Pure Land Buddhism

A Simple Buddhist Path for Everyone

Across many centuries and many countries, Buddhism has adapted to different cultures and different needs of very different people, creating a rich heritage of art, ritual, teaching, and ethics. Such diversity within the Buddhist tradition, so much so that people sometimes speak of different "Buddhisms," is made possible by the Buddha's teaching of "skillful means," that is, adapting the message (the "Dharma") to the circumstances of the people, as they are, and where they are.

The Buddha most dramatically taught the concept of "skillful means" in the Lotus Sutra, when he told of a man trying to persuade his children to leave a burning building, where they were happily playing. (Of course, this is a parable. In real life, the father most likely would have entered the building to rescue them.)
Finally, he told them a lie, that he had some beautiful carts, drawn by magnificent animals, and he encouraged them to come out to ride in the carts. They did, and so, they were saved. The father rejoiced, and the Buddha commended his behavior, although technically, he violated the precept (code of behavior) about telling falsehoods.

So, the history of Buddhism is largely untouched by the sectarian violence found in other religions. A Buddhist will rarely try to argue that one form of Buddhism is superior to another, just more appropriate at the time and place.

Pure Land Buddhism comes as a surprise to many non-Buddhists, although it is one of the most widely practiced forms of Buddhism in the world today. It is a Buddhism based on faith, faith in Amitabha Buddha. "Buddha," it must be remembered, is not a person's name. Instead it is a title, given to those rare beings who attain Buddhahood and teach what they have learned by such attainment to the rest of us.