472 The Religious Phenomenon of "Buddha Chanting" / Psychoanalysis and Implications of Modern Practice | Chen Yuxi

Beast Press: This paper by Professor Chen Yuxi gave me a new understanding of the practice method of "chanting Buddha". Also share with fellow practitioners.

The "other power" blessing of enlightened saints can help practitioners realize liberation more quickly, which is a common religious experience in Buddhism and other spiritual traditions. However, relying on other power is not to deny self-reliance, but to abandon ego-attachment and self-determination of false minds, so that Amitabha is not disturbed by false minds, and Faer naturally inspires the Buddha-nature potential and spiritual activity of Buddhists to realize life. Therefore, "other power" is actually "self and other non-duality". If you think that "Buddha is great wisdom and power, but ordinary people can't do anything", and confronting ordinary people with Buddha, it will lead to the negation and suppression of self-potential and spiritual motivation, so that people who recite Buddha can't "encounter" with Buddha and develop compassion, love and truth. confidence.

Title: Religious Phenomenon/Psychoanalysis and Modern Practical Implications of "Buddha Chanting"

Author: Chen Yuxi (Honorary Professor of Foguang University)

Published: New Century Religious Studies Vol.13 No.1 September 2014

Summary

This article explains from the religious phenomenon/psychological analysis that "confidence" is not only a natural feeling yearning for infinite divine power, but also a driving force for spiritual awakening. It can eliminate greed and hatred and pain and troubles, and guide religious people to enter the door of liberation or salvation. From this, it is argued that the confidence of "reciting Buddha" should not only be the pursuit of the pure land of the next life, but also "deliver oneself" through absolute trust in the divine other power, let go of ego and pursuit, and let all beings and Buddha be one with the "non-duality" Confidence" can arise, realize that the pure land of the heart will be pure, and now to live in the pure land of one's own heart is the "ultimate concern" of the Buddhist chanting.

The "other power" blessing of enlightened saints can help practitioners realize liberation more quickly, which is a common religious experience in Buddhism and other spiritual traditions. However, relying on other power is not to deny self-reliance, but to abandon ego-attachment and self-determination of false minds, so that Amitabha is not disturbed by false minds, and Faer naturally inspires the Buddha-nature potential and spiritual activity of Buddhists to realize life. Therefore, "other power" is actually "self and other non-duality". If you think that "Buddha is great wisdom and power, but ordinary people can't do anything", and confronting ordinary people with Buddha, it will lead to the negation and suppression of self-potential and spiritual motivation, so that people who recite Buddha can't "encounter" with Buddha and develop compassion, love and truth. confidence.

This article uses multiple theories to prove the mysterious experience of "the name is the Buddha". The name of Amitabha Buddha is used as a "sacred symbol", which contains the infinite potential of Buddha's wisdom, and the "Word" of Christian theology condenses the wisdom of God. Like the whole information, we can extract the cocoon from the religious phenomenologist Eliad's theory of "sacred manifestation", the principles of Tantra, the philosophical discourse of the Kyoto School, and the ontology of Mahayana Buddhism, and guide practitioners how to "meet" the Buddha through names. , to experience the great compassion and wisdom of Amitabha Buddha and achieve spiritual transformation.

Key words: Buddha-chanting, non-dual faith, name is Buddha, divine manifestation, self and other non-dual, divine symbol

Religious Phenomenological-Psychological Analysis of Nienfo (Mindfulness of the Buddha) and Its Implications for Modern Praxis

Chen, Yu-hsi

Professor Eeritus, Fo Guang University

Abstract

On the basis of religious phenomenological-psychological analysis, this article expounds faith as man's natural feeling of fascination towards the infinite Divinity, and simultaneously a motivating force of spiritual awakening, capable of eradicating greed, hatred and mental afflictions, thus leading the aspirant to the gate of liberation and/or salvation. From this standpoint we argue that the faith of nienfo (mindfulness of the Buddha) should not only be directed towards the Pure Land after life, but more importantly towards the pure land here and now by virtue of absolute trust in and self-surrender to the sacred Other Power. Called the “ultimate concern” of the nienfo practitioner, this is achieved by letting go the neurotic complex of self-preoccupation and craving for gains, so as to arouse “non-dual faith ,” which is the awakening that sentient beings and the Buddha are one, and in which purity of the mind is experienced as purity of the sinful world.

It is a shared religious experience of Buddhism and other spiritual traditions that empowering from an enlightened Other Power can facilitate the process of enlightenment and liberation. But reliance on the Other Power does not imply a denial of self power, but rather the surrendering of self- willed calculations to make room for the omnipotent Amitabha Buddha to spontaneously inspire the infinite potentialities and initiatives of our Buddha nature for the purpose of spiritual liberation and/or salvation. Hence the Other Power is ontologically identical to the self-power. If the aspirant erroneously thinks that “the Buddha is all-knowing and all-powerful while we ignorant sentient beings are impotent,” thus setting sentient beings in opposition to the Buddha, this misconception can lead to the denial and suppression of our potentialities and initiatives, making it impossible to “encounter” with the Buddha and arouse the heart of love and compassion as well as true faith.

Using multi-theoretical expositions, this article seeks to interpret the mystical identity of the Name with the Buddha. That the Name of Amitabha Buddha as a sacred symbol embodies the infinite potentialities of the Buddha's wisdom, merits and virtues is analogous to the assertion of Christian theology that the Word (Logos) epitomizes the total message of wisdom of God. We delineate this mysticism by applying the theory of “hierophany” as expounded by Mircea Eliade, Buddhist esoteric doctrine, the philosophical discourse of Kyoto School and the Mahayana Buddhist ontology on Ultimate Reality, showing aspirants how to “encounter” with the Buddha through the Name and experience His great wisdom and compassion so that spiritual transformation can be actualized.

Keywords: Mindfulness of the Buddha, non-dual faith, mystical identity of the Name with the Buddha, hierophany, ontological identity of self-nature and the Other Power, sacred symbol

Introduction: Rethinking of "Self Power" and "Other Power"

The purpose of this article is not to discuss or expound the method of reciting Buddhism according to the teachings of the East Asian Pure Land Sect, but to try to capture the essence of the Pure Land Sutra from the broader perspective of Buddhism/Buddhism and religious phenomena/psychology, and from the perspective of "life reality" Starting from existential circumstances, we will re-discuss the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism such as "confidence", "recitation of Buddha", "Amitabha", and "pure land", and see if we can force out some new meanings that can be generally understood and accepted by modern people. , as a theoretical reference for Buddhist practice and self-healing.

In the study of comparative religion, we have noticed that there is a fundamental difference between Buddhism and other religions, that is, the issue of self-rescue and others' salvation. Almost all religions take the worship of the divine other force as the core of their belief, and all religious activities are carried out around the relationship between man and god; but Buddhism excludes belief in external gods and focuses on the development of inner Buddhahood. Other religions obtain spiritual support from Shinto beliefs and find a place of refuge for the soul; however, Buddhism believes that Shinto beliefs cannot solve the great matter of life and death that humans create karma due to ignorance, and sink into sin and reincarnation due to karma. Other religions believe that human beings are humble, small, weak and limited, and must humbly trust the great and infinite divine other power, so that life can be sustenance and return to the embrace of God after death; Realize that the truly infinite and absolute divine power is nothing but the true nature of sentient beings’ own minds, that is, true Buddha-nature, and the essence of true Buddha-nature is also “non-substantial” emptiness, and there is nothing in the universe. ——including the divine power——is the "substance" that exists objectively outside the mind. Through correct practice, we should get rid of the delusions of the ego, purify the defilement of greed and hatred, and make the Buddha with compassion, great love and liberation wisdom. Sexual potential is manifested. True Buddha-nature is the "true self", so it cannot be the object of self-worship and pursuit; if the divine power is worshipped and pursued as an external physical object or "other power", even if the spiritual power can be obtained Profit, after all, does not contribute to the fundamental liberation of life and death – despite the experience of the supreme god (God/Brahman), salvation, and liberation (moksha) experienced by the spiritual traditions that emerged in the Middle East, the West and India hundreds of years after the Buddha’s death. What is eternal happiness (sat chi ananda) or immortality (eternal life beyond birth and death)? I am afraid that it is not something that Buddhists in the Buddha's time or even later generations can understand. In addition, in the Buddha's time, the religious beliefs of Brahmins in India and the activities of worshiping gods resulted in many drawbacks, which further prompted the Buddha's teachings to draw a clear line with the religious beliefs. In Buddhism, the "devotional faith" of human beings in the divine otherness since ancient times (see the discussion in the Raccoon section for details) has been replaced by the ultimate reality of the super-divine "truth" (emptiness) and Buddha-nature. Instead of "rational faith", the path to liberation from the Dharma has naturally parted ways with his salvation.

The so-called "atheism" (actually supertheism) of Buddhism's self-rescue theory developed later, not only was it not accepted in Shintoism, but there were also different voices within the religion, and even tit-for-tat propositions. The first was the advent of the Buddhist Pure Land Three Classics. In addition to the practice of the Six Degrees and Ten Thousand Paths, there was another method of salvation that relied on the original vow of Amitabha Buddha. The sage Nagarjuna of the Madhyamika school also created the "Ten Abodes Vipassa Treatise". , put forward the views of "difficult way" and "easy way", the latter referring to his recitation of the Dharma door. At the end of the fourth century or the beginning of the fifth century AD, there was another Bodhisattva of the world who wrote "On the Pure Land" (formerly known as "The Sutra of Infinite Life", or "The Treatise on Rebirth"), which proposed the practice of meditation and Buddha recitation. The combined "Five Mindfulness Doors". The development of these Indian Buddhism is just a new "easy way" of reciting Buddha in addition to the traditional self-reliance liberation method, and does not mean that "other power" is opposed to "self-power". However, after these Pure Land Sutras were spread to East Asia, the Pure Land Sect developed, and advocated that all beings in the Dharma-ending age have deep karma and shallow roots of wisdom, and they simply do not have the ability to practice the "Sacred Path" (a Buddhist practice method other than Pure Land), and even if they do, they will not be able to. If there is achievement, only by reciting Buddha's name and reborn in the Pure Land is "right conduct", and all methods other than Buddha-chanting are reprimanded as "miscellaneous practices", and those who recite Buddha's words are advised not to practice "miscellaneous practices" at the same time, and so on. , distinguish between the "Sacred Way Gate" and the "Pure Land Gate", and use "other power" to oppose "self-power". In addition to criticizing "self-reliance", this Pure Land doctrine also seems to imply a backlash against mainstream Buddhism's emphasis on "reasonable faith" rather than "religious faith". But on the other hand, there were many Zen masters and eminent monks and great virtues with a broad vision of Buddhism in the past dynasties in China, such as Yongming Yanshou, Hanshan Deqing, Lianchi Suhong, Ouyizhixu, and other monks and lay Buddhists in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In their view, self-reliance does not conflict with other forces, and the Pure Land Gate and the Holy Path Gate are compatible.

The author does not intend to get involved in the controversy over sectarian consciousness, nor does it advocate that one must focus on chanting Buddhism, or that those who recite Buddhism must also practise a particular method, because this is a question of individual skills and the causality of learning Buddhism. ” to make decisions, rather than denominational doctrines/dogmas. There are three motives for writing this article: First, since no one in other major religions and spiritual traditions is drawing the line between so-called "self-reliance" and "other-power", such as Catholicism, Sufi Islam, and the thousand-year-old tradition in India. Years of "devotional movement" (Bhakti, English translation "Devotional Faith"), while worshiping the supreme God and saints, developing faith and love, but also doing a lot of "good works" (good works), including prayer, Confession, praise, Bible reading, contemplation, dedication, gratitude, charitable service, etc. They "deliver themselves" (self-surrender) through their devotion to the Supreme God, guide the life and devotion of virtue, cultivate the strength of faith and integrity, receive love, faith and salvation, so as to obtain the transformation of life and "Regeneration". Such a practice method is a combination of self-power and other power, rather than relying on self-power or other power alone. Based on the fundamental Buddhist principles of "self-nature Amitabha" and "self-nature and otherness", this article argues that Amitabha's "other power" and the "self-indulgence" of his own Buddha-nature are inseparable; The denial of self-reliance by any other force will have a negative impact on Dharma practice (see Section 5 below for details). Second, the original meaning of "Buddha" in Buddhism (Buddhanusati in Pali, "mindfulness of the Buddha" in English) refers to mindfulness of contemplation, mindfulness, contemplation, remembrance, and admiration of all Buddhas (including human Buddhas). Compassion, wisdom, merit, and good light are not just referring to the name of chanting Buddha (namely chanting Buddha must contain mindful contemplation, which is the original meaning of "Buddha chanting". For details, please refer to the discussion in Section Lu below). Such "Buddha recitation" can help the practitioner establish an intimate connection with the Buddha-nature of one's own mind (self-nature Buddha) and immeasurable Buddhas (Buddhas of other places), cultivate compassion, love, liberation wisdom, and the "non-duality of faith" to be explained below. ”, which is of great benefit to the practice of Buddhism. Third, since "recitation of Buddha" has been simplified as the name of Amitabha Buddha, and it has been misunderstood as being specially constructed for the dull and ordinary people in the age of the end of the Dharma, many people regard Buddha's recitation as a simple and simple thing and disdain to study. The author hopes to clarify this misconception through this article, and point out that the original meaning of Buddhism is "recitation of the Buddha", which is a practice that has been inherited from various schools and schools since the original Buddhism, and is an important part of the Six Degrees and Ten Thousand Practices. The "Three Sutras" and "Six Thoughts" of the original Buddhist "Ahan Sutra" are headed by "Buddha chanting" (mindfulness of the Buddha, mindful thinking, memory, contemplation, contemplation, admiration, etc.), the Mahayana Bodhisattva Way The "Ten Faiths" in the practice of the fifty-two level also include "recitation of the Buddha". In particular, there are those who advance. From the fifth patriarch Hongren and the sixth patriarch Hui Neng down to Linji, Caodong, Fayan, Yunmen and other sects, there are outstanding Zen masters who advocate the inheritance of Buddha chanting. Master Won Hyo (617-686), an ancient Korean monk, has extensive access to scriptures and has a sharp root, but it is said that the more diligent he practiced Buddhism, the deeper his understanding of the Pure Land method. The atmosphere of meditation. [1] In particular, it is worth mentioning that the masters of the Ming and Qing dynasties in China advocated the "Buddha-mindfulness Samadhi", which is a combination of meditation and purification, saying that the mind-nature of all living beings is originally a Buddha and has the same true nature as all Buddhas. All Buddhas and Amitabha, with a single thought, generate pure confidence, enter the Samadhi of Right Concentration, and realize the self-nature. This kind of practice method of contemplating the Buddha in meditation, using the wisdom of contemplation and the confidence of other forces to eliminate self-attachment and delusion, and to reveal the Buddha-nature of one's own mind, should be able to make up for the mainstream Buddhism's emphasis on self-power and despise other power, and the emphasis on self-power and contempt for other power. "Reasoning faith" and ignoring the lack of "devotional faith", let us reconsider whether the "confidence" in Buddhism should have a deeper, broader and richer connotation, so as to break through the bottleneck of Buddhist practice.

A Religious Psychological Analysis of Dace and "Faith"

Whether in theistic or atheistic practice, the development of "faith" is the key to attaining liberation or salvation, and Buddhism is no exception. However, the Buddhist texts have only touched on the virtues of "faith", and have not made in-depth and systematic explanations and analysis. Therefore, they have not been able to provide guidelines for the development of faith for Buddhist practitioners. Professor Sung Bae Park, a Korean scholar who is famous for studying the relationship between Mahayana faith and enlightenment in Western Buddhist circles, once pointed out: "Although the concept of faith plays an important role in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, it is widely used by modern Buddhist scholars. They have neglected, not only in the West, but also in the East. Even with the large number of scholarly works published in contemporary Japanese Buddhist circles, no systematic major research on Buddhist faith has been published—except for the other-power faith of Pure Land; Relying on self-confidence has so far been almost completely unexplored. So the concept of confidence constitutes a big gap in our understanding of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism.”[2] Park believes that one of the reasons for this problem is that “although many Buddhist scriptures Emphasizes the importance of faith, but says little about the nature of faith, and it is unclear. Even "Mahayana Awakening of Faith", the key treatise on Mahayana faith, has not discussed the topic of faith. Extensive discussion and analysis."[3] In addition, the author noticed that the "Inscription of Faith", one of the main works of Zen Buddhism, and the explanation of the "Ten Faiths" of the Bodhisattva Tao by Huayan Sect are equally brief and unclear, and cannot make people understand "Faithfulness". What is the essence of "? What is the significance? Other teachings about "faith" generally emphasize the belief in doctrine, such as faith in cause and effect, faith in the Three Jewels, etc., but they do not touch the core of "faith".

This article believes that if we want to understand the meaning of "confidence", we should first turn to Western theology and religious phenomena/psychology, and then go back and reflect on the "non-duplicity of confidence" in Mahayana Buddhism and the "confidence and joy" in reciting the Dharma. Can see into the mystery of faith. First of all, we notice that Westerners understand religious "faith" (or "faith") as a natural feeling of the finite ego longing to return to the infinite absolute divinity. This view first appeared in the writings of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), the founder of German Protestant theology and religious phenomenology in the nineteenth century, who defined "religion" as man's desire to "establish a direct relationship with the Infinite". The miracle of relationship" is "the desire of the finite ego to dissolve into the infinite, not the preservation of the finite ego," so he speaks of the desire to pursue personal immortality (or soul immortality, "personal immortality"). Actually it has nothing to do with religion. Shi believes that religious faith is a kind of "feeling" and also a kind of "intuition"; the "feeling" mentioned here is the same as the general feeling of emotions and desires, although the word "feeling" is used, But it is not an ordinary emotion, but a higher sentiment beyond ordinary emotion, or "sacred emotion", which represents "deep need in man", that is, the above-mentioned return to infinite divinity. spiritual needs. [4] In his famous book on religion, The Christian Faith, Shi also pointed out that faith is "feeling of absolute dependence upon God". Synthesizing Shi's point of view, I interpret the meaning of "absolute dependence" as follows: the deepest layer of human self-consciousness is the seat of "God-consciousness", which is "the purest in human nature". Part", all religions in the world, whether higher or lower, arise from the divine consciousness, and the "primary need of man" is to return to this divine consciousness. In other words, on the spiritual level, man has the fundamental need to abandon the limited ego and return to the infinite divine source, and man’s faith in God “is nothing more than an unshakable feeling of absolute dependence (to God).” . [5] Protestant theology cuts in from here to talk about the truth of "salvation by faith"; the father of American psychology in the early twentieth century, William A. The Psychology of Religion by William James (1842-1910) has a rich and insightful account of this (see further down in this section).

Another theologian who studied faith was Paul Tillich (1886-1965). He explained faith (faith, or "faith") as "ultimate concern", pointing out that faith is "the passion of the finite (people) to yearn for the infinite (God)", which is the ultimate concern of people. He said: "The reason why the human mind yearns for the infinite is because the finite (man) takes the infinite (God) as its home. When the finite enters the infinite, all its needs are fulfilled. (fulfillment).... When human beings experience the presence of divinity in person, they will spontaneously have a devotion to the ground. This is the deepest expression of the relationship between man and the divine. Every act of faith and ultimate concern that comes from the heart, Everyone can experience this relationship.”[6] Here, Tian and Shi, like Shi, interpret faith as human’s natural feelings of yearning for, trusting, and surrendering to the infinite absolute divinity. As for why human beings yearn for divinity as their spiritual refuge? Neither Shi nor Tian gave any further explanation, but Rudolf Otto (1869-1937), an earlier religious phenomenologist than Tian, made a psychological analysis on this point. He pointed out that people have a "creature feeling", that is, as a creature, people feel that they are humble and insignificant, so when facing the great and majestic divine Other, they will spontaneously generate "a mixture of feelings of awe and fascination. "(the numinous); man feels guilt, remorse, and self-abasement for his "evil action", and thus "desires the intimate presence of the divine (numen) to overcome being a creature." sense of unworthiness" and atonement for himself. Otto says that Christianity expresses this "mysterious need" for redemption more fully and effectively than any other religion. [7] Deduced from the principles of transpersonal psychology, "created consciousness" also includes the following three points: (1) The individual existence (human) split from the wholeness of the universe, conscious of isolation and incompleteness, and a desire to return to the original primary unity. (2) The finite mortal human beings hope to return to the infinite and sacred origin of life. (3) Buddhism believes that the inherent "ignorance" (Avidya, which can be regarded as a part of "created consciousness") of all living beings motivates them to create karma, and suffer sin and suffering because of the karma. Suffering is the existential nature of life. The essence of all things in the world is unsatisfactory/unfulfilling (unsatisfactory/unfulfilling, the author notes: this is another meaning of the Pali word Dukkha for "suffering truth"), that is, all happy feelings are impermanent arising and passing away, There is no such thing as the true nature of happiness that people think it is. Only by returning to the true nature or source of human beings (self-nature nirvana) can one obtain true, eternal and ultimate well-being (bliss). From this point of view, the pursuit of enlightenment, liberation, nirvana or salvation should not be regarded as the whims of a few people, but as a universal desire, spiritual need and ultimate concern of human beings, but for most people, this The original emotion is covered up by the ignorance and karma of greed, hatred and delusion, and it is temporarily invisible. At the same time, it is also defiled by the greed and hatred and becomes impure. This problem is especially serious for modern people who are greedy for material gratification.

To sum up, human beings, because they think they are limited, humble, insignificant, and isolated, and because of their sinful karma, are sinking and suffering, and longing to return to the divine source of omniscience, omnipotence and love for redemption, so that life can be "full", or the Indian religion ( "Eternal Bliss" ("Nirvana") pursued by Buddhism. This kind of feeling is what Tian Like calls "ultimate care", that is, "confidence". Confidence has a process of growth. What I just discussed is only the initial level of confidence. With this initial level of confidence, there will be unconditional and absolute trust and surrender to the infinite divine power, and will be willing to "deliver" oneself to Him. This means giving up stubborn self-will, habits, and craving for worldly fame, status, desires, etc. The fact that faith grows is evident from the fact that many monotheistic believers develop devotion to God through prayers that engage in body, speech, and mind. in William. In James's treatise on the psychology of religion, "self-surrender" means letting go of worries and worries about personal health, safety, and other interests, "to trust God completely, and to give up the deep-rooted, personal dependence on oneself. the habit of strength", "let go of that clinging mentality, surrender your destiny to a higher (divine) power, maintain a sincere indifference to what destiny will turn out to be, and you will find yourself Not only a complete inner liberation, but also those benefits that you really want to give up. This is redemption through self-despair, which is what Lutheran theology says, for true regeneration. death...". [8] James said this is "saving by faith". In his book, he quoted a story often told by missionaries: a man lost his footing on a mountain road at night and slipped off the edge of a cliff. Fortunately, he grabbed a branch and clinged to it for several hours, until he was exhausted and let go. On the ground, it was only then that he realized that he was only six inches off the ground, but he was clinging to it, causing himself to suffer. The missionary said, "Just as Mother Earth will catch the falling man, so will the hand that always reaches out to rescue will catch us as long as we put our trust in God completely and surrender ourselves to Him." James also pointed out that religious people No matter how great the difficulties and adversity you encounter, as long as you "aware that your entire life is protected by a power that you absolutely trust" and "zealously commit yourself to this power", you will be able to calm down the troubles and trouble people in ordinary times. Remain peaceful in the midst of distressing adversity, and live in "the paradise of inner peace." [9] The above shows that the further development of faith is to hand over oneself to the divine power that one trusts; when religious people can constantly abandon their own tenacious will, subjective likes and dislikes, greed and hatred and other "self-clinging", and unconditionally submit to God will receive more and more faith, love, happiness and hope. The power of faith and love is constantly strengthened in the process of human beings and God, and finally the ego dissolves into the divine self. , there is regeneration, the transformation of sinful mortal life into the life of pure and innocent saints. But the lives of saints still have to be continuously improved through "good works" (various practices and charitable services), and finally reach eternal life beyond life and death, which is the consummation of faith and the salvation of "saving by faith".

The above discussion of Western theology and the phenomenological psychology of religion is helpful to the understanding of Buddhist faith. Buddhists want to study the Buddhadharma, or even become a monk. The ultimate concern for life. Like other religions, this initial belief is the driving force behind continuous study, but the following spiritual path is not a devotion to the divine other force. Except for some emotional and ceremonial actions, such as worshiping Buddha, chanting, repenting, etc., which are similar to Shintoism and help to activate the above-mentioned original feelings, Mahayana Buddhism generally relies on self-reliance to realize the unfathomable This is where the difficulty lies. Faith at this time is the belief in the doctrine or wisdom, and it has a binary opposition between "believers" (practitioners) and "believers" (believers, namely "Buddha" or "Buddha"). From the standpoint of the Mahayana path of liberation and the path of the Bodhisattva, if practitioners stay in the duality of ability and existence, they will not be able to attain enlightenment and liberation. Because all duality and opposition are delusions extended by ego, you have been cultivating in delusions of ego, how can you realize the Buddha-wisdom of "no-self"? Therefore, in the practice system of Huayan Sect and Zen Sect, the initial belief must be elevated to the “enlightenment belief” or “ancestral belief” of “I and Buddha are inseparable”, “the nature of all beings is the nature of all Buddhas”, and this is the beginning of real practice ( After enlightenment, he began to cultivate), which is called "believing." The so-called "enlightened faith" is the "non-duality faith" that transcends the power of the mind and directly realizes "I am the Buddha" or "I am the Buddha"; "patriarchal faith" is the realization of Faith is the pure faith that the patriarchs have learned without thinking or teaching, and the pure faith that now realizes "I and the Buddha are not two" is relative to the "doctrinal faith" of ordinary practitioners. There is a belief or wisdom that can be opposed, such as belief in "I have Buddha-nature, so I will become a Buddha in the future", where "I" means I can believe, and "I can become a Buddha in the future" means belief). Zuxin (Enlightenment) is free from energy, that is, true faith does not need to have an object (belief), nor does it have a subject (I) who can “believe”, so it is called “non-duality confidence”, which is beyond the ability (subject and object) two. The real awakening of the original consciousness of Yuan opposition. [10] According to the insights of Li Tongxuan, the great scholar of Huayan Sect in the Tang Dynasty, Zongmi, the five patriarchs of Huayan Sect, and the ancestors of Korean Yuanxiao and Zhina, the “faith” of the fifty-two stages of the Bodhisattva proposed in the Huayan Sutra already contains The component of enlightenment and faith in the highest stage of wonderful enlightenment (Buddhahood) is the realization that "I am the Buddha" and "the nature of all beings is the nature of all Buddhas". There is no binary opposition between "believing" and "believing", that is, comprehension. There is no self, no one is opposite to me, and all living beings are one with me. However, what this initial enlightenment achieves is only the "baby Buddha", which requires a long process of care and care to achieve The complete achievement of the Miaojue position. In fact, the fifty-two stages are all harmonious and unobstructed dialectical relationships that penetrate and negotiate with each other, rather than an independent or one-way continuous relationship. [11] As far as Zen is concerned, as soon as a practitioner enters a Zen forest, he must realize in his daily routine that “I am a Buddha” and “My mind is a Buddha, and this mind is the Buddha’s mind”, which means that there is no entity in the body and mind. The "I" exists, so no one is opposed to me, things are separated from me, all living beings and all things are originally one with me; the conscious activities of seeing, hearing, awareness, and everything inside and outside the body and mind are all "own treasures" (Buddha-nature) that function according to the causes and conditions of the world. , there is no entity (no self-nature) available due to conditioned origin, that is, there is no "I" that dominates seeing, hearing, awareness and physical and mental activities. This kind of insight can finally break the ego and realize the empty wisdom of "no-self". Another profound meaning of "I am a Buddha" is that since I am already a Buddha, there is no room for the existence of false consciousness that can be opposed by "I can become a Buddha" and "there is a Buddha to achieve". The object (object) that can be pursued by "I" (subject) is the false view that transcends the opposition between subject and object (possible), and it is also the true meaning of the Buddhist teaching "Do not seek Buddha outside your heart". It is said that when Bodhidharma, the first ancestor of Zen Buddhism, came to China, he said, "I came to China, not to teach you how to become a Buddha, but to tell you: You are already a Buddha!" How profound is his intention! Bodhidharma means that Zen practitioners should get rid of the delusions of ego and energy, and realize that their own mind is the Buddha's mind. The compassion and wisdom of Buddha-nature have already operated in the Zen practitioner's own mind. This is the unique faith of Zen Buddhism. So far, it should help readers understand what Sengcan, the third patriarch of Zen, pointed out at the end of his "Inscription of Confidence": "Confidence is not two, no two confidence, words are broken, and there is no future." Being non-dual with the mind of a Buddha is a non-dual truth that transcends the duality of life and death, human and self, good and evil, and also transcends time and space.

Contrasting with the faith of Western religions mentioned above, we deliver ourselves through trusting and surrendering to God, and finally achieve the unity of the ego (human) and the greater ego (God). "Salvation can be said to be the ultimate meaning of "Salvation by faith". It can be seen that on the subject of faith, although Buddhism does not follow the line of belief in other forces, if the differences of "teaching and faith" are put aside, in terms of the natural feelings of the first believers and the ultimate "non-duality faith" (enlightenment), Buddhism and Shinto have something in common.

Confidence in "Buddha Chanting"

A lot of space has been devoted to the discussion of faith, in order to find a common model of faith, and to demonstrate that the faith required to "recite the Buddha" is also inseparable from this model. The mainstream Pure Land religion in the Han tradition teaches believers to believe that they are "ordinary people who live and die in sin". They have fallen into the six realms for countless kalpas, and have no chance to escape. This is "the opportunity to believe." In addition, they deeply believe that Amitabha Buddha's forty-eight vows can help me be reborn in the Pure Land. Faith". According to the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism, if you can have these two "deep beliefs" and recite the Buddha diligently, at the moment of believing and accepting Amitabha's original vow, you will already have the right cause for rebirth, and you will be reborn in the Pure Land when you are about to die. The problem is that the greed and hatred habits of ordinary beings are deeply rooted, and it may be difficult to develop true confidence in these "religions". Therefore, at the beginning of this article, I said that "recitation of Buddha" should be discussed from the perspective of "the actual existence of life" - you are willing to Chanting Buddha or pursuing other practices is because you personally feel the sin and suffering that exist in life. There are many sources of sin and suffering, including what Western existential psychology calls "existential vacuum" and sense of meaninglessness. , guilt, mental/emotional distress, or other adversity, these are your own feelings, so there is no question of belief or unbelief, but they can fuel a motivation to seek salvation in religion or other spiritual practice Or liberation, when this motive activates the original emotion mentioned above, there is the arising of first faith. If you have a relationship with the Pure Land Dharma, this faith will push you to chant Buddha, but you must have a strong desire to be reborn in the Pure Land, and have no doubts about the "teaching and belief" that Buddha Akuta can hold you to be reborn in the Pure Land. Doubt, you can't respond. This is indeed a problem for modern intellectuals, so it is necessary for us to look for the source of faith in Buddha recitation in addition to "religion".

Confidence always grows in the "recitation of Buddha" and the communication between the person who recites the Buddha and the Buddha. First try to see if you can gain the above-mentioned confidence for rebirth in the Pure Land from "reciting Buddha". If you can, that's great; if you can't, don't be discouraged and don't give up "reciting Buddha." It turned out that in addition to believing that Amitabha’s original wish can help those who recite Buddha reborn in the Pure Land, there is a deeper and broader connotation and broad space to explore. First of all, ask yourself: Why not create the Pure Land in this life first, and instead pursue the Pure Land after death? Of course, returning to the infinite life and the divine origin that transcends life and death is the ultimate concern of human beings, as mentioned above, but this divine origin is not separated from the life of this world and exists in the world after death. opposite. The Pure Land and the road to the Pure Land do not exist objectively outside of your heart, but are developed by your confidence and love; the Pure Land is not a ready-made thing that exists in the first place, nor is it a land of nowhere that does not exist in the first place. It is the result of Amitabha Buddha's merits and the power of his original vows, which only manifested in accordance with your pure faith and the good karma of your practice. Therefore, if you are attached to the interests of your own rebirth in the Pure Land without caring about the need for other people and sentient beings to be reborn, the path to the Pure Land may become narrow and the vision of the Pure Land may become unreachable. If you have no real confidence in the "religion" that "reciting the Buddha" can help you to be reborn in the Pure Land, or you have no interest at all, then let go of this thought for a while! Start with the things in the world that are easier to believe in to develop faith. For example, believing that the Buddha is a force full of compassion, love, and pure light, and reciting the pure name of the Buddha instead of delusional thoughts can help us eliminate the defilements of greed and aversion, sin karma, and the pain and afflictions in real life. Regarding this point, Master Lianchi of the Ming Dynasty has a very practical method for reference. He said that when we have negative emotions about unsatisfactory things, we immediately raise the Buddha’s name to remind ourselves that we are Buddhists in the world of Amitabha Buddha, how can we talk to the world? General knowledge? Immediately after returning to the light, he turned his anger into joy, and continued to recite the Buddha with one mind, so that his troubles would fall away. [12] Such confidence is easier to arise without doubt. Furthermore, maintaining a conscience-conscious awareness of personal wrongdoings, self-reflection, repenting of one’s own mistakes, and praying for the blessing of Buddha’s power to help us correct mistakes or bad habits are also effective ways to cultivate sincere confidence. Beginners recite the Buddha with such simple and true faith, and let the pure and bright energy of the Buddha help us to let go of ego, get rid of greed and hatred, and eliminate sin karma. The right view of Buddhism. As long as faith is real and pure, it will continue to grow and improve through meditation, meditation, worship, admiration, prayer, repentance, etc., because faith is a dynamic, lively spiritual force, not static. A dynamic state of mind, and its final destination is always toward absolute trust in the divine otherness (Buddha/God). At the end of this section, Master Qinluan's absolute trust in the Buddha and his teacher is the best example.

If your personal circumstances permit, you can draw inspiration from the aforementioned Western theology and religious phenomena/psychology, and deeply realize that in the depths of your self-consciousness, there is a natural feeling of yearning for and trusting in the infinite divine origin, like a clear spring hidden in a deep mountain, As long as you awaken this feeling of absolute trust in the divine power through proper practice, let go of yourself, and no longer cling to your personal rebirth in the pure land or the gain or loss of the world, as long as you wholeheartedly trust the Buddha's great compassion, great wisdom and great aspiration, Humbly surrender to Him and fully surrender yourself to Him, and slowly you can feel the divine other power that transcends yourself naturally operating in the depths of your heart, giving you new life energy, and bringing you confidence and compassion Love, joy and hope, life begins to have a new meaning, and even the surrounding environment seems to become more peaceful and beautiful, the body and mind are shrouded in the immeasurable light of the Tathagata Dharmakaya, immersed in the boundless sea of grace of Amitabha, this is the world The Preliminary Appearance of the Pure Land. It is not what you ask for, but the grace you naturally receive by being willing to let go of your own attachments and sincerely dedicate yourself to the power of Amitabha. You must receive the Buddha's salvation in this life, so that your life can be transformed inwardly, and you must say goodbye to the old habits of clinging and greed, hatred, and ignorance. You are now living in the boundless sea of grace from Amitabha. Where will you go after you die? The law of cause and effect of the universe - the natural operation of Amitabha's power - has its own proper arrangement, and you don't need to worry about it at all. You don't have to ask for rebirth in the Pure Land in the future, because the Buddha has promised you this in the Three Pure Land Sutras. If you ask again, it means that you do not have true confidence and absolute trust in His promises. All you have to do is let go of your stubborn self-will and the old habit of clinging to self-centeredness through absolute trust in the Buddha, as James said. Such "other power" faith is in the same vein as the aforementioned Western theological faith.

Here, the author would like to share a little personal practice experience: when reciting Buddha and meditating, I remind myself that I do not recite and meditate in order to seek personal rebirth in the Pure Land and liberation from birth and death, because this is what the Buddha has promised, so why should I pursue it? Just as the Zen practitioners say, "I meditate and meditate not because I want to become enlightened and become a Buddha, but because I am already a Buddha." Similarly, I meditate not to gain personal benefits, but to connect with the Buddha. Heart-to-heart exchange, express sincere resignation, absolute trust, gratitude, admiration, piety, respect and love, dedication, repentance, introspection, determination to let go of ego, and willingness to deliver oneself... Sincerely abandon the old habits of self-interest, turn to the right thinking of altruism, think of others in everything, and care for the interests of all living beings. Right view, believing in solving altruism is self-interest, just like helping one's own children is helping oneself, there is no separation and opposition between self and others; helping those in need without selfish motives, devoting wholeheartedly to work and practice without thinking about the results, Don't be attached to the concept of "cultivation". If you practice without cultivation, do without action, and do without action, you will naturally no longer accumulate greed, aversion and karma to restrain yourself. Every day in the communication with the Buddha, such self-awareness, vigilance, introspection and repentance of one's own mistakes will make the confidence become more and more pure.

The pure faith continues to grow and improve, and finally achieves the "non-duality of faith". The English text of Pure Land Buddhism interprets such confidence as "deep spiritual awakening", that is, the realization that the compassion, wisdom and power of the Buddha appear in the mind of the Buddha, and Amitabha transcends life and death, human beings, good and evil, etc. The infinite life (infinite lifespan) of dual opposites flows into the limited life of the ego, making the ego and the Buddha one, that is, "I and Amitabha are not two." This awakening enables the Buddhist meditator to return to the origin and true nature of life, where death no longer exists, and the Buddhist meditator overcomes the confusion of life and the fear of death. This awakening also brought the Buddha's compassion, great love, and pure light, so that the "sacred feelings" such as sincere trust, gratitude, admiration, joy, respect, and surrender to the Buddha spontaneously arise in those who recite the Buddha. Master Qinluan explained the "non-duplicity of confidence" in his masterpiece "Teaching, Practice, Faith and Evidence" as follows: "Those who say "one thought": confidence has no two hearts, so it is called "one thought", which is called "one heart", and one heart is pure It is the true cause of retribution to the land.”[13] This is based on the ultimate Buddhist interpretation of the Sutra of Infinite Life: “All sentient beings, when they hear their name, have faith and rejoice, and even think about it...that is, they will be reborn, and they will live without turning back. ”[14] The meaning of this sutra varies according to the depth of each person’s understanding. Generally, “even one thought” is interpreted as “even if you just recite the name of Amitabha Buddha”, you can be reborn in the Pure Land. Although this interpretation cannot be said It's wrong, but it's too superficial. Don't forget that we are talking about religious experience. In religious experience, man and divine otherness (Buddha/God) are always closely connected, and the name of Buddha is no longer a common language, but a "sacred symbol"; you The sound of the Buddha's name is not just a sound from the mouth, but more importantly, it represents the call of the Buddha's loving kindness. The Buddha recites the Buddha's call (sound his name) with a state of no self and no attachment, and realizes the presence of the Buddha. There arises sincere confidence and joy (confidence and joy). Confidence at this time not only refers to the awakening of "Buddha is with me", but also refers to the "sacred feelings" such as absolute trust, self-delivery, surrender, gratitude, admiration, joy, etc. brought about by this awakening. of "non-duality". Non-duality faith is "one thought", or "one mind". Here "one" is not a number relative to "two", but a metaphor for the absolute mind, sincerity, and pure mind that transcend duality (non-duality). "One thought" or "one mind" is "non-dual confidence", which is the pure confidence that arises when people "encounter" with the Buddha. Therefore, Master Qinluan said that it is the true cause of the "Pure Retribution Land"; he also said: "When a single thought (non-dual confidence) arises, the karma of a lifetime is completed." Once the non-dual confidence (one-thought) arises, you will be saved in the moment, and this life will be completed. The cause of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land.

It is difficult for ordinary people to achieve such transcendental pure confidence, but by chanting Buddha to inspire sincere trust in Buddha, gratitude, admiration, piety, respect, love, surrender and other "sacred feelings", gradually let go of self-centered attachment, and cultivate compassion and love for all beings. With the boundless heart of tolerance and forgiveness, confidence will continue to grow and improve; the less ego-attachment, the purer the confidence, the more able to communicate with the Buddha, and now live in the boundless sea of grace of Amitabha, and live in a certain grade of pure land after rebirth. , The land of peace and happiness, you don’t have to be bound by karma and sink into the six realms of reincarnation. But you don't have to worry about this matter, just let the Buddha handle it completely. This is the meaning of absolute trust and "delivery". For example, if you completely trust a person, you are willing to hand over the keys of your home and vault to him, and let him take care of all affairs, he will be able to help you a lot; if you interfere with your own will, you will end up losing out on yourself. We need this kind of sincere trust in our worldly life and career, and in our spiritual life, we need absolute trust in the Buddha of great compassion, great wisdom, and great promise. Let him take care of us, and he will take care of us better than we can take care of ourselves. As mentioned earlier, this kind of absolute sincere trust is a natural feeling deep in the human mind and a part of the Buddha-nature of all beings, so it can be developed.

When confidence arises, the power of the Buddha naturally operates in the minds of those who recite the Buddha. At the same time, compassion, love and joy arise, making the reciters feel that life is full of hope, happiness, and meaning. Confidence encourages Buddhists to spontaneously do good deeds and help others, and give back the compassion and love inspired by the Buddha to others without asking for anything in return (called "devotional dedication"). Confidence is a natural feeling and a kind of spiritual power, that is, through the encounter between the Buddha and the Buddha and the blessing of Amitabha’s original vow, the power that arises naturally from the Buddha-nature of the heart can overcome the ignorance of greed, hatred, ignorance and ignorance. Pain and troubles bring about the transformation of life, and reject the temptation of worldly desires, and firmly walk on the path of life that is upright, innocent and true; The pure experience of transcending the world is also pure, the so-called "purity of the mind makes the country pure", and now live in the pure land of one's own mind. With this kind of pure faith, one can face the woes of birth, old age, sickness and death without fear or anxiety, because he/she is always under the mercy of Amitabha’s boundless light, and can also live in a state of peace and happiness at the end of his life (Pure Land). ) and no longer suffer from the cycle of birth and death. [15]

Master Qinluan recounted a touching story about faith in "Sighing Different Notes", and hereby interprets the gist of it as follows: After he returned to Kyoto, believers in the Kanto region due to certain karma—including rumors that Master Qinluan kept reciting the Dharma door and other sects threatened that reciting the Buddha would lead to an uninterrupted hell—shaking his confidence in reciting the Buddha, he did not hesitate to travel long distances to Kyoto to ask Master for proof, hoping that Master would give everyone a boost and strengthen their confidence. Unexpectedly, Master Qinluan replied (to the effect): "I just believe in what Master Faran taught me, "Just recite the Buddha and be saved by the Buddha", and there is no secret. If Amitabha's original vow is true, what Master Faran said If the teachings of Master Faran are true, what I have said in Qinluan will not be empty words.... As for reciting the Buddha, will I be reborn in the Pure Land? Or will I fall into hell? I can only answer: I don’t know. Do you want to believe in the original vow of Buddhahood and continue to recite Buddhahood? Or should you give up? Then it is up to you to decide!”[16] This discourse contains three important meanings: (1) Arguing that reciting Buddhahood will lead to rebirth Pure land or falling into hell is caused by the separation of the concept of good and evil. Having a separation of heart is not pure faith; (2) If the master has to guarantee that he can be reborn in the pure land, then he has the confidence to recite the Buddha, and that is not true faith; (3) When you are not sure whether you will be reborn in the Pure Land, you still choose to absolutely trust the teachings of the Buddha and the teacher, and just recite the Buddha without thinking about the result. That is true confidence. In this lecture, Master Qinluan stated that he could not find any other way to free himself from life and death due to his own experience of the real sin and suffering of life, so he absolutely trusts the Buddha's and the teacher's teaching of reciting the Dharma, even if reciting the Buddha will lead to hell. There is no complaint or regret. Such faith is pure and true faith. From the above discussion of Western theology and religious phenomena/psychology, we can know that pure and true faith is the real cause of salvation, and the gate of pure land or heaven is opened by this! As mentioned earlier, the Pure Land is not a ready-made thing that exists in the first place, but is created by your true faith and the aspiration and diligent practice inspired by this faith; the Pure Land is not a state of nothingness that did not exist in the first place, because The merit and retribution of the Buddhas' practice for many kalpas can originally achieve the Sambhogakaya and Retribution Land, but it can only be manifested when there is a sense of good karma from the true faith of all living beings. Therefore, the debate about whether the Pure Land really exists, and whether reciting Buddhahood can really lead to rebirth in the Pure Land is completely pointless. If there is any mystery in chanting Buddha, this is the mystery!

4. The deep meaning of "Amitabha"

To understand the deep meaning of the name "Amitabha", we should first review the theory of Buddhist tantra. According to this theory, the various images visualized in tantric practice, such as mandala, deity, Buddha statues, etc., are not just painted patterns, but the sacred symbols experienced by ancient sages in the deep meditation samadhi. , they exist in the depths of the human collective subconscious, representing and connecting to the wisdom and power of the universe, which pervades everything and is also latent in the practitioner's heart; The "three secrets blessing" of mudra, the image becomes a symbol of spiritual transformation, which can awaken potential wisdom and power, give practitioners a kind of energy, elevate ordinary consciousness to divine wisdom, and bring them into a spirit that transcends personalities field. [17] The names of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas revealed in the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures are also the sacred symbols experienced by the saints in the meditation samadhi, which contain the wisdom and merits of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have achieved the holy fruit; When contemplating or reciting these names, as long as you can understand the sacred symbolic meaning behind these language symbols, the compassion and wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can flow into the hearts of practitioners through the symbols (names), and achieve The meeting between man and Buddha and the resulting spiritual transformation effect is the psychological principle of "recitation of Buddha". You can "recite" (mindfulness, contemplation, recollection or contemplation) the name of any Buddha or Bodhisattva that corresponds to you. As long as you have full confidence and concentrate on it, it will have efficacies and effects. However, this article especially recommends the name of "Amitabha" (referred to as "Amitabha"), because this name has a very deep and rich connotation, and it is also closely related to ourselves; "reciting" Amitabha can not only establish an intimate connection with the Buddha , and allows us to get close to our true Buddha-nature, both of which are very important to the liberation and salvation of life.

Amida, the original Indian word for "Amitabha", means "immeasurable". The "immeasurable" of Amitabha includes "immeasurable lifespan" and "immeasurable light", which are the common virtues of all Buddhas. In addition, Amitabha's "immeasurable" also includes "immeasurable Buddhas", not only the meaning of the name itself, but from the perspective of Buddhism, one Buddha is all Buddhas, and all Buddhas are one Buddha, because "one is all, all is One" is the fundamental philosophy. The so-called "immeasurable" does not refer to the infinite in number, but the truth and reality beyond duality that cannot be measured by the concept of the mind. Therefore, the ultimate meaning of Amitabha as the "immeasurable Buddha" is that one Buddha is all Buddhas, all Buddhas. Buddha is one Buddha. Master Yinshun also put forward the view that "Amitabha is all Buddhas" based on this philosophy. [18] This is not to deny the existence of Amitabha Buddha, but to emphasize the "non-substantiality" of Amitabha Buddha and immeasurable Buddhas, that is, emptiness. Ordinary people imagine Amitabha Buddha as a spiritual entity that exists objectively in a certain place in the universe, or exists outside our hearts, so they misunderstand Buddha as the supreme god of Shintoism; If you pursue an object that exists outside your mind, you will fall into the delusional consciousness that can be opposed to it, and you will not be able to communicate with the Buddha, and you will not be able to realize the Buddha-wisdom of "self-nature Amitabha" and "I and Amitabha are not two". Therefore, the "Panzhou Samadhi Sutra" says: "When you contemplate the achievement of Amitabha Buddha, you will see all the Buddhas." In addition, in the context of the "Contemplation of the Infinite Life Buddha Sutra", the "Buddhas Tathagata" is the Infinite Life Buddha (that is, Amitabha Buddha), The sutra also says: "Whoever sees the Buddha of Infinite Lifespan will see the Infinite Buddhas in the ten directions; therefore, the Buddhas will appear in front of them because of seeing the Infinite Buddhas."[19] ) is equivalent to the immeasurable Buddhas in the ten directions. Therefore, we should not be attached to Amitabha Buddha as a Buddha with an infinite lifespan. We should know that this name represents the immeasurable wisdom, merit and light of all Buddhas and Tathagatas. This is the universal meaning of the name "Amitabha Buddha". On the other hand, Amitabha Buddha, who has become a Buddha for a long time, has his own merits and retribution, and can manifest his Sambha (Amitabha's majestic appearance) and Retribution Land (Western Pure Land) according to the good conditions of the faith of all living beings. This is the uniqueness of Amitabha Buddha. meaning. Universality and individuality are inseparable, and one Buddha is in harmony with all Buddhas. Only by understanding it in this way can we understand the meaning of emptiness of Amitabha Buddha and immeasurable Buddhas, as well as the fundamental Buddhist principles of "the mind, Buddha and sentient beings are indistinguishable" and "Amitabha and I are the same true nature." Doubt, so as to generate true confidence in chanting Buddha.

One of Amitabha's "immeasurable" virtues is "immeasurable life span". Saying that a Buddha has an infinite lifespan is a worldly conception and thinking, and in terms of Buddhist theory, it doesn't make much sense. Both Japanese and Western Buddhist circles interpret "Infinite Life" as "infinite life" or "eternal life" in which all beings and all things in the universe are one. This is a reasonable explanation. The life of the phenomenal world in the world is limited, impermanent, arising and changing, so the infinite and eternal life is not the life of the world, but the noumenon/nature of the life of the world, that is, transcending the duality of life and death, human and self, good and evil, etc. The non-dual reality, the ultimate truth that transcends the past, present, and future illusions of time, is the source of our life and the true nature of all living beings. , The great compassion of the same body is really like the Buddha-nature. In the words of Zen Buddhism, it means "I am the Buddha", or "I am a Buddha in my own mind, and this mind is the Buddha's mind." To have this realization is to return to the true nature and original face of a Zen person, and to stay away from the confusion and suffering of life. , and rest in the state of liberation and freedom; from the standpoint of chanting Buddha, it is "I and Amitabha are not two." Therefore, when we contemplate or recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha", we should deeply realize that "Amida" is the source and true nature of our life, that is, the true Buddha-nature of all living beings, and it is also the refuge of our hearts. There is no suffering of life and no shadow of death, only eternal, ultimate bliss (bliss). Only by being able to experience it in this way can we establish an intimate connection with Buddha Amitabha and countless other Buddhas, and we can always touch our true Buddha-nature. Whenever the name "Amitabha" is recited, one immediately realizes that Amitabha represents the infinite life that transcends birth and death. The deeper the experience of "no-self", the more you can understand that there is no "I" who is chanting Buddha, and there is no name that is recited by "I". Reveal its divine essence and meaning; the infinite life, compassion, love, and immeasurable light represented by the Buddha appear in the hearts of those who recite the Buddha’s name through the name, so that life can be settled, and they can live in the pure land of their own heart now, and they will be able to live after death. To be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitabha, at this time practitioners realize that the Pure Land of Amitabha and the Pure Land of their own mind are one and the same; The delusional views and delusions of nirvana, the realization of Nirvana liberation, the mind of the practitioner rests in the true nature of no birth and no birth without being shaken or regressed. "Positive Concentration Gathering" (the type of attaining the Samadhi of Right Concentration).

As mentioned above, the infinite life (infinite life) represented by "Amitabha Buddha" means an egoless reality that transcends life and death and transcends time, while "Namo" (Namo) means "return to life" in addition to respecting (Relied on Amitabha for physical and mental life). Now that you have expressed your sincerity of surrender, you must let go of your self-attachment and fully entrust your life and life to Amitabha. The old mentality should also be put down and handed over to Amitabha Buddha, who is merciful and merciful. Therefore, "return to fate" is to surrender oneself and abandon ego-clinging because of sincere trust in Amitabha. This is the essence of "other power". The meaning of "other power" is not to oppose "self-power", it does not mean that one does not have to practice hard, but to let go of the attachment of the ego and fully trust the power of Amitabha and our true Buddha nature. The founder of Japan's Pure Land Buddhism, Master Jinluan, has a unique insight into the meaning of "self-reliance". He believes that all attempts to seek enlightenment or achieve Buddhahood by self-reliance in the Dharma-ending age are rooted in "selfish ignorance" (selfish ignorance). ) calculation and motivation, with this self-centered calculation (machination/calculation), it is difficult to eradicate the ignorant habits of greed, hatred and delusion, so as to open up the great compassion of selfless altruism, and of course it is difficult to liberate life and death, and more Needless to say, one has achieved the path of Buddhahood or Bodhisattva. In this way, to gain insight into the problem of "self-reliance" from a deep psychological complex is what Master Jinluan called "the mind of self-reliance", or "the mind of self-determination". [20]

According to the author’s understanding and experience, the “mind of self-reliance” should include the following contents: (1) It generally refers to the different attachments of practitioners in various concepts, such as clinging to “Amitabha is great wisdom and power, but the ordinary ego can’t do anything.” The concept of thinking that the relationship between ordinary people and Buddha is opposite rather than one, which is self-determination; another example is that one thinks that the Buddha-nature of one's own mind has the potential for enlightenment, so cultivation can only rely on self-reliance, not God/Buddha's others. Conversely, if you use other power to exclude all self-reliance methods other than chanting Buddha, it is the other extreme of self-reliance. (2) Self-centered and self-interest-oriented mentality, such as thinking that one has achieved success in practice, that reciting Buddha has merit, or that he has a better understanding of the Dharma than others, and unconsciously causes the expansion of self-esteem and self-loathing; such as reciting Buddha, meditation Or other practices are all with utilitarian thoughts, pursuing personal enlightenment or wisdom achievement, and making oneself feel satisfied and honored; another example is selfish motives when giving to others, including greed for merit, blessing, reward, praise, etc. (3) Distinguishing between good and evil, thinking that if I am a good person, I will be able to be saved by the Buddha and be reborn in the pure land; (4) Persistent worries or uneasy mentality about personal interests, gains and losses, and future destiny as described in Section 1 of this article. (5) In the subconscious, the ego-clinging in the deep consciousness and the delusional consciousness opposed by energy always think that there is an "I" who is seeing, hearing, aware, and that there is an "I" who can recite the Buddha's name and the Buddha's name that is recited by "I". In a word, "self-reliance" covers the whole content of "ego-attachment". The reason why this concept is important is because the calculation and attachment of "self-reliance" often lie in the deep subconscious, and we often fall into it without knowing it, especially It is the practitioner who, on the surface, says to let go of ego-clinging, but in fact constantly pursues personal achievement and the praise, respect, affirmation, and attention of others to satisfy or glorify "self". stronger. This subtle ego mentality can only be detected and eliminated by relying on mindful awareness and introspection. This is why this article recommends that Buddhist meditators should be trained in mindfulness meditation, and practice observing their own originating thoughts and deep motivations from time to time.

From the standpoint of "recitation of Buddha", the fundamental method for ordinary beings to deal with "self-reliance" is to unconditionally rely on the power of Amitabha to let go of their attachment to self, and to abandon their stubborn personal will and old habits of self-interest. A person who recites Buddha must wholeheartedly trust Amitabha's original vow, completely entrust or surrender to Amitabha Buddha, no longer care about personal interests, gains and losses, and even let go of the thought of reciting Buddha for rebirth in the Pure Land, in order to communicate with Buddha. Divine communion, be blessed by Buddha's power, generate pure confidence, compassion, love and joy, so that life is transformed, and now it is a pure land. Such "other-power" faith is quite similar to the "salvation by faith" of Western Christianity mentioned in this article. The difference is that the Buddha-dharma and Buddha-wisdom as "other power" is not the external divinity of the so-called "other" and "wholly Other" described by Western religious scholars, nor is it only the merit and volition of Amitabha. It is the saving power that arises from the true Buddha-nature shared by all Buddhas and all sentient beings. The reason why this saving power can arise is because of the sincere faith of the Buddha reciters and the good conditions of diligent practice. With the blessing of Amitabha's merits and original vows, the infinite potential of true Buddha-nature can be "self-actualized". Therefore, the salvation of Amitabha's "other power" is also the salvation of self-power, and self-power and other power are inseparable. No matter what the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism and Shin Buddhism say, as far as Buddhism is concerned, the argument of "other power" can only be a skillful and convenient way to attract believers. If you don’t understand this fundamental Buddhist principle, you will say that Amitabha’s “other power” is great wisdom and power, but ordinary people can’t do anything. Therefore, they advocate that ordinary people should not do any practice except recite the Buddha; falsely deny the infinite potential of their own mind’s Buddha-nature. and spiritual dynamism, it will cause a serious "obstruction of knowledge", making it impossible for the chanting Buddha to "encounter" with the Buddha and develop true confidence (see Section 5 below for details).

Secondly, Amitabha's "immeasurable light" is the "unobstructed light" of all Buddhas and Tathagatas mentioned by the master of the world in "The Pure Land", and it is also realized by the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Master Hui Neng, "pervading the worlds in the ten directions is the light of self-nature." . In other words, the immeasurable and unobstructed light is not only the virtue of Amitabha Buddha and countless other Buddhas, but also the inherent potential virtue of the inherent nature of ordinary beings. Human beings often experience this kind of self-nature light in meditation or near-death experience. Westerners say it is "God's light", which contains God's great love and can bring physical and mental healing to those who are dying and resurrected. The power to transform life. The reason why this light is immeasurable and unobstructed is because it is like the sun, illuminating all places and all sentient beings. These defilements are why the "Amitabha Sutra" says, "The Buddha's light is boundless, illuminating the kingdoms of the ten directions, without obstacles." Therefore, when we recite the Buddha, we must consciously realize that the Buddha's boundless and unobstructed light can illuminate the ignorance of living beings ( As the ancient master Tanluan said), it illuminates the darkness in our hearts and the world, dissolves all sins, including greed, anger, hatred, hostility, jealousy, etc., and purifies all spiritual defilements, including fear, anxiety, anxiety, Guilt, low self-esteem, suspicion, persecution delusions, regrets, obstacles, etc., and guide the path and direction of our life, so that we will not fall when walking in the dark, walk through the valley of death without fear in our hearts, and live in the five turbid and evil In this world, we are not tempted by desires, deceived by wrong views, or troubled by adversity in our lives. What we rely on is the Tathagata’s unobstructed light, and the compassion, love and liberation wisdom contained in this light. To be able to contemplate and contemplate the "immeasurable light" in this way is to understand the true meaning of "reciting the Buddha".