More on bhakti

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I would like to join in the spirit begun by Harsha-ji and Frank-ji on the

larger subject of devotion. Thanks to both of you for recently and in the

past expressing these sentiments about Ramana Maharshi.

 

Please, if I may, this may come from a slightly different angle -- but

along the same general lines as Harsha-ji and Frank-ji's offerings. For

me, my devotion is towards Amitabha Buddha, and I pay respects to Him

every day with chanting, incense, circumambulation and other offerings, etc.

 

Amitabha's main story is told in two Mahayana sutras from the Pure Land

School of Buddhism -- the Shorter and Longer Sukhavati-vyuha Sutras (the

sutras on the Display of the World of Bliss).

 

Briefly, these sutras are narrated by Shakyamuni Buddha and tell of the

grace and saving power of Amitabha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Light and

Infinite Life). Eons ago, before Amitabha was a buddha, he was Bodhisattva

Dharmakara. With the help of a buddha of the distant past (Buddha

Lokeshvararaja), Dharmakara was inspired to practice for the salvation not

only of himself, but of all beings. He practiced for eons and created a

"Buddha-field" called the Western Pure Land, where all beings can practice

to perfection, and will not retrogress into samsara unless they choose to

do so from a Bodhisattva vow to save all beings. Dharmakara made a series

of 47 vows on his path to Buddhahood. These vows amount to Dharmakara's

refusal of Buddhahood for himself until all those who desire unsurpassable

awakening and remember his name are reborn in his Pure Land.

 

To me, this is a magnificent set of vows and wonderful movement of Grace.

The vows' fulfillment is also magnificent. Because of Amitabha's effort

and the grace of previous buddhas, Dharmakara is now Buddha Amitabha.

Therefore, according to the sutras, all his if-then statements have been

fulfilled. So it is NOW the case that all who have faith in these vows and

sincerely desire unsurpassed awakening are able to achieve it, without

fail! That is, through Amitabha's grace, our awakening is guaranteed,

actually already the case. The Pure Land, according to one's

interpretation of the sutras and commentaries, can be interpreted either as

noumenon, or a land of phenomenal bliss of all kinds.

 

Thanks for opening this thread!

 

Om!

 

--Greg