Dharma Talk: Pure Land Buddhism

About this event

We are happy to welcome back guest speaker Adam Wang for a special Dharma talk on Sunday, immediately following the afternoon drop in meditation session. Our guest speaker Adam Wang will give a Dharma talk about Pure Land Buddhism. “By faith in the salvific power of a Buddha, one is reborn in a blissful, sorrowless Pure Land, where each person is guaranteed Buddhahood.” This is, in essence, the promise of Pure Land Buddhism. Is it the Buddhist equivalent of the Abrahamic idea of Paradise? Of Divine Grace? Is it simply too good to be true? Did not the historical Buddha urge self-reliance? And if enlightenment can be achieved by calling on the Buddha, where does meditation fit into the picture? What have teachers of other Buddhist traditions made of Pure Land? And why is it that, in spite of their very different methods and concerns, Zen and Pure Land Buddhism have shared such an intimate history? Beyond these questions, I would like to take you through my own experience with Pure Land practice, and through my evolving understanding of this charismatic, enigmatic, and hugely popular tradition of Buddhism. About the speaker: Adam Wang Hailing from New Zealand, Adam began practicing the Dharma at fifteen, taking his first steps within the Pure Land tradition, shaped in part by his Chinese family background. As the saying goes, a taste of Pure Land rarely comes without a mouthful of Zen; by nineteen, he found himself drawn into Zen practice, sitting with local groups from both Soto and Rinzai traditions while attending university where he read Literature and Philosophy. Circumstances, as they often do, quietly arranged the next step. One of the Zen centers he attended shared its space with a Tibetan Buddhist center of the Kadampa tradition. Curiosity brought him close to the Tibetan Tradition and there he first received instruction in the Graduated Path, with an emphasis on mind training (lojong). 10 years later in 2016, Adam’s work took him to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, where he lived near the monastery the Theravada Monastery Bodhinyanarama. He became a regular visitor. Short stays turned into a quiet but steady rhythm of return, offering him the different texture of Pali Buddhism , simpler, direct, but no less profound. Some years later, fueled by a desire to deepen his practice, Adam set out to travel and sought out teachers from across China, Japan, Thailand, Colombia, Tibet, India, and Nepal. Along the way, he came to increasingly appreciate the underlying questions that bind Buddhism, in all its bedazzling variety and forms, firmly together. Some years ago, a period of illness—serious enough to require two surgeries— brought impermanence into sharp and painful focus, and with it, the felt urgency of compassion. What could once be understood in theory became unmistakably personal. From this, his resolve clarified: to live in pursuit of the Dharma, and in service to it. Join online via Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/ShambhalaBangkok), or in person at the center. No previous attendance, registration, or fee is required to attend. Suggested Donation 300 - 600 Baht. The Bangkok Shambhala Center (which is a Thai non-profit Association) remains open because of the ongoing generosity of our members and program participants.