Staying sound in Body and Mind

Question: Master, how to be sound in body and mind?

Answer: This is a big question.

From the ancient time until today, all the human activities, may they be the philosophy, science, culture, art, religion, entertainment or even our daily livelihood working as a worker, a farmer, a business man, all of them are aiming to help us to be sound in body and mind.

Are we really settle down in body and mind finally?

May be for some people they are sound in body and mind temporarily, in a very shallow level.

But most of the people are unsettled.

If we are to see from the ultimate level, none of us have reached a sound state of existence, except the Buddha.

So, it is truly difficult to be sound in body and mind.

Can you imagine how difficult it is?

As the Buddha has said, ‘It is like a man who is carrying the wood to cross a fire.

He has to walk across a burning fire, carrying a big bundle of wood.

It is totally impossible for him to prevent any one of the woods from catching fire.

It also resembles a floating leaf on the wavy water.

How could it be possible If we desire the leaf to stay still?

How do we stay sound and composure in body and mind?

For example, we often hope that things will remain consistent.

If everything remains stable and consistent, we are relaxed.

It is like travelling on a bus.

If the bus is shaking constantly, we are uneasy.

But we are sitting on the great earth, it remains still all the while.

We are at ease then!

The problem is this is not the way of the world as it keeps on changing and moving. Surely, it is impossible to stay calm in such circumstances.

If we dwell in bliss, we are calm at ease.

Blissfulness enables us to be sound in body and mind.

The problem is this world is a world which is full of sufferings.

As we are pressurized by the environment of sufferings, we cannot keep calm.

If our body and mind are at ease, that we are free to make our decision, we will be at ease.

The problem is we are the entity of ‘No -self’ which is constantly controlled by our environment, bind up by our surroundings.

We have no control over them.

So, we are always uneasy.

The genuine state of soundness in body and mind can only be realized when we dwell in Nirvana.

The Buddha has ultimately enlightened and certified to Nirvana.

Only the Buddha alone has arrived at the serenity in body and mind.

Of course, the Buddha knows that living beings are constantly living in sufferings, in an unsettled state of existence.

So, he vows to bring living beings to dwell in a state of calmness in body and mind. The Buddha enters the world and speaks all kinds of Dharma Doors. But most of the Dharma Doors are too difficult for us to practise.

That is why, in this worldly realm, the best method to bring our body and mind to calmness is to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

In Amitabha recitation, there are two types of profound faith:

We firmly believe that we are the sinful mundane men who dwell in the transmigration of births and deaths.

We also deeply believe that Amitabha Buddha wants to rescue the mundane men. We believe that by reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha we will surely attain a rebirth to attain Buddhahood in the Western Land.

This is the fundamental condition to bring our body and mind to dwell in peace.

So, we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha continually, every day.

Even though we are still dwelling in the world of impermanence, with constant changes, we can hide ourselves in the Six Syllables Buddha’s Name.

It is as though we are travelling on a big, solid and firm ship.

Even though we are yet to leave the water, even though we are going up and up in accord with the waves, we are very sure we will not fall into the water.

Amitabha recitation enables us to dwell in a sound state of existence in body and mind because in times of adversities, we still feel safe, calm and comfortable.

Let us not talk about the happy states when everything goes well as we desire.

We are the commoners who often get agitated in undesirable situations.

For example, an Amitabha reciter who on encountering afflictions, facing all kinds of discordances will surely recite Namo Amitabha Buddha persistently.

He will surely rely on Amitabha Buddha.

This resembles the lotus which is undefiled by the filthy mud.

In the Sagely Path, afflictions and defilements will hinder us from cultivating the Dharma door.

But in the Pure Land Door, when we are greatly afflicted, when our karmic hindrances become so heavy, when we are pressurized by the bitter environment, we will surely let go of them, heading towards the Western Land, willing to leave the Saha world for good.

We will surely rely totally, wholeheartedly on Amitabha Buddha.

In this way our mind to practise the path, our mind of care and pity on others, our vows to attain a rebirth will greatly be enhanced.

 Is not this the most wonderfully expedient Dharma Door?

Besides, we are replete with the profound faith in potential and Dharma. We understand that by reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha we are sure of our rebirth.

We are not so bothered by this world anymore.

We will not seek whatever that we cannot achieve.

This is an easy way to stay sound in body and mind.

This may be the case but we mundane men will surely be affected by the tiny waves of afflictions when our six roots encounter the six dusts, when we see and hear with our eyes and ears.

Sometimes, when we lose the ability to subdue ourselves, we will still sigh, ‘Gosh, it is truly difficult!’

This is the part we have to adjust ourselves gradually, based on the foundation of faith.

As I have mentioned before: While travelling on the ship, we are safe from falling into the water. Though, we are still affected by the waves.

Once we have arrived at the Pure Land, we will ascend the shore of Nirvana.

This is the state of ultimate bliss.

Namo Amitabha Buddha-

By Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong

问：师父，请问如何安顿身心？

答：这个题目可就大了。从古到今，人类的一切行为，不管哲学、科学、文化、艺术、宗教、娱乐，乃至日常生活，工农学商，这一切都不过是为了达到安顿身心而已。

那么身心安顿了吗？可能少数人暂时地、浅层面地有所安顿，但是绝大多数人没有安顿。或从究竟层面上讲，没有一个人得到彻底的安顿，除了佛陀。

所以，安顿身心是非常难的，难到什么程度呢？佛说就像一个人负薪过火。身上背着一大捆干柴，从熊熊大火当中走过，想不让一根柴燃着，这不可能。又好像一片浮叶浮在水波上，水波荡漾不停，可是却想让这片树叶不要动，那怎么可能？我们的身心怎样才能安呢？

比如说我们盼望常恒，如果一切是常恒的，当然我们心里就安了。像坐车，车颠簸不停，你当然就不安了；在大地上坐着，稳稳不动，你就安了呀！可是这个世界恰恰是无常变幻的，不断地动荡，所以我们势必心不能安。

如果是乐的，当然也就能安，乐能够让我们心安。可是这个世界恰恰是“众苦充满”的，所以在苦迫的环境下，我们当然就不能安。

如果我们自己身心自在，能够自由做主，自由自在，当然就能安。可是我们恰恰是“无我”的，被一切外在的环境所限制、束缚，完全不能自在，所以不能安。

真正安顿身心的状态就是涅槃。佛陀究竟彻底地证悟涅槃，所以唯有佛陀达到究竟的身心安顿。

佛当然知道众生在苦迫不安当中，所以他度众生，也要让一切众生能够身心安稳。所以佛出世讲了种种的法门，但绝大多数法门对我们来说都是做不到的。

所以在这个世界，安顿身心也就归于念佛。念佛具有机法两种深信：深信自己是罪恶生死凡夫；深信弥陀一定救这样的凡夫，念佛决定能够往生，决定能到西方成佛，这就是身心安顿的根本所在。

所以，每天念念不离这句“南无阿弥陀佛”，虽然还在无常变灭的世界当中，我们就躲在这六个字里，就好像在一艘坚固的大船上，虽然还没有离开水面，还会随波起伏，但我们毕竟不会掉到水里去了。

念佛之所以能让我们身心安顿，是因为它能让我们在逆境当中有安全、安心、安慰感。

因为人嘛，顺境就不用说了，最不能安的是逆境。

比如说我们念佛人，遇到烦恼，遇到种种的逆缘，都会更加地念佛，更加地仰靠阿弥陀佛，如同莲花出污泥而不染。

烦恼染污，如果就圣道门修行来讲，那是障碍我们的。可是就净土门来讲，越是烦恼，越是业障重，越是环境苦迫，我们就越加欣慕西方，厌离娑婆，更加一心归命阿弥陀佛，这就更加增长我们的道心、怜悯心、愿生心。这不是很巧妙的法门吗？

而且我们具足机法深信，也知道念佛决定往生，那么对这个世界就看得非常平淡，不会妄求妄取，这样身心也容易安顿。

虽然如此，因为我们还是凡夫，所以六根所对，眼见耳闻，心中难免还有一些烦恼的余波；甚至有时候不善于调御处理的话，会感到“哎呀，真不好过”。这些需要我们在信仰的基础上慢慢地打磨。

就像刚才说的，在船上，虽然不会掉到水里去，但还是会受水波的影响；一旦我们往生净土之后，就上了涅槃彼岸，就究竟安乐了。

南无阿弥陀佛。

——净宗法师