From a Reader: Observation - Folks are Funny
June 10, 2011 Amituofo. I'm amazed at the dynamics that arise among people in various groups, be they families, groups of friends, political groups, social groups, religious groups, etc., It seems the human tendency to consider oneself wholly correct and others less so, in varying degrees, can cause strife even among cultivators. Further, if a group largely professes one viewpoint, a few dissenting voices are looked at with disfavor, perhaps hostility. Are you an American or a foreigner, a Republican or Democrat or Independent,man or woman, straight, gay or bi, vegetarian or eater of three-pure-meat,Mahayana or Theravada, Pure Land, oh great-what sect-Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese -Jodo Shu or Jodo Shinshu?
It seems the universe between one's ears has the potential to (frequently) rub someone else 's universe the wrong way. Such episodes cause arguments, disunity and can escalate to poisonous thinking and emotions, as well as outright violence in different forms. Clearly, the goal of cultivation, any variety, is the transcendence of attachment to views that limit one's ability to interact in a civil, compassionate manner with other sentient beings. For Pure Land cultivators, mindfulness of Amituofo, and the remembrance of one's true identity that accompanies it, can overcome this human tendency; allowing one to be a Buddha moment-by-moment.
Just an observation from an average cultivator with a lot of work to do.
Reader Comments (2)
I'd love the idea to go to Pure Land after living here on Earth. But I am having a hard time to believe that this is possible only to chant the name of Buddha Amithaba. Could you help me, please? I also would like to know more about the Dharma ending-age, please. Do you think what happened on Tibet was because of this Dharma ending-age that we are living? I also read on the internet that Buddha Amitabha has to give permission to people here on Earth to believe in him. Thank you so much!
I'm glad you asked these questions. They bring up some interesting points that others may also like to hear about. So my answer is posted at http://abuddhistperspective.squarespace.com/abuddhistperspective/2011/6/11/we-need-permission.html