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The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism

The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism ESSAYS The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism Sharon Baker Southern Methodist University, Messiah College Generally, the Buddhist path to nirvana calls a person to leave the mundane life and live as a monk, a sage, or a saint who continually works toward the pure state, toward nirvana. The way to Buddhahood can take the practitioner through the process of death and rebirth for many centuries until he attains enlightenment and nirvana. Hence, Pure Land Buddhism is good news to those forced by karma to live mun- dane lives keeping house, working a trade, raising children. In other words, Pure Land Buddhism is good news for the common person. Pure Land Buddhism, espe- cially in the thought of Shinran and Tanabe, seeks to provide a straight and easy way for the “small, foolish beings,” for the greatest of sinners and those who are most evil. Even the most evil person possessed by blind passions is grasped by the great compassion of Amida Buddha. This great compassion, as revealed in Amida’s Vow, knows no limits. Even a person’s karmic evil, deep and heavy as it is, is not oppres- sive for the one who is http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Buddhist-Christian Studies University of Hawai'I Press

The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism

Baker, Sharon,
Buddhist-Christian Studies , Volume 25 – Oct 10, 2005
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17 pages

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Publisher
University of Hawai'I Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2005 The University of Hawai'i Press.
ISSN
1527-9472

Abstract

ESSAYS The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism Sharon Baker Southern Methodist University, Messiah College Generally, the Buddhist path to nirvana calls a person to leave the mundane life and live as a monk, a sage, or a saint who continually works toward the pure state, toward nirvana. The way to Buddhahood can take the practitioner through the process of death and rebirth for many centuries until he attains enlightenment and nirvana. Hence, Pure Land Buddhism is good news to those forced by karma to live mun- dane lives keeping house, working a trade, raising children. In other words, Pure Land Buddhism is good news for the common person. Pure Land Buddhism, espe- cially in the thought of Shinran and Tanabe, seeks to provide a straight and easy way for the “small, foolish beings,” for the greatest of sinners and those who are most evil. Even the most evil person possessed by blind passions is grasped by the great compassion of Amida Buddha. This great compassion, as revealed in Amida’s Vow, knows no limits. Even a person’s karmic evil, deep and heavy as it is, is not oppres- sive for the one who is

Journal

Buddhist-Christian Studies – University of Hawai'I Press

Published: Oct 10, 2005

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