Does the Language Matter?

Question: Since I am an Australian English speaker I find it easier to say 'Amitabha' than to say 'Amituofo'. Is it OK if I chant this when I play the chants?

Something that I wonder about is this: I have spent a lot of time in the past chanting Sanskrit mantras. I have understood that the Sanskrit language is the oldest known language and possesses certain unique qualities and that its sounds are very pure and resonate very powerfully within the body-mind.

Therefore I have difficulty in accepting that sounds from the vernacular of Chinese or other cultures can be as pure and as powerful from a spiritual standpoint as Sanskrit.

What is your view on this?

Also, do you consider 'Namo Amitoufu/Amitabha' to be one of many possible mantras that could be chanted, with the effect being equivalent, based on the quality of absorption or one-pointedness during the recitation, or do you believe that there is some unique and special power in this mantra?

Response: Very good question!

In our practice of mindfully chanting "Amituofo" we are trying to form a connection with him. It is the state of mind rather than the language we use that enables us to attain this connection. Thus the purity is in the mind, not in the language, which as used here serves as a tool.

Beings throughout the universe may chant “Amituofo,” or “Amitabha Buddha,” or “Adida” or “Amida” or whatever the Buddha's name in their language is. So while Sanskrit may be the oldest language in existence at this time on Earth, for eons an infinite number of beings have chanted and attained rebirth by chanting in other languages.

As an American English speaker, I chant "Amituofo." Amitabha in Chinese is Amituo. Buddha is fo. So when we say "Amituofo" we are saying "Amitabha Buddha." Amitabha is his name without his title of Buddha. For me it feels uncomfortable to call a Buddha by his name without adding his title. It feels comparable to being a child and addressing someone much older and infinitely wiser by his first name.

The uniqueness of chanting "Amituofo" is that by doing so I can form that connection with him. When I do so, I am asking for his help that he pledged in his vows. It's like raising my hand in class and asking the professor a question. Since he announced at the beginning of the class that he would help all those who ask questions, I am confident that he will respond. We connect when I say his name and look at him, and he says "Yes?" and looks back at me.

With a Buddha, when this connection is made, we are one.

The choice of what we chant depends on our goal. My goal is rebirth in the Western Pure Land and so I chant the name of the Buddha of that land. So for me this name is special.

Constant Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha

Question: I am reading "Changing Destiny” by Master Chin Kung, and on page 202-203 it speaks about our mind having zero thought and attaining “stillness of thought”. I can only wonder that the only time possible to do this is being in the state of meditation. My problem is that pretty much all the time I’m always thinking of something or either fantasizing about something good happening to me. Also I have been trying to meditate, but even then I can’t seem to blank everything out, but I try hard to breathe and just chant “AMITUOFO”.

So, what I want to know is, if I’m in meditation and a thought comes to mind, but I still chant “AMITUOFO” and try to block it out, can I still get to “One mind undisturbed”?

Honestly its Really Really hard for me to just not think of something. I always have wondering thoughts going threw my head, and I fantasize a lot, actually. I like to fantasize of happy times or what I wish my life was like or could be like in another lifetime. Also, am I wrong to wish I can “pass away now” and come back in another life as some type of Rich star or celebrity? Cause I do this all the time, I’m always fantasizing about being of wealth, but I must admit I’m always giving and helping others in my fantasies!

Response: Welcome to the world of meditation!

It’s when we try to quiet and focus the mind that we realize how many thoughts we have. It takes practice—a lot of practice—to gradually eliminate all those thoughts. While we’re still having them, no, we have not reached One-mind Undisturbed. First, we have to attain Constant Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha. As Master Chin Kung has said:

“One should first achieve Constant Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha. When one achieves this, one is able to control one’s wandering thoughts, afflictions, and residual habits, so that they will not arise even though they are not yet eradicated. One will not give rise to afflictions or anger in adverse conditions nor will one be attached to favorable conditions. When one achieves this, one is guaranteed to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. However, one must be careful and maintain this state. We should know that we have severe afflictions and residual habits, which we have accumulated over uncountable eons. When we are not vigilant for a moment, they will arise. Therefore, we must remain vigilant at all times.

When one achieves One Mind Undisturbed at the phenomenal level, one has complete control of one’s afflictions and residual habits without intentional effort. When one achieves One Mind Undisturbed at the level of noumenon, all the afflictions and residual habits are turned into Bodhi and are truly eradicated. The state of One Mind Undisturbed at the level of noumenon is the same as that of enlightening the mind and seeing one’s true nature in the Zen school. In this state, one has eliminated a part of ignorance and thereby attained a part of Dharma-body. Not everyone can attain this state. But everyone can attain Constant Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha if he or she is willing to follow and practice the teachings in the sutras diligently."

So you can see, even this state is very difficult for us to reach. And this is why we need to practice so much.

Good Roots, Good Fortune, and Favorable Conditions

Why is that world called Ultimate Bliss? Because there is no suffering there. Why is there no suffering? Because a good teacher is teaching there, and all the beings there have matured good roots.

But it is different in our world. In this world, we do have a good teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, who is no different from Amitabha Buddha. It is just that the direct rewards in this world are not good. Why? Because the beings in this Saha world have deep-rooted afflictions and residual habits, and many karmic obstacles. It is very hard to teach them and to transform them. Even if Amitabha Buddha were to teach here, he would not be able to help them as they would not accept his teaching. The Saha world cannot compare with the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Why does every being in the Western Pure Land have matured good roots? We should know the reason. Amitabha Buddha attained Buddhahood only ten kalpas ago, so the Western Pure Land is like a newly established world. On the other hand, this Saha world is like a place that has existed for thousands of years. Many faults and bad habits have been accumulated for generations and it is hard to change them.

The Western Pure Land is a place that Amitabha Buddha built for the purpose of learning and practicing, and in the beginning there were no beings. Where did the beings in the Western Pure Land come from? They immigrated from the worlds in the ten directions. In order to emigrate to the Western Pure Land, they had to meet one requirement. That requirement is that one must have matured good roots, good fortune, and favorable conditions. It is clearly stated in this sutra: “One cannot be born in this land with few good roots, good fortune, and favorable conditions.”

It is truly a rare opportunity to learn of such a beautiful world. If we want to be reborn there, we must have ample good roots, good fortune, and favorable conditions. We may be able to rely on others to help us where favorable conditions are concerned but we have to cultivate good roots and good fortune ourselves. Others cannot help us with these.

Having good roots means that one is able to believe and to comprehend the teachings in this sutra. Having good fortune means that one is willing to practice according to the teaching and is able to attain realization. Favorable conditions are external. The most important favorable condition is to meet a truly good teacher who introduces this Dharma door to us. We already have this favorable condition.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

Thoughts from a Patriarch

 

We hope you enjoy this new screensaver

from the Amitabha Gallery.

The words were written by Great Master Yinguang,

the 13th Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism.

 

 

What is "Renunciation"?

We often hear about renunciation in Buddhism. For the vast majority of Buddhists, renunciation does not mean giving up a worldly life and becoming a monastic. It means letting go of one’s attachments. The Buddha showed us how for he had no attachments to this world. Unfortunately, as ordinary beings we are still very much attached to the world in our every thought. Although the Mahayana teachings emphasize substance rather than form, if there is substance, it will certainly be reflected in form. Therefore, if our thoughts transcend this world, our behavior will reflect this.

How will our behavior reflect our thoughts of transcending the world? We will not be attached to anything in this world, be it a good reputation, money, or our five desires of wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. Our every thought will be like those of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. For ourselves, we come to this world to cultivate, which is to train and discipline our minds when we encounter various situations. We are here to test ourselves to see if we still have wandering thoughts and attachments to this world. For all other beings, we are here to teach and help them on behalf of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. We should have the Buddhas’ great compassion and skillful means to help all beings, who are suffering in this world.

We help different people achieve different goals. We help people with a superior capacity to end the cycle of birth and death, to transcend the Three Realms, and to be reborn in the Western Pure Land to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. We help people with a medium capacity to end delusion and attain awakening and to advance to a higher stage in their cultivation. We help people with a dull capacity to plant the good roots of enlightenment.

In other words, regardless of a person’s capacity, we should benefit him or her impartially, like Buddhas and bodhisattvas do. On our part, we are impartial at the level of inner truth and the level of phenomena when it comes to helping beings. On the part of the beings, they are equal at the level of inner truth but are not equal at the level of phenomena. For example, when we teach Buddhism, we teach everyone to the best of our ability. But people will understand the teachings differently so some people will grasp more, others less. This is because every being’s good roots, good fortune, and conditions are different.

To renounce the world is to see through the truth of impermanence, to let go of all wandering thoughts and attachments, to attain freedom of mind and spirit, to accord with proper conditions, to be mindful of Amitabha Buddha, and to aspire to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra