At its heart, this website presents four important meditations to develop the necessary conditions for rebirth in the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha, known as Sukhavati (Sanskrit: literally ”Land of Bliss” or ”Pure Land of Bliss”). It is also described as the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha in the Pure Land sutras.
While there is a Tibetan Buddhist perspective presented on the website, other Pure Land information and traditions are also described to provide background, context, and an overview of Pure Land Buddhism.
Mind is an eagle, sure to fly away. Now’s the time to soar up to the skies, …
We have a body and a mind, and it seems like our mind resides within our body; the mind clings to the body as a self. But is it going to remain this way for long? It is not.
The mind is like an eagle. An eagle stays happily in its nest for a while, but at some point it is sure to fly away. In the same way, the mind resides in the body, but eventually it has to leave.
We need to make sure that when the mind leaves the body, it has a good place to go. Just as an eagle needs a place to fly to, we need a good destination. For this purpose, we need to practice the Dharma. In light of this, what is most helpful to do with our body, speech, and mind?
The great masters and the buddhas and bodhisattvas have given many useful instructions.
Perhaps we think, “If only I could be reborn in a pure land with a beautiful body in a lovely place surrounded by lotuses. How wonderful!” Is it possible for us to be born in a pure land?
Yes, it is possible because the buddha Amitabha made the great compassionate aspiration that anyone who has the four causes for rebirth in his pure realm, the realm of Sukhavati, can be reborn there. Although there are many other pure realms, for the most part only bodhisattvas who have attained the levels can be reborn in those realms.
But ordinary individuals, if they have the four causes for rebirth there, can be reborn in the realm of Sukhavati.
Source: Khenchen Thrangu. Advice from a Yogi: An Explanation of a Tibetan Classic on What Is Most Important. Padampa Sangye’s One Hundred Verses. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2015.
In reality, therefore, if one does not gain enlightenment in this very life, or in the bardos, Pure Land practice becomes most important — in order to ensure rebirth into a pure land after death.
As stated, this website describes four key meditations to develop the conditions necessary for rebirth in the Pure Land of Sukhavati.
Alexander Peck (March 5, 2022)
Note: Photos typically feature seascapes or skyscapes denoting or pointing to “the other shore”, the Pure Land. (Photos may be freely downloaded).
For sure, the vulture of your mind will one day fly away; … now is the time to soar up to the heights.
A vulture, when it has finished feeding off a carcass, abandons it and soars away. Similarly, when the time comes, your mind, having finished with this life, will abandon your corpse and fly off into the bardo.
(Dilgo Khyentse & Padampa Sangye. The Hundred Verses of Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most.)