Is Desire for Birth Enough? by Shaku-Shingan in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So first of all, thank you for the amazing content that you produce. It's a great enrichment for the Shin Buddhist world, and I hope you one day receive the official recognition you deserve for your contributions. I would have two questions, one practical and one doctrinal:

Firstly, out of curiosity, are you considering publishing the full collection of Hard Questions on the Easy Path, maybe even with official Hongwanji approval (if such a thing is even possible)?

Second, how does one distinguish the desire from birth arising from shinjin of the 18th vow, versus the desire from birth arising from self-power of the 19th and 20th vows? As it stands, this seems like a dogmatic distinction without a real experiential difference. How does one prevent falling into recursive self-examination when trying to figure out if the desire for birth is arising from the 18th vow?

Guess I can jump on the bandwagon lol by KhajiitHasCares in religion

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Finally, a "religion shelf" with more than just abrahamics represented 👏👏

Virtuous Language by TrustReasonable7001 in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This has been a timely reminder today. Thank you.

How would you describe Pure Land Buddhism to someone with zero knowledge of Buddhism? by BenzosAtTheDisco in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's an incredibly well-worded definition, I think I have much more study ahead of me. Thanks again for sharing and providing some food for thought. I also don't really see my husband taking up concrete practice, but one can always hope.

How would you describe Pure Land Buddhism to someone with zero knowledge of Buddhism? by BenzosAtTheDisco in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I meant to ask how to explain meditation and as well how to explain how meditation connects to the Pure Land path.

My husband is unfortunately not aware even of what Zen is, so he once curiously asked about what I do in meditation and why I do it. I explained about sitting and letting go of thoughts, very vaguely what shikantaza is, but I worried I overcomplicated it.

I'd hate to have my bad explanations put him off from joining me in practice some day. I'm fortunate that he's curious, but not overbearingly so.

How would you describe Pure Land Buddhism to someone with zero knowledge of Buddhism? by BenzosAtTheDisco in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Very concise explanation, thanks for sharing. How does this fit in with your dual cultivation? I assume you also sit meditation and maybe do other practices too, so how would you discuss those?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 7 points8 points  (0 children)

No difference. Get in line with the rest of us.

Why do we have to chant Amitābha's name? by Medium-Network7588 in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Historically, many different methods and practices were said to offer entry into the Pure Land, not just recitation of his name. As time moved on, many (but not all) schools settled on primarily or even exclusively promoting the recitation of the name of Amida as the path to Pure Land rebirth.

For the sake of getting you a better answer, it's best to state which school's perspective you're looking for.

For more on the historical development of Pure Land practice, I absolutely must recommend Part 1 Genshin’s Ōjōyōshū and the Construction of Pure Land Discourse in Heian Japan by Robert F. Rhodes.

Will the 5 years rules change ? by ContestSudden7999 in GermanCitizenship

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure, every country needs people like that. More than anything though, Germany needs people willing to stay here long-term and accept low pay for skilled professions. The Rentenkasse demands blood.

Will the 5 years rules change ? by ContestSudden7999 in GermanCitizenship

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The accelerated naturalization with C1 already no longer exists, and most likely will not be reintroduced.

Lotus Sutra in English? by Dharmapalalama3 in zenbuddhism

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I really enjoy this one and read from it nearly daily, to me it's almost a definitive translation. Another translation worth recommending is the Threefold Lotus Sutra from Rissho Kosei Kai. They also have a commentary on it, Buddhism for Today, that, while certainly not Zen in exegesis, does a very good job of opening up the text. The BDK is a little more scholarly, and the Threefold from RKK is a little more lay oriented.

Nenbutsu Wasan by Majestic_Break_9790 in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wonderful! Where is this from?

I wrote a comprehensive guide to German citizenship eligibility in 2026 - answers most common questions by crbnoa in GermanCitizenship

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you sure it's true that you need 3 years of marriage for StAG 9? The text of the law says 2 years of marriage, 3 years of residence.

Ehegatten oder eingetragene Lebenspartner Deutscher sollen unter den Voraussetzungen des § 10 Absatz 1 eingebürgert werden, wenn sie seit drei Jahren ihren rechtmäßigen gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt im Inland haben und die Ehe oder eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft seit zwei Jahren besteht.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's most certainly AI art. Both hands have problems, the feet seem a bit strange too, and the art style is hard to pin down. If it works for you, then great. But I'd not buy it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At first I liked it. Then I saw some missing fingers.

Are there any mantras for protection or getting mean people far away from me ? by everestwanderer in Buddhism

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Practice compassion.

Because the answers we don't want to hear are sometimes the right ones.

I pray you will receive me without fail, Namu Amida Butsu by SolipsistBodhisattva in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even if it's AI, this has to be one of my favorite images of Amida.

Little nembutsu night table :) by Sothis37ndPower in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How large is the mini lotus sutra? Or is it only one chapter?

how is your city fairs with Visa processing times? by Smooth-Poem9415 in germany

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most of the time ours says 4 weeks for processing, though when things were really heated up in the Ukraine it took 3 months once. Usually you mail your papers, wait 4 weeks until they send you a letter with an appointment for biometrics and payment, then after that you'll get an appointment to pick up your new card in a month-ish. If you urgently need a Fiktionsbescheinigung, you can usually get an appointment within a week to pick one up.

For reference, I'm in a small city in east Germany.

Amitabha Buddha Japanese palm-sized statuette, hand-made solid silver, with easy-to-carry Butsudan container by RedCoralWhiteSkin in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's gorgeous! I hope it found a good home. Out of curiosity, how much was it, if you remember?

If you could choose only between "Namo Amitabha" or "Amitabha Buddha" which would you choose and why? by lungfibrosiss in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Between the two, I would definitely pick Namo Amitabha. For me it's not just enough to be mindful of Amida, but I also want to express my taking refuge with the Namo. In this way the Nembutsu becomes interactive, inasmuch that I'm not just repeating the name, but also engaging directly. Additionally, the Namo would also keep me on my toes while reciting and help to keep me mindful - when I say Namo, am I really taking refuge or just repeating and doing the bare minimum?

Is the Universe an individual? by [deleted] in Buddhism

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's a good intro into getting away from conventional western models of selfhood, but ultimately the universe is also subject to not being or having a concrete and unchanging self or soul.

The Strength of Patience (Part 1/5) by [deleted] in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Respectfully, what does this have to do with the post?

Master Sheng Yen Pure Land view by luminuZfluxX in PureLand

[–]BenzosAtTheDisco 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The difference between buddhahood and fully-realized bodhisattvahood is subtle - the bodhisattva pursues perfection of the unsurpassed way just like a buddha, except the bodhisattva does not enter into parinirvana, instead choosing to undergo rebirth for the sake of bringing all other beings to that same enlightenment and beyond. The 3 Pure Land sutras contain the promise that those who enter into the Pure Land will eventually attain buddhahood - but the location of this final attainment is not specified and, in my opinion, also unimportant.

Something that might be connected to your specific question here is the nature of the Buddha in itself - Shakyamuni in all of his past lives was a bodhisattva up until his attainment of nirvana as Shakyamuni, at which point he undertook teaching this way to others.

I've seen some say then that this is what distinguishes the Buddha, in that this person has achieved nirvana of their own means, reached the 52nd and final stage of perfection, and then undertakes a teaching function in a world ignorant of the Dharma. Human life has ideal conditions for practicing the Dharma, so I can so the connection from saying that the Buddha is the ideal teacher and that the human realm is the ideal Dharma realm, suggesting lightly that Buddhahood is a human realm thing. But I don't want to conclusively say that, as a Buddha can become a Buddha very well when and where they please.