Hard for All Beings to Believe

In recent discussions in Canada these past few weeks, a line from the Amitabha Sutra kept surfacing in my mind: "so hard for all beings to believe." We read in the sutra, that Shakyamuni Buddha—and all Buddhas—say this about the Pure Land teachings.

There are several reasons for this, but one in particular kept occurring in my conversations with people. It concerns the reason we go to the Pure Land. The reason is addressed in the first great vow of Bodhisattvas: "Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to aid them all."

In our practice we develop bodhicitta, or the Bodhi mind. This is the mind to seek enlightenment for us and for all beings. "Us" is first not because we are more important, but because until we save ourselves from drowning in the sea of suffering, we cannot help others who are drowning. Once we help ourselves, we immediately turn outward to help all others.

So we seek rebirth in the Pure Land first for “me.” But more importantly, we seek to help all beings. Simply put, there's only one of us, but an innumerable number of others to be liberated from suffering.

What does this have to do with my recent conversations?

People were saying they like one or another form or meditation because it made them feel calm and happy. So they do their Zen practice and also chant “Amituofo.” Then I come along and say that to reach our goal, we need to follow one path. All paths to enlightenment are equally good, but we need to follow just one. For example, if we’re traveling from Halifax to Vancouver, we need to follow one route.

The problem?

They like their practice. One woman said chanting “Amituofo” made her happy and Zen practice made her calm. Feeling a good affinity and that she sincerely wanted to understand, I replied that in both statements she was talking about benefiting just herself. She immediately understood. 

Another practitioner insightfully said that he had met many people who meditate for themselves but few who have that wish to help all beings.

So the problem is that for many people, bodhicitta, the foundation for Mahayana practice, is yet undeveloped. Bodhicitta is the force that enables bodhisattvas to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties in their practice. The awareness that we are practicing not just for “me,” but for all beings will help us realize that when in the Pure Land, we will have all the time we need for learning and practicing the other methods.

But for now, we need to gently put aside these other practices and focus on “Amituofo.”