beginner buddhism

jiasl SG

Hi,

I would like to ask for guidance on buddhist practices for my mum, as she looks frail despite her age. I hope that the practices will aid her with a good rebirth when the time comes.

However, when we attend chanting sessions, she can only participate halfway as she will feel uncomfortable and looks pale. When we 'nienfo' at home, she will feel restless too.

Does she need to attend purification/repentance practice? Is there any simple verse (she has mild dementia) where she can chant at home?

Thank you.

realization SG

'Namo Amituofo'. That's what we get my 90-something year old grandmother to recite every day. It's her daily "homework". She has moderate dementia, but she knows what is 极乐世界 (Land of Ultimate Bliss) and she also knows that she has taken refuge in the past.

At the beginning, it was tough getting her to recite more than 2 mala rounds (1 round has 108 beads) of the Buddha's name, but now with repetition she recites for some 15 minutes each time. She even voluntarily asks to recite and she wants us to recite together with her!

yhjow SG

Just ask her to chant "Namo Amituofo" 南無阿彌陀佛 (Amitabha Buddha's name) every day. If she can chant at least 108 times a day, it would be good for her. It will ensure rebirth in Amitabha Pureland (西方極樂世界）. Amitabha Buddha had made 48 vows to relieve the sufferings of all sentient beings, and that without fulfilling the 48 vows, he would not become a Buddha. Upon fulfiling the 48 vows, he would create a Buddha land known as Western Pureland (西方淨土）. There would be no worries, no pain, no cravings, no sickness and no sufferings over there. All sentient beings will have the best environment for cultivating wisdom and achieving enlightenment. Being reborn over there would look almost alike with no sex differences (i.e. no sex cravings). You enjoy longetivity there. You can hear dharma over there everyday and rebirth there is a guarantee towards enlightenment. It's a Buddha-land that many buddhist wants to reborn to after death, rather than being stuck in the 6 realms of existence (cycles of life -or samsara) and continue to experience suffering.

The Pureland is abouts eons of light years distance away and has about 3000 worlds. Not even today's modern space shuttle can carry you there. Only the mind can transport and cause one to be reborn over there. Simply chant Namo Amituofo. This is the easiest practice for lay buddhist.

Dawnfirstlight SG

May be your mum has no affinity with Buddha.You can help her to have affinity with Amituofo by dedicating merits to her after your recitation of Amituofo or after chanting event. You may not see the effect immediately but will see the effect after few months.

My dad had no affinity with Amituofo, he even resented reciting Amituofo. My friend taught me to dedicate merits to him. I would pray to Amituofo and hoped that my dad would have affinity with Buddha and Amituofo. Surprisingly, he took 3 refuge about a month ago without resentment. The "power" of dedicating merits is amazing!

I asked my dad, next time where did he intend to go. He told no idea, so I told him about Amituofo and Pureland. He nodded and recited Amituofo sincerely. I'm happy for him.

yhjow SG

I asked my dad, next time where did he intend to go. He told no idea, so I told him about Amituofo and Pureland. He nodded and recited Amituofo sincerely. I'm happy for him.

Good advice.. yes. Dedicating merits to another person during prayer or after chanting to someone else will help another person to have affinity with Buddha.

realization SG

I asked my dad, next time where did he intend to go. He told no idea, so I told him about Amituofo and Pureland. He nodded and recited Amituofo sincerely. I'm happy for him.

This is useful advice. I've known this to work for others as well. Thanks for the reminder!

sinweiy SG

The Pureland is abouts eons of light years distance away and has about 3000 worlds.

3000 worlds?

yea, eons of light years distance away.

At that time, the Buddha told the Elder Shariputra, From here, passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West there is a world called Utmost Happiness. In this land a Buddha called Amitabha right now teaches the Dharma.-- Amituojing

for the "space" of pureland, i think it's limitless.

Moreover, Shariputra, the living beings born in the Land of Utmost Happiness are all avaivartika. Among them are many who in this very life will dwell in Buddhahood. Their number is extremely many; it is incalculable. And only in measureless, limitless asamkyeyas of kalpas could they be counted.

even if one is born in the lower abode(凡圣土), one is already an avaivartika bodhisattva(8th bhumi and above).

yhjow SG

3000 worlds?

yea, eons of light years distance away.

for the "space" of pureland, i think it's limitless.

even if one is born in the lower abode(凡圣土), one is already an avaivartika bodhisattva(8th bhumi and above).

Thanks for the comments and correction.

Actually, I'm personally still very confused about Buddhist cosmology (universe). In Mahayana Buddhism, it talks about a Buddha-land 佛土 having 三千大千世界 (literally '3000 worlds'- but I'm not sure whether my translation is correct). I need to be clear what the correct English buddhist translation is and what it means. Perhaps you can help clear my doubt about my understanding of buddha-land. What does 三千大千世界 actually mean? I'll try to read up online more information on this.

sinweiy SG

oh 三千大千世界.

A GREAT WORLD SYSTEM OF A BILLION WORLDS

A thousand world-systems of four great continents, etc. comprise a 'small world-system.' A thousand small world-systems comprise a middle-sized world system, and a thousand middle-sized world-systems comprise a great world-system of a billion worlds, or literally a thousand times an thousand times a thousand worlds (Skt. trisahasramahasahasralokadhatu).

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BuddhistDict/BDW.html

so it's 1000^3. :)

yea, our Shakyamuni's Buddha-(preaching)-land is indeed a billion worlds. so is our previous and next Buddha to come. erm, though i wouldn't say it's so for Western PL or Amitabha's Pureland. as Amitabha is "光中极尊，佛中之王". just like Vairochana's 华藏世界, the Mind-ground. 虚空有多大，华藏世界（华严世界）就有多大。

it's also Amitabha's 'Rewarding' land.

善导大师说：

正由托佛愿以作强缘，致使五乘齐入。

——不简众生

这句话前面，先说「极乐世界是报土」。所谓「报土」，就是佛所受报的、所受用的，同时也是要给往生者所受用。也就是说，阿弥陀佛的极乐世界有什么、有多少，往生到极乐世界的众生也就有什么、有多少。就好像父母的财产就是儿女的财产，家里的东西，儿子都可以自由使用，这种境界叫「报土」。

Disciple: Master, how do we witness Sukhavathi?

Master Shen Kai: That's easy. But Sukhavathi is very far away. How far? It's passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands. In between this hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands are not Buddhalands but impure land. Buddhalands are pure where Buddhas dwell. Sukhavathi is hence very very far away. but Far does not mean we don't believe. In the sutras, Buddha used to explain that it's very very near. So near that nobody believe it's true. There's no choice as sentient beings are too attached, hence say it's very very far away and not easy to go or reach. So He expound the Amitabha Sutra, where Buddha spoke without people asking. If a person is not greedy, then Dharmakaya is very near as it encompass everything. Since it's entire existence, it's so near to reach like space everywhere exist Dharmakaya. Without Dharmakaya, Earth cannot be in the air. Cars cannot works. Every thing is benefited by Dharmakaya.

jiasl SG

I asked my dad, next time where did he intend to go. He told no idea, so I told him about Amituofo and Pureland. He nodded and recited Amituofo sincerely. I'm happy for him.

Hi Dawnfirstlight,

I have not dedicated merits for my mum to have affinity with Buddha because I am worried that dedication of merits might quicken rebirth?

Or dedication of merits to karmic creditors which might cause a quicker rebirth for the elderlys??

Thank you.

yhjow SG

Hi Dawnfirstlight,

I have not dedicated merits for my mum to have affinity with Buddha because I am worried that dedication of merits might quicken rebirth?

Or dedication of merits to karmic creditors which might cause a quicker rebirth for the elderlys??

Thank you.

Dedicating the good merits to your mum has the benefit of lessening the bad karmic seeds in your mum. It's like she has a cup of water with dirt (bad karma) inside. You now pour fresh clean water (good merits) into it and then clean and purify it. Slowly most of the bad karma will be washed away, leaving the water with a clean water (good karmic seeds). When the cup of water is clean and pure with good merits, there will be less sufferings.

Dedication of merits does not "necessarily quicken" rebirth. Chanting Amitabha buddha daily helps one gain a lot of good merits and creates karmic affinity with the Amitabha Pureland. That's even when she's nearing towards the end of life, she can even feel Amitabha Buddha inviting her to the Western Pureland. Dedication of good merits to karmic creditors helps to pay off the 'debt' your mum owes to past creditors (esp. those with whom she has created bad karma and thus 'owe' them), so that they will not continue to harrass your mum and cause her to be sick. It will definitely help to relieve the sufferings for your mum at this present life. And in addition, it can help to transfer merits to her so that she has more good karma.

The mindset is actually simple. It's like your mum has a bank account. She has some money in it. The money are like good merits (good karma). She can use these good merits to pay off her 'debt'. But once all the good merits (the money) inside her bank account is used up, she has no more merits to pay off her debt. The creditors then starts to find her and give her trouble. She becomes frail and starts to suffer sickness. Transferring and dedication of merits is like you put in some additional money (good merits) into your mum's bank account, so that she has more money (good merits) to pay off those debtors. It helps her to accumulate the money (merits) inside her bank so that she can enjoy a happier life, sustain a good living instead of having to undergo suffering.

Dawnfirstlight SG

Hi Dawnfirstlight,

I have not dedicated merits for my mum to have affinity with Buddha because I am worried that dedication of merits might quicken rebirth?

Or dedication of merits to karmic creditors which might cause a quicker rebirth for the elderlys??

Thank you.

Hi jiasl, yhjow is correct. In fact, what I understand is chanting Amituofo can prolong one's life span. Though that is not our ultimate aim. There are many non Buddhists who have mistaken that reciting Amituofo is more for the deceased than for the living. That is the misconception. May be it is because we used to hear recitation of Amituofo during funerals. Are you being misled due to this reason?

If you observe people around you, you will notice those who recite Amituofo, many of them live up to ripe old age. I noticed that when I was young. I had 2 close relatives who were Buddhists. They were the only few Buddhists among my relatives. They lived till ripe old age. I've heard those elderly Buddhists in the temple who recite
Amituofo complaining that they live too long and hope Amituofo come quickly to fetch them ha ha ha........

jiasl SG

Hi Dawnfirstlight,

There are several posts here that mentioned merit dedications hasten the process of either quicker recovery from ailment or rebirth. Due to the latter, I'm reluctant to dedicate merits to her as I believe in the present, she can spend more time understanding and practising the dharma with me. Best is not to rush towards an uncertain future, unprepared.