The vow to be reborn

Beautiful951 SG

I understand that making vows to be reborn in pureland is very important, but I do not know if making a vow for pureland is the same as having and expressing the desire to be reborn.

If possible, I would like to know how vows are taken. Because currently, my vows consist of wishing that amitabha buddha will welcome and escort me to pureland.

Domo Kun SG

Omg, I forget abt making vows. I only recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

Thanks for reminding me.

realization SG

Hope Novice, Dawn1stlight or sinweiy can shed some light on this. I'm not to sure about this actually.

2009novice SG

yes... vow 愿 (aspirations) to reborn in Pure Land is important. To be exact, not just aspirations, faith, practice are equally important. Don't miss out these 3 provisions.

But I don't quite get what u mean by expressing desire to reborn... I assume u meant expressing reborn is to return to Samsara and enlighten sentient beings...

realization SG

yes... vow 愿 (aspirations) to reborn in Pure Land is important. To be exact, not just aspirations, faith, practice are equally important. Don't miss out these 3 provisions.

But I don't quite get what u mean by expressing desire to reborn... I assume u meant expressing reborn is to return to Samsara and enlighten sentient beings...

I think he's referring to the wish to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss (Pureland).

Probably, he's asking if he needs to take any formal vows with regards to the desire to be reborn in Pureland.

Domo Kun SG

I don’t understand how do we know we attain single minded chanting of the mind.

Single minded chanting is another important aspect of Pureland buddhism.

realization SG

I don’t understand how do we know we attain single minded chanting of the mind.

Single minded chanting is another important aspect of Pureland buddhism.

Domo Kun, this is quite far off-topic. If you don't want to start a new thread, try to park this question in a more relevant thread. Maybe the one "Questions on reciting Sutras"?

Domo Kun SG

Domo Kun, this is quite far off-topic. If you don't want to start a new thread, try to park this question in a more relevant thread. Maybe the one "Questions on reciting Sutras"?

Thanks realization.

sinweiy SG

I understand that making vows to be reborn in pureland is very important, but I do not know if making a vow for pureland is the same as having and expressing the desire to be reborn.

If possible, I would like to know how vows are taken. Because currently, my vows consist of wishing that amitabha buddha will welcome and escort me to pureland.

if i understand u correctly, the making vow to "reborn" in pureland is different from expressing the desire to be reborn (over and over again) in samsara. samsara is suffering. pureland is non-suffering.

your vows/aspiration/wishing that Amitabha Buddha will welcome and escort u to pureland is good. deeply believe that He will!

i also like to know how is ur vow made? upon what reason/event? any strong reason? it's same as making a promise to do something. it need to be implanted into the alaya/mind. u see how the Queen in Contemplation Sutra made his vow to reborn in PL. we need to be something like that. no need some formal procedure. vow from the heart is even more powerful. if samsara make u cry, and/or sentient beings suffering also make u cry, then one's vow is good.

Beautiful951 SG

your vows/aspiration/wishing that Amitabha Buddha will welcome and escort u to pureland is good. deeply believe that He will!

Actually I vowed to be reborn in pureland, but my vow is after I recite the buddha's name, I will say "I wish amitabha buddha will welcome and escort me to the pureland so I have attain buddhahood and save sentient beings.

I had a strong reason in the past, although I don't feel it so strongly now. I once saw my parents worrying so much over me I told myself that I wished to be reborn in pureland so that they may be reborn in the heavenly realms and from there I hoped to help them to be reborn in pureland too. Do you think it is too shallow?

I do have times when I see people's unhappiness and wish that they can have no suffering but I don't think that it is very strong.

sinweiy SG

yes, it's implanted into the alaya/mind. :)

realization SG

Hi Beautiful951,

I did some digging around and found that there are indeed verses one can recite when making the vow to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Apparently, one should make the vow after every Buddha recitation session, besides also reciting verses of repentance and dedicating merits.

Please click on the following images in the order they have been pasted. (Sorry about the poor quality. I used my camera; hence the shadows.)

Dawnfirstlight SG

I've just seen this post. Yeah, it is important to vow that you wish to be reborn in Amituofo's Pureland after recitation of Amituofo, Guan Shi Yin Pusa or chanting sutra.

Venerables said that if we did not vow to be reborn in Pureland, our chances of being reborn in Amituofo's Pureland will be slim. To be reborn in Amituofo's Pureland, our vow or will of being reborn in Amituofo's Pureland must be stronger than our karma （愿力(vow or will)强过业力(karma)).

There is a "standard vow" which is being chanted in most of the temples after each chanting event and I used to chant these verses after recitation of Buddha's name and chanting sutra. I roughly translate them to English.

愿生西方净土中( I wish to be reborn in Amituofo's Pureland)

九品莲花为父母 (Lotus be my parents)

花开见佛悟无生 (Flowers open and I realise there's no more rebirth)

不退菩萨为伴侣 (Bodhisattvas are always my partners)

I'll try to look for the English version. If you are not free to chant all the verses, you can just chant the 1st verse "愿生西方净土中".

Beautiful951 SG

I've just seen this post. Yeah, it is important to vow that you wish to be reborn in Amituofo's Pureland after recitation of Amituofo, Guan Shi Yin Pusa or chanting sutra.

愿生西方净土中( I wish to be reborn in Amituofo's Pureland)

九品莲花为父母 (Lotus be my parents)

花开见佛悟无生 (Flowers open and I realise there's no more rebirth)

不退菩萨为伴侣 (Bodhisattvas are always my partners)

I'll try to look for the English version. If you are not free to chant all the verses, you can just chant the 1st verse "愿生西方净土中".

What about this one? It is written on a book, titled "verse of transference".

上报四重恩，下济三途苦(repaying four kinds of kindness above and aiding those suffering on the paths below)

若有见闻者，悉发菩提心(may those who see and hear of this all bring forth the resolve for bodhi)
尽此一报身，同生极乐国 (and when this retribution body is over be reborn together in ultimate bliss)

I I

Beautiful951 SG

The above chinese text, I copied from a website because I forgot how to type out those words.

Dawnfirstlight SG

What about this one? It is written on a book, titled "verse of transference".

上报四重恩，下济三途苦(repaying four kinds of kindness above and aiding those suffering on the paths below)

I I

The verses you mentioned are for dedicating merits after chanting or recitation of Buddha's names. Dedicating merits (回向）and vow （发愿）are different.

There are many types of verses for dedicating merits. Following is another common dedicating merits verses.

愿以此功德回向给十方法界一切有情众生，

弟子（名字）累生累世的怨亲债主，

弟子（名字）生生世世的父母，

以及you can specify anyone in particular that in need of merits.

Beautiful951 SG

After reciting the buddha's name, can we transfer merits and make the vows at the same time?

realization SG

After reciting the buddha's name, can we transfer merits and make the vows at the same time?

Yes, you're supposed to.

Transferring of merits is usually the last step.

likeyou SG

Can I ask something?

If you vow to reborn to pureland (that is no suffering anymore), will you still remember your family members? Can you help to bring them together with you to pureland?

I am sorry if I am too attached to my family members.

Dawnfirstlight SG

Can I ask something?

If you vow to reborn to pureland (that is no suffering anymore), will you still remember your family members? Can you help to bring them together with you to pureland?

I am sorry if I am too attached to my family members.

What I understand is yes. You will still remember your family members and you will also be grateful to those who had helped you to know about Pureland. However, you can't bring them with you as they must be willing to go with you, they must also practice and have faith in Pureland. When they are still with you now, let them have the same faith in Pureland as you. Encourage them to vow and practice.

What I understand is if you are in Pureland and unfortunately your family members and your benefactors are being reborn, you can help them by dedicating merits to them. By doing so, they will have affinities with Amituofo and find their way to Pure Land by themselves.

I always dedicate merits to my loved ones who had passed away. They did not know about Amituofo when they were alive. By doing so, they will also have affinities with Amituofo and find their way to Pureland by themselves. The power of dedicating merits is very strong.