Question: Can we stay in Āmítuófó’s (阿弥陀佛) Pure Land (净土) forever after reaching it?
Answer: To know the complete answer, there are ten factors to note, as below.
[1] Dharma School: Since Āmítuófó’s Pure Land, although paradisical, functions as an ideal school with the best teachers, schoolmates and facilities for learning and practising the Dharma, all who have reached it will ‘graduate’ (unless staying to teach more). If there is no departure, due to there being no ‘graduation’ at all, it will be a very ineffective school!
[2] Beginner Bodhisattvas: For the sake of all beings, as beginner Bodhisattvas who were inspired to give rise to the Bodhi Mind (菩提心) perfectly in the Pure Land, but yet to truly start walking the path towards Buddhahood steadily, there will be increasingly active functioning as true Bodhisattvas, with their efforts extending beyond the Pure Land.
[3] Perfect Compassion: As there will be perfect compassion attained through learning and practising in the Pure Land, all there will naturally and eagerly aspire to reach out, to guide others to the Pure Land too. This deliverance of sentient beings (度众生) maintains the Pure Land as a ‘school’, with those ‘enrolling and graduating recruiting even more to enrol’.
[4] False Projection: There should not be projection of our present craving for worldly rest and permanent retirement upon the nature and purpose of the Pure Land. Mere rest and retirement will not lead to great ease (自在). The true ease is being able to be true to our Buddha-nature (佛性), to live up to it with enlightened activities for all.
[5] Pointless Idleness: It will be totally unhelpful for the welfare of all other beings still suffering in the cycle of birth and death if all who have reached the Pure Land simply ‘retire’ there for ‘good’. What will we do there if so? Sit back and sip Eight Meritorious Virtues’ water (八功德水) by lotus ponds (莲池) all day? This is surely not what the Pure Land is for.
[6] False Dichotomy: It is not so that one either stays in the Pure Land or leaves it. This is so as having become an accomplished Bodhisattva via the Pure Land, one can leave it to meet other Buddhas and deliver beings, and return to it at will, swiftly and repeatedly. One is also able to stay in it AND leave it at the same time, to multi-task with many manifestations.
[7] ‘Personal’ Pure Land: Resulting from spiritual perfection, there will be eventual establishment of one’s own Pure Land elsewhere, for skilfully gathering beings, with whom one has special affinity. This would mean ‘leaving’ Āmítuófó’s Pure Land. However, one can still manifest to visit it at any time, or simply ‘leave’ a manifestation there.
[8] Unlimited Time: With the Pure Land and all who have reached it having immeasurable life, there is no time limit for progressing to be Bodhisattvas advancing towards Buddhahood. In short, all can take as much time as needed. There is no unhappy rushing towards ‘leaving’, while the Pure Land is still the most blissful and efficient Dharma school.
[9] Happily Ever After: While the unenlightened imagine the path to True Happiness as one of winding down physical efforts gradually, those in the Pure Land will have ‘warming up’ of their spiritual efforts swiftly instead, with increasing peace and bliss till Buddhahood is attained, extending perfect activities beyond untiringly. This is the true happily ever after.
[10] Right Priority: If the nine points above are too complex for those who have just started to learn the Pure Land teachings, unless asked about, there is perhaps no need to share them yet, to prevent confusion. The urgent priority is to urge them to give rise to the Three Provisions (三资粮), so that Āmítuófó’s Pure Land can be reached in time.
相关教理
Related Teachings:
Can I Stay In Pure Land Indefinitely?
https://purelanders.com/2020/04/13/can-i-stay-in-pure-land-forever
净土教理十大系列
Pure Land Teachings’ Top Ten Series
https://purelanders.com/shida
