Relaxing, No Stress, Not much effort

03 That is it, just live as you are!!

Facing birth and death, seeking the liberation from birth and death, it is unnecessary for us to pretend to be so strong and great, like the way of a worldly life.

In our heart, we wish to rely on others but very often we act as though we are so capable, so efficient.

Facing the big issue of birth and death, we should let go of all our mundane knowledge, our worldly views and opinions, and the vague practice of a mundane man.

Let us rely totally on the Buddha’s strength.

We should only recite Namo Amitabha Buddha repeatedly.

On the road to Buddhahood, we only rely on Amitabha Buddha. 

We give ourselves up to Amitabha Buddha and let him rescue us.

Just like a child we lie down in the six syllables Name, feeling secure and at ease.

We will recite Namo Amitabha Buddha the whole life.

By right, the way of life of an Amitabha reciter should be simple and quiet.

This is because we can lie down in the Name of Namo Amitabha Buddha to attain a rebirth, to accomplish Buddhahood.

This practice is relaxing, with no stress, without much effort.

The Pure Land Dharma Door is a Door where we can lie down to accomplish Buddhahood.

But still, there are people who cannot learn this simplicity.

They want to add in their own colours.

They feel that they should be more hardworking.

They refuse to give up this important matter of attaining a rebirth to Amitabha Buddha.

They feel that they should reach certain level of achievement to be qualified for a rebirth.

As such these people have transformed the Easy Dharma Door into a Difficult Path.

Truly speaking, we should put down all the pretentions.

All the sufferings and obstacles on the path of practice have already been fully cleared by Amitabha Buddha.

All the karmic debts we have created throughout the many long Kalpas of transmigration are fully paid.

What we need to do now is to take refuge in Namo Amitabha Buddha, to call Namo Amitabha Buddha earnestly with great sincerity.

Calmly we just sit on Amitabha Buddha’s ship of Magnificent Vows, the Name of the six syllables.

Naturally we will attain a rebirth to accomplish Buddhahood.

t is that simple and relaxing.

Simply recite Namo Amitabha Buddha like a simpleton enables us to attain a rebirth in the Pure  Land, to accomplish Buddhahood.

Let us lead a mundane life and recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

Reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha and we live like a commoner.

We recite Namo Amitabha Buddha sincerely, eat the rice as usual and sleep in a relax manner.

Let our days pass by in this simplicity of wholesomeness until our arrival at the Pure Land. 

Direct our mind to the West and recite Namo Amitabha Buddha exclusively, without doubts and hesitations.

By relying on the strength of His Vows, we are sure of our rebirth!

We do not have to report to King Yama!

No matter how calm a man can be, when he is travelling on a bus, a moving vehicle, can he still maintain his calmness, can he still dwell in concentration?

In most cases, when the vehicle is moving, the mind also starts to move.

This is the same for a mundane man who says he is sitting in meditation, or dwells in Samadhi.

If he is still bound by ignorance, that he is still travelling on the train of transmigration in the six paths, he will still have to report to the King Yama.

This is because the train of Karmic force will pull him to the Dark realm.

But for those who have taken refuge in Amitabha Buddha, we are coming down from the train of Karmic force.

Even though we do not sit in meditation, we do not dwell in Samadhi, but our mind is calm at ease.

We do not have to report to King Yama anymore.

This is because we are standing on the Great Earth of the six syllables.

When we are re citing Namo Amitabha Buddha, our mind is still running here and there.

We are not dwelling in Samadhi.

As we cultivate Amitabha recitation, we who do not have Samadhi will still dwell in Samadhi.

If we do not recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, we say we are in Samadhi but actually we do not have any Samadhi.

So, do not admire others’ Samadhi.

This is because Amitabha recitation is the ‘Karma of Right Concentration’.

This is because of the supremacy of this Dharma Door.

We are talking from the angle of the Dharma Body.

A Dharma talk by Venerable Master Shi Jing Zong- an extract from the Teaching on the Commentary of Shastra of Attaining a Rebirth