Buddha field

Buddha field (Skt. buddhakṣetra; Wyl. zhing khams or sangs rgyas kyi zhing) or pure realm (Wyl. dag pa'i zhing) — specifically, a buddha field is a pure realm manifested by a buddha or great bodhisattva. Beings born into a buddha field may travel the path towards enlightenment without falling back into the lower realms. More generally, any place that is seen as a pure manifestation of wisdom is a buddha field.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche says:

In the sutras we can read how, on their eve of their attaining enlightenment, bodhisattvas such as Amitabha would make profound prayers and tremendous offerings to all the buddhas. They prayed that they might manifest a buddha field and then emanate themselves within that buddha field, so as to bring the greatest possible benefit to all sentient beings.

From the Vajrayana perspective, however, the understanding of buddha fields is a deeper one. The root of the Vajrayana is "pure vision", or the perception of the perfect purity of all phenomena. To enact this purity of perception, we do not perceive the place where we are now as just an ordinary place; we imagine it to be a celestial buddha field."

Examples of buddha fields are:

• Akanishtha—Vairochana's buddha field, in the centre of the buddha fields of the five families
• Sukhavati—Amitabha's buddha field, to the West
• Zangdokpalri—Guru Rinpoche's pure land in Chamara

External Links

• Buddha Realms & Purelands Outline Page at Himalayan Art