The consciousness of ultimate truth

Sharing pristine Pure Land with Western cultures

Understanding the power of Amitabha-invocation

Just one Buddha, instead of all Buddhas   We have previously discussed why, in order to ensure rebirth in the Land of Bliss, Pure Land practitioners should not mix Amitabha-recitation with othe

Two Kinds of Nature As a Pure Land, the nature of the Land of Bliss is pure in every sense of the word. As declared by Master Tanluan, purity is its overall nature, because th

Many within Buddhism itself criticize the concept of ‘other-power’ (他力) or Buddha power, asserting that it is over-emphasized in Pure Land Buddhism. They might say, “How can one be reborn in the Pure

Editor's note: “Teachings of Amitabha Buddha” is an inspiring column about the vital spiritual matters of Pure Land Buddhism – from its history, philosophy, and practice to its scriptures and their ex

Editor's note: “Teachings of Amitabha Buddha” is an inspiring column about the vital spiritual matters of Pure Land Buddhism – from its history, philosophy, and practice to its scriptures and their ex

The first article in Alan Kwan's Pure Land column!

In this two-part column series, we will visit the philosophical nuances and tensions in the thought of Shantideva, an important Indo-Tibetan philosopher (circa 8th century CE). To understand Shantidev

Wisdom and Means, Emptiness and Compassion: Philosophical Problems   In this column’s first segment, we explored how Shantideva’s idea of compassion, noble as it was, led to some very interesting q

The experience of art often fulfills yearnings similar to the inspiration offered by religion. One more profound relationship between art and religion has historically been how it acts as a vehicle fo

Editor's note: This article was first published in the now-retired Bodhi Journal, Issue 9, September 2008.   01. Prologue Indicating the vedāntic tone in the śataka 

Editor's note: This poem was first published in the now-retired Bodhi Journal, Issue 8, June 2008. It is a general assumption of the most scholars that the Emptiness Theory of Nāgārjuna is a kind of r