On the 5th day of the Rainy Season Retreat, Ratnaguna takes us into the world of the the Sutra on the Visualisation of the Buddha Amitayus, or Guan Jing. Some wonderful guided meditations, conversation, and another excellent talk await...

The Guan Jing or Sutra on the Visualisation of the Buddha Amitayus - Introduction and Reading, Queen Vaidehi's Predicament Followed by a Visualisation of the Setting Sun
Ratnaguna starts the fifth day of the retreat with a brief introduction to the Guan Jing, or Sutra on the Visualisation of the Buddha Amitayus.

Next we get a reading from the sutra featuring the story of Queen Vaidehi's predicament. And this is then followed by visualisation number 1 from the sutra - visualisation of the setting sun.

Ratnaguna In Seminar on the Pure Land Sutras - Discussion 2
In today's discussion, Ratnaguna and friends from the Bristol sangha talk about the unhelpfulness of speculating on past karma, practising with severe dukkha (suffering), escapism, and working with difficulties and problems.

Readings of Visualisations from the Guan Jing as Meditations - the Setting Sun and a Lake of Lapis Lazuli
Ratnaguna reads visualisation practices from the Guan Jing as meditations. The first is a simple visualisation of the setting sun. This is followed by a visualisation in which the area beneath the sun is flooded with water, which becomes ice and then the lapis lazuli ground of Sukhavati...

Visualisation Meditation from the Guan Jing - the Lotus Bud
Ratnaguna leads us through visualisation number 12 from the Guan Jing: a lovely little practice, imagining oneself born in a lotus bud in the Pure Land of Sukhavati...

Talk 8: The Dukkha of Confinement by Doubt
After pointing out some possible influences on the Guan Jing (Sutra on the Visualisation of the Buddha Amitayus) in the Longer Sukhavativuyha Sutra Ratnaguna explores the theme of confinement. 

In the Guan Jing beings who have doubted the Pure Land are born trapped in a lotus bud, unable to experience the benefits of Sukhavati, and someone deprived of the three jewels is compared to a Prince locked in a very luxurious prison. 

A great companion talk to the visualisation above, based on this detail of the sutra.

A Reading of the Sutra on the Visualisation of the Buddha Amitayus
We finish off the day with Ratnaguna reading the text of the Guan Jing...

See all the resources and blogs from this year’s Rainy Season Retreat