Words of Exhortation Concerning Nianfo

By Master Huijing

Part A.

1. As Master Yinguang said, gaining rebirth in the Land of Bliss is easier than being born as a human being again in the next life. Why? Rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is assured, without conditions, for anyone who recites Amitabha’’s name. However, to return as a human being in the next life, one must accumulate sufficient merits from practicing the Five Precepts, which is extremely difficult. Therefore, it is much easier to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and become a Buddha than to be reincarnated as a celestial or a human being.
2. Two things may happen to an Amitabha-reciter if he loses faith in his practice. He may be troubled and get anxious, or he may give up on the Pure Land path and practice a different Dharma path instead. If he does that, he would then really let down Amitabha Buddha. The Buddha reflected deeply on his forty eight vows over five kalpas and, over inconceivable, countless eons, he cultivated and accumulated the incalculable virtuous practices of the Bodhisattvas, all for us iniquitous beings in the ten directions. If an Amitabha-reciter were to practice a different Dharma path, wouldn’t he let Amitabha’s compassion, aspiration and cultivation all go to waste?
3. The modern Buddhist scholar Ouyang Jingwu was an established master in Buddhism, specializing in the field of Yogacara Buddhism. He was considered the top Buddhist scholar in the northern part of China. However, he suffered greatly when he was dying. Revealing his feelings to the people around him, he said, “Alas! I am not even as smart as a country bumpkin who recites Amitabha’s name. What I have learned all my life does not help me to face death.”
4. The great Song Dynasty scholar and poet Su Dong-po was a Buddhist. How did he feel on his deathbed? He was scared and anxious. Someone asked him if Pure Land existed, and did he aspire to be reborn to the Pure Land. He replied, “Yes, there is a Pure Land, but I have no idea how to get there.” The great scholar, hands on heart, believed Pure Land did exist but he was ignorant of the path to it. Su had never cared much about the Pure Land path, caring only about the Chan practice (Zen). At the end of one’s life, the indicator to show if one’s life-long practice can really bring peace and liberation from samsara is one’s feelings at that moment. Su Dong-po showed us that he could not feel peace when dying. In this regard, he was surpassed by any illiterate simple-minded person who has practiced nianfo all his life. Such a person is able to gain rebirth in the Land of Bliss, feeling comforted and peaceful. He can even predict the timing of his end.
5. Amitabha-recitation is an extremely easy and simple Dharma path. One should not complicate it by adding other practices or seek ways that are supposedly very deep, esoteric, difficult, clever or unusual, just trying to be different. Otherwise, we will end up getting lost, like a sheep that has gone astray. We will be easily deceived and get stuck in samsara, unable to be reborn in the Pure Land. None of the above practices or different ways is requisite for rebirth in that Land.
6. A person who can predict his own death is someone who – “knows his time is up when he is near death; his body is free of pains from illness, he has nothing to crave for, his mind is clear, not confused at all, just like someone in a deep meditative state.” This is a person who recites the name of Amituofo often, whether he’s busy or idle. He is focused and mindful in his recitations, with very few distracting thoughts. He is able to have “pure thoughts in succession” while reciting Namo Amituofo. Such a person can often predict the time for his rebirth.
7. Although a positive response from Buddhist practice is a phenomenon of cause and effect, Buddhism does not advocate it as a goal. A positive response serves to enhance our faith in what the Buddha says, believing that when we recite the name of Amituofo we will be reborn in the Land of Bliss. If our aim is simply to experience a positive response from the practice, and only believe the Buddha if there are auspicious resonances, we will easily become obsessive and get carried away. Without understanding the Buddhist principles, we cannot tell what is right or wrong, and will be misled by non-Buddhist indoctrination. It will work against what we strive for. Therefore, do not be fixated with achieving resonance, and do not seek it blindly.
8. Some Pure Land practitioners strive to develop “deep faith [in the Buddha’s salvation] through recitation by relying on self-power” but to no avail, so they give up the practice of Amitabha-recitation, obsessively pursuing that state of faith. However, life is impermanent. If you were to die now, you would be forever transmigrated in samsara. We should know that faith is already there when we recite the name of the Buddha. One thing we should be wary of is the misconception that practicing Amitabha-recitation alone is not enough for our salvation. We would end up abandoning the Pure Land path and practicing some other Dharma paths instead.
9. There is an inner chatter that constantly goes on in everyone’s mind. When we are reciting Amituofo’s name, the Buddha’s light emits from us. At other times, our mental chatter gives off a dim gray light. (Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team; edited by Householder Fojin)

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