About Us

Master Huijing, the contemporary pioneer and authority in spreading the pure land teachings of Master Shandao of China’s Tang Dynasty, established the Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Association in 2003 at the Jingzong Temple in Taipei. In 2016, the USA was ready for the teaching, and the Pure Land Buddhist Association California Branch was established in Sacramento. In April 2021, Master Huijing sent his disciple Dharma Master Ching Ho there, to spread this dharma method of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, in hopes of benefiting all beings in USA, so that they will be constantly helped and protected by Amitabha Buddha’s light in the present life, and be received by the Buddha and delivered into his Land of Ultimate Bliss near the end of life.

Currently the association has four branches in USA: the California branch, the Texas branch, the North Carolina branch, and the Seattle branch. Each branch has one or more dharma masters leading practice gatherings regularly in person or online. The dharma masters also lead online 1-hour morning and 2-hour evening sessions to practice Amitabha-recitation together every day throughout the year. Each year the California and Texas branches each holds two large dharma events, one at the Qingming time (around April 5) and the other at the Ullambana time (the 15th day of the 7th month in lunar calendar), where participants join in two days of Amitabha-recitation and the Rite of Avoidance of Calamities and Transcendental Deliverance through Amitabha-Recitation.

Each branch organizes and provides dharma services in the Pure Land Buddhism tradition to the followers, their families and dharma friends, such as avoidance of calamities and praying for blessings, spiritual care for the dying, assisted Amitabha-recitation before and after passing, funeral, and Zuo-Qi (the 7 services every seven days after passing till the 49th day).

The monastics, volunteers and lotus friends in the branches regularly share dharma teachings, their experience and reflections in the practice gatherings, dharma events, online chat groups and email lists, with the goals to study and learn together, understand the profound meanings in the teachings, strengthen the faith and aspiration to rebirth into the pure land, recite the Amitabha Buddha’s name unsophisticatedly, believe in the teaching by ourselves and help others believe in it, and to propagate in USA this precious dharma method that “Amitabha-recitation with the aspiration of rebirth into the Land of Ultimate Bliss will certainly lead to the rebirth after death, and caring and protection by the Amitabha Buddha, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas during the present life”.

A Brief Introduction to the Pure Land School of Buddhism

The Pure Land School of Buddhism was founded by Master Shandao (613-681) of Tang Dynasty in China. The school considers the three sutras — Infinite Life Sutra, Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra and Amitabha Sutra — as its primary basis scriptures, and the following treatises and commentaries as its Lineage Treatises and Commentaries: Chapter on the Easy Path by Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land by Master Tanluan, Collection on the Land of Peace and Joy by Master Daochuo, and the 5 books: Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Dharma School of Contemplation and Recitation, In Praise of Dharma Practices, In Praise of the Rite of Rebirth, and In Praise of Pratyutpanna by Master Shandao. Specifically, the school honors Master Shandao’s Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra as the fundamental commentary that established the school.

The Pure Land School takes Amitabha Buddha’s vows before reaching Buddhahood and the resulting Buddha name after reaching Buddhahood as the root of the teachings of the school, and the 18th of the 48 vows as the center. With respect of the classification of Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings, it established the concepts of Two Paths of Easy and Difficult Paths, the Two Powers of Self Power and Other (Amitabha Buddha’s) Power, the Two Dharma Doors (dharma methods) of Enlightenment Path Dharma Door and Pure Land Dharma Door, and within the school, the Two Sub-doors of relying solely on Amitabha-recitation or on dedicating the merits and virtues of all other practices. With regarding to practices, it established the core ideas of One Mind, Five Awareness, the Two Practices of Assured and Mixed Practices, and the Two Implementations of Assured and Supporting Implementations.

The school’s goals and guiding principles are:

•     Faith in, and acceptance of, Amitabha’s deliverance,
•     Single-minded recitation of Amitabha’s name,
•     Aspiration to rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land, and
•     Comprehensive deliverance of all sentient beings.

The school’s special characteristics are:

•     Recitation of Amitabha’s name, relying on his Fundamental Vow (the 18th),
•     Rebirth of ordinary beings in the Pure Land’s Realm of Rewards,
•     Rebirth assured in the present lifetime,
•     Non-retrogression achieved in this lifetime.

Contemporary Spreading of the Teaching

Dharma Master Huijing, the contemporary propagator of the Pure Land School, was born in Taiwan in 1950. In 1977, he became a monastic at the Buddha Light Mountain under Master Hsing Yun. In 1985, with his master’s permission, he entered practice in seclusion, practicing Amitabha-recitation while studying the various books on Pure Land School from ancient time to modern day. During the 3 years, he encountered Master Honen of Japan’s book: Collection on Choosing Buddha-Recitation According to the Fundamental Vow. In 1988, he went to Japan to study the teachings of Master Shandao. After more than 4 years of studying, he came back to Taiwan. He began to compile the writings of the lineage from Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, Master Tanluan, Master Daochuo, to Master Shandao. He focused his efforts to practice and propagate exclusively the teachings of this lineage, in hopes to revitalize it, which has fallen into obscurity in China and Taiwan for more than a thousand years. To this end he compiled and published a series of more than one hundred books, explaining the profound concepts and ideas in simple language.

Dharma Master Huijing established the Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Association in Taipei in 2003, and has made propagation tours untiringly in the world, including in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Korea.