1- you can download the 3 pureland sutras online for free, perfectly legally www.bdk.or.jp/document/dgt... 2- at least read the very last text in the book (THE SUTRA ON AMITĀYUS BUDDHA DELIVERED BY ŚĀKYAMUNI BUDDHA) it is chanted every evening in buddhist temples and is standard at funerals - ThreadSky

edwardw2.bsky.social • 113 days ago

1- you can download the 3 pureland sutras online for free, perfectly legally
https://www.bdk.or.jp/document/dgtl-dl/dBET_ThreePureLandSutras_2003.pdf
2- at least read the very last text in the book (THE SUTRA ON AMITĀYUS BUDDHA DELIVERED BY ŚĀKYAMUNI BUDDHA) it is chanted every evening in buddhist temples and is standard at funerals

Comments

lewispavey.bsky.social•113 days ago

Wonderful translation, this is the copy I have on my altar, Namo Amituofo 🙏

tmichael96.bsky.social•113 days ago

Sharing the sutras for free is very auspicious and generates a lot of merits 🙏🏽 Namu Amida Butsu

ajaanmark.bsky.social•113 days ago

In Thailand monks chant a kind of summary of the Abhidamma at funerals:
http://www.watpamahachai.net/watpamahachai-62.htm

ajaanmark.bsky.social•113 days ago

https://youtu.be/AXOi5xa_YNY?feature=shared

wcang79.bsky.social•112 days ago

For those who can't read Thai script https://ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Thai-Chanting/Abhidhamma-Chanting.htm

ajaanmark.bsky.social•112 days ago

Thanks!

edwardw2.bsky.social•113 days ago

3- The text is extremely short: These 3 images contain the entire text of the sutra

edwardw2.bsky.social•113 days ago

4- the cultural impact of these pureland sutras cannot be understated. one common euphemism for death is 'returning to the west' 歸西 because Amithaba's pure land is in the west

wcang79.bsky.social•113 days ago

It's more than that. In fact, to the uninformed Chinese 'Buddhists', they may think that the historical Buddha was Amitabha, not realizing it was Sakyamuni Buddha. Anyway, for newcomers to Buddhism, it's best to start with 'In the Buddha's Words' https://wisdomexperience.org/product/buddhas-words/

tmichael96.bsky.social•113 days ago

That’s a great book for beginners!

Chinese Buddhists venerate both Amitabha and Shakyamuni. In fact, the Pure Land Sutras were taught by Shakyamuni himself, so most will know the difference.

Speaking of Bhikku Bodhi, he also wrote this book (free to read!):
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html

wcang79.bsky.social•113 days ago

Not really, speaking for myself. I certainly didn't know about Sakyamuni Buddha before reading Buddhist scriptures. But it's quite common to hear Namo Amitabha in movies, drama and etc. If your exposure of Buddhism is limited to that, you're going to think that's the historical Buddha.

edwardw2.bsky.social•112 days ago

this book is also good, but more expensive. it has the Sanskrit and Chinese versions of Amithaba Sutras: the shorter and the longer versions.

edwardw2.bsky.social•112 days ago

It also contains this illustration

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