Khenpo Yeshe Phuntsok
When you recite Amitabha with utmost sincerity, you are connecting to the mind
of Amitabha. Amitabha will immediately bless you and your mind will gradually
undergo a transformation.
As Lord Buddha Shakyamuni stated in the Contemplation Sutra, Amitabha Buddha
radiates infinite light upon countless universes in the ten directions,
blessing and guiding those who recite his name, without leaving out anyone.
Pureland Patriarch Shandao also mentioned in his Pratyutpanna Praise that the
Amitabha’s light shines universally upon those who practice
Amitabha-recitation. Amitabha’s light possesses boundless, inconceivable
functions to benefit beings. When your recitation resonates with Amitabha, you
will naturally receive blessings. The
more you recite Amitabha, the greater the joy and bliss that arises in your
mind.
Therefore, reciting Amitabha is by no means dry or boring. The peace and joy it
brings can only be experienced by those who recite with genuine sincerity. As
you continue to recite Amitabha, your mind gradually becomes purified and your
faith and feeling for Amitabha will grow and deepen.
When you reach the point where you experience the peace and joy, you will be
unwilling to stop reciting even if someone told you to do so. Amitabha’s ocean
of aspirational vows has infallible blessings. Amitabha guides and cares for
sentient beings through his light; his sacred name is a medium for sentient
beings to connect with Amitabha’s power.
As long as you sincerely recite Amitabha, the Buddha's light begin to enter
your mind. As your recitation progresses and your communion with Amitabha
deepens, the blessings you receive will also become greater and greater.
Hence, reciting Amitabha is akin to bathing in the Buddha's light. The better
you recite, the more obvious will be the receipt of blessings. It can bring
peace and strength to your body and mind; it can eliminate karmic obstacles.
Sometimes you can feel it yourself during the recitation that you are truly
bathing and immersed in the Buddha's light, your mind naturally becomes very
pure and joyful.
This is because Amitabha’s light is also called the "Blissful Light
". When you receive the blessing of Amitabha’s light, joy naturally wells
up in your mind. Furthermore, when you recite Amitabha with a sincere heart,
the dust obscuring your mind will gradually be cleared away and your virtuous
roots will be activated and manifest effortlessly more and more.
For example, your body and mind feels gentle and workable, your hairs may stand
on end, or you may find yourself weeping as you recite; sometimes a heart of
great compassion may arise, making you aspire to benefit all sentient beings
without end... These are all signs of your virtuous roots being activated.
(However, do not become attached to these signs as these are natural
processes.)
Normally, when we are not reciting the Amitabha, our body and mind remain in an
impure state of afflictions. Yet, when you recite Amitabha well, even for just
a short period of time, your body and mind feels as though they have been
thoroughly washed clean, becoming extremely pure and joyful, and your entire
body-mind feels refreshed and transformed.
From various biographies as well as the personal experiences of the Buddhist
friends around us, we know of some blind people who have recovered their sight
through Amitabha-recitation. Some have had their tumors disappear, some have
become so full of energy that they do not need to sleep much because they
receive the blessings of Amitabha’s light all day long and are free from
wandering thoughts. They have already
attained recitation-samadhi. There are even patients with terminal illnesses
who had been told by hospitals to prepare for their death, but through
single-minded recitation of Amitabha were cured of their very severe illnesses.
This is because when people reach that critical stage, they have no other hope
and their sole recourse is to single-mindedly take refuge in Amitabha Buddha.
Thus, the sincerity of their recitation produces a spiritual response very
quickly. These are all results of Amitabha recitation and receiving the
blessings.
I have told the story of Venerable Zhaoyue's mother many times. When she was
first brought to the monastery by her son, she missed her son every day, and
she spoke of nothing but worldly matters. Later, the monk urged his mother to
recite Amitabha and refused to discuss any other topics with her, leaving her
with no choice but to recite Amitabha.
In the beginning, she was extremely reluctant and only did it because there was
nothing else to do, forcing herself to recite half-heartedly. After three years
of continuous practice, she became used to it and derived great benefit. She no
longer thought about worldly affairs and achieved a rather pure practice of
Amitabha recitation.
One day, while reciting Amitabha in front of a Buddhist pagoda (stupa), her
mind suddenly opened up and all she could see was a vast boundless light. All
ordinary appearances vanished from her consciousness and she directly beheld a
golden world (ie, Sukhavati). From then
on, her six sense faculties became serene and still, and whether walking,
standing, sitting, or lying down, she no longer gave rise to any discursive
thoughts.
There was also a man named Blacksmith Huang. He was a smith who worked all day
beside a high-temperature furnace which was exceptionally grueling labor.
Later, he began to recite Amitabha while striking iron. Because his recitation
connected to Amitabha’s blessings, he no longer felt tired or miserable at
all. His mind was always restful, joyful
and deeply at peace.
The Dharma practice of Amitabha recitation is by no means a shallow or inferior
method. As long as one continuously invokes this great name of myriad virtues,
when the recitation reaches full maturity, the body and mind will dissolve into
emptiness, the duality of subject and object will collapse and one's nature of
mind will manifest and be realized. This is what is known as attaining
"One-Mindedness in Principle." (See note below)
Of course, reaching One-Mindedness in Actuality or One-Mindedness in Principle
belongs to a very high level of attainment, which ordinary people cannot
achieve for the time being. However, this does not matter; as long as your
faith and aspirations are firm and resolute, you will certainly achieve rebirth
in Sukhavati.
After being reborn in Sukhavati and having received the blessings of Amitabha
Buddha, you will absolutely attain realisation. Therefore, as long as you
recite Amitabha with utmost sincerity, the Buddha's power will produce its
function in your mind and you will reap immense benefit.
Our main goal right now is to urge everyone to get on the path; otherwise, if
you never take this first step, you will never be able to get on the path. As
the proverb goes, "The first step is always the hardest." At the
beginning of practicing Amitabha recitation, there will indeed be some
difficulties because you have never habituated yourself to it, making the
practice feel very foreign and unfamiliar.
But this is not a problem at all. As you recite over time, you will become
proficient in it and really obtain the Dharma bliss from your recitation. Right
now, we are using the power of group practice to urge everyone forward, helping
everyone get accustomed to Amitabha recitation.
People's spiritual acumen vary. Some find it hard to sustain their recitation,
this type of person needs to strengthen their faith and vows, or combine it
with other methods of practice. On the other hand, some people have very
simple, pure minds and can sustain their recitation easily, having no problem
reciting all day long. Therefore, since there are many different situations, we
must apply different methods to handle them in accordance with each
individual's capacity.
(Note: Read past posting in this group on Venerable Yuan's life of practice for
an example of attaining realisation of mind-nature through Amitabha practice.)
