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The pure land buddhism is the first recorded instance of "1 WEIRD TRICK FOR AWAKENING YOUR MONK DOESNT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT"

Killing it with these Buddhism videos, as always!

I am a Mahayana Buddhist and OMG I am really impressed at how you discussed our multiverse, even better than I would have explained. I do have to clarify the ten recitations apply to death. If you are in your deathbed and you recite the Amitabha sutra with all faith just even ten times you will go there to the Western pure land. For me though, based on my introspection, I would work on cultivating as much as I can while living this life. Even an "over" attachment to breaking the samsara can be a dukkha! Whenever I pray to Amitabha in the temple I always say that may I always aspire for buddhahood not just for me but for all lives I will encounter in my lives, if I ever get reborn in a higher form next life

I think it was the late Buddhist writer Rick Fields who somewhat bemusedly noted that Westerners who encounter Buddhism are attracted to the more "heroic" forms, like Zen practitioners powering through the pain in their legs as they sit for hours facing a wall, or Vajrayana students doing thousands of prostrations. The Pure Land schools, with their simple devotional and contemplative practices integrated into everyday life, are somehow seen as less compelling, despite the fact that they are actually more widespread and inclusive. So I much appreciate the props given to them here... kudos!

Thank you for this video. As someone who is currently studying Buddhist philosophy at the graduate level, I appreciate the degree of nuance in your discussion of this oft-neglected tradition. It's all too common for Western commentators to paint Buddhism and other "Eastern" religions with the same brush, ignoring the diversity and often highly specific distinctions present in these traditions. I personally find the question of whether we are to think of these pure lands as literal or symbolic realms to be an especially interesting question. Thank you for always producing such high-quality content on an often overlooked discipline.

My mom is Buddhist in China. She used to take to me to temples during Buddha’s birthday every year. Ive always wanted to know more about Buddhism. Thanks for your great video

Very good video and pretty thorough presentation. One thing that should be emphasized to a Western audience is that Buddha Dharma isn't as rigid in its "denominations" as Christianity and there is overlap in practice and beliefs. While a Pentecostal would almost never be seen praying in Adoration of the Eucharist, it is very common for Zen Buddhist to offer Pure Land prayers to Amitabha or a Theravadan monk learning from a Mahayana priest.

Limitless of merit and good karma to you for your awesome job explaining this part of Buddhism to the world, Dr. Andrew M. Henry. 🙏🏼☸️🙇🏻‍♂️

Yay! Finally Pure Land Buddhism, it is the most interesting form of Mahāyāna, especially Jodō-Shinshū. I'm currently studying the "origins" of Pure Land Buddhism in India and the adaptations of Sukhāvatī in Tibet. Namo Amida Butsu!

I've been binge watching Linfamy's Japanese Buddhism videos which is kind of cool as he talked about a lot of the philosophers mentioned here.

One of the reasons I love this channel, is it shows how every philosophy or faith can have many different paths, and diverse 'denominations'.

I am a born Buddhist but never knew this. Very amazing. You make good videos regarding Buddhism. You study all religions. This is nice.

I remember once I was an event coordinator for a summer exchange with a Japanese university at my American university. My job was basically to take the Japanese students out into the city to baseball games, museums, and other stuff in the afternoons and evenings after a morning of intense English lessons. Some American students from the Japanese Studies department would help me out, partly to practice their Japanese as well as make friends. One day we had a free day and I took a small group to Ikea to, you know, take hilarious selfies in the mock rooms. As we were walking, we saw a Buddhist temple. Background, the uni the Japanese kids were from was associated with this branch of Buddhism and so they were kinda religious and wanted to go in and pray since they haven't done so since arriving in America. The people running the temple were really nice and surprised to meet some people from their sister campus in Japan. There were two Americans with me: one a general white boy like me and another who was a second generation Lao American, and her family was Buddhist. Anyways, as we watched the Japanese students do their prayer ritual, the other American kid was really surprised. He really thought Buddhism was just sitting quietly and discussing philosophy, and had no idea that it was also a lot of ritual and pomp like Christianity. Seeing this video reminded me of this little story from ten years ago, and nice to see a video about Buddhism which doesn't reduce it to orientalism or strips away the religion to only examine the philosophy of it, but describes an aspect of Buddhism as it's popularly conceptualised. :D

"The simplicity and depth of Buddha's teachings always leave me in awe. It's a reminder to live in the present moment and cultivate compassion. 🙏"

I grew up autistic, but Buddhist teachings were somehow always in my psyche. After years of confusion and loss, I became a Buddhist a decade ago. I'm very skeptical, so I spend a lot of time contemplating what is relevant. I'm a Tibetan Buddhist, and my inclination is toward the Vajrayana. I have taken my vows; then I realized I had done this before. When my mother died in 2013, I participated in a Sukhavati service for her. I consider myself devoted without any kind of worship involved. To me, Sunyata implies that there is no solid reality; the fact which makes all universes and parallel realities possible. The Buddhist multiverse makes perfect sense, after all.

Excellent video, thank you. I'm a religious studies teacher in England and the quality (both of the research and production) of your videos is superb. They've really helped me to maintain and grow my subject knowledge into new areas (as well as indulge my own interests).

07:42 I'm smiling when I watched this part because i can think of one example of this tradition represented in the first Mummy movie. When Benny firstly encounter Imhotep he grabbed a bunch of necklaces and amulets. And one was very likely of Amitabha's image and he also called upon a bodhisattva for protection.

It is vital that the vast world of Buddhism be made accessible to people of all faiths. Your lecture here, Andrew, is a useful and accurate introduction to one of the most influential schools of Buddhist thought and practice. Another superb effort on your part.

As a student of Jôdo Shinshû I really appreciated the nuances in your treatment of Pure Land Buddhism🙏

I'm a Pure Land Buddhist and have been so impressed with the quality of this series so far! These have become my go-to resources to link for people interested in learning about Buddhism.

First :) as a fellow buddhist I apprecite your content covering our religion! keep up the great work!

I first encountered Pure Land Buddhism when I read "The Tale of the Heike" in a college history class. The book, an account of the Genpei War of the 1100's, presents Japan as a society that has already been extremely permeated by Pure Land Buddhism. Characters who were defeated in war often retire to "chant the name of the Amitaba Buddha" the way that modern disgraced politicians resign to "spend more time with their families".

Thank you for actually treating the buddhist denominations more deeply - so few quality, scholarly videos go much deeper than the basic history and development.

I’ve been Buddhist for twenty years, mostly as a solo practitioner bouncing between Theravada, Tibetan, and plum village (the tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh). Even as an atheist I find my practice more and more focusing on the six perfections, four immeasurables, and living a life of compassion there is something that definitely attracts me to pureland Buddhism, which feels odd as someone who comes from a family of intellectuals.

This is the drop I've been waiting for! Love the Buddhism series

Thank you so much for this video. Not only because I really like the topic of Pure Land Buddhism (I'm a Jodo Shu Buddhist) but because now I can show this video around to people who asks about a well explained and comprehensive, but not too long, explanation of the Pure Land tradition without it focusing on only one interpretation. As always you manage to explain very clearly and accurately the concepts, history, and different interpretations of a religious tradition. I'm not a religious scholar by a long shot, but I do can say that I have studied religions academically for a long time and can grasp the concepts and ideas quite well. So I can say you've never dissapointed on accuracy, explaination, and non-bias. These reasons are why I love your channel so much and can always learn something new from you without having to worry about the information being faulty, biased or outdated. Keep it up!

Glad you're continuing the Buddhism series!

Wow! Fantastic video! I've been studying Buddhism my entire adult life starting from interest in Zen, transitioned to a long period of solitary practice in Chinese Pure Land Buddhism which. in turn, lead me further study and practice under Tibetan Lamas. It is entirely fascinating to see how you've structured this explanation in a much more academic and Westerner-friendly way than I'm used to! Some of these incredibly esoteric concepts that you touch on, you yourself seem to have a very deep understanding of. Really inspiring work, a piece like this can truly benefit so many.

Man your video is 21 my long, but still looks too short. very good contains, keep up the good work

Bodhisattva is also Buddha, an Enlightened Being, not God. However, unlike Buddha who chose to leave the Samsara, the life cycle, Bodhisattva willingly chose to stay in this realm to help others to reach enlightenment.

While in a Religions of Asian class in university, which should have like 3 different classes, the book we used dismissed Pure Land Buddhism as "Christian Buddhism". After some time I decided to read more about Pure Land Buddhism of Japan. It was defiantly a lot more interesting how the my text described it.

As a Theravada Buddhist I completely don't understand Pure Land Buddhism, and Mahayana too but, I have a great respect to all of You maybe one day I will understand more

Buddhism is much diverse than we think. I am from the Vajrayana Buddhism background. The Vajrayana Buddhism is one of the complex form of Buddhism.

I am so grateful for your posting this🙏🏾💛

Love all your videos. The most informative and comprehensive religion talks on KZfaq.

I did a semester-long class on Buddhism and didn't really come away with a clear idea of the Mahayana approach and what role the cosmology served. Thank you for this super clear explanation. I know that if the dig further, I'll now be starting from a greater place of understanding.

The "realization of [sunyata] of all phenomena" reminded me of dialectical materialism as explained by Marx and Engels; all things become their opposite, quality arises from quantity, and a does not equal a. Great video!

This particular video of yours is an especially thorough and deep Tour de Force. Congratulations on your work.

Studying world religions was confusing, until I found your channel. 🙏

This video was jammed packed with lots of information! Great job with it! 😊

this is so well explained! i'm glad you also explained central concepts in buddhism as a whole alongside more distinctively pure land teachings!

Man, you are doing an amazing job with the buddhist videos, explaning concepts that are REALLY difficult to grasp in such mastery I am at awe. I was raised in a city with a large pre-war japonese colony in it, we have several temples in town from many schools (all mahayana, most pure land and some nichiren), and you helped me finally get some of the stuff they talked about I heard since childhood but never really understood.

Thanks for packing in 20 minutes of high-speed exposition an entire graduate course in Pure Land.

This is a WONDERFUL introductory video to pure land dharma!! I've personally done some of the pure land meditation practices and they are very powerful. If you practice a lot, Amitābhā shines through the light of your consciousness and shows you Sukhavati right there on your meditation cushion. Thank you for this concise explainer!

This title killed me in all the best ways. Really looking forward to watching.

I love this channel for the nuances and the precise, concise explanation of different religions and religious issues.

Excellent job. A surprisingly deep yet accessible introduction to a beautiful tradition.

Your videos on Buddhism are always great. Keep up the awesome work.

Welp. Ive got a lot of reading ahead of me! Its all so wondrous and beautiful. What magnificent teachings. Thank you for your videos!

Got the day off AND a new Religion for Breakfast video? And it's not even my birthday

Your videos are always enlightening.

beautiful work mr breakfast. thank u!

I love the way you explain things in an easy way to understand. 👍🏼

You've really done your homework. Excellent presentation.

Once again another great video! Your awesome! 👍 I'm always looking forward to more. 😊

Excellent video. One of the most credible treatments of this tradition on the internet. Namo Amituofo 🙏🏻

An excellent brief explanation of Jōdo Shinshū. Kudos.

As a Japanese Shin Buddhist, I appreciate your lecture. Actually even we believers often dont fully understand the thought process of our predecessors that led them to Shinran. Its a valuable to have these things explained in simple terms

I really hope there will be many more videos on Buddhism in general. Love this channel and Greatly appreciate this one. Have you done one between the differences of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana? or about the different lineages of Tibet?

As a Theravada Buddhist, this is eye-opener.

My grandma wanted me to be a Nichiren Buddhist. I am using your videos and podcasts by Alan Peto to learn it for myself. I want to reach my own form of Nirvana within the sanctity of the thre gems, and the four noble truths and the eightfold path. Thank you for these.

Thank you so much for your Buddhism videos! I’ve been exploring Buddhism as a possible spiritual path, and your videos break it down in ways that books and other videos haven’t. Will you do a video on Zen Buddhism in the future? I’m loving your series on this subject, and would love to learn more!

I enjoyed this video very much. Looking forward to future content about Buddhism. 😊

There is nowhere I'd rather learn about religion than your Channel doctor. Thank you.

Wonderful video! Much appreciated!

Thank you so much! The information in this video has helped massively. Namu Amida Bustu.❤🙏 Nothing Can Dim the Light that Shines from Within.🕉

Amazing clarity of thought and fantastic teaching.

I learn so much from your content! Thank you

Pure Land changed my life! Thanks for this video!

Thank you for this amazing video !

I was introduced to Mahayana thought through Trungpa's "Training the Mind and Cultivating Living Kindness". I recommend it highly. The earlier small blue paperback is best version, imo.

An opportunity for me to pay homage to the Rev. Jack Austin, of the Pure Land Buddhists: if belinging to that made you the man he was when I worked with him in the World Congress of Faiths over 40 years ago, it's worth a good look. Never forgotten, Rev. Austin.

Comprehensive & fascinating. Thank you 🙏🏼

Amazing topic thank you for covering it.

Thank you for this video. It's refreshing to hear your explanation of something other than Abrahamic religions.

Thank you so much for covering this. I’ve been studying and practicing since 2015 but haven’t found much on this school

I almost wish I had never started studying Buddhism - it’s so vast and complex. Thanks for this ultra-concise video - I think it needs several watches to cement the concepts.

Love your channel. Thanks

As a purelander, this is a very good video! Thanks!

As always. Great video.

Thank you! great explanation of Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism and other forms and sects.

I'd love for you to cover Shingon Buddhism. I'm fascinated by esoteric Buddhism, and Shingon recognizes 13 deities, including the ones you've mentioned here -- Kuanyin, Amithaba, Jizo, Manjusri, Maitreya, the Medicine Buddha, and the historical Buddha. It's difficult to find information on the remainder, aside from Vairocana and Fudo Myo-o.

I watched Dr. Eckel’s and class on Buddhism on Wondrium. He is an outstanding lecturer.

Thanks for this video. I remember watching anime with different Buddhist philosophies and having trouble with finding decent information like 20 years ago. Lol. This is wonderful.

Excellent video! Thank you.

Fantastic video. Great job😊

Wow!!!! Great video!!! Congrats!

Takes me back to my university days. A great distillation of Pure Land Buddhism. Thank you! Namo Amitabha!

This video is very important for study Buddhist Multiverse 💙. Namo Bhagavate amitabhaya tathagataya samyak-sambuddhaya ! 🥰💛💙❤🤍🙏

Another great video

I hope you’re planning on doing a video on Wrathful Deities at some point! They are fascinating as they are frightening in countenance and yet objects of devotion and meditative reflection, which seems quite distinct from how Western culture looks upon scary, demonic-looking supernatural beings

I have, for over a decade now, moved from the esoteric and exotic form of Mahayana Buddhism that projects an ideal (idealized) scheme and various fantastic dimensions of the worlds of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to a more down-to-earth, realistic and humanistic form of Buddhism that focuses on the most fundamental training of the 37 requisites for enlightenment in early and Theravada Buddhism. I always ponder within myself, if anyone can attain a fast-track route to gain enlightenment in any pure land under the guidance of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, his status is not more than a disciple Arahant, as the Buddha is far beyond that, as one who attained enlightenment all by himself and can help others who connected to him to attain the same level of awakening as himself.

that was great - very enlightening!

Amitabha Buddha 🙏❤ Amitabha means infinite, infinite light, infinite life. So Amitabha Buddha also means infinite enlightened ones or infinite Buddha. Thus Amitabha Buddha is also the name of all Buddha, therefore reciting this name/mantra, you are connecting with all Buddha and Buddha in yourself. When you recite a Buddha's name. You are thinking of the Buddha, you want to be with the Buddha, you want to be Buddha. And what does Buddha mean? Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and all that Buddha taught, and the compassion in vows they take, and trained so hard and long to achieve. So when you are reciting the name of Buddha, you are focusing your action, you mind, and your senses on Buddha, and not wandering on deviant path. At the same time, we are practicing letting go of all thoughts, good or bad, letting go of the wrongful attachment of the body, letting go the this illusion of life, for the sack to attaining enlightenment so we can help all others. As before we are enlightened, the I, the self is one of the “others” that we should help. Since we are in an era where our mind is trained almost ADHD like compare to people in the old times, so it's much hard to concentrate, to let go and achieve no mind. By focusing on the recital of Amitabha Buddha, the name the mantra, it's much easier. And instead of focusing on breathing, candle-light, flower, or any other things, by focusing on Amitabha Buddha, the name of all Buddha. Your mind is tuned to the most positive wavelength/deed there can be. The more you understand Buddha and his teaching, the more meaningful this practice become, as every recital reminds you of what Buddha means and encompasses. And the compassion of Amitabha Buddha's vows. It is in this way, that it's all encompassing, and no mind, no self. Be Buddha. 🙏 And what do you want to do when you become Buddha？ Check out Amitabha Buddha's 48 vows for some amazing copyright free templates. All vows are features and functions aimed to help others reach enlightenment, non to seek own enlightenment, nor free self of suffering. That's pure compassion, and the right path. In Pure land Buddhism, the ultimate goal in this life is to practice the way of Buddha and be notified the time of your own death, and to leave this world the way you choose, to Amitabha’s pure land. Some leave standing, some leave sitting cross-legged, some laying down. But those who practiced well, leave knowingly, and peacefully. In Taiwan we also have “Helpers Chant Groups” that would take turns and chant Amitbha Buddha/Amituofo next to the deceased for 8-12 hours after the death, to help the deceased the last league of their journey. To be able to stay calm and clear minded at the moment of death is really hard, that is the true test. All the chanting in your life is to practice for this moment. We have seen some people that leave with the last chant echoing in their mouth(very few). Some died with a face in fright/agony, but gradually turned peaceful and the body become soft instead of rigid. So unlike what some would think, that Pure Land Buddhist only have to chant the mantra and not need to follow Buddha’s teaching. In Pure land Buddhism, we adhere to the teachings of Buddha as much as we can, and learn as much as we can in the teachings of Buddha so to strengthen our faith and understanding, so to prevent “obstacles”, cold feet, and wrongful habits from showing up its bad karma at the moment of death. Master Yin Guang said:”Do all that is good, refrain from all that is bad, clear/purify your mind/intent and that is Buddhism. And chant as if death is here today.” Do things that you “have to do”(eat, sleep, work to put food on the table, and requests for help that you are able to provide), and the moment you are done or have a break, let all thoughts go, and chant to remember the way of Buddha. When people praise you, pay no mind, and chant Amitabha. When people criticize you or make you suffer, thank them for ridding you more bad karma, pay no mind and chant Amitabh. Because nothing in this impermanent world that we will leave should you attach yourself to, and cause your own suffering over. Join the Buddha and Bodhisattava, and be enlightened, so that you can help all those connected to you who are suffering because they think all is real, and that they are suffering. All these mindset and understanding, we reinforce and delve deeper into with every recital of Amitabha Buddha. And when all you think is Buddha and see Buddha and Buddhisattva in everyone, in everything, and respect them and love them as much, you make this life Pure Land. There are mainly two sutras available in Chinese that talks about Pureland Amitabha Buddha（The Sutra On Contemplation Of Amitayus, and Amitābha Sūtra）, and these are one of the very few sutras that Buddha spoke without being asked. But there are also vital references of Pureland Amitabha Buddha in other Sutras that it is the go to practice by prominent bodhisattvas through which they obtained their enlightenment.（there are many levels of enlightenment, and many levels of bodhisattva) Thanks you so much for this video. I have been practicing Pureland Buddhism for almost thirty years. But I have been reading the sutras in Chinese, and haven't seen many English content on this. I listen to Alan Watts, and Thich Nhat Hanh, but they don't have content on these either. Your research and understanding of Pureland is amazing. Thank you so much for your work. Amitabha Buddha 🙏❤

When I first heard of this when I was a Catholic I thought the Pure Land was like a much more pleasant equivalent to Purgatory, I’ve heard before many of the concepts mentioned here but I didn’t know their context so thank you for making this video

Im related to your video, as i was also read about the books and Bodhisattva u falking about....thanks to your explanation, u had did a good research

I’ve always wanted to read more of Buddhism, and I eventually found these books of the dalai lamas teachings, but it wasn’t enough and this video is everything I wanted

Rabbit holed here. Wow! Incredible amount of information about a form of Buddhism for a newb like myself, packed like a concise and comprehensible sardine can. Well done, and thank you. Now for a replay.

Great video! An important point brought up is that all Mahayana traditions from Tibet to Japan have been influenced by the Pure Land tradition. For anyone interested in Pure Land teachings I suggest "Pure Land Pure Mind" a selection of letters by the Chinese Pureland Master Yin Kuang.