Question: Can I reach Pure Land (净土) with my continual breaking of precepts (戒)?
Answer: Do you wish to keep breaking precepts?
Question: No.
Answer: Will you do your best to stop breaking precepts?
Question: Yes, but I might still break them.
Answer: Will you do your best to stop breaking them?
Question: Yes, but what if I still break them?
Answer: Will you do your best to not break them?
Question: Yes.
Answer: Then, there is hope yet, as Pure Land is surely for those who wish to become good and pure, even if they are not perfect yet, but not those who keep giving themselves leeway to do evil.
Question: How should I practise?
Answer: Practise repentance (忏悔) sincerely for precepts broken, and practise mindfulness of Buddha (念佛) with the Three Provisions (三资粮) sincerely. Here is the suggested sequence for daily practice. The key is to be as sincere as you can: https://purelanders.com/2016/02/17/how-do-i-start-nianfo-practice.
If you depart with much evil karma (恶业) from breaking of many precepts bearing fruit, with much guilt, fear and pain, it will be difficult to have the Three Provisions in the moment: https://purelanders.com/2018/02/08/the-three-provisions. Thus, it is important to repent and practise sincerely, to be more strict with observation of the precepts in everyday life now. (See the corresponding introductory chapter on precepts in https://purelanders.com/2018/12/14/be-a-lamp-upon-yourself.)
Question: Is there a method to rein in my mind, to avoid breaking precepts?
Answer: Yes, with sincere practice of mindfulness of Buddha, as above, the Buddha’s blessings will aid in aligning you to your Buddha-nature (佛性), thus with less tendency to do evil, and more tendency to do good. Thus, the path to purification can begin now; not just in Pure Land.
