Master Jing Kong on Buddhism: Pure Land Practice in Daily Life
Master Jing Kong's teachings: how to integrate Buddhism into daily life, how to practice Pure Land, and how to find true liberation in the world.
Master Jing Kong on Buddhism: Pure Land Practice in Daily Life
Editor's Note
Master Jing Kong (1927-2022) was a renowned contemporary Buddhist monk and a great master of the Pure Land tradition. He dedicated his life to propagating the Pure Land teachings, lecturing on Buddhist sutras for over sixty years. This article is compiled from Master Jing Kong's numerous teachings and dialogues.
I. What is True Buddhism?
Q: Many people find Buddhism mysterious. What exactly is Buddhism?
Master Jing Kong: Buddhism is not mysterious; Buddhism is education.
"佛" (Fo) is an Indian word, translated into Chinese as "the Awakened One," meaning an enlightened person.
"法" (Fa) refers to the truth of the universe and life.
Buddhism is education in awakening, teaching us to recognize the truth of the universe and life.
Buddhism is Not a Religion
Many people treat Buddhism as a religion, but actually, Buddhism is education.
The Buddha is a teacher, and we are students.
Bodhisattvas are senior students who have completed their studies and come to help us.
Therefore, Buddhism is the way of teachers, not the way of gods.
Buddhism is Not Superstition
Buddhism emphasizes reason and logic.
The Buddha said: "Do not believe something just because I said it. Use your own wisdom to observe and verify it."
The Buddha encouraged disciples to ask questions and to think critically.
Blind faith is not Buddhism; awakening is Buddhism.
Q: Then what does Buddhism teach us?
Master Jing Kong: Buddhism teaches us three things:
First: Know Yourself
Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you going?
These three questions have puzzled philosophers for a long time, but Buddhism explains them very clearly.
Second: Know the World
How did this world come to be? Why is it like this?
Buddhism tells you the truth about the world.
Third: End Suffering and Attain Happiness
Life has suffering and happiness. How do we end suffering and attain happiness?
This is the core problem that Buddhism seeks to solve.
II. On Karma
Q: Buddhism places special emphasis on karma. What is karma?
Master Jing Kong: Karma is the law of the universe. It was not invented by the Buddha; it was discovered by him.
Just as Newton discovered gravity—gravity was not created by Newton; it already existed.
Three Characteristics of Karma
First: Good brings good returns; evil brings evil returns
This is the general principle. However, when and how it returns is very complex.
Second: Karma spans three lifetimes
Some causes bear fruit in this life, some in the next life, and some in the life after that.
Do not think that doing bad deeds has no consequences; it is just that the time has not yet come.
Third: Karma can be changed
Destiny can be changed.
Mr. Yuan Liaofan's "Liaofan's Four Lessons" explains this very clearly.
How to Change Destiny
Repentance: Acknowledge mistakes and do not repeat them.
Do good deeds: Perform more good deeds and accumulate merit.
Cultivate wisdom: Study Buddhism and grow in wisdom.
When both merit and wisdom have grown, destiny naturally changes.
III. On the Pure Land Practice
Q: You have dedicated your life to propagating the Pure Land teachings. What is the Pure Land?
Master Jing Kong: The Pure Land practice is a special teaching given by the Buddha for sentient beings in the Dharma-ending Age.
Why Practice Pure Land
In the Dharma-ending Age, the capacity of sentient beings is very limited.
Relying on one's own power to practice, it is difficult to achieve attainment.
The Pure Land practice relies on the Buddha's power. As long as one has faith, makes vows, and recites the Buddha's name, one can be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Three Provisions for Pure Land
To practice Pure Land, one must possess three conditions, called the "Three Provisions":
Faith: Believe in the existence of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and believe in Amitabha Buddha's power of vows.
Vow: Willingly seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Practice: Sincerely recite the Buddha's name.
How to Recite the Buddha's Name
There are many methods of reciting the Buddha's name. The simplest is "holding the name recitation":
Recite with your mouth: Namo Amituofo (or simply Amituofo)
Visualize in your mind: Visualize the image of Amitabha Buddha, visualize the scenery of the Western Pure Land
Listen with your ears: Listen to the sound of your own recitation
Beginners can start with reciting one thousand times a day and gradually increase.
The key is sincerity and single-mindedness.
Q: Why be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?
Master Jing Kong: The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the realm of Amitabha Buddha. There is no suffering there, only various kinds of joy.
The Excellence of the Pure Land
Environmental excellence: The ground is made of gold, the ponds are made of seven treasures. There is no pollution, no disasters.
Companions excellence: Everyone there is virtuous, all are bodhisattvas. There are no evil people.
Study excellence: Amitabha Buddha personally teaches. Listening to sutras and teachings every day, progress is rapid.
Lifespan excellence: There is immeasurable life there, plenty of time for cultivation.
Conditions for Rebirth
Not everyone can go. One must meet certain conditions:
First: Cannot have committed serious offenses
Even those who have committed the five grave offenses and ten evil deeds, if they repent at the time of death, may still be reborn. But one should not commit serious offenses ordinarily.
Second: Must have true faith and sincere vow
Half-believing and half-doubting will not work. One must have true faith.
Merely saying the words will not work. One must sincerely wish to go.
Third: Must achieve uninterrupted recitation
One need not speak of "one-pointed mind without confusion," but at minimum one must achieve "uninterrupted recitation."
This means when reciting the Buddha's name, there is only the Buddha's name in the mind, with no distracting thoughts.
IV. Buddhism and Daily Life
Q: How can we laypeople practice in our daily lives?
Master Jing Kong: For laypeople to practice, they should grasp three principles:
First: Fulfill Your Role
Whatever position you are in, fulfill the responsibilities of that position.
If you are a parent, be a good parent; if you are a child, be a good child.
If you are a leader, be a good leader; if you are an employee, be a good employee.
Doing your duty well is practice.
Second: Avoid Evil and Maintain Sincerity
Stay away from evil and maintain sincerity.
Stay away from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication; stay away from greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt.
Be sincere toward people, toward matters, and toward things.
Third: Do No Evil, Do All Good
Do not do bad deeds; do more good deeds.
What are bad deeds? Those that harm others to benefit oneself are bad deeds.
What are good deeds? Those that benefit sentient beings are good deeds.
Q: How do we handle the relationship between work and practice?
Master Jing Kong: Work and practice are not contradictory.
Work is Practice
Doing your work well is practice.
Benefiting sentient beings through your work is practicing the bodhisattva way.
Training your mind through your work is practice.
Mindset is Important
Do not be attached: Work diligently, but do not be attached to the results.
Maintain purity: No matter how busy, keep the mind pure. Like a mirror, it reflects clearly but does not cling.
Recite continuously: You can also recite the Buddha's name while working, silently in your mind.
V. On Precepts
Q: Must one take precepts to learn Buddhism?
Master Jing Kong: Precepts are the foundation of Buddhism. One can learn Buddhism without taking precepts, but it is difficult to achieve attainment.
The Function of Precepts
Precepts are not constraints; they are protection.
Like traffic rules—they seem to restrict you, but actually they protect you.
Obey traffic rules, and you are safe. Observe precepts, and you are pure.
The Five Precepts
Lay practitioners should at least observe the five precepts:
No killing: Do not harm any living being.
No stealing: Do not take what is not yours.
No sexual misconduct: Do not engage in extramarital affairs.
No lying: Do not speak falsehoods.
No intoxication: Do not consume alcohol (intoxicants confuse the mind).
If you can uphold these five, your human rebirth is secured.
How to Observe Precepts
Observing precepts is not rigid. One must understand the principles of relaxation, restriction, upholding, and transgression.
Relaxation: In some circumstances, precepts can be relaxed. For example, to save a life.
Restriction: In some circumstances, one must be restrictive. For example, things that easily cause misunderstanding.
Upholding: What should be upheld must be maintained.
Transgression: If one accidentally transgresses, one must repent.
The key is to have wisdom, not to rigidly adhere.
VI. On Afflictions
Q: I have heavy afflictions. What should I do?
Master Jing Kong: Afflictions are a common ailment of ordinary beings. Everyone has them.
The Root of Afflictions
Where do afflictions come from? From attachment.
You think this is good, that is bad—then you have afflictions.
You think this is mine, that is not mine—then you have afflictions.
How to Cut Off Afflictions
See through: See clearly the nature of afflictions.
Afflictions are false; they are created by your thinking.
If you don't think about them, they disappear.
Let go: Once you see through, naturally you let go.
Letting go is not giving up; it is not being attached.
Recite the Buddha's name: When afflictions arise, immediately recite the Buddha's name.
When the Buddha's name arises, afflictions vanish.
The Three Poisons: Greed, Anger, and Ignorance
All afflictions can be summarized as the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.
Greed: Wanting, desiring to obtain.
Anger: Not wanting, rejecting.
Ignorance: Not understanding, being confused.
The three poisons should be gradually cut off. First, use Buddha name recitation to subdue them.
VII. On Life and Death
Q: How should we face death?
Master Jing Kong: Life and death is something everyone must face; there is no escape.
The Truth of Life and Death
What is life and death? It is changing bodies.
Like changing clothes—the old ones are worn out, put on new ones.
The body is material; whatever is born will perish.
But spirituality does not perish; the cycle of rebirth continues without end.
How to Face It
First: Do not fear
Fear is useless; what will come will come.
Moreover, the more you fear, the worse your departure will be.
Second: Prepare
Prepare during ordinary times; do not wait until the last moment.
Prepare what? Prepare faith, vow, and practice; prepare the provisions for rebirth.
Third: Let go of all attachments
At the time of death, let go of everything.
Family bonds, wealth, grievances—let go of them all.
If you cannot let go, you cannot depart.
Supportive Recitation
If there are Buddhist practitioners in the family, they can provide supportive recitation.
Supportive recitation means reciting the Buddha's name at the time of death.
Help the deceased maintain right mindfulness and be reborn in the Pure Land.
VIII. Buddhism and Modern Science
Q: Does Buddhism contradict science?
Master Jing Kong: No, it does not. Buddhism is the highest science.
Buddhism Speaks of Space-Time
Einstein discovered that space-time is relative. Buddhism spoke of this three thousand years ago.
The Avatamsaka Sutra says: "One thought encompasses ten thousand years; ten thousand years are one thought."
Time can be changed.
Buddhism Speaks of Matter
Modern physics has discovered that matter is empty; it is energy.
The Diamond Sutra says: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows."
The material world is not real; it is manifested by the mind and transformed by consciousness.
Buddhism Speaks of the Power of Thought
Quantum mechanics has discovered that the observer's consciousness affects matter.
Buddhism says: "All dharmas arise from the mind."
Your thoughts determine your world.
Therefore, Buddhism is not superstition; it is the most advanced science.
IX. Final Admonitions
Q: Please give some advice to modern people.
Master Jing Kong: In modern society, people live very wearily.
I want to say a few words from my heart:
First: Life is a Dream
You have a dream; in the dream it seems very real, but only when you wake up do you know it was a dream.
Life is also a dream. Only at death will you know it was a dream.
Since it is a dream, why take it so seriously?
Second: Accumulate Virtue
Life is brief; plan for the long term.
How to plan for the long term? Accumulate virtue and do good deeds.
Virtue you can take with you; wealth you cannot.
Third: Recite the Buddha's Name
Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, reciting the Buddha's name once brings boundless merit.
"Amituofo" is a name of ten thousand virtues. Reciting it once eliminates eighty billion kalpas of heavy karmic offenses.
Recite a few times every day; at the very least, you plant good roots.
Fourth: Seek Rebirth
In this life you have encountered Buddhism with difficulty; seize the opportunity.
Be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and forever escape the cycle of rebirth.
This is the truly important matter; everything else is small.
Afterword
Master Jing Kong passed away peacefully on July 26, 2022, at the age of 96. Throughout his life, the Master lectured on sutras and expounded the Dharma, leaving behind a vast body of teachings and countless liberated beings.
The Master often said: "Buddhism is not metaphysics; it is life. Practice within life, live within practice."
These words reveal the essence of Buddhism.
May all readers gain wisdom from Buddhism and find liberation in daily life.
This article is compiled from Master Jing Kong's numerous teachings, preserving the Master's plain and warm style of expounding the Dharma, in order to more authentically convey his guidance.
