Somehow I read this little Zen-witticism earlier today. In some famous Zen story, the teacher, when asked about Buddhism, said to chop wood and gather water. After enlightenment, also chop wood and gather water. Somehow this got me thinking about Catholic monks,* like the Carthusians, who live a life of total silence, and also just do little else but chop wood and gather water.
For a Pure Land Buddhist like me, I suppose the same teaching would be expressed as “just recite Amida Buddha’s name”, and go chop wood and gather water. Pure Land Buddhism has always been popular among working-class people in Asian Society because it’s simple and accessible, but somehow unfailingly leads sincere followers to a more fulfilled and pious life. In a famous story about Honen, an old ex-thief who stayed with Honen for a time. The thief, believing himself a fool and hopeless, comes to realize the path before him, and joyously leaves Honen the next day. Much later as he was dying of illness he sent a message through a friend saying “Go and tell Honen of my Birth in the Pure Land,” then died while reciting Amida’s Name.
This is the kind of teachings that can’t be expressed in expensive meditation seminars or elaborate pilgrimages to holy sites. Many people in this world can’t afford these luxuries, but instead spend their day toiling just to make ends meet. Here in Ireland, where Buddhism is virtually unheard of, this is no less true. Despite the recent wealth and worldliness, many people I see as I walk to work are still just good salt-of-the-earth types, who still have to earn a living the ol’ fashioned way. I love Pure Land Buddhism I think because it proves that these same people inexplicably become something greater just by reciting Amida Buddha’s name and just having some faith in the Buddha’s vows of compassion, even in the midst of their daily labor.
Namuamidabu
* – Probably because I am in Ireland, duh.
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Between you and Jeannie I can barely keep up with the posts. Just kidding. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t interesting.
There is a certain mass appeal to Pureland. It does have it’s vices however, as with anything taken to an extreme. I’ve seen often enough a focus on afterlife benefits and ceremony without understanding its meaning, aspects which I feel detract from what Buddhism can really do for us. As you said, before “enlightenment chop wood and gather water. After enlightenment, also chop wood and gather water.”
“Between you and Jeannie I can barely keep up with the posts.”
Hahaha! You’re right, I do talk a lot. I’ll have to work on that.
Hi Oz,
You say “I’ve seen often enough a focus on afterlife benefits and ceremony without understanding its meaning”.
I assume that you mean in your opinion those engaged in the ceremony didn’t understand the meaning. How terribly terribly arrogant of you to think you know what other Buddhists understand or whether their understanding is correct.
I’m sorry, but, in the words of TNH, “we do not have the right to say that our own method of practice is the only correct one and that the way another practices is wrong.”
Please, tell me about your practice and what it means to you, but please don’t tell me about the faults of others.
Marcus
Ps…in that last sentence I meant to write “but please don’t tell me about the faults of other Buddhists and their practice.”
Wow- maybe this isn’t the place for me anymore.
Hi Jeannie,
I’m sorry. I reacted badly and shouldn’t have started an argument. Sorry.
Oz talked about the ‘vices’ of Pure Land Practice and said that its practitioners don’t understand Buddhism, that it detracts from what he considers Buddhism to offer, and suddenly I felt I was in the wrong place!
But, you are right, perhaps what I ought to have said was nothing at all. That would have been better than starting a row. Sorry for making you uncomfortable Jeannie.
And sorry Gerald.
Marcus
No worries. I think everyone should just take a deep breath and move on.
Thank you Gerald.
There are no hard feelings, Marcus.
Great post!
With reference to Oz’s comments, it’s definitely very grating to hear other people’s judgments about a tradition that they don’t practice at all. All the time, people tell me about the benefits and flaws of my practice when they don’t even know what I do. When people make a wrong point due to false assumptions, it feels as though it’s too much effort to get to the root of the problem: the wrong assumptions. So I usually say nothing.
That said, I’m glad that Marcus retorted. It’s important for people to realize the value of mindful speech.
A last note… I remember Rev Noriaki Ito, rinban of the Higashi Honganji LA Betsuin, once mentioned that he wrote an article about growing up with a bit of skepticism about Pure Land Buddhism, but that college experiences completely changed the way he understood the Teachings. If I can find it (and if you’re interested) I’ll get a copy from him and post it on the web.
Gassho
I don’t want to take sides here, but Oz did have a valid point in that people in Pure Land do tend to take advantage of the notion of rebirth in a paradise, without appreciating the greater Buddhist teachings. This is one of my angsts from the Jodo Shinshu community I left behind in Seattle.
The term ‘vice’ probably wasn’t a wise choice in terms though, because Pure Land Buddhism is at heart a path of compassion for those who really are too selfish and self-centered to appreciate it. Amida Buddha embraces them all the same (even if I personally get annoyed).
Still, I do recall Honen’s words that the Pure Land path is so easy, but few actually achieve birth there because people either make it too complicated and difficult, or they take it for granted so much, they never had the spirit of renunciation to begin with (something Shinran also said in his letters) and wasted an opportunity.