Shin Buddhism is based on three main sutras, and, of these, the Larger Pure Land Sutra tells the foundation story of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism - The Myth of Dharmakara. This myth gives poetic expression to the deepest yearnings and highest aspirations of Pure Land Buddhists everywhere. This is the story:

A long, long time ago there was a Buddha named Lokesvararaja, who had awakened many people. There was, at the same time, a great king. The king felt pity for his people, and decided to seek the Truth so that he could use the Truth to release his people from suffering. The king then sought help from Lokesvararaja Buddha.

Lokesvararaja Buddha taught the king all the knowledge, practices and austerities necessary to become an Enlightened One. He then showed the king all the 21 billion Buddha-lands in the ten quarters of the universe. The king carefully studied all these lands, their inhabitants, and their various meritorious qualities.

The king then entered the path of the Bodhisattva, and took the name, "Dharmakara Bodhisattva."

Dharmakara knew that most human beings were incapable of completing the necessary religious practice, meditations, and virtues to attain Buddhahood through their own effort. He therefore conceived of a plan to build his own ideal Buddha-land - a blissful paradise in life and death that would be open to all sentient beings - whether they were saints or criminals, strong or weak in practice and virtue.

So determined was he to build this perfect Buddha-land that he sat in meditation for five aeons, contemplating how his land would be, taking the best qualities of each of the Buddha-lands he had seen, and putting them all together to make a perfectly sublime place.

At the end of five aeons, he had completely visualized his Buddha-land in every detail. He named it "The Pure Land." He then made 48 promises in front of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other celestial beings in the cosmos, who had assembled to hear him.

He declared - that he would not accept Enlightenment for himself until he was assured that his Name would be heard forever by all beings in all corners of the universe. He further declared - that he would not become a Buddha himself until he was assured that all his effort, aspirations, virtues, wisdom and compassion would be instantly transferred to all sentient beings as soon as they heard and voiced his Name, "Namo Amida Butsu" with a sincere heart.

When Dharmakara finished making his 48 vows, the whole world shook in 6 different directions, and a shower of flowers fell like rain on the earth. Thus, he knew that his vows had been heard and accepted, and that he could proceed toward Buddhahood with the assurance that his Enlightenment would indeed be passed eventually to all Beings.

Dharmakara then devoted himself for innumerable aeons to bring his Pure Land into being. His land was wide, expansive, and incomprehensively unique.

For countless aeons, he devoted himself to the duties of a Bodhisattva - teaching and guiding countless beings to his Pure Land. He practised immeasurable virtues. Perfect was his perseverance. Serene was his meditation. Unimpeded was his wisdom. After countless aeons, he attained the realm of Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion, and finally became Amida Buddha - the Buddha of Eternal Life and Immeasurable Light. Since then, ten aeons ago, Amida has continuously been sending the sound of his Name to all beings, and tirelessly working to bring us all to Enlightenment, through our own life lessons.

Shakyamuni Buddha told this story to his community of monks. It is really a story of Shakyamuni's own life, expanded into epic proportions. Only a story taking place in timeless time and universal space, could provide a stage vast enough for Shakyamuni to describe the truly all-compassionate and immensely loving nature of the Universe. In Dharmakara, we are given a cosmic role model, as a mythic story that describes our own deep wish to become a Buddha too. Dharamakara, as a human being, had the aspiration to liberate all Beings from suffering. He then made bodhisattva vows, and laboured over aeons of time to establish a way for all Beings to eventually become spiritually fulfilled. Because he knew that human beings were incapable of bringing about their own Enlightenment through discipline and diligence, he did enough practice by himself alone to clear a way for all of us to reach Nirvana. As humans, if we are privileged through numerous causes and conditions to hear his Name, "Namo Amida Butsu," we automatically receive, within that Name, all the inconceivable merit and virtue of Dharmakara Bodhisattiva. Those who hear the Name, with a sincere aspiration for Buddhahood, and repeat it perhaps ten times, will be born into "The Life of Nembutsu". Dharmakara visualized and then brought about the spiritual path of "Namo Amida Butsu." This path transforms all beings to naturally transcend the endless suffering of their common sense mind, and to embrace the Pure Land Mind and the Life of Nembutsu. No one is excluded - not criminals, terrorists, the homeless, the mentally ill, the drug-addicted. All are given equal entry into the Pure Land, as a soon as they hear this story, and deeply realize it is true.

What does the Myth of Dharmakara mean for us today?

It means that our own Enlightenment already exists in timeless time. We just have to turn around and receive it. It means that we cannot purify our own minds. What we can do is surrender ourselves to the transcendental All-Compassionate workings of Amida Buddha, always trying to wake us up into spiritual joy and spiritual ease.

Dharmakara realized, when he was an earth-bound king, that if he became a Buddha, he would be better positioned to help the countless suffering beings he saw around him. In our day, Dharmakara would see, all over our world, widespread poverty, the increasing gap between rich and poor, extensive environmental damage and pollution, an accelerating AIDS epidemic in Africa and China, and continuing wars in Eastern Europe, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the immense suffering of our time. As concerned Buddhists, we can follow Dharmakara as a role model. We, too, can see great suffering and resolve to become a Buddha. That is why we meet regularly with our Dharma friends - to feel again the TRUTH of the Buddhist message, and to help each other progress on the Bodhisattva path. Dharmakara sat in meditation long enough to visualize both "Peace on Earth" and "Perfect Bliss" after human death, for all. He then brought it about in timeless time. Our part is to receive this story deep into our hearts, and renew our efforts to share Shin Buddhism with others.