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Cultivating the Pure Land Now: Tending the Inner Garden with Sangha Support
The Sutra on the Land of Ultimate Bliss teaches that the Pure Land is a matter of fact in the here and the now, not just for the future or the West. Peace and happiness are possible in this very moment, even amidst elements of pain and sorrow. The body and consciousness are a garden; while some trees may be dying, others remain vigorous and beautiful. Visiting and tending to this garden daily allows for the enjoyment of what is refreshing and healing. Taking good care of this garden is a daily practice for one’s own nourishment and for the offering to others.
Sitting creates stability and solidity, helping to transform the habit energy that constantly pushes one to run and act. The Sangha acts as a boat; while a small pebble sinks in the river, a rock placed on a boat will not. Surrendering to the Sangha prevents sinking in sorrow and fear. Weakness is woven into the strength of the body, following the principle of Oriental medicine where the five organs support each other: tâm (heart), can (liver), tỳ (digestive system), phế (lungs), and thận (kidney). Trusting the body and the ancestors present in every cell allows the work of healing and transformation to take place.
To help the body heal, one must learn to rest, much like wounded animals in the forest who find a quiet place to lie down. Walking meditation is a practice of stopping the running toward other conditions of happiness, arriving home in the here and the now. Suffering plays an important role in identifying happiness, acting as organic waste that becomes compost to nourish flowers. By embracing pain with mindfulness, elements of compassion and joy manifest. Building a Sangha is building a Pure Land, creating a safe place where safety, joy, and freedom are possible.