THE OBJECTIVE OF BUDDHIST PRACTICE AND CULTIVATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: What is the purpose of Buddhist practice and cultivation?
A lot of us have the answer: To attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
However, specifically, to what extent should one cultivate for one to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? How can this be achieved? In fact, to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a very lofty aspiration and thus it is not easily achievable.
Citing a familiar example, a person will be put through an assessment that determines the path along which his soul travels to after death, whether to the Underworld or Hell, Heaven or the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Buddhist practice and cultivation are akin to preparing for a university admission test. To seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is similar to seeking admission into the world’s most prestigious universities like Harvard and Oxford. This is extremely difficult for most people. A more realistic goal would therefore be the domestically renowned universities, ordinary national universities and provincial universities, etc. which mirror Heaven, the Asura and the Human realms, respectively.
While persevering in our pursuit towards the highest goal, we should set our sights on the more realistic one – Heaven.
The higher the level one is able to attain within the 33 levels of Heaven, the longer he will be able to remain; the closer to the Human realm, the more likely he will descend to the lower realms. Thus, each and every one of us must strive to ascend to a higher level in Heaven.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism Propagation Manual, Section 4 Topic 2, The Objective of Buddhism Studies
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