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Amitabha Buddha practices --The preaching of Khenpo Tschengladrazhu Rinpoche

Beginner knowledge 2023-08-10

AmitabhaPractice the Dharma --KanbuThe preaching of Cicheng Luozhu Rinpoche (poster: Yumu)

The preaching of Khenpo Tschengladrazhu Rinpoche

1. The reason for preaching the practice of Amitabha Buddha

In the teachings on the tips of death, it was said that when we are alive, we need to make a choice: it is expectationRebirthMaster Padmasambhava's land, orRebirthAmitabha'sPure Land……,In order to pray repeatedly and devote oneself to the pure land of your choice in the bardo body or at the end of your death.This kind of very certain desire to be reborn is very important, and this is one of the origins of Amitabha’s practice today.

In addition, the practice of Amitabha Buddha is originally very important to most people.Those who have attained great perfection, or those who have reached a very high level of practice of tantra, do not necessarily need to practice Amitabha Buddha's practice, because they can achieve success in life and can also be liberated at the latest in the bardo. Therefore, they will not have the next life, and they do not need to choose the land of rebirth.But for others, rebirth in the Pure Land is very important.

fromBuddhismHistorically, even Nagarjuna Bodhisattva who reached a very high level eventually went to the Pure Land;On the surface, those who have achieved great perfection like the Dharma King Ruyibao still choose to go to the Pure Land.Of course, this is just a convenient manifestation of encouraging future generations to yearn for the Pure Land. For great masters such as the Dharma King Ruyibao, going to the Pure Land or other places is the same. Wherever there is a cause to save sentient beings, they will go wherever they will not be able to distinguish, but on the surface, there will be such a choice.This also further highlights the importance of Amitabha’s practice to ordinary practitioners.

Because this practice has neither profound theories nor complex rituals, it is simple, easy to practice, convenient and fast, among the old ladies and grandpas who have no culture and do not know even, there are many examples of successfully rebirth in the Pure Land.When they were dying, they saw the signs of rebirth with their own eyes, so they were not afraid of death and happily went to the Western Paradise.All of this is because this practice is very simple and the chance of being able to be achieved is also very high.

Although the practice of Tantric Buddhism is very special, if you practice well, you can achieve success in this life without rebirth, from this perspective, Tantric Buddhism is indeed better than the practice of rebirth in the Pure Land and other practices;But first, one needs a high-level foundation, and secondly, many complex stages of generation and completion stages are required to practice;But Amitabha’s practice does not require these. From this perspective, it is better than Tantric practice.

Tantra can "achievements in this life", that is, you can become a Buddha in a few decades, and the practice of rebirth in the Pure Land also has the same ability.If you recite the Buddha's name very well in this life, you will not be reborn in another place in the next life, but will be directly reborn in the Pure Land.Once this kind of person reaches the Pure Land, flowers bloom and see the Buddha and become a Bodhisattva in the first stage, because all sentient beings in the Pure Land are Bodhisattvas above the first stage.

But there is one situation that may be an exception, that is, those who have faith and desire for Amitabha and the Pure Land when practicing Amitabha Buddha's Dharma, and who are also skeptical, although they can be reborn in the Pure Land, they will stay in the lotus for five hundred years and cannot come out. During this period, they can only hear the voice of Amitabha Buddha, but cannot see the Buddha.

For such people, there is a saying that they are likely to have not reached the level of the earth, that is, they are not Bodhisattvas above the first level.Because Bodhisattvas on the first stage can meet a hundred Buddhas in that moment, without these obstacles.

From this we can see that except for the above-mentioned people, those who are reborn in the Pure Land are all Bodhisattvas above the first level.

Many scriptures of the Exoteric Sect also say that Bodhisattvas above the first level of the Western Paradise can become Buddhas within seven days if they are willing;If you are unwilling to achieve Buddhahood so quickly and hope to save sentient beings as a Bodhisattva, you can also not become Buddhas in hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of millions of great disasters.The seven days mentioned here are the time on earth.

In this way, if a person concentrates on chanting Buddha's name, dies after decades and is reborn in the Pure Land immediately, even if he adds seven days in the Pure Land, he will become a Buddha in decades.Although this is not a Buddha who becomes a Buddha in this life (from this perspective, the practice of Tantric Buddhism is still faster), it is not much different whether it is an instant life after being reborn in the Pure Land.Therefore, Amitabha’s practice can also be achieved quickly.

Among the 84,000 Dharmas, in addition to these two methods of practice, is there any practice that can completely become a Buddha in the course of decades?The answer is no.In short, one is Tantric Buddhism and the other is Amitabha Buddha’s practice. These two are the most critical practice methods.There are many other exoteric and esoteric teachings in Tibet, and there are also Chinese Buddhism.ZenAlthough all of the same dharmas have their own advantages, none of them can compare with the practice of Dzogchen and Amitabha Buddha.

The practice of Dzogchen is very fast in terms of time, but as I just said, this is conditional: it is mainly a requirement for the foundation;You must also find an enlightened master who can give initiation truthfully and teach the secrets. Only when all conditions are met can you achieve success.

Pure LandThe practice of the law does not require so many conditions. For a person who is not very diligent and has an average foundation.Pure LandPracticing the Dharma is better than the practice of Tantric Buddhism. From this perspective, Purple Land practice is very important.This is another reason for preaching the practice of Amitabha Buddha.

2. The importance of Amitabha Buddha’s practice

The last Dharma Assembly hosted by the Dharma King Ruyibao is the Dharma Assembly of Pure Land.He told everyone three key points at that time, one of which was: "All disciples must practice the Dharma of rebirth in the Pure Land", which is his last teaching.Not only that, during his lifetime, he also widely preached the merits of the Pure Land in various places, and has been committed to promoting the method of rebirth in the Pure Land for decades.Because this method is universally circulated, many people can benefit, so we should follow it according to the teachings.

In modern society, people'sLifeThe pressure is quite high. For daily daily life, work and other matters, I am busy all day long and have a rare time to have free time.Only a few people can have the conditions to practice a complete and formal stage of generation and completion.Although the numerous Buddhist disciples are still persisting in their practice, the conditions are extremely limited and there are many difficulties.Therefore, if you can practice the practice of rebirth in the Pure Land while taking into account other practices, you will have a greater grasp of your achievements.

The same is true for our college. The focus of older people in their practice is definitely on the Great Perfection and their preliminary practices, but at the same time they also practice.Pure Land Dharma。This is the provision of the Dharma King Ruyibao, and everyone must start from these two aspects.What is the reason?This is to consider that if the practice of tantric practices such as Dzogchen and other tantras is of little effect, you can still hope to be reborn in the Pure Land, so this requirement is given.

Some people may ask: Since Amitabha’s practice is so special, why not only practice this method, but also practice tantra?

There are two main reasons.The first reason is that the secret Dharma itself has many incredible merits.If Amitabha Buddha's practice is not very successful, then the initiation and inheritance of tantra will also sow extremely special seeds of liberation in our mind continuum. Its maturity is only a matter of time and time: if you do not practice diligently, you will be later, but if you are later, you will definitely become a Buddha.To be more precise, even if you do not practice the stage of generation and perfection, as long as you do not break the tantric precepts, the final period of achievement will not exceed the sixteen generations. This is a unique merit of Tantric Buddhism.Therefore, we cannot give up practicing Tantra because of the extraordinary practice of Amitabha Buddha.

The second reason is that lack of listening and thinking may have adverse effects on practicing the Pure Land Method and rebirth in the Pure Land.To practice Amitabha Buddha’s practice, you must have extremely strong faith, which is the most critical condition for rebirth in the Pure Land.At present, some people who recite the Buddha's name do not like to study and think, and have never learned many important contents of Buddhism.Although they do not have much doubts about Amitabha and the Pure Land during the process of chanting Buddha's name, there will be many problems in other aspects such as causality and effect. After a problem arises, they will be troubled by their lack of listening and thinking, and they will not be able to let go of it for a long time because they lack learning and thinking.Therefore, you must study and think and practice Tantra. It is the most down-to-earth to practice from the two aspects of Pure Land Dharma and Tantra.

Some of them are from HanMageIt advocates the so-called in-depth study, that is, if you practice Pure Land, you will neither be able to read nor practice any other method.Is this OK?Of course, if you can practice the Pure Land Dharma very seriously, this is also possible, but you must adhere to one principle, that is, you must not think that except for Amitabha Buddha’s practice, all other exoteric and esoteric methods must be meaningless;Instead, you should choose to practice the method of rebirth in the Pure Land on the basis of having faith in all Buddhist teachings. This is the correct attitude.

Although we can specialize in the Pure Land Dharma, we finally came to the world and obtained such a leisurely and fulfilled human body. We encountered very special Dharmas such as the Great Perfection. If we do not read, hear or practice other special Dharmas just because we are obsessed with "one-study" and do not read, hear, or practice them, it will definitely be a big loss. It is indeed a pity.Therefore, for ordinary people, it is best to take into account both study and thinking and the Pure Land Dharma, which is very, very important.

My suggestion is that if you are older and have a low level of culture, the focus of your practice should be on Amitabha’s practice;Others can do this if they do not meet the conditions such as time, but as long as there is a little possibility, they should try their best to study and think and practice Tantra.It is crucial to practice both methods.

Even if you practice the method of rebirth of Amitabha Buddha, you must pay attention to the methods and practice them in a reasonable and legal manner.

How to practice reasonably and in accordance with the law?

There are two methods: one is the practice of Amitabha Buddha in Tantric Buddhism;The other is the practice of Amitabha Buddha in the exoteric sect.

The practice of Amitabha Buddha in Tantric Buddhism is based on the exoteric school, adding some simple secrets of the generation stage and the perfect stage.With these tips, you will practice faster and be easier to rebirth. This is a characteristic;Another feature is that this practice requires initiation.The practice of exoteric sects neither requires initiation nor practice the stage of rebirth and perfection, so it is relatively simple.

Let me add here: For many elderly people, it is neither too late nor too late to practice the stage of generation and completion;Moreover, because of old age and weak body, it is not realistic to practice many methods that require physical strength, such as kowtowing big heads.Therefore, as an elderly person, his only choice is the Pure Land Method. You don’t need to think too much, just practice Amitabha Buddha’s practice seriously.

So do they need to listen to other methods?Because listening to the Dharma itself has great merits, as long as you have the opportunity to listen to the Dharma, don’t let it go;CanPractical practiceAt that time, you only need to practice the Pure Land method, no matter whether it is based on the exoteric or esoteric methods, you can practice which method of rebirth in the Pure Land.

As I said just now, many modern people have great pressure on their work and life. It is bound to have certain difficulties in achieving a true stage of generation or complete stage of practice.Therefore, I want to emphasize again: Amitabha’s practice is not only needed by the elderly, but also by the young.Why?Because, in life, people should choose and determine the direction they will take in the future.What is this direction?It is very important to be reborn in the Western Paradise.Therefore, whether it is the elderly or the young, everyone should practice the practice of Amitabha Buddha.

The above briefly introduces the importance of Amitabha’s practice.

3. Specific practices

(1) Stay away from two obstacles

《The Buddha said the Amitabha Sutra is the most important sutra for rebirth in the Pure Land. It talks about the need to stay away from two obstacles and have four factors.

What are the two obstacles that need to be avoided?The Buddha said in the Amitabha Sutra: The first is the five sins of immortality;The second is the sin of slandering the Dharma and giving up the Dharma.In addition to these two sins, all other sins such as killing, stealing, adultery, lying, etc. will not hinder the rebirth of the Pure Land.Why?Because although these sins are also serious, our faith in Amitabha Buddha and our yearning for the Pure Land itself has great merits, and this merit can eliminate these sins;However, the two obstacles mentioned above are extremely serious sins, and other methods must be used to repent and purify.

One obstacle is the sin of slandering the Dharma or giving up the Dharma.There are many kinds of them, the most serious of which refers to the false saying that there is no cause and effect, reincarnation, there is no retribution for good and evil, nor the Western Pure Land, etc.;Simply put, it is believed that what Buddhism talks about is false and deceptive.If you think like this, you will give up the Dharma, and if you say this, you will slander the Dharma, which is the most serious.If we have ever had such thoughts or statements, we must work hard to repent and make it pure.

Another obstacle is the five uninterrupted sins.Although there are five kinds of five sins, there are malicious blood from the Buddha's body (the "Buddha" mentioned here refers specifically to Buddhas like Sakyamuni Buddha, who appear as the leader of the religion, and does not include the extraordinary incarnation of other Buddhas.) and the Breaking Monk (specially instructing the monks to deviate from Sakyamuni Buddha and to split between the Buddha and the monks, which does not include the act of sowing the disagreement that destroys the unity between ordinary monks.) These two types will not happen now.What may be violated at present are the three sins of father, mother and killing Arhat.

Most people are very clear about whether they intentionally kill their biological parents (if not intentionally, it is not a sin of infinity).As for the sin of killing an Arhat, we can also learn through reasoning: because an Arhat is the identity of a human or a celestial being, if you have not killed a person, it is impossible to kill an Arhat.

Abortion often happens now, so some people may ask: Will there be Arhats among the aborted fetus?it's out of the question.Because the Arhat was cultivated in this world, after he attained enlightenment, he would not be reborn again.This is not like a Bodhisattva. There may be Bodhisattvas in the fetus, but there will be no Arhats.Therefore, the possibility of killing an Arhat due to abortion can be ruled out.

There are very few cases of intentional murder, so if you have not killed someone, you can be sure that you have not killed an Arhat.Through this observation, you can clearly know whether you have committed five uninterrupted sins in your life.So have we committed five uninterrupted sins in our previous life?

In the previous life, we should have not committed the five uninterrupted sins, and even if we have committed them, they have been purified.If you committed the five uninterrupted sins in your previous life without repentance and purity, you will definitely not be able to obtain a human body in this life.Because in the moment of death, those who commit the five sins of the Uninterrupted Sin can fall directly into the Avici Hell without going through the bardo, without having other chances of rebirth.

After eliminating all the above sins one by one, what we should pay special attention to is the sin of slandering the Dharma and giving up the Dharma.

After studying Buddhism, we must not have committed the most serious crime of slandering or giving up the Dharma, and it is hard to tell whether we have committed it before;For us, the easiest thing to do is the more subtle sin of slandering (discarding) the Dharma.

A situation that is more likely to occur and dangerous is that different sects within Buddhism slander each other.For example: Those who study the exoteric sect believe that Tantric Buddhism is not preached by the Buddha, but a cult, and criticize all the differences in Tantric Buddhism;Or those who study Tantric Buddhism think that the exoteric school is inferior, and cannot obtain the fruit of the Buddha by practicing the exoteric school, etc.;There are also people who study Tibetan Buddhism slander Han Buddhism, and people who study Chinese Buddhism slander Tibetan Buddhism;In addition, because Tibetan Buddhism has different sects and inherited Dharma lines, some people look at these sects from a shallow worldly perspective, and on this basis, they argue and slander each other based on greed, anger, and ignorance.These are all slandering the Dharma or giving up the Dharma.

In the sutra, the Buddha also talked about another more subtle slander of the Dharma, that is, among the 84,000 Dharmas, some are good and some are not good. Such discriminatory thoughts are also called slandering (discarding) Dharma.

So, how should we view various methods?Are the eighty-four thousand Dharmas at the same level?The levels are different, but the differences in levels do not mean the quality of the law.Just like the Hinayana Sarvasattva, although from a level perspective, there is not as high as Tantric Buddhism, some people can only use such methods to save them, and cannot use other methods such as Dzogchen.For these people, all the Dharmas of Sarvasattva are the most extraordinary.In order to adapt to everyone's foundation, various methods are needed, so we cannot underestimate or slander any method.

This is a more subtle and easy crime of slandering the Dharma.

Some Tibetan scholars adhere to one-sided views and like to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of other sects;Some followers of Gruba and Nyingma Patriarchae in the Han area also like to talk about this kind of right and wrong, and there are still many such people.

Nowadays, Buddhists in almost every city are divided into several sects. They cannot unite and be friendly with each other, but they like to compare the quality of their masters and the purity of their inheritance... Many people suffer from varying degrees of harm because of this. This is the sin of slandering the Dharma.Therefore, the above behaviors are very dangerous, and there is absolutely no need for us to compete.

Practice the method you want to practice. Whether it is between exoteric or esoteric, Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, or Nyingma Path or Grupa, this is personal freedom.When making a choice, you still need to observe first and then practice.Even if you cannot practice other methods, you must never have any prejudice against them.

We must have respect for all Buddhist teachings;All practitioners must be united.If all practitioners unite, they will definitely accomplish the great cause of spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings.

On the contrary, frequent meaningless debates and the factionality will be caused by the faction, which will make it more difficult for some small cities that lack real Buddhism to receive precious Buddhist education. This is the result of one's own obstacles.This kind of bad situation is more common in the Han area.

We must eliminate these bad habits. Although we do not have to rely on all masters, nor do we have to practice all Dharmas. Just choose one Dharma yourself, but we must have respect for all Dharmas, and the same should be true for all masters and monks. This is the most basic principle of being a Buddhist.

People in many places cannot do this, which is related to their failure to systematically receive this precious Buddhist education.If you have not received such education, you will look at Buddhism from a secular perspective, and what you can see with a secular perspective is also very secular things!

What is mentioned above is a very subtle, very dangerous, and extremely easy to commit sins, but these sins can be purified.When the Dharma King Ruyibao spread the Pure Land practice, he first asked us to pass the simple Vajrasattva practice. ──Recite the Hundred Symbols Mantra 100,000 times, or recite the Vajrasattva mantra "Om Banza Ssattva Hum" for 400,000 times to eliminate these obstacles.

Eliminating these two obstacles is the first step, and then on the premise that the obstacles disappear, create four more factors, namely the four favorable conditions.

(2) Four factors for rebirth in the Pure Land (Favority)

1、Visualize Pure Land and Amitabha Buddha

Visualizing the Pure Land, Amitabha and its relatives is the first favorable fate.When visualizing, you do not need to read the Thangka repeatedly as required by Tantra until you have a very clear visualization.

The visualization here is very simple. We can give an example: if one person has been to Lhasa, the other person has not.People who have been to tell people who have never been to tell them about their experiences in Lhasa: there is a Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, there is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the Jokhang Temple, what does this Buddha statue look like, etc.Then this person who has never been to Lhasa has a rough idea in his mind: “Oh!So this is what Lhasa is.The Jokhang Temple is like this, and the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the temple is like this,...”

Similarly, the scriptures have also said: There is a Pure Land in the West, and how solemn the environment of the Pure Land is;There is a Buddha in the Pure Land called Amitabha Buddha. How solemn is Amitabha Buddha’s appearance, body and color...Although we have never been to the Pure Land, after reading the scriptures or listening to the introduction to the Pure Land, we have some concepts: It turns out that the Pure Land is like this... If we can have this concept in our hearts, it is enough.

If you practice the practice of Amitabha Buddha in Tantric Buddhism, you need to watch Amitabha Buddha's Thangka repeatedly and practice in the regular generation stage method.However, the above visualization method mentioned in the classics of the exoteric school is also simple and effective, so there is no need to visualize it very clearly.

Such visualization sounds simple, but it is a common homework. It is best to visualize the Western Paradise and Amitabha Buddha day and night, that is, to visualize without leaving every thought in every moment.Obviously, most of us definitely cannot "remember every time", but we should also make diligent day and night and try our best to keep our mindfulness inseparable from our hearts at any time.

For specific visualization methods, please refer to the description of the Pure Land in the Tripitaka, such as the Five Pure Land Sutras promoted by the Pure Land Sect, especially the Amitabha Sutra of the Buddha;and the "Wishes on the Pure Land" written by Chame Rinpoche in Tibetan Buddhism;There is also the "Great Commentary on the Wish of Ultimate Bliss" written by Lalaquzhi Rinpoche (KhenpoSodaJi has translated it into Chinese).In these sutras and treatises, the environment of the Western Paradise and the solemnity of Amitabha and his relatives are described very clearly.After reading these sutras and treatises, I have a rough impression of the Pure Land, that is, I should always remember to visualize the Pure Land.This is the first factor.

2、Accumulate resources

The method of accumulating merit mentioned here mainly refers to the seven offerings.In the teachings of "Guru Yoga" and "Bodhisattva precepts", the seven offerings were also discussed, which are basically the same as what we want to talk about here.The only difference is: the object of offering in the past is the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Vajra masters in the ten directions and three times;The objects of offering in the seven branches of the practice in the Pure Land are Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and the great Bodhisattvas who abide in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.Apart from this difference, the visualization methods of kowtow and offering are exactly the same, so there is no need to repeat them here.If you have any questions, you can read the "Great Commentary on the Wish of Bliss Wishes", which is explained very clearly and thoroughly.This is the method of accumulating merit.

In fact, there are many ways to accumulate merit, such as keeping precepts,Release animalsGive、Reciting mantras, etc.Especially in Buddhist festivals such as the Buddha's birthday, the Dharma Wheel Day, and the Nirvana Day, keep the precepts,Release animalsOr do other good deeds, the merits will increase by billions of times;When solar eclipse and lunar eclipse occur, it is also a very important opportunity to do good deeds and practice Dharma.

When a lunar eclipse occurs, it usually lasts three to five hours from the beginning to the full recovery, and we need to prepare for practice before this.It is not important to sleep at this time. You must also get up in the middle of the night to practice the Dharma and recite the scriptures.If there is no fixed practice of the deity, practice Vajrasattva, encourage repentance, or recite the mantra of Amitabha Buddha, etc. This is very important.There was a lunar eclipse two days ago, but we didn’t pay attention at that time and missed another opportunity. It was a pity.

In order to avoid missing these good opportunities to do good deeds and practice the Dharma, you should develop the habit of reading almanacs in the future.You can buy a book calculated by the Institute of Astronomy and Calendar Calendar of Tibet Hospital, and then learn the ten numbers from one to ten in Tibetan: 1 (), 2 (), 3 (), 4 (), 5 (), 6 (), 7 (), 8 (), 9 (), 0 (), Tibetan numbers are arranged the same as Arabic numerals, such as ︰11()、23()、999()Wait, so it's very easy to learn.After learning, you can find the Western calendar date corresponding to the Buddhist festival.

The orthodox calendar in Tibet believes that the Buddha has been in Nirvana for more than 2,900 years, while the Buddhist calendar in the Han or other places is only more than 2,500 years. However, how old it is, it is a question that the academic community needs to study and is not important to our practice.From our perspective, the most important thing is to accurately identify important Buddhist festivals every year so that we can use the best time to practice.

Why are lunar eclipses and solar eclipses very important times for practice?From the perspective of secular people, the so-called sun and moon are just ordinary stars and satellites. The moon revolves around it due to the gravity of the earth, and the earth revolves around the sun;But from the perspective of "Kingale" it is not that simple.

“The secret to death" said that when the bardo body is in the bardo body, the spiritual consciousness has been separated from the qi meridians and bright spots. Even if some spiritual consciousnesses can stay in the bardo realm for more than ten years or longer, because there are no red and white bright spots, they never see the sun and moon outside.

This shows that the external sun and moon are a projection of the bright spots of the inner qi, meridians and light points of the human body. Just like a person looking in a mirror, the people in the mirror do not really exist, but just human shadows.Similarly, the movement of other planets is also an external reflection of the internal qi, meridians, and bright spots.

People who have reached a certain level of cultivation of qi meridians and bright spots can completely guess when the moon will be full or the moon will be deficient through their own breathing.In other words, if they want to know the profit and loss of the moon phase, they don’t need to read the almanac at all, and can observe it through their own breathing.It can be seen from this that the movement of external stars is extremely closely related to the changes in the internal qi, meridians and bright spots.

Some people find it strange when they see that the Tibetan calendar sometimes has two fifteen days, and sometimes there are no fifteen days.In fact, this is based on human breathing, that is, on internal causes and conditions ──The number of times karma and wisdom qi is related to external causes and conditions ──The moon's orbit speed, and the calculated calendar has very strong logic.

《Kalachakra "Kajra of Time" calculates the operating mode of the external sun, moon and stars through the changes of the internal qi, meridians and bright spots. Based on the changes of external astrological signs, we can invert the situation of the internal qi, meridians and bright spots.Therefore, if you can practice diligently on solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, or the fifteenth or thirtyth days of each month, that is, some special stages of the movement of the qi and meridians and bright spots, the effect will definitely be extraordinary.

Why does it have significant effects during this period?Tibetan Buddhism believes that each of us breaths a day is 21,600 times (fifteen times per minute), and most of them are karma (impure and distracting thoughts), and there are very few components of wisdom (opposite to the definition of karma).But on these special days, most of the karma energy becomes wisdom energy, which is why there will be great merit in practicing at these times.

Sometimes there is no lunar eclipse in our hemisphere, but it can be seen on the other side of the earth, but it is not a big deal to see it. As long as there is a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse, whether it is chanting scriptures, releasing animals or doing any good deeds, it will have great merit. This is a special method to accumulate merit.

However, the accumulation of merit in the Pure Land practice uses a secret method.What is the trick?It is the seven offerings.Perhaps because we are used to reciting the seven-strate offerings every day, we feel that it seems nothing great, but in fact we should not despise the seven-strate offerings like this, because it is the most extraordinary method of accumulating merits in the entire Mahayana exoteric school and Tantric school.

Of course, there are methods of accumulating merit, such as offering mandala, etc., but I won’t talk about it here.This is the second factor for rebirth in the Pure Land.

3、Bodhicitta

We need to ask ourselves: What is the purpose of rebirth in the Pure Land?If it is because the Saha world is full of pain, such as birth, old age, illness, and death, the other five realms of sentient beings also have their own sufferings, especially the three evil realms, they are even more miserable, and they do not even have the opportunity to study and practice. Therefore, I hope to escape from the Saha world and go to the Pure Land to enjoy it as soon as possible. This is not the behavior of Mahayana Bodhisattvas, nor is it the practice of Mahayana Bodhisattvas.Therefore, you cannot have such thoughts, but must develop the Bodhicitta.

Some people may ask questions: Are we not developing the Bodhicitta, but wanting to save sentient beings in the Saha world?Then why do you still have to go to the Pure Land?

The Dharma King Ruyibao has talked about this issue many times: Now in the Dharma-Ending Age, it is difficult for many people to have outstanding results in their practice, so they need to be reborn in the Pure Land first.As I said just now, after being reborn in the Pure Land, I will immediately reach the stage of Bodhisattva.With the super and extraordinary abilities of the Bodhisattva, you can save all living beings freely.Because in a moment after reaching the ground (about a few seconds, not the smallest unit of time), one can mature the good roots of one hundred people, that is, one can get one hundred people into the beginning, and one can save thousands of people every day.From then on, it was considered to be the true saving of sentient beings.

Even if we have a strong bodhicitta that is not artificial, this is just a good intention. After all, our ability is limited, and we still cannot truly and widely save sentient beings.If you want to have the ability to save sentient beings as soon as possible, you must first be reborn in the Pure Land.

In the last teachings, the Dharma King Ruyibao also said: After I pass away, if I have freedom, I will not return to the Saha world immediately, nor will I go to other places. Instead, I will go to the Pure Land first. After gaining the vast ability to save lives in the Pure Land, I will immediately return to the Saha world to save sentient beings.

After the Bodhisattva achieves achievements in the Pure Land, it is impossible for him to stay there for his own happiness.Because the Bodhisattva shoulders the important task of saving sentient beings, that is his job.This sense of mission will inspire him to come back and save sentient beings immediately. By that time, his ability to save sentient beings will be different from that of now.

From this we can see that if we want to save sentient beings, being reborn in the Pure Land is one of the best ways.On the surface, on the one hand, one has the intention to save sentient beings, and on the other hand, one wants to go to the Pure Land, which seems a bit contradictory.But after the above observation, you can see that it is similar to "In order to save all sentient beings, I will vow to become a Buddha;In order to become a Buddha quickly, I must first go to the Pure Land to practice" this kind of intention is not inconsistent with Bodhicitta.

If you do not develop the Bodhicitta, this practice will not become a Mahayana Dharma, so you must develop the Bodhicitta.We have already talked about the practice of raising the Bodhicitta in full, and we will not repeat it here.This is the third factor.

4、Dedication and vow

How should we dedicate and make vows?When every good deed such as meditation and release of animals are over, these good deeds should be dedicated.The common method of dedication has been mentioned before, that is, "How do all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dedicate me, and how do I dedicate me."If you want to be reborn in the Pure Land, you need to add the wish of "With this good root, you will be reborn in the Pure Land" on this basis. This is the method of dedication.

Secondly, every time you make a vow, you should also join the wish of "I wish I could be reborn in the Pure Land".

The difference between making a vow and dedication is: whether there are good karma to rely on when making a vow.For example, after doing the perfection, you have a intention: "What do I want to do with the good roots of doing this," which is called dedication.Its characteristic is that before making a vow, it can be said that making a vow based on our good roots is dedication;So what is a vow?Whether you do good deeds or not, all the wishes you make in your heart are called vows.Its characteristic is that there may not be any good deeds before making a vow.If we can always make a vow: "I wish I can be reborn in the Pure Land!"Then after death, you can be reborn immediately, so it is best to make a vow like this in normal times.

In the future, whether we are dedicating or making a vow, we must add the wish to be reborn in the Pure Land based on ordinary vows and dedication, and we must add it every time. This is very, very important.

This is the fourth factor for rebirth in the Pure Land.

The above four causes and conditions are explained very completely in Chamei Rinpoche's "The Wish of the Pure Land". When you practice this method, if you have enough time, it is best to recite the "The Wish of the Pure Land" often.When reciting, you cannot only recite the ritual without thinking or visualization, because the ritual is created for the convenience of visualization, and neither of them cannot be ignored.

In our daily lives such as walking and taking a car, we should make this aspiration at any time and anywhere, and visualize Amitabha and pray to Amitabha.Please pray to Amitabha Buddha to bless yourself so that you can be reborn in the Western Paradise immediately at the time of death.Then chant the holy name of Amitabha Buddha "Namo Amitabha" ("Namo" means prostration), and you can also chant the mantra of Amitabha Buddha "Om Amitabha Aimedva Aisde Hum She", or chant the "Praying and offerings"ConvertThere are evil dignity, good dharma, and the right enlightenment, and so on.It takes a million times to recite these holy names and mantras. There have been such rules in Tibet for a long time.

As long as you can avoid two obstacles and meet four conditions at the same time, you can be reborn in the Pure Land. This is proven by the Buddha. As long as you can do it in this way, you can guarantee that this person will definitely be reborn in the Pure Land.

The above are the four favorable practices for rebirth in the Pure Land.

4. Eliminate doubts

Some people may doubt: Can you be reborn in the Pure Land with just faith and desire?It seems that there are also debates about rebirth with karma in the Han area.So can we be reborn like this?

Mipan Rinpoche and many eminent monks used a lot of teachings to prove: "As long as you have faith and yearn for the Pure Land, ordinary people can also be reborn in the Pure Land.”

Why is it so convenient and easy?For example, it takes a long time for the exoteric sect to be in the path of accumulation and preparatory practice before the first place;Even Tantra takes a while.But this practice requires nothing. As long as you have a faith in Amitabha Buddha and a strong desire and desire for the Pure Land, you will definitely be reborn. This seems incredible!Why?

Of course, it is naturally difficult to rely solely on our own practice.If you rely solely on your own strength, both exoteric and esoteric practitioners will experience a lot of training before the first level.But rebirth in the Pure Land does not rely entirely on one's own ability, but mainly on the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows.

The Buddha's vows are incredible, because the Buddha has accumulated a lot of merit in three countless great kalpas, and then dedicates all these good roots to fulfilling his wishes. Therefore,Buddhist scripturesOne of the four incredible things mentioned in this is the incredible power of the Buddha's vows.

In other words, the reason why we can be reborn in the Pure Land Dharma so easily is not entirely due to our own merits, and most of the merits are caused by the vows of Amitabha Buddha.Of course, relying solely on the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows, you cannot practice it yourself. Only by combining the two can you be reborn in the Pure Land, and there is no need to have any doubts about this.

If you have doubts, can you be reborn in the Pure Land?The Buddhist scriptures say: If someone thinks, "If you can be reborn in the Pure Land with ease and simplicity, you can be reborn in the Pure Land?"Maybe it can…” Such people can still be reborn in the Pure Land.As mentioned earlier, after rebirth in this way, you will stay in the lotus for five hundred years and cannot come out.Although you can hear the sound of Amitabha Buddha preaching, you cannot see Amitabha Buddha. Because you cannot see the Buddha, the time for enlightenment and the acquisition of vast supernatural powers will be delayed.In any case, we should not have such doubts, as confidence is the most important.

Mipan Rinpoche also said that although there are four conditions for rebirth in the Pure Land, namely the four causes of Pure Land, there are only two of them.If these two conditions can be met, there will be no problem in rebirth.The first is faith in Amitabha Buddha (The first reason );The second is the desire for the Pure Land (Fourth cause )。

Faith in Amitabha Buddha contains the element of trust. The so-called trust is a belief similar to "Relying on Amitabha Buddha's vows, I will definitely be reborn in the Pure Land."

There are three types of faith: pure faith, superior faith and present faith.The present search for faith refers to the desire.Therefore, the desire mind, which is the second condition, is the strong desire to be reborn in the Pure Land and the desire to become like Amitabha Buddha, should also belong to the category of faith.

If you have no faith in Amitabha Buddha at all, it will be difficult to be reborn. Therefore, the most important thing is faith in Amitabha Buddha.Mipham Rinpoche also said that if you can meet these two conditions but not other conditions, you can also be reborn in the Pure Land.So, does this mean that there is no need to accumulate merit?

Mipan Rinpoche told us in this way: Accumulating merit is definitely necessary, but with strong faith in Amitabha Buddha and eager desire for rebirth, countless merits can be accumulated. Even if you do not specifically practice the seven-company offerings and other methods, it is okay, because these two factors actually contain accumulation merits.

Bodhicitta is also indispensable.In order to make this practice of Mahayana Buddhism and to be able to continue to be a Bodhisattva after being reborn in the Pure Land, you need to have the Bodhicitta.However, if you do not have the Bodhicitta and have not practiced the seven-strate offerings, but only meet the first two conditions, you can be reborn.

At this time, some people will have doubts again: Even those who are just starting out can meet these two conditions. Is it so easy to be reborn?Some scholars also have this view.However, the incarnation of many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas such as Mipan Rinpoche has proved with a lot of teachings that there is absolutely no problem in being reborn in the Pure Land under such conditions.

Let me emphasize again here: to be reborn in the Pure Land through this practice, we do not rely entirely on our own abilities.If you rely solely on your own strength, of course it is impossible to be reborn so easily, but with Amitabha Buddha's incredible vows and his personal efforts, you will definitely be reborn in the Pure Land.

5. Cherish your leisurely body and strive to be reborn with the ultimate happiness

Although the practice of Tantric Buddhism is easy to achieve, the practice of Amitabha Buddha is easier to achieve.From this we can see that whether you can be liberated is actually in your own hands;Liberation is something you can grasp and easily accomplish.

Now we have obtained a hard-won human body, but you must know that not all human bodies are rare.Apart from different lifestyles, many people have no different meanings in their survival than other animals. Such a human body is not rare.But it is really rare for a person like us to have the freedom to choose liberation and have the opportunity to practice the Dharma.Only by using this leisurely human body can we receive such a rare and precious Buddhist education, so we must cherish this opportunity.

While practicing the preliminary practices and the Great Perfection Dharma, you must arrange the practice of Amitabha Buddha's practice.The most critical homework for the elderly is Amitabha Buddha’s practice. Other methods can be practiced, but you only need to arrange some time appropriately;Younger people, while practicing the preliminary practices such as Bodhicitta, also need to take a period of time each day (half an hour or an hour) to practice Amitabha Buddha's practice.If you cannot do it for the time being, you must recite the mantra and name of Amitabha Buddha every day and visualize Amitabha Buddha.

In addition, the time for practicing the Dharma should be arranged in this way: practice the four causes of Pure Land during the day;When going to bed at night, you should practice the inducing power of one of the five powers mentioned in the "Tips of Death", that is, when you fall asleep, you should make a sincere and sincere intention: "I must be reborn in the Pure Land!I must see Amitabha!"

As an ordinary person, is it useful to think about this?As mentioned before, the power of inducing power is incredible.Through the effect of inducing force, you will dream of Amitabha when you dream at night.Although this is just an illusory dream, it can at least show that I have had a certain degree of practice in the Pure Land practice and have sowed relatively good seeds in the Alaya consciousness.If you continue to practice, you can see Amitabha Buddha at the time of death.

Some people who recite the Buddha's name well do not see Amitabha Buddha when they are in the bardo body;It is not like the "Knowledge of Death" that you will see those quiet or wrathful deities in the bardo body;But when the breathing is about to stop and the person is not dead, Amitabha Buddha will appear in the void in front of him, and then he will be reborn happily.

Those here must have heard that many old ladies from Tibet or Han areas will excitedly say when they die, “Amitabha is here to welcome me!"I saw Amitabha!” etc., there will also be many auspicious signs of rebirth mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.Many people are like this, leaving easily without any pain.Some people may pretend to behave, but they cannot pretend when they die.These are very real examples of rebirth, not mysterious sayings like the Creator, but what we can truly experience through hard work.

Of course, if you always practice nothing, theseinductionIt must be mysterious and can never be understood;If you can accept this practice and practice it yourself, you will feel the power of Buddhism and realize that everything the Buddha said is true and true, and you will never feel mysterious about it again.Therefore, the practice of Amitabha Buddha is extremely important. While practicing other methods, you must practice Amitabha Buddha's practice.

Especially for us, it may be easier if we choose to practice Amitabha Buddha's practice of rebirth in the Pure Land, because the Dharma King Ruyibao has been promoting this method for so many years.Many great monks and masters in the past have predicted that everyone who has contacted the Dharma King Ruyibao can be reborn in the Pure Land (of course, you have to work hard as well).Originally, Amitabha’s vows were incredible. With the guidance of the Dharma King Ruyibao and his own faith, there should be no big problem in rebirth in the Pure Land.

It is very difficult to practice the true stage of generation and completion, but no matter how difficult it is, we must practice it. We cannot say that we will not practice it because it is difficult;However, it is difficult to predict how much it can be cultivated.The practice of Amitabha Buddha is simple and easy to practice, and the success rate is also very high. Therefore, we must practice Amitabha Buddha's practice and must not ignore this point.

2024-02-05 18:02
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