Humanistic Buddhism - Pure Land in The Human World

Pure Land in The Human World

The proponents of this reformation was not seenas a rejection of other forms of Buddhism, but a reinterpretation. One classic example, is the idea of "creating a Pure Land in the human world" (Chinese: 建設人間淨土; pinyin: jiànshè rénjiān jìngtǔ), which can be seen as a new interpretation to the Pure Land form of Chinese Buddhism. This latter school, of course, being one of the most popular forms of Chinese Buddhism for over 1000 years, particularly amongst the laity. Many of the forms and practices are maintained, however, the aim is redirected - rather than practicing in the hope (or vow) of rebirth in Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land, the practitioner seeks to better themselves and society, to create a Pure Land here on earth. This interpretation is also quite well justified in many Mahayana scriptures, which indicate that the bodhisattva (Mahayana practitioner) "travels from Pure Land to Pure Land, learning from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas", before creating their own one, as an expedient means to liberate sentient beings.

Read more about this topic:  Humanistic Buddhism

Famous quotes containing the words pure, land, human and/or world:

    “A bad end, a sad end, was the last end of Mieze. And why, why, why? What crime had she committed? She came from Bernau into the whirl of Berlin, she was not an innocent girl, certainly not, but her love for him was pure and steadfast; he was her man and she took care of him like a child. She was struck down because she happened by chance to encounter this man; such is life, it’s really inconceivable.”
    —Alfred Döblin (1878–1957)

    “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.””
    —Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 32:1.

    “Anyone with a real taste for solitude who indulges that taste encounters the dangers of any other drug-taker. The habit grows. You become an addict.... Absorbed in the visions of solitude, human beings are only interruptions. What voice can equal the voices of solitude? What sights equal the movement of a single day’s tide of light across the floor boards of one room? What drama be as continuously absorbing as the interior one?”
    —Jessamyn West (1902–1984)

    “It’s like the Beatles coming together again—let’s hope they don’t go on a world tour.”
    —Matt Frei, British journalist. Quoted in Listener (London, June 21, 1990)