DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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In the ten directions, the number of worlds is endless, but in terms of purity or impurity, they can only be divided into two categories:

- One is the Pure Land of the Buddhas,

- Second is the three realms, also known as the impurity of sentient beings.

When you are reborn, not in the pure land of the Buddhas, you may be reborn in the realms of Heaven. If you are not reborn in the Pure Land or the Heavenly realms, of course, you must be reborn in the impure land of living beings. Being born in the Pure Land of the Buddhas means escaping birth and death. Being born in the impure world, in the three worlds means still living and dying and reincarnating.

In Heaven, although blessings are many, there are still limits and variations, so eventually, there will be a day when the blessings run out. The lifespan must end, and then, depending on new karma, you will be reborn in another life, wandering around in the three worlds.

All sentient beings, if not reborn in the Buddha realm, will inevitably fall into evil realms, not before or after. If you want to be born in the Buddha realm, of course, you must practice and do good deeds. That is a fact that cannot be denied. Among the 84,000 Buddhist practices, only a few Methods currently have many practitioners such as:

- Zen Buddhism, Doctrine Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Mantrayana or Tantric Buddhism, Vinaya Buddhism...

To widen your options during your practice, let's try to make a simple comparison.

a- Compared to Zen & Pure Land:

When you have not yet achieved the undisturbed mind, compared to the practice of meditation, the two sides are very different.

- With the practice of meditation, you must not have a mind of liking, disliking, attachment, or equanimity. On the contrary, with the Pure Land practice of reciting the Buddha's name, you must create a mind that loves the realm of ultimate bliss and wishes to let go of the Saha world.

- With the practice of meditation, the mind must not dwell in the realms. If it still dwells in the realms, it is wrong. But with Pure Land's practice of reciting Buddha's name, the mind takes the scene as its object. The mind depends on the external environment and the environment that deals with the mind must be clear.

- With the practice of meditation, the mind must be far away from attachment to dharmas. Meanwhile, in the Pure Land with the practice of reciting Buddha's name, you need to take advantage of the Dharma.

- With meditation practice, you must be able to receive the dharmakaya right in this world. Meanwhile, in the Pure Land, with the practice of reciting the Buddha's name, you start thinking that you will die in this world and be born in the other world, which is the Pure Land of the Buddhas.

For the above reasons, Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhist chanting have disagreements. But when reciting the Buddha's name has reached the point where the mind is undisturbed, meaning that it has achieved concentration, then it is a different matter. Achieving the state of Samadhi means the great earth is leveled, and now, with a single thought, one can merge with the dharma bodies of Buddhas in the ten directions. Just like hundreds of thousands of lights that fuse light and shine together in the same house, without dissipation or confusion. At that time, the sense of discrimination broke away. This realm is no different from the realm of true Samadhi of Zen Buddhism.

b- Compared to Vinaya Buddhism & Pure Land Buddhism:

The effect of the Precepts is to keep the three karma of body, mouth, and mind pure. The goal is to do good and avoid evil. While practicing according to the Pure Land method, the body bows to the Buddha, the mouth recites the Buddha's name, the thoughts think of the Buddha, all three karma are concentrated, all six senses of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are captured. If you say do good, there is no better good. If you say give up evil, then when the three karmas are all concentrated on Buddha, there is no room left to do evil. Thus, cultivating the Pure Land also means cultivating the Precepts.

c- Compared to the Teaching sect & Pure Land sect:

As for the Dharma, although it is a single sentence Namo Amitabha Buddha if you discuss the effect, the 3 Canons of Sutras and the 12 Sets of Teachings of the Buddha who preached the Dharma for 49 years are all contained in it.

Furthermore, the purpose of studying the teachings is to clearly understand the meaning, develop righteous faith, and know the necessary things to practice, to truly attain Buddhahood. Meanwhile, the purpose of the Buddhist recitation method is to cut off false thoughts, maintain mindfulness, be reborn in Ultimate Bliss, reach the level of non-regression, and finally attain Supreme Bodhi. Therefore, when you develop the mind to practice mindfulness, there is no need to bother studying the teachings, because all the teachings are complete. Thus, cultivating in the Pure Land means cultivating according to Buddha's teachings.

d- Compare Mantrayana or Tantric Buddhism & Pure Land Buddhism: Tantric practice focuses on the Three Secrets of practice. The three secrets of practice mean:

- Keeping the body secret, that is, the body capturing the seal,

- Keeping the Mouth secret means reciting mantras with the mouth. And

- Keeping the Mind secret means visualizing the Alphabet.

If you diligently practice these three secrets, you will become a Buddha and attain the six qualities of fearlessness. That is the unique feature of Tantra. But with the Pure Land method, when the three karmas are concentrated, the results are not much different from the three secret blessings of Tantric Buddhism. Furthermore, the effect of the Buddhist recitation methods can make your mind and the Buddha's mind merge into one, immediately attaining Buddha recitation Samadhi. During Samadhi, the Buddha and you are inseparable, it is impossible to distinguish whether it is you or the Buddha. Therefore, while you chant Namo Amitabha Buddha, you are Amitabha. This can also be said to mean becoming a Buddha. Even if you have not yet attained the Buddha's name, the inspiration, and the aura, you have the Buddha's miraculous power to protect you. Thus, practicing Pure Land means Tantric Buddhism.

So you see Pure Land Buddhism is a sect that masters other sects. So now you learn in detail, to know why the Pure Land Sect can dominate other sects.

In the Sutras about the Pure Land, the Buddha only encouraged you to develop faith and practice, not because the Pure Land method has no solid teachings. It's just that the meaning is so profound and inconceivable that it's impossible to explain it all. The Pure Land realm is inconceivable, and language is limited and cannot be fully expressed. No matter how much you talk, you can only describe one aspect. You cannot avoid shortcomings. If you don't miss one side, you'll miss the other side, or if you say one, you'll miss ten. Those are the reasons why the Buddha did not explain much but only advised you to cultivate and practice Buddha recitation.

Think about it, if the method of reciting the Buddha's name does not truly have sublime meaning and inconceivable merit, then why in the Amitabha Sutra did the Buddha say that when he spoke that sutra, all the Buddhas In the six directions all praise and support? So, you already know how special and miraculous that method is!

Besides, in the sutra it is said:

- It is impossible to be reborn in the Western Pure Land thanks to a few causes, blessings, and good roots.

Next, He taught:

- For seven days, if you recite the Buddha's name and achieve a single, undisturbed mind, you will immediately be reborn.

Thus, the good roots of merit and the cause and effect of reciting the name are not so small.

The method of reciting the Buddha's name is infinitely noble, as vast as the heavens protecting the earth. This is the dharma that covers all the dharmas of the Buddhas of the three times and is a special teaching in the teaching life of Shakyamuni Buddha. Above, Samyak-sambodhi bodhisattva also needs to practice according to this method, below even those who commit evil crimes will also be saved.

However, because the method is so sublime, the practice is too simple, and the results are great and quick, so some people who understand a little about sects and teachings consider it to be the practice method of Stupid men, and stupid women. Tracing the origin, it is also because they have not clearly understood the big, small, difficult, and easy aspects of Buddha's power and self-power. These two aspects, superiority or inferiority, cannot be completely described with words or writing. Because all other dharmas rely on the power of precepts, concentration, and wisdom to cultivate until karma is clean and love is empty, only then can one escape the cycle of birth and death. But waiting for karma to be pure and empty is not easy! Even if you practice for a long time, if you have not eliminated all afflictions, you will still be subject to reincarnation. If you have not eliminated all afflictions, and once you are reborn, you will rebirth to the bad realm. Then self-reliance is not enough to rely on, it is not stable enough. Therefore, those who boast that they are wise and self-reliant and do not follow the Buddha's benevolence are arrogant.

As for the Pure Land dharma, if one has enough faith and sincere vows, one can use one's heart to recite Buddha's name with sincerity like a child remembering his mother. And every day, if your actions are not contrary to morality when you die, you will be brought to the Pure Land by Buddha. Even though you still have negative karma, once you have been reborn in the nine-level lotus flower, you can continue to practice until all karma is cleared. You haven't finished your bad karma yet, let alone if you've finished your karma, you don't have to wait to discuss it too much! That is because the Buddha's power, dharma power, and mind power of sentient beings are all inconceivable; but the mind's power, thanks to the power of Buddha and the Dharma, is fully manifested. Therefore, relying only on self-reliance, compared to relying on Buddha's power, is as far apart as the difference between heaven and earth! You should know that the principles of this Pure Land practice cannot be discussed with other common methods because this is a special method!

Amitabha Buddha is the Supreme Patriarch of the Pure Land. He once made a vow that whoever recites His name, at the time of death, will be taken by Him to the Western World of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, if you want to be born into His world, you can rely on that to recite His name.

In the past, Amitabha Buddha made 48 vows to create the world of Ultimate Bliss. From then on, sentient beings in the ten directions took the vow of rebirth as the basis for practicing the Pure Land sect. On the one hand, Buddha vows to guide him, on the other hand, sentient beings vow to be reborn. Two vows meet each other, two forces of self and other supporting each other to be able to achieve the result of rebirth. Therefore, those who cultivate pure karma must make strong vows.

In the 48 great vows of Amitabha Buddha, the 19th great vow clearly states that if you sincerely wish to be born in His kingdom, when you die, He will come to take you. Therefore, whenever you make a vow, you decide that you must be reborn.

Because Amitabha Buddha has the power to vow to save sentient beings by reciting the Buddha's name. Therefore, when you use faith and vows to recite Buddha's name (self-power), you will sympathize with Buddha's vow power. You rely on the power of the Buddha's vow (other power) to immediately escape the cycle of birth and death and be born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Having been reincarnated means you have participated in the ranks of the Saints who cannot return, so it is called very magical and highly successful.

The method of reciting the Buddha's name is the only means to guide you and all sentient beings from the evil land of Saha to the pure world of Ultimate Bliss. With this method of reciting the Buddha's name, it doesn't matter whether you are wise or stupid, whether you are Sangha or lay person, whether you are rich, poor, old or young, male or female, whether you are a scholar, farmer, worker, merchant... everything. All classes in society can practice and can achieve everything. Pure Land Dharma is easy to practice but difficult to believe. In the Amitabha Sutra, the World-Honored One also admitted the same. This method advocates relying entirely on faith to establish, relying on faith to maintain. Only after you have faith can you take action, and only after you have action can your aspirations be fulfilled. If you don't have firm faith, even though the Buddha's door is wide open, you cannot enter. Therefore, Faith, Vow, and Action are called the three pillars of the Pure Land.

Talking about private salary is like saying that people who want to go far need to have money and food. If one of those two things is lacking, it will be difficult to achieve the goal you want to achieve. Likewise, the three provisions needed to return to the Pure Land are indispensable. Furthermore, these three items are closely related to each other in the order in which they arise. First of all, it is necessary to have deep faith to have prayer. Only by praying sincerely will you enthusiastically take action. If trust is not there, then of course vows and conduct cannot be established.

- First, you must believe that the three sutras about the Pure Land were taught to you by the World-Honored One out of true compassion. These sutras are not like books of fables or hypotheses to encourage you to practice.

- Second, you must believe that outside of the impure world in which you currently live, there is a dignified Pure Land world.

- Third, you must believe that the 48 great vows of Amitabha Buddha, along with his deeds of establishing the Pure Land, are true, as well as the fact that he is currently saving sentient beings in the Pure Land realm is true.

- Fourth, you must believe that the Pure Land or Impure Land scenes are completely created by your mind. When you plant pure causes, you will receive pure results. When you plant impure causes, you will receive impure results. It has absolutely nothing to do with the issue of reward and punishment.

- Fifth, you must believe that your mindfulness and the mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha are compatible with each other. So when you die, he will always guide you to rebirth.

- Sixth, you must believe that although your negative karma is many, once you are born in the Pure Land, thanks to good and convenient circumstances, thanks to the constant teachings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, evil thoughts cannot rebirth and evil retribution will gradually be eliminated.

- Seventh, you must believe that your vow and Buddha's vow are both inconceivable. Of those two equally inconceivable powers, the Buddha's power is hundreds of thousands of times more inconceivable, so once you are guided, even if your strength is still weak, the Buddha's power will be enough to help you attain rebirth.

- Eighth, you must believe that when you recite a Buddha sentence, the Buddha immediately listens and takes note.

- Ninth, you must believe that whenever you recite the Buddha's name, you will surely be met by the Buddha and the Saints at the time of your death to lead you to rebirth in the world of Ultimate Bliss, and you will no longer fall into the six realms of reincarnation.

You must firmly believe that the Buddha's teachings in the sutras are true, and must have deep faith, absolutely should not give rise to doubts. Doubt is an insurmountable obstacle on the path to enlightenment. When you have doubts, of course, your vows and actions will have no basis to arise. If you have solid faith, you will naturally make a wish to be born in Ultimate Bliss. When you have developed a mind to pray, naturally focus on diligence, follow the Dharma, and practice, without waiting for external conditions to motivate you.

Once your faith is solid, your vows and actions will naturally be achieved, without needing to be reminded or encouraged. Once you have deep faith and firmly established vows, you must practice the right practice of reciting Buddha's name. The practice here depends on your identity, you should not be stubborn about any method. Just like a person who has nothing to worry about, so from morning to afternoon, afternoon to tomorrow, when walking, standing, lying down, sitting, speaking, keeping quiet, when eating and wearing clothes, at all times and in all places, keep an inseparable Buddha name place of mind. If your body is clean, your clothes are neat, and your place is pure, then you can recite it silently or out loud. But, when sleeping, bathing, defecating, urinating, or being in an unclean place, you should only recite it silently and should not make a sound. Silently reciting the merits is still the same. If you speak out, you are guilty of not being respectful. You should not think that you should not recite at those times, you are just afraid that you cannot recite. When lying down, if you recite out loud, not only will you not be respectful, but you will also lose your breath. You must know this. The method of reciting Buddha's name you need to know:

- You want to escape birth and death, then develop the mind of Bodhi

Take deep faith and vows, one mind recites Buddha's name

A vow includes both faith and conduct. Faith is believing in self, others, cause, effect, principle, and practice without falsehood:

- Self-belief: Believe that everything is created by the mind. If you recite Buddha's name, Buddha will guide you.

- Faith in others: Belief in Shakyamuni Buddha not lying, Amitabha Buddha does not make empty vows.

- Faith Causes: Believing in Buddha's name is the cause of rebirth and liberation.

- Faith in the result: Belief in being reborn as a Buddha is the result.

- Faith practice: Believe in the Western world, all appearances are real.

- Belief principle: Belief in the idealistic nature that encompasses the Buddhaland. Each of the above is true, so it is called not false.

- Practicing is dedicated to upholding the Buddha's name without any interference or confusion.

- Vow is every heart's desire, every thought that wishes to be born in the Pure Land.

Of these three things, pure land cultivators must have one indispensable, and Vow is the essential point. It is possible to have Faith and Action, without Prayer, but there has never been a Prayer without Faith and Action.

Whether you are reborn or not depends on whether or not you have Faith and Prayer, and the quality of rebirth depends on whether you recite the name deeply or shallowly. Faith, Prayer, and Action are the three pillars of rebirth in the Pure Land. If the pillars are not enough, you will not be reborn. That is why making a vow occupies a most important position in the Pure Land practice.

If you recite the Buddha's name, if you work diligently and diligently, you will be able to sympathize with the Buddha, and you will be able to see the good scene, even if you don't see it, don't be afraid. If you are not diligent and want to be single-minded and see good scenes, your delusions will be confused, this is a dangerous disease for practitioners. So for a long time, the unjust people of previous lives rely on your delusions, transforming into Buddha bodies, lotus flowers, or other strange good scenes, hoping to take revenge. At that time, you do not have the right view and are completely influenced by demonic power. Once you see that scene, your heart will certainly be filled with joy. The demon king will follow you and enter your mind, making you crazy. Even if Buddha were alive, he wouldn't be able to save you.

People who recite Buddha's name do not just practice according to their external appearance but also need to pay attention to eliminating afflictions and bad karma. If afflictions are reduced by a part, then the effort of reciting Buddha's name will increase by a part. On the contrary, if afflictions are to increase, of course, practice must decline. So the more you practice, the more bad karma appears because of the above reasons.

- One-pointedly reciting the Buddha's name, all worldly things will naturally be abandoned, that is, the Dharma of Giving Paramita.

- One-pointedly reciting Buddha's name will stop evil deeds, that is, maintaining the paramita of precepts.

- Reciting Buddha with one mind, the heart becomes gentle and cool, which is the paramita of patience.

- Reciting the Buddha's name with one mind, never falling back, never falling, that is the Paramita of Diligence.

- Reciting the Buddha's name single-mindedly does not give rise to false thoughts, that is the paramita of meditation.

- Single-mindedly reciting Buddha's name, clear mindfulness, that is Prajna Paramita.

At the end of the day, when reciting Buddha's name single-mindedly, all actions are complete. Karma has been created before, then things are done. Now this is the only way to develop a great mind reciting Buddha's name that can change. To do this, there is only you and no one else. If today you raise your mind to recite the Buddha's name and pray to be born in Ultimate Bliss, to quickly attain fruition and save sentient beings. If you continue to keep reciting the Buddha's name incessantly, over time your mind will unite with the path, then you can change the Samadhi karma into Ultimate Bliss, and change the physical fetus into a lotus flower fetus. Not long after, you will be a good person, with a dignified appearance, happy and free in the seven-jeweled lotus realm. If you practice halfway and suddenly become lazy and retreat, of course, you will be influenced by strong karma from your previous life, and of course, you will have to endure immeasurable physical and mental suffering in the Saha world. And you will inevitably fall into hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. Therefore, those of you who have the will to escape and seek to return to the Pure Land should not be afraid, awaken, develop enthusiasm for practice, and remember:

- If you recite Buddha's name and keep your heart upright, stop evil deeds, you are called a good person.

- You who chant Buddha's name to distract your mind are called Sages.

- If you recite the Buddha's name clearly in your mind and end your karma, you are called a Saint.

Reciting Buddha's name is to cure evil thoughts. If you don't see results, it's because you haven't been sincere in your efforts. Therefore, when distracting thoughts arise, you must concentrate on reciting the Buddha's name, focusing on each word and sentence without distraction, and the distracting thoughts will automatically cease. Reciting the Buddha's name doesn't matter what kind of person you are, if you think that in normal life there are many evil things and you refuse to practice, it is wrong! Reciting the Buddha's name does not matter at any time. If you think that you are old and about to die without practicing, it is also wrong.

You should know that the Pure Land dharma does not choose the wise, the stupid, the poor, or the rich. There is no distinction between male and female, old, young, monastic, or lay. Regardless of whether someone has practiced for a long time or is new to practice, they can recite Buddha's name. Or reciting loudly, reciting small, reciting out loud, reciting silently, reciting prostration, reciting after seeking research, reciting the mind, reciting contemplation, reciting the rosary, holding the Buddha's name continuously and without end like a stream running. Even when walking, standing, lying down, sitting, all recite, thousands of thoughts are all one thought. Therefore, there are many methods to practice Pure Land, the results depend on the tendency of the mind.

In short, based on the above meanings, you can see the reason why in the past, high monks, venerable monks, lay people, and great people, when discussing Buddhism, have promoted the Pure Land method. Because this is a comprehensive method of all methods. This is the stance of the venerable monks from ancient times to the present and is still not outdated. But in the 21st century, you also see a Pure Land school that has been forgotten by most people, the Eastern Pure Land of Medicine Master Crystal Light Buddha. If there was a time when Amitabha Buddha was the Supreme Patriarch of the Western world. He once made a vow that whoever recites His name, at the time of death, will be taken by Him to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Medicine Master Crystal Light Buddha said:

- If you still haven't decided when you want to be born in the Western Pure Land, it means you don't have enough blessings to be born in the Western Pure Land. At this time you hear the name Medicine Master Crystal Light Buddha and start chanting his name, then he immediately sends eight Great Bodhisattvas to take you wherever you want to go.

And if there ever comes a time, the Western Pure Land is the only path and means to guide you and all sentient beings from the evil land of Saha to the pure world of Ultimate Bliss. Then the Eastern Pure Land is the only means to save suffering and bring joy to you, while you are immersed in the world:

- Live healthy, and die peacefully.

It's not a matter of high or low, good or bad, but a matter of practicality. None of you want yourself to die, or for your loved ones to die immediately to be reborn. Everyone wants you and your loved ones to be safe and healthy.

Because with the Medicine Buddha recitation method, this will be satisfied. Therefore, regardless of whether you are wise or stupid, regardless of whether you are a monk or layperson, regardless of whether you are rich or poor, young or old, male or female, regardless of whether you are a scholar, farmer, worker, merchant... all genders in society have their own can practice and achieve success.

You practice pure land, you recite the name of the Medicine Buddha, and at the same time do charity, and repair bridges and roads... if you have the slightest bit of good merit, you dedicate it to rebirth. Thus, all good deeds are supporting acts of the Pure Land. If you develop the mind of Bodhi, vow to save all living beings, and dedicate your merits and virtues to the four graces, three realms, and sentient beings in the Dharma world, your merit and virtue will be infinite. If you can do that, like adding oil to a lamp, like adding rain to a rice plant, you have formed a deep dharma relationship with all sentient beings, so you can quickly achieve your Mahayana deeds.

If you know how to purify karma today, it is the opposite of the karma of birth and death tomorrow, which is not a trivial matter. Therefore, every day you think about impermanence and quickness, days and months wait for no one, so you earnestly recite Buddha's name. If you half retreat and half forward, sometimes believing and sometimes doubting, in the end, your pure karma is not accomplished, then you certainly cannot escape the state of reincarnation.

Pure Land Medicine Master's practice is nothing more than diligence. Specialization does not add anything else. If you need it, don't waste a second. Moreover, to recite the name, it is necessary that every word, every sentence, mind, and voice depend on each other, without mixing a single thought of life. Thus, after a long time of maturity, you decide to be born in the Pure Land Medicine Master, sit on the throne of the lotus, and ascend to the throne without turning back.

As long as you are pure at the moment of death, no matter who one is, everyone will be reborn. On the contrary, if you practice all your life, but at the moment of death you still have regrets, doubts, and confusion, you cannot be reborn.

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