A Study Of The Pure Land Thoughts Of Zhixu

In his life,Zhixu studied the Chan,Vinaya and mang other schools,integrating all perspectives into his Pure Land thoughts.He advocated to set up The willing to re-born in the pure land,and developed a method of chanting Buddha's name, which is now still the main way for the Pure Land believers.The thesis has three parts:the preface,the body and the conclusion.Among the body,there are seven chapters.In the preface,the author describe Zhixu's historical background,and precisely introduces the research on Zhixu.In the body.chapter one introduces Zhixu's studying life and books.Zhixu read broadly and wrote abundantly.His articals add up to 53 sorts.that is,230 volumes.Chapter two has four sections.Section one explains Zhixu's thought of the Chan,Vinaya and all other schools having the same origion.In his view,earthly people and Buddha have the same king of true heart,which is the origion of all schools' teaching.section two talks about Zhixu's integrating Dharma-nature and Dharma-character;Zhixu thinks Buddha's teachings are of the same purpose—to enlighten the common people.So Dharma-nature and Dharma-charcter are undepartable.both serving for the enlightening of people.Section three explains the difference between Chan and Pure Land.Although he firmly supplrts Chan and Pure Land lead to the same destination,Zhixu clearly explains the different cultivating ways of Chan and Pure Land.In section four,Zhixu thinks Chan,Vinaya and all other schools'teachings are the cause of Pure Land teachings,and also the effect of PureLand teachings.So,Pure Land teachings,in fact,are superior to other teachings,and cover all teachings including Chan and Vinaya,In all,Zhixu thinks Pure Land teachings are excellent and the most convenient way.With two section,Chapter three is about the establishment and development of Pure Land thoughts.Section one,named'The development of Pure Land thoughts',precisely depicts Pure Land School's change and development in China-Section two is Zhixu's contributiong to the development of Pure Land.He devides chanting Buddha's name into three kindxhanting inner-Buddha,chanting outside-Buddha,and chanting both inner and outside Buddha.Chanting inner-buddha's name covers all teachings except Pure Land teachings.Chanting outside-Buddha's covers Pure Land teachings,keeping visualizing Buddha's virtues and image.Chanting inner and outside Buddha can make you see inner nature while changting outside Buddha's name.That is said as 'the most convenient' in The Sutra of the Meditation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.And there are many other ways can be integrated with the three chanting Buddha'name.Then we get 144 kinds of ways in all.Section three is about the precepts Zhixu looks the precepts as the start point and the basis of all followers.Chpter four emphasizes on the way of chanting inner-Buddha's name.Section one is 'a thought-moment covers both three thousand worlds and three views',talking about inner-Buddha from the aspect of Tkn Tai school.section two talks about inner-Buddha from the standpoint of the Mind-only school.In section three,inner-Buddha is discussed in the view of Awakening of Mahayana Faith.In chapter five,outside-Buddha is deeply discoussed.Zhixu supports that the willingness to be borne in Buddha's world is the basis,and chanting outside-Buddha's name is the building on the basis.Section one is about Zhixu's 'six believing'.Section two table about 'the willing'.Section three discusses that chanting Buddha's name should be follower's main doing. Zhixu points out not only chanting Buddha's name with full heart can make utmost merits,but with scattered mind can also make abundant virtues.In section four,Zhixu points out Buddha's name is the womb of the tathagata,containing unlimited merits,and the effect of chantingBuddha's name is inconceivable.Zhixu also proves chanting Buddha's name makes great merits and virtues from the aspect of Mahayana Faith,and some other srtra.In section five,the degree of chanting Buddha's name is discussed.Zhixu thinks there are principle chanting Buddha and phenomena chanting Buddha. When one has not realized his Buddha-nature,he is just doing phenomena chanting Buddha,and when he has realized,then he does principle chanting. So the degree lies on the person,whether or not realized the Buddha-nature.Section six is about seeing Buddha.Zhixu says,when someone sees the Buddha after chanting for some time,he should realize that the Buddha is just created by the heart or mind,and should not misundertand it is the read Buddhal.So,no joy and no surprise should be the right mood for the one seeing the Buddha. At last,when one is dying,he will absolutely see the real Buddha coming to welcome him.Chapter six discusses chanting both inner and outside Buddha's name.section one says there is no difference between the heart,the Buddha and all human beings.The true heart,the Buddha and human beings cover each other.So everything is the equivalence to the Buddha,and when one chants the outside-Buddha,he is chanting the inner-Buddha.In other word,chanting Buddha is chanting heart and all human beings.Section two tells us the heart can become Buddha and is Buddha in deed.That the heart can become Buddha means the heart can finally turn into the real Buddha as the result of years of cultivation.And that the heart is Buddha means,to some extent,the heart covers a part of Buddha.It is important to take it in mind that the heart can be Buddha and is Buddha.That is the utmost way of enlightening.Deveded into four section,chapter seven is about Buddha's Three Bodies and Four Lands.In section one,Zhixu discussed why people should be willing to re-born in the Pure Land.He presented four reasons.Firstly,the Buddha of Immeasurable Life has close relations with people on the earth.Secondly,this Buddha has made a strong promise to help people in this world.Thirdly,when people chanting Buddha's name,they can make their mind clear and calm.At last,when chanting one Buddha's name,they are in fact chanting all Buddha's name.Section two is about 'Three Bodies'.We cann't affirm that Buddha's Three Bodies are individuals or thesame.For Buddha,transformation body is reality body,aad is reward body.So mark and marklessness are perfect penetration without obstruction. Section three talks about Four Land.The ever-lasting calm and bright land,the reward land wityout obstruction,the expedient land and the unenlightened and the enlightened living together land,are separately lived by reality Buddha,Budhisattva,the the three-vehicle saint,and the unenlightened and the enlightened together.Section four is about the heart or mind pure land. The heart,or mind,thought-moment,whether pure or dirty,is borne out from the Buddha Nature.In chapter eight,Zhixu's thoughts' effect and development are depicted.His Pure Land thoughts have great impact on following masters,such as Jieliu,Shengan,Chewu,Yinguang.The chapter has four aspects:a,all schools get together into Pure Land;b.schools are not the same or different;c.Pure Land way is the basis and chanting Buddha's name is the main work for Buddhsists.At last,according to Master Taixu,the auther precisely discourses upon the future development and changes of Zhixu's Pure Land thoughts.