INVOKING THE BUDDHA’S NAME
AMITABHA:
INVOKING
THE BUDDHA’S NAME
In
the Pure Land of Sukhavati, the Land of
Ultimate Bliss, the presiding spiritual
master is
the august, noble and radiant presence of
the Lord
Buddha
Amitabha, Buddha of Infinite Light and
Infinite
Life.
To
save, liberate and enlighten all the sentient beings
who have faith in Him, Amitabha has made
forty-eight
great vows and fulfilled all of them – this
being the
overriding condition for His attaining the
full, perfect and
supreme Buddhahood.
And, to quote the distinguished contemporary Japanese
Pure Land historian and practitioner Dr Hisao Inagaki:
“The Vow of universal salvation, as the 18th Vow may be
called, having been fulfilled, the most
effective way of salvation
has become available to us. This is the
easy and quick way of
(spiritual) emancipation through the Name.
“Those who contemplate Amitabha and His Pure Land or hear
His Name encounter the Power of His Vow,
and so are endowed
with the supreme merits…” (1)
Long
before his complete enlightenment, the former Bodhisattva Dharmakara had
cultivated and practiced diligently and exemplarily for countless kalpas
(cosmic ages).
He became a Buddha ten kalpas ago,
originally adored as the Buddha
Amitayus, Buddha of Infinite Life (Infinite Great Compassion) as well as presently
revered as the Buddha Amitabha, Buddha
of Infinite Light (Infinite Quintessential Wisdom).
Amitabha is now universally regarded as the
Name of the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life.
“Limitless life, limitless light. Not only are His blessings, virtues,
and wisdom limitless but so are His spiritual powers, His eloquence, and His
teachings,” the great 20th century Tripitaka Master and Ch’an
Patriarch Hsuan Hua has explained. “There is no way to count them because they
are infinite, nowhere present and nowhere absent…” (2)
Amitabha is spiritually synonymous with
infinity. As Pure Land Patriarch Ou-i (1599-1655) has commented: “The essential
point is that everything about Him is infinite: His merits and His wisdom, His
supernatural powers and His power in the Path (of emancipation and
enlightenment), His embodiment (Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind and Dharmakaya of
omniscient consciousness) and His environment (the Pure Land of Infinite Light
and Infinite Life), His work in expounding the Buddhist teachings and
liberating sentient beings.” (3)
And because of His incomparably close and
strong affinity with all the human beings, Amitabha’s saving, liberating and
enlightening power and influence on their spiritual destiny can be described as
immensely far-reaching and immeasurable. One need only to call on His Name with
a plain and sincere faith in one’s heart and mind, to attain complete spiritual
liberation and consummate enlightenment, following one’s highly auspicious rebirth
in the Pure Land. Faith is the cause, and enlightenment its effect.
“Amitabha Buddha has a great affinity with us
and will certainly guide us to Buddhahood,” Master Hsuan Hua taught his
American disciples in San Francisco in the late autumn of 1969.
“Amitabha
Buddha is all living beings and all living beings are Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha
Buddha became Amitabha Buddha by reciting the Buddha’s Name, and if we recite
the Buddha’s Name (Amitabha), we,
too, can become Amitabha Buddha…’ (4)
We
become Amitabha Buddha when we fully realize our Buddha Nature and attain
Buddhahood.
Spiritual significance and power of the Buddha’s Name: AMITABHA
(1)
The Name extolled and praised by all the Buddhas, signifying Amitabha’s spiritual preeminence
In the Longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the
premier scripture in Pure Land Buddhism, the Buddha Shakyamuni said to Ananda,
one of His senior disciples and His personal attendant: “…Furthermore, Ananda,
in each one of the ten directions (of the universe), in as many Buddha-fields
as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, Buddhas, Blessed Ones, as many as
there are grains of sand in the Ganges, extol the Name of Blessed One Amitabha,
the Tathagata; they sing its praises, announce its glory, and proclaim its virtues.”
(5)
“…He
is the spotless and pure one, whose Name is proclaimed, praised, exalted, and
extolled without obstruction in the ten regions of the universe, again and
again, with voices that echo without impediment, by Blessed Buddhas equal in
number to the grains of sand in all the Ganges rivers in all regions of the
universe.” (6)
(2)The
True Name of Self-actualization
“Now, the real
jewel of Sukhavati is the Name of Amitabha Himself, which is a “real name”: it
not only means ”Immeasurable Light”;
it is the expression of the essence of
immeasurable light, and that light itself is the outer manifestation of an even
more interior essence of immeasurable wisdom,” Roger Corless, an American authority
on Pure Land Buddhism, has written. (7)
Corless has pointed out that “the names of
Buddhas and bodhisattvas are names that effect what they signify” (“names which
are the same as things,” ming chi fa in
Chinese).
Thus,
reciting the Buddha’s Name or saying Nan-mo
O-mi-t’o Fo (Namo Amitabha Buddha)”is
the actualization of immeasurable light, and, therefore, of immeasurable
wisdom, in the mind of the practitioner…”
(3)Amitabha
being intrinsically identified with the universal Buddha-nature
Regarded
in the Mahayana as everyone’s endowment, Buddha-nature is
described as “the true, immutable, and
eternal nature of all beings. Since all beings possess Buddha-nature, it is
possible for them to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha, regardless of
what level of existence they occupy… Mahayana sees the attainment of Buddhahood
as the highest goal; it can be attained through the inherent Buddha-nature of
every being through appropriate spiritual practice.” (8)
Buddha-nature
is also known and referred to variously as Self-Nature, True Nature, True Mind,
Original Nature, Dharma Nature, etc.
To put in modern terms what the Buddha
Shakyamuni has taught, Buddha Nature is the spiritual DNA, the original
blueprint of the spiritual life of every sentient being. Buddhahood, its
ultimate manifestation as the Supreme Wisdom of Omniscience, is the spiritual
birthright and destiny of all human beings, of the entire human race known as
homo sapiens. When we completely recover, or redeem, our original spiritual purity
and perfection, we become Buddhas.
Wesak Saturday 5 May 2012 0442
“Amitabha
Buddha at the highest or noumenon level represents the True Mind, the
Self-Nature common to the Buddhas and sentient beings – all-encompassing and
all-inclusive,” the New York-based Van Hien Study Group on Buddhist literature
has explained, noted and highlighted. (9)
“Amitabha
is the inherently enlightened True
Nature of sentient beings, and
reciting the Name of Amitabha reveals this
Enlightenment,” the eminent 17th century Pure Land Master Ou-i has explained
with profound insight. (10)
(4)
Amitabha being essentially and principally associated with the Other Power
The
concept of the “Other Power” being the Buddha’s boundless spiritual power
to save, liberate and enlighten all the
human beings with faith and devotion, evolved sometime before the middle part
of the sixth century. And since then. it has illuminated the soteriological
significance of the very direct and simple, but vastly powerful, practice of
chanting or reciting the Buddha’s Name.
“T’an-luan
was the first to use the term ‘Other Power,’ which became the central
theme of the Pure Land
teaching in China
and Japan,”
Inagaki has written. (11)
“By
‘the Other Power’ T’an-luan means the Power of Amitabha as a Buddha or the
Power of His Original Vow. The Vow produced the Power, which in turn fulfils
the Vow. These two work together to realize the Buddha’s act of compassion…”
Of
the unprecedented number of 48 great vows dedicated to universal salvation and
enlightenment (the Mahayana mission and vision), T’an-luan highlighted the 18th
Vow to enable the devotee to be born quickly in the Pure Land through repeating
the Buddha’s Name ten times, the 11th
Vow to assure the devotee of entering the stage of non-retrogression and
attaining Nirvana (complete cessation of suffering, spiritual liberation, and
perfect enlightenment), and the 22nd Vow for bodhisattvas reaching the highest level of a bodhisattva
and cultivating the virtues of Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy) Bodhisattva (who
personifies the universal practices and vows of the Buddhas, including Samantabhadra’s
vow to see Amitabha Buddha and to be born in His Land of Ultimate Bliss and
Peace).
“Because of the Other Power which works
through these three vows (the 11th, 18th and 22nd
Vows), one who entrusts oneself to Amitabha can quickly realize Enlightenment,”
Inagaki has commented. (12) 1700
words 29.3.2006 1042 1.1.2014 05:23
The Pure Land Practice of holding fast, and chanting/reciting the Buddha’s Name
The
practice of invoking the Name of Amitabha Buddha has been initiated by Mahasthamaprapta,
the Bodhisattva of Great Power and Wisdom, representing the Buddha-wisdom of
Amitabha. Mahasthama has been reciting the Name of Amitabha for countless
kalpas, is presently reciting the Buddha’s Name, and will continue to recite
the Buddha’s Name, with total mindfulness and concentration, into the infinite
future.
In The Surangame Sutra, the highly
influential teaching of the Buddha Shakyamuni on the power of samadhi (pure
mental concentration) to attain enlightenment, Mahasthama recalls how “in the
remotest of aeons countless as the sands of the Ganges,” he was taught by the
“Buddha Whose Light Surpasses that of the Sun and Moon” this expedient to
realize samadhi by means of concentrating and “thinking exclusively of
(Amitabha) Buddha…” (13)
This
practice of single-minded and complete concentration on the Buddha is based on
the fundamental enlightenment factor and practice of mindfulness.
3.5.2012 0516
On this
practice of total mindfulness and pure mental concentration (Samadhi), Mahasthama
said with the utmost confidence: “I hold that nothing can surpass the perfect
control of the six senses with continuous pure thoughts (of the Buddha) in
order to realize Samadhi...” (14)
For a long time the principal Pure Land
practice, Buddha Recitation (nienfo in
Chinese, nembutsu in Japanese)
engages the two mental disciplines of mindfulness and concentration, the highly
powerful combination of which can lead to the attainment of the Samadhi of
Mindfulness of the Buddha and the Nienfo Samadhi, culminating in the spiritual
fusion and union of the devotee and the Buddha Amitabha. This is experiencing
and realizing the pure consciousness of the Buddha Mind. This is the moment when
one becomes Amitabha Buddha.
“This
Path (the practice of reciting the Buddha’s Name and seeking rebirth in the
Pure Land) is the most primal and the most subtle and wondrous. It is also the
simplest,” Master Chu-hung (1535-1615) wrote in a letter to layman Liu Lo-yang
of Su-chou. (15)
“Birth and death are not apart from a single
moment of mindfulness. Consequently, all the myriad worldly and
world-transcending teachings and methods are not apart from a single moment of
mindfulness.
“Right
now take this moment of mindfulness, and be mindful of Buddha, remember Buddha,
recite the Buddha-name (Amitabha). How close and cutting! What pure essential
energy, so solid and real! If you see through where this mindfulness arises,
this is the Amitabha of our inherent nature…”
Master Hsuan Hua taught his American disciples
in 1969: “When you are mindful of the Buddha, the Buddha is mindful of you.
It’s like communication by radio or radar. You recite here, and it’s received
there (the Pure Land). But if you
don’t recite, nothing is received; so you
must hold and recite the Name …” (16)
“With
singlemindedness (the complete and exclusive focus on the Name of Amitabha), myriad conditions are left
behind and only the Buddha’s Name
remains,” the Buddhist scholar Cheng Wei-an
has written in his classic guide to
Pure Land practice. (17)
“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!
“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.” (18)
Hearing the Name of the Buddha Amitabha
Why
do all the Buddhas praise the Name of the Blessed One Amitabha, the Tathagata?
Shakyamuni
Buddha said, in the Sanskrit text of The
Longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra: “Because those living beings who hear the Name
of the Tathagata Amitabha, and when they hear it they resolutely conceive of
one thought of serene trust, even if it is only this single thought, will
surely not fall back in their progress toward unsurpassable, perfect full
awakening…” (19)
In
the Chinese translation by Tripitaka Master Samghavarman from India, the Buddha
spoke in verse:
“ By the power of that
Buddha’s Original Vows,
All who hear His Name (Amitabha) and desire
birth (in the Pure Land),
Will, without exception, be born in His land
And effortlessly enter the Stage of
Non-retrogression…” (20)
In
the Pure Land, the Stage of Non-retrogression is equivalent to the Eighth of
the Ten Stages of Bodhisattvahood. From this very high level of spiritual cultivation.
one continues, unfailingly, to make
further progress until one reaches the ultimate level of spiritual evolution and
achieves the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment of Buddhahood. This is the crowning
moment of the Pure Land practice of reciting the Buddha’s Name:
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA
In
the Surangama Sutra, the Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara has spoken on his method
of profound meditation through the faculty of hearing and sublimating this
practice of hearing to attain the Diamond Samadhi, in which one can destroy the
darkness of ignorance, free oneself from suffering, and attain spiritual
perfection. “Because of my all-embracing hearing, my name is known everywhere,”
Avalokitesvara said. (21)
How to recite the Buddha’s Name
“You
should practice Buddha Recitation in all earnestness and sincerity without a
moment’s lapse, paying respect and reciting morning and evening,” Master Yin
Kuang (1861-1940) wrote in an open letter to all the Pure Land cultivators.
(22)
“Recitation
originates in the mind and is channeled through the mouth, each phrase, each
word, clearly enunciated,” Master Yin Kuang wrote to Hsu Fu-hsien. (23)
“You should also listen clearly, impressing
the words in your mind. If the faculty of hearing is under control, the other
faculties are also held in check…”
“Recite
it with your whole mind, with your whole strength, without any other thoughts
at all,” Master Chu-hung (1535-1615) taught Wang Kuang-ti. (24)
“Singleminded
recitation of the Buddha’s Name is correct action,” Elder Master Han-Shan Te
Ch’ing (1546-1623) taught at the Lotus Society of Great Enlightenment in
Hang-chou. (25) Both Chu-hung and Han-shan were highly illustrious
scholar-monks.
“Right mindfulness is crucial for practicing recitation,” Master Kuang-ch’in (1892-1986) taught in Taiwan. (26)
“Recitation
should be done to the extent that your mind never leaves the Buddha, nor the
Buddha your mind, and that your mind is undivided, free of perplexity and
inversion.
“If
we keep concentrating on reciting the Buddha’s Name, our minds will become
unperturbed and unfettered.
“We
should know that the merit of recitation is tremendous and that it is a great
blessing for us to come across this discipline. By simply reciting “Amitabha
Buddha,” we can expect to escape the prison of birth and death and attain
Buddhahood…”
Master
Yin Kuang wrote to Chou Chih-mao: “You
should know that the very words “Amitabha Buddha,” if recited to the level of
one-pointedness of mind (singlemindedness), have ample power to lead sentient beings to
Buddhahood…” (27)
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA
NOTES: AMITABHA, INVOKING THE BUDDHA’S NAME
1.
THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS: A Study and
Translation from Chinese by
Dr Hisao Inagaki of Ryukoku University in collaboration with Harold Stewart (an
Australian poet and Pure Land devotee), published by Nagata Bunshodo, Kyoto,
1995, p, 76. 27.3.2006 2101
Inagaki has borrowed the description of Amitabha’s inexhaustible
spiritual endowment: “the Power of his Vow enables those who encounter it to
gain the supreme merits” from Vasubandhu (c. 320-400), the eminent Indian
Abhidharma and Yogacara master who himself took refuge in the Tathagata of
Unhindered Light, praised and worshipped Amitabha, prescribed and practiced
recitation of Amitabha’s Name, and aspired to be born in the Pure Land. Inagaki has described Vasubandhu’s
contribution to the development of Pure Land thought” as beyond measure”
(ibid., p.. 70).
The supreme merits are those of Buddhahood, including
the sovereign power to liberate and enlighten all sentient beings. 6.5.2012
0426
2.
A General Explanation of The Buddha Speaks
of Amitabha Sutra by
Tripitaka and Dhyana
Master Hsuan Hua, published by the Sino-American
Buddhist Association, San Francisco,
September 1974, p. 10
Based on Master Hua’s lectures on the Amitabha Sutra delivered at the Gold
Mountain lecture hall from 29 October to 25 December 1969, the scriptural text
was translated by Upasaka I kuo-jung and the commentary translated by Bhiksuni
Heng Yin. Master Hua (1918-1995) took up residence in San Francisco in 1962
when he brought the Buddhadharma to the shores of North America. 27.3.2006 2152
The Amitabha
Sutra teaches human beings to seek their rebirth in the Pure Land where
they can attain instant spiritual liberation and then through further practice
in the most ideal environment, and in one lifetime of unlimited span, realize
the ultimate enlightenment.
6.5.2012 0439
3.
Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS, Patriarch Ou-i’s Commentary on the AMITABHA SUTRA,
translated by J. C. Cleary, originally published in
1996. and subsequently published (third edition 1998) for free distribution by
Amida Fellowship, Taman Billion, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
The Amitabha
Sutra is one of the three main scriptures in Pure Land Buddhism. The Ninth
Pure Land Patriarch Ou-i (1599-1656) wrote his powerfully insightful commentary
at the age of 49.
(a) The Buddha Amitabha embodies the Mind of
omniscient consciousness, knowledge and wisdom, which is originally endowed and
spiritually inherent in all sentient beings, including all human beings of the
species homo sapiens (wise humans).
(b) According to Tony Buzan,
internationally reputed mind mapper and authority on human
intelligence
and the brain, humans use only one percent (1%) of the brain. Not 10%,
according to
Einstein (1876-1955),
generally regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th Century.
In a
recent Q & A session with Gerald Chuah in Kuala Lumpur (New Straits Times,
October 1,
2011),
Buzan says that “the generative thinking power of the human brain is indeed
infinite…”
(c) According
to the Buddha, everything in the universe is mind-made.
In the Hwa Yen Sutra, the Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra spoke in verse:
“…As a
painter draws many pictures,
A
sentient being’s Mind can also create
Infinite variations of world-systems…”
(As
quoted in Garma C.C. Chang, THE BUDDHIST
TEACHING OF TOTALITY, p. xxii)
4.
A General Explanation of The Buddha Speaks
of Amitabha Sutra
“Amitabha Buddha is contained within the hearts of all
living beings and (all) living beings are contained within Amitabha”s heart,”
Master Hua added (p. 27).
“This is the phenomenon (all living beings) and the
noumenon (Amitabha).
“You must believe in the doctrine and energetically
practice it by reciting the Buddha’s Name more and more every day…” 1.4.2006 0159
(a) Amitabha Buddha is the embodiment of Buddha
Nature, the intrinsically enlightened nature of all sentient beings.
(b) The fundamental practice in Pure Land
Buddhism is reciting the Buddha’s Name (the cause of emancipation and
enlightenment). Anyone can practice it diligently to obtain the supreme fruit
of Buddhahood.
(c) In the Hwa
Yen Sutra, the Bodhisattva Blue Lotus Treasure spoke on the all-embracing
great compassion of the Buddhas: “All the Buddhas, for the sake of ripening
(fully enlightening) one being, travel through countless universes. In this
manner, they serve all sentient beings
without cessation…” (Excerpt in Garma Chang, THE BUDDHIST TEACHING OF TOTALITY, p. 49) 6.5.2012 0605 0741
5.
THE LAND OF BLISS, Sanskrit and Chinese Versions of the Sukhavativyuha Sutras with
Introductions and English translations by Luis O.
Gomez, published by University of Hawaii Press and Higashi Honganji Shinshu
Otani-ha, Kyoto, 1996, p. 92.
Dr Gomez is Charles O. Hucker Professor of Buddhist
Studies at the University
of Michigan in the Department
of Asian Languages and Cultures and the Program on Studies in Religion.
6.
Ibid.,
p. 102
7.
Article
on “Pure Land Piety” by Roger J. Corless of Duke University
in Durham, North Carolina,
published in BUDDHIST
SPIRITUALITY, edited by Takeuchi Yoshinori et al, and published by Motilal
Banarsidas, Delhi,
1995, p. 261
8. As defined in The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen and extracted in the
glossary of
PURE LAND PURE MIND: The
Buddhism of Masters Chu-hung and Tsung-pen, translated by Dr J.C. Cleary, originally published
in 1994 by Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, New
York, and reprinted for free distribution November 2003 by The Corporate Body
of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, p. 217
9.
PURE LAND PURE MIND, glossary as prepared by the Van Hien
Study Group, p. 213
10.
Mind-Seal of THE BUDDHAS, P. 74
11.
THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS, pp. 89-90
A Buddhist monk since the age of 15, T’an Luan
(476-542) was converted to Pure
Land in middle age after
his meeting with the great Indian Tripitaka master Bodhiruci at Loyang, then the Chinese capital. According to Inagaki
(p. 84), T’an Luan, with his background as a Madhyamika scholar of the Four-discourses School, “contributed a great deal to the
development of Pure Land Buddhism in China and Japan…” According to another account, he helped to
establish Pure Land as the Buddhism of Faith in China.
12.
Ibid.,
p. 90
(a) To cross the vast ocean of Samsara to the
boundless realm of Nirvana, one can swim, paddle or
sail a ship, or outfit one’s vessel with inboard or
outboard engine. For traversing the bottomless ocean of suffering forever
buffeted by the punitive gales of ignorance and craving, the most powerful
engine, the motor with the greatest horsepower is the Other Power (OP) of the
Buddha Amitabha. OP is inexhaustible, infinite. It is the Buddha’s Power of
Great Compassion and Omniscience, to save, free and enlighten all sentient
beings.
(b) Zen Master Ku-yin said
..Yama the King of Death does not value gold and
jewels; all that impresses him is the phrase “Amitabha Buddha”…
“Those who know the sound of the Dharma must not
delay. You must make the transformation soon. Buddha is the ship for the ocean
of suffering. You should cross over to the other shore soon…
“Whether you are walking, standing, sitting, or lying
down, you must recite the phrase “Amitabha Buddha” without a break. You must
believe that if the causal basis is profound, the result will be profound…” (As
recorded by Master Tsung-pen in Direct
Pointing Back To The Source, and published in PURE LAND PURE MIND, pp. 165-167)
The primary practice: Reciting the Buddha’s Name:
AMITABHA BUDDHA
The transformational effect: Rebirth as a high-level
bodhisattva in Amitabha’s Pure Land with the Buddha’s vow-powered assurance of
attaining the Supreme Enlightenment. 7.5.2012 0555
08.5.2012 0318
13. THE SURANGAMA SUTRA, Chinese rendering
by Master Paramiti of Central North India at Chih
Chih Monastery, Canton, China, with
commentary by Ch’an Master Han Shan (154 6-1623),
translated by Upasaka Lu K’uan Yu
(Charles Luk), p. 134
14.
Ibid., p. 135
(a) The six senses provide the various sources
of mental information obtained and received through the six faculties of
seeing/sight, hearing, scent, taste, touch, and cognition through the
discriminating ordinary mind. In Buddhism they are the six “worldly dusts” that
becloud, corrupt and defile the pristine purity of the Self-Nature, Buddha
Nature of all sentient beings.
(b) Mahasthama Bodhisattva employs the powerful
enlightenment factors of total mindfulness and concentration, through the singular
practice of reciting the Buddha’s Name, to completely control the six senses
and attain the Samadhi of singlemindedness.
(c) Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthama are the two
principal assistants of Amitabha Buddha in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On
Avalokiteshvara’s method of mastering and controlling the six senses through
the faculty of hearing, please refer to Note (23) below. 7.5.2012 0641
15.
PURE LAND PURE MIND, p. 63
Together with Han-shan Te-ch’ing and Tzu-po Chen-k’o,
Master Chu-hung (1535-1615) was one of the three “dragon-elephants” or most
illustrious monks of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). They were responsible for
the revival of Buddhism in 16th century China, a revival which still
influences Buddhism today.
Trained as a monk in both the Ch’an (Zen)
and Pure Land traditions, Master Chu-hung
emphasized
observance of monastic discipline, active
participation of laymen in Buddhist life , and the dual
practice of Zen and Pure Land.
16. A General Explanation of The Buddha Speaks
of Amitabha Sutra, p. 39
In the Second Chapter (Expedient Devices) of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha Shakyamuni
spoke to Shariputra, His leading
disciple, on the various methods of awakening and attaining enlightenment.
Mindfulness of the Buddha is generally
regarded as the most efficacious expedient.
The Buddha spoke in verse:
“…If people with scattered minds,
Enter stupas or
temples,
And say but once “Namo Buddha,”
They have realized the Buddha Way…”
From Chapter Two, The
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, Buddhist Text Translation Society, The
City of 10,000 Buddhas, San Francisco 1.1.2014 06:24
17. TAMING THE
MONKEY MIND, A Guide to Pure Land Practice, by the Buddhist scholar Cheng
Wei-an, translation and commentary by Elder Master
Suddhisukha, originally published in 1999 by Sutra Translation Committee of the
United States and Canada, New York, and subsequently published for free
distribution Vesak May 2000 by Amida Fellowship, Taman Billion, Jalan Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, p. 26
18. Ibid., p. 44
(a)
Speaking
to the great T’ang teacher Fa-chao in the year 770AD on the spiritual
significance of reciting the Buddha’s Name, the Dharma Princeand Bodhisattva of Wisdom Manjushr has described
it as “the most direct, most essential” practice to achieve enlightenment.
Manjushri said: “All the phenomena of enlightenment,
from the perfection of wisdom, to meditative concentration, to Buddhahood, are
all born from reciting the Buddha’s Name….”
His advice is to seek birth in the Pure Land, in order
to be sure of attaining “supreme correct enlightenment.” (PURE LAND PURE MIND,
pp. 183-184)
Manjushri Bodhisattva embodies the power of keen awareness
and the wisdom of all Buddhas.
Fa-chao (circa 747-821?) became the Fourth Patriarch
of the Pure School in China. 1.1.2014
05:57
19. THE LAND OF BLISS,
p. 92
Gomez has
reworded the Buddha Shakyamuni’s answer
in Notes (p. 237): “Buddhas praise the Name (Amitabha) in order to help those
living beings who, by hearing the Name and conceiving of even a single thought
of faith, will attain assurance of their own salvation.” Faith, of course, is
central to Pure Land practice.
The seed of enlightenment can well be planted even
with only a single thought of “deep faith” (the two words used by the
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who represents the great vows and practices of all
Buddhas). In the Hwa Yen Sutra,
Samantabhadra has also said that “Bodhi (the fruit of the Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment)
belongs to sentient beings…”
20. THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRA, p. 273
21. THE SURANGAMA SUTRA, pp. 135-142
22. PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, Letters
from Patriarch Yin Kuang, p. 114
Yin Kuang (1861-1940) played a key role
in the revival of the Pure Land school during a tumultuous
period in China, and remains highly regarded
as the 13th Pure Land Patriarch.
23. Ibid., p. 73
Mastery of the faculty of hearing is the method of
cultivation taught by Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to attain Samadhi and
spiritual perfection, as recounted in The Surangama Sutra.
24. PURE LAND PURE MIND, p. 40
25. PURE LAND OF THE PATRIARCHS, p. 21
26. Analects of Master Kuang-ch’in, pp. 084
& 086
27. PURE LAND ZEN/ZEN PURE LAND, p.
210
11 pages 4,501
words 21.11.2013 03:27
Mahasthama
Mindfulness Center
25 SelasarRokam 40
Taman Ipoh Jaya
31350 Ipoh
Perak Malaysia
Telephone:
05-3134941
1.1.2014 06:30
06:33 02.02.2014 20:50 4,559 words
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