"In the Record of Holy Chu-lin
Temple, it is recorded: 'While Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra and Bodhisattva Manjusri sat facing each other in the
east and west and were revealing the wondrous teachings to a
multitude of sentient beings in the great hall of Chu-lin Temple on
Mount Wut'ai, the meditation master Fachao kneeled and asked
Bodhisattva Manjusri, 'What sort of teaching would make it possible
for common mortals of the future defiled world to depart from the
delusive triple realms forever and to be born in the Pure
Land?'
Bodhisattva Manjusri replied, 'There is no practice superior to the recitation of the Name of Amida Buddha for birth in the Pure Land. Even in the path for the instantaneous realization of
Enlightenment, there is the sole teaching of Nembutsu. Therefore, the acclaimed holy teachings from the lifetime of Buddha Shakyamuni are the teachings of Amida Buddha, particularly for the common people in the defiled world of the future.' ”[1]
Bodhisattva Manjusri replied, 'There is no practice superior to the recitation of the Name of Amida Buddha for birth in the Pure Land. Even in the path for the instantaneous realization of
Enlightenment, there is the sole teaching of Nembutsu. Therefore, the acclaimed holy teachings from the lifetime of Buddha Shakyamuni are the teachings of Amida Buddha, particularly for the common people in the defiled world of the future.' ”[1]
Commentary:
“Common mortals of the future defiled world” are us, people living in the Last Dharma Age, far removed from the presence in human form of the historical Buddha and His direct disciples.
No method for birth in the Pure Land is superior to the Nembutsu of faith because that alone was selected by Amida Buddha in His Primal Vow. As Amida knows better than us how to reach the enlightened realm He himself created, we should simply do what He told us: “entrust to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land”. More than this, the Name of Amida contains the merits of all practices, so by saying it as an expression of faith we automatically include them all and receive their merits. Master Honen and Master Shantao explained this very clearly:
Nembutsu alone can bring instant Enlightenment when one leaves his samsaric body and enters the Pure Land. There is no other Path except the Nembutsu who does that so easily for anybody, no matter how low they are on the scale of spiritual evolution.
The true intention of Shakyamuni in coming to this world was to teach about the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha. This is because He knew that the time when people could easily achieve liberation by themselves through following His and His direct disciple’s example was very short by comparison with the long and difficult era that followed after that
Just like a mother of one special children and nine mentally retarded will focus more on the retarded ones because the special can take care of himself alone, the Buddhas who are the spiritual Parents of sentient beings, will focus more on those who cannot save themselves. Thus, a practice that can be followed by anybody, no matter their capacities, like the Nembutsu of faith, will always be the priority of all Buddhas in the ten directions when teaching the Dharma in their respective universes.
“Common mortals of the future defiled world” are us, people living in the Last Dharma Age, far removed from the presence in human form of the historical Buddha and His direct disciples.
No method for birth in the Pure Land is superior to the Nembutsu of faith because that alone was selected by Amida Buddha in His Primal Vow. As Amida knows better than us how to reach the enlightened realm He himself created, we should simply do what He told us: “entrust to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land”. More than this, the Name of Amida contains the merits of all practices, so by saying it as an expression of faith we automatically include them all and receive their merits. Master Honen and Master Shantao explained this very clearly:
Nembutsu alone can bring instant Enlightenment when one leaves his samsaric body and enters the Pure Land. There is no other Path except the Nembutsu who does that so easily for anybody, no matter how low they are on the scale of spiritual evolution.
The true intention of Shakyamuni in coming to this world was to teach about the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha. This is because He knew that the time when people could easily achieve liberation by themselves through following His and His direct disciple’s example was very short by comparison with the long and difficult era that followed after that
Just like a mother of one special children and nine mentally retarded will focus more on the retarded ones because the special can take care of himself alone, the Buddhas who are the spiritual Parents of sentient beings, will focus more on those who cannot save themselves. Thus, a practice that can be followed by anybody, no matter their capacities, like the Nembutsu of faith, will always be the priority of all Buddhas in the ten directions when teaching the Dharma in their respective universes.
[1] The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss; English translation of the Genko edition of the works of Honen Shonin - Collected Teachings of Kurodani Shonin: The Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku), translated by Joji Atone and Yoko Hayashi, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2011, p.149
[2] Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land refer to those who attained Enlightenment in the Pure Land and are now Buddhas who manifest as Bodhisattvas. For a better understanding of this idea read chapter “The qualities of Bodhisattvas in the audience” from my book, Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinte Life.
[3] Here “sravaka” is not used with the sense of a Hinayana follower, but of a close enlightened disciple of Amida in His Pure Land.
[4]I present more passages as the above in chapter “Nembutsu is true and real” from my book Simple Teachings on Emptiness and Buddha nature. Please read it carefully and be amazed at the supreme merits of Nembutsu.
[5]Honen Shonin, Commentary on the Three Sutras of Pure Land Buddhism, The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss, The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss; English translation of the Genko edition of the works of Honen Shonin - Collected Teachings of Kurodani Shonin: The Japanese Anthology (WagoToroku), translated by Joji Atone and Yoko Hayashi, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2011, p.81-82