Venerable Tam Luc Do

I am when I am.

In Shin one chants the Nembutsu purely out of gratitude to Amida Buddha for having secured ones rebirth in the Western Paradise. One does not chant to get anything, but to honor and thank the Buddha that accomplished this for us. There are some PL Buddhists that believe Amida Buddha is an actual historical Buddha as is Gautama. Those with such beliefs are embraced, understood, and loved, just as are those who are convinced that Buddha Amida is actually our own Buddha Nature. Others such as myself are equally at home in either school of thought. I love chanting the Nembutsu but it is not my sole practice. There are some good You Tube videos of Pure Land sanghas chanting the Nembutsu in Nipponese and Chinese which I also do. Ven. Tam Luc Do

Dear Lin. Thank you for such a dear and humbling response. I regret that I have been so slow to respond. I just found your message today. I thank you for your compliments dear brother and I would be glad to work with you as well. Your heart is good. Perhaps things will indeed work out and a sangha will sprout here. I would be honored to serve you tea and have a chat as well as chant the Nembutsu. Venerable Tam Luc Do

I apologize if anyone has already responded by saying that the late psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung came up with the idea of synchronicity and he named it such. One of his patients, a woman, was describing a dream she had about a dove and then a dove flew thru the open window of his office. (I think that's how it happened) Once one begins to take note of synchronicity it's quite surprising how many incidents there are in a week.

Thank you! I will check this translation out.

This translation is grand. I bought it "used like new" from Amazon for about five dollars. I have compared it to many others that are posted online and I have found that it really is the definitive English translation of the "received text" of the TTC. Any translation of any document is only as good as the knowledge and understanding of the translator. This translation has set the bar very high in my opinion.

I have been a Buddhist priest for about twelve years. Although Shin Buddhism began as a lay-movement, hence there are generally no priests in Pure Land, I chose the Nembutsu to teach inquirers and became associated with the Chua Tu Hieu Buddhist Temple and Cultural Center of Buffalo, NY. Householders with families are very busy indeed, with inadequate time each day to engage in more difficult and time-consuming practices. Those who practice the Nembutsu have a palpable joy and aliveness and positivity that is quite rewarding. If you have access to a Pure Land sangha then visit and enjoy the liturgical rites. Incorporate the practice into ons daily life. Though I am technically retired, nonetheless I still teach online. However, I am looking for those in the greater Salt Lake area (I live in West Jordan) who would like to form a Pure Land sangha. I can be emailed at venerable.tam.luc.do AT america online dot com. If you are a Pure Land sensei you are especially welcomed to assist. Unlike Christianity a Buddhist priest can ordain a priest. No "bishop" is needed. I am looking for women and men who are Pure Land Buddhists and would like to study to be a sensei and then a priest. I wish to teach Pure Land how to "speak English" rather than Nipponese aka Japanese. Until a religion learns to speak the native language of the countries to which it travels it will remain marginalized and "quaint". Feel free to email me to discuss these matters further, rather than here on a public forum. Namaste, Venerable Tam Luc Do

I have been a Buddhist priest for about twelve years. Although Shin Buddhism began as a lay-movement, hence there are generally no priests in Pure Land, I chose the Nembutsu to teach inquirers and became associated with the Chua Tu Hieu Buddhist Temple and Cultural Center of Buffalo, NY. Householders with families are very busy indeed, with inadequate time each day to engage in more difficult and time-consuming practices. Those who practice the Nembutsu have a palpable joy and aliveness and positivity that is quite rewarding. If you have access to a Pure Land sangha then visit and enjoy the liturgical rites. Incorporate the practice into ons daily life. Though I am technically retired, nonetheless I still teach online. However, I am looking for those in the greater Salt Lake area (I live in West Jordan) who would like to form a Pure Land sangha. I can be emailed at venerable.tam.luc.do AT america online dot com. If you are a Pure Land sensei you are especially welcomed to assist. Unlike Christianity a Buddhist priest can ordain a priest. No "bishop" is needed. I am looking for women and men who are Pure Land Buddhists and would like to study to be a sensei and then a priest. I wish to teach Pure Land how to "speak English" rather than Nipponese aka Japanese. Until a religion learns to speak the native language of the countries to which it travels it will remain marginalized and "quaint". Feel free to email me to discuss these matters further, rather than here on a public forum. Namaste, Venerable Tam Luc Do

GrandmasterP, thank you for your welcome!

Greetings! I am new here but have been a Buddhist for a quarter century and a priest for twelve years. The earliest Buddhist suttas (the Tipitaka or Three Baskets, also called the Pali Canon) present Gautama as admitting the existence of gods (Hindu deities) and also occasionally poking fun at them. Nirvana/Nibbana is the Supreme Reality in Buddhism, not a god, gods, God, or Gods. No deity is the Source because the universe is uncreated and eternal. I know many people were attracted to Buddhism via the writings of D.T. Suzuki. Unfortunately for the Dharma/Dhamma in North America, Suzuki turned Buddhism into a search for God so that Occidentals could better relate! Buddhism is not a search for God. Buddhism is essentially about karma/kamma and the relief of suffering. If you wish to understand the basic core of Buddhism I highly recommend a classic titled What The Buddha Taught by the late Buddhist scholar-monk Walpola Rahula. Most schools of Buddhist thought would agree with the entirety of the book: http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361485223&sr=1-1&keywords=walpola+rahula BuddhaNet is also a good starting place. http://www.buddhanet.net/ Namaste, Venerable Tam Luc Do

Thank you Rainbowvein, your welcome is welcomed.

I am a Buddhist priest of the Chua Tu Hieu Buddhist Temple and Cultural Center of Buffalo NY. I also derive a great deal of enjoyment and insight by reading the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi. I am very interested in learning more of Taoism. Namaste. Venerable Tam Luc Do (pronounced Tom Luke Doe it means compassionate heart in Vietnamese)