What are the benefits of Buddha Name chanting?

Left: water crystals of tap water from Tokoyo; Right: after receiving messages of love and appreciation

Beautiful water crystals


The Buddha told us that "everything arises from our mind". In other words, the environment is a reflection of our thoughts. Normal human beings have discriminating and wandering thoughts, afflictions, attachments, greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance. Increasingly, these thoughts affect our lives and shape our world, from disagreements in our family to disasters in our country, and chaos in our world.

Thoughts of ignorance cause disasters from wind such as tornadoes and typhoons, thoughts of agitation, earthquakes, thoughts of greed, floods, those of anger, fires. These disasters will continue to increase in frequency and severity if nothing is done to neutralize them.

How then, does chanting "Amituofo" enable us to restore our mind to purity, equality, awakening, and peace?

When our minds are at peace, the environment will in turn reflect serenity and tranquility. Our thoughts create waves. In the sixties, westerners referred to this as "vibrations". What we did not understand was the breadth that these "vibes" had. We simply thought of them on an interpersonal level. But the strength from this kind of thought wave is amazing: peaceful and compassionate thoughts are able to neutralize the turbulent thought waves such as greed, anger, and ignorance. Thus having many Buddha Name Chanters in a region will bring peace, stability, prosperity and happiness to that area.

Just recently, a Dr. Emoto and his colleagues published their findings on water crystals. They proved that "Human beings' conscious minds can change the shape of water crystals." Thus, from the same principle, we know that human consciousness has the ability to alter its environment.

Example one

On the 2nd of February 1997 at 2 p.m., a glass of Tokyo tap water was sitting on Dr. Emoto's office desk. Five hundred Hado instructors across Japan had been requested to simultaneously visualize the glass of water. They were to wish for the water to be clean and to think "thank you very much." Afterwards, photos of the microscopic water crystals showed their beautiful patterns. This experiment proved that human thoughts can have joint influence on matters regardless of how far apart the individuals are.

Example two

At Fujiwara Dam located at Minakami-cho, Gunma Prefecture in Japan, another experiment was conducted on "Purifying Water with Inspiring Words." The experiment held by Reverand Kato Hoki, the chief priest of Jyuhouin Temple, Omiya City, was a great success and its results were astounding. Before the experiment, the shape of the microscopic water crystals was jagged and irregular. After an hour of praying, people observed the water slowly turning clear and clean. Photos were taken again and this time, they revealed beautiful water crystals. All those present was surprised and moved by the experiment.

These two scientific experiments proved what the Buddha said in the sutras: "Everything is manifested from the mind. All causes and effects, as vast as the universe, as small as a dust particle, are formed by the all-knowing mind because everything in this world and beyond contains an all-knowing and all-capable true nature." This is the principle underlying the teaching that when we pray with utmost sincerity, we can create unimaginably positive real world responses.

Source: www.chinkung.org

Photo source: http://www.amtb.org.tw/pdf/water.pdf

Buddhism as an Education

We call the founder of Buddhism, Buddha Shakyamuni, the "Original Teacher." He has attained Complete Understanding and Wisdom of life and the universe. The Buddha is not a God, but a teacher, who teaches us the way to restore Wisdom and Understanding by conquering the greed, anger and ignorance which blind us at the present moment. This wisdom will enable all beings to differentiate true from false, proper from improper, right from wrong and good from bad. It can help us to establish a dynamic and caring attitude toward life and our surroundings.

So, we can clearly see that Buddhism is neither passive nor obsolete, nor is it retreating from society. As said in the Infinite Life Sutra, Buddhism can perfectly solve all afflictions and problems. It enables us to obtain true and ultimate benefits by creating fulfilling lives, happy families, harmonious societies, prosperous nations and a peaceful world. These are the objectives of the Buddha's teachings for our world. The ultimate objectives of abandoning all worries and suffering thus transcending the cycle of rebirth are even more incredibly wonderful.

Therefore, we can see that it is an education that will enable us to attain truth, virtue, beauty, wisdom and genuine eternal happiness.

What is the Western Pure Land?

Amitaha Buddha named his Pure Land the "Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss". Why is this land called "Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss"? Because the inhabitants in this land are free from the myriad of sufferings, and experience nothing but happiness. They are free from sickness, old age, and death.

The Amitabha Sutra describes the Western Pure Land as a beautiful place surrounded by trees made of jewels, ponds filled with gem stones and wondrous colured-light emitting lotuses, buildings made of precious stones, celestial music constantly playing, gorgeous flowers descending from the sky, tawny-gold covered grounds, and birds communicating the Buddha's teachings in their melodious songs. Everything in the Western Pure Land works together to remind the inhabitants of the truths of Buddhism.

Inhabitants in the Western Pure Land enjoy the face-to-face teaching of Amitabha Buddha and the company of countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Their own life spans become infinite as they advance toward their inevitable enlightenment.

All the adornments of the dwellings in the Western Pure Land and the setting in which sentient beings are being reborn in the Western Pure Land are created by the inherently real virtues of the great vows and great deeds of Amitabha Buddha.

Pure Land - Buddha Name Recitation Method

Amitabha Buddha

Today, Pure Land Study is the largest of all the schools of Buddhism in East Asia. The most common Pure Land practice is the recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name.

In many of his sutras or teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of another Buddha, named Amitabha Buddha, who lived on earth countless aeons ago.

Before Amitabha Buddha attained Buddhahood, he made 48 great vows to create a delightful and wonderful realm for practitioners to continue their cultivation till enlightenment.

It was called the Western Pure Land, or "Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss," where inhabitants are freed from the cycle of rebirth and would not regress from their cultivation so they can focus singlemindedly on attaining enlightenment. Amitabha pledged that once he became a Buddha, he would guarantee that anyone who single-mindedly recited his name with a sincere desire to be reborn in the Western Pure Land would indeed be reborn there. When Amitabha Buddha attained Buddhahood, he fulfilled this vow.

Can disasters be avoided?

Treatise on Response and Retribution

In the early part of the nineteenth century, Master Yin-Guang dedicated himself to advocating teaching on the Law of Cause and Effect. According to the principle of response and retribution (the Law of Cause and Effect), if we plant good seeds, we will obtain good results. If we plant bad seeds, we will definitely obtain bad results. This is the true principle of response and retribution. The ancient people have used the example of a growing plant to explain "request". A response would be the fruit.

If we pull on one of our hairs, it will affect our whole body. This one hair is so small, yet our whole body feels the discomfort. The removal of the hair is the request or action and the discomfort is the response. Thus, we understand, we cannot think that our thoughts, speech and actions are inconsequential. Even the weakest thought pervades the entire universe. Currently we are deluded, but are unaware of it. Just like this hair on our body, if we were to pull on it, the entire body will feel it. This is something we know.

This is our body, but we have yet to realize that all sentient beings in the universe are part of our pure Dharma body. We are one entity. Since we are one entity, the request and response are inconceivable. When there is a request, there will be an immediate response. Request and response are essentially cause and effect. The request from sentient beings is the cause. The response from Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or heavenly beings is the effect.

Understanding this principle and truth, we will know what ancient masters meant by "We reap what we sow". This metaphor is very profound. It tells us that by planting a good seed, we will harvest a good fruit or effect. If we plant a bad seed, bad consequences are sure to follow. From beginningless time, all sentient beings have committed more bad than good causes. Thus, in this lifetime, if we were to think calmly and carefully observe our surroundings, we will realize that there are more bad than good conditions.

Good conditions help us to achieve in our practice and virtuous conduct. Bad conditions increase our improper thoughts and bad conduct. From this, we will know what our future consequences will be. All these are the principles of request and response. Ancient people also often said, "Heaven's net has all-encompassing mesh. Nothing can pass through it". These words also explain the principle of request and response. This is the truth, the true reality.

The guiding principles of this treatise are contained in the opening sentences. "Neither disasters nor good fortunes will come without reasons and conditions, we incur them. The reward of good or bad is like the shadow accompanying the form." The rest of the text is the elaboration and explanation of these two lines, which will enable us to understand them more deeply. This will in turn help us to see whether our thoughts, speech and behavior accord with our virtuous nature. We can think and act in ways that accord with our virtuous nature. We should not think or act in a manner that does not accord with it.

Every individual has his or her retribution or reward, as does every family, society, country and even the world. No one can escape the Law of Cause and Effect.

Today, we understand that due to our shared karma, society is in turmoil and much of the world is in conflict. Knowing this, how can we resolve predestined disasters? If all of us are awakened and understand the true reality, resolutely refrain from all wrongdoings and practice all good deeds, let go of selfishness and work for the sake of society and all sentient beings, then these disasters can be resolved and eliminated.

Natural and human-made disasters are the results of our bad karmic deeds. If we stop committing bad karmic deeds, then not only will all human-made disasters be eliminated, but all natural disasters as well. How can we be freed from natural disasters? The Mahayana sutras state that "the environment changes according to our minds". Only with deep comprehension of this principle will we be able to believe and be willing to practice. There is much to learn about avoiding disasters, including principles and methods, all of which are contained within this book.

(Source: http://www.amtb.org.tw/e-bud/chinese/treat2.htm)

Master Chin Kung's commentaries on the Treatise on Response and Retribution.

Can we create our destiny?

Liao-Fan's Four Lessons

In the sixteenth century in China, Mr. Liao-Fan Yuan wrote Liao-Fan's Four Lessons with the hope that it would teach his son, Tian-Qi Yuan, how to understand true face of destiny, tell good from bad, correct his faults and practice good deeds. It also provided living proof of the benefits from practicing good deeds and cultivating virtue and humility. In relating his own experience in changing destiny, Mr. Liao-Fan Yuan was an embodiment of his teachings.

The title of this book is Liao-Fan's Four Lessons. "Liao" means understanding and awakening. "Fan" means that if one is not a sage such as a Buddha, Bodhisattva or Arhat, then one is an ordinary person. So, "Liao-Fan" means to understand that it is not enough to be an ordinary person, we should be outstanding. When unvirtuous thoughts arise, we need to gradually eliminate them.

There are four lessons or chapters in this book. The first lesson shows how to create destiny. The second lesson explains the ways to reform. The third reveals the ways to cultivate goodness. And the fourth discloses the benefits of the virtue of humility.

This first lesson of learning to create destiny is a topic of interest to many people who believe that wealth or poverty, long life or short life, all is predestined. If someone had accomplished good deeds in his or her past lives, then naturally in this life he or she would live a wealthy and long life. On the other hand, if someone had been a bad person and committed bad deeds in his or her past life, then in this life he or she would live a poor and short life. However, there are exceptions. Destiny can be changed.

If we were originally destined to be rich with a long life, but had committed excessive offenses, then without having to wait until the next life to bear the consequences, we would become poor with a short life. On the other hand, if we were originally destined to be poor with a short life, but had accomplished exemplary deeds, then without having to wait until the next life, we would become wealthy with a long life. From ancient times until now, there have been many examples of this in history. Although everything that we are subjected to in this life is the result from our behavior in our past lives and has already been predestined; it is not necessarily constrained by destiny. We can still modify it with our current behavior.

Although Liao-Fan's Four Lessons is not a Buddhist sutra, we need to respect and praise it as one. In the early part of this century, Great Master Yin-Guang, the Thirteenth Patriarch of the Pure Land School dedicated his whole life to its promotion and oversaw the printing of millions of copies of it. Not only did he unceasingly advocate this book but he also studied it, practiced what it taught and lectured on it.

As Buddhists, we are taught to refrain from all that is bad and to do all that is good, to purify our minds. This is the Dharma Seal, the criteria we can use to determine the genuineness of Buddhist teachings or truths. Buddhist sutras, which speak of principles and reasoning, are spoken by five types of people: Buddhas, in this case Buddha Shakyamuni, his students, heavenly beings, immortals and manifested beings.

As long as what has been said has the same meaning and objectives as those of the Teachings of the Buddhas and does not contradict them, the Buddhas with their great broad-mindedness would recognize them as sutras. Thus, we should regard and respect as a sutra, any work that conforms to the principles in Buddhism. And this is especially so for this book, which was certified and advocated by Great Master Yin-Guang. It can help to serve as our foundation in learning Buddhism. But even more important, it can also serve as a foundation for non-Buddhists in helping them to learn how to change their destiny.

There is much to learn about creating destiny, including principles and methods, all of which are contained within this book. Small in size, its impact can be far-reaching. Therefore, if we would like to create our destiny or to truly achieve attainment through the practice of Buddhism, we need to accord with the principles and methods contained within it.

(Source: http://www.amtb.org.tw/e-bud/chinese/liaofano.htm)