The Best Learning Environment

Because we have cultivated good roots and formed Dharma relationships in past lifetimes, we are able to encounter Buddhism, especially Mahayana Buddhism, and to learn together in this lifetime. We need to practice according to the teachings. The most important thing in doing this is to put aside one’s own personal opinions.

I often teach people to put aside their views about life and the universe, and their thoughts, speech, and behavior toward all beings. Why? Because these are all wrong. If we do not put aside these mistakes, we will fail in our attempt to emulate Buddhas and bodhisattvas. If we put aside all these mistakes, we will succeed in emulating them.

Today we have afflictions and residual habits within us. We all admit this fact. Indeed, we have many karmic obstacles. The power of temptations is very strong. In Buddhism, temptation is called mara, or more specifically, deva-mara. Deva-mara refers to the temptations of all worldly pleasures, prestige, and wealth. It is hard to succeed in cultivation today. If for one moment we are not careful, we will forget our aspirations. This is the reason why there are many Buddhist practitioners but few succeed in their cultivation.

Because of this reason, the Buddha introduced to us a place that provides the best learning environment—the Land of Ultimate Bliss. When we are in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, it does not matter that we have many afflictions and residual habits within us because the external environment will not cause those afflictions and residual habits to arise. In that world, we “can be together with all these Beings of Superior Goodness.”

In this world, it is hard to hear and learn the Dharma. In the Land of Ultimate Bliss, Amitabha Buddha and great bodhisattvas lecture on the Dharma continuously, so that we will be able to study and practice continuously. Whichever Dharma door we want to learn, there will always be bodhisattvas to teach us. The learning environment is truly wonderful there.

But in this world, it is hard to find a good teacher and a good learning environment. In addition, there are many unexpected obstacles blocking us from learning and making progress. Therefore, the Buddha urged us to go to another learning environment—the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Is it difficult to attain rebirth there? It is not difficult, but it is not easy either. We must have three requisites: good roots, good fortune, and favorable conditions.

Having good roots means that we have firm belief and firm vows. We have firm belief when we do not have the slightest doubt about the Pure Land teachings. We have firm vows when our one and only wish is to attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and we let go of everything in this world except this wish. We must have these two conditions to be considered as having good roots.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra