Householder Karl

(Mis)Representing the Pure Land

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The usual suspects

Comparative religion is a dangerous endeavor. In my experience, it’s almost impossible to be truly objective. When we set out to examine something, we inevitably view it through a lens colored by our own biases and suppositions. You don’t hear many stories of conversions resulting from deep comparative study. I personally think that’s because the individual researcher is already convinced of the superiority of their own belief system. The work is purely academic.

When I first encountered Pure Land Buddhism, I was immediately dismissive because of perceived similarities to the Christianity I abandoned. Terms like “grace” and “faith” evoke a visceral reaction in me. It took time, and more than a little effort, to unlearn the insidious Judeo-Christian framework that was influencing my perception. It took even longer for me to understand how Pure Land philosophy fit in the greater Mahayana paradigm.

The article “Bound for the West: (Mis)Representations of Pure Land Buddhism in Christian Theology”, by Dr. Kendall Marchman, helped me realize that not only were my personal issues not unique, but they can be explained by history.

...religious studies scholars have wrestled with the reality that the enterprise of studying religion emerged out of the colonial project that asserted and protected the cultural supremacy of European cultures (now often acknowledged as the West).

Enter the Catholics. Specifically, Jesuit missionaries. History is replete with examples of their meddling. In Japan, they were confounded by Pure Land Buddhism. “Alessandro Valignano (1539–1606), a powerful Jesuit priest who is credited for reforming the Japanese mission after its early failures, wrote that Pure Land Buddhists ‘hold precisely the doctrine which the devil, father of both, taught to Luther.’”

These early encounters were immediately antagonistic in nature. They viewed Pure Land as a threat to the soul, a product of the devil. Dr. Marchman goes on to say that “such direct and disparaging language would not be entirely out of place among Christians writing centuries later.”

The consequences for the western seeker

The author discusses the work of a few other theologians, noting:

They deny their audience and themselves a genuine knowledge of Pure Land Buddhism in favor of a taxonomy that places Christianity at the top. Again, I will note that this was obviously the very point of their professional and personal endeavors.

That their outcomes did not necessarily accurately reflect Pure Land Buddhism was never their goal, and yet, that these notable voices chose it for a discussion partner means that all of their readers were encountering Pure Land alongside them, many for the first time. This was exacerbated by the paucity of academic scholarship on Pure Land Buddhism available during most of the twentieth century.

For these reasons, generations have missed out on the opportunity to learn about a robust and practical aspect of Mahayana Buddhism.

Dr. Marchman states, “Simply put, there does not seem to be the same enthusiasm for Pure Land in the West as there are for other styles of Buddhism.”

Other Buddhist sects are thriving in the West. Zen centers are everywhere these days. Granted, they’re often little more than “New Age white people in Buddhist trappings,” but still, they exist. The lack of a Pure Land footprint can be explained in part by the distorted image painted by those Jesuit scholars and their like.

The Pure Land gate is open to those willing to look for it. Thanks to the efforts of people like Rev. Taijun Kasahara, of Rinkaian Temple, English speakers have a way to experience this “easy practice”.

And while comparative religious scholarship may be lacking, there are a few English-language resources that accurately represent Japanese Pure Land Buddhism (note: Mainland and other Pure Land traditions maintain the same fundamental beliefs, but they tend to be less ideologically rigid).

I consider the following to be must-reads:

Namu Amida Butsu.

#buddhism