind does not discriminate and make Judgment upon sound,
flavor, touch, odor, or any quality.


A Bodhisattva should develops a mind which forms no attachment
or aversion to anything.
“Suppose that a man were endowed with a huge body,
so huge that he had a personal presence like Sumeru,
king of mountains.Would his personal existence be great?”
“Yes, Lord. It would be great but ‘personal existence’ is just a name.
In reality, he would neither exist nor not exist.
+

+

Advertisement

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.