Passport to paradise: the logic of faith in Buddhist paradise

Abstract

Looking at two examples of Buddhist paradise, Amitābha’s Pure Land and Himalayan hidden lands, in this article we describe the logical process of accessing these paradisiacal lands, and critically analyze the logic of faith as a soteriological means that propels the practitioner along the Buddhist path to enlightenment. First, we will look at some examples of Himalayan hidden valleys, termed beyul (Tib. sbas yul), and describe the logical process of uncovering a beyul by a treasure revealer (Tib. gter ston). Accessing a beyul can be done only with the help of Tibetan guidebook literature (Tib. gnas yig) written by tantric masters over the course of the past millennium, and with a great deal of faith. Once opened, a beyul can offer countless physical, psychic, and spiritual benefits to those seeking refuge in the conceptual maṇḍala (Tib. gnas skor) of a beyul as a place of safety, abundance, and esoteric energy in times of strife, or those contemplating esoteric treasures (Tib. gter ma) found in the deepest recesses of the mind or bestowed upon the faithful during meditative visionary experience. Faith plays a role as the logical method of accessing a beyul as a place of paradise. Next, we turn to the example of pure lands to analyze the logic of faith associated with the mythical topography of Amitābha’s Pure Land. Drawing upon verses found in the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, we delineate the logic of faith as a skillful means of accessing a pure land, and that a pure land serves as a skillful means itself. There must be a ritual act of faith in which one professes a sincere intention to be reborn in Amitābha Buddha’s Pure Land. However, according to Buddhist doctrine, blind faith alone is not sufficient to be granted a Pure Land rebirth, it must be grounded in critical analysis and self-reflection. Such faith must be built upon a foundation of logic. We conclude this article with a discussion of the logical role faith plays in accessing and realizing the potential of these iterations of Buddhist paradise. Pure lands and hidden lands share a distinct logic of accessing mystical realms, such as mantra repetition, meritorious deeds, tantric wisdom, and spiritual adeptness, and both require a variety of faith grounded in psycho-spiritual logic which further empowers the function of paradise.