http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no2e.htm
Volume 7 no
2
Venerable Shen-Kai
Answers Amitabha
- what does it mean? To
many "Amitabha Buddha" is a symbol of Buddhism. To some
practitioners of Buddhism chanting or reciting "Amitabha Buddha" is
a method of cultivation. What is the meaning of Amitabha Buddha,
what is the intent in chanting "Amitabha Buddha and how does this
work? Once again, the Bliss Compass endeavours to dispel any
misconception and show us the blissful culture of Buddhism.
1. We often hear of Buddhism practitioners chanting Amitabha
Buddha; what is the meaning of Amitabha?
Amitabha means infinite
brightness, infinite life and infinite merits. Indeed, it means
infinity of all that is good. Generally, people only know that
Teacher of the Western Pure Land (or Western Paradise) is Amitabha
Buddha. But they do not know that they also have within themselves
a Pure Land and Amitabha. This is known as the 'Pure Land of the
Mind' and the 'Own-Nature Amitabha'. 
2. Since we also have Amitabha Buddha in our mind, how should we
cultivate so that we can manifest our Own-nature Amitabha?
i. If somebody scolds me with unkind words, I
shall respond by saying "Amitabha Buddha". By this, not only am I
not accepting the abuse, in contrast the infinite brightness that
illumines with the recital of "Amitabha Buddha" eliminates the
darkness brought by the abuse.
ii. If somebody gives me a present, I
shall say "Amitabha Buddha". By this I mean, "thank you very much".
Therefore, not only do we have infinite brightness in our heart, by
virtue of giving the giver shall have infinite blessings and merits
as well. In this way, we are in spiritual union with Amitabha
Buddha.
iii.
If I see someone who is well endowed, good-looking, kind and
peaceful, I shall remark "Amitabha Buddha". By this, I congratulate
the person for having such attributes similar to the Amitabha
Buddha. I compliment him as Amitabha Buddha to mean that he is
similarly well endowed.
iv.
If I see a student studying, I shall say "Amitabha Buddha". It is
also acceptable if you say that he is very hardworking or very
clever. However, sometimes an intelligent person may be fooled by
his own intelligence. There is no guarantee that a student who does
well in his studies now will definitely grow up to be good. But,
when we use the name "Amitabha Buddha" to compliment him, then we
evoke the brightness to illumine in him. Not only will he do well
in his studies and his career, he will also be a Bodhisattva when
he grows up, or even become Buddha someday.
v. If we happen to pass by an abattoir, a
place where pigs, cows or other animals are slaughtered, and since
we understand that the effect of the karma of killing is rebirth in
the realm of hell, and we make a verbal comment to that effect, is
it appropriate? While we do not know whether the person who is
committing the killing will be reborn in hell, but when we speak of
hell, we immediately strike a resonance with hell. Because
suffering and darkness prevail in hell, at the mention of the word,
we have already struck an accord with suffering and darkness. If we
say "Amitabha Buddha" instead, then brightness spontaneously
illumines in our mind and the image of the abattoir will not take
root in our mind.
vi. If we come across two parties
bickering, quarrelling or fighting with each other, we do not join
in. By our participation, we plant the cause to be reborn in the
realm of the Asura, which is not a desirable thing. We only need to
have Amitabha Buddha in our mind and say "Amitabha Buddha" just
once, and then in future we will not be in spiritual union with the
beings of the Asura realm.
vii. If we chance on seeing some traders
in the market cheating on the scales, we immediately say "Amitabha
Buddha". Because cheating arises from greed which resonates with
the realm of the ghosts, it is a cause for rebirth in such a realm
in future. By saying "Amitabha Buddha" just once, then not only do
we not resonate with the realm of ghosts but also we are in
spiritual union with Amitabha Buddha and we become illumined with
infinite brightness.
viii.
People in general have a curious nature. If we stumble upon someone
else's secrets, we are driven by our curiosity to peek into it to
find out more. If this person is committing a crime, this may spell
trouble: our life may be in danger. By saying "Amitabha Buddha" in
our mind and we quickly distance from it, then we are in union with
all that are virtuous and bright. We do not resonate with
darkness.
ix. If we come across a drowning man, of
course, we save him if we have the ability. However, if we could
not be of help and in the meantime someone else is saving him, we
say "Amitabha Buddha". By calling out "Amitabha Buddha" just once,
it strikes resonance with the drowning person and he immediately
attain the brightness and accomplishment of Amitabha Buddha. Then,
our mind is also in spiritual union Amitabha Buddha.
x.
If a person tells you tales about someone else, those tales are not
your business. The Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch states, "I see
someone engaging in gossip-mongering, I do not participate. If I
participate in the gossiping, then I have done wrong." That the
person is wrong is his own business. Your participation means that
you have also done wrong. If this person speaks a lot of ills about
another person and in the end you say just once "Amitabha Buddha",
that is good enough. If you participate in the gossiping, this
person may go around speaking ill of you too. But, when you say
"Amitabha Buddha", then you are in resonance with brightness and
that person would not be able to invent gossips and speak ill of
you. Therefore, "Amitabha Buddha" is indeed really very useful.
Regardless of whether the situation is good, bad or neither good
nor bad, when we say "Amitabha Buddha", our mind will be at ease
and we attain brightness, and in this way we resonate with
brightness.
3. How do we
cultivate this habit of chanting or reciting "Amitabha
Buddha"?
It is not easy to acquire the habit of chanting or
reciting "Amitabha Buddha". If you say "Amitabha Buddha" but
Amitabha Buddha is not in your heart and mind, then that would not
do. We should have brightness in our mind all the time so that we
are in spiritual union with Amitabha Buddha. In that way, when you
say "Amitabha Buddha" and your actions, speech and mind are in
spiritual union with Amitabha Buddha, then that is good enough.
4.
How do we cultivate to have brightness in our mind?
Actually, it is quite
easy to cultivate brightness in our mind. We must carry out the
principle behind "The mind of the past cannot be grasped; the mind
of the present cannot be grasped; the mind of the future cannot be
grasped." (The Three Minds; Vol 6, Issue no. 4) The past is already
gone and you cannot bring it back; the future is not here yet, and
there is no way you can bring it here at this moment; and, whatever
you have in your mind at this moment will not stay because as soon
as the next thought arises in your mind, the previous thought
ceases.
Therefore, we have to cultivate non-ego-form (i.e. not
self-centred; not having the notion of "I" or "mine"). The ego
gives rise to the notion of possession, for example, my wife, my
husband, my houses and assets, my children, etc. And, we are not
even clear about where actually is this "I".
5.
What is "I"? Is it real?
Can anybody find the "I"
in you? It is not an easy task. If you say "I can see you", who is
this "I" that you are referring to? You may reply that the "I" is
in fact your eyes. If you say, "I can hear you speaking of the
Dharma", it is your ears not the "I" that heard me. Not only are
the eyes and ears not the "I", even if they are, what about the
nose, mouth, tongue, limbs, body, head or hair? They are not the
"I" too. Since we cannot locate it, it does not seem meaningful to
attach to this ego. Therefore, a Buddhism practitioner should
comprehend this non-ego-form and maintain non-ego at all times. One
will then realise that all forms are false (an illusion), including
the ego-form. The "I" is false.
The "human-form" refers to the notion of a relative opposite when
we encounter another person. Since we cannot find the ego-form or
"I-form", how then can we find the human-form? We cannot. This is
because the ego-form of the person whom we encounter is also not
real; it is empty. The ego-form is empty, therefore, and naturally
the human-form is also empty. Since the ego-form and the human-from
are empty, it follows that the "sentient being-form" is also
empty.
Thus, the sense of time, or the time-form is also empty. A Buddhism
practitioner should cultivate to be detached from the 'Three
Minds'[1] and the 'Four Forms'[2]: not grasping the mind of the
past, the present and the future, and not attached to the notion of
the ego-form, the human-form, the sentient being-form and the
time-form.
Notes:
[1] The Three Minds: (i) the past is gone and cannot be grasped.
(ii) After this moment, the present becomes past and also cannot be
grasped. (iii) The future is not here yet and therefore cannot be
grasped too.
[2] The four forms: Form - Characteristics; (i) Everybody has an
ego, this is the ego- form. (ii) When we see another person, we
perceive the human-form. (iii) When thoughts arise in our mind, we
perceive the sentient being-form. (iv) The continuity of these
thoughts through time gives rise to the time-form.
6.
What happens when we realised the non-existence of the Four
Forms?
When you free yourself
from all forms, you will realise that all things are in fact empty.
Within this emptiness there is infinite brightness. When you
realise this infinite brightness, then the Amitabha Buddha in fact
resides in your mind.
7.
Since the "I" is false, what do we do with it?
Although the "I" is
false, we can still make use of it to cultivate merits [3] by
performing all deeds that are meritorious. In this way we attain
infinite merits.
When we perform meritorious deeds, it does not mean that we do them
only for today. We did them in the past, we do them presently and
we will do them in the future. We have ethics and our code of
ethics must prevail in the past, present and future. Since we have
infinite brightness and infinite merits - in the past … present …
future … past … present … future … past … present … future …. This
is the meaning of "infinite life".
In this way, we have manifested our "Own-nature Amitabha". At this
time even though we are still at home and have not gone to the
Western Pure Land, our home is already a part of the Western Pure
Land.
Notes:
[3] Merits: Non-arising and non-ceasing of the mind; deeds that are
performed from a pure, enlightened mind, free from the Three Minds
and the Four Forms.
8. When we refer to the Pure Land, what does it mean?
The land of all the Buddhas of the ten directions
(The ten directions of space, i.e. the eight points of the compass
and the nadir and zenith) is called Pure Land. Where does a Pure
Land come from? It comes from a pure mind; first and foremost, the
mind must be purified, only then will there be Pure Land. Our mind
is like the great earth because like the great earth, many things
can grow from the mind. The mind is often likened to a planting
field or land. Therefore, when a person is kind-hearted, he is said
to have a "virtuous mind-land", "virtuous mind-field" or "bright
mind-land". Our every decision and idea are all born of the mind.
Therefore, whether it is heaven or hell, they are solely created by
the mind. When the thoughts of the mind are virtuous, then they
lead to virtuous actions. In this way, people ascend to heaven. If
on the other hand, the mind thinks of evil, makes evil decisions
and evil deeds are committed, then one descends to hell. Thus,
heaven and hell are created by the mind.
If
the mind does not attach to the thoughts of good or evil and in
this way is purified, then "a pure mind begets a pure land". If
each and every person's mind is pure, then the land of our country
will also be pure.
Thus, it does not mean that people who seek to be reborn in the
Western Pure Land in their next life can do so by virtue of their
karma. It depends on the kind of karma. If it is virtuous, then
rebirth takes place in a good realm, a higher realm. If it is evil,
then it takes place in an evil realm, a lower realm. It is only
when the karma is pure that rebirth can take place in the Western
Pure Land.
Karma refers to whatever that we do - the actions of our body, what
we say and what goes on in our mind. It is only when the actions,
speech and thoughts are pure, that people can be reborn in the
Western Pure Land. It is possible for us to be pure in the three
karma's (actions, speech and thoughts) by reciting "Amitabha
Buddha". It only takes one person's mind to be pure for it to bring
about a positive effect on one's surroundings. When all the members
of the family have purified their minds, all members of the society
have purified their minds, the entire human race across the world
has purified its mind, then a Pure Land on earth is
achieved.
9. Besides chanting Amitabha Buddha, what else should one
practise?
Practitioners of the
method of chanting the Buddha's name not only recite "Amitabha
Buddha", but in addition should also cultivate merits. It is stated
in the Amitabha Sutra that rebirth in the Western Pure Land is not
possible via conditions that are lacking in virtuous roots,
blessings and merits. For instance, when we have practised and
perfected the Six Parameters (1. Observing the Precepts, 2.
Endurance, 3. Giving, 4. Zeal and Progress, 5. Meditation, and 6.
Wisdom), then to be reborn in the Western Pure Land is a simple
matter. If you have accomplished a mind that is as pure as the
Amitabha Buddha's, then there is no necessity for Amitabha Buddha
to come and guide you to the Western Pure Land. At that time you
are already a great Bodhisattva. Not only can a great Bodhisattva
go the Western Pure Land; he can go to any pure land as he
pleases. 
© Copyright 2002.Jen Chen
Buddhism Centre
Thanks. I don't find any major differences between
HumanBliss and Pureland Teachings. They are basically the same.