In the Sutra it talks about the ‘ten recitation’
‘Ten recitations’ means that the karma of attainment is accomplished.
It is unnecessary to know the number.
Question: With a thinking mind, how are we going to remember the number of times?
Master Tan Luan said, ‘Ten mindfulness does not have any connection with number of times.’
Just like carrying a dust sweeper, the problem is swept away, deleted.
‘It means that the Karma matter is accomplished.’
When we recite ten times, Namo Amitabha Buddha, our attainment of a rebirth is already confirmed.
It is unnecessary to know the number of times.
Not only that we do not need to know the number, it is impossible for us to know either.
Moreover, we do not have the time to know too.
Besides, ‘ten recitations’ is not connected to quantity or number of times.
Great Master Tan Luan is very soft spoken.
He just said, ‘It is unnecessary to know the number.’
Then he said, ‘Where do you have time to know the number of times?’
This is a gentle way of presentation.
The answer is most wonderful as this is to withdraw wood from the fire stove.
The questioner thought it is necessary to know the number of times.
Great Master Tan Luan replied it is unnecessary.
Instead of solving a problem he simply deletes the problem.
It is because originally there is no such problem.
The problem is created by our thinking mind.
Amitabha Buddha does not say we must know the number of times.
Why did he explain this way?
In the Contemplation Sutra, at the lowest position of the inferior grade, it is thus stated,
‘The man is overcome by great afflictions and he is unable to be mindful of the Buddha.’
Do you think he still has the ability, the heart to know the number of times of recitation?
It is something impossible.
That is why below he said, ‘What is the necessity to know the number of recitations?’
If an Amitabha reciter were to place himself in the lowest position of the inferior grade, where does he have time to count the number of recitations?
Even if you were to give him the number, he would still be unable to remember as he is in the state of confusion, a state to seek help.
When he single-mindedly takes refuge in Amitabha Buddha, this is a mind without the next thought, the uninterrupted mind.
If he were to count one by one, this is not in the same wavelength with the Buddha.
‘It is to clarify the accomplishment of the Karma.’
What is meant by the accomplishment of the Karma?
It is the Karma to attain a rebirth.
The aim of Amitabha recitation is to attain a rebirth.
‘The ten recitation’ is not interpretated as a number, neither is it explained as the time or season.
‘The ten recitation’ is to tell you, ‘By reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, your attainment of a rebirth is confirmed.’
It is the Karma of Right Concentration.
The Karma is accomplished.
Amitabha recitation does not depend on the number of recitations or the length of time taken.
As long as you recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, you are guaranteed of a rebirth.
This is called the ‘Accomplishment of the Karma.’
This matter of rebirth is settled, fully accomplished, no more side issues.
Those who are thinking of the length of time it takes to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, thinking about the number of times, thinking that they should have a pure, immovable mind, to recite single-mindedly without confusion, these are called the phenomena dharma.
They are the dharma with leakage, the dharma of forms. These are wrong practices.
We recite Namo Amitabha Buddha without other thoughts, without discussion, without the next thought, with an uninterrupted mind.
This is a Dharma of Genuine Mark.
We simply recite Namo Amitabha Buddha directly.
‘It is fine if we just recite continually, not getting involved in other matters.’
This is a clean -cut answer, simple and direct.
For example, when we talk about a cicada which does not know about spring or autumn.
Do you think the insect will know about summer with the red sun?
This can only be spoken by those who know the seasons.
This is a wonderful analogy!
The cicada lives in summer. It will die before autumn. In spring it is not born.
That is why in the teaching the cicada is described as not knowing spring and autumn.
How could it know about spring and autumn?
There is a question below:
‘How could this insect know about the summer with the red sun?’
The red sun refers to summer.
This insect does not know about spring and autumn.
Do you think it will know about summer?
Of course, it will not know either.
From the standpoint of the cicada which lives in summer, it is still unable to know the so-called summer.
Who is talking about summer?
‘Only those who know about the seasons can talk about this.’
Those who know the summer, who know the cicadas live in summer can talk about the insects which live in summer, that these insects will not know about spring and autumn.’
Tan Luan the Great Master takes the analogy to describe us as the cicadas.
Do not be shy about this, please, because our so-called wisdom is as much as the small insect.
We do not even understand the meaning of ‘ten recitations’.
It is like the insect which does not even know about the red sun in summer.
So, who really knows?
Only Amitabha Buddha can understand it.
‘Only the knower knows it.’
The ten recitation is the accomplishment of the Karma.
So, this can only be spoken by the Spiritual One.
What is the meaning of ‘ten recitation’?
This is spoken by those with the spiritual power.
This is not explained by standing on our point of view.
We say it means the number, the seasons.
All these are the thinking power of a cicada.
We the cicadas explain ‘ten recitation’ as the number of times, the seasons.
This is as though the insect knows about the red sun in summer.
What it can understand is not in accord with real situation.
In actuality, it knows nothing.
So, if we use the thinking power of the living beings in the triple realm to explain the ‘ten recitation’ as seasons or the number of times, we are mistaken.
What is ‘ten recitations’?
‘ten recitation’ means the accomplishment of the karma.’
If we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, it means our rebirth is confirmed already.
How does it be confirmed?
When was it confirmed?
How many mindfulness is needed to attain this confirmation?
These are all the false thinking of the living beings in the triple realm.
We do not know.
Only the Spiritual One says this.’
Who is the Spiritual One?
He is Amitabha Buddha.
‘The Sravaka and the Bodhisattvas are unable to understand the sagely mind.
It is the same as a man who is born blind wishes to lead others.’
So, even the Sravaka and Bodhisattvas are unable to know it.
The Spiritual Ones refer to Amitabha Buddha and all the Buddhas in the ten directions.
This is because all the Buddhas have certified to the Genuine Truth.
They have penetrated the hidden meanings to the minute details.
They are enlightened to all matters and they will understand the meanings of ten recitation ultimately.
That is why the Buddha said,
‘If a man who can recite ‘ten recitations’ is unable to attain a rebirth, I will not accomplish Buddhahood.’
So, the ten recitations mean the accomplishment of the Karma of rebirth.
The meaning of ‘ten recitations’ is very profound.
Yet it is very easy in practice it as it requires us to use our mouth to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.
We wish to understand it but we cannot because we are like the cicadas in summer who try to understand summer. They cannot understand summer but they can live in summer.
We live in the ten recitations of Namo Amitabha Buddha but we still do not understand the ten recitations.
If we think it means the quantity, number, timespan, we are mistaken.
Because it far-surpasses the timespan and number or quantity.
It is still fine if we cannot understand because we can live in ten recitations.
It is fine if we just live a life of recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha.
That is why Tan Luan Great Master continued to say:
We just continue to recite without getting involved in other matters.
That is good enough.
What is the necessity to know the number?
So, do not become a busybody, trying to interpret this practice.
We just recite continually Namo Amitabha Buddha.
According to Great Master Shandao, he explained the practice as reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha throughout our life, or just ten recitations, one recitation, one mindfulness and all these are known as the accomplishment of the karma of rebirth.
We just have to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha continually, throughout the whole life. This is the recitation with no second thought, the uninterrupted mind.
The Buddha’s Name is immeasurable.
It far-surpasses the number and quantity.
Even with one recitation of the Name one will obtain great benefits as the Name is the Unsurpassed merits and virtues.
Only people who have committed the offences harbour the future mind, the interrupted mind.
With their thinking mind they would like to know the length of time, the timespan to measure their sins.
The six syllables of Namo Amitabha Buddha should not be measured in this manner.
It is because ‘Even in one recitation, one will obtain great benefit’.
The merits and virtues of Namo Amitabha Buddha pervasively spread out to the infinity of dharma realm and empty space.
How could we use time, length and quantity to measure it?
It is impossible!
The Patriarch does not use any mysterious language to explain this but his words expediently bring us to the point, that is ‘Recite the Buddha’s Name Honestly’.
Namo Amitabha Buddha
An extract of the Dharma teaching by Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong, the Abbot of the Hong Yuan Monastery, Anhui, China. Title:“十念”者，明业事成办耳
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