Three Minds

[Dharmavidya]

In the Contemplation Sutra it refers to the three minds. The three minds are
# sincere mind
# deep mind
# longing mind
These correspond, respectively, with the mind of nei quan, the mind of chih quan and the mind of nembutsu.

Sincere mind means being free from hypocrisy. This is the mind that is willing to look at oneself as one actually is. It is the willingness to face and admit to one's bombu-nature. People with this first kind of mind are not too certain about themselves. This does not mean that they are ineffective in life - often the reverse - but they know that they have many limitations and so are able to empathise easily with others. They are not full of themselves. They know that their life is caught in a matrix of conditions and that this can bring good and bad alike. Sometimes it results in harm. None of us is innocent or pure. The person of sincere mind does not feel superior. This, therefore, is the mind of nei quan: the mind that looks into the dependently originating state of all aspects of oneself and one's world.

Deep mind means willingness to trust in a deep support under-pinning one's existence. There is a lttle poem by the myokonin Saichi:

The great ocean is full of delusion;
It has the seabed to support it.
Saichi is full of bad karma;
There is Amida to support it.

This is the mind of chih quan: the mind that is willing to give everything into the hands of the Buddha and enjoy the Buddha's blessing and peace in a condition of complete entrustment.

Longing mind is, in Japanese, eko-hotsu-gan-shin. This means the mind that reaches out toward the Pure Land and also the mind that relies upon Amida's vows. It is the mind of faith. When each incident in life occurs, one says Namo Amida Bu. This brings the thought of Amida into each incident. In such a single moment one gives up self-power and accepts other-power; one longs to be with that Buddha as one might long to have one's beloved present. The Pure Land is wherever Amida is. If the Beloved is present then that very place is a Pure Land. So although we do not fully enter the Pure Land in this life, every time that we say the nembutsu we do connect with that land. This is all through the power of the Buddha's vow connecting with the openness created by our longing.

[Dharmavidya]

Thanks, Gustavo. Shakyamuni said (at the end of his life) that to be a light unto oneself one must make the Dharma one's light. To overcome the ego self by means of an ego-self effort is really a contradiction. The Dharma is fathomless so one is not going to master it by oneself. One's karma is inexhaustible so we are not going to clear it all up by ourselves. So the Pureland approach gives us the opportunity to take refuge in the fullest sense and entrust ourselves to the merit power of the Buddha in gratitude for that inspiration that brings such wonderful benefit to us as a pure gift. When we rely upon the power of the Buddha we are not in danger of ego inflation because we are not manufacturing our own salvation.

[Gustavo]

Thank you so much for the inspiring post. I just recently joined this excellent website and find the teachings of the Buddha the guiding light (Amida’s?) of my life. But can you help me understand and reconcile on how the Vow of Amida and the ‘practical’ teachings of Self-Power of Shakyamuni come together?
I have difficulty equating faith and Buddhism. I have always thought that we are to clearly analyze the teaching and make sure that we understand its logic. You know, be a light unto yourself. Do the work on your own self-power. Don’t rely on any gods to do the work for you. I thought that was what the Buddha taught. The belief in Amida sounds similar to the belief in Jesus Christ. Through him we will enter the kingdom of heaven. Can you please clarify for me. I have been deeply attracted by Amida’s call and have come to realize how much of a bombu I actually am. I used to think that I could do so much, nowadays I’m amazed how lowly and stupid I really am. I call on Amida every day but not as a being that will come to save me but more as a way to find connection with that special feeling of Nibbana the Buddha proposed was there for all who did the work.
I would really appreciate any thoughts that would clarify my confusion.

[Dr Di]

not all buddhists turn towards the Pureland and Amida Buddha. all buddhists turn towards their `clear-light mind` and more subtle and gentle consciousness, towards which there are different paths and expedient means.

[Dharmavidya]

The Pureland view is a tendency that is very widespread in Asian Buddhism, especially in Tibet, China, Japan, and the rest of East Asia. It is not limited to those who belong to nominally Pureland schools.

[Katrien Sercu]

Dear Dharmavidya, thank you for this clear content: different facets and doors in our mind that bring us more deeply in life, connected with the Pureland. By what you tell about the longing mind, i can understand and feel more what the Pureland is, also the mutual connection between our longing mind in nembutsu and the Pureland, trough the power of Buddha's vow. Is this a general buddhistic view or/and an Amida Buddhistic point of view? Do all buddhists live towards the Pureland or is this more an Amida Buddhistic way?
For me it does not matter; i only like to know...if people would ask it or if it would be right to tell this.
Thank you!