Can I Read Other Sutras to Compliment My Study of the Pure Land Sutras?

Question: I have been a Pure Land cultivator for a year now and I enjoy reading the blog, the Amitabha Sutra and the Infinite Life Sutra. I have never read the Avatamsaka Sutra, but I have been thinking of reading and studying it to compliment my Pure Land cultivation. What do you think?

Response: The Avatamsaka Sutra is an extraordinarily profound and lengthy sutra. Furthermore, it is the sutra of the Avatamsaka school, not the Pure Land school. Shakyamuni Buddha explained that for people of our time, we needed to learn the Pure Land teachings. Our two core sutras are the Amitabha Sutra and the Infinite Life Sutra.  

Fortunately, we have commentaries on the Amitabha Sutra and excerpts from one of Venerable Master Chin Kung's lectures on the Infinite Life Sutra. Trying to understand a sutra on our own is just too difficult, unless one is of a very high level of achievement so commentaries are vitally important. I know of no commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra in English. 

As I (and more importantly, those far more accomplished than I) have often said, we need to focus on one practice, one sutra. So it's mindfully chanting "Amituofo" and reciting either the Amitabha Sutra or the Infinite Life Sutra. We do both of these to purify our minds and form a connection with Amitabha Buddha. We also learn the profound teachings in our chosen sutra to better understand what and why we are chanting and reciting. 

Studying other sutras is not complimenting our practice, it is taking time away from our practice and our goal of transcending the cycle of rebirth and ending suffering. When we get to the Pure Land, we will have all the time we need to learn other teachings and practices. Until then, we need to focus on getting there.

As soon as possible.

Essentially, it comes down to one "simple" question: do we want to spend our time reading or do we want to end our suffering?