BUDDHISM > Five Guidelines

The five guidelines form our foundation and provide the way for us to progress in our practice. They are first, the three conditions; second, the six harmonies; third, the three learnings; fourth, the six paramitas; and fifth, the ten great vows. We begin our practice with the three conditions and gradually progress from there.

The guidelines were extracted by Master Chin Kung from the five Pure Land sutras, which consist of three sutras, two chapters from sutras, and one treatise. The Pure Land sutras and treatise are:

• the Infinite Life Sutra

• the Amitabha Sutra

• the Visualization Sutra

• the “Chapter on the Vows and Practices of Samantabhadra” from the Avatamsaka Sutra

• the “Chapter on the Perfect and Complete Realization of Mahasthamaprapta” from the Surangama Sutra

• the Rebirth Treatise.