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“And who indeed is it with grace in his tones, Who sends his smile out to the dwellings of the suffering, And who indeed is it whose glance is like the sun Who shows his compassion on life and is victor? Yes, it is God himself, who sits on the throne And by his law, redeems from all need. With gold-adorned arm, with crown of bright jewels, With power over sin, over grief, over death. None other is like to our God in his greatness, And none can requite his compassion’s great power!” The following little verse from “Masses for the Dead” is of special beauty. It, also, is addressed to Amitabha. “Thou perfect master, Who shinest upon all things and all men, As gleaming moonlight plays upon a thousand waters at the same time! Thy great compassion does not pass by a single creature. Steadily and quietly sails the great ship of compassion across the sea of sorrow. Thou art the great physician for a sick and impure world, In pity giving the invitation to the ‘Paradise of the West.’”’ At the evening mass the following poem is used, which on the one hand gives expression to that deep pessimism which characterizes the Buddhist society, and on the other hand makes reference to the three eternal values which fallen humanity can hold to in the strife of life. [137] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM A few persons sing: “‘One more day is ended Of my quickly outrun span, Like a fish dying in waterless caves My day passed in joyless strife.” All join in singing: ‘Ought we not all to make haste as one Who has touched the glowing stone? Let go pleasures, comfort, rest. We hurry from this abode of vanity And assemble our spirits in the old song: ‘I dedicate myself to thee, Amitabha. Would that all created things Might understand the great life principle And grasp the things that come from above! “ <T dedicate myself to the great life principle. Would that all creation might immerse itself In the depths of the scriptures and attain that wisdom Which is vast as the sea! ‘¢T dedicate myself to the holy society. Would that all creation might in great close ranks Stride forward toward the great assembling Of all the Saints!’ ” In connection with the evening mass, the full litany of the “Pure Land” is often read. We quote the following characteristic passage, written by the monk Yiin-ch‘i (& #): ‘Thou great guiding master, Who dost conduct all creatures over the happy land (at thy invitation), [138] THE PURE LAND SCHOOL I bow my head in assent, And I make this solemn pledge: I will journey toward that land In order to be born therein. May thy mercy and compassion help me on.” (This introductory verse is called ‘The Desire for the Western Paradise,”’ Hsi-fang-chieh, & 7 5). Then it continues with the real “Pure Land’s Prayer” (Chingt‘u Wén, # -& 3): “With all my heart I dedicate myself To the life in the Western Paradise under thee, Amitabha. May thy pure light enlighten me. May thy merciful promises (of his forty-eight sworn pledges) protect and fortify me. ‘“‘T have attained the right understanding And that deep longing to be able to call upon God’s name As it should be done, And I therefore pray most earnestly: Let me be born in the pure land. ‘My prayer ‘is in accord with the precious promises of mercy Which thou, Amitabha, has made: “Tf there is any creature Who desires to be born into my kingdom, And who in glad assurance of faith Dwells upon my name in tenfold invocation, Not one of them Shall be shut out from that great experience. All shall attain to an understanding of my plans, Yes, shall attain to God (té-ju Ju-lai, A an 2K). ‘Through these precious promises, as extensive as the sea, All sinners may be able to gain the absolution of their sins, [139] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM All on account of that power Which proceeds from God’s mercy. The good root in them will grow strong, And when the close of life draws so near That they themselves know it plainly, Then without bodily pain or sickness, Without desire in the heart, Without a trace of vacillation, And with the deepest assurance of soul, They will enter into the great meeting With God and all the saints. See, Amitabha himself will come to meet me With the golden seat in his hand. In a moment shall I be lifted up upon it— And thereby be born into paradise. ‘* As a flower that suddenly bursts into bloom, So is my eye opened, That I may see God And understand his perfect law. * Again in a moment, See how my soul is filled With perfect wisdom and an earnest desire To have a part in the great work of salvation For the redemption of the whole creation.” Perhaps at this point it may be well to give a sketch of the “ Pure Land”? doctrines and outward forms of expression, as they have developed on Chinese soil. From the twelfth century on, the “Pure Land” doctrine began to take on special significance in the Chinese Buddhist community. Like a still, pure, bubbling spring, it gushed out over the arid desert of legalistic systems and ascetic practices which [140] ah ee: e/ sear ae e ceeasienne i : pete — Tue TypicaL PicturE oF AmITaBHA, USED IN THE HOMES AND IN THE TEMPLES OF THE PuRE LAND DEVOTEES ar 7 THE PURE LAND SCHOOL characterized that period. No wonder that so many of the noblest and greatest spirits in the society sought that spring. There was ample opportunity for this, too, for traces of this remarkable school were found everywhere, in literature, in the ritual, and not least in the brother- hood (society). A great many of the itinerant brothers stayed by preference at the big monasteries and temples in Kiangsi and Chekiang provinces where the “Pure Land” doctrines were especially cultivated at that period, and later, during the quiet evening hours, these “travelling brothers’ told of the tremendous religious impression they had received in these places. Thus, although there was no specially planned propa- ganda carried on for the “school,” its ideas and thoughts were carried round to all the outposts of the Buddhist community in the various provinces. They awakened ferment, opposition, reflection, new orienta- tion; none could entirely get away from the new ideas. Had not Amitabha himself been solemnly designated by Gotama Buddha as the great saviour of the world in the great “‘Sukhavati Vyuha Ching” (Chinese: “*Wu-liang-shou Ching,” 4 i = #) one of the “ Pure Land’s”’ fundamental sutras ? 7 The story of Amitabha runs as follows: ‘““Now there was a line of eighty-one Buddhas, beginning with Dipankara and ending with Lokes- vararaga. During the period of the latter, a bhikshu, or monk by the name of Dharmakara, formed the pious intention of becoming a Buddha. He went to Lokesvararaga, chanted the usual praise of the Buddha, [141] pe. ere TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM and then proceeded to ask him to become his teacher and to describe to him what a Buddha and a Buddha country ought to be. Lokesvararaga gave the desired information, upon which Dhamakara requested that when he should attain to Buddhahood, all the qualities of the Buddha countries be concentrated in his own. He then went away, but, after a long meditation, returned with a series of forty-eight vows, whereby he would undertake to become a Buddha only on con- dition that he be able to save all beings and to establish a kingdom of perfect blessedness in which all living creatures might enjoy age-long happiness and wisdom. “The eighteenth vow is the most significant: ‘When I become Buddha, let all living beings of the ten regions of the universe maintain a confident and joyful faith in me; let them concentrate their longings on a rebirth in my Paradise; and let them call upon my name, though it be only ten times or less; then, pro- — vided only that they have not been guilty of the five heinous sins, and have not slandered or vilified the true religion, the desire of such beings to be born into my Paradise will surely be fulfilled. If this be not so, may I never receive the perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood.’”’ The same doctrine of salvation through faith in Amitabha is contained in the other two great sutras of the “Pure Land” School, the small “Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra” (Chinese: “O-mi-t‘o Ching”? fa} #% BE #x) and “The Amita Yurdhyana Sutra” (Chinese: “Kuan- wu-liang-shou Ching,”’ #3) 48 a 3 Oh X). [142] East WALL, YUIN-KANG, TATUNG, SHANSI ee “THE PURE LAND SCHOOL = * Was not the term “Chingt‘u” (the “Pure Land”’) introduced by Hui-yiian himself when he wanted to describe the new state of mind which a real entrance into Mahayana brought with it? Had not the word ‘‘faith’’ been already set up as the highest word in the ancient writing “Chi Hsin Lun” (x f# ifr), “The Awakening of Faith’??. Everywhere people were forced to admit that this way of salvation was willed and foreordained by the compassionate Buddha, who al- ways thinks only of that great goal: the salvation of all living things. It was not until later, therefore, that the opposition to the “‘Pure Land” doctrines really began to take shape. There was, however, no very great number of monasteries and temples which the “Pure Land”’ ke “School could claim as belonging entirely to their branch, They did not lay special stress on propa- - gan This practice has continued down to the present time. The other Buddhist schools were rec- ognized, as all had the one Chinese Tripitaka, of which each individual school emphasized its favourite scriptures as fundamental; all held in the main to one philosophy, and acknowledged one pantheon.