Pure Land for All Vol.1

Miao Lien Shi · 釋妙蓮

Apr 2014 · 靈巖山佛教基金會

About this ebook

　　This book is a compilation of some of the quintessential Dharma lectures of Venerable Master Miao Lien that he addressed to retreat participants. The Venerable Master often said, “To fully comprehend why one must seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, one must read Pure Land for All!”

　　Such is the brilliant guidance of one of the greatest Pure Land Masters who attained his profound understanding through actual practice. Herein lie not only the elements of study and practice, but also aspects of both the phenom¬enal and noumenal worlds, as well as the vast, compas¬sionate vows of the Venerable Master. May all who read this book attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Ratings and reviews

The author argues for acceptance of post-buddha aspects, such as 'Pure Land' that got added and became popular in later centuries. Hence, the author diverges from Buddha's original teachings. Buddha emphasized training the mind for rational and scientific thinking, and the importance of developing a questioning mind that humbly asks 'why' rather than accepts blindly. For a historical account on how 'Pure Land' and 'Amitabha' got added to Buddhishm, please google for the article 'Where is the Pure Land?: Controversy in Chinese Buddhism on the Nature of Pure Land' by Kenneth K. Tanaka. For instance, it quotes: "The deluded person concentrates on Buddha and wishes to be born in the other land; the awakened person makes pure his own mind."

Definitely a most venerable master. I find that I have calmed a great deal after having read this book. There is an indescribable essence of peace that resonates from the words of master Miao Lien.

A great book for everyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of what pure land buddhism is all about!

About the author

　　Venerable Master Miao Lien, born in 1922, took up monastic life at age nine. During a time of war, chaos, and calamity in China, he experienced and gained a deep understanding of the sufferings in the Saha World. Molded by this trying period, he resolved to practice diligently and, consequently, made great achievements in learning the Dharma. He became even more compassionate and mindful of sentient beings.

 　　As our Venerable Master strove to realize Buddhahood and guide countless sentient beings to transcendence, his compassion and vows were one with those of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. With Amitabha Buddha’s forty-eight vows as his foundation, the Venerable Master made a forty-ninth vow: 

　　I will help all sentient beings that have seen me or heard my sermons, or even just my name, to transcend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; for those who do not transcend in this life, I will continue my mission in future lives until all transcend. 

　　Venerable Master Miao Lien’s life exemplifies this Buddha Path. From leaving home aged nine to become a monk to twenty years of concentrated practice in seclusion to building the international network of Lingyen Mountain Temple monasteries, the Venerable Master emulated the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas by embracing every being as himself and caring for us all, like a father cares for his children.

 　　On June 25, 2008, at the age of eighty-eight, Venerable Master Miao Lien entered Nirvana in a state of tranquility at the Lingyen Mountain Temple in Nantou, Taiwan. He had been a fully ordained monk for sixty-eight years. Physical existence is transient, but the legacy of compassion and virtue the Venerable Master painted during his lifetime will continue to extend beyond the limits of time and space to find manifestation in every Bodhi mind.