Instructions on the essentials of reciting the Buddha's name and practicing Buddhism
2025-03-03
Lecture by Master Guang-Qin(釋廣欽)
Ⅰ
1.
Reciting the Buddha's name is not simple. You must let go of everything, all kinds of internal and external disturbances, and chant the Buddha's name with a pure mind. Only then can you achieve Saṃyukta (combined). You must be able to recite the six-character Buddha's name clearly and listen to it distinctly without any doubt. Other distracting thoughts will naturally disappear, and you will definitely be able to achieve one mind without chaos.
If you believe me, and sincerely chant the Buddha's name, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down, you should not be separated from this, and you can even keep it in mind in your dreams, and keep the Buddha's name in mind, without being disturbed by the six Sadindriya (organs) and dirty states. At this point, your heart will naturally not be greedy, and your mind will not be confused. When you are proficient, the Sukhāvatī will naturally appear.
Don't take it lightly!' He also said: 'You see, the moths have no offspring. Every time it picks out the little insects, it puts them into a piece of loess, and it buzzes at the little insects every day. Do you know what it is saying? It said to the little bug: You must be like me! You have to be like me! In this way, can turn other people's insects into its offspring, and once it gets out of the stagnant things, it will become a moth.
When we chant the Buddha's name and practice cultivation, we should learn from the moth, concentrate our mind and focus, and attain transcendence and sainthood. Get rid of the intrusion of organs of sense and visaya (dirt) every day, and recite Buddha's name every day. What you are reciting is that I want to be like the Buddha! I want to be like Buddha! When your achievements are mature in the future, you will definitely become a Buddha!'
"What should I do if my mind becomes distracted while reciting the Buddha's name?" Answer: 'The only way is to continue reciting and devote all your energy to the six-syllable grand name of the Buddha!'
Ⅱ
1. Reciting the Buddha's name should be long-term and uninterrupted, just like the water in a stream, no matter how big or small it is, it always flows into the sea. Reciting Buddha's name is like this. No matter how much you recite, you must persevere, recite it every day, and recite it with one heart. Recite it every day, with all your heart. When your recitation enters the sea of Amitabha's great vows, you will have hope of being reborn in Sukhāvatī. As long as anyone is willing to recite it, he or she will become a Buddha halfway!
2. How can we change the state of our hearts? Just chant the Buddha's name more often. Always keep Amitabha Buddha in your heart. The method of chanting Buddha's name is applicable to all kinds of people. People of high, medium or low aptitude can practice it. Even illiterate old ladies can practice it. It all depends on one's faith! Don't underestimate the phrase "Namo Amitabha". This phrase "Namo Amitabha" is a Mahayana Dharma. It is not easy to chant it well. Master Yin Guang said: "If you can recite Namo Amitabha Buddha well, more than enough to achieve Buddhahood." Don't worry about not having time to practice. If you can recite the Buddha's name at any time while walking, standing, sitting or lying down, you are practicing.
3. No matter what happens, just say Amitabha. To stay away from disputes, just say Amitabha. Chant the Buddha's name whenever you feel calm, and it doesn't matter if you chant until you fall asleep. Just this one word "Amitabha" can enable us to transcend the three realms and reach the Sukhāvatī. Therefore, when you encounter a state during your practice, you should pretend that you did not see it with your eyes and heard it with your ears. Do not be affected by the six dusts and do not be swayed by the state. Just keep reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha honestly.
4. We all come into reincarnation with karma, so if people who suffer from illness and pain can understand that this is karma, they should stop killing from now on and recite the Buddha's name more often, and the karma will naturally be eliminated over time.
5. Don't be afraid when delusions come, just ignore them. It is what it is. I will just keep chanting Amitabha Buddha, and my delusions will naturally decrease.
6. Chant the Buddha's name while walking, standing, sitting or lying down. If we calm our minds and recite, we will realize that our minds are running outside almost all day long, clinging to external things and not focusing on Amitabha Buddha. If you do not control your body and mind and are led astray by external circumstances, you will inevitably fall into the cycle of life and death.
7. Chanting the Buddha's name is the truly pure and proper path, and it is the path to rebirth in Sukhāvatī. If everyone chants the Buddha's name together and focuses on it, they will be able to reach Sukhāvatī. You don't need to buy a ticket and take a plane to go there, the Sukhāvatī Dharma boats are colorless and formless.
8. If you believe what I say, recite the Buddha's name sincerely, and keep the Buddha's name in mind while you are walking, standing, sitting or lying down, and even in your dreams, keep the Buddha's name in mind. At this time, your mind will naturally not be greedy, and your thoughts will not be confused, and the Sukhāvatī will naturally appear. This is a matter of life and death and must not be taken lightly.
Ⅲ
1 First of all, we should have coarse clothes and simple food and be content with what we have. Don't value gold, silver or reputation, so they can be quiet without competition. Live a simple and peaceful life to reduce your desires, greed, and delusions. The heart must always be "contented", because contentment means "desiring nothing", which is very important in the practice of spiritual practice. It was very uncomfortable and difficult at the beginning. It takes a long time of practice to get used to it. No suffering, no Taoism achievement!
2 Those who praise us are not wise teachers. Those who scold us, regardless of whether they are right or wrong, are the true good teachers. When someone attacks us, in the process of stimulating us, he is actually helping us to achieve our Taoism goals. This is called adverse conditions that lead to improvement. We should use this to cultivate the "non-self" state, so that our mind can change the environment instead of being changed by it. This is the wealth and merits of being able to be reborn in Sukhāvatī. You must accept it, bear it, and thank them in your heart for giving you a chance to practice patience. You will not become enlightened without patience!
3 When others do not do something because they do not want to suffer loss, we should do it with joy. Even if something tastes bad and others don't want to eat it, we should eat it with a happy heart. Cultivation means suffering! You need to be open-minded and open-hearted to remove the bad seeds of greed, anger, ignorance, etc. Otherwise, if you cannot bear a little loss or can't stand a few words from others, it means you have not practiced well.
4 Sincerely recite Namo Amitabha and vow to be reborn in Sukhāvatī. When chanting the Buddha's name, please do not count how many times you have chanted. Otherwise, if you become greedy and want to chant more, it will be difficult to concentrate. If you do not focus on the Buddha's name, you are not chanting the Buddha's name honestly. It is very difficult to reach the highest level: Samadhi of chanting Buddha's name. Try your best to chant the Buddha's name until you are indifferent to the surrounding environment, and maintain a pure and normal mind, neither good nor bad.
5. Use meditation to awaken the original potential of life, hoping to quickly find the immortal Buddha nature in oneself, so that "the body and mind are pure and free, and wisdom emerges to become an enlightened being."
6 Reflect on yourself and conduct self-examination frequently. Always reflect on your own mistakes, and you will be close to the "Tao"! Once you find a mistake, you must correct it immediately and adjust yourself in all situations. Everyone who wants to get rid of decades-long habits must put in some effort! When you feel "hardship and trouble", these are the tests you encounter in the process of practice. At this time, you must use wisdom to subdue the obstacles in your mind and use the spirit of practice to overcome all difficulties. Because "it is good to cultivate only if you encounter difficult state, and you cannot achieve Taoism if you don't encounter difficult state."
7 Except for the working hours of your legitimate job, do not eat, drink and have fun in your other free time. You should work hard on the points mentioned above and don't be lax. With time and hard training, you will be able to obtain Dharma joy or Dharma Samadhi. Prajna wisdom will naturally manifest in your heart, and then you will smile knowingly and understand the mystery of practicing Buddhism!
