Carried on from last post, let’s begin with a meditation from Shantideva in his Way of the Bodhisattva, in the Chapter of Vigilant Introspection: “The Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas both / Possess unclouded vision, seeing everything: / All lies open to their gaze, / And likewise I am always in their presence.” (5: 31)
Confession of one’s sins and wrongdoings is essential in Mahayana Buddhism. It is a crucial relational quality that is “in presence” of the Lords and their children, the Bodhisattvas. This can be seen to be a crucial element in Tibetan Buddhism, but East Asian Buddhism also maintains an intense emphasis on relationality, which is paradoxically based on the “Otherness” or Other-Power of Amitabha Buddha. Other-Power is the salvific power of the Bhagavan of Infinite Light, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life. His relation to us, His love for we deluded sentient beings is expounded to us by Shakyamuni Buddha in the Amitabha Sutra. Yet His Otherness, His Other-Power is maintained precisely because such is his radical transcendence that it is Lord Shakyamuni, the Nirmanakaya/Sambhogakaya proxy, that reveals the Pure Land and Amitabha’s intentions to us.
“The light of Amitayus shines brilliantly, illuminating all the Buddha lands of the ten directions. There is no place where it is not perceived. I am not the only one who now praises his light. All the Buddhas, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas praise and glorify it in the same way.” (Larger Sutra, 270b)
So whilst Shakyamuni acts as the transmitter of Amitabha’s Other-Power through this Sutra, Amitabha’s light still shines throughout the cosmos, permeating everything. In this passage, His transcendence and immanence is maintained. This leads me to question the literal interpretation of some passages within the Mahayana scriptures. Referring back to my post about Rita Gross’s book, I tend to agree with a sociological interpretation of Vow 30, whilst also allowing for the fact that Amitabha is beyond all conception and that visualization of Amitabha is a raft with which to reach Amitabha. Visualization in itself is not enough, even with contemplation of the cosmic body of the Buddha. Realization is the true goal.
“Now,” Shinran goes on, “Buddha is formless, and because of his formlessness he is known all by himself.” … when Buddhists say “formlessness”, they mean neither physical form nor intellectualization; rather, they refer to a formlessness which goes beyond the materiality of things and our habits of intellectualizing… And this formlessness, jinen, means “all by himselfness,” or “being by itselfness.” If Amida had a form, he would not be called the Supreme Tathagata, Nyorai. As an indication of his formlessness, he is called Amida. (Suzuki, 1970, pg. 58 – 9)
So not only is Amitabha Other-Power, He is also within us. The story of Dharmakara bodhisattva is our story. Once we realize Amitabha, we realize our own heart’s potential. Once we realize our own heart’s potential, we recognize ourselves as Amitabha. The invisible glory is the real thing. The infinite light of Amitabha can’t be seen where the mirage and obsession of “forms” and “visions” and “results” misdirects our gaze away from the indivisible Suchness of Amitabha.
But what is He, and who is Shakyamuni, other than being One in themselves (Tathagata) and within us? (Buddha Nature) They are literally good friends, intimate friends whose teachings we should strive to realize. (Larger Sutra, 273b, 29) This is Buddhist relationality in regards to Shakyamuni and Amitabha.
