STUDENT:

When Pure Land practitioners recite the Buddha's name and attain a level of one-mindedness, is it the same as a Ch'an experience of one-mindedness?

SHIH-FU:

No, it's not the same because the Pure Land practitioner is seeking to be reborn in the Pure land. Since there is a seeking attitude, there is attachment. If there are any attachments involved, it cannot be a Ch'an experience. When a Ch'an practitioner recites the Buddha's name, there shouldn't be any element of desire. A true Ch'an practitioner would not ask the Buddha for help.

STUDENT:

Why then do some Ch'an practitioners call on Kuan-yin (Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara) for help?

SHIH-FU: