It is said that a person can choose to return to samsara to help others after being reborn in Pure Land. But has anyone claimed to be that particular kind of person? I am not talking about those who claimed to have visited Pure Land in meditation or dreams. But those who was a human, rebirthed in a Pure Land, instructed by Buddhas and bodhisattvas in that Pure Land, then chose to rebirth back as human on earth to help other beings.
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@AndreiVolkov "...whoever claimed... Maitreya... from the Pure Lands" is a wrong knowledge. Maitreya at present never resides in any Pureland, he dwells and teaches in the Inner Garden of Tusita, he is a Great Bodhisattva, not yet a Buddha. Tusita is not any Pureland, but the abode of higher Celestial Beings.– Mishu 米殊May 18, 2017 at 9:14
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You are right Bhumishu, Tusita is in kamadhatu, and Pure Lands are rupadhatu. I deleted my comment. Thank you.– Andriy Volkov ♦May 18, 2017 at 11:25
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3 Answers
Usually the Bodhisattvas who vows to be born back to Earth to guild others will do so with the means appropriate to the culture, time and age. In this age of Dharma descend, they would not display enlightenment or supernatural powers, but instead would display mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha and recitation of His name. They would show signs that they obtain rebirth to Pureland. And they will never reveal their true identity. Master Chin King often said if the Buddha or Bodhisattva identity is revealed they would immediately depart from this world. Namo Amita Buddha.
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Who is Chin King? Do u mean "King" "Kung" (空)? If so I remind u to be careful of his teachings! Why don't u study the Pureland Sutras (淨土三經 in Classical Chinese works of Kumarajiva) yourself, they are rather in plain language, or study some 印光大師 writings/letters, these could protect u from being misled by any "world famous Dharma teachers).– Mishu 米殊May 18, 2017 at 9:52
I guess technically the Dalai Lama be one such person. He is reputedly the manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara. Avalokiteśvara is the the earthly manifestation of Amitabha who has the Pureland of sukhavati. Amitabha is himself the primary focus of Pure Land Buddhism. I'm not sure if the Dalai Lama would stand up in from of an audience and make that claim but he is an emanation of a bodhisattva who is associated with a pure land.
answered Aug 30, 2014 at 18:15
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Could you please give a credible reference saying that 'Avalokiteśvara is the the earthly manifestation of Amitabha'?– RabbitAug 30, 2014 at 18:21
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@Rabbit it says it in the encyclopedia Britannica britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45363/Avalokiteshvara I've not found the orginal scripture ref yet though to be fair Aug 30, 2014 at 18:33
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Ok, I think I get it. The story tells the origin of the Chenrezig. Amitabha was in his Pure Lands and 'one day (he) conceived that in order to help beings a deity in the form of a young man should be manifested. His right eye then emitted a beam of white light that took the form of Chenrezig. (...) Having been born from the eye of Amitabha, the young man miraculously appeared on a lotus.' So technically one can say that Amitabha created some 'earthly manifestation'. But essentially, they both represent different aspects.– RabbitAug 30, 2014 at 18:46
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@Rabbit hahaha you definitely have got a better grip then me. It's just what I was taught at the Triratna centre I attend. This is a book which goes through it from our perspective books.google.co.uk/books/about/… I always took it to mean that they were the same but maybe not Aug 30, 2014 at 18:51
I am not aware of anybody who has chosen to reenter samsara after having died in a previous life and being reborn in Sukhavati. Perhaps it is a rare event that has not happened yet since the death of Sakyamuni. Or perhaps it simply means that the appearance of buddhas from the Pureland is not a matter of incarnation, but a matter of influence. Personally, I am more interested in the bodhisattva that can reach into samsara to save sentient beings while remaining in sukhavati.
