Pure Land

Pure Land is a Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddha or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and sustaining power.

The term "Pure Land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism (Chinese: 淨土; pinyin: Jìngtǔ).

It can refer to a way of practice which is found in most Mahayana traditions which employ various means to attain birth in a pure land.

This specific concept is termed the "Pure Land Dharma gate" (Ch: 淨土法門, Pinyin: jìngtǔ fǎmén) in East Asian Buddhism.

The English term can also refer to specific Buddhist schools or sects which focus on Pure Land practice.

In this Text at the beginning this is said "Come, I will display the unsurpassed power of the Buddha: In the zenith I will create a walkway adorned with jewels."

[11] According to Indian sources, the bodhisattva path, by ending all defilements, culminates in the arising of a purified buddha-field, which is the manifestation and reflection of a Buddha's activity.

[6] Mahayana sources state that bodhisattvas like Avalokiteśvara and Manjushri will obtain their own buddha-fields after they attain full buddhahood.

"[6] Nakamura (1980, 1987: p. 207) establishes the Indian background of the padma imagery of the field which is evident iconographically, as well as in motif and metaphor: The descriptions of Pure Land in Pure Land sutras were greatly influenced by Brahmin and Hindu ideas and the topological situation in India.

The final outcome of the thought was as follows: the aspirants of faith and assiduity are born transformed (anupapāduka) in the lotus flowers.

Within the closed lotus-flowers they enjoy pleasures as though they were playing in a garden or palace.Sukhāvatī ("The Blissful") is by far the most popular pure land in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism.

[17] According to Mahayana scriptures, in his past life, Amitabha was a devoted king of a joyous kingdom in a distant eon who renounced his throne to become a monk and vowed to attain buddhahood.

His vows were grounded in hearing his name ("Amitabha"), establishing virtue, and dedicating merit toward rebirth in this pure land.

[22][23][24] The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states that Śākyamuni Buddha has his own Pure Land which is far away and is called "Unsurpassable" (Chinese: Wúshèng 無勝).

[31] Furthermore, Ghanavyūha (Dense Array or Secret Adornment) is considered to be the supreme pure buddhafield specific to Vairocana.

The "Inner Court of Tushita" (兜率內院) is Maitreya's pure land, which is actually located in the deva realm of Tuṣita.

In a similar fashion, according to the Huayan school patriarch Fazang, the ultimate view of the Buddha's Pure Land (derived from the Avatamsaka sutra) is that it is interfused with all worlds in the multiverse and indeed with all phenomena (dharmas).

Since for Fazang, the entire Dharma realm is visible within each particle in the universe, the Pure Land is therefore contained in every phenomena and is non-dual with our world.

Yúnqī Zhūhóng (1535–1615) saw the Pure Land as an actual place which is a useful upaya (skill means) created by the Buddha.

[70] East Asian Buddhist thinkers taught various schemas which outlined different types or levels of the pure lands.

Shinran's schema is as follows:[72] According to Hanshan Deqing (1546–1623), there are three kinds of Pure Lands (associated with the trikaya, the three bodies of the buddha):[70] In Tibetan Buddhism, buddhafields (Skt.

dag pa'i zhing) are understood as realms arising due to the intention and aspiration of a buddha or bodhisattva.

The Dharmakāya is the basis, ground, or "source" (Tibetan: ཆོས་འབྱུང, Wylie: chos 'byung; Sanskrit: dharmodaya), the true nature of reality, out which all buddhas and buddhafields arise.

However, on attaining the higher bodhisattva stages, the purified mind will be able to witness the purity of this world, along with the majestic displays of the jeweled ground, divine flowers, and so on.

According to Nirmāṇakāya (as tulku) theory, nirmanakaya spontaneously arise due to the intention, aspiration, faith and devotion of the sangha.

One popular afterlife in Chinese Daoism is the pure land of eternal bliss (Chánglè Jìngtǔ, 長樂淨土).

This pure land is the realm of Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén also known by the longer title Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Savior from Suffering, the Great Emperor of Azure Radiance (青華大帝太乙救苦天尊).