Hello everyone! Namo Amituofo!
Tonight, I will talk about the wonderful benefits of reciting the Name of Six-characters according to Master Shandao’s teachings.
Master Shandao is the Transformed Body of Amitabha Buddha
Talking about Master Shandao, practitioners who exclusively cultivate themselves according to the Pure Land Dharma Door must know that Master Shandao is honoured as the second patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land School. He was born during the rule of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty and active in expounding the teachings during the reigns of Emperors Taizong and Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. He passed away in the second year of the Yonglong period of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang (AD 681). Historical traces about the background of Master Shandao, however, are ambiguous, and records about his place of birth and date of birth could be different. Anyhow, Master Shandao is a high monk with extraordinary backgrounds. According to legend, Master Shandao is the transformed body of Amitabha Buddha. A biography written in the Tang says, “No one has magnificent virtues as glorious as Master Shandao since the Buddhist teachings have spread from India to China”. This indicates that Master Shandao is an unparalleled great master in the history of Chinese Buddhism.
[p.37]
Attaining samadhi, Emitting Light During Recitation
In regard to Master Shandao’s tremendous achievements and his realm of personal cultivation, I would like to give a brief account here so that you know why we should revere him. Master Shandao became a monk in his teens, and attained samadhi in his twenties. The so-called samadhi means seeing in meditation the Buddha as well as the glorious and holy realm of the Land of Bliss. Attainment of samadhi in his twenties is very rare in the history of Buddhism. Master Shandao was quite young when he reached such a realm, indicating that he was reborn with vows. (A person reborn with vows is a person who has attained bodhisattvahood but decided to be reborn as a human being in order to relieve the suffering of living beings.) Secondly, Master Shandao is also respectfully named the “Monk of Auspicious Light”. According to legend, this honoured title was given to Master Shandao by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang because light would issue forth whenever he invoked the name of Amitabha Buddha. As the saying goes, ”There is a beam of light with each recitation.” Whenever he recites “Namo Amituofo”, light would emanate from his mouth. So, he is respectfully called the “Monk of Auspicious Light”.
Buddha Statues Emit Light to Prove the Truth of Amitabha-Recitation
Once in Xijing Monastery of Changan, Master Shandao was debating with Master Jingang on whether Amitabha-recitation is auspicious or not. [p.38] Master Shandao proceeded to sit on the high seat and made a vow:
“Shakyamuni Buddha said in various sutras, ‘By reciting Amitabha’s name, one can attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. This is true and does not deceive sentient beings.’ If the teaching is truthful, may the Buddha statues in this hall all emit light. If Amitabha-recitation fails to bring rebirth in the Land of Bliss or deceives sentient beings, may I immediately fall from this high seat and straight into the Great Hell and suffer for an eternity.” Master Shandao then pointed his Ruyi staff at the statues in the hall, and surely enough, they all emitted light. In this way he demonstrated that the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha in the sutras–that by reciting Amitabha’s name one can invariably attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss–is truthful and does not deceive sentient beings. If this vow was made by an ordinary person, the Buddha statues may not emit light on the spot. If the person is not of high virtue, his vows would not make Buddha statues emit light as proof. At the same time, we know the revelation that “sentient beings who recite Amitabha’s name will certainly attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss” is a truthful teaching of the Buddha.
A Butcher Lays Down His Knife and Becomes a Buddha
You may have heard of the Chinese idiom “Laying down the butcher’s knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot”, of which the story happened in Chang’an during the Tang dynasty. Because Master Shandao urged people to undertake Amitabha-recitation and take vegetarian meals, business of the meat shops were affected. A butcher resented him deeply. [p.39] With a knife in his hand, he went right away to Xijing monastery with the intention of killing Master Shandao. However, when he saw the majestic and virtuous appearance of the Master, his strong resentment was softened immediately. Moreover, Master Shandao pointed to the west and manifested a glorious image of the Pure Land. When the butcher saw the pure and glorious Land of Bliss, he immediately repented. He changed his mind completely! He reflected on his own life in the filthy Saha World, in which his hands were steeped in the blood of slaughtered animals everyday as a means of living, not knowing how serious the bad karma he had created is. Besides, he felt that life is really bitter. Thinking that the Land of Bliss is so glorious, peaceful and joyful, he changed his mind and aspired to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. While reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, the butcher walked to the front yard of the monastery, climbed a tall tree, and then jumped down to the ground and died. Onlookers saw the soul of the butcher coming out of the top of his head and being escorted away by many transformation Buddhas. This is the story of a repentant butcher becoming a Buddha. The butcher was so earnest in seeking rebirth, and his great bravery is also commendable. It is rare in history that once a resolution of attaining rebirth in the Land of Bliss is made, the rebirth is immediately realized.
[p.40]
Deliverance of Those Who Have Committed the Five Gravest Transgressions Depends on the Fundamental Vow
From the above incident, we know that Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance of sentient beings takes place anytime and anywhere, unconditional to everyone all the time. Before this, the butcher was creating the karma of killing and had no idea about cause and effect. He did attempt to kill a monk of the Sangha with a knife in hand. So he can be regarded as a person who had committed the Five Gravest Transgressions. Nevertheless, when he changed his mind on the spot, invoked the Name of Amitabha Buddha, and aspired to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, he attained rebirth in the Land of Bliss immediately. Given that such a butcher was able to attain rebirth, we the exclusive reciters of Amitabha’s name will definitely fulfil our aspirations to be reborn in the Land of Bliss. We can say that ten Kalpas ago Amitabha Buddha has established the Land of Bliss that we aspire to go; He has also accomplished the meritorious virtues that are required for our rebirth from the Saha World to the Land of Bliss. Amitabha Buddha has put all these virtues into the name of six characters and given them to us for free without any conditions and at no cost. This allows us, each and every sentient being, to have all the necessary merits and wisdom for rebirth. As a matter of fact, this is the fundamental vow of Amitabha Buddha that is pledged as the Eighteenth Vow, “(If sentient beings who) wish to be reborn in my land and recite my name, even ten times, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment”. In this case, we sentient beings, no matter who we are, as long as we aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, we are assured to be reborn there. [p.41] Owing to the meritorious virtues of Master Shandao, this particular butcher is moved; otherwise the ending would not be that good.
Next, I would like to expound on Master Shandao’s interpretation of the “wonderful benefits of Amitabha-recitation”, of which the keys are printed on the back of this Buddha image. These words, seven paragraphs in total, are Dharma words of Master Shandao. I’ll read out the paragraphs one by one and then explain each of them afterwards. If time this evening is not enough for covering all of them, please bring this Buddha card home and read it at your own pace. You’ll eventually understand its meanings to some degree, as the saying goes, “a hundred readings make for perfect comprehension”.
The Name of Six Characters Fully Contains Faith, Aspiration, and Practice
The first paragraph is the Dharma words of Master Shandao:
“‘Namo’ means to entrust our lives, as well as to dedicate merit towards rebirth [in the Pure Land]. [Reciting] ‘Amitabha Buddha’ is the practice. That is why rebirth is certain.”
This is to say, “The six characters (in Chinese) ‘Namo Amitabha Buddha’ contain three causative factors for rebirth: entrusting our lives (faith), [p.42] dedicating merit towards rebirth (aspiration), and grounds for our rebirth (practice by reciting the Name). The meaning of the word “Namo” is to entrust our lives, referring to faith; the phrase “as well as to dedicate merits towards rebirth” refers to “aspiration”; “reciting ‘Amitabha Buddha’ is the practice” refers to cultivation. So, we can say the six-character name contains all the “faith, aspiration and practice”, which are prepared for us by Amitabha Buddha and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
In Pure Land Buddhism, it is important for practitioners to have the Three Provisions for Rebirth — Faith, Aspiration, and Practice. When Master Shandao said “Namo means to entrust our lives, dedicating merit towards rebirth”, he meant that Namo contains both the faith as well as the aspiration of the Three Provisions. Furthermore, just by reciting the name “Amitabha Buddha”, the Practice provision is fulfilled. And so, we can say that the Name of Six Characters itself contains all the faith, aspiration, and practice required for Rebirth, provided by Amitabha Buddha, needing no extra effort on our part.
Last night, I explained the meaning of “to entrust our lives” , which is twofold. On the side of Amitabha Buddha, it is the Buddha’s “order of returning” that calls us up for returning to the Land of Bliss; on our side, it is an “order to be followed” that we should obey the command of Amitabha Buddha. So, “to entrust our lives” also means to have faith in, and acceptance of, Amitabha’s deliverance.
The meaning of “to dedicate merit towards rebirth” is also twofold. One is explained from the perspective of Amitabha Buddha, while another from the perspective of sentient beings who aspire to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. On the side of Amitabha Buddha, He dedicates the merit to us: Countless kalpas ago, at the time when we sentient beings were performing unknown number of bad deeds and being reborn in the cyclic realms of Hell, Hungry Ghost, and Animal, Amitabha Buddha actively resolved to proclaim the Forty-Eight Great Vows for us. Contents of the forty-eight great vows include [p.43] building the Land of Bliss for us, and accomplishing the merits required for our rebirth in the Land of Bliss, and, after reborn there, enabling us to attain Buddhahood and have the capabilities to deliver sentient beings in the worlds of ten directions. Amitabha Buddha resolved to proclaim the vows for us, accumulated virtuous practices of bodhisattva for countless kalpas, and accomplished the Land of Bliss, together with the merits required for our rebirth. All these are incorporated in this Name of Six-Characters, and all of them are dedicated at no cost to us sentient beings of the ten directions. To conclude, the phrase “to dedicate merit towards rebirth” is speaking from the side of Amitabha Buddha.
Speaking on our side, it is our aspiration to accept the deliverance of Amitabha Buddha, to gain rebirth in the Land of Bliss, to change our mind and direct it toward the Land of Bliss. Previously, our goal of learning Buddhism is to ascend to heaven in the future, or become human again in our next life. We now know that whether it is the realm of Heaven or the realm of Humans, they are all part of the cycle of life and death. It is similar to living in a dark room or being trapped in a burning house, which is full of suffering and dangers. Hence, we should accord with the compassionate heart of Amitabha Buddha, directing ourselves toward the Land of Bliss, and not the realm of Heaven or the realm of Humans. Our transference of merit towards rebirth is turning our mind towards the Land of Bliss and aspiring to gain rebirth there. Of course, we are not going to dedicate our own meritorious virtues to the Land of Bliss; we are turning our mind to the Land of Bliss and going to accept the meritorious virtues of Amitabha Buddha. It is because Amitabha Buddha has accomplished all the meritorious virtues and dedicates them to us. His meritorious virtues are unconditioned, flawless, pure and real, only by which we can attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. [p.44] If we do not accept these meritorious virtues of Amitabha Buddha, how can we attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss on our own?
The Land of Bliss is pure, unconditional, and Nirvanic. No matter how hard we cultivate, we sentient beings cannot get rid of our greed, anger and ignorance. Our cultivation is filled with greed, anger and ignorance, which is “imperfect good” as said by Shakyamuni Buddha, or “good mixed with poisons” as said by Master Shandao. How can such cultivation resonate with the Land of Bliss? How can it help gaining rebirth in the Land of Bliss? Hence, if we want to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, we have (1) to accept the meritorious virtues given to us by Amitabha Buddha; and (2) to make a vow aspiring to rebirth in the Land of Bliss, averting the merits of our cultivation previously transfering to the devas, humans or to other places to the Land of Bliss.
Then, where are the meritorious virtues that Amitabha Buddha has transferred to us? They are embedded in the word “Amitoufo” (transliteration of Amitabha Buddha). So, Master Shandao said, “reciting [the Name of] Amituofo is the practice”. That is to say, the word “Amitoufo” is the meritorious practice that Amitabha Buddha has accomplished for our rebirth, and at the same time it is also our meritorious practice for rebirth. It is because the belongings of Amitabha Buddda are also our belongings, just like that the assets of parents will eventually become the assets of their son and daughter. Amitabha Buddha dedicates all His meritorious virtues to us, giving all to us. “Transference of merit to (someone)” is [p.45] a Buddhist term. In daily conversation, people will say, “I give this thing to you”, or “bestow on you”. It means provide, grant, or hand over to you. So, the word “Amitoufo” can be interpreted on the side of Amitabha Buddha, as well as on ours. On the side of the Buddha, the word contains all kinds of meritorious virtues cultivated by Him and then bestowed on us. On our side, reciting the Name of Amitabha Buddha is to accept all of the Buddha’s meritorious virtues, to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and to achieve infinite light and infinite life, same as Amitabha Buddha did.
Hence, Master Shandao says, “That is why rebirth is certain”. Because of this reason, our rebirth is assured if we recite “Namo Amitoufo”. The recitation by itself is to entrust our lives, and also “faith”, as well as “to transfer merits towards rebirth”, which means “aspiration”, and “practice” as well. So, all the “faith, aspiration and practice” are embodied in the name of six characters, and we don’t need to have separated aspiration, nor separated practice for transference of merit towards rebirth. For this reason, all practitioners who recite this name of six characters can attain rebirth. If we have recited the name of six characters but could not be reborn in the Land of Bliss, there must be obstructions on our side: we don’t wish to be reborn there because we have determined to be reborn as humans, or stay in the Saha World. In such a case, Amitabha Buddha will not, of course, do anything that is against our wish. Therefore, [p.46] when we recite this name of six characters, we must in our mind have the aspiration to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. In this way, Nianfo practitioners are truthfully aligned in accordance with the intentions. This is the true practice.
Master Shandao’s Explanation on the Fundamental Vow of Amitabha Buddha
Next is the second paragraph:
If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who desire to be born in my land, and recite my Name, even ten times, riding on the power of my vow, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
This is Master Shandao’s explanation of Amitabha Buddha’s “fundamental vow”, also known as “the 18th vow”. Master Shandao interpreted the Vow as follows: If I attain Buddhahood, I could make those sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss and exclusively recite the name of Amitabha Buddha, even ten times, able to attain rebirth. The saying “one can afford to attain rebirth with even ten recitations” can be used to describe the butcher I have mentioned earlier. For his whole life he has never heard of Buddhism, and yet, a mere handful of Amitabha recitations in the end was able to deliver him to the Land of Bliss. In other words, for a person near the end of his life, whether he has encountered bad conditions in his life and committed all sorts of wicked actions, or encountered good conditions and accumulated merits through good deeds, these are all not the Buddha Dharma. [p.47] Suppose that person instead encounters a Great Knowing Advisor, telling him about the retributions of hell, and that he can gain rebirth to the refuge that is the Land of Bliss just by reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name regardless of how many times. The Buddha’s deliverance is available to anyone, no matter anywhere, or any time.
Master Shandao explained, “[Sentient beings who recite my Name] even ten times, riding on the power of my vow, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.” It means that by reciting the Name ten times, he is immediately riding on the power of Amitabha Buddha’s vow. How can one not attain rebirth? Rebirth is assured. That is targeted at those who recited the minimum number. Then, for people like us who are still young, who still have a few decades of life ahead of us, we are not just reciting the minimal amount of ten times. Rather, we should recite, according to the Amitabha Sutra, “for one day” because we still have tomorrow; or “for seven days” because we still have seven days; or “for seven months” because we still have seven months of life; or “for seven years” or “seventy years” if we still have seventy years of life. So, we should exclusively recite the Name for the rest of our lives. That is to say, starting from our encounter with Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, [p.48] we should aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss and continuously recite this Name until the end of this life without changing or regressing. As long as we recite this Name, rebirth in the Land of Bliss is assured. Since rebirth is guaranteed, we have already acquired the status and qualifications as a member of the Land of Bliss. Which means, we are one of the sages of the Land of Bliss, and no longer an ordinary being of the Saha World. It is because our mind of aspiration to attain rebirth does not change. Being so, we will focus our attention on rebirth in the Land of Bliss rather than staying behind in the Saha World, we will focus our attention on Amitabha-recitation rather than delusions and miscellaneous thoughts. Being so, no one will fail to attain rebirth. If we fail to be reborn, Amitabha Buddha could never have attained his Buddhahood. Hence, Master Shandao explained the fundamental vow of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance of sentient beings with the Dharma words: “If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who desire to be born in my land, and recite my Name, even ten times, riding on the power of my vow, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”……(The recording was interrupted and the remaining part of the talk was lost.)
Talk delivered at the evening on November 14, 2001
“Pure Land in the Human World” Show, Radio AM990
Oakland, New Zealand