The Three Minds and Faith, Hope, and Love in Pure Land Buddhism

Abstract

Generally, Buddhist path to nirvana calls a person to leave mundane life and live as a monk, a sage, or a saint who continually works toward pure state, toward nirvana. The way to Buddhahood can take practitioner through process of death and rebirth for many centuries until he attains enlightenment and nirvana. Hence, Pure Land Buddhism is good news to those forced by karma to live mundane lives keeping house, working a trade, raising children. In other words, Pure Land Buddhism is good news for common person. Pure Land Buddhism, especially in thought of Shinran and Tanabe, seeks to provide a straight and easy way for small, foolish beings, for greatest of sinners and those who are most evil. Even most evil person possessed by blind passions is grasped by great compassion of Amida Buddha. This great compassion, as revealed in Amida's Vow, knows no limits. Even a person's karmic evil, deep and heavy as it is, is not oppressive for one who is embraced by love of Amida Buddha-love that never tires, blessing that constantly protects, compassion that never abandons. The love and compassion of Amida Buddha are realized through his Vow of Great Compassion. Shinran states that the joy of knowing wonder and benevolence of Vow of great compassion that Amida established for us, beings of karmic evil, is boundless and can never be fully expressed, for it surpasses all thought and all words.'