your homepage is great, i like it very much.

i am a german 21 years old and i became a novice buddhist monk, practising pure land school.

i am searching for people following pure land school all over the world.

maybe one want to write an email to me: suchu_thichdonghoa@yahoo.de

may every living being be soon born in the pure land of amitabha….

Thanks for your comment, I think it depends how we look at the terms “faith” and “religion of faith”. One thing that we are sure is that “faith” in Buddhism does not imply “blind faith”, would like to share one of my favourite quote here:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

In Pure Land Buddhism, faith is very important because for us to be reborn in the Pure Land, simply recite the name Amitabha Buddha is not enough. Quoted from the book Pure Land Zen Zen Pure Land:

Faith, Vows and Practice form the cornerstone of Pure Land. If these three conditions are fulfilled, rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss will be achieved. You should pay particular attention to Faith and Vows, and wish wholeheartedly to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land … [and not as a celestial being or a Dharma Master, however awakened, as these are still within the realm of Birth and Death]. Only then will your Faith and Vows reach Amitabha Buddha so that His Compassionate Vow may embrace you. In this connection, Elder Master Ou I has said:

Achieving rebirth in the Pure Land depends entirely on Faith and Vows, while
the level of rebirth depends on the depth of practice.

This is a truth as solid as steel – even if a thousand Buddhas were to appear on earth, it would not change. Only by firmly believing in this truth will you have a destiny in the Western Pure Land.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to find out more about Pure Land Buddhism. I’ve just created a new page on Faith, Vows and Practice (quoted from the book Pure Land Zen Zen Pure Land). Hope this is helpful.

With Metta

I am a buddhist practitioner of Vajrayana buddhism. I am happy that you are doing this great job to enable others find out about buddhism. I have just one comment. You write that Pure Land buddhism is a religion of faith. I do not agree with that. Religions of faith are : Catolicism, Islam. We are one of the religions of experience (HInduism, Taoism, Buddhism) the difference is that we are expereiencing in this case the power and energy of Buddha Amitaba and can acquire his qualities. In comparison Catolics belive in God however they cant acquire his quilities therefore it is called a religion of faith. Hope it is helpful.
Best wishes,
Alicja

Thanks for your comments Constance, sorry to disappoint you, but this is not an organisation, but a website on Pure Land Buddhism. Furthermore, paragraphs and texts on this website are not translated by me, all I did was barely quoting from books and text that others have kindly translated and put it on this website. Hope it is useful.

Namo Amituofo