Forty-eight Aspects of
Buddha Recitation
***
1) Buddha Recitation and the Mind
Having made up your mind to engage in Pure Land practice by reciting the Buddha's name, you should not dwell on sundry good or bad actions (1) once they have been performed. In other words, everyday activities should be carried out in a matter-of-fact way, and once finished, be let go. (2) Do not hold on to them - or they will disturb your peace of mind.
In fact, the reason you fail to let go of sundry good or bad actions is that your mind has not yet been tamed. If you have recited the Buddha's name to the point where the mind-ground is bright and clear, the mind in samadhi has no room for sundry thoughts.
You should realize that Buddha Recitation can turn ordinary persons into sages. It is the most important means of liberation in this world and the worlds beyond.
Commentary.Daily
occupations are overly time-consuming. The dusts of the world -- layers
upon layers of them -- cling to our lives. As a result, we cannot be free
of speculation and calculation, and too much calculation causes the mind
to churn and be in turmoil; too much turmoil saps our energy and spirit.
Therefore, when we realize that this life is fleeting, not permanent -
a matter of borrowing and repaying - and return to the spiritual life,
everlasting and true, we cannot but let go of false realms to live in the
realm of True Suchness. Mundane or sacred, deluded or enlightened - everything
is but Mind alone. (3)
2) Watch the Mouth during Buddha Recitation
Having decided to practice Buddha Recitation, do not be reckless or inconsiderate with words, nor let your speech be tainted by the bad karma of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and dishonesty. (4) If you have erred, remind yourself immediately that Pure Land practitioners should not utter inconsiderate words, and then recite the Buddha's name aloud a few times to quell the mind and immediately wash away the unclean words.
Commentary.As disciples of the Buddha practicing Buddha Recitation, we should naturally watch our tongues. If we inadvertently utter meaningless or inconsiderate words, we should reflect upon them and repent. I refer not just to words which do not benefit anyone, but even more to those which cause suffering and resentment in others - in which case not a single word should cross our lips. The Buddha is purity itself - what good can come out of reciting His name with an impure tongue? The Brahma Net Sutra (5) teaches that day after day, we give rise to the three evil karma of body, speech and mind; the instances of evil speech karma are incalculable.
The mouth is the
door to myriad karma, evil or good. Therefore, we should think carefully
before speaking. Furthermore, for those who practice Buddha Recitation,
speech has to be purer still. In other words, a careless word, a wicked
word, must be eradicated in its gestation stage, before it has taken form
- it should never be allowed to escape our lips. To cultivate body and
mind but not speech is a great mistake!
3) Regulating the Body during Buddha Recitation
Having decided to practice Buddha Recitation, you must keep your body pure (6) at all times and in all movements and gestures - whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining. When the body is pure, the mind will also be pure.
The Pure Land practitioner should ponder this teaching. It is never wrong.
Commentary.
The
body has a strong influence on the mind. Therefore, in order to have a
strong, upright spirit and an unflinching faith in both self-power and
Other-power (the power of the Buddhas), and to practice Buddha Recitation
resolutely, it is necessary to cultivate an exceptionally pure body before
starting out. The mind is pure because the body-karma is tranquil and undefiled.
Thus, for Buddha recitation to yield good results, the first condition
is to keep the body pure.
4) Buddha Recitation with a Rosary
With this method, the rosary is fingered with each recitation of the Buddha's name. The word "Amitabha" may be recited, rather than the long formula "Namo Amitabha Buddha", as it is very easy to achieve singlemindedness with the shorter expression.
You can finger the rosary upon the first or third syllable of the word "Amitabha", but whichever you decide, you should stick to it and not make mistakes. This is the method of using the rosary to focus the mind.
Commentary.The purpose of fingering the rosary is to achieve singlemindedness - each recitation following the previous one without a single intervening delusive thought. It is as though all the beads are glued together without a single gap.
Moreover,
such recitation is a skillful means of reminding beginners who have not
yet achieved correct thought to focus on the Buddha's name. Through this
method, the indolent can become industrious, the dilatory can redouble
their efforts and strive harder. When correct thought is achieved, the
Buddha's name does not leave the mind - at that time, whether or not one
uses a rosary no longer matters. Therefore, practitioners of limited good
roots need this method as an expedient. Otherwise, there is no use buying
a rosary and letting it gather dust.
When your mind is in a state of torpor or when delusive thoughts arise unchecked, compose yourself and recite the Buddha's name aloud a few hundred times. You will then naturally experience a pure, peaceful state. This is because the faculty of hearing is very keen and therefore people are easily influenced by external factors which disturb the mind and lead to errant, delusive thoughts. Thus, you need to recite aloud to control the faculty of hearing and enlighten the mind. When the mind hears only its own sounds, each sound in its totality following upon the one before, all thoughts of right and wrong, what should and should not be done, are naturally abandoned.
Commentary.When we are exhausted and sluggish, we tend to doze off or feel as if something were pressing on both body and mind. If we engage in pure, silent recitation at such times, our lethargy can only increase.
Therefore,
it is better to recite aloud, pondering that the Buddha's name originates
from the Self-Mind and returns to the Self-Mind through the ears in an
unending circle. We should continue to practice in this manner until the
mind clears up, the demon of drowsiness disappears and only Buddha Recitation
remains, clear and distinct. Only then should we stop.
6) Buddha Recitation in a Low Voice
When the mind is scattered, or when you are tired and weighed down by many pressing tasks, you need not recite aloud. You need only focus your mind and thoughts and recite carefully in a low voice.
Only when your breath returns to normal, your spirits rise, and your mind is calm and at peace, should you recite aloud.
Commentary.The
purpose of reciting the Buddha's name in a low voice is to treat the disease
of scattered mind. There are times when the volume and pressure of work
or other demanding activities make mind and body overburdened and weary.
At these times, it is better to recite in a low voice, as reciting aloud
can only add fuel to the fire and increase the power of the demon of scattered
mind. To recite in a low voice, with each word, each sentence clearly and
carefully enunciated, gradually settles the mind. When that point is reached,
one can then recite aloud.
If the mind is agitated and the breath uneven, something is bothering you, or reciting the Buddha's name either aloud or in a low voice is inconvenient, you should just move your lips, practicing silent recitation (Diamond Recitation). With this method, the number of recitations does not matter; the essential condition is that each word, each recitation should come from the mind.
Commentary.The
Diamond method differs from recitation in a low voice in that the lips
move but no sound is heard. This method is useful when our sleeping or
living quarters are close to someone else's. In such circumstances, reciting
in a loud or a low voice might disturb them. We should then just move our
lips and practice Diamond recitation. The number of recitations does not
matter as long as the Buddha's name originates in the Self-Mind, moves
the tip of the tongue and produces a sublime sound. Even though the sound
is not audible, it reverberates throughout the Dharma realm (cosmos) while
remaining part of the current recitation.
There are instances when it is not appropriate to recite either aloud or in a low voice. There are times when it is awkward to finger a rosary. There are still other times when even Diamond Recitation may be inappropriate. (7) For such instances, the ancients have devised an excellent expedient. It is not to move the lips, not to utter a sound, but merely to concentrate mind and thoughts on recitation, silently touching the upper front teeth with the tongue, or alternatively, to visualize this action. The only condition is that the Buddha's name be clear and distinct, though it is uttered not from the mouth but from the Self-Nature. The faculty of hearing and the inner mind interpenetrate, the inner mind is stamped on the tip of the tongue, the tip of the tongue pulls along the faculty of recitation, the faculty of hearing hears the Self-Nature - the three (inner mind, hearing, recitation) form one unit. Recitation interpenetrates with recitation -- in time the visualization of "everything as Mind-Only" is realized.
Commentary.This
silent recitation method, when used to perfect the visualization of Mind-Only
is somewhat difficult and is a high-level practice. It is reserved for
the most part for those advanced along the path of cultivation. The cultivator
must employ visualization-mind not recitation-thought. He does not move
his lips, yet the sound is clear and distinct. It is the sound of the Self-Nature.
This is the method of "reverting the faculty of hearing to hear the sound
of the Self-Nature. " To perfect such recitation is to penetrate the true
nature of all dharmas, to penetrate the truth that everything is made from
Mind alone.
When the mind is at peace and the breath is regular, you should first visualize yourself seated in a circular zone of light, then visualize the breath going in and out of your nose as you silently recite the Buddha's name once with each breath. You should regulate the breath so that it is neither slow nor hurried, the mind and the breath reinforcing each other, following each other in and out. Whether walking or standing, reclining or sitting, proceed in this manner without interruption.
If you always "secretly recite" in the
above manner, focusing the mind over a long period of time, there will
no longer be a distinction between the breath and the recitation - your
body and mind merging with empty space. When recitation is perfected, the
mind-eye will open up and samadhi is suddenly realized. This is the state
of Mind-Only Pure Land.
(8)
Commentary.This
method is similar to Counting the Breath Meditation, which is one of the
Six Profound Dharma Doors [leading to Nirvana]. It utilizes the counting
of each breath to regularize inhaling and exhaling. Each breath, whether
in or out, is accompanied by a silent recitation of the Buddha's name,
in an even manner, neither too slow nor too fast. Otherwise, the recitation
could become an obstacle to achieving one-pointedness of mind. Through
this kind of uninterrupted recitation, the mind becomes pure, free of distractions,
and merges with the unimpeded immensity of empty space - everything is
Mind-Only. And, if the mind is pure, the environment is also entirely pure
- as far as we are concerned.
When experiencing lethargy and drowsiness,
you should practice circumambulation while reciting the Buddha's name.
When besieged by numerous sundry thoughts,
sit straight and recite silently. If neither circumambulation nor sitting
is appropriate, you can kneel or stand, or even lie down for a moment or
adopt any other suitable position to recite. The important thing is not
to forget the words "Amitabha Buddha", even for an instant. This is the
secret for reining in the mind-demon (deluded mind).
Commentary.Buddha
Recitation is not limited to periods of leisure, or those appointed times
when, having cleansed ourselves, we sit or kneel before the Buddha's altar
- we must absolutely never neglect recitation. This is because the mind
and thoughts of sentient beings are too agitated in everyday life. As soon
as there is an empty interval, sundry thoughts immediately arise to disturb
the mind.
Therefore,
whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining, whether speaking or silent,
whether the mind is agitated or at peace, we must strive to recite the
Buddha's name without allowing sundry thoughts to intervene. Like a general
guarding a town or a cat stalking a mouse, there must not be an instant's
interruption. Any form of uninterrupted recitation of the Buddha's name,
suitable to the individual's circumstances and environment, is acceptable,
as long as the mind is concentrated on the Buddha's name.
11) Buddha recitation
Can Be Practiced Anywhere
Whether you are in a clean or a dirty
place, a quiet, out-of-the-way location or the marketplace, a place you
like or a place you abhor, you need only engage in introspection and "return
the light inward", thinking thus: I have encountered situations like this
countless times throughout numerous lifetimes, yet there is one thing I
have not been able to do: it is to recite the Buddha's name and achieve
rebirth in the Pure Land. Therefore, even now I am still subject to
the cycle of Birth and Death. By now I should not worry about where recitation
takes place. I need only hold securely to this 'mind of Buddha Recitation'
- even if it costs my life. I must recite without interruption, one recitation
after another without a single gap.
Why is this? It is because if there is
a single interruption, all kinds of sundry thoughts - good, bad or neutral
-- will arise. For this reason, even when in the bathroom, even in the
process of giving birth, you should concentrate on reciting the Buddha's
name. The greater the hardship, the greater the suffering, the more you
need to recite - just as an infant cries out for his mother, unafraid that
she will become upset or angry...
Commentary.Those
who lack a deep understanding of the Dharma generally believe that to recite
in dirty places such as bathrooms creates bad karma. However, this is not
true in Pure Land Buddhism because the Buddha's name should be ever present
in our minds. If we interrupt our recitation when taking a meal, urinating,
defecating, etc., sundry delusive thoughts will insert themselves between
the recitations. If sundry thoughts arise, one after another without interruption,
how can we avoid committing transgressions and revolving in the ocean of
Birth and Death?
At
present, most of us are not fully committed to uninterrupted Buddha Recitation
and thus improper thoughts arise - countless afflictions, sufferings and
hardships. We should therefore redouble our efforts to practice more and
practice harder, always reciting the Buddha's name - except when we are
busy. Nothing worthwhile happens naturally. Everything requires a great
deal of work and effort before success is achieved. So many things in life
will try our patience and make us grieve. To avoid them, there is nothing
better than holding firmly to the Buddha's name.
Buddha
Amitabha is like a compassionate mother watching over her infant child.
There is no mother who does not care for her children. Buddha Amitabha
will never abandon sentient beings, nor will he ever be angry with them,
otherwise, he could never have become a Buddha! It is the same for all
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; none lack mercy or compassion. I exhort all of
you to engage in Buddha Recitation and not belittle this practice.
12) Fixed Periods
of Buddha Recitation
With the previous method, you are enjoined
to practice Buddha Recitation at all times without interruption. However,
because there are no definite periods for Buddha Recitation [the method
demands a good deal of self-discipline]. Few people can therefore practice
it.
With this method, the expedient of fixed
periods of recitation is introduced. There should usually be two periods
per day, in the morning and in the evening, and these periods should be
strictly observed every day, without fail, throughout life.
Furthermore, if during the twenty-four
hour period, you can recite the Buddha's name one additional time, do it
once; if you can recite it many times, do so many times. It does not matter
whether the recitation is audible or not. The ancients had a saying:
Utter one fewer idle phrase;
Recite the Buddha's name one more time;
How wonderful it is!
Commentary.There
are people who cannot recite the Buddha's name at all times, because of
work or family obligations. Thus, we have the expedient of fixed periods
of Buddha Recitation. In this way, everyone can practice the Pure Land
method. One crucial point to remember: once the fixed periods are established,
they should be adhered to without deviation, even during sickness or other
suffering. The above notwithstanding, whenever we have a free moment, we
should immediately think of the Buddha's name.
To
replace sentient beings' thoughts with Buddha-thoughts, while not necessarily
a sublime method, is still a rare expedient which can turn delusion into
enlightenment.
13) Facing an Image
or not, during Buddha Recitation
When facing a statue of the Buddha, consider
it as a real Buddha. There is no need to get attached to any particular
direction or to any of the Three Bodies of the Buddha.
(9) You should think thus: I must achieve singlemindedness, and
that singlemindedness must be about the Buddha. My eyes should be focused
on the Buddha's image, my mind should recite the Buddha's name with utmost
sincerity - with utmost sincerity, a response is guaranteed.
If you do not have a statue, just sit
straight facing west. As soon as you begin reciting, visualize the Buddha's
light shining on your head, recitation following recitation without a break.
If you practice this way, even the heaviest karma can be dissipated.
Commentary.Practitioners
of limited capacities, who cannot yet visualize "this Mind is the Buddha",
should use the expedient of facing a Buddha image and "moved by the image,
develop a pure mind". The important thing is to be utterly sincere, because
only with utmost sincerity can we "touch" the Buddha and receive a response.
This
method has been clearly explained and there is no need for lengthy comments.
The practitioner should read the above passage closely and follow its teachings.
Evil karma will then disappear and the Buddha Mind will manifest itself.
14)
Buddha Recitation While Otherwise Occupied
[In the midst of a busy life], if you
can recite the Buddha's name once, recite it once; if you can recite it
ten times, recite it ten times. In the midst of endless activities, if
you have but one moment of leisure, you need only let go of everything
and recite the Buddha's name clearly and distinctly.
The famous Chinese poet Su Tung-p'o wrote
the following verse:
Recite the Buddha's name while walking;
Recite the Buddha's name while seated.
Even when busy as an arrow,
Always recite the Buddha's name.
The ancients practiced Buddha Recitation
with such eagerness indeed! Truly, they should be emulated.
Commentary.There
are people who are so busy with daily occupations that they can scarcely
find time to recite the Buddha's name. Nevertheless, amidst a hundred different
activities, there must be one or two moments of free time. During these
moments, we should immediately begin to recite the Buddha's name, rather
than letting the mind wander aimlessly, [reminiscing] and suffering needlessly.
Handle the affairs of this world as they come and let go of them afterward.
Why harp on them and be disturbed? Why not use the time to recite the Buddha's
name and keep the mind at rest? Many people waste endless hours in idle
chatter, bringing countless troubles and vexations upon themselves. Sometimes,
a few sentences uttered thoughtlessly in pleasant conversation are enough
to cause worry and affliction, suffering and tears!
15) Buddha Recitation
During Periods of Leisure
In this world, there are many unfortunate
people who cannot enjoy a moment of leisure, however much they may so desire.
Therefore, they cannot cultivate. Today you have the time, and moreover,
the opportunity to learn about the practice of Buddha Recitation; you should
make every effort to collect body and mind to recite the Buddha's name
at all times, assiduously and without interruption. In this way, you will
not be wasting time. If you let your mind and thoughts wander, not achieving
anything worthwhile, wasting endless days and months, turning your back
on the Four Great Debts, and then, tomorrow the Ghost of Impermanence suddenly
arrives, what can you do to resist it?
Commentary.There
are people who wish to have some leisure time to practice Buddha Recitation,
but cannot find it. Life today is full of pressing obligations, but we
should not delay any longer. Let us redouble our efforts to recite the
Buddha's name, not letting time fly by, bringing us to old age and death.
At that time, no matter how much we may wish for a little bit of time,
no matter how much we may long to postpone death by even an hour to recite
the Buddha's name, it is impossible. All that is left are regrets.
16)
Practicing Buddha Recitation When Rich and Renowned
Merits and virtues in this life all stem
from cultivation in past lifetimes. This is true of those who presently
enjoy honors and esteem, as well as of high-ranking monks whose goal is
to rescue humanity. However, honors and esteem cannot last; if because
of them evil karma is created, it will be difficult to escape the ocean
of Birth and Death. (10)
I ask you to ponder this: what can a Pure
Land cultivator carry with him when death comes and he closes his eyes
forever? It is, of course, the virtues generated by Buddha Recitation.
This is no different from a boat that sails thanks to the currents of the
river. Thus, the path of cultivation for all sentient beings should be
to organize Pure Land retreats, or invite monks and nuns to provide guidance
in Buddha Recitation, or publish and distribute Pure Land sutras and commentaries,
or commission Buddha images for veneration and recitation of the Buddha's
name. Such activities may be limited in scope but should be sustained and
accompanied by a strong determination to be reborn in the Pure Land. This
is a path of cultivation for everyone. What can be more honorable than
to serve as the envoy of the King of the Dharma - the Buddha Himself!
Commentary.Although
we may enjoy wealth and honors thanks to merits and virtues sown in previous
lifetimes, all these are temporary. Once the last breath leaves the body,
everything is left behind. Why become attached to these false, fleeting
images? You should clearly realize this and endeavor to accumulate merits
and virtues through Buddha Recitation. Strive with all your might to do
so, just as you strive to acquire wealth in this life. Those lacking in
wisdom take the false for the true, chasing forms and realms, honors and
wealth - vain and external as these may be. Although you may enjoy a few
pleasures, these are fleeting, lasting but a moment. Life is evanescent,
the body is fast decaying. Only virtues and morality endure, true and free
of external hustle and bustle, not subject to fleeting pleasures. The sage
Confucius once said: "Eating leftover rice, drinking rainwater, with my
arms as a head-rest, I still feel happy inside." Such happiness is the
happiness of the wise.
17) The Poor Should
Also Recite the Buddha's Name
Alas! There are people who toil day in
and day out, ordered around by others, wretched and miserable. If they
do not seek to escape such a life, they will fare worse in future lifetimes.
Do realize that whether you are rich or
poor, exalted or humble, young or old, male or female, you should face
west early each morning and recite the Buddha's name with utmost sincerity
and without interruption, without letting sundry thoughts intrude upon
the utterances. Then dedicate all virtues thus accrued toward rebirth in
the Pure Land. You will receive numerous benefits in this life and, upon
leaving this world, naturally achieve rebirth in the Pure Land. Amitabha
Buddha is truly a rescue ship for everyone in the ocean of suffering!
Commentary.No
one in the world is so poor as to lack even body and mind. We should therefore
use this body and mind that we already have to recite the Buddha's name.
There is a story in the sutras about the sage Mahakatyayana rescuing a
poor servant by requesting her to "sell" him her poverty by means of Buddha
Recitation - and she succeeded in doing so. We should emulate this poor
old woman and "sell off" our poverty. Why hang on to it and endure more
suffering?
To
suffer and be aware that you are suffering, while searching for a way out
- this is the path of the sages. To suffer and be unaware of your suffering,
and on top of that to mistake that suffering for happiness -- no words
can do justice to your predicament!
A wise man should not let himself be misled.
He should recite the Buddha's name in a pure way so as to strengthen his
wisdom.
You should know that if a wise person
recites the Buddha's name, many others will follow his lead and those who
have erred in their practice will find it easier to return to the Buddha's
way. Why? It is because the reputation of a wise person can open the minds
of lesser mortals. Moreover, through his wisdom, he can find ways to rescue
them.
Commentary.The
actions of a wise person can have a beneficial influence on those with
lesser capacities or those lacking in wisdom -- as long as such actions
are performed with good intentions. Therefore, a wise person should be
worthy of that trust and not be led astray by deluded or vile actions based
on greed or lust.
An
influential person who cultivates Buddha Recitation will have a beneficial
effect upon those around him. Thanks to his skills and intelligence, augmented
by the confidence of those around him, he is able to accomplish meritorious
deeds which can influence everyday human behavior and values. To perform
a modest act while achieving major results is something we all desire.
Nevertheless, many wise and intelligent people who have the opportunity
to benefit humanity refuse to act, or if they act, do so in a perfunctory
way. How regrettable!
19) True and Earnest
Buddha Recitation
To eschew wealth and fame, to avoid showing
off one's capacities, but merely to practice sincerely - this is something
very few can achieve.
The ancients taught that it is difficult
to find a "dull and ignorant" Zen practitioner, even if we go out of our
way. Yet, a practitioner of Buddha Recitation need only worry that he is
not "dull and ignorant".
The two words "true and earnest" are a
straight highway leading to the Pure Land. Why? It is because when Buddha
Recitation is true and earnest, there are only the words "Amitabha Buddha",
and not a single deluded thought.
Commentary.The
practitioner who singlemindedly recites the Buddha's name, is not attached
to any external realm, is unmoved by any disturbances and sees everything
as not connected in any way to himself - such a person may appear outwardly
as extremely naive, "dull and ignorant". However, he is precisely the one
who is truly enlightened, truly pure. Such a person is not easy to find!
Furthermore,
according to Pure Land teaching: "without singleminded recitation, it is
impossible to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land." With singlemindedness,
myriad conditions are left behind and only the Buddha's name remains. At
that time, the practitioner's mind and the Buddha Mind are in unison; the
Western Pure Land is not separate from the practitioner. There is no need
to probe deep or ponder far, for the Buddha's realm is in front of us.
The Pure land path is truly unique!
20)
Reciting the Buddha's Name When Happy
Happiness derives either from our interaction
with other human beings or from favorable events. Although the causes may
be trivial, this kind of happiness is part of the human condition. You
should realize, however, that such happiness is ephemeral -- it is false,
not true. Use those moments of happiness to "return the light inward" and
recite the Buddha's name. You should then avail yourself of the Buddha's
light and within the context of those joyful events, abandon your negative
thoughts to cultivate good deeds continuously for the rest of your life.
You will then surely be reborn in the Pure Land, a great happiness indeed!
Commentary.During
our lifetime, we experience few moments of happiness but many of suffering.
Even when we are happy, that happiness is ephemeral, lasting but a moment
and then giving way to the numerous sufferings which torment sentient beings.
Therefore, what is enduring about that happiness, that should make us proud,
grasping and clinging to it?
What
should really make us happy is the pure joy of the Self-Mind, which is
true and everlasting. The Pure Land of Amitabha awaits the pure in Mind.
Rebirth in that realm is indeed the ultimate joy.
21)
Vow to Recite the Buddha's Name
Some people might ask: what if we fail
to obtain a response after reciting the Buddha's name?
Answer:
you have not yet recited and are already worried about not obtaining a
response. This doubt is the very cause that will bring the result of non-response.
Cause and result cannot differ. Is this doubt not something you should
fear?
Commentary.The
Buddhas represent great mercy, great compassion, great wisdom, great virtues.
They are honored as supreme teachers of gods and men along the Six Paths.
Therefore, when in need of help, why not seek it from the Buddhas! It is
strange indeed that many people are more in awe of demons and ghosts than
of the Buddhas! Could it be because the Buddhas are compassionate while
demons and ghosts are evil? Or is it because their minds are not pure but
tormented by transgressions and evil, twisted actions? Thus, they disregard
the true and fear the false. Practitioners should ponder the matter carefully,
lest, though sons and daughters of the Buddhas, they unwittingly act as
disciples of the demons!
22) Recite the Buddha's
Name to Overcome Animosities
The Buddha is all wisdom, all light, all
merit and virtue. He will respond to your call, and even if you meet with
untoward circumstances, these will soon turn out to be favorable.
Commentary."The
knots of resentment and hatred should be severed, not retied." To avoid
repaying one wrong with another is the way to put an end to all wrongs.
The safest way is to recite the Buddha's name.
Ten
thousand hardships, bitter and harsh
Are
dissipated instantly with one recitation of the Buddha's name;
To
recite is to sever resentment and hatred,
If
the mind is pure, how can the infernal gates close behind us?
Recite
the Buddha's name, spread compassion around;
Enemies
and friends being equal, where can disaster be found?
23) When Ashamed,
Recite the Buddha's Name
Nowadays, when laymen or monks and nuns
recite the Buddha's name, they do so with their lips, while their minds
are scattered, or else they concentrate the mind only during recitation.
When recitation is over, the mind is again clouded. Others engage in mundane
conversation while reciting. (11) Thus,
even if they recite all their life, they obtain no response. People who
witness this may think that seeking rebirth in the Pure Land through Buddha
Recitation is just an illusion, but this is assuredly not the Buddha's
fault!
Commentary.Sentient
beings and the Buddhas have the same pure Self-Nature, not two different
ones. However, the Buddhas have attained Enlightenment and abandoned the
false for the true. We, on the other hand, always take the false for the
true, "abandoning Enlightenment to merge with the dusts," resigned to wandering
aimlessly in the cycle of affliction and grief. There is no greater shame
than this! We should therefore try our utmost to cultivate singlemindedly
until death, seeking to escape Birth and death. Let us abandon mundane
thoughts filled with affliction, so that we may be spared wallowing for
many lifetimes in the river of delusion and the ocean of suffering!
24)
Recite the Buddha's Name in Earnest
Commentary.The
purpose of Buddha Recitation is to transcend Birth and Death. However,
Birth and Death is a heavy chain, extremely difficult to wrench free of,
as our bad karma and afflictions are too deep-rooted. Moreover, transgressions
and evil karma are accumulating continuously, day in and day out. If our
power of recitation is weak and our thoughts are not utterly sincere and
determined, we cannot escape Birth and Death ourselves, let alone help
others. Therefore, we must be extremely earnest and sincere in reciting
the Buddha's name, so as to be in unison with His Compassionate Mind -
like a lost child who longs to be re-united with his mother.
25)
Buddha Recitation and Offerings
In everyday life, on the occasion of a
seasonal festival or the festival of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, it is customary
to make offerings, according to one's means, of incense, lights, flowers
and fruits. However, these are merely material offerings -- not offerings
of the Dharma. Dharma offerings relate to the mind and are on a much higher
plane than any material offering.
In recent times, because of the popularity
of non-Buddhist beliefs, [we can witness all kinds of deluded practices,
such as making offerings of non-vegetarian foods on the Buddha's altar
or conjuring up ghosts and spirits in search of health and riches]. Such
practices are wasteful and deceptive.
Only Buddha Recitation can eliminate all
ills and it costs nothing. Yet, few people bother to learn about it. I
sincerely hope that the wise will not allow themselves to be misled.
Commentary.To
make non-vegetarian offerings is to sacrifice the lives of other sentient
beings in order to ameliorate one's own. It is utterly selfish and inhuman.
Deities and saints cannot be swayed by offerings like officials receiving
bribes! Providence is impartial; it does not favor anyone. If we perform
good deeds we accrue good karma; if we perform evil deeds we accrue evil
karma. That is all ...
Moreover,
if the mind is righteous and the body pure, what need is there to worry?
When we recite the Buddha's name, that name is taking center stage in our
mind, which is then in unison with the Mind of the Buddhas, sharing the
same pure wave-length. How can any demon or ghost dare to possess such
a mind? Belief in superstitions and evil spirits not only opens us to ridicule,
it can also cause a great deal of harm, by allowing others to take advantage
of our beliefs and fears. I urge you to ponder the issue very carefully.
26)
Reciting the Buddha's Name to Repay your Filial Debts
The filial debt you owe to your parents
is the greatest debt of all. How can it ever be repaid? To provide all
their necessities and earn titles and honors to glorify their names are
mundane ways. While these actions are meritorious, from the vantage point
of Truth, they are not the ideal, perfect way (because they still fall
within the cycle of suffering that is the human condition). There is only
one perfect way - it is to recite the Buddha's name and counsel your parents
to do likewise, dedicating all the merits and virtues toward rebirth in
the Pure Land. You will thus sow a diamond seed, as in the future, both
you and your parents will be liberated. Moreover, one utterance of the
Buddha's name can eradicate the karma of countless transgressions and afflictions.
Therefore, anyone who wishes to repay his profound debt to his parents
cannot fail to learn about the Pure Land method.
Commentary.Providing
for the everyday needs of our parents is merely fulfilling our filial obligations
according to the ways of the world.
If
our parents do not cultivate transcendental causes, they are bound to flounder
in the Triple Realm, revolving endlessly in the cycle of Birth and Death.
How can this be considered perfect devotion on our part?
What,
then, is the path of supreme devotion? It is the Pure Land
method
of reciting the Buddha's name, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha
Buddha at the end of this retribution body (lifetime). Thanks to the power
of Amitabha Buddha's vows (Other-power), all evil karma, be it as heavy
of a huge stone block, can be easily transported across the river of Birth
and Death. (12)
Thus, a small effort reaps great results. Why are we still undecided?
27)
Practicing Charity through Buddha Recitation
If you see someone suffering, you should
first help him with the necessities of life and then comfort him and counsel
him to recite the Buddha's name. To relieve suffering temporarily, charity
is the urgent thing. However, to relieve the suffering of many lifetimes,
the Pure Land method is more urgent still.
If you see a person or an animal in danger
but cannot help, immediately recite the Buddha's name, dedicating all the
merits and virtues to his soul. (13) Moreover,
during a serene night, you might recite a sutra or the Buddha's name, wishing
that all sentient beings may escape suffering and disaster. In time of
war or epidemic, recite the Buddha's name throughout the night, wishing
that all the wrongs and suffering of sentient beings may be eliminated.
While reciting the Buddha's name, you
should visualize that each recitation is bringing benefits to all sentient
beings - from the heavens above to the cosmic winds below. Such charitable
practice is truly inconceivable. (14)
Commentary.We
should first help others with the necessities of life to relieve their
physical suffering and then counsel them to recite the Buddha's name to
rescue their souls. In those instances where we cannot help, we should
singlemindedly recite the Buddha's name, concentrating all our good thoughts
on the sufferer, that he may escape his present condition and be reborn
peacefully in an auspicious realm.
One
utterance of the Buddha's name
Eliminates
injustices and wrongs from time immemorial ...
(15)
28)
Self-Nature Recitation, Self-Nature Listening
If the mind recites and listens, the eyes
cannot see wrongly, the nose cannot smell wrongly, the body cannot move
wrongly because the master(the mind) has been "kidnapped" by the words
"Amitabha Buddha".
Commentary.To
recite the Buddha's name is to recite the Buddha of the Self-Mind; the
ears hearing the Buddha's name actually hear the Self-Mind. The sound comes
from the Self-Mind and returns to the Self-Mind, turning around and around
in a circle. Not even a bit of deluded thought remains, and as a result,
all mundane dusts, all deluded realms disappear.
Recite
the Buddha's name, recite the Mind,
The
Mind recites the Buddha;
Meditate,
Meditate on the Self-Nature,
The
Self-Nature meditates.
29)
Recitation within Recitation
Once recitation of the Buddha's name is
perfected, of the Six Dusts only the "dust" of hearing remains. All six
faculties are entirely concentrated in the faculty of hearing. The body
no longer feels any coming or going, the tongue no longer knows how to
move, the mind how to discriminate, the nose how to breathe, the eyes how
to open and close. The two supreme methods of cultivation, of the Bodhisattvas
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthama, are but one; nothing is not round and perfect.
This is because sense organ is sense object, sense object is sense organ,
and both organ and object are consciousness. The Eighteen Elements are
all gathered in one element. Although at the outset they do not penetrate
one another, in time they will gradually do so.
Usually, a clean, quiet corner should
be selected for Buddha Recitation, about fourteen to seventeen square feet
in area. You should circumambulate once, moving clockwise, and then slowly
recite the Buddha's name with your voice growing louder and louder. As
you recite this way for three or more circumambulations, you will feel
your mind and voice becoming clearer, filling the universe, encircling
the Ten Directions, encompassing the whole Dharma Realm. This is the method
of resting body, mind and realm in the sound of the Buddha's name, and
it is to rest body and mind in the sound of the Buddha's name that you
recite. This is the supreme realm, which erases the polluted mind full
of afflictions, and which the practitioner should endeavor to reach.(This
method needs no further clarification.)
30) Recitation in
the Light of the Self-Mind
If [all] sounds are the sound of the Self-Mind,
then [all] lights are also the light of the Self-Mind. If the sound of
the Self-Mind exists anywhere, the light of the Self-Mind also shines from
that place. If you rest in the sound of the Self-Mind to recite the Buddha's
name, you are resting in the light of the Self-Mind as you recite. This
is also the supreme realm where the polluted, afflicted mind has been eliminated.
The practitioner should strive to cultivate this method.
31) Recitation in
the Nature of the Self-Mind
As the sound of the Self-Mind surrounds
you and the light of the Self-Mind shines upon you, the Mind-Nature naturally
reveals itself. This True Mind is like a huge, round, bright mirror that
nothing can obstruct. The Ten Directions, the Three Periods of Time, ourselves,
the Buddhas and sentient beings, the cycle of suffering in the impure world,
the lotus seat in the Pure Land - all
are but images in the mirror. Thus, to recite aloud is to recite in
the light, to recite in the mirror; it is neither the same nor different.
This is the ultimate auspicious realm, completely free of the deluded mind.
You should strive with all your might to attain it.
Commentary.The
Mind-Nature is intrinsically ever pure (silent and still), but its manifestations
are manifold (reflecting and shining). Once we realize that the totality
of these manifestations are not separate from the unchanging Self-Nature,
then Mind, Buddhas and sentient beings, intrinsically one, become empty,
bright and unimpeded. Anyone who can practice Buddha Recitation to that
level, must have exceptionally wholesome roots. The myriad phenomena are
but images in the mirror, intrinsically non-existent, born and disappearing
through causes and conditions. What influence can they have on the unchanging,
unborn and undying nature of the True Mind? To internalize this truth is
to escape the restrictive perimeters of space and time.
Recite in the morning, recite in the evening,
recite when you are at leisure, recite when you are busy, recite in clean
places, recite in unclean places - there should not be a single thought
which is not of the Buddha. Even if you have to entertain friends and serve
guests every day and thus have to interrupt your recitation, only vocal
recitation should be interrupted, not mental recitation. Practicing with
such constancy, you can easily achieve samadhi.
33) Recitation without
Sundry Thoughts
The absence of sundry thoughts is "stopping".
Stopping is the cause of samadhi. If you can put a stop to sundry (impure)
thoughts, correct thoughts (samadhi) will naturally appear.
Sundry thoughts fall into three categories:
good, bad and neutral. To eliminate all three is to eliminate sundry thoughts.
(16) The mind requires stillness. With stillness, neither good
nor bad thoughts arise. The mind requires clarity. With clarity, there
is no "neutral" thought.
There is no recitation except recitation
of the Buddha's name. Therefore, the mind is always still.
In recitation, there is [only] Buddha, therefore, the mind is always bright
and clear.
Reciting the Buddha's name without interruption
isvisualization, and visualization
is the cause of wisdom.
The previous utterance of the Buddha's name has gone, the next one has
not come, the present utterance is not static. (17)
Practice visualization in this manner -- clearly but without attachment,
without attachment but clearly. Proceeding continuously in this way, you
will arrive at the truth that "everything is made from Mind alone" -- Buddha
is Mind, Mind is Buddha.
Commentary
(to the three methods above). To recite
the Buddha's name is to recite the Buddha of the Self-Mind. Therefore,
whether the place of recitation is clean or dirty does not matter. Moreover,
sentient beings and Buddhas share the same Self-Nature True Mind. That
Self-Nature, that Buddha Nature, originally bright, has, as a result of
delusion, been covered by afflictions and ignorance. We are so deluded
and perverse that day in and day out we pursue worldly dusts and false
realms, drawing further and further away from the True Nature, mistaking
the false for the True. Once we are enlightened , we return to the light
of the Self-Mind, but it is not easy, in a short time, to erase the dark
afflictions which have tainted it for so long. Therefore, it is necessary
to recite continuously (to recite the Buddha's name is to recite the Buddha
of the Self-Mind). With Buddha thoughts succeeding one another at all times,
sentient being thoughts cease to exist. Thus, even when we are extremely
busy, only audible recitation is interrupted; how can the thoughts inside
us be restrained? When the mind is completely occupied with Buddha thoughts,
how can sundry thoughts arise any longer? Sundry thoughts having ceased
to arise (the wind has stopped!), the Mind is no longer moved by anything.
At that point, the mind is peacefully resting in samadhi (the water is
calm). The myriad dharmas now appear - nothing at all is missing. With
myriad dharmas manifesting themselves naturally, the Self-Mind shines in
a sublime, unique way (wisdom). The cultivator who can practice Buddha
Recitation to this level has effectively reached perfection.
Meditation based on a koan
(18) is called koan meditation. Meditation in which the
practitioner sits and stops the thought process is referred to as sitting
meditation. Koan and sitting meditation are both Zen. Zen and Buddha
are both Mind. Zen is the Zen of Buddha. Buddha is the Buddha in Zen. Buddha
Recitation does not conflict with koan or sitting meditation. Moreover,
the meditator can use the words "Amitabha Buddha" as a koan, reciting forward,
reciting backward, reciting in one direction, reciting in another, upside
down, turning around, without leaving his current thought. Even if it is
not called Zen, Zen is still part of it.
The Zen practitioner, to succeed in his cultivation, must practice to
the stage of "one thought in resonance with the Mind" (samadhi), and enter
suddenly into the realm of Emptiness. To recite the Buddha's name to the level of one-pointedness of mind
- if this is not resonance (samadhi) what else can it be? To recite to
the point where the mind is empty, is it not perpetual samadhi? In alert, focused Buddha recitation there is samatha, vipassana, samadhi,
wisdom - each recitation is perfect. Where else can Zen be found if not
here? Commentary.Zen
is Pure Land because both Zen and Pure Land aim at reaching one-pointedness
of mind. Although two expedients are involved, the result is the same.
However, Zen is ten times as difficult!
The
well-known commentary Returning Directly to the Source contains
the following similes: "those who practice methods other than Pure Land
are no different from ants climbing a high mountain or worms crawling up
to the tip of a bamboo stalk. The Pure Land method of Buddha Recitation
is a shortcut relying on the Buddha's power. It is like a boat sailing
downstream with the wind in its sails or a worm digging its way out sideways
[horizontal escape (19)]
.There is no faster way."
To keep the precepts is to rein in the
body; to recite the Buddha's name is to rein in the mind. Keeping the precepts
for an extended period of time rectifies the body; reciting the Buddha's
name for an extended period of time leads to an empty mind. The nature
of the precepts and the nature of recitation are not two different things.
Constantly keeping the precepts prevents transgressions and mistakes; constantly
reciting the Buddha's name enables the cultivator to overcome "near-death
karma" (20) and transcend the Triple Realm.
If your precept-keeping has reached a high level and you dedicate these
virtues toward rebirth in the Pure Land, you are bound to achieve rebirth
in the middle Lotus Grades. (21) If, on
the other hand, you cannot do both, then try to recite the Buddha's name
assiduously, as though you were extinguishing a fire burning on your head.
Commentary.Precept-keeping
aims ultimately at keeping the Self-Mind pure. As the practitioner does
not commit transgressions, he does not develop guilt and remorse. Buddha
Recitation also aims at purifying the Self-Mind. Therefore, to keep the
precepts is to recite the Buddha's name. However, Buddha Recitation is
the more vital expedient when the cultivator is not yet keeping the precepts
fully. It is thus urgent to recite the Buddha's name, so that once the
mind is pure, the precepts naturally become pure as well.
The entire Buddhist canon comes from the
Mind; if the Mind is not Buddha, the teachings are just a waste. However,
is there anyone's mind which is not Buddha? [If so], it is only because
he does not stop and think.
Mahayana cultivators who have studied
the Dharma must have read the Surangama
Sutra, and among them there are some who belittle the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta
while praising the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. A tiny bit of attachment
on this point is enough to plant a seed of Birth and Death. All their learning,
farsighted views and profound understanding serve merely to strengthen
the seeds of suffering; they are of no help at all toward the goal of escaping
Birth and Death. I urge you to let go quickly, let go of everything and
concentrate on Buddha Recitation, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land and
the company of Amitabha Buddha.
Otherwise, if you cannot let go of these
attachments immediately, then dedicate the virtues of studying and explaining
the sutras toward rebirth in the Pure Land and fulfilment of the Four Great
Vows. This will bring rebirth in the Pure Land. If, moreover, you can spread
the Pure Land teachings, making others understand the benefits of Buddha
Recitation, then even a wink or a thought will adorn the Pure Land. Thus,
there is no doubt that your rebirth will be at the highest Lotus Grade!
(22)
Commentary.In
the Surangama Sutra, the Bodhisattva Mahasthama cultivates the samadhi
of Buddha Recitation to achieve omniscience, while the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
cultivates the faculty of hearing and also achieves omniscience. Both Bodhisattvas
achieve the same state of omniscience. However, when asked by Buddha Sakyamuni
to choose among the different methods of cultivation, the Bodhisattva Manjusri
selected the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's practice as supreme. To misunderstand
or become attached to this teaching, and think that Avalokitesvara is above
Mahasthama, is contrary to the spirit of the sutra. It is because of this
attachment that discrimination arises - the thought that this Bodhisattva
is higher and that Bodhisattva is lower. This attachment stems [ultimately]
from attachment to self, which has existed since time immemorial. Such
attachment clouds the mind, making it easy for deluded views to develop.
It thus creates suffering in the Self-Mind and this suffering lasts forever,
time without end. How dangerous, indeed!
If
you study, understand and lecture well but are limited to that study and
understanding, with the mind divided, attached to language, words and phrases,
how different are you from a silkworm stuck in its cocoon, ultimately dying
within that very cocoon!
Is
it not better to make every effort to adorn the Pure Land, or to follow
the true and earnest approach of Buddha Recitation, rather than discourse
pompously upon the pros or cons of this method or that? The latter can
only entangle your pure thoughts and is of no help in the Great Matter
of Birth and Death.
Moreover,
if you exercise all your understanding and abilities to propagate Pure
Land, or to extol the merits of Buddha Recitation far and wide - using
skillful means to urge people of all capacities to practice the Buddha
Recitation Samadhi - then, truly, your rebirth in the Pure Land will not
be that far off!
As soon as any action is completed or
a word is uttered, and there has not even been time to think of reciting
the Buddha's name, yet the Buddha's name has already appeared - this is
the state leading to samadhi.
This means reciting without growing weary
or bored, while feeling better and better.
It means reciting the words "Amitabha
Buddha" in a very clear, distinct way, without interruption and finding
that these words have suddenly, temporarily, become frozen in your mind.
It is to have no thoughts of the word "Amitabha" and no thoughts other
than this word. This can provisionally be called attaining an auspicious
realm, but not truly the state of Empty Mind. However, if you are diligent
in reciting the Buddha's name, the realm always appears and in time you
will achieve the state. If because of a thought of Empty Mind, you succumb
to drowsiness and lethargy, you are lacking in wisdom.
You should realize that the more empty
your mind is, the more wondrous and pure your recitation will be. When
you use the self within the Buddha Mind to recite the Buddha in your own
mind, neither Emptiness nor Non-Emptiness can be found. It is as though
the sun or moon, while shining on the Jade Palace, were revolving around
the Polar Mountain and shining on the whole world.
Indeed, what can be better than Wonderful
Enlightenment becoming Perfect Enlightenment (Buddhahood)?
(23)
Commentary.Once
we have recited the Buddha's name to the point where it is effortless,
we become free and unimpeded. There is no effort, no reflection --
non-recitation yet nothing other than recitation, recitation
yet nothing other than the state of non-recitation of the Self-Mind.
This
is like a person learning to ride a bicycle. He appears to be using his
head, his body, both arms and both legs, but the bicycle is still listing
to one side or another. However, once he has mastered the technique, there
is no need to grip the wheel or contort his body. With normal pedaling
and no great exertion of effort, the bicycle runs straight, with none of
the difficulties encountered earlier.
The
ancients used to say: there is nothing in life so difficult that it cannot
be done. The only problem is that we do not act, or if we do act, we fail
to do so steadfastly over a period of time. That is why, in the end, nothing
is well done. What greater cause for regret is there?
40) Reciting the
Buddha's Name in Isolation
When cultivating, a Bhiksu/Bhiksuni does
not require the presence of fellow-cultivators. The more isolated his place
of practice the better! He may recite in either a loud or a low voice,
as he pleases, slowly and deliberately, or with utterances following one
another in rapid succession. The only important condition is to achieve
singlemindedness. He should tell himself "my body is alone but my mind
is not, because the Mind of Amitabha Buddha and of all the Buddhas has
never left me, even momentarily. The Buddhas know immediately what is going
through my mind. If I give rise to even a single thought, the Buddhas know
it. How can I be isolated?"
If you have questions about the Pure Land
method, you should consult Pure Land sutras and treatises for clarification.
There are many such sutras and commentaries, such as the Shorter
Amitabha Sutra, the Longer
Amitabha Sutra, the Meditation
Sutra, Patriarch Chih-i's Treatise
on Ten Doubts about the Pure Land, Master T'ien Ju's Doubts
and Questions about Pure Land, etc. (24)
I am merely covering a few easily understood Pure Land teachings in this
book. There are many more interesting teachings to be found throughout
the above-mentioned books. Furthermore, you should also try to study at
the feet of masters who understand the Pure Land method in depth.
Commentary.Cultivators
need to practice in a quiet, out-of-the-way area, in order to keep the
mind focused. This is particularly the case in Pure Land Buddhism, because
without one-pointedness of mind, it is impossible to achieve rebirth in
the Pure Land. To achieve this one-pointedness of mind, we should,
first of all, look for a quiet place to settle our mind and thoughts. (
When the surface of the lake is calm, the myriad stars will be reflected
in it. There is no better way to keep the waters calm than to stop the
wind.) When we have penetrated the still nature of the Self-Mind, we have
become one with the Dharma Body of the Buddhas. At that time, not only
does our own wisdom-light emerge, it is also merged with the countless
wisdom-lights of the Buddhas of the Ten Directions. How can our light be
called isolated?
The
only thing to worry about is our delusions, lack of understanding and endless
competing in the arena of the mundane and the vulgar. When the time comes
to leave our bodies, we will, like a shadow, enter the Avici hells alone,
isolated and orphaned!
41)
Organizing a Buddha Recitation Retreat
A Buddha Recitation retreat usually lasts
seven days. If you are in retreat alone [you should see to it that all
the basic necessities of life are available.] During the retreat, you should
discourage others from moving about in the general area, so as to reserve
the entire time for Buddha Recitation.
If there are five or six persons who wish
to go into retreat together, you should plan to have a retreat attendant,
as well as to establish strict rules and affix them to the door. All comings
and goings, meals, offerings of flowers and fruits should be handled by
the attendant, so that the participants can concentrate on reciting the
Buddha's name throughout the seven-day period.
If you are still constrained by family
obligations and do not know the pros and cons of serious cultivation, you
should not rush into organizing retreats.
Commentary.Without
going on retreat, we may be too occupied with everyday activities, guests
and friends to find the necessary peace and quiet for Buddha Recitation.
Therefore, we need to go on retreat as an expedient to get away from visitors
and daily activities.
We
should have the necessities of life at hand ( to avoid thinking about them
), or else seek the help of others, and peacefully recite the Buddha's
name. With this method, the retreat lasts only seven days, but if we have
the time and the means, we can organize additional retreats, without limit.
Once we have decided to go into retreat, external events should not be
allowed to take control and end the retreat half-way. To end a retreat
hastily before the agreed number of days has elapsed is truly regrettable!
Be
aware that the more eagerly we cultivate, the more we are tested by demons
(karmic forces). Therefore, we cannot be wishy-washy, but must have a good
understanding and plan well before acting. Otherwise, we may lose the battle
and end in failure - setting ourselves up as objects of ridicule.
If four or five persons decide to meet
as a group to engage in Buddha Recitation, they should establish the rules
and agree on the order of seniority at the outset, before beginning to
practice.
From the beginning of each session, each
time the wooden fish is struck, each time the Buddha's name is recited,
one person should take the lead, while everyone else follows in a regular,
even manner, without confusion - as otherwise, the minds of the participants
could be disturbed.
Commentary.This
method, unlike the previous one, does not require the participants to organize
retreats, but merely to cultivate as time and conditions permit. The number
of participants does not matter and there is no fixed number of days of
practice.
43)
Recitation for the Purpose of Helping Others
The following activities are wholesome
and conducive to accruing virtues: reciting the Buddha's name peacefully
in one spot and dedicating the merits and virtues to others; joining in
a retreat with other persons; propagating the Pure Land method; lending
Pure Land texts to others; dispelling other people's doubts about this
method; and counseling others to recite the Buddha's name steadfastly.
However, if you can practice supportive
recitation (25) at the bedside of the
dying, helping them to keep the Buddha's name continuously in mind so that
they may be reborn in the Pure Land - you will be helping to realize the
Dharma Body Wisdom-Life (Pure Mind) of others. The virtues of such action
are on a higher level than all other activities.
44) Buddha Recitation
in Time of Calamity
Commentary.Some
people may ask: how can reciting the Buddha's name eliminate calamities?
They ask because they are not earnest or are doubtful about obtaining a
response. These very doubts show why they do not obtain favorable results.
You should realize that when we think only of Buddha Recitation and nothing
else, our thoughts transcend body and mind. If such pure thoughts are stretched
out [over hours and days...], what suffering can affect us? There is a
great deal of significance to the saying:
A
good response is due to the self;
Non-response
is also due to the self.
If
one person, then many persons begin to recite the Buddha's name, they are
abandoning evil thoughts for good thoughts. If these good thoughts follow
one after another without end, what disaster cannot be eradicated, what
suffering cannot be dispelled?
Furthermore,
the sutras record ten specific benefits of reciting the Buddha's name ...
I urge practitioners to strengthen their faith and redouble their efforts.
45)
Buddha Recitation in Dreams
If you have unshakeable vows and engage
in deep, pure cultivation, holding fast to the Buddha's name in the daytime,
holding fast to it at night, then you will naturally recite the Buddha's
name even in your dreams. This presages that you will soon achieve the
goal of rebirth in the Pure Land. Therefore, you should continue to recite
evenly, redouble your efforts, never scaling them down, never allowing
your mind to become scattered.
Commentary.To
recite the Buddha's name in the above manner is to have reached a rather
high stage. Some persons can recite at night but not in the daytime, or
when awake but not when asleep. Their recitation is subject to interruption
because it has not yet become second nature. You should strive to keep
the Buddha's name constantly in mind, whether awake or dreaming. To achieve
this, train yourself to recite the Buddha's name in bed until falling asleep.
Moreover, before climbing into bed, you should awaken the mind of recitation.
Tell yourself that there is no better way to escape Birth and Death than
constant recitation of the Buddha's name, when awake or asleep. If each
day you remind yourself of this, you will grow accustomed to recitation
and naturally succeed.
As
an aside, if you wish to get up in the morning at a specific time, you
should adopt the following method. Before retiring, tell yourself aloud:
I should awake at five o'clock (or four o'clock, as you wish). If you repeat
this to yourself two or three times, you will awaken in the morning at
the desired time. One point to remember, though: the first few days you
may not wake up at the right time, because your mind is not yet tamed.
However, as time goes by, you will be closer and closer to the appointed
time until one day you begin to awaken precisely at the desired hour -
every day. This is a question of habit and there is nothing strange about
it.
46) Buddha Recitation
in Times of Illness
A serious illness is a reminder of death.
Death is the important link between sages and ordinary men, the pure and
the impure. [In the event of terminal illness] you should develop thoughts
of death (to avoid fearing it) and be diligent in reciting the Buddha's
name, awaiting death with determination. When the time comes, the light
of Amitabha Buddha will appear to welcome and escort you, thus fulfilling
your vow of rebirth in the Pure Land. If you stop reciting the Buddha's
name when you are ill, all your feelings of attachment, fear and affliction
will create a turmoil in your mind, while all manner of sundry thoughts
will arise. How then can you escape the path of Birth and Death?
Once, long ago, there was a monk who,
afflicted with a serious illness, groaned loudly "help, help!" He then
realized that a cultivator should remember to practice, and that to groan
was wrong. Immediately, he began to recite the Buddha's name. However,
his suffering did not diminish. Therefore, each time he groaned "help,
help" he would follow the groan with the Buddha's name, day and night without
fail. Upon recovering, he told everyone: "when I was ill, each time I groaned,
I followed it with the Buddha's name. Now that I am well, the words 'Amitabha
Buddha' remain while the 'Help, help' has disappeared and is nowhere to
be found. How amazing!" This is an instance of being steadfast in the face
of illness.
Commentary.No
one in the world can avoid death. However, there are some people who are
so afraid of death that they lose all self-respect or are so eager to live
that they ignore death. What a pity!
Even
if we fear death, we cannot escape it. Therefore, fear is superfluous....
Even when a relative, a very close one, dies, some persons do not dare
to approach the corpse, let alone uncover the face and look at it. We should
realize that death is ready for us at all times. Let us not fear it, but
rather endeavor to ensure ourselves a [future] life where there will never
be death: the path of liberation. Thus, we should redouble our efforts
to recite the Buddha's name and not fear death. The death of this present
body is but a temporary change of body. Countless impermanent bodies will
succeed one another in the future - if we have not achieved liberation.
47) Buddha recitation
at the Time of Death
At the time of death, make the effort
to remember the words "Amitabha Buddha", never letting them slip away from
your mind. If you can recite aloud, by all means do so. If not, then recite
softly. If you are too weak to recite at all, think of the words "Amitabha
Buddha", engraving them in the depths of your mind - and never forget them.
Those who attend the dying should counsel
them, continuously urging them to remember the Buddha, to recite the Buddha's
name.
You should realize that because of scattered,
deluded thoughts at the time of death, you have been wallowing in the Triple
Realm throughout many lifetimes, many eons. Why? It is because Birth and
Death are governed by your last
thought at the time of death. If that single thought is focused on
the Buddha, your body may be dead but your mind, being undisturbed, will
immediately follow that single thought toward rebirth in the Pure Land.
(26) Therefore, remember to recite the Buddha's name, always,
without fail!
Commentary.The
Pure land practitioner on the verge of death should have the following
thoughts: "The last moment before death is of utmost importance for a Pure
Land cultivator. If I do not guard it carefully and am not skillful, I
will not only waste the efforts of an entire lifetime, I will be burdened
by the sufferings of the cycle of Birth and Death, with no hope of escape.
This is not to mention that this body came into being as a result of karmic
consciousness, of the convergence of my father's seed and my mother's egg,
and that it is subject to decay and death. Where there is form, there is
decay, where there is life, there is death - nothing can last forever.
"The
world I live in comes from filthy, deluded karma and is hardly a pure and
peaceful realm meriting attachment. Today I singlemindedly recite the Buddha's
name, vowing to be reborn in the Pure Land at the time of death. This is
no different from throwing away a dirty old shirt and putting on a clean
one - what can possibly be better?"
If
you can reflect upon the above and plan in advance, then at the time of
death, you will be free of attachment to the body
and the world
around you. With pure thoughts and one-pointedness of mind, you will be
reborn instantly in the Pure Land - even ten thousand horses cannot drag
you back!
48) Vows, Repentance
and Buddha Recitation
Alas! There are countless people who are
unaware of Buddha Recitation. There are those who think Buddha recitation
is akin to superstition and refuse to recite. There are monks and nuns
who recite the Buddha's name as a matter of routine without knowing the
true reason why. There are persons with "deluded wisdom" who believe in
the Buddha yet refuse to recite. There are ignorant persons who do not
know about the Buddha and therefore do not recite. These are but a few
examples. In addition, there are ordinary people who, upon learning about
cause and effect, recite the Buddha's name. However, they do so with the
expectation of receiving merits and blessings in future lifetimes. Thus,
they, too, cannot escape the seeds of Birth and Death.
It is truly difficult to find anyone who
recites the Buddha's name for the sake of transcending Birth and Death
- perhaps one or two out of a hundred! We should realize that to recite
the Buddha's name is to be in unison with the compassionate Mind of the
Buddha - it is to make the great vow of rescuing all sentient beings [Bodhi
Mind]. (27)
"All offenses and past wrongs done
to others, I now repent; all virtues and good roots, large and small, I
now dedicate to rebirth in the Pure Land." This is the principal cause (motive) of Buddha Recitation.
10) Reciting in
Accordance with Individual Circumstances
The real aim of Buddha Recitation
is rebirth in the Pure Land. However, the compassionate power of the
Buddhas is unfathomable: if you recite their names, your wishes will be
fulfilled. For this reason, the sutras teach that Buddha recitation can
bring ten major benefits. [On the other hand], worshiping and bowing down
before deities and repenting [before their altars], engaging in sundry
practices, taking non-Buddhist vows, or foolishly believing in divination,
fortune-telling and horoscopes - none of these activities can be compared
to reciting Amitabha Buddha's name and seeking His assistance.
All untoward circumstances and events
in life are the result of adverse causes and conditions [from previous
lives]. Do not, therefore, develop evil thoughts and create karmic debts
- perpetuating the cycle of resentment and wrongdoing into the future.
Adapt to causes and conditions and, more important, do not forget to recite
the Buddha's name.
In this life or in previous ones, once
evil karma has matured, suffering follows in its wake. Each bit of suffering
in this life is due to a bit of evil karma. You cannot blame fate for being
uneven; you can only be ashamed for not having cultivated sooner. Each
time you think of the Buddha, you should be so moved that every hair on
your body stands on end and, overcome with emotion, you are completely
drained ...Each utterance of the Buddha's name, each syllable, then comes
from your liver, your marrow - this is the true state of Buddha Recitation.
In daily life, if you see anyone stuck
in a situation that deserves compassion, but you do not respond, it is
contrary to human morality. However, if you only develop intellectual compassion
but fail to act, how can you merge with the compassionate nature of the
Buddhas? Once compassion has developed, you must find a way to save others
from suffering -- a way to help all sentient beings escape suffering once
and for all. You should realize that the reason why Buddha Amitabha is
honored with the title "Great Compassionate Being" is that He always rescues
sentient beings. Since it is based on this compassion that you seek the
Buddha's assistance to escape suffering, how can you fail to recite with
the highest level of resolve?
The mind begins to think, which moves
the tongue; the tongue in turn moves, producing sound, and that sound returns
to the Self-Mind. This is the method of "mind reciting, mind listening."
If you remember to practice Buddha Recitation
in time of calamity, you will receive a wonderful response. Take a country
suffering invasion or a village decimated by a plague. In both places,
Buddha Recitation should be practiced steadfastly. If one person recites,
one person is at peace; if a hundred persons recite, a hundred are at peace.
It is not that the Buddha is being partial, but rather that he always appears
in the equal, non-discriminating light ... the light of the Buddha coming
to protect us, the Dharma-protecting deities rescuing us - we will naturally
escape danger and calamity. Do not doubt this.
Commentary.Whatever we do should have a goal that leads naturally to a result. Buddha Recitation for the sake of transcending Birth and Death and achieving rebirth in the Pure Land - the goal and the result - is truly sublime, yet practical. This is something that cannot be derided.
If we realize this point, our efforts are not wasted. If we truly recite the Buddha's name seeking escape from Birth and Death, there is no point in seeking mundane merits and blessings. How can the myriad phenomena of this world, fleeting, impermanent as they are, be the place where we entrust our true selves, inherently permanent and everlasting? It is only because of evil karma, heavy obstructions and limited wisdom that we must resign ourselves to an unfortunate destiny.
Therefore, once we clearly understand this and decide to recite the Buddha's name, we should strive to repent in all sincerity, so that our mind may be serene and pure, free of afflictions and illusions. Only then can we hope to realize our vow of rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha for the ultimate benefit of all sentient beings. (28)
END
Notesby
Van Hien Study Group
1.Sundry good/bad actions: In the Meditation Sutra, good actions are divided into pure and sundry actions. Sundry good actions are those that require effort and are carried out with an expectation of benefit, merits or virtues. Pure actions are those which are performed in order to transcend Birth and Death, namely, meditation, visualization or Buddha Recitation. Sundry bad actions are actions influenced by impure thoughts. (Master Suddhisukha)
Sundry thoughts: deluded, impure thoughts. Parable: In a time long past, Maitreya was in his incarnation as a laughing, big-bellied monk with a sack perpetually on his back. He used to travel about the countryside seeking alms and sharing them with whomever happened to be nearby. He would customarily sit under a tree, surrounded by young children, to whom he would tell stories to illustrate Buddhist teachings. Seeing this, an elder monk of the time became annoyed at what he perceived as untoward conduct on the part of Maitreya. One day, he cornered Maitreya and tried to test him with the following question: "Old monk, pray tell me, just what do you think is the essence of the Buddha's teachings?" Maitreya stopped for a moment, looked him in the eye, and just let his sack fall to the ground. As the puzzled monk wondered what to make of this singular action, Maitreya bent down, picked up his sack and walked away. Dropping the sack, "letting go", forgive and forget -- that is the teaching of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. See the following verse found in the Avatamsaka Sutra, Ch. 20. It expresses one of the key teachings of Mahayana Buddhism:
"If people want to really know/ All Buddhas of all time,/ They should contemplate the nature of the cosmos:/ All is but mental construction (i.e., Everything is made from Mind alone.)"
(T. Cleary, tr., The Flower Ornament Sutra/Avatamsaka Sutra, Vol I, p.452)
Borrowing and repaying:
In Buddhism, everything is governed by the law of Cause and Effect. Life is an unending cycle of transgression and retribution, borrowing and repaying.
Not
to kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct or false speech are the four
cardinal precepts or injunctions taught by the Buddhas. Not only must you
not break any of these precepts through words, you must also refrain from
all other unwholesome speech. (Master Suddhisukha)
Brahma
Net Sutra: This is a sutra of major significance in Mahayana Buddhism.
In addition to containing ten major Mahayana precepts, the sutra also contains
forty-eight less important injunctions. These
58 major and minor precepts constitute the Bodhisattva Precepts, taken
by most Mahayana monks and nuns and certain advanced lay practitioners.
It is believed that the current version of the Brahma
Net Sutra is only a fraction of the original sutra, most of the rest
having been lost. An English version of this sutra is available from the
Sutra Translation Committee (Bronx, NY) and the Buddha Educational Foundation
(Taiwan).
Pure
karma of the body: to refrain from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.
Moreover, all actions and gestures should be upright, undefiled, unsoiled
by worldly dusts. (Master Suddhisukha)
7. This is because
Diamond Recitation, while silent, still involves moving the lips.
The
expression "Self-Nature Amitabha, Mind-Only Pure Land" represents the quintessence
of Pure Land/Buddha Recitation Practice. At the noumenon level (i.e., at
the level of principle), Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light
and Infinite Life, is
our Self-Nature, always bright
and everlasting - thus
the expression Self-Nature Amitabha. Rebirth in the Pure Land is rebirth
in our mind, which is intrinsically
pure, like the Pure Land - thus the expression Mind-Only Pure Land.
9. Three
Bodies of the Buddha: "
A concept adopted in Mahayana to organize different concepts of the Buddha
appearing in the sutras." (A
Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts, p. 448)
"The
three bodies are:
Thus
good deeds in the first lifetime are potential
'enemies' of the third lifetime.
To
ensure that mundane good deeds do not become 'enemies,' the practitioner
should dedicate all merits to a transcendental goal, i.e., to become Bodhisattvas
or Buddhas or, in Pure Land teachings to achieve rebirth in Amitabha's
Pure Land -- a Buddha-land beyond Birth and Death.
In
the mundane context, these three lifetimes can be conceived of as three
generations. Thus, the patriarch of a prominent family, through work and
luck, amasses great power, fortune and influence (first lifetime). His
children are then able to enjoy a leisurely, and, too often, dissipated
life (second lifetime). By the generation of the grandchildren, the family's
fortune and good reputation have all but disappeared (third lifetime).
1.
Dharmakaya:the
Dharma-body, or the 'body of reality', which is formless, unchanging, transcendental,
and inconceivable. Synonymous with suchness, or emptiness.
2. Sambhogakaya:
the 'body of enjoyment', 'the bliss or reward body', the celestial body
of the Buddha. Personification of eternal perfection in its ultimate sense.
It 'resides in the Pure Land and never manifests itself in the mundane
world, but only in the celestial spheres, accompanied by enlightened Bodhisattvas.'
3. Nirmanakaya:
the 'manifested or incarnated body' of the Buddha. In order to benefit
certain sentient beings, a Buddha incarnates himself into an appropriate
visible body, such as that of Sakyamuni Buddha ..." (G.C.C. Chang). ,
Third
lifetime: a general Buddhist Teaching which can be summarized as follows:
In the first lifetime, the practitioner engages in mundane good deeds which
bring ephemeral worldly blessings (wealth, power, authority, etc.) in the
second lifetime. Since power tends to corrupt, he is then likely to create
evil karma, resulting in retribution in the third lifetime.
"Now, if you wish to save a certain being but it's beyond your capacity, then you should singlemindedly recite the Buddha's name. For example, you may see some pigs or sheep that are about to be slaughtered, and you can't liberate them because you aren't able to buy them all. At this time you should singlemindedly recite the Buddha's name so those creatures can hear it. You can speak Dharma also. You can say to them, 'All of you living beings should bring forth the Bodhi resolve [Bodhi Mind].' This is creating causes and conditions for rescuing their wisdom-light. Although you are not saving their physical bodies, you are rescuing their wisdom-light." (Master Hui Seng) According to Buddhist cosmology, our earth is suspended in space as a result of the unceasing movement of cosmic winds. This section illustrates the basic teaching of Pure Land and all other Mahayana schools: the purpose of cultivation is to rescue all sentient beings, including the practitioner himself (Bodhi Mind). See in this connection, Brahma Net Sutra, Secondary Precepts 20 and 45.
15. This seemingly exaggerated statement is easily understood in the light of the Buddha's teachings. Injustices, like all karma, good and bad, have their source in the mind. One utterance of the Buddha's name while in samadhi can change that mind and therefore eliminate, or at least mitigate, all the wrongs from time immemorial.
To take a simple example from everyday life, suppose a person driving home from work were cut off and almost hit by another vehicle. Incensed, he might chase after the other car and at a stop light, start to give the driver a piece of his mind. However, should he discover that the driver's wife was badly injured and about to undergo an operation, would his anger not change into understanding and forgiveness? See also main text, section 44.
16. See note 1. As soon as we produce the "present" utterance, that utterance is already a thing of the past! Nothing remains still. Koan:"Literally, Koan means a public case... However, it now refers to the statements, including answers, made by Zen masters. These statements are used as subjects for meditation by novices in Zen monasteries. Koan are also used as a test of whether the disciple has really [achieved an Awakening]. Helped by koan study, students of Zen may open their minds to the truth. By this method they may attain the same inner experience as the Zen masters. It is said that there are one thousand seven hundred such koans on record. The term wato [hua-t'ou or topic] is also used in this sense." ( Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary)
"A word or phrase of non-sensical language which cannot be 'solved' by the intellect but which holds a person's attention while a higher faculty takes over. Used as an exercise for breaking the limitations of thought and developing intuition, thereby allowing one to attain a flash of awareness beyond duality (Kensho.), and later Satori." (Christmas Humphrey, A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism)
19. "Horizontal" and "vertical" are figures of speech, which can readily be understood through the following example. Suppose we have a worm, born inside a stalk of a bamboo. To escape, it can take the hard way and crawl vertically all the way to the top of the stalk. Alternatively, it can poke a hole near its current location and escape horizontally into the big, wide world. The horizontal escape, for sentient beings, is to seek rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. Near-death karma:According to Buddhist teachings, at the time of death people are assailed by all kinds of afflictions, such as love, hate, regret, which they have been unable to let go of during their lifetimes. See also Notes 25 and 26. The levels of rebirth in the Western Pure Land as described in theMeditation Sutra, a key Pure Land text. According to this sutra, there are nine grades, divided into three sets of three grades each. The moremerits and virtues the practitioner accumulates, the higher the grade. These grades are in fact representative of an infinite number of levels corresponding to the infinite levels of karma of those reborn in the Pure Land. Four Great Vows:These are the common vows of all Mahayana practitioners, be they lay or monastic, which are recited at the end of each Meditation/ Recitation session. The Four Great Vows, which represent the Bodhi Mind, are: "Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them all./ Afflictions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them all./ Schools and traditions are manifold, I vow to study them all./ The Buddha-way is supreme; I vow to complete it." (Ross, p.48)
Belittling Mashasthama and praising Avalokitesvara : the teachings of the Buddha are audience-specific. Thus, to some, Avalokitesvara's teaching on the faculty of hearing is supreme, while to others, Mahasthamaprapta's on Buddha Recitation is the highest. This is why the Buddha praises all sutras as supreme and many sutras are called "king of the sutras" - "king" for its target audience.
23. Wonderful Enlightenment: the stage of cultivation immediately preceding Perfect Enlightenment, or Buddhahood.
Polar Mountain: The mythological mountain at the center of the universe. All of these texts, along with others on Pure Land, have been translated into English. See the list of publications of the Sutra Translation Committee at the front of this book or contact the Buddha Education Foundation in Taiwan (overseas@budaedu.org.tw). Supportive recitation: recitation performed by one or more Pure Land practitioners alongside a dying person, to assist him in achieving rebirth in the Pure Land. This is important for Pure Land practitioners as at the time of death, one is like a turtle being skinned alive. Filled with pain and fear, without the support of like-minded practitioners, one is likely to forget about Buddha Recitation and Pure Land rebirth. See also Note 20. This is comparable to driving west from New York to Los Angeles, and then in a split second, taking the wrong fork on the highway, winding up south at the Mexican border. To make the right decision at the fork requires study of the relevant maps (previous cultivation). Alternatively, the driver can put his trust in a guide who knows the way (a good spiritual advisor). The crucial point here is to have the right advisor at the right moment. In this scenario, one second late is too late. Bodhi Mind: Skt/Bodhicitta.The spirit of Enlightenment, the aspiration to achieve it, the Mind set on Enlightenment. It involves two parallel aspects; i) the determination to achieve Buddhahood and ii) the aspiration to rescue all beings.
The ultimate goal of all Mahayana practice is to achieve Enlightenment and transcend the cycle of Birth and Death -- that is, to attain Buddhahood. In the Mahayana tradition, the precondition for Buddhahood is the Bodhi Mind (bodhicitta), the aspiration to achieve full and complete Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, oneself included.
28. This is a crucial teaching of Pure Land Buddhism.As Vasabandhu, the Patriarch of the Mind-Only School wrote in his well-knownTreatise on Rebirth:
"To develop the Bodhi Mind is precisely to seek Buddhahood; to seek Buddhahood is to develop the mind of rescuing sentient beings; and the mind of rescuing sentient beings is none other than the mind that gathers in all beings and helps them to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land." (Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., p. 64)