My Path Towards Pure Land Buddhism

Namo Amituofo!

Before posting on this topic, I was thinking of writing an introduction to Pure Land Buddhism, what it is about, how to practice and what is the aim in this dharma door. However, I was hesitant in doing so.

I was worried that I might not convey the right message to our readers. It might confuses or even creates misunderstanding especially to a non Pure Land practinioner. Hence unintentionally chopping off the dharma seeds to the readers and creating bad karma on myself. So I decided to leave the theory to other sources widely available on the net, I will try to find the links and put it on the main page.

So here I am writing my own personal experience from a pre-buddhist to where I am now.

To start, I want to say that I was educated in Jakarta in a non buddhist school. I have been thougt on a god-centric belief for 14 years, during which I always had difficulties believing. I sincerely tried to accept the teaching and take it to my life, but just couldn't. Don't get me wrong, the teaching is good, it teaches people to do good and avoid bad. It just how it suits personal liking, like Buddhism suits more for me.

Until I graduated from Indonesian education system, I didn't have any strong belief towards any religion at all. I couldn't accept the god-centric teaching and neither could I accept my family belief in going to the temple and praying to those statues requesting for health, money, security, etc. etc.

Going to the temple and pray, has been my family tradition for generations. Whenenever I followed my father to a temple, I always had this thought in my mind, how could statues give wealth, health and security to me? I always remember how my school teacher used to tell us, in the event of fire in the temple, who is going to help whom? Is it the statues helping the people, or the people carrying the statues. At that time, I thought that was logical, so I couldn't accept my father so called "Buddhism" belief either.

At that time, I just believed that there's a higher being out there who created everything, or else how could you explain the existence of our universe? I also believed in doing good and avoid bad in order to go to heaven and avoid hell. I basically tried to avoid being called an atheis.

So then I went to Aberdeen Scotland for my University. It was then I took a big turn in my life towards Buddhism. I met a guy named Eric Chia Chin Leong, a Malaysian who was a Buddhist. I knew he was practicing buddhist meditation. I who was a non believer at that time, was curious about Buddhism. So I remember clearly one question I asked him which changed my life forever. It was Eric who brought real Buddhist teaching to my life.

Eric, if you are reading this, I have been trying hard to look for you. I lost your contact since your graduation. I just want to thank you deeply for changing my life.

The question to Eric was, whether or not Guan Gong (chinese god of war) and Kuan Yin (Avalokitesvara Boddhisatva) really exist. I asked this based on my disbelief towards the deities in the temples my father used to bring me. The answer to this question just "clicked" to my mind. At that instant, seemed like a thick curtain was lifted up from my mind and I totally accept the teaching with all my heart. It was like all my doubts and unanswered questions were cleared instantly.

From then on, I often asked Eric more questions regarding Buddhism and sometimes followed him to meditate. I remember also there was a tibetan monk named "Tilak" who was studying in Aberdeen Uni. So we approached him and discussed Buddhism together. I would like to thank Tilak for all those discussions, it would be great if he can find and participate in this blog.

I had thirst towards all Buddhist books available in the book store and libraries. I read many many Buddhist books. I was always in search for Buddhism, I was always hungry to learn more.

However at that time, all I read was the general knowledge of Buddhism. About Karma, sila, samsaric life, dying, etc. I didn't really go into a particular dharma door and practice further.

After graduation, I worked in Singapore where I met Kelvin (Miao Ying). I was busy working in Singapore so I kind of put Buddhism on pause mode then. I remember the only Buddhist thing I did during my stay there was going to Kim Yam Road Buddhist Lodge every morning for a simple pray before going to work. Because I happened to rent a room just at the opposite of the lodge. That's just about as Buddhist as I got then, still very much on the surface.

After 5 years of working there, I went back to Jakarta to help my family restaurant business. Just before I left, I went back to the lodge to sort of "Returned the Favour" for pleasant and smooth stay in Singapore. It was then I picked up some Mahayana Books available there for free.

I started exploring on Buddhism again with those books. I guess it was the Mahayana teaching that gave me a new excitement, since I have always fond of the mystical and out-of-this-world side of Buddhism. Some of the books I took was, "The Sutta on Medicine Buddha", "Amitabha Sutta", "Explanation on Heart Sutta", "Ksitigarbha Boddhisatva Sutta" and others.

I was crazy again searching for Buddhist materials from the internet, downloaded all the sutta, printed them and read them all. I read almost all sutta from the Tripitaka, from Theravada tradition, Zen, Esoteric and Mahayana. I especially liked the Ksitigarbha (Di Zang Wang) sutta and I cried the first time I read it. I was so touched by his vow to save beings by going into hell where no one else is willing. He also has many other vows which benefit all beings greatly. I was so touched by him, that I too vowed to help his mission and to replace his position when he became a Buddha one day.

I was also very interested in Amitabha sutta, Limitless Life Sutta and Contemplation on Amitabha Buddha sutta. I started to also like Amitabha. When I read on Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), I also like him. Similary with Samantabhadra (Da Shi Zhe) and Manjusri (Wen Shu She Li) Boddhisatva. So I started to pray to all of them.

Right then, another confusion again arose in my mind. I was thinking if I pray to all the boddhisatvas and Buddhas, chant their names and read their sutta at appropriate occasions, what difference do I make with going to the temple and pray to all those statues? I was again in search for real and meaningful Buddhism.

Again I went towards Theravada Buddhism for it's logical and straight forward practices, although I was always fond of Mahayana teachings. I guess I am the kind of person who can't just trust at something so easily, I need proof to belief.

Until my uncle brought me to Amitabha Buddhist Society branch in Jakarta, where I found the answer. The first time I went to the society, I was excited to see so many Mahayana books and CDs available for free, so I took home quite a lot of them.

When I listened to Ven. Wu Wen dharma talk on Limitless Life Sutta, I found all the answers to my doubts and confusions in Mahayana Buddhism. I finally found the right dharma door for me and I have been practicing Pure-Land ever since. I put down all other dharma doors and concentrate on Pure Land teaching.

I would like to sincerely thank the Amitabha Buddhist Society for opening branches all over the world and sharing Mahayana teachings to everybody who is interested. If not because of them, I would still be wandering at the entrance towards Buddhism.

Well, that's it for now. My story towards being a Pure-Land follower. I hope whoever reads this may also share his/her biography. I will talk more on Ven. Wu Wen teachings on my next posting. Thank you.

Namo Amituofo!