Grateful for not having any known cases of Covid in its community and having been closed since February 2020, the Atlanta Pure Land Association Mietoville Academy is pleased to open the doors again to weekly Sunday services, starting August 1! (Note: the free vegetarian lunches will resume at a later date.)

Everyone is welcome to attend each Sunday. The practice starts by chanting the Amitabha Sutra (around 20 minutes), and then most of the rest of the time is mindful chanting "Namo A-Mi-Tuo-Fo", Amitabha Buddha's name.

While the goal of Pure Land practice is the same as all Buddhist schools - to liberate from suffering and awaken to Enlightenment - the Pure Land practice is a method that can be easily practiced by anyone. If you're not sure how, at the very least you can use the session as a chance to relax, then focus your mind on the sounds of the chanting and be in resonance with the positive energy.

New? Never been before? All are invited! Please let someone know so they can welcome you! Please wear socks (as you will take off your shoes prior to entering the main hall). You can borrow a hai qing (black robe) to wear if you'd like to participate fully in the chanting, and are welcome to bow (prostrate) and follow along in the walking meditation, or just sit in the back.

The Pure Land school focuses on the cultivation of a pure mind. When the mind is pure, the land will be pure. The connection between us and Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land lies in a pure mind.

— Venerable Master Chin Kung

What is Pure Land practice?

The simplest way to practice Pure Land is by chanting “Amituofo.” Amituofo is the name of Amitabha Buddha in Chinese. It does not matter whether we chant in Chinese, Sanskrit, or any other language as long as we do it properly. When we chant, the sound of “Amituofo” arises in our minds. And as we utter “Amituofo,” our minds concentrate on and embrace that sound. While chanting, do so sincerely and continuously. In our chanting, we pronounce each syllable clearly and distinctly so that we hear the chant whether it is voiced or silent. Regardless of whether we chant when walking, sitting, or bowing, our focusing on the Buddha’s name will decrease our everyday worries. Eventually, they will be eliminated.

While we may think of practice as simply chanting a Buddha’s name or a sutra, it actually has a much broader meaning: We are trying to reflect the Buddha’s teaching in everything we do, both in our Buddhist cultivation and in our daily lives. Not allowing wandering or discriminatory thoughts to arise in our chanting and daily activities is concentration, and concentration is crucial if we wish to help ourselves and others eliminate suffering and attain happiness.

In our everyday activities, we endeavor to live a moral life in which we do not kill, steal, or engage in sexual misconduct. We strive not to lie or use speech that is harsh, divisive, or enticing. And we work to eliminate our greed, anger, and ignorance. Practice of these calms the mind because the more closely our conduct follows the ten virtuous karmas, the fewer our worries, and the fewer afflictions we will have as a result.

Tịnh Tông Học Hội Atlanta
Tiếp tục vào ngày 1 tháng 8, tất cả đều được chào đón!
Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật

Atlanta Pure Land Center will be holding a Buddha Chanting and Thrice Yearning Ceremony on the first weekend of November, 2019. Thrice Yearning Ceremony was composed by the great Zen Master TeMing in the Yuan dynasty. The master concentrated the Pure Land cultivation in the later life of his career. The Thrice Yearning Ceremony uses the Dharma based on the Amitabha Sutra and Buddha chanting to help the deceased transcend benefits. Attending this ceremony is a part of the traditional Chinese culture to show our respect and care for our ancestors, loved ones, and those who are orphaned. The ceremony will definitely benefit both living and past beings. Please come and join us for this special event. We are very fortunate be able to invite Master WuYue from Australia to presideour Ceremony. The master is well known with her chanting voice. Furthermore, she will give a Dharma talk on Friday night. Registration is now open. Our seatingis limited so register early to reserve your seat. The event schedule is as followed: