It takes wisdom to choose the right Dharma path. There are two options. First, we follow the methods taught by the Buddha and practice them through our own efforts. Second, acknowledging we don’t have what it takes to practice on our own, we rely on the power of Amitabha Buddha.

       It's like having the choice between walking or getting a ride. Sure, if you’re fit enough, you’ll eventually make it there on foot. But taking a ride will get you there in no time.

       When we take an honest look at ourselves spiritually, the choice becomes obvious - the Pure Land path is simpler, easier, and more reliable. All those who practice it are guaranteed to be reborn in the Pure Land.

       It’s actually a smart move. Sure it might look like we’re throwing away years of learning, but what we gain is worth so much more. Give up one thing, gain ten thousand in return - you can’t put a price tag on that.

       When we let go of our attachments - our fixed way of thinking, worldly matters, or even the sacred path - and fully entrust ourselves to Amitabha Buddha, we realize that we have lost nothing, for the name of Amitabha Buddha encompasses everything.

       Everything just falls into place naturally. Some folks get the wrong idea that Buddhism says everything is empty - no Buddha, no Pure Land. That’s not right at all.

       Empty doesn’t mean there’s nothing there - it’s more like sorting the real from the fake. The Pure Land, with its jeweled ponds of special water, golden ground, and ability to wish things into being - all of that is real. The Buddha described it this way so we could get our heads around it. Once you’re there, you find all the teachings from other paths are right there too. In the Pure Land, even the birds, wind, and rain teach the Dharma, naturally showing us about enlightenment, the Eightfold Path, and everything else.

       All those good things other Buddhists work so hard for? They’re just part of the package in the Pure Land. When you really think about it, you’re not gaining or losing anything - it was all there to begin with.

       But while we’re practising, we need to let certain things go and pick up others. For regular folks like us, letting go is part of the deal. How much you let go depends on your wisdom and circumstances. The wiser you get, the better you understand what to hold on to and what to drop. Keep letting go until all you’ve got left is Amitabha’s name - that’s when you’ve truly let go of everything.

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin)