The Buddhist Practice of Chanting
Amitabha
Dr. Yutang Lin A three-lecture talk
September 1
to September 3, 1989
Miami, Florida, USA
Transcribed by Shu-Hui Wan, Shou-Yean Lin, Sophie, Michael and Fiona
Palmer
Edited by Ann Klein
Reviewed by Dr. Lin
Foreword to the Second Edition
Three thousand copies of the first edition of this book were printed in
January 1991 for free distribution. By October 1994, all these copies had
been distributed. Therefore, I began reviewing the copy which was scanned
into computer by Dr. Chen-Jer Jan to prepare for republication.
Typographical errors found in the first edition have been corrected. In
addition, only minor changes have been made to help make the meaning
clearer. Formatting has also been revised.
In early 1994 a Buddhist in Indonesia wrote me to ask for books and
brought to my attention the fact that this book had been translated into
Indonesian and published over there in December 1993. I asked for a copy
and received one five months later. It is entitled Pembacaan
Berulang-ulang "Amitabha" and was published by Yayasan Penerbit
Karaniya, Kotak Pos 1409 Bandung 40001, Indonesia. I am happy to see
that my work had been appreciated.
May this work introduce the Buddhist chanting practice to more and more
people all over the world!
Yutang Lin
November 22, 1994
El Cerrito, California
Talk 1: Why Do We Prefer Buddhism?
September 1, 1989
Before my teacher, Yogi Chen, passed away in November 1987, he had
vowed to give this lecture 48 times in commemoration of Amitabha Buddha's
48 great vows. Yogi Chen had given 45 of the 48 lectures. (Three of the 45
lectures were given by me on his behalf.) Unfortunately, he passed away
before fulfilling his wish, and I vowed to give the remaining three. The
46th was given in Miami, Florida in January 1989; The 47th was given in
Austin, Texas in July 1989; And the 48th lecture is being given today,
here in Miami. This is why this meeting today is particularly important.
It took 10 years to complete the lectures in many parts of the world:
San Francisco, San Jose, New York, Los Angeles, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong
Kong, Malaysia, Canada, etc.
I am very happy to be giving this lecture in English for the following
reason: When Yogi Chen was in India doing a 25-year retreat in one room,
he had a dream that he saw Sakyamuni Buddha telling him to go to the
United States to preach the Dharma. He also had a vision at that time that
a Dragon King kneeled down to him and asked him to go to the United States
to preach the Dharma. Yogi Chen had given the lecture in English only
twice, so I am very happy to help fulfill the goal of preaching to the
American people by giving this lecture in English today.
The lecture will consist of three talks: Why Do We Prefer
Buddhism?, The Path to Enlightenment, and Why
Do We Choose the Chanting of "Amitabha"? I will give a brief
description of the basic attitudes of a practitioner and explain why these
attitudes will be beneficial to you. On the last lecture I will talk about
the methods and merits of the practice of chanting "Amitabha" as well as
related practices.
Why do we prefer Buddhism? To talk about this, first we need to know
what the basic teachings of the Buddha are. It would be impossible to
enumerate all of the teachings which are contained in the 160 volumes of
Tripitaka in one recent Chinese edition. My teacher, Yogi Chen,
composed a chart in English that describes the essential teachings and
practices of Buddhism in the order that they are to be practiced. This can
be very beneficial.
I want to talk about the very basic, central philosophy of Buddhism.
Once we have an understanding of the basics we can begin comparing it with
other religions, then we will have some understanding of why we prefer
Buddhism.
The basic idea of Buddhism is not to presuppose that there is something
wrong with us but rather that our original nature is pure. Buddha's
teaching is that basically we are all pure and problem-free originally.
Basically, we are all Buddhas, however, we are all in trouble. You may ask
why. It is because we have wrong concepts and consequently we act in a
wrong manner. The problems of society and the human race are also rooted
in the basic problems of how we think, how we perceive the world, and how
we act.
Many of the wrong concepts which Buddha classified as sorrows (e.g.,
greed and hatred) cause emotional disturbances and conflicts among people.
There are the wrong concepts called perversive views, meaning that our
view of the world and what human relationships should be are incorrect.
This causes us much trouble.
The most basic of all problems stems from the notion that a self
inherently exists. This is a philosophical problem. Unless we know how
this philosophical problem came about we will not understand what is meant
by this. I will attempt to describe the problem.
In life we assume that people and things like furniture exist, and we
take them for granted. However, if we look at it carefully and
philosophically we begin to ask questions. For example, here we have a
lamp which can be described by its color and shape. However, as I move my
fingers around the lamp, notice that the light and color of the lamp are
not only determined by its materials but also by the light from the bulb
and the light in the room. Other factors can also affect the color of the
lamp such as viewing it through colored glasses. So the philosopher begins
to ask if there is such a thing as the color of this lamp?
Normally, we have no problem determining the color, but when we become
very precise we have difficulty defining what the color of this lamp is.
The same thing is true with shapes. For example, we would say the table
over there is rectangular, however, if you try to draw a picture of it
looking from one end you will notice that one end is wider than the other.
That is what you actually see. The rectangular shape is actually an
abstraction. We learn from experience that if we are fitting the table
into a corner of the wall it is rectangular, but when we actually see it,
we notice there is a discrepancy between what we think and what we see.
This is why philosophers began to ask the question? Is there something
that we can call the table which is independent of where and how we
see it? In daily life we assume this when we are buying a table. In
general this kind of assumption helps to explain phenomena such as our
house being there when we return home, or our cat returning after letting
it out, etc. There is a problem that comes as a result of assuming that
there is anything that exists independently of our perceptions. For
example, today I say I really like this orange. Next time you see me you
will remember that and offer me an orange. I may just have finished eating
some fruit and would prefer something else, but you wouldn't know that.
Reality is always changing, but we tend to be led by our concept of a
fixed world. That is how the problems come about and how we lose touch
with reality.
Major and serious problems can result from having fixed notions of
reality. For example, war is a big enterprise and people are led to wage
it by very fixed concepts of people, nations, and other abstract things.
What is the reality that Buddha tried to teach us? Philosophically, the
question can be answered by saying there is no such thing as an
inherently existent self. We must free ourselves from this kind of
conceptual error because this is where our problems begin.
It is difficult to convince people that nothing exists independently of
our perceptions because it is contrary to the assumptions adopted in our
daily lives. However, that does not mean we could not function without
these assumptions. A person who is free from all these prejudices and
misconceptions will be very much alive and close to all beings. What is
blocking people or beings from getting close is the concept of
self. If one were free from this concept, we would not see each
other as separate but rather see everyone as one with himself. The result
of this freedom is that we would devote our lives to serving other beings.
Buddha, realizing that people have different backgrounds, different levels
of intellectual abilities and emotional maturity, guides us to a deeper
level of understanding through his various teachings. Besides saying we
should forget about viewing the world as fixed and permanent, Buddha also
says we can view everything as of one nature and unity and act
accordingly. Then it is easier to follow. If you adopt this view, then you
will act as one with others.
It is difficult to convince people that we are all one because it is
very clear when we look around at living beings and inanimate objects that
we are seeing different things. How can we all be one? From our ordinary
view this is something strange and even contrary to our common sense. The
reason that Buddha has convinced many generations of Buddhists is because
there is something beyond our ordinary experience. Buddha has been
convincing over the years because those who follow his teachings begin to
broaden their minds and learn something beyond ordinary perceptions and
conceptions.
I would like to relate a personal experience to help you understand
what it means when I say that we are all one. I have been a full time
Buddhist practitioner doing things like chanting "Amitabha." Physical
distance sets limits on our immediate senses. If I want to know what is
going on in Hong Kong I would have to make a phone call. A Buddhist friend
of mine returned to Hong Kong and I didn't know what she was doing there.
One night in my dream I saw that she was releasing turtles. When she
returned to the United States, she said she had been releasing turtles in
Hong Kong a few hours before my dream. This is hard to explain, but if you
accept the view that we are all one, then it is very easy to explain
because it is like one body. There is no wonder that you know how your
right hand feels and also how your left hand feels. Another experience I
had was with a friend in Miami who asked me to pray for a relative and
also for her back pain. I just wrote the names in a book, put it in front
of Buddha, and chanted a mantra. The next morning her pain was gone. She
was in Miami and I was in El Cerrito (San Francisco area). So you see, if
you adopt this kind of view, things like this happen.
Also, recently a friend of mine was complaining of pain in different
areas of her body due to a traffic accident. Then I saw signs in my own
body corresponding to where her pain was located. I have no explanation
for this. It was a new experience for me, i.e., something that happened in
another person's body was felt in my body in the exact area.
If we believe Buddha's teachings and act accordingly, we will be free
from our troubles. Most of the pains in the body are caused by mental
disturbances. We are not very peaceful inside, so our bodies also become
tense and painful. If we accept this philosophy and live it accordingly,
we will not only help others but will also receive great benefits for
ourselves. We will then have the key to our happiness.
The question remains, how can we follow the Buddha's teachings in our
daily lives? I will attempt to summarize as follows: Right now our
concepts are unavoidable because we grew up in a civilization and were
conditioned by society as well as our own experiences. We have a set of
values and opinions which are more or less self-centered and based upon
self interests.
On the active side, we should try to become more open, and instead of
caring only for ourselves, we should start caring for people in our
immediate surroundings wherever we go. Instead of fearing involvement, we
should open up a little bit for others here and there, and we will
eventually become more open. On the passive side, we should try to give up
our self-centered attachments. We have to learn to give up the many
self-centered things we are holding onto. Until we can, a lot of energy
and time will be spent thinking and worrying about our own problems, and
this causes us burdens. Worrying won't solve problems; Hence, we should
stop worrying.
It is easy to say all of this, but very difficult to do, because the
roots of our worries are things that are so important to us. At this point
the preciousness of the Buddhist practice becomes significant. Through our
practice, our minds gradually become free from preoccupation with
ourselves. When we talk about the principles of opening up or giving up
our attachments, it is something that can only be practiced when we are
presented with a situation where there is a problem. The daily Buddhist
practices are like regular tuneups for our well-being.
Through the daily practice of meditation and chanting "Amitabha" we
will gradually improve ourselves so that we will be able to deal with
worldly matters more openly and with less attachment. By each individual
improving ultimately society will be saved.
Now that we have learned a little bit about the essentials of Buddha's
teachings, we want to know why we prefer it to the worldly approaches.
There are many worldly problems facing us such as environmental pollution,
population explosion, nuclear armaments, drug addiction, etc. We attempt
to solve these problems by creating a system specific to each problem,
however, a system is only as good as the people who run it. If the people
are corrupt, no system will work. What is fundamental to the system
working is the quality of the people running it.
Buddhism offers a fundamental solution as opposed to the patching
up which is done when worldly solutions are applied. All aspects of
our lives interact with one another, hence political and social activities
cannot be separated in a clear cut manner from religion. If we compare
activities that are guided by the ideal of unselfishly serving others to
those that are not so guided, we will find them beneficial to all. This is
one reason why we prefer Buddhism to mere worldly approaches.
There are things that are beyond our ordinary experience and knowledge.
For example, let us say we are experiencing a drought because we didn't
build a reservoir or a proper irrigation system. We can remedy the
situation through construction, but if the drought is due to an
insufficient amount of rain for a long period of time, what could we do?
It is our experience that whenever we deliver precious vases to the Dragon
King and pray for rain, within one week the rain comes. Buddhas are beings
who have reached beyond our ordinary perceptions and realize that if we
work within the confines of human limitations, we can change the situation
very little. By going beyond the human level, we find higher and more
powerful beings. By accepting this teaching and doing the practice, each
one of us is capable of gradually getting in touch with the world beyond.
Miraculous things will happen and the results will be beneficial to all.
This is another reason why we prefer Buddhism to mere worldly approaches.
We see these miracles happening even within the scientific world. For
example, I remember the story of a scientist who discovered that the
molecular structure of a substance formed a chain, as in a necklace. He
had been trying to solve this problem for many years unsuccessfully, and
then one night the solution came to him in a dream in which he saw a snake
biting its own tail. That was the inspiration he needed to make his
discovery. So you see, as humans we have this kind of ability which can
help us in the development of our knowledge.
If we look at our political, social, and economic problems, the
solutions are not adequate because our knowledge in these fields is not
fully advanced. Let us take a look at the most advanced of all sciences,
namely, physics. Newton's laws were replaced by Einstein's
special theory of relatively which he tried to enlarge to a
generalized theory of relativity. In this approach to Truth, it
seems to me that physics is getting closer to what the Buddha taught,
because Buddha's basic teaching on the nonexistence of an inherently
existent self implies that everything is one.
It follows that the distinction between subject and object, and
observer and things observed is the beginning of mistakes. Let us consider
our health as an example. We usually observe ourselves even though we are
just one-person. This causes tension because we are splitting ourselves in
two; The more we observe ourselves, the more tense we become. Hence, we
need to learn to become like a baby who is not aware of his body and stop
splitting ourselves in two. This would be a practical application of
Buddha's basic teaching.
Returning to our discussion on the advance of physics, we see that
Einstein's theory of relativity is far better than Newton's
laws. Newton's laws are based on concepts of absolute time and
space, whereas Einstein questioned these fundamental concepts and found
that the abstract notions of absolute space and time had no really
physical significance. It is not something we can measure. If we talk
about time, we will need a clock. If we talk about space, we will need to
specify an object of reference, thus we bring two basic abstract human
mental constructs down to earth.
Let us consider the space for an x-ray and space for a human being. If
we try to walk through a wall it would be impossible, but an x-ray can
penetrate a wall. So, what space is to an x-ray may not be the space for a
human. Let us consider two balls of different sizes. The space relative to
the balls is different. When we move the balls in a room one at a time, we
discover the balls cannot fit into the corners, we also learn that the
larger ball cannot get as close to the corners as the smaller one. There
are limitations in their respective spaces. For space to have a physical
meaning, it must be defined with respect to a certain object. Similarly,
time is also relative to a given clock. When the clock is nearby, it is
easy to tell time. But when the clock is at some distance, we will need
some form of communication to tell time, and the communication will take
some time. Thus, we see that the position of a clock with respect to a
given frame of reference in space is significant. Consequently, in
Einstein�s theory, time and space coordinates are inseparable.
Einstein's special theory of relativity describes things better
than Newton's laws, however, restraints had to be put on the kind
of frame of references used. If it is the truth, then we should be able to
describe it from any kind of frame of references, not just from a
particular one. Truth should always remain constant, for example, the
length of a pen should remain the same, independent of how and where it is
measured. Hence, Einstein tried to relax the restraints put on the frame
of references. Gradually, it was learned that you cannot say that this
part is unrelated to that part.
Time is no longer unrelated to space; They are related parts of one
system. In order to go from the special theory of relativity to the
general one, Einstein found out that things would be simpler if he used
the notion of a field. This means we have to know how all the
masses are distributed and we have to involve everything. Finally, there
is an Uncertainty Principle that says in describing the movement of
atomic particles, we have our limits. You may ask why. We have our limits
because the moment we start to observe something, our presence becomes a
part of the whole picture and affects the whole picture. So we can never
see the whole truth because our observation distorts it. Therefore, to
reach the truth we should not make a distinction between a subject and an
object in the first place. Knowing the philosophy of Buddhism will help us
understand where science made mistakes and how science is evolving toward
this understanding. That is why we prefer Buddhism.
We have learned to rely on worldly approaches and we cling to this
because it is all we know. However, if we accept that there are things
beyond and follow the teachings of Buddha, we will have beneficial
results. No one has a monopoly on experiencing the truth of Buddha's
teachings; Anyone who practices Buddhism will benefit. This is another
reason why we prefer Buddhism.
It does not mean that we have to give up all worldly things. What we
prefer is simply that our lives be guided by the teachings of Buddha. It
means that we will not be so narrow-minded and not be so confined to human
knowledge only. We obtain our knowledge as we would try to draw a map of
the universe. We are so limited and know so little. It was recently
discovered that the planet Neptune has more moons than previously thought.
It will always be like that. The more we learn the more we realize how
ignorant and how limited we are. Now that we understand that there are
things beyond, we should try to practice Buddhism.
Why do we prefer Buddhism to other religions? All religions address the
world beyond; However, the main difference in Buddhism is that Buddha
tries to free us from all kinds of limitations and wants to liberate us
completely. Only the theories and practices of Buddhism can lead one to
ultimate freedom. To achieve this, Buddha teaches us that everything is of
one nature. Because it is the nature of all things, then it will be
everywhere. In order to show all sorts of colors, this basic nature cannot
have its particular color, so as not to interfere with the other colors.
Thus, it follows that this basic nature possesses no particular property.
It is like a T.V. screen which is turned off.
We are all confined by the notion of our selves as well as
othersselves, and things such as relatives, society, nations, etc.
These limitations imprison us. Buddha tries to use the concept of oneness
to bring us out of our limitations. We begin to think of a Blank
Essence; Everything our senses perceive is just an appearance of the
same nature. So we begin to feel one with everything, knowing this
Blank Essence is nowhere to be found by itself, but it is
everywhere and everything. With this notion we become completely free of
all limitations because the notion of Blank Essence sets no limit.
There is no other religion like this. Other religions either teach you to
work toward life in Heaven or to become one with God. However, God is
still not free from the notion of a Self. For example, in Hinduism
they talk about a Higher Self, and in the Bible we read that God
still has anger. Thus, other religions cannot teach us how to gain
complete freedom. Buddha made it clear in the Diamond Sutra
that his teachings are like rafts. They help people to get across a river,
but once ashore people should not be burdened by them. This shows how free
Buddhism is. This is the main reason why we prefer Buddhism to other
religions.
In Buddhism there are well-defined practices and stages of
Enlightenment. Buddhists are not inimical to other religions. One who
understands Buddhism is tolerant of other religions, respects the deities
of other religions, and considers other religions teachings as basic and
supplementary to Buddha's teachings. These are more reasons why we prefer
Buddhism to other religions.
Nowadays there are some "new" religions that try to synthesize
Buddhism, Christianity, Moslem, etc., into one. Unfortunately, on the one
hand, they haven't understood what distinguishes Buddhism from the other
religions; While on the other hand, what they propose is just a patchwork
that lacks a coherent unifying principle. This is why we prefer Buddhism
to such a "new" religion.
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Besides Emptiness, is there anything
else that Buddha discovered in his Enlightenment?
Answer: Actually, Buddha's teachings say that even
Enlightenment itself is not an achievement in the sense that you gain
something new; It is just a freedom from delusion. Basically, we are all
enlightened, but deluded like the sun which is covered by clouds. That is
why we say we gain nothing. We are just free and the clouds are removed.
Buddha once saw Emptiness, i.e., oneness of all things. From this,
great compassion arose. That is why Buddha preached for so many years out
of his great compassion to help release people from their wrong notions.
We are basically all the same, but confined by our wrong notions. Old
habits are difficult to change; Particularly when we suddenly face a
situation, we are apt to follow old habits. We are controlled by our
prejudices, preferences, attachments, etc. Buddha realized that to
actually free people, it is not enough that his teachings are understood.
That is why he devised practices to be followed which will gradually free
us; That is why the Buddhist practices are so important.
Question 2: I feel very discouraged. Everything you said
I understand, but I would really like to dissociate myself from myself.
Answer: Don't be discouraged. You have become accustomed
to doing this all of your life so it is impossible to just stop. Now that
you understand that this is the source of your trouble, then Buddha gives
you something else to think about. Your habit will gradually change
because your concentration of your mental energy will be away from
yourself. The more you practice, the more your energy is diverted away
from yourself and you will get results. There are ways to change, but it
takes a long time. Because you have been thinking about yourself for so
many decades, you have to work very hard to change.
Question 3: Does meditation help you more than chanting?
Answer: Yes, but chanting is also a kind of meditation.
For those of us who lead busy lives, it is difficult to sit down and try
to concentrate for even five minutes. If you study the teachings, you will
learn that the ones who can seriously start to practice meditation are
those who have given up the worldly life. Don't be discouraged because
chanting is a form of meditation which can be done anytime you think about
it; Even when you are busy you can chant, "Amitabha, Amitabha, ..." After
you have formed this habit for years, you will go into meditation
naturally while chanting. If you run around all day and then try to sit
for 30 minutes, your mind will still be running around; This can be
dangerous. You may be sitting but your mind is still running. By chanting
"Amitabha, Amitabha, ..." you don't have to be able to concentrate
immediately; Your concentration grows gradually over years of chanting.
From concentration on "Amitabha," you will gradually learn to concentrate
on other things because you have learned how to concentrate on one thing.
This is a safe practice for people who are busy with worldly lives.
Question 4: But while you are chanting, you have to
concentrate on it. You can't chant and concentrate on other things.
Answer: It is difficult to try to think of the chanting
all the time. However, don't get discouraged. Just keep chanting and
gradually it will become a natural part of you.
Question 5: Why don�t we have one of those gadgets that
gives you an electric shock every time you have egoistic thoughts? It
worked on a dog, why can't it work on people to change patterns of
behavior?
Answer: By changing only the behavior patterns you would
be creating a puppet. Besides, it is hard to decide what is egoistic and
what is not; If your motivation for this approach is for your own
interest, then the whole thing is still egoistic.
Question 6: Is everything ego until supreme
Enlightenment?
Answer: We reach many levels before reaching the final
level. We will reap the benefits of partial Enlightenment.
Question 7: Meditation gives us many benefits but the ego
problem is overwhelming.
Answer: Your practice must include actions in your daily
life. Begin to be considerate of others even in competition or games. If
we free ourselves from self interest, the games just become a sport; It
need not be ego-centered.
Question 8: Not everything is ego. For example, when we
are riding a bicycle, we forget we are riding. So, there is no ego
involved.
Answer: Andrey said that the best time he had swimming
was when his thoughts had stopped. Of course that doesn't mean the ego has
vanished. If you can free yourself from your thoughts, you can perform
better than when you are disturbed by them. In order to eliminate the
final traces of ego we have to first stop the thinking and become free
from discursive thoughts. Through chanting "Amitabha" these discursive
thoughts will die down and eventually die out. This does not mean that
afterwards we are incapable of thinking. It means that when we are doing
something we are one, we are free from observing ourselves or others. The
act is pure and that's why they talk about the Zen of tea ceremony,
gardening, flower-arranging, archery, etc. We are actively doing something
but we become one with everything and forget the self. It is very
difficult, yet not impossible to attain this state by studying the theory
and doing the practice. The actual practice is the most essential part in
eliminating the ego. The theory will help us understand why we chant and
meditate and convince us to do it.
Question 9: So you have to do chanting 24 hours a day?
Answer: No, only ideally would we chant 24 hours a day.
Most people cannot do that, but we should constantly remind ourselves to
try to develop the habit of chanting.
Question 10: I think of karma as similar to the Christian
faith. They believe that God is there to reward if you are good and punish
if you are bad. But in Buddhism there is no God or Christ. There is karma
which is brought on by ourselves.
Answer: Well, what they have in common is the concept of
the cause and effect relationship. The Christian theory has
difficulty explaining why everyone is not created equal; Why are some
created fortunately and others disabled? If we really go deep into
theology, explanations can be found. The important thing is, be it
favorable or unfortunate, how we live according to Buddha's teachings and
what benefits we can get from it spiritually. The Christians might explain
inequality by saying that in either case the soul has an equal chance to
learn the teachings of God. At the time of Christ, simple people such as
farmers, fishermen, etc., followed Christ's teachings without questioning
it much. They had faith and tried to live a life of goodness. In Buddhism
there are also basic and simple teachings showing ordinary people how to
live a life of goodness.
Question 11: I read about the Pureland and the misery of
different reincarnations and transmigrations. That sounds like the
equivalent of hell.
Answer: That's a good question. In the Christian
teachings there are a Heaven and Hell, and you try to avoid Hell and go to
Heaven. In Buddhism you have a wonderful Pureland and terrible
transmigration; You try to be free from the transmigration and go to the
Pureland. Isn't that the same as Christianity? In a sense, yes. Ordinary
people have difficulty acting on the concept of no attachment and
no self. In order to reach ordinary people Buddha taught in ways
that people were familiar with. Hence, the teaching of striving for
Pureland does make use of our interests as motivation and seems to create
a kind of attachment. Nevertheless, the practice of chanting "Amitabha"
will gradually lead us to the freedom of no self. Furthermore, the
Buddhist Pureland can be anywhere. When your mind is free from the
domination of self, you are in Pureland.
Question 12: We are always praying and asking Buddha to
help us. Is this part of this teaching?
Answer: Ordinary beings don't know how to reach the stage
of no subject and no object. Hence, Buddha teaches us ways that
involve the duality of subject and object. If we rub two pieces of wood
together creating a spark, then when a fire starts both pieces of wood
will burn. It is the same with Buddhist practices that involve the
subject/object distinction. Although it appears there are a subject and an
object as in the two pieces of wood, as your practice reaches perfect
purity, the subject/object distinction will fade away just as the two
pieces of wood burn away. If we practice Buddhism long enough, we will
eventually become free from this feeling of separation. We just have to
have faith and keep practicing, and we will gradually sense the
self being reduced. When we encounter certain situations, we will
be calmer and happier than before.
Question 13: So the oneness is in all forms, not just
people?
Answer: Yes, if we have a boundary somewhere, then within
it am I and outside of it are you. It has to be boundless. Of course, we
can�t perceive this now, but we can be open to it in our practice. Because
our ability is very limited, we cannot help everyone, but when we are
practicing Buddhism our thoughts should include everyone. I have edited a
book in Chinese which I recently translated into English, and is in the
process of being typed and put into booklet form. It is called Pureland
Daily Practice (note, it was published in October 1989 for free
distribution). In the beginning we visualize our father on the right side
and our mother on the left side. In front of us are all our relatives,
friends, and foes, from this or previous lives; Behind us are the hell
beings, hungry ghosts, animals, the humans, the asuras and heavenly
beings. Namely, all beings in the Dharmadhatu ("universe") are
doing the practice with us, facing all the Buddhas in the sky. This is one
way to enlarge us to a limitless stage. From Buddha's point of view,
all is actually one, so our practice actually benefits everyone. If
we stop thinking only of ourselves and the immediate, through Buddhist
practices we will grow spiritually. Our notion of a self is not
only the cause of our physical pains but also limits our growth. Buddha is
described in the Sutras as having a perfect appearance with a protuberance
on the top of his head. Ordinary people don't have that because we limit
ourselves too early by our worldly concepts. As we grow and become fully
developed, we also will have a perfect appearance with a protuberance on
top of the head. As humans, we are very limited in our ability to change
things. Even when we understand things intellectually, we have difficulty
achieving change. With the understanding that all are one, prayers can
make a difference.
Question 14: Do you mean the Sutras? How am I going to
pray?
Answer: We just pray directly to Buddha as though he were
our father or mother. Buddha's compassion is so great that he will listen
to us as though each one of us is his only child. We tell him our problems
and that we want to improve ourselves and help others, then things will
work out. Perhaps not immediately. In fact, sometimes it seems that things
get worse, but we must be patient. In the long run we may find out that
these were better arrangements and we didn't have the ability to see the
whole picture in advance. If you don't know how to pray, just chant
Buddha's name and things will begin to happen.
Question 15: Chanting can become a tranquilizer, can't
it?
Answer: In the beginning it may serve as a tranquilizer
for a disturbed mind. The mind has to be tranquilized before it can
develop soundly. Our main concern is chanting "Amitabha" and letting
everything else go. If we start worrying about something else, the
chanting loses its power and again we are splitting ourselves.
Question 16: Is it good to visualize the letters as you
say Amitabha's name to help keep the mind from wandering?
Answer: Actually, for beginners it would be better to
visualize just at the beginning that all beings are chanting together.
Then concentrate only on the chanting, without doing any visualization.
Question 17: If you chant it aloud, what about listening
to the sound?
Answer: If we chant aloud we should listen to the sound
to help concentrate on the practice.
Question 18: I have the tape (Amitabha Chanting) in my
car. Sometimes, I chant with it but I found by just listening to it I can
concentrate better.
Answer: That's fine, actually the main point is that you
can be one, but you are not one and that�s the problem. If you find it's
easier for you to concentrate by listening to it, then just "chant" by
listening to the chanting. That is O.K.
Talk 2: The Path to Enlightenment
September 2, 1989
First, I would like to tell you of several incidents that took place
which illustrate that things can happen to help you when you really work
for the Dharma.
During my long trip here, I developed a problem with my hemorrhoids. My
friend, David, has a friend who is an acupuncturist, but unfortunately the
only time she could see me was during my scheduled lecture time. Helen,
the acupuncturist, had a cancellation which enabled me to see her during a
time which fit my schedule. I didn't even pray for it. I believe that when
you sincerely work for the Dharma, things will be arranged for you.
Imagine how difficult it would have been for Helen to reschedule the
appointment to fit my schedule.
The second thing happened in the morning before I flew here. My father
called me from Taipei, Taiwan, to tell me that the 4th reprint of Yogi
Chen's monumental work, Buddhist Meditation, was completed.
When I came here, I learned from Sophie that some of you had already
donated money toward the cost of the printing. In fact when I decided to
reprint this important book, I didn't have money from Buddhist friends at
that time, so I had to use my wife's money to do it. I recently met a lady
whose family runs a shipping company, and she was willing to help ship
these books without any charge.
David gave me a book on healing hands and asked for my opinion. Some
people are born with this kind of ability, and some obtain it through
practice which may or may not be a Buddhist practice. In Buddhism, we are
aware of this, yet we do not emphasize it simply because it is not our
final goal. Enlightenment is our goal; However, through Buddhist practice,
this kind of ability may come forth naturally without your pursuing for
it. For example, this kind of ability was never a goal of mine, but now I
find that my prayers can help people, and when I touch people who have
faith they often feel better. So my reply to David's question is yes,
there is such a wonderful thing, but the best way to get this side-benefit
is to concentrate only on the Dharma practice.
Now, let us talk about the path to Enlightenment and the basic
attitudes of a practitioner. There are books available in book stores
which talk about this subject in great detail. Here, I would like to
present an outline of the path to Enlightenment, namely, the eight stages
of Enlightenment, which was taught by my late Guru, Yogi C. M. Chen. Yogi
Chen outlined the path using the following analogies:
- Use the money of Impermanence.
- Buy the land of Renunciation.
- Build the fence of Silas around it.
- Plant the seed of Bodhicitta.
- Irrigate it with the water of Great Compassion.
- Fertilize it with the manure of Samatha.
- The flower of Wisdom will bloom.
- The fruit of Buddhahood will ripen.
You may wonder why it is ordered like this. In order for you to become
a Buddha, it is necessary to have the Wisdom of Sunyata. You have
to practice through meditation so that the basic philosophy of Buddhism
becomes your central thought, not just at the intellectual level of
understanding, but your whole view of the world, your thinking, and your
actions should all be based on it. Only then it becomes your wisdom. This
kind of wisdom can only be obtained by the power developed through
meditation.
In order for you to develop the power of meditation (Samatha)
you need first to broaden yourself with activities of compassion so as to
gradually get rid of self-centered habits. How do activities of compassion
come about? After you realize that Buddha�s teaching of wisdom and
compassion is the right way of living, and you are willing to live in that
way, you will then begin to change your self-centered way of life to a
life of selfless service for other people. You learn to act
compassionately only after this kind of strong determination is made which
is the planting of the seed of Bodhicitta.
But before planting this seed you must learn good conduct by following
Silas which are rules of conduct prescribed by Buddha. This is like
building a fence to protect the sprout of the seed from being eaten by
deer; Your Bodhicitta is then protected and has a chance to grow up.
Before you build the fence, you need land to build the whole structure of
Buddhist practice. This land is the renunciation of worldly things,
thereby turning our minds toward the Dharma. The more you give up, the
bigger your land is, and the more space you have for growth.
How can we have this kind of renunciation? We are used to thinking that
life continues day after day and death seems to be a very remote thing. We
don't have a vivid awareness that everything is changing, that
impermanence is a reality, and that death may come at any moment. Our
daily lives are based upon so many beliefs and so much faith which is not
so well founded; We consciously or unconsciously ignore the fact of
impermanence. The understanding and acceptance of impermanence will shed
light on our preconceived notions and our beliefs, thereby, giving us a
chance to review them in that light, and come out of the shade of the
attitude that life goes on without end. If you go to a cemetery, you will
see that life can end at any age, even within the mother's womb. Then you
might start to ask yourself questions like: What is the meaning of my
life? Suppose that my life should end in the next moment, what have I
done? Would I still want to engage in these meaningless activities?
Our lives have been tangled up with so many small, unimportant things and
activities: Would I still fight with other people over trivial things?
Wouldn't I, instead, do something nice for others? Etc. All these
reflections will help us lean toward living a healthy and meaningful life,
and improve our personal characters and relationships with others. Hence,
it is very important to ponder impermanence.
I recently discovered a way to grasp the concept of impermanence by
using a small notebook to write the names of deceased persons whom I have
met personally. In cases when names were unknown, I wrote a description. I
had even forgotten some of their names; Some persons I recalled only days
or months later. This forgetfulness is sound and healthy because that is
how we are able to carry on with life; It also shows that we need to be
reminded about the fact of impermanence. Having done this, when I went to
bed that night, I suddenly sensed something I had a slight, foolish
notion, a self-deceit that death would not happen to me. It sounds
ridiculous, but it is the kind of thing that you are able to realize only
after you have come out of it. Similarly, when you experience physical
tension, it is only after you have become relaxed that you realize how
tense you were. It is very difficult, yet this practice can help to
elucidate impermanence to you. Every time you enter someone's name into
such a book, it reminds you of impermanence.
Another benefit of doing this practice is to remind us that we must
give up everything when we die. Everyone knows intellectually that this is
true and that we walk the path of death alone, but it was the first time
in my life that I, from the bottom of my heart, recognized and felt
departure from everything. Because of this realization, I know that it is
very important to practice letting things go from my mind right at the
present moment so that I could have real freedom, and I could ease the
pain of departure at the moment of death. That night I put the book on my
altar in front of the Green Tara who is a transformation of
Avalokitesvara. I prayed that the Green Tara would save all these
beings.
The next morning I discovered that, as the incense stick burned, it
curved downward and turned toward the Green Tara�s right palm whose
fingers point downward. This gesture signifies her salvation of sentient
beings. The incense stick stayed that way for several days. It's quite
extraordinary for a burned incense stick to form that shape, not to
mention staying in that shape for several days. I took a photo of it and
printed it in my Chinese book entitled (Notes Along the Practice
Path). I think that means Green Tara answered my prayers and
approved of this practice.
People with whom you had personal contact, no matter how long ago or
how short the meeting was, carry a sense of reality to you. Hence, their
death touches you more than that of those whom you have never met. It
reminds us of our impermanence as well as the fact that death may come at
any time.
Since then I have been practicing this. Whenever people ask me to pray
for someone who has passed away, I pray and also enter the name into my
little book, Record of Impermanence (the toll is 175 now).
This means I have done Powa (a tantric practice of transference of
consciousness) for people more than one hundred times. It is a service
I do for anyone who informs me when someone has passed away.
We have just discussed why it is necessary for the Buddhist practice to
be arranged in the order mentioned earlier, and now we can look into it a
little deeper. Once you have grasped the notion of impermanence, then
renunciation won't be so difficult. What do we mean by
renunciation? Avoiding the world and hiding in the mountains may
mean renunciation, yet the true renunciation is not merely physical
isolation. First, you study the teachings of Buddha and realize that there
are stages beyond the ordinary stages. By achieving the higher stages we
can really help others as well as ourselves; Then you decide to devote the
rest of your life to this work. In order to achieve this, you need some
training to improve yourself. For example, if you want to be a doctor you
need to go to medical school and study longer than other people, or if you
want to defend your country in time of war, you need to leave home and
join the armed service.
You have to prepare for renunciation gradually, not by abruptly leaving
all your responsibilities and going off to the mountain to enjoy your
meditation. For beginners, you need to cut off your social activities in
order to save time and energy for studying the Dharma and doing the
practice. By studying Buddha�s teachings, one knows that there is a long
path to Enlightenment which cannot be achieved without complete devotion.
So one establishes the willingness to cut off worldly activities in order
to devote oneself completely to the quest of Buddhahood. This is the real
meaning of renunciation. Once you sense that life is so fragile and short,
and understand the great benefit of putting efforts into this path, then
it is only natural that you will want to do the renunciation. We have to
use our very limited time and energy for a greater purpose.
You will no longer want to spend your life on self-centered things
because one of the teachings of Buddha is that we are all one. In a sense
you cannot live by yourself. You cannot be happy if you care only for
yourself or just a few people; You will be doomed to unhappiness because
nothing is permanent, and when your loved ones pass away you will lose
everything. If you care for everyone, then although this one or that one
may go, there are still many more for you to work for. You will feel very
happy and safe, for the only way to be safe is to learn to love everyone
equally. Wherever you go, you don�t have to worry about differentiating
between dear ones and enemies because you are free from those kinds of
worries. That is how we become free.
In order to make certain that you preserve your renunciation, you also
need to adhere to the Silas. For example, Buddha said you do not
gamble, then you should not gamble. Similarly, you should give up other
bad habits, such as using intoxicants, etc. If you are one who is still in
trouble, how can you help others? That is why, for our renunciation,
Silas are also very important.
The Bodhicitta is very important. Why do we want to renounce? Our
motivation is to finally attain Buddhahood. Right now we don�t know what
Buddhahood is, but we should be working for everyone to get the best for
all. If you have this kind of goal, then you will be motivated to give up
worldly attachments. If you really have this kind of high goal, then it's
very easy for you to try to improve yourself by obeying the rules of
conduct. The real way to observe Silas is through self-discipline
from within. We want to discipline ourselves because of Bodhicitta, and
because we know that it is something that is truly desirable. Although we
have bad habits, we know that if we want to get rid of them, we have to
change ourselves. That's why we follow the Silas. So, you see, it
is all interrelated.
Although this is a very broad outline of the stages of the path, having
learned this will help you have a better understanding when you go on to
study books on this topic. In fact, even after you have studied you will
need to formulate something like this for your own use someday, because
very few of us are capable of remembering complicated systems. You always
need rules of thumb to help you in daily life, so that is why this kind of
outline is very precious and important. It will make it easier to remember
the main stages of the path. Whenever you have a problem, for example,
about renunciation, then you will look at the stage that comes before it
and after it. In this way you can make certain that each step is very firm
and secure.
If you understand all of the stages of the path, you won't be inclined
to go in the wrong direction. Let us say, for example, that you are at the
stage of renunciation and are satisfied with your ability to heal people
with your hands. If you go no further with your practice, then knowledge
of these stages will be a reminder that the goal of Buddhahood is at much
higher lever. This is simple and clear. It outlines the stages of the
whole path, indicates the main check points on the path, and it is readily
understood and memorized. That is why it's very important and useful.
Now, I would like to talk about the Six Paramitas which
constitute the essential practice of Mahayana. Paramita is a
Sanskrit word meaning to reach the other shore. When you are in
transmigration, you are on the shore of life and death. In order to be
safe, you have to sail across the ocean of sorrows to reach the other
shore; Through adopting these practices, you will be able to reach the
other shore, which is the stage of Buddhahood. There, you are eternally
free from transmigration and its suffering, but once you become a Buddha,
it doesn't mean that you stay on the other shore. You will be working like
a lifeguard, trying to help other beings out of the ocean of suffering.
That is the meaning of to reach the other shore. Before helping
other beings you must reach the other shore first, because if you don't
have the ability, how can you help others?
What are the basic practices that help us reach the other shore?
Usually, the Six Paramitas are translated into English as the
Six Perfections. I think it means that by adopting these practices
you will become perfect. When I was doing the translation for the booklet
titled (Pureland Daily Practice), I chose to use
Sublimation for Paramita. The reason was not to be different
from others, but to make it clearer. So many people are using
Perfection; It has become a standard translation. Yet, I offered
readers a chance to understand these practices in another way. Why did I
use Sublimation rather than Perfection? It may be
interpreted as from a state of imperfection to a state of
perfection, however, it may still be at the same level. But actually
what the Buddhist practice tries to do is to make the central philosophy
of Buddhism become the central thought of yours, thereby, you are released
from your present stage and you go on to a higher stage. Thus, it is a
process of sublimation, going to a higher and purer level.
What are the contents of the Six Paramitas? The first one is
giving, the second is obedience, then patience,
diligence, meditation and finally wisdom. All of
these are, in a sense, the central practices of Mahayana, and of
Bodhisattvas. First of all, why are they given in such an order? At the
first stage, they want you to free yourself from self-centeredness through
the practice of giving. If you have attachment to material or nonmaterial
things which are beneficial to you, then you want to keep them for
yourself. In that case, it would be difficult for you to be obedient to
the rules of conduct. The Silas are designed in such a way that, on
the one hand, they keep you from getting into trouble; On the other hand,
they mature you by asking you to do service for others. However, for
someone who has strong attachments to his personal well-being or to his
belongings, it is very difficult to do more for other people, because he
always comes first. That is why the first stage is to practice giving.
Through giving you free yourself from attachments, on the one hand, and
you broaden yourself, on the other hand. You begin to learn why we are all
one. Your attachment to material comforts or self-interests form a big
blockade between you and other people. Through giving, the wall will
gradually crumble, and only after it's gone will you see that we are all
one. Originally the wall did not exist; It was built by your own mind.
That is why the first stage is giving. Only those who can give freely can
follow the rules of conduct; Whenever there is conflict, one becomes
accustomed to giving up self-interests. Then it is easier to follow the
rules of conduct, instead of following one�s own interests.
Why does patience come next? The patience here is not the kind
of patience that an adult has when he endures receiving a vaccination
without crying. The whole thing is directed toward Buddhahood; The
patience here is rather difficult. If you want to live a life of
renunciation, you have to stop all worldly, social activities; Your
friends may feel offended and you will have to face the consequences of
their possibly disliking you. In order to practice Buddhism, you have to
tolerate many things, for example, if you are the only Buddhist in a
Christian family, others may laugh at you or criticize you. You need
patience to continue your practice which can be developed through
practicing obedience to the Silas. The patience you develop during
the stage of Silas-keeping enables you to face many difficulties
that you may encounter later in life. Someone who has this kind of
patience can use its strength to practice diligence. It is not easy to be
constantly diligent. You may be able to remain diligent for a period of a
few days, however, the path of Buddhism requires a long-term effort to
develop which could take one or many lives. So, in order to be constantly
diligent, you need a very strong foundation of patience.
We shall examine the practices involved in meditation. At first you
must learn to concentrate on one point; This is called Samatha.
After you have developed this kind of ability, you practice
Vipasyana by using the power of Samatha. Vipasyana is
doing contemplation or visualizations with single-mindedness. You may
visualize certain images, seed-words, or Buddha, or use the power of
Samatha to contemplate the meaning of Buddha's teachings. When you
have developed your ability of Samatha and Vipasyana to the
extent that they are balanced, it is called Samapatti.
Sometimes the practice of visualization or contemplation may weaken
your ability to concentrate because now you are thinking of something far
more complex. With continued practice you will gradually reach the stage
where you can do it in a balanced way, i.e., visualization simultaneously
with good concentration. From this stage of Samapatti, you
gradually achieve Dhyana which refers to the stages of attainment
of meditation practices. In order to reach the various Dhyanas, you
have to go through a long sequence of practices. For some people it means
decades or even a lifetime of meditation. It is not only a matter of a
long period of time, but also a matter of diligence. Without practicing
diligently, you will never achieve Dhyana.
Finally, why does wisdom come after Dhyana? This is a subtle
point. When you read the Sutras and understand the philosophy you might
think that you have acquired this wisdom. But do you have the wisdom? The
wisdom here is not just book knowledge. It's not just a certain system of
concepts; Nor does the wisdom here mean the wisdom of Buddha at the final
stage. When one reaches the final stage of Buddhahood, the wisdom of
Buddha at that time is knowing and understanding everything. We are now
talking about perfection and sublimation, i.e., the
practices that will lead us to Buddhahood; This is not the final stage. Of
course, it is related to Buddha's wisdom, and it comes from Buddha's
teachings. Buddha gave us the teachings in words so that we would have the
ideas to work on, but understanding those words alone is not enough. You
have to make those ideas concrete in your mind through meditation. Only
through the power of meditation can Buddha's teachings become the central
part of you, the real heart of you. This is the kind of wisdom you need to
reach Buddhahood. One uses this wisdom to guide oneself and others on the
path toward Buddhahood. I have just explained why the Six Paramitas
are arranged in that order.
Now, we want to talk about the Six Paramitas from another point
of view. Notice that in each one, others are involved or interrelated. For
example, in the practice of giving you may be giving either material
things or fearlessness. When you see an animal that is harmed or a child
who is crying, you comfort them. Those are examples of giving
fearlessness, i.e., freeing sentient beings from fear or difficulties.
Also, there is the giving of Dharma. You learn the teachings of Buddha and
you try to convey the teachings to people who know less or have no
knowledge of the Dharma. By practicing giving, you are following the rules
of conduct of Buddha. On the one hand, Buddha encourages you to do it to
benefit others, and on the other hand, you are staying away from bad
deeds.
When you give someone something, be it of a material or a spiritual
nature, the recipient may say that this is not good or not what he likes,
then you need to practice patience. Not to mention when you try to give
Buddha's teachings to, say, a Christian. He may say, No, no, I am a
Christian, what you say is wrong. You have no respect for God; You are
wrong. Again you need to be patient. We don't want to become enemies
of others. You just wait until the time comes when they want to listen to
you, and then you can explain the teachings to them again. That is how
patience is involved in giving.
In order to practice giving perfectly, you have to be diligent; You try
to do it with great effort. Constantly ask yourself: What can I do in
this situation to help more people? So diligence is involved in
giving. When you are giving, it's also a chance for you to practice
meditation. When you are giving something to others, you understand that
the point of giving is to carry out the philosophy of caring for others,
of realizing oneness with others. So you meditate on that. The reason for
giving is not because the person is liked by me or is useful to me, but
because he is a sentient being. Although I'm doing only one act of giving,
it is as if I'm giving everything to everyone, i.e., I will be giving to
whomever needs it. That is how meditation is involved in giving.
Furthermore if you have practiced Samatha and Vipasyana, you
can make use of them in all sorts of practices. For example, when doing
daily practice, we concentrate on visualizing all beings in the
Dharmadhatu doing it with us; When we make offerings to Buddha, we
visualize that all beings are making the same offerings to Buddha.
What is the wisdom involved in giving? The basic wisdom is the
realization (not just the understanding) that there is no
distinction between the giver and the receiver. All things are in oneness;
That is the wisdom involved. Using the explanations I just mentioned as an
example, you can try to think about how the other practices are involved
in the practice of obedience, patience, etc.
Now, we are going to examine the Six Paramitas in yet another
light by trying to connect them with the essential teachings of Buddhism,
namely, that all things are in Limitless-Oneness. Whenever we
encounter a situation, the guideline for our practice is, on the active
side, to try to open up, and on the passive side, to try to give up our
attachments. Let us look at the practice of giving. If you understand the
meaning of oneness of all, this practice is very meaningful. Through
giving (and sharing), you are opening up and giving up your attachments.
Traditionally, we classify giving into three areas: the giving of
material things, the giving of fearlessness and the giving of Dharma
(Buddha's teachings). We can use other terminology to describe these
classifications so that they may be related to modern concepts. The main
purpose of Buddhism is liberation. We want to be liberated from
transmigration, from suffering, and from the root of suffering
self-centeredness. Freedom from wants is achieved through the
giving (and sharing) of material things. Freedom from fear is
achieved through the giving of fearlessness, and Freedom from
prejudices is achieved through the giving and learning of the Dharma.
We can reach this kind of understanding by thinking about the Dharma all
the time, and when reading something, try to see the connection with the
Dharma, then you will have a better understanding of both. We all prefer
liberation and freedom, but how can we achieve it? First, we must learn
that all is one, and then you are no longer confined to yourself. That is
the starting point; By practicing it in daily life you will become
liberated from self-centeredness. Practicing obedience to the Silas
will help you to have pure mind. The Silas are rules that forbid
you from doing certain things that harm others or yourself. If you feel
the oneness of all, you won't hurt anyone; If you can regard everyone just
as you do yourself, then how can you hate them or harm them? You would
simply treat them well.
These are the principles that I have extracted from my Buddhist studies
and practices. You may want to review all the Paramitas from this
point of view. What makes you impatient? How can you become more patient?
If you can give up your preferences, you will be more patient. If you
think of the basic principle of oneness, of the active aspect of opening
up and the passive aspect of giving up attachments, then you will have
better results going over each of these Paramitas. You will have a
better understanding of why we do all these practices, and they will make
a lot more sense; They are all connected.
Now, I want to talk about the basic attitudes of a practitioner. Let us
start with mistakes that we should avoid. We can begin with a common
problem, namely, that we are deceived by our preconceptions; We are so
confined by our judgment of facts and of people, that we lose touch with
the reality. Or we may say that the reality we live by is a deluded one,
twisted by our self-centeredness, and by our self-interests. Basic to all
of these are selected experiences. For example, I have a certain
impression of a person and I hold on to that, then I assume he is always
like that. That is a mistake, he is not always like that. That day he
might be particularly upset for some reason, and that is why he acted in
that manner. Frequently, we make the mistake of judging people by the
behavior we see at that moment. Another example of deluding oneself can be
seen when an artist, upon completion of his painting, falls in love with
the lady in the painting. He is the master, but he has become the slave of
his own creation. We paint people according to our preconceptions, then
our actions are based on what we have painted. This is a mistake.
Another kind of mistake is that after having learned some of Buddha's
teachings, we use this knowledge to criticize others rather than improve
ourselves. We forget that the essential step is to work on ourselves. What
is the use of criticizing others? It only wastes our time, creates more
problems, and certainly does not help improve others. The only one that
you can really change and improve, is yourself. Criticizing others is one
of the basic traps that we tend to fall into after we have learned some
Dharma. This is one thing we should try to avoid.
What is very beneficial to us as practitioners is to understand and
maintain a sense of how limited and how finite we are in terms of our time
and energy. When your mind has really opened up, you will realize that
each one of us is so tiny, and so insignificant in the material sense; The
world won't be any different with or without us. When your mind opens up
like Buddha's, then you will start to work for the goodness of all. You
will no longer be insignificant because you are connected with all, and
everything you do will have a lasting effect. Even after you pass away, it
will continue to benefit others. My teacher passed away, and yet we are
still benefiting from his teachings.
Even though we can achieve greatness in the oneness of all, our
physical presence is very limited. We have a very short life-span and very
limited energy, hence, we don't want to waste time on things that are not
beneficial. That is why we need to concentrate our time and energy on
improving ourselves. This is not self-centeredness because we try to
improve ourselves according to the teachings of Buddha. Gradually we will
become freer, and spiritually more advanced in the sense that we are wiser
and more compassionate with others. Eventually, people will ask for our
teachings and guidance, only then can we help others by giving them
teachings, by guiding them. So this is not self-centeredness, it is just
the realization that we are so limited that we need to conserve our energy
to work on something that is eventually beneficial to all. Hence, it is a
good practice to think of ourselves as an elementary school student when
we are learning Dharma, and keep up with our practice as though it were
homework assignments from our teachers. Once we become high school
students, we are inclined to skip classes and not care about finishing our
homework; That is not good. We won�t advance that way. We have to work as
elementary school students do, concerned about doing homework every day.
When we start to criticize others, it is harmful to ourselves because
we are increasing our own prejudices. How much do we know about other
people? In most cases it is very little. We see something and start to
criticize; It is very likely that we are not fair to them. Because people
are very different, Buddha's teachings are given at various levels. The
teachings given to advanced students may be too difficult for beginning
students. For example, elementary students are taught not to lie and
always be truthful, but when they grow up and face a complicated world,
they learn that sometimes white lies are okay. For example, when you don't
want to bother people to prepare lunch for you, you might say: I have
eaten already, and that's okay. Information regarding national
security must be kept secret and you may have to lie to do this. Under
such circumstances, lying is good, but this is completely wrong in the
eyes of elementary students. But how could you expect an elementary
student to understand this? Since things can be so complicated, it is
better not to judge other people.
There are other things that are helpful to practitioners, and you
should try to look at life as perfect for our practice, precisely because
it is imperfect. At the first level, we realize that no one has complete
control over things, there are ups and downs in life all the time. What is
essential for us to understand is that things will not necessarily go well
for us because we are now practicing Buddhism, but it will help us learn
to handle difficult situations. Our final goal is liberation which means
that we remain in peace and harmony in any kind of situation. Our goal is
not only to be able to stay above water, but also to be able to save
others even in the most turbulent water. From this point of view, we can
see that life is perfect for our practice just because it is imperfect.
Eventually all of these things will be gone and our spiritual maturity
will be the only thing that will always remain our own. That is the most
essential thing in life. If we look at things this way, then difficulties
become opportunities for us to improve ourselves. We all have the
capability of unlimited spiritual growth. We need to understand this view
and make use of every opportunity to further our spiritual growth.
In life there are all kinds of situations that enable us to practice
Buddhism. Although there are so many Sutras, they can only give us general
principles. There is no way to enumerate all the possible situations which
we might encounter in our lives. We have to learn how to handle the
immediate situations so that we act in conformity with Buddha's teachings
on wisdom and compassion. Our whole life is a process of learning; Who can
say that there is only one way to handle each situation? If you want to
improve yourself and you understand the principles, then each time you are
presented with a new situation, you won't handle it in a routine way, but
rather attempt to apply the principles of Buddhism in a better way.
Actually, we have much to learn, for example, how to say things that do
not hurt people�s feeling without using flattery or engaging in idle
conversation.
Sometimes people complain that in Buddhism there are too many Sutras to
study; For Christians there is only one Bible to read. Of course, they
have more than just one Bible, they also have many theological theses, but
most people know just one Bible. For Buddhists there are a few popular
Sutras, but the whole collection of canonical teachings, precepts or
theses, called the Tripitaka, consists of hundreds of volumes.
Ideally, one is encouraged to study all of these teachings, but for most
of us we don't have the time for that much study. However, we could look
at it as a gold mine for us to dig into. The Tripitaka offers many
ways to approach Buddhahood, and many explanations describing many
different situations to enable us to learn more. Thus, we are thankful for
such a bountiful spiritual legacy.
The other reason is that each one of us is so different, so each one
needs to explore to find out the teaching that is suitable for him. My
wife, for example, studies the Sutras, but right now the book she finds to
be most beneficial to her is one called Peace Pilgrim. It is
a book about a lady who is not Buddhist oriented, but spent the last 27
years of her life walking through all the states in America. She wore a
tunic with Peace Pilgrim printed on the front, and the mileage she
walked printed on the back. She carried no money. She didn't ask for food
or shelter; She simply accepted offers when provided by people's kindness.
One fourth of her time she stayed outdoors overnight; She missed, at the
most, four or five consecutive meals. She had a very simple message of
peace, namely, overcome evil with good, hatred with love, and falsehood
with truth. My wife found in that book many teachings of Buddha although
they are not explained in traditional Buddhist terminology. My wife said
they appeared to be simpler, easier to understand, and had relevance to
many real-life situations. She felt that this book was most beneficial to
her. Peace Pilgrim also said that there is nothing new in her message. The
main thing is to put her ideas into practice, and through the practice,
you can make changes. What good is knowledge if you don't put it into
practice? Buddha's teaching is so alive; He does not confine us to the
Tripitaka. In Buddhism everything is a possible source of teaching
for you, everything is part of Buddha. That is why some people find it in
flower arrangement, in music, in painting, etc. They call it the Zen of
this, the Zen of that.
When you want to practice the Dharma, you are supposed to start by
following prescribed basic practices just as someone who is learning to
paint has to start with the basics such as doing sketches, and then
copying the works of masters. Likewise, in learning calligraphy, one
starts by practicing the basic strokes and then copies the masters. At
first you learn how to handle the material, then you learn through
imitation and then you gradually start to develop a style of your own.
Before you can be creative, you must develop insight and a style of your
own because you cannot be creative if you are empty inside.
How can an artistic expression bring out the insight of an artist
instead of being merely an art object? It is done through the artist's
realization of his oneness with his work. Of course, you go through stages
of practice to achieve that, but why do some people become masters, while
others remain just craftsmen? Only a master's work would bring forth
echoes from people's hearts. What makes the difference? I think the
difference lies in the ability to make a selfless expression. How
did they become masters? They are those who gave up other things, and
continued to pursue mastery of their artistic expression even under very
difficult situations. Some of them even died of hunger, and sometimes
their work was appreciated only after their death. In doing anything, if
you really put yourself into it, you will gradually learn that the key is
to become one with it. Based upon my understanding of Buddhist practices,
I began to appreciate what other people were doing in other areas. They
are going through a similar process. At first, one fights for mastery over
the material. The means of expression are separated from the user, and the
mastery will come only after you have sensed the oneness. The masters
understood that, and they can use it to teach you the oneness through
those practices.
At first, the practices may seem to be just external rituals, like the
tea ceremony, flower arrangement, or archery. If you really devote
yourself to one thing, you'll learn to become one with it. After you have
learned how to be one with one thing, then you will know how to be one
with everything. I don't know about flower arrangement, or tea ceremony,
yet I can appreciate why people are doing it, and what they are getting
through these practices.
In order for you to appreciate the best, and to achieve the best, you
must do it wholeheartedly and devote yourself completely to it. There is
no way that you can get insight merely by luck; It always comes through
efforts. It is very fair, in a sense; The more you put into it, the more
you will get out of it.
There is one final point that I want to emphasize. Of course, we try to
bring the Buddhist practices down to earth, in the sense that we want to
live our daily worldly life in accordance with the Buddhist principles.
However, in doing this, you have to be careful that you do not allow
Buddhist principles to become contaminated on the worldly level. For
example, a group of people want to spread the Dharma so they form an
organization. They end up fighting for domination over the organization
and control of the properties. Thus, all of their time and energy is
consumed in fighting.
Once I read a newspaper report that in Japan, out of a class of more
than twenty novice monks, only two were sincere practitioners and wanted
to devote their lives to Buddhist practices. All the rest were eldest sons
of Japanese monks, and their reason for becoming monks was simply to
qualify for inheriting their father�s temple. After their ordination, they
went home and got married, and someday will pass the position on to the
next generation. What is the difference between this kind of lineage and
the worldly family tree? They are not studying the Dharma with a pure
motive, they seem to be doing it only for the property. That is completely
wrong; You are degrading Buddhism on the worldly level. How can you expect
liberation and Enlightenment to come from this kind of practice? This is
something to which we should be very alert. We should always be careful
about upholding the principles, and try to sublimate worldly attachments,
instead of degrading the purity of Buddhism.
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Pureland should be right here?
Answer: It depends on where you are on the path toward
Enlightenment. Theoretically, Buddha's Pureland is everywhere.
Practically, when you become a Buddha, everywhere is Pureland. Thus, it
can be right here. Some practitioners who do the meditation very well can,
whenever they want to, see the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha just as it is
described in the Sutras. It depends on one's achievement. My teacher
mentioned one monk named Pu Guan, in Si Chuan, China, who could see
Amitabha Buddha any time he wanted to. He liked to carry pails of sugar
water to a hill and pour it to feed the ants. He said when he chanted
"Amitabha Buddha" all the ants followed him in chanting "Amitabha Buddha."
So it is a matter of where you are on the path. I want to emphasize this
point because if you don't know about these kinds of high achievements,
and you just capture the words Pureland can be here, then you start
to think that, since the Pureland is already here, you don�t need to
practice. You will be making a big mistake. To realize that Pureland is
right here, we need to practice Buddhism to purify ourselves first.
Question 2: Who is Di Zang Wang Pu Sa Ksitigarbha,
Earth-treasury Bodhisattva)?
Answer: He is the Bodhisattva who vowed never to become a
Buddha until everyone was free from transmigration. In order to help
everyone first, he would have to be the last one to become a Buddha. To
carry out his vows, he went to the place where people needed help the
most, i.e., in Hell. He went into Hell to preach the Dharma and give those
suffering beings some rest; In doing so, he is not suffering. He is still
experiencing the enjoyment of a Bodhisattva, just as Buddha had once
appeared to us in this ordinary world to preach the Dharma after he had
become enlightened.
Question 3: Can an enlightened person describe
Enlightenment to others?
Answer: Well, yes and no. It depends on the other
person's level. To an ordinary person it is impossible, but to people who
are on the verge of becoming enlightened this is possible. In Chan this is
called picking and pushing simultaneously, just as when a young
bird is coming out of the egg, the mother is helping from the outside. One
is pushing and the other is picking; They are picking and pushing at the
same time. In Chinese we call it Cui Zhuo Tong Shi . For example,
there was one Chinese Chan master who was called Bird Nest because
he lived in a bird nest on top of a tree. His disciple had served him by
carrying water and bringing food to him for over 10 years. Finally, the
disciple thought, After so many years, I am still not enlightened. I
had better go somewhere else to find it. So, he said, Teacher! I'm
sorry. After so many years I still have not gotten it from you, so I am
leaving now! The teacher asked, Oh! Where are you going? What
for? The disciple said, I am still seeking Enlightenment. The
teacher said, Oh! You want that? Oh! I have a little bit here, too!
So he picked up a piece of feather from the bird nest, put it on the palm,
and just puffed at it. At that instant, the disciple became enlightened.
The disciple had already been through so many years of service and the
master was constantly giving him the blessing.
The Buddhist idea is that essentially the whole problem is your
self. If we can free ourselves from that notion, then we can see
the truth. Truth is right here! We are just blinded by our own wrong
concepts; So, the student had to wait. At first when he started to serve
his master, he probably had many complaints in his mind: He is making
me work so hard. Today it's snowing, but I still have to get him water.
... Gradually that kind of thinking went away by itself. Through these
practices, the student finally became ready; Then at that time anything
could make the student enlightened. It was possible at that time because
the student and the teacher had become one.
Question 4: The question is more about describing
Enlightenment in words?
Answer: In words it is also possible because some
teachers would make others enlightened by the use of speech. Sometimes the
words need not even come from a teacher. A monk was constantly doing the
Chan practice 24 hours a day, pondering just one question. Some people
consider questions like, Who am I? or Who is chanting
"Amitabha"? They no longer chant, but just keep asking themselves this
questionWho is chanting "Amitabha"?; This is in order to cut
through your conceptualization. You just keep doing it, without really
thinking. You use a question to bring out your doubts; Keep doubting and
you will become preoccupied with that for many, many years. Your
conceptualization will then be broken up suddenly.
One day this monk was walking by a building and a prostitute on the
second floor was singing a Chinese love song, "If you have no heart , I
also have no heart." It means, If you no longer love me, then I also
don't care about you. This was a love song sung by a prostitute, but
for that monk who had been thinking about the problem for so many years,
he heard, "If you have no mind, I also have no mind.in
Chinese also means mind.) He became enlightened because he suddenly
realized that there is no ordinary mind such as your mind and my mind. He
became free from those concepts. He became enlightened, even though the
words were from a prostitute who, indeed, was his guru. That is why we say
that Buddha also teaches through the Dharmakaya, meaning that
anything could help us become enlightened.
Question 5: If an enlightened person tries to describe
Enlightenment to one who is not enlightened, there will not be an
understanding, no matter how well it is done.
Answer: Usually, it�s indescribable.
Question 6: No, no, not because it�s indescribable, but
because of the perception of the other person.
Answer: No, no, here, we can put it even simpler, it�s
the limit of language because language is based upon the distinction of
subject and object. The moment you start to use words, you have
conceptualization, and conceptualization is the result of the distinction
between subject and object. So, in that sense we also know one thing for
sure�we will never be able to explain Buddhism using science because
science starts with concepts. If we use science to interpret Buddhism,
then we would have to limit Buddhism to the scientific point of view, and
most scientists don�t understand Buddhism well enough.
Recently, there was a Chinese article written by an electrical
engineering professor. He tried to interpret the Heart Sutra
using science, by saying that in Einstein�s theory of relativity
there are real space and unreal space; The unreal space is time. Then he
started to interpret the Sutra. At one place in the Sutra he interpreted
the word �� (Sunyata, Emptiness) as the real space; Then at the
other place he said here we should interpret the same word as unreal
space. Boy! What a fundamental mistake! In the Buddhist philosophy, the
Emptiness is everywhere. You can�t say you have it here and not
there. Yet, he even divided it into two parts; It is certainly a mistake.
It is understandable that this kind of mistake is committed by a scientist
who doesn�t understand Buddhism well enough, but what is amazing to me is
the fact that it has been published by a Buddhist magazine.
Question 7: Science can�t approach higher levels of
Buddhism because science is restricted by systems. The whole concept of
science is not mature enough to explain anything now, but I think it is
erroneous to say that it never will be.
Answer: But it will never explain Buddhism because
empirical science relies on our senses.
Question 8: Not really. In nuclear science there are no
senses.
Answer: There is! Otherwise, how do you confirm their
theories?
Question 9: Einstein�s theory of relativity wasn�t
really about senses; Mathematics loses senses.
Answer: I said there are two basic parts, one part is
based on the senses, and the other part is the theoretical construction.
You don�t even have to consider the limitation of the senses. The theories
themselves are based upon the subject/object distinction. You start with
using words and then that�s it! That is the basic limitation.
Question 10: Would it be fair to say that any rational
process cannot touch on a non-rational subject or area.
Answer: No, because one of Buddha�s ways is to teach in
the rational way because this is what we are accustomed to. He gave you so
many teachings, and tried to persuade you to do the practice. Once you
start doing the practice, then you begin to reduce your over-rationality
in the process; It is connected in that way. Finally, when you reach the
other shore, you are free from it, but that doesn�t mean you are no longer
able to use it. Just the contrary, you come back again and start to spread
the teachings; You use the rationality again. So that is just how free you
are. When you say you are free from rationality, that means you are not
bound by it, but you can use it. You see. that�s real freedom.
Question 11: One could say that an enlightened being has
no freedom because there is only one correct act under every given set of
circumstances.
Answer: It is not true that there is only one correct act
under one given set of circumstances because it depends on your theory of
correctness. Buddha�s power is limited in the following sense. Buddha
explained the limit of his supernatural power as follows: Buddha�s power
is inconceivable, however, the power of sentient beings� karmas is also
inconceivable. This means I have all the ways to help you out, but you
have all the ways to escape me; It�s just a matter of the law of cause and
effect. I can arrange all kinds of ways for you, but you have to walk the
way yourself. If you don�t want to walk, what�s the use? In that sense
Buddha is not any bit supernatural.
Question 12: Well, spiritually when we use languages
we�re always ultimately faced with paradoxes.
Answer: Well, I don�t know. We shouldn�t say so unless we
have proof that everything will become a paradox. What we can say is that
the starting point is the point where we begin to have mistakes because,
you see, we have to use languages and concepts as instruments to help us
convey experiences and carry out daily transactions. But the tool is not
perfect, and you can be damaged by its defects. In order to avoid that,
you have to be free from the domination of those tools. You have to be
able to see it as it is, just a tool. Then you can make good use of it.
Question 13: You�re sitting out in nature, surrounded by
lakes, mountains, and so on; It is sunset and you get a marvelous feeling,
you experience the oneness of everything. What is that? It�s joy, it�s
contentment. It doesn�t last, but it�s a definite wonder.
Answer: Well, I think, at that time, it�s also because of
you. Not everyone will sense that. At that time you were so absorbed by
the beauty of nature, and that absorption made you feel so good. At that
time, you were so absorbed by the view that you forget about yourself for
the moment and that�s when the feeling of oneness came in. At other times
you are preoccupied with your self.
Question 14: But you can�t maintain it!
Answer: That�s why you need the practice. You need the
meditation.
Question 15: You can have Enlightenment, but if you don�t
have the knowledge for practice, it will slip away on you.
Answer: Right, right! Because, you see, those are just
transient feelings, not final realizations. That�s why we need to do our
daily practices to make it become something stable.
Question 16: But when it happens, you don�t practice. You
simply guard yourself against slipping back into your selfishness, your
ego.
Answer: Yes, and also it needs to be a conscious effort.
Whenever you sense you have such a nice feeling, you should try to remain
in it for as long as possible. That helps.
Question 17: But aren�t you clinging to it?
Answer: No. This is a practice, a device. Buddha gives
you these kinds of devices. The more you follow, the closer you get to
that stage; When you reach there, you will be free from this attachment
also. You have raised a question on a subtle point. You might ask, for
example, Why do we chant "Amitabha" all the time? Isn�t that a kind of
attachment? No, it is not, because this is no longer something based
only on your self-interest. This is something that you do only after you
have a firm conviction that Buddha�s teachings have real significance and
you can really benefit everyone by doing this. Also, this is the way by
which you can free yourself from other things, so it is different; It is
no longer that type of self-centered attachment. It�s a choice based upon
Buddha�s guidance; It�s a method. When you try to cross an ocean, you need
a ship; You don�t abandon the ship before you reach the other shore! In
the Diamond Sutra, it says: But if after you have crossed
over to the other shore, you still carry the raft on top of your head,
you�ll look very silly. So, Buddha�s teaching is so complete;
It is always clear as to when to hold on, and when to give up.
Question 18: In the process, it may not all come at once.
It may come in bits and pieces if you go along the Buddhist path.
Answer: Yes, but it�s not like bits. It is more like
greater and greater things. It is not like one part here, and one part
there. It is actually a kind of growing, like from a small tree to a big
tree.
Question 19: What I talked about was just a little bit to
start with.
Answer: Yes, you just had some feeling, but you
appreciate that and you try to keep it.
Question 20: I try to develop it within, so that when I
come to it next time, it will be better.
Answer: Yes, and then gradually you try to do it in daily
life. Even when you are not seeing the sunset, you try to bring up that
feeling in your actions; Then your life will be beautiful.
Question 21: But you don�t use discursive thinking,
analyzing it, and so on.
Answer: That�s right. That�s what I mean by staying in
it, without thoughts to disturb it, you just stay in that feeling.
Talk 3: Why Do We Choose the Chanting of
"Amitabha"?
September 3, 1989
I am going to talk briefly on the reasons why we choose the practice of
chanting "Amitabha," and later we will mention other basic practices that
are related to this. The various practices are of different levels of
difficulty. We begin with recitation to purify our mind, and then we go on
to meditation. Through the training of meditation we learn to concentrate
on whatever we want. At that time our breathing will naturally become
subtle, and we begin to do the breathing practice. Of course, here you can
say some form of meditation involves breathing practice as we use
breathing to do the Samatha practice of concentration, but now we
are talking about more advanced breathing practice like the Tantric
breathing practice.
The next step is on the breathing. The Chinese names for these steps
are Nian �� (recitation), Guan �[ (visualization), Qi �� (breathing), and
Zhen �u (Suchness). Suchness means the realization of
Emptiness, of Sunyata. When we want to practice the
Suchness, it would be helpful to have previously done some
meditation and breathing practice. The reason is because in Tantric
Buddhism the basic concept is that the mind and the wind (breathing)
are undifferentiated, i.e., wherever our mind (our thoughts) goes, the
breathing follows; Furthermore, wherever our wind goes in the body the
mind will be controlled by that. They are interrelated. So, if you want to
calm your thoughts, you can do it by using breathing to bring the air down
into your abdomen, and in that way you can control your mind through your
wind practice. You can also control your wind through your mental
practice. When you practice Samatha, as your meditation improves,
your breathing becomes subtler.
If you want to experience Suchness, it is better to have had
experience in practicing meditation and breathing. Then it is like knowing
both ends of a two-way street, and it will be easier for you to reach the
middle point where mind and wind are one. From this point of view, the
reason we want to do the chanting of "Amitabha" is because it belongs to
the basic stage of practice, hence, for ordinary people or beginning
practitioners they can just do the recitation. But it is not unrelated to
the higher stages because once you have done the recitation for a while,
you will gradually concentrate on your recitation; That is a form of
meditation. Also, the recitations will purify your breathing, and it will
become subtle instead of coarse. When ordinary people are angry or happy,
and their lives are led by emotional ups and downs, their breathing
becomes coarse. But people who have meditation training understand that
breathing will become even and subtle. Actually it can even stop
outwardly. Thus, on the one hand, chanting is a basic practice, and on the
other hand, it is not confined to the basic stage. So it is very
beneficial.
We are emphasizing the chanting of "Amitabha" because most people are
busy with their daily lives, and they have very little time for this kind
of daily practice. Consequently, what we can hope for them is not to
achieve Buddhahood in this life, but to pray for rebirth in the Pureland
through this practice of chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha. They will
continue their practice in Buddha�s Pureland because there they will no
longer have the worldly worries. They can concentrate on their practice,
achieve Buddhahood, and then come back to this world to help others.
The idea here for beginners is to stay with one particular chanting
practice. For example, if you have been chanting "Guan Yin Pu Sa"
(�[������ the Chinese name for Avalokitesvara), then you just keep
chanting it because you are already accustomed to that. It is fine to just
stay with that, likewise, you may stay with chanting "Amitabha Buddha."
According to his vows, his main wish is to help beings to be reborn in his
Pureland upon the time of death. Although those people have not done much
practice, through the help of Amitabha Buddha, they can be reborn there.
There are other Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, like the Healing Buddha whose
special vows are to help those who are sick or in trouble. Hence, for
those practitioners who want to emphasize their activities on helping
others to be free from sickness and troubles "Healing Buddha" would be a
suitable name to chant.
For example, if you chant the holy name of Avalokitesvara, his
function is, on the one hand, to help beings who are sick or in trouble,
and on the other hand, to help beings get rebirth in the Pureland. Thus,
it should be clear that I am not emphasizing only the chanting of
"Amitabha." If you have already been doing a particular one, just keep
doing it. The main thing is that you form a lifelong habit of chanting on
one particular holy name or mantra, then this one will become very
powerful. This power is accumulated through habit and concentration. If
you chant too many things, your efforts are scattered, hence, it is
difficult for any one to become powerful.
Another reason for emphasizing the chanting of "Amitabha" is for group
practice. We try to persuade more and more people to understand Buddha�s
teachings, and to do some chanting. Once we agree on one holy name, then
our Buddhist group can chant together at meetings.
Another reason for adopting this kind of chanting practice is that it
is a way to transfer your preoccupations from your self to
something that is not only not your self, but also unrelated to
worldly things. Furthermore, chanting "Amitabha" is related to Great
Compassion and the Wisdom of no-self. Consequently, the practitioner will
liberate himself through selfless service to other people.
One more reason for chanting "Amitabha" or the name of other Buddhas or
Bodhisattvas, is that it is based on a spiritual reality. When you are
chanting, you obtain the help directly from Buddha because Buddha�s
Dharmakaya is everywhere, hence, you are inseparable from Buddha.
Every minute you are helped or cared for by him or her. You can sense
that, only when you lose your self, you merge with the whole
Dharmakaya. Otherwise, the other way for you to sense the help of
Buddha is for Buddha to appear in certain forms that you can relate to,
for example, Buddha appearing in human form. Actually they can appear in
different forms to different beings, but they appear to be similar to us
so that it is easier for us to relate to them. Thus, you can relate to
them almost like your own father or mother. Because of the feeling of
closeness, it is easier to become one with the Buddha.
Another reason to practice the chanting of "Amitabha" is because of the
impermanence of all things. Everything is impermanent, especially our
lives; We don�t know when it will be our time to say goodbye to this
world. Hence, when we chant "Amitabha," it is like buying insurance
because when death occurs, we won�t have to go through the suffering of
transmigration again. Therefore, we want to have this basic insurance to
make sure that we will transcend the suffering of transmigration. Besides,
if you realize that things are impermanent, then you could also ask
yourself the question: Why do I always have to hold on to myself?
It is only such a tiny thing in the universe, why do we hold on to this?
Actually, it is changing, too. We are always changing, and yet we hold on
to an abstract notion of something as though it does not change when we
know that is not true! But how can we really give up the little
self? You have to have a method, and chanting "Amitabha" is one
way. It is unrelated to any worldly thing. Worldly things are, in one way
or another, related to your self because that is how societies are
formed�based on the notion of the individual. By emphasizing chanting of
"Amitabha," we do not mean that you don�t need to study Buddhism. We also
encourage people to study, but if you don�t have enough time to do both,
it would be better to do the practice. The practice is like taking
medicine; It helps to eliminate the concept of the self. Studying
is another mental game. It may not have the force to really benefit you,
but if you practice the chanting, and you find it really beneficial, then
gradually you should study the theory of the teachings of Buddha. It might
help you later.
You may wonder why this is true. Sometimes people are eager and happy
to do the chanting in the beginning, but after a while they become
relaxed, and even encounter other people criticizing them and asking,
Why are you doing such a crazy thing? Then they begin to have
doubts and may even stop the practice. If you know the teachings, and have
some idea as to why we do this, then you can solve those kinds of
problems. You would be able to explain to others why it is beneficial to
do this practice and in that way you not only help yourself, but you also
help others. Note that whenever others have questions that you cannot
answer satisfactorily, those are also your problems because when you
encounter those problems in the future, you will also be bothered by them.
So, any question that you cannot answer is your problem, and that is why
you should try to work out a solution for it.
One more reason for emphasizing the chanting of "Amitabha" is because
of its shortness. In Chinese, the pronunciation is Na Mo A Mi Tuo
Fo (�n�L������, six syllables); Some people chant only A Mi Tuo
Fo (four syllables). Likewise, instead of chanting "Amitabha Buddha"
we chant only "Amitabha" which consists of only four syllables. Some
people like to recite a whole Sutra; They do that all their lives, and
this is very good, of course. Some people like to recite a very long
mantra, such as the Great Compassion Mantra (�j�d�G) which
is very popular. This is also very good. However, when I think of
propagating a practice for everyone, I want it to be something that you
could use, even when you are in very difficult situations such as in
sickness or the process of death. In those very difficult situations, you
want to be able to hold on to it in order to maintain your mental
stability. I thought it would be better to have something that is very
easy; That is why I emphasize it. But it doesn�t mean that I discourage
you from doing something that you have been doing and are accustomed to
doing. I am merely pointing out that during those difficult moments in
life, a short one is very convenient and practical. In fact, the force of
your practice is built up through your habit of daily practice and even
though it consists of only four syllables, its chanting is very powerful.
Suppose you have chosen from now on to recite only "Amitabha," and that
you keep doing this diligently for a long time. Occasionally, you will
find that all of a sudden, without any conscious effort, you are starting
to chant something a little bit different. It may become, for example,
"Namo Amitabha" or "Amitabha Buddha," or sometimes it may even become
"Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa" (�[�@������, Avalokitesvara) and at that time
it will be a natural thing. It is like subconscious communication. As it
occurs, don�t change it, but rather, just maintain it for a while until it
naturally stops. You don�t say, Oh! I decided to recite "Amitabha", so
I have to switch back.
However, after that natural flow has faded away, and you want to do the
practice, always go back to the one that you have consciously chosen,
thereby, you can maintain the force of habit without disrupting natural
spiritual expressions. This is a subtle point.
The next thing is, of course, that we want not only to chant "Amitabha"
monotonously, but also to chant it like what we did with the
five-variation chanting, i.e., we want to sing it. Singing is very
important. From my own experience, even after chanting "Amitabha" several
million times, when I compared it with my first singing of the
five-variation chanting of "Amitabha," I found that my emotion went
into the singing more naturally. Music has that effect on us.
So we try to make use of this, particularly to help us merge our whole
being into chanting through singing. Otherwise, you would just study the
books, intellectually choose it, and then begin to do it. Then it may
remain a mere intellectual practice for a long, long time before you
become emotionally affected.
So singing "Amitabha" is very beneficial, particularly for babies and
small children. You have no way to force them to do the monotonous
chanting; It is very dry, you know. Nevertheless, if you just play the
singing "Amitabha" tape, then without your asking, they will learn it by
heart, as they do with the T.V. commercials. This is one way to help these
beings.
We have the singing "Amitabha" tapes for free distribution. For dying
persons, it is very difficult to maintain a group of people by the bedside
to do the chanting 24 hours a day for several days, especially in our
present situation in the United States where there are relatively so few
Buddhists. It is very important that you have a tape recorder and a copy
of this tape with you, so that when the time comes you can help yourself.
Of course, it doesn�t preclude other people from helping you. Make sure
that the chanting tape is always there. Have you read my booklet on the
five-variation chanting of "Amitabha"? When my teacher, Yogi Chen,
passed away, two persons who were nearby heard heavenly music of this
five-variation chanting; It was exactly the same as the tape that we were
giving out for free distribution. No one was playing the tape. It was a
miraculous display of heavenly music. Through this inspirational event,
Yogi Chen�s last teaching was that this singing "Amitabha" is a very
beneficial practice, and hence, we should practice it. Furthermore, we
emphasize this chanting because it is a simple practice. I compare it to
learning swimming by using the analogy that when you are practicing
chanting, it is like small children who live by a river or a sea, playing
in the water daily; Sooner or later, they will become good swimmers. We
are going to become good swimmers in the ocean of life through playing
with our mind. We play, according to Buddha�s teachings, "Amitabha,
Amitabha, ..." and gradually we become free in life.
Another analogy is also quite useful. If you watch people learning to
swim, pay particular attention to the young children, the very beginners.
You will notice that one major obstacle in their learning is their holding
on to the edge of the pool, or the lifesaver. That, indeed, makes it more
difficult for them to swim. In order to really learn to swim you have to
let go. Likewise, when you learn skating, it is the same thing. Beginners,
you know, like to hold on to some person or the sides of the rim, but that
is why they can�t really do it. You have to let go. I would like to point
out that in life the thing we are holding onto is our self, and
that is why we are not free. This is a good analogy, I think, as it shows
vividly what is stopping you, namely, your attachment to your self.
We emphasize this practice because of its simplicity. There are so many
theories in Buddhism, and you can spend your whole life trying to
understand them. After you have learned something new, you might have
forgotten what you previously learned because there are so many schools
with different emphasis on various points. But, what you really encounter
in life are situations which will require instant responses. You won�t
have time to study all the theories. What you need is an immediate answer.
This kind of practice helps you with this problem because it frees you
from your prejudices and worries so that you are more in touch with
reality. Hence, your response is better. People, without help from this
kind of practice, become fixed and inflexible in their thinking and
behavior. To remain fresh and young in life you need something to cut
through your rigidity and this is something that will bring about those
kinds of results.
Now, we come to another reason for practicing the chanting. In order to
go beyond the ordinary senses and reach the supernatural, Samatha
meditation is indispensable. Supernatural abilities will grow based on the
power of Samatha. Some people are born with obvious supernatural
abilities. Samatha is the foundation of all these things,
nevertheless, real Samatha is not easy to achieve because ordinary
people like us are so busy with so many things that it is very difficult
for us to achieve Samatha. Even if you practice it regularly, your
concern is still the worldly life; Hence, you can hardly achieve real
Samatha. However, in chanting there is a way to gradually achieve
Samatha. If you are busy in daily life, and you force yourself to
sit down for 30 minutes a day, then it is an abrupt change. You then jump
back into the ocean of life again, and get mentally roughed up. Sometimes
it could even become dangerous because the deeper the Samatha you
develop the greater the conflict is between the two aspects of your life.
But by chanting, you are transforming yourself gradually; You will become
addicted, and then your whole life changes naturally and gradually. That
is a safe way because you don�t go through a forced transition.
There are other things to consider which are related to our chanting
practice. One important thing is that we should establish for ourselves a
daily practice by setting a definite time aside, and a time when you will
not be disturbed. It would be even better if you do it at the same place
every day, preferably in front of an altar. We want to make use of
everything to help build this habit. A fixed time, a fixed place, and a
fixed ritual. Now that I have translated into English the booklet
Pureland Daily Practice, you might want to use it for your
daily practice. You chant the same thing every day, and gradually the
force of habit will arise. Hence, daily practice is very important.
Another important thing to do is to spread the message to other people
by giving them the booklet, and inviting them to some Dharma meetings.
This is very important because the more people you influence, the more
chance you will have of living in a Buddhist community, and dying with the
accompaniment of chanting "Amitabha."
Another way to expand the merits is to go to cemeteries to chant
"Amitabha" to the ghosts. Every evening you may give a little bit of rice
to feed the ghosts while saying the mantra Om Ah Hum three times,
and then leave the rice outside. The rice is transformed by the mantra to
become Buddha�s nectars; By taking these nectars, the ghosts become
related to Buddha. The next morning you throw the rice out for the birds,
and they become connected with Buddha. These are things that you can do to
help yourself become related to the whole Dharmadhatu in the
Buddhist way; In this way everyone will eventually be liberated through
their connection with the Buddha.
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: It upsets me when I am trying to explain
things to my friends and parents, such as demonstrating the chanting of
"Amitabha," and they don�t seem interested.
Answer: Yes, I know. You should not force it upon people
who are not enthusiastic at the time. When you do the daily practice,
visualize that your parents and friends are among all the beings in the
whole Dharmadhatu who are practicing simultaneously with you; Then
there will gradually be some results in the direction you desire.
If you practice diligently and you become a sincere practitioner,
people will sense your sincerity. Furthermore, you will better be able to
persuade people because when you know so much of Buddha�s teachings you
will be able to conceive of suitable ways to persuade various kinds of
people. First, work on your own practice in order to improve it; There is
no need to rush in trying to persuade others. Sooner or later people will
encounter difficulties in life, and at that moment, if they find you
reliable, they will come to you and ask for your advice or ask to have a
chat with you. Then you can tell them how beneficial it has been for you
to do the practice, and then they might want to try it. Another important
thing is to play the chanting "Amitabha" tape whenever you have a chance;
Thereby, more people will hear the music. Some people like it and they
feel peaceful when they hear the chanting of "Amitabha" (the singing one).
To those people, you say, Why not take this tape? It�s a free gift!
So, that is one way to reach people.
Question 2: I chant on the way home while driving on the
expressway or when I am in a shopping center because I feel a lot of
tension. Is that all right? It�s not concentration, but it helps relieve
pressure.
Answer: That is, of course, all right, but I think you
should not chant it too loudly as people might think that you are odd.
Just chant naturally, like someone is humming. The reason I say this is
because, I think, if you act in an eccentric way, people might be afraid
to follow your example. We just do it naturally and quietly, and some
people will recognize you as the guy who was chanting. Perhaps they will
recall the chanting, instead of you. That is one way to help them, too.
Question 3: But is it all right when I am flying
somewhere to chant to myself, I mean, I don�t say it out loud.
Answer: That�s fine, too. It is better then no chanting
at all. Indeed, the surrounding atmosphere will become peaceful while you
are chanting quietly to yourself.
Question 4: But at home, when I�m alone, should I chant
out loud?
Answer: Not necessarily. The main point is to regulate
it, depending on whether you are tired or not, whether you feel like it or
not. For example, after one day of teaching you may be very tired, why do
you need to sing it out loud? There is no need. It is enough to just
peacefully listen to it. The main idea is to purify your mind through
chanting that holy name all the time.
Question 5: Sometimes, while driving a car with a friend
who is not a Buddhist, I just sing Buddhist songs instead of preaching.
The friend did not say, Oh! that�s peaceful. Instead, he said,
Gee, you act like you are crazy. Even while driving a car, you are
singing Buddhist songs. You see, you try to do it skillfully, as best
as you can, but still some people will criticize you.
Answer: Even so, from the Buddhist point of view, a bad
relationship is still better than no relationship. A bad relationship can
still be improved in time, but no relationship means that there is nothing
to improve. Hence, you don�t need to feel so bad. Furthermore, we can try
to find other Buddhist music tapes, those that are more like ordinary
music, or those that are played only with musical instruments. Then your
friend might not be so annoyed, and he may even like it.
Question 6: One of my tenants listens to rock and
roll music, and I said, I can�t stand it. How do you like my
Buddhist chanting? She said, It drives me crazy. It�s boring,
repetitious and mechanical. See, if I don�t play the music, there is
no chance to plant a Dharma seed in her, but if I play it, she hates it.
Answer: There are other tapes that are not repetitious,
just use another tape.
Question 7: Why is the mantra of the Heart
Sutra never recited? Even when they recite the Sutra, they do not
include the mantra.
Answer: Chinese Buddhists do include the mantra when they
recite the Heart Sutra. Most people recite the Heart
Sutra as a whole, probably because of its conciseness.
Question 8: I am a little bit confused now. Isn�t it
important to do sitting every day, just meditation without chanting?
Answer: Yes, that is important; However, meditation is
not something to rush into. For beginners, I feel that it would be better
to chant more first.
Question 9: Can you use "Amitabha" as a mantra?
Answer: Yes, because it is just one phrase for you to
chant.
Question 10: So you think it is better to chant before
you try to just sit without doing anything?
Answer: Yes, because just sitting is much more difficult.
You see, if you do a lot of recitation, it will pave your way naturally.
Later you will find sitting meditation much easier. You can try just
sitting there and chanting "Amitabha, Amitabha, ..." without saying it out
loud. Be careful not to fall asleep. When you feel you are falling asleep,
you chant it out loud to drive away sleepiness.
Question 11: Should we visualize anything when we chant?
Answer: Well, you don�t really need to visualize
anything. Just sit in front of Amitabha. That is the best way.
Question 12: But you said, "To visualize all sentient
beings..."
Answer: Oh, yes, but you do that visualization before you
start chanting. First, you visualize and then you start to chant. Once you
have started the chanting, your emphasis is on the chanting. You just
think that all sentient beings are chanting with you, and in that way you
will not be distracted. For beginners, this is much better. Some advanced
practitioners can do both simultaneously.
Question 13: I like to do chanting and meditation in
silence, but I do not have time to do both. Sometimes I just do this:
While breathing in, I chant "Ami" in my mind, followed by breathing out,
chanting "tabha" in my mind. Thus, both are combined into one practice.
Answer: You are combining breathing with chanting and
this is very helpful. Yes, it is a good way to practice. I read in Chinese
Buddhist literature that this method is called the path of paths
meaning that it is the most superior practice. Combining breathing and
chanting into one practice is very powerful. When I was a graduate student
at the University of California at Berkeley, I had a Chinese friend Teh
Min Wang whom I had the occasion to meet 10 years later. At that time he
said: You told me one thing that has been beneficial to me, namely, the
practice of chanting "Amitabha" combined with breathing. He said that
whenever he couldn�t fall asleep, he just did this practice, and it always
helped him go into a sound sleep.
Question 14: It is still easy when you say "Amitabha"
without thinking for your thoughts to come in. That still happens to me,
the other thoughts still come in.
Answer: Right, but you should think that your emphasis is
on "Amitabha," so you just keep doing it without trying to drive other
thoughts out. The moment you try to drive something out, you are being
distracted. Your thoughts come naturally as a result of your habits, but
don�t worry about them. You just keep chanting, and gradually, without the
support of your attention, your habitual thoughts will die down and fade
away.
Question 15: Sometimes for a couple of minutes I�m
thinking many different things and not even chanting. Is that natural?
Answer: Right, that�s natural for beginners. You simply
cannot help it. The moment you notice that you are not thinking of
"Amitabha," you return to it at once. The key is just to go right back
to it.
Question 16: In order not to have my mind wander I say,
"Amitabha one, Amitabha two, ..." just to give me more concentration on
it.
Answer: Well, it would be better just to concentrate on
the name of Amitabha instead of chanting numbers. However, if you do daily
practice, one good method is to set for yourself a certain number of
chanting to be done during each practice session, just as an elementary
school student having daily homework assignments. In that way you will be
certain to chant that number each day.
Question 17: What about using the prayer beads?
Answer: That�s how we count without having to count the
numbers. You can set it to be 10 rounds or five rounds. Each round is 108
times, but you count it as only 100 times. The eight times are omitted to
compensate for those distracted chanting.
Question 18: Do you concentrate on the chanting inside
your brain?
Answer: Well, you just maintain the thought, "Amitabha";
Don�t worry about where it is.
Question 19: How about the following way? First, offer
water, fruit, cakes, etc., to Buddha; Then, visualize the light of Buddha
going into those food and drinks; And then give them to people.
Answer: It is a good practice. We think of food and drink
that have been offered to Buddha as having been blessed and transformed
into Buddha�s nectar. People who eat them will have a good connection with
Buddha and become spiritually mature much faster.
Question 20: You mentioned the dangers of meditation for
people who are not ready for it and yet rush into it. What would be some
of the dangers besides the obvious ones you mentioned? What are some of
the specific manifestations of these dangers?
Answer: Well, when your ability of Samatha becomes
stronger, and yet your intentions are still not based on Bodhicitta, i.e.,
not pure, then your attachments will come up as images. You will see all
kinds of things; You might attract beings that you couldn�t see before who
are of your kind. They will come to communicate with you, and some will
even try to take hold of you.
Question 21: But that stops the moment you have the
Bodhicitta or that of the same power or that of the same effect?
Answer: Well, actually, if you really have the Bodhicitta
then you are at least a beginning Bodhisattva, and you will have fewer
difficulties. However, one important point here is to get protection by
taking refuge in the Triple Gems�Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha. If you don�t do spiritual practices you may not sense it,
but when you do, for those who are sincere in taking the Buddhist refuge
and know the meanings of taking the refuge, their spiritual practice will
be protected by the Dharma protectors. It is important to have a guru to
guide your practices, and his protectors will protect you.
Question 22: I often find that when I meditate in the
morning, it will be great, but when I start to meditate later for the
second time, or even the third time, it gets very disruptive and falls
apart.
Answer: That is because in the morning you are fresh from
your night�s rest. By the second and third time you have used up your
energy on other activities, therefore you cannot concentrate as well.
Question 23: I thought it was because I was meditating
too much!
Answer: Well, what did you do in between?
Question 24: I was very quiet. I don�t have any problems;
I was just walking a little, reading and gardening.
Answer: The best thing to do in between, instead of
sitting down and reading, would be walking, especially out in the open,
and breathing the fresh air. After one sitting you should walk or do some
light exercises, so that your circulation will go back to normal,
especially in the lower part of your body.
Question 25: But eventually the second and third
meditations should be as good as the first one?
Answer: Well, that�s hard to say. Theoretically, yes, but
I think in your case the main reason is simply that you are older now, and
you get tired more easily. Those are concentrated stages, and they use a
lot of energy. You don�t need to push too hard; One good sitting in
meditation is better than three bad ones.
Question 26: I know if I take a nap, then it is better.
Answer: Right, however, don�t lie down to sleep right
after one sitting. You should walk, and do some exercises for at least 15
minutes to help the circulation, and then you may lie down.
Question 27: About circulating the chanting "Amitabha"
tape. Recently I got in contact with a so-called "New Age" group. They
enjoyed chanting the mantra, but they do business by selling books and
tapes. If I give them this "Amitabha" tape, they will sell it for profit
and this is against our principle of nonprofit Dharma activities. If I
don�t give them the tape, it would seem to be contradicting my wish to
circulate it to many people, because they have many customers.
Answer: My thinking is as follows: you freely offer this
tape to them in order to help them. Later what they do with it is their
business; You don�t ask them to sell it. You don�t say, Oh! Since you
have wider contact, you should circulate it. Let it be up to them. Our
main concern here is that more people will get the benefit.
Question 28: Is there any different effect between
chanting very, very slowly as compared to chanting faster?
Answer: Well, at different times you use different
methods to achieve the same purpose of concentrating on "Amitabha." When
you try to calm yourself down, you may slow down your chanting. When you
want to wake yourself up, you would quicken the pace. Otherwise, you would
just keep a normal pace. Similarly, whether you chant out loud or not, in
high pitch or low pitch, may be regulated to balance your frame of mind at
the time.
Question 29: I took the vows and am a very serious
practitioner. Ninety percent of the time I believe in Buddhism and yet,
every so often, I say, How did I go from being a total atheist for 35
years, to now believing I can talk to my deceased mother and I can heal
people with chanting? Maybe all this is nothing, what am I doing? How
do you remove this skepticism? Is there an element of doubt with everybody
or just me?
Answer: When you have some doubt, there is no need to
force yourself to believe. That is not good. My advice is simply�don�t
give up your practice; Even though you have doubts, don�t worry. As
long as the doubts do not stop you from doing the practice, as time goes
on, you will gradually have more experiences which will help remove your
doubts. But if your doubts stop you from doing your practice, then it
would be better to consult your teacher. Right now you have some belief in
Buddhism. Where does that come from? It comes mainly from your own
experiences. Likewise, the more experiences you have, the more you will
become convinced.
Question 30: I volunteered to introduce to the New Age
Bookstore the Great Compassion Mantra. They seemed to be
impressed, and asked if I had a chance to give a talk which they would
announce on their monthly calendar. I was reminded by a Buddhist friend:
Don�t try to be a teacher. If you go there to show them how to chant
"Amitabha Buddha", to demonstrate your chanting or to explain the benefits
of chanting, then you are just showing off your ego. Nevertheless, it
seems to be a good opportunity for me to propagate the Dharma. What shall
I do? To go or not to go?
Answer: No, I don�t think that is the ego working. In
many cases people are closed to what they already have. They don�t want to
open up to anything new, but this will give them a chance to open up. I
think you should give them the opportunity. Just go and do it. It�s only
for the spreading of Dharma, and is not only non-egoistic, but indeed
altruistic.
Question 31: If they do not invite me, do I still
volunteer my service?
Answer: Even volunteering is good as long as your motive
is pure. If we don�t reach out, then others will have even less of a
chance to learn about Buddhism. Therefore, every one of us should do his
part to try to bring it out to the public.
Question 32: If your mind is open then you don�t even
need to talk. People will begin to feel something, the vibration.
Answer: Yes, it�s a matter of your mentality. When your
mind is open, people will sense that, even when you are inactive.
Question 33: They will come to you, and they will start
to hang around you.
Answer: Right.
Question 34: How is Buddha different from God? We can
talk to Buddha. I know Buddha is not our creator or judge, like the
Christian God, but there is an element of communicating with those higher
beings. How is that different from Buddha?
Answer: In Buddhist Sutra, Buddha also talked about Gods,
many heavenly-beings who are Gods, and even different levels of heavens
and Gods. But his basic teaching is that nothing has a permanent self, and
that we are mere transitory products of conditions. In that sense Buddha
did not deny the existence of Gods, but only denied the absolute existence
of Gods. Just as Buddha asked Gods to protect his teachings, so we can
also pray to Gods. We, as Buddhists, want to preach Dharma, and do some
practices, therefore, we need help from the protectors; And Gods, as
Dharma protectors, can help us. That is why we pray to Jesus. We can pray
to the Christian God, but, as Buddhists, we don�t take refuge in him.
Since they are still rooted in the wrong concept of the existence of an
absolute self, they are still bound within the cycle of transmigration.
So, we can ask for their help, but we do not take refuge in them. Besides,
we need to respect them because they are beings with great merits and
great powers. If you respect them, you will get the benefits of their
protection. If you ask them they will protect you. You tell them: I am
a Buddhist, I want to practice Buddhism, and the teachings of Buddha is
the Truth. Gods know that it�s the Truth. You tell them: Please,
help me! So I can practice Buddhism. They do want to help you.
When my teacher, Yogi Chen, was in Kalimpong, India, the landlord
wanted to raise the rent because too many refugees had arrived from Tibet.
Kalimpong is at the border. He wanted to raise the rent despite the
original agreement that there would be no increase for three years. So, my
teacher, a Buddhist practitioner, prayed to the Christian God, because the
landlord was a Christian. That night the landlord, for the first time in
his life, saw God in a dream, and God said to him, You should go and
pray with Mr. Chen. So, the next morning, he came crying with joy and
said, I will never raise your rent! See, God does help Buddhists.
Question 35: Now, I am really confused.
Answer: Well, you simply ask for their help, and you also
respect them.
Question 36: I don�t believe in them!
Answer: Oh, you should not be disrespectful to them. That
you don�t believe in them is one thing, but whether they are Gods is
another thing. You had better be respectful to them. Otherwise, they may
cause you trouble.
Question 37: My sister says that we are idolaters.
Answer: That�s because she doesn�t understand the meaning
of having an image on the altar. It is one way to help you do the
practice. We know perfectly well that it�s just an image, but having an
image there helps us to visualize easily. Besides, there is something that
they don�t know, namely, that we can actually invite the Buddha to come
and stay in the images.
Question 38: I believe that Buddha is somewhere or
everywhere. But I don�t believe that it has to be there.
Answer: No, it doesn�t have to be just there, but it is
possible to invite him to stay there permanently for this group or these
practitioners. That is what I was doing earlier today when I was throwing
rice on the images. For example, in January, Helen Chao, the
acupuncturist, got one painting of the Three Holinesses of the Western
Pureland. She hung it on a wall in her apartment. It�s not near the
window and it has no glass over it. She and her friend took pictures of it
without using a flash, and what, do you think, came out? There were golden
lights surrounding Amitabha Buddha and Guan Yin. We just saw it today and
she had given Sophie one such photo before.
One member of the audience added: By the way, it�s not just an
ordinary picture. Helen Chao practiced on a daily basis after Dr. Lin had
invited the Three Holinesses to come and stay in it. She has practiced on
a daily basis for one year. Now it�s no longer just an ordinary
picture.
Question 39: Is there just one Buddha?
Answer: It�s like this, if you practice and you
eventually become a Buddha, we will call you Buddha Ann, and if he
becomes a Buddha, we will call him Buddha Boris. When you become a
Buddha, you completely lose your self, and all things become one.
Nevertheless, we can still talk about Buddha Ann, Buddha
Boris, and so on.
|
The Active Aspect of Chanting Amitabha
A Dharma Lecture given in Chinese by Dr. Yutang
Lin
July 2, 1993 Human Life Buddhist Center, Melaka,
Malaysia
Transcribed by Tan Suan Kuang
Translated by
Stanley Lam
Edited by Ann Klein and Dr. Lin
Good evening, dear Dharma friends. I speak on this topic today because
some Buddhists feel that chanting Amitabha is a practice only for
beginners or the uneducated, while some non-Buddhists mistake chanting for
something passive and evasive; therefore I feel a need to explain that
chanting Amitabha is actually a very active endeavor. First, I
would like to explain the reason for chanting Amitabha. Someone may
ask: what is the point of merely repeating a few words orally? It does not
seem likely that worldly problems could be solved by chanting
Amitabha; yet some people even chant full time. How could people
simply ignore worldly matters?
Why is chanting Amitabha an active endeavor? First, we need to
ask whether there are problems in the world, and how could those problems
really be resolved? The common answer is undoubtedly that we can solve
those problems by various political and economic means; however, we all
know that the efficacy of those means of solving problems is all very
limited. Even if laws are very well written, when people are unethical,
not only would they take advantage of legal loopholes, but would also
misuse the law to commit immoral activities. However, when people are
good, negative things would not happen even if relevant laws do not exist.
Therefore, the fundamental solution depends on everyone having a pure
heart.
If everyone's heart is pure, problems in life would be fewer; even when
problems do arise, people would help each other out. Let's investigate
carefully. Everyone encounters problems in life such as birth, aging,
sickness, death, etc. When someone is having these problems, how much help
can you give him or her? Strictly speaking, all forms of worldly help are
all very superficial. Even if the social welfare system is very well
established and most people are helpful toward one another, there would
still be people who haggle about everything and live in vexation for their
whole lives.
The United States is probably the richest and strongest country in the
world, but you can see that although American youngsters are relatively
wealthy, they still have many problems such as drug addiction, sexual
promiscuity, AIDS, and mental illness often leading to suicide. They are
living in a very good environment, unlike some Africans, who may be
suffering from starvation. Why do young Americans have so much
unhappiness? The reason is that nobody teaches them how to solve their
fundamental life problems. Therefore, it shows that if there is no peace
and tranquillity of mind, even extensive external help cannot solve those
problems. In general, we would find it tiresome even when taking care of
only a few who are our own children, not to mention taking care of lots of
people; so helping others is a very difficult task. Therefore, in order to
really, fundamentally, and thoroughly solve the problems and help oneself
as well as others, we need to make sure that everyone will have peace of
mind.
In order to help us attain peace of mind the Buddhist teachings do not
proceed by indoctrination with a set of concepts, nor does it teach
everyone to fit into a single mold. If, however, the Dharma imposed a
uniform model on us, then no matter how good such a method might be,
competition and struggles would still persist in the world. This is
because everyone has his or her natural needs, but good supplies of things
are limited, and hence selfish thoughts and activities would arise.
Consequently, it is very difficult to make people conform to systems or
institutions.
However, what Buddha teaches us is a method that can thoroughly solve
those problems of life. This method does not impose anything extra upon
us. It says that all of us basically have a primordially existent aspect
which is very pure and good. As long as this purity can manifest itself,
selfishness and struggles can be transcended. We have all sorts of
problems because we are limited by our bodies and cultures, which generate
all sorts of biases, and then induce a "self-attachment" that centers on
the individual, the family, the country, the society or the culture. From
our self-centered point of view, there are certain things that we all do
and seem to be good for us; hence we recognize those things as correct and
good. However, when we encounter other equally valid ways of doing things,
we may come to realize that the difference is simply a matter of views; it
is actually not a matter of right and wrong. You think that you are right,
and people with different views think that they are right.
The formation of our preferences, prejudices, and biases are formed by
the way we were brought up, our education and cultural backgrounds. As
humans, we also have human limitations; for example, humans cannot hear
certain sounds that are audible to dogs. Some people can see ghosts but
others cannot. These are limitations of our biological senses. If you can
transcend your biological and cultural limitations, you will understand
that, actually, all beings are equal as sentient beings, and from Buddha's
view at the time of his enlightenment, all sentient beings are of one and
the same entity. The meaning of this oneness is not that I cannot
differentiate this person from that person; the meaning is rather that,
from the point of view that we are all sentient beings, all our minds are
interconnected, and such interconnection is not limited by time and space.
Such an idea may seem too abstract, and someone would even question
whether this oneness is just a kind of illusion. For those skeptics,
transcending cultural limitations may still sound plausible, but how can
we transcend our biological limitations? Not to mention "transcending time
and space!"
Before Buddha attained enlightenment, he saw the problems of birth,
aging, sickness, and death in human life. Realizing that the throne was
not very meaningful because it could not solve those problems when they
would arise, he set out to solve these fundamental problems. After many
very difficult ascetic practices, Buddha gradually elevated his spiritual
state even to the same level as the heavenly Gods; however, he was so
brilliant that, at that point, he could still sense a very subtle veil of
"self-attachment." His final enlightenment was attained through destroying
this finest and most fundamental "self-attachment" and thereby returning
to the primordial state. The oneness that Buddha realized at that time,
according to the Sutras and scriptures, was to be able to see clearly the
Karma of all sentient beings of the three times, past, present and future.
We are not Buddhas; so how can we know whether what the Sutras say are
real or not? What can we rely on in order to accept and believe the
Sutras? We can rely on the fact that, when we practice according to the
methods spelled out in the Sutras, we will gradually discover that we can
actually go beyond the limitations that we once thought were there.
For example, once when I was sitting in meditation, Mr. Xianwei Zeng, a
Dharma friend from Miami, phoned me and said that his friend in Los
Angeles had passed away. He asked me to perform Phowa (a Buddhist tantric
method to transfer the consciousness of the deceased to Amitabha Buddha's
Pureland) for his friend. Since I was meditating at that moment, I did not
answer his call; I just heard his message through the telephone answering
machine. While I was listening, the face of an old man with white hair,
white mustaches, and small but bright eyes appeared in front of me on my
right. After I had finished meditating, I immediately practiced Phowa for
that deceased person. Then the same old man reappeared and walked into the
Amitabha Buddha that I visualized; I could also see that he was somewhat
hunched. I then phoned Mr. Zeng to tell him that I have just practiced
Phowa for his deceased friend. I told him about the old man's appearance,
which he confirmed, even though, as a matter of fact, I had never seen
this person before, not even in photographs. Mr. Zeng called me from
Miami, the deceased was in Los Angeles, and I was in the San Francisco Bay
area; all these places are hundreds of miles apart. You may say that these
things happened to me because I have some special power, yet that is not
true. These things can happen to anyone of us, as long as our minds are
pure, because we all possess such innate abilities. Others can also have
this kind of experience; for example, when a very close relative passes
away, he or she might approach you in a dream asking for some "hell-bank
notes" or the deceased might appear to you even though he or she had
passed away in a distant place.
Why do these incidents happen so rarely to us? It is because there are
too many worldly vexations in our minds covering up our innate abilities.
These vexations were not accumulated in just one or two days. They have
been accumulating through life after life's self-centered thoughts, such
as: I want this or that; my family wants this or that; how I want things
to be, and haggling over this or that. When you are in the habit of
haggling and grasping, you cannot get out of that mental framework. You
are always surrounded by the self-centered thoughts, and you cannot even
see what is beyond those thoughts and vexations, and because of habits you
even do not want to leave such a state of vexations. How then can one get
out? Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us a method that works on the root of
the problem. The reason why we have such vexations is that we are so
accustomed to thinking that I want this or that, to such an extent that we
cannot get out of those thoughts. Hence, to solve the problem at the root
is to work on our self-centered thinking. In other words, we take
ourselves out of where we "always think about things related to us." Every
single one of us has only a limited mental capacity which is used
completely in relation to the self; in order to get out, one has to make
use of a thought that is completely unrelated to the "self." Anything else
will not get you out of that self-centered frame of mind. For example,
when thinking of numbers, we will immediately associate with things like
money, birthdays, etc. However, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas give us an object
that is completely unrelated to the "self"-- the holy name of a Buddha.
All worldly things are interconnected, but a Buddha's name is
transcendental. You have to understand that the rationale of this method
is to solve our problems at their root. Chanting the holy name of a Buddha
is a very safe and solid method of practice. Of course, it is impossible
to get out of all self-centered thinking immediately. Since you have been
accustomed to this kind of thinking, it would be painful and unbearable to
be forced out. However, chanting Amitabha everyday is like someone
who is used to staying indoors, going to the door and looking outside for
a while, and then a little longer day after day; then when you get used to
the outside environment, you will be able to go out eventually.
All your mental powers are originally on the side of the "self," but,
with things changing bit by bit through chanting Amitabha everyday
over a long period of time, you will notice that your body will gradually
loosen up. Normally, because our minds are all seriously entangled, our
bodies are also tense. Problems like stomachaches, headaches and insomnia
may arise when we are busy at work. Usually, we worry about many things;
then, without realizing it ourselves, the body becomes very tense.
However, by chanting Amitabha with concentration over a long period
of time, you could really feel the loosening up of your body. Why is this
so? You are originally very vexed, and the entire capacity of the mind is
grasping at those vexations, causing the body to be tense. When you chant
Amitabha, you will gradually loosen up layer by layer. Based on my
experiences in chanting Amitabha, I could say that our attachment
starts with very subtle mental ones, and then our bodies are affected as
layer upon layer of entanglements are added. The outermost layer consists
of very coarse entanglements which are the physical discomforts that we
notice easily. These coarse entanglements will loosen up if we do good
deeds and practice the chanting of Amitabha, prostrations, etc.
However, unless we sincerely desire to abandon self-attachments
completely, those mental entanglements will not really be untied. If you
set a limit to the goal of your practice, those entanglements could never
be untied.
The purpose of chanting Amitabha is for one to reform completely
including the subtlest and deepest places in the mind. You need to change
this selfish mind and to understand that this self-nurturing mind is
actually harming you. If you only care for yourself, you will not be able
to see things truly because the mind is completely biased. Even though you
may be a good person free from bad motives, you still think only for your
own well-being and thereby, in effect, have surrounded yourself with a
wall, where you are enclosed and will remain encaged, in the sense that
your life cannot extend beyond this wall of mind. When you care only for
yourself, there will bound to be problems, because no one in the world can
guarantee that you will not get old or that aging does not affect you.
When you love only your children, who can guarantee their longevity? Who
can guarantee a good marriage and career for them? Anything could happen;
there are all sorts of ups and downs in life, and no one is protected from
them! Of course, according to Buddhism, this is the result of Karma (cause
and effect). If you had committed many bad deeds in the past so that
consequences in this life are undesirable, you need to gradually change
your conduct in this life by doing as many good deeds as you can and to
refrain from doing bad deeds. However, at a deeper level, if we do only a
few good deeds which cannot compensate for the bad deeds committed in the
past, then we would still experience ups and downs in this life. If you
care only about yourself or a few persons, when can your mind become
peaceful? It never can! Therefore, once you understand this point, you
would know that thinking only about yourself is the same as doing harm to
yourself.
On the contrary, you should consider the fact that everyone has the
same problems of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and that everyone is
capable of experiencing happiness and suffering. How then can we increase
everyone's happiness and reduce their suffering? If you can look at the
world and guide your conduct with this line of thinking, you will become
peaceful. Why? When one's mind opens up like that, although there will
still be problems in life, how one handles these problems would be very
different. As people realize others' problems are the same as their own,
everyone would be willing to help one another! Problems could then be
resolved easily. Everyone dies, but if you have universal love, even after
the ones who are close or related to you have passed away, you can still
serve and take care of others who are alive. Then your life would become
very much alive and would not be reduced to a withering stalemate. Even
though you may wish to take care of your children for their entire lives,
there are still many aspects that you cannot possibly take care of. If you
do not teach them how to open up to serve and love others, they might live
in vexation for their entire lives, and so would you. Everyone would be
trapped in entanglements such as constantly worrying about: how are my
sons and daughters? And the children would be similarly trapped: how are
my father and my mother? No one would become happy this way, so what's the
point of remaining so?
If you engage in Dharma service, you will gradually obtain liberation.
Why? It is not necessary that you engage in some special activity. As long
as you, even though remaining in your position, change your basic attitude
to that of serving others instead of arguing with others over how much
work to do and how you are compensated. Don't go for the haggling route,
go for the service route. The more you serve, the more worthwhile you will
feel upon your death. You can bring nothing with you when you die. Take a
walk in the cemetery, and you will see each one has only a tombstone! Even
this may not be found by your decedents after a hundred years.
Particularly in modern society, many people do not even know where their
grandparents' graves are. At the end there will be at most a tombstone
there; what's the point of competing? Worldly things are not as steadfast
as they seem to be! In order to pass away peacefully and to live joyfully
for the rest of your life, you can rely only on your loving heart. As you
serve others with one measure of effort, you would obtain one measure of
peace; only this has lasting value and is of real comfort. Do not be
fooled by the "self."
Furthermore, engaging in Dharma service can actually be very easy; it
is not necessary that you do go to certain places to do something special.
As long as you give others a hand wherever you can in daily life, and that
would be a correct approach! For example, if you see a child falling, you
should not be uncaring because the child is not yours, instead you should
help the child up immediately. That is what we should do. If a stranger is
feeling thirsty, you simply offer him a cup of water. That is what we
should do. If your mind is entirely on serving others, your whole life
will become meaningful; other worldly things are not worth competing for.
If you think along these lines, you would understand that chanting
Amitabha is a very active endeavor. It is not a way to evade
worldly problems, but is based on a clear view as to how such problems can
be fundamentally resolved. Some people claim to have the intent to improve
society and cry out numerous political ideologies; however, eventually
those people are just trying to force others to accept their ideas. In
reality, it is still the same, just a group of people ruling over others.
If those reformers are not pure at heart, or if they become corrupted
after gaining power, then it is still the same. Even though during
revolutionary movement those reformers had made wonderful pledges, once
they are in power, they would in turn become the object of revolution
because they have become the same as the previous rulers. So we can see
that this is not the way to really solve the problems. Besides, some
things cannot be forced upon others; for example, although small children
have a pure heart, it is unlikely that one can teach them how to have
universal love for others. We have gradually learned to have loving
kindness for others only after experiencing much suffering in life and
then realizing the painful results of being selfish; this is also a kind
of enlightenment. Hence, it is impossible for one to force others or
control others, all one can do is simply to manage oneself.
Chanting Amitabha is a kind of enlightenment; the process starts
with taking charge of oneself; then when one's mind becomes pure, the
society would have one less bad person and less problems. Starting from
there, when you can practice to the degree that you can make others feel
impressed and touched, only then can you function as a Bodhisattva. If you
are not mature and knowledgeable enough, but you think you are practicing
the Bodhisattva's path and intervene in others' business, insisting on
your views without seeing that you are speaking without sufficient
understanding of the matters; how bad would that be? You would be simply
messing up others' business! Therefore, the practice of chanting
Amitabha entails profound insight and mature considerations; it is
actively solving fundamental problems in the world. Think for yourself,
how many minds are so pure as to be capable of enduring such solitude and
constantly chant Amitabha? How many? It is not an easy practice.
However, when you are getting bored and lonely but you can still persevere
with the practice, that boredom by itself would become an assisting
condition for the development of your mental strength. Those who chant
Amitabha well are no longer bothered by worldly matters. Therefore,
he or she would not be greedy and would be free from the suffering due to
greed. Facing a given situation, some may feel angry, but others may say
there is no need to be annoyed, and still others may even not be disturbed
at all-- those who can do this are liberated from it. Therefore, when you
chant Amitabha frequently, you are naturally liberated from many
things. While others are suffering from this and that, you would not even
have those problems; for you many problems would be transcended by just a
repetition of "Amitabha."
Who knows what will happen in life? In Malaysia traffic accidents are
very common. Although you are sound and healthy now, if you are caught in
an accident, you might even lose a limb. When encountering these
incidents, without spiritual strength, one would blame god and others.
Some would grumble for the rest of their lives, while others might need a
few years before getting rid of this attitude. If you have been
practicing, even though there is no guarantee in life, when you encounter
misfortunes, you will be more capable of handling the situation peacefully
and realistically.
So far I have not yet emphasized that chanting Amitabha can
actually enable one to receive blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The reason for my not doing so is that, generally, novice practitioners
cannot easily feel the blessings of Buddhas. Therefore, I started the talk
with only general principles. However, all sincere practitioners who have
had certain miraculous experiences should also inform the public of such
facts. Buddha has realized the oneness of all, and has transcended the
limits of time and space. When you believe in Buddha and chant his name,
you can easily become connected to him. From my own experiences in
Buddhist practices, there is no way to describe fully the sensation that
one experiences when one receives blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
It can only be described by a comparison to receiving a charge of
electricity. A force would suddenly surround your entire body, and one's
feeling of the body will be gone. Blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
are truly that strong, as experienced by people like me, who have been
practicing for a long time. When you chant Amitabha, you are
gradually connecting yourself with Buddhas and are also gradually
obtaining such blessings. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us to be good, to
do good deeds and not to do bad things. When we follow these guidelines,
our personal Karma will improve and thus reducing some of our problems.
Major misfortune could thus be reduced to smaller incidents. Furthermore,
protectors of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will protect you to ensure the
safety and stability of your whole life.
If you can teach your children the practice of chanting
Amitabha, they will have protection that no one can take away! If
you give them worldly things instead, the more you give them, the more
troubles they will have. If they cannot manage those things, it will be
very troublesome, and they might even become the victim of others'
avarice. We should be mindful of Buddhist practices; they are genuine. I
have learned that someone is about to pass away tonight, and some of you
will attend him by chanting Amitabha during his final hours. This
illustrates how useful the chanting of Amitabha is. For that dying
person nothing except chanting Amitabha can really help now. Some
people who had practiced chanting Amitabha for a long time, when
dying, urged others to help by chanting Amitabha loudly because
they realized that chanting was really helpful at the time of dying. The
problem of death is mainly due to people having lost their innocence in
life. Ideally, the processes of birth and death should both be natural and
relatively painless. When a child is born, since he or she is so pure and
innocent that the body is very soft and tender, he or she experiences
comparatively little pain. Why do we suffer so much when dying? It is
because the body has been entangled and stiffened for the entire life.
Ordinary ways of thinking involve too many worldly considerations and
calculations; as a result, ligaments and wind channels are either
convoluted or blocked. All of this will gradually happen with aging. At
the time of death, when one's consciousness is trying to leave the body,
can you imagine how tormenting it would be if the ligaments and wind
channels are either convoluted or blocked? Very much so, of course.
However, if you start the practice of chanting Amitabha now, after
a long time, both your body and mind will gradually loosen up, and death
will then become just a natural process without suffering. That is why for
those who had practiced chanting Amitabha for a long time, their
bodies would still be soft and supple even after many hours have passed.
As those people had solved the problems related to death before death
actually comes, death then becomes only a natural process without
suffering. Life is unpredictable; no one knows when death will arrive.
Chanting Amitabha will eventually yield fruitful results. It is good for
the practitioner as well as for others.
There are also other ways to practice Buddhism, such as meditation,
Chan, Tantra, etc. So, why do we advocate chanting Amitabha?
Generally speaking, we are all occupied by worldly matters, career and
family, and we do not have enough time to concentrate our efforts
completely to practice. Of course, it would be best to practice full time
but, just as only a few people in the whole world can work up to compete
in the Olympic games, full time practitioners are also very few. It is
impossible for ordinary people like most of us to attain a high level of
practice immediately. However, if you are willing to do training at home
and participate in local tournaments, you may gradually become capable of
participating in the Olympic games. Those more profound methods of
practice require full devotion in order to obtain any results. However, if
we can start with chanting Amitabha regularly, then when the pure
thought of Amitabha, Amitabha, is continuously ever present,
we might be able to devote fully to the practice of meditation, Chan or
Tantra.
A safe and stable practice for ordinary people like us is the step by
step approach of chanting Amitabha. There is no need to form an
organization, lest there would be a lot of problems related to personal
relationships, interests, etc., jeopardizing the whole purpose of
practice. Everyone's view differs; so even when each individual has good
intentions, there could still be disputes. For example, when an old father
is seriously ill in bed, his sons and daughters, due to their love for the
father, could quarrel over whether or not it is better to bathe him. Some
think that bathing is good for him, but others think that bathing could
cause him to easily catch cold afterwards. Each side would insist on their
own views to the extend that fighting could erupt. Things in the world are
indeed very difficult; serious conflicts can still exist even when
everyone wants to do good.
Chanting Amitabha would reduce these kinds of problems. Each one
needs only to do well with one's chanting practice; and there is no
possibility of being misguided or deceived. Everyone just chants
individually until the benefits are really felt, then one would know how
to advise others on chanting Amitabha. As to advising others to
adopt this practice, you need to proceed gradually because it cannot be
pushed. For example, when you see someone suffering, you can counsel that
person to open up, help him or her see that life is impermanent, and there
is a way to go from vexation to liberation. There is one more important
point: when a person is suffering, would he or she open up easily just
because someone else tells him or her to do so? Of course not! Can he or
she let go just because someone else tells him or her to do so? Of course
not! Without the spiritual strength built from chanting practices, when
you suffer very much from illness and physical weakness, what can you do
to obtain relief? The situation would be totally different for those who
have regularly practiced chanting Amitabha because those people
would have already opened up and let go of worldly sorrows a long time
ago. That is the result achieved inconspicuously through years of chanting
Amitabha. If the force of your chanting practice is strong enough,
you would not suffer in situations where others would. This kind of
liberation will be achieved only through long-term diligent practice. Why
would you not suffer in those situations? Since you are all loosened and
unclogged inside, you will naturally feel different. You can see that the
top of my head was originally going to become bald, but, after all these
years of practice, new hair is now coming out again without any medical
treatment at all. That shows, as long as you practice well, the body and
mind will change naturally. The reason I am talking about this, is to help
people understand that chanting Amitabha is useful; helping a dying
person by chanting Amitabha is also very useful. Besides, chanting
Amitabha is also very useful for calming one's mind.
In general, as long as you can make it a habit to practice, you may
also choose to chant sutras or certain long mantras. However, I prefer
advising people to chant Amitabha. Why? The purpose of this
practice is ultimately to help us in situations of life and death. In case
of an emergency, like a dangerous car accident, you need to be able to cry
out "Amitabha" immediately without even thinking about it, and, at
that moment, only this pure thought should be in your mind. Even when one
is old, weak, or sick, etc., one would not have to be bothered to remember
what the next sentence is. After all, there are only four syllables to the
word Amitabha. You simply need to say "Amitabha, Amitabha," and can
easily rely on it. If you can get into the habit of chanting, you need to
chant most urgently at the time when you suffer the most. You would then
have a chance to pull yourself out from suffering and vexation. How could
you spare yourself from suffering if you do not have something to rely on?
So this point is very important; the chanting amounts to a lifesaving rope
that you can hold on to in case of an emergency.
In the ultimate sense, "one should abide nowhere while the mind
arises;" we do not need to abide anywhere! Isn't chanting Amitabha
"abiding somewhere?" However, when the ultimate has not yet been achieved,
one needs something to hold on to; otherwise, how could we get help?
Besides, that the mind "should abide nowhere," does not mean to be tied
down by the concept of "abiding nowhere" and refusing to get hold of
anything. What immediately follows is "while the mind arises;" that is to
say, one should have no attachment on one hand, and to lively apply
oneself on the other hand. So, actually, chanting Amitabha is
exactly in accordance with "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." Why?
Right after I chant "Amitabha," it has passed by already; i.e., the
"Amitabha" just chanted is already in the past, and I am not
staying with that word. What I now chant is a new instance of
"Amitabha." This is an instance of lively applying oneself! If
fact, a true understanding of "one should abide nowhere while the mind
arises," would lead to lively activities and limitless applications,
instead of being tied down. The flexible and lively original state is
called "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." Who said that all the
instances of "Amitabha" chanted are the same one? You are just
being tied down by the concept of their being the same word. If you can
liberate yourself from the sphere of this concept, each "Amitabha"
you chant is a new one. When you are chanting Amitabha, you are
also practicing "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." You are
practicing lively application, practicing to achieve pure application such
that this thought is simply "Amitabha."
If your mind can be purified to the extent that only "Amitabha"
remains in your thoughts, then you will gradually approach Samadhi while
you practice the chanting. You do not need to learn meditation separately,
the same Samadhi experience would naturally arise during your chanting of
Amitabha. If you can achieve this in your thoughts, i.e., achieving
purity and liberation with the thoughts, you will gradually realize the
state of liberation in form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You could
even achieve liberation while watching television-- even though the scenes
on the screen could be very violent or indecent, when your mind is pure,
you would see them as no different from "Amitabha."
That may sound too abstruse; nevertheless, you need to understand that
eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are basically one entity. You need
only to learn to be pure in the applications of the six senses: form,
sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental activities. However, it is very
difficult to purify the complex experiences all together; hence, you
should start from the thoughts. When you achieve Samadhi in thinking, then
that experience will gradually and naturally spread to other senses.
Therefore, chanting Amitabha will not result in being confined to
Amitabha; rather, with the help of "Amitabha," one would
become a lively person.
What is the meaning of "Amitabha"? It means infinite life and
infinite light. Infinite life means limitless in time, and infinite light
means limitless in space; the most important emphasis is on this
"limitlessness." Implied in this "limitlessness" is "oneness." The Buddha
light of Amitabha illuminates all. It does not illuminate only you
without illuminating others; Buddha illuminates everyone equally. Besides,
Amitabha Buddha is everyone's primordial Buddha nature; in other
words, we are originally like that. Therefore, when one attains liberation
as a result of adopting Buddhist practices, one has simply returned to the
original state. This attainment is not like winning championships in
sports where continuing efforts are needed to remain on top. Liberation,
however, is just a returning to one's original purity.
When you start chanting Amitabha, you know that Amitabha
means "limitlessness," but, after practicing for a long time, you would
transcend the sphere of meanings. Genuine "limitlessness" must transcend
even human conceptualization. In guiding us the Dharma begins with using
concepts because we are all living within the bounds of concepts. All
concepts are limited and making distinctions; how then can we break
through the bounds of concepts? We say "Amitabha" means
"limitlessness," meaning that first we need to abandon the limitation of
all other concepts. This is not to say that eventually we cannot make
distinctions. We will still be able to make distinctions; otherwise, how
can Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin, Chenrezig) transform into thirty two kinds
of emanations to give salvation in whatever way that is most suitable? He
can still make distinctions and make use of the distinctions flexibly
without being bound by the distinctions. The problem facing us is that
once we make distinctions, we are bound by them. Hence, Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas teach us limitlessness, telling us not to be bound by
distinctions, and to learn compassion of the same entity, to be able to
open up, love and serve others. After chanting Amitabha for a long
time the thought will become pure; once the thought is pure,
conceptualization will naturally disappear. The meanings do not disappear
purposely. If there is any intention, then one still remains in concepts
and can not get out. Without any intention, the transcendence occurs
naturally. After practicing for a long time, thoughts will become very
pure, just "Amitabha." Thoughts of "Amitabha,
Amitabha . . . " continues without considering the meaning.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us Limitless-Oneness, and they also pass
down many ethical rules to regulate our lives so as to assist in gradually
attaining Buddhahood. However, when we unexpectedly encounter events in
life, we ordinary people would not be able to remember so many rules; what
we need is a very basic principle for practical guidance. This principle
can be described from two sides: the active side is to open up, the
passive side is to let go of attachments. We are now very limited-- we
would feel very troubled about many things mainly because our vision is
limited, and we might blame others or our fate by grumbling. However, as
you grow older and have seen more of life, you might say, "Luckily, things
were not any worse. It could have been even worse." When faced with the
same situation, you might have suffered much when you were young, but then
you look at it again when you get old, you could feel that it was actually
not too bad. Therefore, when we learn Buddhism, we are learning the wisdom
born of our predecessors' accumulated experiences. Thus we might spared
ourselves avoidable suffering. We should learn to open up: always take
into consideration the long term consequences and all various
perspectives. Looking at others' situations and realizing that there is so
much suffering everywhere, you will easily become liberated from your
preoccupation. If you tell others these principles when you help them,
then they would also be able to let go of their worries easily.
Opening up on one side, and no attachment, i.e., to let go, on the
other side. Worldly things are ultimately of no avail; what really is your
money? The instant you die, the money will no longer be yours. However, if
while the money is still in your hands you can use it to benefit others,
then those benefitted would gratefully acknowledge, "It was given by so
and so; it was done by so and so." and thus the money became truly yours.
Only money spent for the common well-being will become truly yours. If you
let it just sit there, that is not really yours. Zhu Yuanzhang was an
orphan at an early age, and hence became a Buddhist novice monk because he
had no other way to feed himself. Nevertheless, eventually he conquered
all of China and became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. If your
children are really capable, you do not need to worry about them;
inheritance could even turn out to be a burden. If you leave a huge
inheritance to your descendants who are incapable of handling it, they
might become the target of some malevolent persons. It would be better to
simply let them live happily on their own. What you can really give and
benefit them are these Buddhist teachings; these teachings would enable
them not to become preoccupied with comparing and competing with others.
Then they would live peacefully and happily for the rest of their lives.
That is all I can think of right now. If you have any questions,
especially questions about the practice of chanting Amitabha,
please by all means ask me. As long as you have a clear understanding, you
will chant Amitabha with more interest and confidence. One
additional practice worth recommending is a weekend retreat. A weekend is
one and a half day long in Malaysia, so Dharma friends can take turns in
practicing and supporting retreats. The key rules to follow in conducting
retreats are the prohibition of speech and the confinement of one's sphere
of activities. For example, you can specify a room and a washroom as the
boundary of your retreat and stay within it. During retreats, do not
answer telephone calls; do not read newspapers, magazines and letters; do
not allow visitors; do not watch television or listen to radio; and do not
talk to yourself either. In retreats, you can chant Amitabha,
prostrate to Buddha, read sutras and scriptures. You can still have three
meals, bathe or shower, sleep, but no snacks. This is to practice solitude
and concentration on Dharma practice. If you can endure solitude, your
vexation would lighten while your spiritual strength would grow alongside,
then you can handle problems in life more easily. Please do practice!
A Question from the AudienceQ: I do not have an altar at home;
May I just light up three incenses in the morning and then chant
Amitabha in sitting?
A: Yes, you may do so. One good thing about the practice of chanting
Amitabha is that it can be done anywhere, and cleanliness is not a
problem. Women can chant the holy name during menstruation or while
delivering babies. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are like loving parents who
would not be deterred by the dirtiness of their babies' excretion but
would voluntarily clean it up. One can chant even in the toilet or
anywhere else. The main purpose is to achieve Limitless-Oneness through
chanting. Therefore, you can chant at any time, and try to chant
continuously all the time. Chanting Amitabha may seem very simple,
but you will realize that indeed it is very difficult once you are
actually practicing it. For novice practitioners, right after the first
chanting of "Amitabha" and before the second one begins, many
scattered thoughts would have arisen already. It is very difficult to
achieve the state where there is not a sense of separation between any two
consecutive chants of Amitabha. It is very difficult to maintain
the continuity of chanting Amitabha in one's heart. Very profound
efforts are involved in achievements of this practice!
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