Clearing the Misconceptions ::: Part II
by Yun Xing (Lin Ai Wei)

We will begin with the understanding the method of reciting the Buddha's Name. It is a quite lengthy explanation which will take eons to describe it in its full wonderful context, but here, we will just take a small look$B!D(Bwhich will be lengthy.

Reciting the Buddha's name is an expedient of cultivation that has been utilized in a religious setting, as perceived of by non-Buddhists and some Buddhists alike. Firstly, some of the main reasons for reciting the Buddha's name is to always keep the Buddhas on one's mind. Constantly in a mind of remembrance, not of a past tense, but of a present one. Always having the Buddhas on one's mind, one will speak with a mind of a Buddha, be compassionate with the mannerisms of a Buddha, always be in a state of Patience as a Buddha, and be "merged" in the sea of pure Wisdom as a Buddha. Recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name in sincerity will also result in being born in his Land of Ultimate Bliss. To learn more, please read the sutra; 'The Buddha Speaks the Amitabha Sutra'.

The qualities spoken of above are cultivated all within Buddha name recitation. How so? Because all Buddhas of the Ten directions are these qualities when being expressed through the minds of living beings. When the mind is of peace, one will radiate peace. When the mind is of anger, one will radiate anger, and all who come into their presence will inherently detect anger. What is of the mind will be that which is experienced. Since we can always experience what is of the mind, why not cultivate to experience that which is good?

There is more that comes with Buddha Name Recitation. Who's name is being recited? Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land. The next few lines will be taken from Xuan Hua Shangren's commentary on the meaning of Amitabha Buddha's name because it is only wise to utilize a higher understanding when speaking of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Taken from a commentary on 'The Buddha Speaks the Amitabha Sutra' by Shifu Xuan Hua Shangren:

"Amitabha, the next word in the title, is a Sanskrit word which means "limitless light." Amitabha's other name, Amitayus, means "limitless life."

"But," you might ask, "the Sutra says that it has been ten kalpas since Amitabha realized Buddhahood. Ten kalpas is a definite length of time. Why do you speak of 'limitless life' and then measure it out in time?"

Amitayus, "limitless life," refers to his blessings and virtue "Limitless light" refers to his wisdom. His wisdom light is limitless and bright. Limitless life, limitless light. Not only are his blessings, virtues, and wisdom limitless but so are his spiritual powers, his eloquence, his attributes, and his teachings. There is no way to count them because they are infinite, nowhere present and nowhere absent.

Where did the limitless come from? Mathematicians should know that the limitless comes from the one. One is many and many are one. A scholar once wrote a book and said, "Large numbers are written by starting with one and then employing many place holding zeros. Keep adding zeros until the space between heaven and earth is filled. When you have written all over your walls and covered your floors, can you determine the total? Couldn't you still add another zero? Numbers are endless."

Amitabha Buddha's life, wisdom, merit, virtue, and Way-power are all infinite and unbounded. If you want a big figure, go ahead and write columns of zeros.

Knowing that there can be no definite total, the Buddha, who is the perfection of intelligence, just said, "Limitless and uncountable." Mathematics can explain infinity, and scientists have sent men into space to study it, but having arrived in empty space, there's still more empty space beyond. There's no end to it.

Numbers go on infinitely and in this way we can understand the vast expanse of Amitabha Buddha's blessedness, his virtue, and his wisdom. Therefore he is called Amita.

Both Amitabha and Shakyamuni Buddha were people who became Buddhas. They did not descend from the heavens or ascend from the depths of the earth. As people they cultivated the Dharma and now they are sages, people who have realized the result.

According to the classification of Sutra titles, this Sutra is established by reference to a person, but not a person like us. He is a Buddha, one who has realized the result. We are living beings; we have not realized the result, but are cultivating the cause of Buddhahood. Once Buddhahood is realized, we will be sages. This sage's name, Amitabha , is used to classify the title of the Sutra. "

Recitation further deepens one's roots of the Buddhist school of cultivation in their minds, and builds momentum for when their seed ripens into a plant, and the plant brings forth the fruit of Bodhi (enlightenment). You can't eat it though! Recitation keeps the mind in a one pointed focus. As from the above excerpt on the commentary on the Amitabha sutra, Amitbaha is us and we are Amitabha. Therefore, we are reciting our own mind, pushing away the accumulated knowledge, and transforming it from mundane thoughts, to less attached ones which make the mind lighter, and more resonant with the Buddha mind.

We keep in mind that repeating a name over and over again brings the images and mind of such name. That is what happens in Buddha name recitation. Reciting the Buddha's name over and over again reminds us of our true nature, and those qualities. The benefits are too vast to describe in full detail, and the mannerisms of doing so are not sufficient. But we can touch on the surface.

In this expedient, one is putting faith in Amitabha and his virtue and wisdom as well as in rebirth in Amitabha's Buddha land called the Western Pure Land. A vow of Amitabha is that if someone sincerely recites his name 10 times, they will be reborn in his Western land of Ultimate Bliss. If you want to know more about the Western Pure Land, you can find it by google searching Amitabha Sutra with commentary by Xuan Hua Shangren, possibly spelled Hsuan Hua Shangren. It is too much to go into in such a manner as this one. Just keep in mind that all lands are not lands, but are called lands for the sake of saying so, and Buddha Lands are actual places. All is of mind, and of no mind, and neither of the two. Recitation also keeps one's mind in a proper posture so as not to be taken by emotions, desires, demons, etc.

One can recite Amitabha Buddha's name, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva's name, or any of the endless amounts of Buddhas and Bodhisattva's names as well. This will also create affinities with them.

Reciting sutras have a similar function as reciting the Buddha's name. Reciting Sutras is to plant the tools of attaining enlightenment deep into the mind-ground, to always remember the teachings, and set forth towards teaching others about them. Sutras are keys to awakening to our causes and conditions, to attain complete pure enlightenment. Constantly reciting them keeps the doors of Patience, Wisdom and Compassion wide open, and results in illuminating the mind. Remembering Sutras creates affinities with the Buddhas who spoke them, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas the Sutras are concerned with. This results in various outcomes which are too numerous to list, but assist one greatly in their cultivation of the Buddha Dharma.

Part Three of Clearing the Misperceptions