念佛的积极面
一九九三年七月二日
讲于马六甲人生佛学中心
笔录：陈传光居士
主讲者：林钰堂
各位佛友晚安。我今天讲这个题目，是因为有些信佛的人，觉得念佛好像是低层的修行；而一些不信佛的人则误会念佛是消极、是逃避，所以我要强调：念佛其实是一件很积极的事情。首先要说明为什么要念佛。有的人说，你们这样嘴里念一念，到底有什么用呢？念佛也不能解决世间的事情；有的人甚至专门去念佛，那么这些世间的事，难道可以不管吗？
为什么念佛是一件积极的事情？首先我们要问，这世间是不是有问题？要怎么样才能真正的解决？当然一般都会说，我们从政治上、经济上用种种方法来解决。但是这些方式的解决，大家也都知道很有限。就算法律订得再好，人不好的时候，不但会去钻法律的漏洞，甚至用它来做坏的事情。但是人好的时候，就算是法律没有规定到，坏的事情也不会发生，所以根本的解决方法，还是在每个人有一颗纯真的心。
每个人的心要是纯真的话，那么不必要发生的问题就可以减少；就算是出了问题，大家都会懂得要互相帮助。我们仔细的来检讨，每个人都有生、老、病、死、种种人生问题，我们自己或是别人遇到同样的问题，你能给他多少帮助？严格的讲，其他的帮助都是很表面的，即使社会福利做得很好，大家都很帮助人，还是有人在钻牛角尖，什么事情都跟人家斤斤计较，一生过得很烦恼。
美国算是世界最富强的国家，可是你看那里的青少年，虽然有钱，郤仍有很多问题呀，吸毒，性泛滥，得爱滋病，或精神苦闷要自杀呀。他们环境很好，不像非洲没有饭吃，为什么内心有种种的烦恼和问题？这是因为没有人指导他怎么样来解决根本的人生问题呀。所以这就证明，要是心里没有安稳，外面再多的帮助，也还是不能解决问题呀。一般说来，我们只照顾自己的几个孩子都觉得好辛苦，更何况说要照顾很多人，其实不易办到。所以真正根本、彻底，能够自己得到好处并且帮助别人，还是要使人人的心里有一个平安。
那么要得到心里的平安，佛法的教导，并不是用一套理念来灌输，不是教育每个人都要一个样子做。如果用这样外在的强制，即使讲得再好，但是，每个人天生有他的需求，而世间好的东西有限，那么当然会引发私心，而起争夺，所以光是要用一种制度，叫你非怎么样不可，这是很难的。
但是佛陀教我们的是一个可以彻底解决这个问题的方法。这个方法不是靠勉强，而是说我们人基本上有很纯洁的一面，那是本来的，很纯洁、很善良的，只要这个纯真能够发扬出来，就可以超越这些私心与斗争。我们会有种种问题，是因为被身体、文化限制住，产生了种种的偏见，而形成一个以个人、一家、一国、一个社会或一种文化为中心的“我执”。你从自己这边看，有些事情我们大家都这样做，这样对我们好，就以为这就是对的、就是好的。然而遇到别的做法时，才发现其实只是两边看法不一样，不见得谁对谁错，只是你以为你对，他以为他对；这样子而已。
我们从小生长的环境，所受的教育，文化的背景，都影响到形成我们个人的偏好、偏见与偏执。我们生为人，有人的限制；例如，有些狗听得到的声音，人听不到。有的人可以看到鬼，有的人看不到；这一类的是生理上感官的限制。要是这些生理、文化的限制都能够超越，你就会了解，其实都是有情，而且这些有情，在佛证悟的时候来看都是一体。这一体的意思不是说我分不出来，这里一个人、那里一个人。而是说大家在都是有情这一点上，心其实是相通的，而且这种相通是不受时空限制的。这个听起来太抽象，甚至会引人疑问说：这种一体是不是一种幻觉？超越文化的限制还可以想像，超越生理限制那有可能？“超越时空限制”更是不知所云了！
佛在证悟的时候，他是先看到人有生、老、病、死这些问题，所以觉得有个王位也没有什么意思，这些问题来了的时候，也不能解决呀。他为了解决这些根本问题，经过很苦的修练，精神上的境界慢慢提升，到后来证到跟神明一样了。但是他很聪明，他能察觉还是有一个很细的“我执”。他最后的觉悟是破了这层最微细、最根本的“我执”，才恢复本来的样子。那么佛那个时候证入的一体，照经书所说的，就是一切众生的三世因果，都能看得清清楚楚。我们现在不是佛，怎样知道佛经上讲的是真还是假？我们信受经书靠的是什么？靠的是我们只要依照经书讲的方法去修，渐渐就会发现，我们真能超出原先认为有限制的范围。
比方说，有一次我打坐时，迈阿密有一位佛友曾宪炜居士打电话来，说他的朋友在洛杉矶去世了，叫我修颇瓦法（密宗超渡的法门）。当时我在打坐，所以没有起来接，只是听到答录机传来的声音。我一边听着，就在同时，在我右前方显出一个老人的脸，白头发、白胡子，眼睛小小的，但很有精神。等我打完坐，马上为那个人修颇瓦，又看到那老人背对着我，走进我所观的阿弥陀佛里去；他的背有点驼。等我修完颇瓦，才回电话给曾居士，说我刚刚已为他的朋友修颇瓦了；我说看到他朋友的样子，他说全对。然而事实上我从未见过这个人，连相片都没看过。打电话的人在迈阿密，去世的人在洛杉矶，我在旧金山，这都是相差几百、几千里的地方。这个事情发生，你说我有什么本事；不是呀，而是我们每一个人，心纯的时候，自然会发生的。这是因为我们本来是有这种本能。有些人也经验过这类事，比方说，自己很亲的人过世，因为关系深，他就会来跟你索取冥纸，或者他虽在远方去世却出现在你面前，这些事都有呀。
为什么这些事对我们来说很稀奇？因为我们的心有太多世间的烦恼，把我们的本能都遮蔽了。这些烦恼不是一天、两天积起来的，而是生生世世不断在操心说，我要怎么样啦，我的家人要怎么样啦，这个事要怎么样啦，计较这点，计较那点，自己计较惯了就变成跑不出去了，整天的想法只在这里面绕，连外边是什么样子也看不到，甚至因为习惯了，根本不想离烦恼而去；那么要怎么样才能出去呢？佛、菩萨教我们一种方法，是从问题形成的根本处着手。我们现在所以会得这样的结果，是因为整天只想我要这样，我要那样，已经习惯了，所以没有办法出去。那么从根本解决，就要在心里这个我怎么样，我怎么样，这根本的地方想办法，也就是把我们从“老是想和自已有关”的地方转移出去了。我们每个人的心力只有那么多，现在全用在与自己有关那边，要转移就得用一个与“我自己”完全无关的念头。用其他的都没有办法达到效果。例如数字，我们马上会联想到金钱，生日等等。但是佛、菩萨就给我们一个跟这个“我怎么样，我怎么样”完全没有关系的，这就是佛号。世间的一切是连在一起的；只有佛号是超越的。你要了解这个道理，知道这个方法是要从根本上来解决我们的问题的。念佛是一个很安稳的修法。当然我们不可能一下子被拉出去，你习惯在这里，硬要把你拉出去，你很痛苦，也受不了，但是每天念佛，就好像今天到门口看一下，明天看两下，慢慢你习惯了，就敢出去了。
你本来心的所有力量，都在“我”这边，慢慢的，今天一点过去，明天一点过去，念佛久了你自己慢慢觉得身体有些松了。平常我们因为心中纠缠得厉害，身体也都是紧张的。如果工作又忙起来，往往就会有胃痛，头痛，失眠等毛病。平常我们烦恼这件事，烦恼那件事，甚至自己也不觉察，身体因此而很紧；但是你要是念佛，好好的念久了，你会感觉身体真的自己松掉了。为什么呢？因为你原来烦恼很多，心力都执着在这些烦恼上面，以致身体很紧；现在念佛，它就慢慢一层一层的松掉。依照我自己念佛的经验，我们是从心里很微细的地方开始执着，然后影向到身体里面一层一层的纠缠上去。到最外面这是很粗的纠结，也就是我们最易觉察的身体上的不舒服处。这些粗的纠结，我们念佛、修大礼拜、做好事等等，就会慢慢松开。但是，要是没有一个彻底的诚心说我要放弃我执的话，这些纠结是不会真的解开的。您如果还设一个界限说我只能修到这个地步，那结是解不开的。
念佛的意思是要彻底的改造，就连心底最深最细的地方都要慢慢改过来，这自私的心要改过来，要了解你这个为自己的心，其实就害自己。因为你若只为自己，看事情时就看不到真相，你心里都是偏见嘛；做事情时，即使您是好人，不存心害人，您还是只想着我好就好，这就自己把一道墙围起来了，把自己关在里面，死在里面。你要是只关心自己，一定会有问题，因为世间谁能保证，你不会老，即使老了也没有问题？你不会病吗，病了不苦吗？你若只爱几个子女，谁保证他一定活到老？谁保证他婚姻美满、事业顺利？什么事情都可能发生，人生是高高低低，每个人都没有保障呀！当然，照佛法讲这是因果，你过去做多了坏事，这回坏的报应多，所以在生活上要慢慢改，尽量做好事，坏事不要做。可是更深一层讲，如果我们做的好事只有一点点，不能抵偿过去的恶业，那么仍旧会有高高低低的际遇。你的心要是只顾自己，只关心少数几个人，那么你这颗心那一天能安呀？一定不能安！所以你了解这个以后，就知道只为自己就是害自己。
反过来呢，你要想到大家一样都有生、老、病、死的问题，都一样会快乐、会痛苦。那么我们要怎么样才能使大家都快乐，都减少痛苦？你若能这样来看世界、处理事情，你就安稳了；为什么？你的心是这样开阔时，虽然人生的问题还是有，但是别人的问题就跟自己的问题一样，大家就会互相帮忙！问题就容易解决了。人总是会死呀，但是心要是有博爱的人，这几个死了，还有活着的我们可以服务，可以照顾，对不对？这样你就活了，不会死在那里。你这些儿女，就是你有心照顾他们一辈子，也有太多地方是照顾不了的呀。若不懂得教他要开阔来服务、来爱人，他也只有烦恼一生，你也只有烦恼一生，大家都只在那里纠缠：我的儿子怎么样啦，我的女儿怎么样啦；儿女们也是：我的爸爸怎么样啦，我的妈妈又怎么样啦；这样大家都没有快乐，又有什么意思呢？
你如果能够往佛法服务去，你就会慢慢得解脱；为什么呢？你不一定需要有特别的表现，你只要在工作的岗位上，把基本的精神改成为大众服务，而不是跟人家计较做事多少，待遇如何。不要往计较的方面走，而是要往服务的方面走。能够多服务一分，将来死的时候，就多一分安慰！你到那时候，什么都没有了；到坟场走一次看看，每人只有一块墓碑呀！就连这个，百年之后可能子孙都找不到了。特别是现代社会，往往有人连祖父坟在那里都不知道。最后只有一块墓碑在那里，你有什么好争的？都是假的呀！你死的时候能安稳的渡过，这一辈子能快乐的过，只有靠你的爱心呀；你在为人服务上做一分，你就得一分平安，只有这个是真的呀。不要被骗，不要被“自我”骗了。
而且这个很容易，并不需要你特别到那里做什么，只要我们平常做人，遇到事情，能做一点的，就帮一点；这就对了！比方有个小孩跌倒，你不要说这不是我的小孩，不管他呀，你赶快把他扶起来，就是这样。有个陌生人，口渴了，我们给他一杯水，就是这样子呀。你要是整个精神是在服务上，就一辈子有意思，其它是没有什么好争的。
若能像上面讲的来想，就会了解念佛是很积极的。他并不是要逃避世间的问题，而是认清怎样才能根本地解决人生的问题。有些人说要来改良社会，就喊出什么主义、什么主义的，结果他们是要强制人家接受那一套，事实上还不只是一群人来管另一群人吗？这一群人要是自己不纯的话，或者在得权力以后腐败了，又是什么样呢？以前革命的时候讲得怎样好，等到上台之后，他就变成被革命的对象，因为他又跟以前那一群统治者一样了。可见这不是真正解决的办法。何况有的也强制不来，比如一个小孩子，他虽有他的纯真，但是你要他忽然懂得对人有爱心，不见得做得来。我们的爱心是人生慢慢吃苦吃多了，知道自己自私不对，才慢慢学有爱心的；这也是一种觉悟嘛。所以你要强制人家，要管人家，是不可能的，唯一能够做得到的是管理自己呀。
念佛是一个觉悟，我先管理我自己，我自己心纯了，这个社会就少一个问题，就少一个坏人。从这样子做起，等你自己修到能够感动人的时候，才能做菩萨。如果你自己不成熟，什么事都不懂，却以为自己是修菩萨道，到处介入人家的事，坚持自己的意见，而看不到自己是外行乱讲，那岂不是更糟，反而搅乱别人的事情吗？所以念佛这个修行有很深的道理，有成熟的考虑，是积极的为世间解决根本问题。你想想看有几个人，心那么纯，能够受得了那个寂寞，一直在念佛？有几个呀？这是一件很不容易的事情呀。但是愈是枯燥无味，愈是寂寞，你还是默默地修，这就愈是你心里力量成长的助缘。能够好好念佛的人，世间的事必然已经不挂心了，因此他就没有贪心，没有贪心就免了贪心的苦。同样一件事情遇到了，有的人很生气，有的人却说这个不必那么气嘛，甚至有的人可以不当一回事－不当一回事的人就解脱了。所以你念佛念得多的时候，很多事情就自然解脱了。别人为这个苦，为那个苦，你却连问题都没有了，只是“阿弥陀佛”又过去了！
你想想看，人生会遇到什么事，谁知道呢？不要看你现在健全，马来西亚车祸也很多，要是碰上意外，随时都可能断手断脚。遇到这些事情时心里没有力量的话，就会怨天尤人，有的一辈子抱怨不已，有的要好几年才能走出这种心态。你要是有修行的话，人生虽然没有人可以替你保障，但是万一遇到不幸的事情，就比较容易处理而能安然渡过。
到现在我还没有强调说，念佛其实会得到佛、菩萨的保佑。这是因为，一般而言，修不久的人不易感觉到佛力的加被，所以我先只从一般的道理谈起。但是我们实修而有感应经验的人，也应该告诉大家这些事实。佛是已经证入一体，已经超出时空的限制。当你相信他，念他的佛号的时候，你就容易跟他接通。我自己修的经验，佛、菩萨来加持的时候，那个感觉是没有办法讲，就只能形容像充电一样，忽然有一股力量把你全身笼罩住，使您失去身体的感觉。佛、菩萨给你的加持真的有这么强呀，这是我们修比较久的有这种经验。你在那里念佛的时候，就是慢慢跟佛通电，就慢慢得这些东西。佛、菩萨教我们，是要做个好人，要做好事，不可以做坏事。我们照着做，在个人的业上就提升了，就减少了一些问题。这样就有可能大事化小事。再加上佛、菩萨的护法给你护持，那你这一生可以很平稳的过。
你要是能把这个教给你的子女，那才是真正抢不走的遗产呀！其他的，你给他愈多，他烦恼愈多。他要是处理不来，那就糟糕了，越多人想要闹他，对不对？要注意这些呀，这些是真的东西。像今晚有人弥留，你们要去助念，可见念佛不是没有用哪；那个人到这个时候，什么都帮不了忙，只有念佛对他真正有帮助。有些久修念佛的人到临终的时候，就跟人家说赶快帮我念，而且还要大声念，他自己知道那样对他有帮助。问题主要是人在世间成长的过程中失去了纯真。生死的过程应该都是自然的。小孩子出生的时候，也是有痛苦呀，但那个时候比较纯真，纯真的话，身体松软，比较没有什么苦。我们人将死的时候，为什么会痛苦？因为这一辈子身体都已经缠缚僵硬了，平常世间的想法、考虑太多，用心机、造城府，导致筋脉纠结，气血堵塞，随着年纪渐老，就有些地方气血不通，筋脉僵化。到死的时候，要从躯壳离开，但是这里脉路不通，那里又弯弯曲曲，你说会不会苦？当然很苦。但是你如果开始念佛，念久了你自己的身心都慢慢松开，到死的时候，只不过是一个自然的过程，就不会有苦。这就是为什么有的修念佛久的人走了，身体还是软软；他先已经把这个问题解决了，到时候只是一个自然过程就不会苦了。人生无常，什么时候死都不知道；念佛这个事情是最后真正有个结果的，而且不但对自己好，对别人也好。
佛法中也有其它的修法，例如打坐、参禅、学密宗等，我们为什么提倡念佛呢？因为一般来讲我们都有世间的事情，有职业、家庭，而没有充裕的时间专门修行。深入专修当然最好，但就像全世界只有少数几个人去参加奥林匹克竞赛，专修的总是少数。我们普通人要一下子达到高水准是不可能的。但是你平常若肯在家里运动，等成绩好了，再参加都市的运动会，慢慢你也许就有资格参加世运了。那些比较深入的修法，是要完全投入才会有一个结果。我们现在若能从定课修念佛做起，等修到净念不断，也是可能完全投入习定、参禅或学密的。
我们平常人安稳的做法，就是一步一步地念佛。也不需要搞组织，等一下又有人事问题，利益问题，问题一大堆，搞得乱七八糟。每个人的见解不同，就算都是好人，也同样会有争执呀。比如说有的人老爸爸病很重，倒在床上，一群儿女因为都爱爸爸，这个说要为他洗身体才舒适，那个说不行呀，洗身子会着凉呀，争得都要打起来了。这个世间很难就是这样，都要做好事，也都还是争执不下的。
念佛呢，就会减少这一类问题。每个人自己好好的念，也不会说跟错了人，上当受骗。都没有事，每个人就自己念，念到自己真的知道很好，才知道如何劝人也念。遇到别人也是要慢慢劝，这不能勉强的呀。你遇到他有苦，你跟他开导，想开一点嘛，人生无常，有一个方法可以从烦恼解脱。还有一点很重要，当一个人正在苦的时候，没那么简单，人家讲几句话，说看开就看开吗？看不开呀！人家劝说放掉就放得掉吗？放不掉呀！你生病很弱、很苦了，怎么办哪？但是平常有修念佛的人就不一样，因为他早就看开了，早就放下了，这全是多年念佛，不知不觉中做到的。你要是念的功夫深，别人以为会苦的情况，你却没有苦，这种解脱是靠平常努力修才能达到的。到时候为什么不会苦？因为你里头都松了、都通了，就自然不一样。你看，我头上本来是快要秃的，现在又长新毛，也没有涂药，也没有经过任何治疗。可见只要好好修，身心自然会改变。讲这些，是要助人了解念佛是有用的；你们去助念，也是很有用的；自己遇到问题，念佛定心也是很有用的。
一般而言，只要做习惯了，念经也可以，念长咒也可以；但是我比较鼓励人家念佛，这是为什么？因为这个是救命用的，要是忽然遇到车祸或是意外事件，必需不假思索，脱口而出，就是一句“阿弥陀佛”，心中只有此一净念。要是老弱病苦的时候，也不需去记下面一句是什么，就只有四个字嘛。你就光念：“阿弥陀佛、阿弥陀佛”，这是很容易依靠的。你要是养成这个习惯，遇到你很苦的时候，愈苦就愈非念不可，那么你就有一个机会把自己从苦、从烦恼里拉出来。你要是没有一个东西可以依靠，你怎么能脱离苦恼呢？所以这是很重要的，等于是一条救命的绳子，紧急时可以拉呀。
讲到究竟，则是“应无所住而生其心”；我们不用住在那里呀！念佛是不是“有所住”呢？但是还没到究竟的时候，需要一个东西拉着，不然怎么办？而且“应无所住”，并不是说就死在“无所住”，而什么都不抓，紧接着还有“而生其心”啊，就是一面无执，一面要活用。其实念佛就是“应无所住而生其心”；为什么？一念“阿弥陀佛”，就过去了，刚刚念那一句已经过去了，我没有住在那句，我现在念的是新的一句“阿弥陀佛”，这是活用呀！其实要是真的懂“应无所住而生其心”，就是活活泼泼，就会应用无穷，而不是死在那里。活活泼泼的本来那个叫做“应无所住而生其心”。谁跟你说句句“阿弥陀佛”是同一个？这是你自己观念上绑在那里，说同样四个字。你要是能从这层观念解脱出来的话，每一句“阿弥陀佛”都是一个新的；你在那里念佛，也是“应无所住而生其心”；你是在练习活用，练习说这一用很纯真，这一念就只是“阿弥陀佛”。
你要是能在意念上很纯真，念念都是只有“阿弥陀佛”，那么你在念佛里面慢慢会接近禅定。你不需要另外去学禅定，跟打坐一样的禅定境界会自然起来；就在念佛的时候，它就起来了。你要是能够在念上做到这样，你在念上纯粹、念上解脱了。那么你会慢慢通达在色、声、香、味、触上解脱的情况。看电视也可以解脱－电视上可以演得很残暴、很色情，你心要是纯的话，看起来全是“阿弥陀佛”一样。
这样讲得很玄，但是你要了解，你眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意在基本上是一体，你现在只要学会在色、声、香、味、触、法的应用上都是纯真而已。但是要把复杂的经验全部回复纯真是很难的，所以先从念头上修起，做到有定的境界，然后那种经验慢慢会自然传播到其他方面去，所以念佛的结果，不是死在“阿弥陀佛”上，而是藉着佛号的帮助活起来，变成一个活活泼泼的人呀！
“阿弥陀佛”是什么意思呀？是无量寿、无量光。无量寿的意思是说时间上无限，无量光是说空间上无限，最主要是强调这个“无限”。但这个“无限”是个“一体”呀；阿弥陀佛佛光普照，不是只照你不照他；佛是无所不照，全部平等的。而且阿弥陀佛就是每个人本来的佛性，也就是说，我们本来是那个样子。所以你依佛法的修行而得到解脱的时候，只是回到本来，并不像说比赛得到冠军，那你还要设法去保持，那可就辛苦了，因为还要努力啊。解脱就是回复你本来很纯真的样子。
开始修念佛的时候你知道佛号的意思是“无限”，但是你念久了，你就会超出意义这一层。真正的无限，必须连人类的观念都要超出。佛法开始先借用观念来指导我们，因为我们都生活在观念的范围里面。观念都是有限的、有分别的，那么要怎样突破观念的界限呢？我们说“阿弥陀佛”的意义是无限，就是先把其他观念的界限放掉。这并不是说到最后我们不能分别；还是能分别，不然观世音菩萨怎样三十二应，该如何救渡的就如何救渡？他还是能分别，他是能活用分别，而不被分别绑住。我们现在的问题是一有分别，就被分别绑住了，所以佛、菩萨教我们无限，就是叫我们不要被分别绑住，要学会同体大悲，能够这样子开阔来爱大家，为大家服务。念佛念久了就纯了，纯了，观念就自然消失；不是有心要意义消失的，有心的话，还是在观念里面，还是跑不出来。无心的，自然超越出来。修久了，将来很纯的，就是“阿弥陀佛”。念念“阿弥陀佛、阿弥陀佛、……”，没有想到意义的问题。
佛菩萨教我们无限的一体，又传下很多戒律来规范我们的生活，以帮助我们渐渐达到佛的境界。但是在生活中忽然遇到事情，我们一般人记不得那么多，需要的是一个很基本的原则来做为实用的指针。这原则可分两面来讲：积极的一边就是要开阔，消极的一边就是要无执。我们现在是太有限－很多事情我们会觉得很烦恼，主要是因为看得不多，所以就怨天尤人，自怨自恨。但是你要是看多了，年纪大看多了，就会说，哎呀！不幸中之万幸，还有更糟糕的。同样一件事，你年青时觉得很苦，等年纪大了再看，就觉得能这样也就算啦。所以我们学佛就是学前人经验累积的智慧，这样我们就可以少受一些苦。学开阔：遇到事情往长远想，从多方面想，再看看别人的情况，自己就容易解脱了。帮助人的时候也是这样跟他讲，他就容易从烦恼里走出来。
一边是开阔，另一边是无执，就是放得下。最后反正都是假的嘛；什么是你的钱呀？你要是这一下走了，就都不是了。但是钱还在你手里的时候，你能用来做对人有益的事情，受惠的人会感恩而说：“这是谁给我的，这是谁做的”，这样才真的是你的。只要把它用在公益上，那就真是你的了；你要是死死放在那里，那不是你的。你看明朝的开国皇帝朱元璋，他是孤儿，没有饭吃才出家的，结果打出自己的天下。他真有本事的，是不用你担心的，财产反而可以拖累他。要是你给子孙，而他又是不行的话，你就反而害了他，使他成了被人谋财的对象。让他快乐过一生就好了，真正能给他的是教他这些佛法，使他不再老是想：我要比人家怎样，我要跟人家怎样，而能平平淡淡过一生就“阿弥陀佛”了，就真很快乐、很安稳了。
现在想到的就是这些。你们有什么问题，特别是对念佛有什么问题，可以尽量提出来。把观念弄清楚的话，大家就会念得更有兴趣，更有信心。还有一个可以提倡的就是周末闭关。在马来西亚周末有一天半，佛友们可以轮流闭关，轮流做护关的工作。闭关主要是禁语、禁足。可以在家中规定一个房间或加上厕所，做为闭关的界限，不要出来。闭关期间不接电话，不看报纸、杂志、信件，不见朋友，不看电视，不听收音机，也不自言自语。在里边可以念佛、拜佛、看些经书，照样可以吃三餐、冲凉、睡觉，但不吃零食。这是练习单独，练习专心于修行。你要是耐得住单独，烦恼会减轻，心里的力量也会增长，那就比较容易渡过人生的问题。要修呀！
问 答
问：家里没有供佛；早上点三枝香，然后静坐念佛，可以吗？
答：可以。念佛的好处是随处可念，而且也没有脏不脏的问题，女人有月事也可以念，生产照样可以念，佛菩萨是像父母一样，不会嫌婴儿的便溺肮脏，会自动给他清理。厕所里也可以念，到处都可以念。主要目的是功夫打成一片，任何时候可以念，而且一直不断的念。念佛看来很简单，实际上修才知道其实很难。初修的人，一句“阿弥陀佛”，第二句还没念，就不知有多少杂念已经来了。要念到一句一句佛号之间没有一个间隔的感觉是很不容易达到的。心里佛号维持不断是很难的；这里面功夫是很深的啊！
The Active Aspect of Chanting Amitabha
A Dharma Lecture given in Chinese by Dr. Yutang Lin
July 2, 1993 Human Life Buddhist Center, Melaka, Malaysia
Transcribed by Tan Suan Kuang
Translated by Stanley Lam
Edited by Ann Klein and Dr. Lin
Good evening, dear Dharma friends. I speak on this topic today because some Buddhists feel that chanting Amitabha is a practice only for beginners or the uneducated, while some non-Buddhists mistake chanting for something passive and evasive; therefore I feel a need to explain that chanting Amitabha is actually a very active endeavor. First, I would like to explain the reason for chanting Amitabha . Someone may ask: what is the point of merely repeating a few words orally? It does not seem likely that worldly problems could be solved by chanting Amitabha ; yet some people even chant full time. How could people simply ignore worldly matters?
Why is chanting Amitabha an active endeavor? First, we need to ask whether there are problems in the world, and how could those problems really be resolved? The common answer is undoubtedly that we can solve those problems by various political and economic means; however, we all know that the efficacy of those means of solving problems is all very limited. Even if laws are very well written, when people are unethical, not only would they take advantage of legal loopholes, but would also misuse the law to commit immoral activities. However, when people are good, negative things would not happen even if relevant laws do not exist. Therefore, the fundamental solution depends on everyone having a pure heart.
If everyone's heart is pure, problems in life would be fewer; even when problems do arise, people would help each other out. Let's investigate carefully. Everyone encounters problems in life such as birth, aging, sickness, death, etc. When someone is having these problems, how much help can you give him or her? Strictly speaking, all forms of worldly help are all very superficial. Even if the social welfare system is very well established and most people are helpful toward one another, there would still be people who haggle about everything and live in vexation for their whole lives.
The United States is probably the richest and strongest country in the world, but you can see that although American youngsters are relatively wealthy, they still have many problems such as drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, AIDS, and mental illness often leading to suicide. They are living in a very good environment, unlike some Africans, who may be suffering from starvation. Why do young Americans have so much unhappiness? The reason is that nobody teaches them how to solve their fundamental life problems. Therefore, it shows that if there is no peace and tranquillity of mind, even extensive external help cannot solve those problems. In general, we would find it tiresome even when taking care of only a few who are our own children, not to mention taking care of lots of people; so helping others is a very difficult task. Therefore, in order to really, fundamentally, and thoroughly solve the problems and help oneself as well as others, we need to make sure that everyone will have peace of mind.
In order to help us attain peace of mind the Buddhist teachings do not proceed by indoctrination with a set of concepts, nor does it teach everyone to fit into a single mold. If, however, the Dharma imposed a uniform model on us, then no matter how good such a method might be, competition and struggles would still persist in the world. This is because everyone has his or her natural needs, but good supplies of things are limited, and hence selfish thoughts and activities would arise. Consequently, it is very difficult to make people conform to systems or institutions.
However, what Buddha teaches us is a method that can thoroughly solve those problems of life. This method does not impose anything extra upon us. It says that all of us basically have a primordially existent aspect which is very pure and good. As long as this purity can manifest itself, selfishness and struggles can be transcended. We have all sorts of problems because we are limited by our bodies and cultures, which generate all sorts of biases, and then induce a "self-attachment" that centers on the individual, the family, the country, the society or the culture. From our self-centered point of view, there are certain things that we all do and seem to be good for us; hence we recognize those things as correct and good. However, when we encounter other equally valid ways of doing things, we may come to realize that the difference is simply a matter of views; it is actually not a matter of right and wrong. You think that you are right, and people with different views think that they are right.
The formation of our preferences, prejudices, and biases are formed by the way we were brought up, our education and cultural backgrounds. As humans, we also have human limitations; for example, humans cannot hear certain sounds that are audible to dogs. Some people can see ghosts but others cannot. These are limitations of our biological senses. If you can transcend your biological and cultural limitations, you will understand that, actually, all beings are equal as sentient beings, and from Buddha's view at the time of his enlightenment, all sentient beings are of one and the same entity. The meaning of this oneness is not that I cannot differentiate this person from that person; the meaning is rather that, from the point of view that we are all sentient beings, all our minds are interconnected, and such interconnection is not limited by time and space. Such an idea may seem too abstract, and someone would even question whether this oneness is just a kind of illusion. For those skeptics, transcending cultural limitations may still sound plausible, but how can we transcend our biological limitations? Not to mention "transcending time and space!"
Before Buddha attained enlightenment, he saw the problems of birth, aging, sickness, and death in human life. Realizing that the throne was not very meaningful because it could not solve those problems when they would arise, he set out to solve these fundamental problems. After many very difficult ascetic practices, Buddha gradually elevated his spiritual state even to the same level as the heavenly Gods; however, he was so brilliant that, at that point, he could still sense a very subtle veil of "self-attachment." His final enlightenment was attained through destroying this finest and most fundamental "self-attachment" and thereby returning to the primordial state. The oneness that Buddha realized at that time, according to the Sutras and scriptures, was to be able to see clearly the Karma of all sentient beings of the three times, past, present and future. We are not Buddhas; so how can we know whether what the Sutras say are real or not? What can we rely on in order to accept and believe the Sutras? We can rely on the fact that, when we practice according to the methods spelled out in the Sutras, we will gradually discover that we can actually go beyond the limitations that we once thought were there.
For example, once when I was sitting in meditation, Mr. Xianwei Zeng, a Dharma friend from Miami, phoned me and said that his friend in Los Angeles had passed away. He asked me to perform Phowa (a Buddhist tantric method to transfer the consciousness of the deceased to Amitabha Buddha's Pureland) for his friend. Since I was meditating at that moment, I did not answer his call; I just heard his message through the telephone answering machine. While I was listening, the face of an old man with white hair, white mustaches, and small but bright eyes appeared in front of me on my right. After I had finished meditating, I immediately practiced Phowa for that deceased person. Then the same old man reappeared and walked into the Amitabha Buddha that I visualized; I could also see that he was somewhat hunched. I then phoned Mr. Zeng to tell him that I have just practiced Phowa for his deceased friend. I told him about the old man's appearance, which he confirmed, even though, as a matter of fact, I had never seen this person before, not even in photographs. Mr. Zeng called me from Miami, the deceased was in Los Angeles, and I was in the San Francisco Bay area; all these places are hundreds of miles apart. You may say that these things happened to me because I have some special power, yet that is not true. These things can happen to anyone of us, as long as our minds are pure, because we all possess such innate abilities. Others can also have this kind of experience; for example, when a very close relative passes away, he or she might approach you in a dream asking for some "hell-bank notes" or the deceased might appear to you even though he or she had passed away in a distant place.
Why do these incidents happen so rarely to us? It is because there are too many worldly vexations in our minds covering up our innate abilities. These vexations were not accumulated in just one or two days. They have been accumulating through life after life's self-centered thoughts, such as: I want this or that; my family wants this or that; how I want things to be, and haggling over this or that. When you are in the habit of haggling and grasping, you cannot get out of that mental framework. You are always surrounded by the self-centered thoughts, and you cannot even see what is beyond those thoughts and vexations, and because of habits you even do not want to leave such a state of vexations. How then can one get out? Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us a method that works on the root of the problem. The reason why we have such vexations is that we are so accustomed to thinking that I want this or that, to such an extent that we cannot get out of those thoughts. Hence, to solve the problem at the root is to work on our self-centered thinking. In other words, we take ourselves out of where we "always think about things related to us." Every single one of us has only a limited mental capacity which is used completely in relation to the self; in order to get out, one has to make use of a thought that is completely unrelated to the "self." Anything else will not get you out of that self-centered frame of mind. For example, when thinking of numbers, we will immediately associate with things like money, birthdays, etc. However, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas give us an object that is completely unrelated to the "self"-- the holy name of a Buddha. All worldly things are interconnected, but a Buddha's name is transcendental. You have to understand that the rationale of this method is to solve our problems at their root. Chanting the holy name of a Buddha is a very safe and solid method of practice. Of course, it is impossible to get out of all self-centered thinking immediately. Since you have been accustomed to this kind of thinking, it would be painful and unbearable to be forced out. However, chanting Amitabha everyday is like someone who is used to staying indoors, going to the door and looking outside for a while, and then a little longer day after day; then when you get used to the outside environment, you will be able to go out eventually.
All your mental powers are originally on the side of the "self," but, with things changing bit by bit through chanting Amitabha everyday over a long period of time, you will notice that your body will gradually loosen up. Normally, because our minds are all seriously entangled, our bodies are also tense. Problems like stomachaches, headaches and insomnia may arise when we are busy at work. Usually, we worry about many things; then, without realizing it ourselves, the body becomes very tense. However, by chanting Amitabha with concentration over a long period of time, you could really feel the loosening up of your body. Why is this so? You are originally very vexed, and the entire capacity of the mind is grasping at those vexations, causing the body to be tense. When you chant Amitabha , you will gradually loosen up layer by layer. Based on my experiences in chanting Amitabha , I could say that our attachment starts with very subtle mental ones, and then our bodies are affected as layer upon layer of entanglements are added. The outermost layer consists of very coarse entanglements which are the physical discomforts that we notice easily. These coarse entanglements will loosen up if we do good deeds and practice the chanting of Amitabha , prostrations, etc. However, unless we sincerely desire to abandon self-attachments completely, those mental entanglements will not really be untied. If you set a limit to the goal of your practice, those entanglements could never be untied.
The purpose of chanting Amitabha is for one to reform completely including the subtlest and deepest places in the mind. You need to change this selfish mind and to understand that this self-nurturing mind is actually harming you. If you only care for yourself, you will not be able to see things truly because the mind is completely biased. Even though you may be a good person free from bad motives, you still think only for your own well-being and thereby, in effect, have surrounded yourself with a wall, where you are enclosed and will remain encaged, in the sense that your life cannot extend beyond this wall of mind. When you care only for yourself, there will bound to be problems, because no one in the world can guarantee that you will not get old or that aging does not affect you. When you love only your children, who can guarantee their longevity? Who can guarantee a good marriage and career for them? Anything could happen; there are all sorts of ups and downs in life, and no one is protected from them! Of course, according to Buddhism, this is the result of Karma (cause and effect). If you had committed many bad deeds in the past so that consequences in this life are undesirable, you need to gradually change your conduct in this life by doing as many good deeds as you can and to refrain from doing bad deeds. However, at a deeper level, if we do only a few good deeds which cannot compensate for the bad deeds committed in the past, then we would still experience ups and downs in this life. If you care only about yourself or a few persons, when can your mind become peaceful? It never can! Therefore, once you understand this point, you would know that thinking only about yourself is the same as doing harm to yourself.
On the contrary, you should consider the fact that everyone has the same problems of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and that everyone is capable of experiencing happiness and suffering. How then can we increase everyone's happiness and reduce their suffering? If you can look at the world and guide your conduct with this line of thinking, you will become peaceful. Why? When one's mind opens up like that, although there will still be problems in life, how one handles these problems would be very different. As people realize others' problems are the same as their own, everyone would be willing to help one another! Problems could then be resolved easily. Everyone dies, but if you have universal love, even after the ones who are close or related to you have passed away, you can still serve and take care of others who are alive. Then your life would become very much alive and would not be reduced to a withering stalemate. Even though you may wish to take care of your children for their entire lives, there are still many aspects that you cannot possibly take care of. If you do not teach them how to open up to serve and love others, they might live in vexation for their entire lives, and so would you. Everyone would be trapped in entanglements such as constantly worrying about: how are my sons and daughters? And the children would be similarly trapped: how are my father and my mother? No one would become happy this way, so what's the point of remaining so?
If you engage in Dharma service, you will gradually obtain liberation. Why? It is not necessary that you engage in some special activity. As long as you, even though remaining in your position, change your basic attitude to that of serving others instead of arguing with others over how much work to do and how you are compensated. Don't go for the haggling route, go for the service route. The more you serve, the more worthwhile you will feel upon your death. You can bring nothing with you when you die. Take a walk in the cemetery, and you will see each one has only a tombstone! Even this may not be found by your decedents after a hundred years. Particularly in modern society, many people do not even know where their grandparents' graves are. At the end there will be at most a tombstone there; what's the point of competing? Worldly things are not as steadfast as they seem to be! In order to pass away peacefully and to live joyfully for the rest of your life, you can rely only on your loving heart. As you serve others with one measure of effort, you would obtain one measure of peace; only this has lasting value and is of real comfort. Do not be fooled by the "self."
Furthermore, engaging in Dharma service can actually be very easy; it is not necessary that you do go to certain places to do something special. As long as you give others a hand wherever you can in daily life, and that would be a correct approach! For example, if you see a child falling, you should not be uncaring because the child is not yours, instead you should help the child up immediately. That is what we should do. If a stranger is feeling thirsty, you simply offer him a cup of water. That is what we should do. If your mind is entirely on serving others, your whole life will become meaningful; other worldly things are not worth competing for.
If you think along these lines, you would understand that chanting Amitabha is a very active endeavor. It is not a way to evade worldly problems, but is based on a clear view as to how such problems can be fundamentally resolved. Some people claim to have the intent to improve society and cry out numerous political ideologies; however, eventually those people are just trying to force others to accept their ideas. In reality, it is still the same, just a group of people ruling over others. If those reformers are not pure at heart, or if they become corrupted after gaining power, then it is still the same. Even though during revolutionary movement those reformers had made wonderful pledges, once they are in power, they would in turn become the object of revolution because they have become the same as the previous rulers. So we can see that this is not the way to really solve the problems. Besides, some things cannot be forced upon others; for example, although small children have a pure heart, it is unlikely that one can teach them how to have universal love for others. We have gradually learned to have loving kindness for others only after experiencing much suffering in life and then realizing the painful results of being selfish; this is also a kind of enlightenment. Hence, it is impossible for one to force others or control others, all one can do is simply to manage oneself.
Chanting Amitabha is a kind of enlightenment; the process starts with taking charge of oneself; then when one's mind becomes pure, the society would have one less bad person and less problems. Starting from there, when you can practice to the degree that you can make others feel impressed and touched, only then can you function as a Bodhisattva. If you are not mature and knowledgeable enough, but you think you are practicing the Bodhisattva's path and intervene in others' business, insisting on your views without seeing that you are speaking without sufficient understanding of the matters; how bad would that be? You would be simply messing up others' business! Therefore, the practice of chanting Amitabha entails profound insight and mature considerations; it is actively solving fundamental problems in the world. Think for yourself, how many minds are so pure as to be capable of enduring such solitude and constantly chant Amitabha ? How many? It is not an easy practice. However, when you are getting bored and lonely but you can still persevere with the practice, that boredom by itself would become an assisting condition for the development of your mental strength. Those who chant Amitabha well are no longer bothered by worldly matters. Therefore, he or she would not be greedy and would be free from the suffering due to greed. Facing a given situation, some may feel angry, but others may say there is no need to be annoyed, and still others may even not be disturbed at all-- those who can do this are liberated from it. Therefore, when you chant Amitabha frequently, you are naturally liberated from many things. While others are suffering from this and that, you would not even have those problems; for you many problems would be transcended by just a repetition of " Amitabha. "
Who knows what will happen in life? In Malaysia traffic accidents are very common. Although you are sound and healthy now, if you are caught in an accident, you might even lose a limb. When encountering these incidents, without spiritual strength, one would blame god and others. Some would grumble for the rest of their lives, while others might need a few years before getting rid of this attitude. If you have been practicing, even though there is no guarantee in life, when you encounter misfortunes, you will be more capable of handling the situation peacefully and realistically.
So far I have not yet emphasized that chanting Amitabha can actually enable one to receive blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The reason for my not doing so is that, generally, novice practitioners cannot easily feel the blessings of Buddhas. Therefore, I started the talk with only general principles. However, all sincere practitioners who have had certain miraculous experiences should also inform the public of such facts. Buddha has realized the oneness of all, and has transcended the limits of time and space. When you believe in Buddha and chant his name, you can easily become connected to him. From my own experiences in Buddhist practices, there is no way to describe fully the sensation that one experiences when one receives blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It can only be described by a comparison to receiving a charge of electricity. A force would suddenly surround your entire body, and one's feeling of the body will be gone. Blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are truly that strong, as experienced by people like me, who have been practicing for a long time. When you chant Amitabha , you are gradually connecting yourself with Buddhas and are also gradually obtaining such blessings. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us to be good, to do good deeds and not to do bad things. When we follow these guidelines, our personal Karma will improve and thus reducing some of our problems. Major misfortune could thus be reduced to smaller incidents. Furthermore, protectors of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will protect you to ensure the safety and stability of your whole life.
If you can teach your children the practice of chanting Amitabha , they will have protection that no one can take away! If you give them worldly things instead, the more you give them, the more troubles they will have. If they cannot manage those things, it will be very troublesome, and they might even become the victim of others' avarice. We should be mindful of Buddhist practices; they are genuine. I have learned that someone is about to pass away tonight, and some of you will attend him by chanting Amitabha during his final hours. This illustrates how useful the chanting of Amitabha is. For that dying person nothing except chanting Amitabha can really help now. Some people who had practiced chanting Amitabha for a long time, when dying, urged others to help by chanting Amitabha loudly because they realized that chanting was really helpful at the time of dying. The problem of death is mainly due to people having lost their innocence in life. Ideally, the processes of birth and death should both be natural and relatively painless. When a child is born, since he or she is so pure and innocent that the body is very soft and tender, he or she experiences comparatively little pain. Why do we suffer so much when dying? It is because the body has been entangled and stiffened for the entire life. Ordinary ways of thinking involve too many worldly considerations and calculations; as a result, ligaments and wind channels are either convoluted or blocked. All of this will gradually happen with aging. At the time of death, when one's consciousness is trying to leave the body, can you imagine how tormenting it would be if the ligaments and wind channels are either convoluted or blocked? Very much so, of course. However, if you start the practice of chanting Amitabha now, after a long time, both your body and mind will gradually loosen up, and death will then become just a natural process without suffering. That is why for those who had practiced chanting Amitabha for a long time, their bodies would still be soft and supple even after many hours have passed. As those people had solved the problems related to death before death actually comes, death then becomes only a natural process without suffering. Life is unpredictable; no one knows when death will arrive. Chanting Amitabha will eventually yield fruitful results. It is good for the practitioner as well as for others.
There are also other ways to practice Buddhism, such as meditation, Chan, Tantra, etc. So, why do we advocate chanting Amitabha ? Generally speaking, we are all occupied by worldly matters, career and family, and we do not have enough time to concentrate our efforts completely to practice. Of course, it would be best to practice full time but, just as only a few people in the whole world can work up to compete in the Olympic games, full time practitioners are also very few. It is impossible for ordinary people like most of us to attain a high level of practice immediately. However, if you are willing to do training at home and participate in local tournaments, you may gradually become capable of participating in the Olympic games. Those more profound methods of practice require full devotion in order to obtain any results. However, if we can start with chanting Amitabha regularly, then when the pure thought of Amitabha, Amitabha, is continuously ever present, we might be able to devote fully to the practice of meditation, Chan or Tantra.
A safe and stable practice for ordinary people like us is the step by step approach of chanting Amitabha . There is no need to form an organization, lest there would be a lot of problems related to personal relationships, interests, etc., jeopardizing the whole purpose of practice. Everyone's view differs; so even when each individual has good intentions, there could still be disputes. For example, when an old father is seriously ill in bed, his sons and daughters, due to their love for the father, could quarrel over whether or not it is better to bathe him. Some think that bathing is good for him, but others think that bathing could cause him to easily catch cold afterwards. Each side would insist on their own views to the extend that fighting could erupt. Things in the world are indeed very difficult; serious conflicts can still exist even when everyone wants to do good.
Chanting Amitabha would reduce these kinds of problems. Each one needs only to do well with one's chanting practice; and there is no possibility of being misguided or deceived. Everyone just chants individually until the benefits are really felt, then one would know how to advise others on chanting Amitabha . As to advising others to adopt this practice, you need to proceed gradually because it cannot be pushed. For example, when you see someone suffering, you can counsel that person to open up, help him or her see that life is impermanent, and there is a way to go from vexation to liberation. There is one more important point: when a person is suffering, would he or she open up easily just because someone else tells him or her to do so? Of course not! Can he or she let go just because someone else tells him or her to do so? Of course not! Without the spiritual strength built from chanting practices, when you suffer very much from illness and physical weakness, what can you do to obtain relief? The situation would be totally different for those who have regularly practiced chanting Amitabha because those people would have already opened up and let go of worldly sorrows a long time ago. That is the result achieved inconspicuously through years of chanting Amitabha . If the force of your chanting practice is strong enough, you would not suffer in situations where others would. This kind of liberation will be achieved only through long-term diligent practice. Why would you not suffer in those situations? Since you are all loosened and unclogged inside, you will naturally feel different. You can see that the top of my head was originally going to become bald, but, after all these years of practice, new hair is now coming out again without any medical treatment at all. That shows, as long as you practice well, the body and mind will change naturally. The reason I am talking about this, is to help people understand that chanting Amitabha is useful; helping a dying person by chanting Amitabha is also very useful. Besides, chanting Amitabha is also very useful for calming one's mind.
In general, as long as you can make it a habit to practice, you may also choose to chant sutras or certain long mantras. However, I prefer advising people to chant Amitabha . Why? The purpose of this practice is ultimately to help us in situations of life and death. In case of an emergency, like a dangerous car accident, you need to be able to cry out " Amitabha " immediately without even thinking about it, and, at that moment, only this pure thought should be in your mind. Even when one is old, weak, or sick, etc., one would not have to be bothered to remember what the next sentence is. After all, there are only four syllables to the word Amitabha . You simply need to say "Amitabha, Amitabha," and can easily rely on it. If you can get into the habit of chanting, you need to chant most urgently at the time when you suffer the most. You would then have a chance to pull yourself out from suffering and vexation. How could you spare yourself from suffering if you do not have something to rely on? So this point is very important; the chanting amounts to a lifesaving rope that you can hold on to in case of an emergency.
In the ultimate sense, "one should abide nowhere while the mind arises;" we do not need to abide anywhere! Isn't chanting Amitabha "abiding somewhere?" However, when the ultimate has not yet been achieved, one needs something to hold on to; otherwise, how could we get help? Besides, that the mind "should abide nowhere," does not mean to be tied down by the concept of "abiding nowhere" and refusing to get hold of anything. What immediately follows is "while the mind arises;" that is to say, one should have no attachment on one hand, and to lively apply oneself on the other hand. So, actually, chanting Amitabha is exactly in accordance with "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." Why? Right after I chant " Amitabha ," it has passed by already; i.e., the " Amitabha " just chanted is already in the past, and I am not staying with that word. What I now chant is a new instance of " Amitabha. " This is an instance of lively applying oneself! If fact, a true understanding of "one should abide nowhere while the mind arises," would lead to lively activities and limitless applications, instead of being tied down. The flexible and lively original state is called "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." Who said that all the instances of " Amitabha " chanted are the same one? You are just being tied down by the concept of their being the same word. If you can liberate yourself from the sphere of this concept, each " Amitabha " you chant is a new one. When you are chanting Amitabha , you are also practicing "abiding nowhere while the mind arises." You are practicing lively application, practicing to achieve pure application such that this thought is simply " Amitabha ."
If your mind can be purified to the extent that only " Amitabha " remains in your thoughts, then you will gradually approach Samadhi while you practice the chanting. You do not need to learn meditation separately, the same Samadhi experience would naturally arise during your chanting of Amitabha . If you can achieve this in your thoughts, i.e., achieving purity and liberation with the thoughts, you will gradually realize the state of liberation in form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You could even achieve liberation while watching television-- even though the scenes on the screen could be very violent or indecent, when your mind is pure, you would see them as no different from " Amitabha ."
That may sound too abstruse; nevertheless, you need to understand that eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are basically one entity. You need only to learn to be pure in the applications of the six senses: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental activities. However, it is very difficult to purify the complex experiences all together; hence, you should start from the thoughts. When you achieve Samadhi in thinking, then that experience will gradually and naturally spread to other senses. Therefore, chanting Amitabha will not result in being confined to Amitabha ; rather, with the help of "Amitabha," one would become a lively person.
What is the meaning of "Amitabha" ? It means infinite life and infinite light. Infinite life means limitless in time, and infinite light means limitless in space; the most important emphasis is on this "limitlessness." Implied in this "limitlessness" is "oneness." The Buddha light of Amitabha illuminates all. It does not illuminate only you without illuminating others; Buddha illuminates everyone equally. Besides, Amitabha Buddha is everyone's primordial Buddha nature; in other words, we are originally like that. Therefore, when one attains liberation as a result of adopting Buddhist practices, one has simply returned to the original state. This attainment is not like winning championships in sports where continuing efforts are needed to remain on top. Liberation, however, is just a returning to one's original purity.
When you start chanting Amitabha , you know that Amitabha means "limitlessness," but, after practicing for a long time, you would transcend the sphere of meanings. Genuine "limitlessness" must transcend even human conceptualization. In guiding us the Dharma begins with using concepts because we are all living within the bounds of concepts. All concepts are limited and making distinctions; how then can we break through the bounds of concepts? We say " Amitabha " means "limitlessness," meaning that first we need to abandon the limitation of all other concepts. This is not to say that eventually we cannot make distinctions. We will still be able to make distinctions; otherwise, how can Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin, Chenrezig) transform into thirty two kinds of emanations to give salvation in whatever way that is most suitable? He can still make distinctions and make use of the distinctions flexibly without being bound by the distinctions. The problem facing us is that once we make distinctions, we are bound by them. Hence, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us limitlessness, telling us not to be bound by distinctions, and to learn compassion of the same entity, to be able to open up, love and serve others. After chanting Amitabha for a long time the thought will become pure; once the thought is pure, conceptualization will naturally disappear. The meanings do not disappear purposely. If there is any intention, then one still remains in concepts and can not get out. Without any intention, the transcendence occurs naturally. After practicing for a long time, thoughts will become very pure, just " Amitabha ." Thoughts of " Amitabha , Amitabha . . . " continues without considering the meaning.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us Limitless-Oneness, and they also pass down many ethical rules to regulate our lives so as to assist in gradually attaining Buddhahood. However, when we unexpectedly encounter events in life, we ordinary people would not be able to remember so many rules; what we need is a very basic principle for practical guidance. This principle can be described from two sides: the active side is to open up, the passive side is to let go of attachments. We are now very limited-- we would feel very troubled about many things mainly because our vision is limited, and we might blame others or our fate by grumbling. However, as you grow older and have seen more of life, you might say, "Luckily, things were not any worse. It could have been even worse." When faced with the same situation, you might have suffered much when you were young, but then you look at it again when you get old, you could feel that it was actually not too bad. Therefore, when we learn Buddhism, we are learning the wisdom born of our predecessors' accumulated experiences. Thus we might spared ourselves avoidable suffering. We should learn to open up: always take into consideration the long term consequences and all various perspectives. Looking at others' situations and realizing that there is so much suffering everywhere, you will easily become liberated from your preoccupation. If you tell others these principles when you help them, then they would also be able to let go of their worries easily.
Opening up on one side, and no attachment, i.e., to let go, on the other side. Worldly things are ultimately of no avail; what really is your money? The instant you die, the money will no longer be yours. However, if while the money is still in your hands you can use it to benefit others, then those benefitted would gratefully acknowledge, "It was given by so and so; it was done by so and so." and thus the money became truly yours. Only money spent for the common well-being will become truly yours. If you let it just sit there, that is not really yours. Zhu Yuanzhang was an orphan at an early age, and hence became a Buddhist novice monk because he had no other way to feed himself. Nevertheless, eventually he conquered all of China and became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. If your children are really capable, you do not need to worry about them; inheritance could even turn out to be a burden. If you leave a huge inheritance to your descendants who are incapable of handling it, they might become the target of some malevolent persons. It would be better to simply let them live happily on their own. What you can really give and benefit them are these Buddhist teachings; these teachings would enable them not to become preoccupied with comparing and competing with others. Then they would live peacefully and happily for the rest of their lives.
That is all I can think of right now. If you have any questions, especially questions about the practice of chanting Amitabha , please by all means ask me. As long as you have a clear understanding, you will chant Amitabha with more interest and confidence. One additional practice worth recommending is a weekend retreat. A weekend is one and a half day long in Malaysia, so Dharma friends can take turns in practicing and supporting retreats. The key rules to follow in conducting retreats are the prohibition of speech and the confinement of one's sphere of activities. For example, you can specify a room and a washroom as the boundary of your retreat and stay within it. During retreats, do not answer telephone calls; do not read newspapers, magazines and letters; do not allow visitors; do not watch television or listen to radio; and do not talk to yourself either. In retreats, you can chant Amitabha , prostrate to Buddha, read sutras and scriptures. You can still have three meals, bathe or shower, sleep, but no snacks. This is to practice solitude and concentration on Dharma practice. If you can endure solitude, your vexation would lighten while your spiritual strength would grow alongside, then you can handle problems in life more easily. Please do practice!
A Question from the Audience
Q: I do not have an altar at home; May I just light up three incenses in the morning and then chant
Amitabha in sitting?
A: Yes, you may do so. One good thing about the practice of chanting Amitabha is that it can be done anywhere, and cleanliness is not a problem. Women can chant the holy name during menstruation or while delivering babies. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are like loving parents who would not be deterred by the dirtiness of their babies' excretion but would voluntarily clean it up. One can chant even in the toilet or anywhere else. The main purpose is to achieve Limitless-Oneness through chanting. Therefore, you can chant at any time, and try to chant continuously all the time. Chanting Amitabha may seem very simple, but you will realize that indeed it is very difficult once you are actually practicing it. For novice practitioners, right after the first chanting of " Amitabha " and before the second one begins, many scattered thoughts would have arisen already. It is very difficult to achieve the state where there is not a sense of separation between any two consecutive chants of Amitabha . It is very difficult to maintain the continuity of chanting Amitabha in one's heart. Very profound efforts are involved in achievements of this practice!
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The Active Aspect of Chanting Amitabha]