I am curious if you could explain a bit more how you view rebirth in Amitabha's Pure Land based on the following line:
"Even though we imagine we can go to a Buddhist heaven such as Amitabha’s Pure Land, or the five pure abodes in the form realm, there is no escape, no other shore. The Soaring Garuda states:
Since there is no object to attain, there is nothing other than the three realms."
My understanding was that Dzogchen does not deny Pure Land Buddhism but views it as slower, but I am curious what you may have meant by this? Was this just pointing to the fact that the Pure Land is not some "heaven" but a place where we will have to continue practicing?
Birth in a pure Buddhafield means we are not liberated, I.e., we remain afflicted. Birth in the pure abodes means we are liberated but not omniscient.
Dzogchen teachings do include taking birth in buddhafields, the difference being that if one takes birth in a pure buddhafield as a result of applying Dzogchen teachings, it is said that one attains buddhahood within 500 human years rather than millions of years.
The purpose of the statement “Since there is no object to attain, there is nothing other than the three realms." Is to show the three realms are already the state of buddhahood, and as such there is no need to aspire to birth somewhere else.
Hello Malcolm,
I am curious if you could explain a bit more how you view rebirth in Amitabha's Pure Land based on the following line:
"Even though we imagine we can go to a Buddhist heaven such as Amitabha’s Pure Land, or the five pure abodes in the form realm, there is no escape, no other shore. The Soaring Garuda states:
Since there is no object to attain, there is nothing other than the three realms."
My understanding was that Dzogchen does not deny Pure Land Buddhism but views it as slower, but I am curious what you may have meant by this? Was this just pointing to the fact that the Pure Land is not some "heaven" but a place where we will have to continue practicing?
Thank you
Birth in a pure Buddhafield means we are not liberated, I.e., we remain afflicted. Birth in the pure abodes means we are liberated but not omniscient.
Dzogchen teachings do include taking birth in buddhafields, the difference being that if one takes birth in a pure buddhafield as a result of applying Dzogchen teachings, it is said that one attains buddhahood within 500 human years rather than millions of years.
The purpose of the statement “Since there is no object to attain, there is nothing other than the three realms." Is to show the three realms are already the state of buddhahood, and as such there is no need to aspire to birth somewhere else.