Foreword

By Dharma Master Huijing

This book is a “professional textbook” on the Pure Land School. As a

“general guide,” it outlines the principles of Pure Land as a framework for

Amitabha-reciters.

The arrangement of the chapters and sections, as well as the book’s division

of content, is clear and tidy. From start to finish, the materials interlink, forming

an organic whole. The text provides beginners with an overview and helps them

browse and quickly grasp the origins and fundamentals of the Pure Land School.

As the Preface says:

of such lineage masters as Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Tanluan and Daochuo, it

focuses on the foundations of Pure Land thought.

practitioners can have a comprehensive understanding. It does not avoid the

finer points.

The lineage of Master Shandao’s thought and teaching is complete and

systematically rigorous, in terms of Dharma classification, aims of the school,

its principles and forms of practice. That is clearly laid out in the ten chapters

and 42 sections of the book.Having read it once, from beginning to end, a beginner would have an

overall map in his or her head. From the core teachings, the vista expands

extensively. A second reading would pick up the details and their inherent logic

as well as interconnections. The learner would gain a more multidimensional,

dynamic understanding. “From this, one can cope with countless circumstances,”

as the saying goes. We would not err when teaching or explaining the material

to others.

The book takes a comprehensive, macro approach to the substance and the

external circumstances relating to the Pure Land School. It does not drill down

deeply into specialized topics. Besides facilitating self-study by beginners,

the book helps longtime learners review what they know as well as gain new

knowledge. It is a readable, convenient tool.

The karmic conditions have made possible this English translation and its

circulation. After initial and secondary perusals, readers will hopefully have a

comprehensive understanding of the Pure Land teachings. If they then believe in

the deliverance of Amitabha Buddha and recite his name, they would certainly

derive real benefits during this lifetime and the next.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

E03«A General Guide to the Pure Land School ?????»