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The Sutra Praising Buddha Amitabha
We are “only streams of flow,” without a separate self, and all perceptions—mountains and rivers, trees and grass, the universe—are objects of mind. Birth and death and nirvana are not separate: when we touch deeply the nature of birth and death, we see nirvana right within it. No one has to transmigrate through birth and death or enter nirvana, because “you are already what you run after.” There are three steps to open the door of liberation according to the principle in the Heart Sutra:
- not seeking (wishlessness)
- not clinging (formlessness)
- not grasping (non-action)
The river of life receives “input” as Dharma talks, wisdom, and compassion, nourishing our mind; at the same time, the “output” spreads benefit to the Sangha and all beings. Buddhism is not static but always transforming, adapting to the times: from the conservative Theravada to the more open Mahasanghika, from the original sutras to Mahayana, Pure Land, and Vajrayana—all are “streams flowing into the vast river of the Buddha’s way.” Pure Land faith reminds us that Amitabha, the nectar of immortality, the boundless light, is not in some faraway Western realm but right in our own true nature. The Pure Land is present when we live fully in the present moment, breathing, walking with mindfulness, together building the Sangha as a place to nurture mindfulness, concentration, and insight, receiving and sharing happiness right here and now.