Reciting the Buddha’s name or mantras, awareness and thoughts
It is difficult to maintain awareness during daily activities, often slipping into the illusions of consciousness. Therefore, reciting the Buddha’s name or mantras is used to awaken right mindfulness.
Please advise: is it better to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name or the Six-Syllable Mantra? Are there any precautions when reciting mantras?
1.
In terms of cultivating awareness, it does not matter what you recite; what matters is using something to experience clear and distinct awareness. The choice of what to recite is merely a means, with the purpose being: to bring oneself back from a multitude of thoughts to a single thought, from one thought to no thought, and from no thought to discovering (realizing) clear and distinct awareness.
During the process of recitation, if we think about what the words or sounds mean or represent, honestly speaking, that is no longer reciting the Buddha’s name or mantra but has turned into a form of meditation. For example, if you are thinking about what “Amitabha” represents and imagining those scenarios while reciting it, then you are not truly reciting Amitabha; instead, you are meditating on something. Similarly, if you do this while reciting a mantra, it ceases to be a mantra and becomes meditation instead.
Whether reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name or the Six-Syllable Mantra, if you differentiate between them in your thoughts, that is “consciousness”; if you do not think about them but simply experience the action of one thought along with its corresponding awareness, then that is “wisdom.” Thus, when you recite Amitabha Buddha’s name or the Six-Syllable Mantra in this way, it transforms “consciousness into wisdom”; otherwise, you are merely spinning in the mud pit of “consciousness,” playing with mud or molding various little objects for your amusement. Reciting in this manner cannot truly lead one out of the cycle of birth and death suffering.
The significance of reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name lies in pulling you out from among false thoughts—from myriad thoughts down to one thought—from one thought down to no thought—then realizing your own pure and wondrous enlightened mind; whereas the significance of reciting mantras lies in discarding all previously learned meanings associated with words and characters so that you can experience “awareness” and “thought” as two distinctly existing entities that shine individually—thus attaining freedom and liberation. Therefore, when we chant mantras we must not get caught up in musical notes or meanings; when we chant Amitabha Buddha’s name we must not get lost in stories about Amitabha; otherwise we are not cultivating an escape from the mud pit but rather walking deeper into it. Reciting the Buddha’s name or mantras should keep you clean!
2.
What should be noted when chanting mantras? Keep your mind from slipping into any concepts about life; during chanting let both thoughts and awareness be clearly distinct—each shining like pearls—with thoughts as bright as jewels and awareness as clear as moonlight. So what should be noted when chanting Amitabha? It is essentially the same: be careful not to slip into any self-created stories; during chanting move from myriad thoughts directly back to one thought; from one thought directly into no thought—by realizing no thought discover your originally pure enlightened true mind.
For someone who has achieved “awareness” through chanting—reaching a state where “the mind is like a wall”—it does not matter what they chant; if they continue chanting until even that “wall” disappears then whatever they chant becomes like empty flowers—a dream-like game. With a single-minded heart while chanting—whether it’s ABCs or counting numbers like one two three four five—even chanting names of eighty-eight Buddhas or various heart mantras will all be equivalent; with an unconditioned heart while chanting anything will also equate to empty flowers—as if dreaming within a dream.
Chanting different Buddhas or different mantras—if you are trapped in “consciousness,” there will be distinctions based solely on differing stories believed by yourself; however if you’re not trapped in “consciousness,” but rather within clear understanding akin to sunlight and moonlight (“wisdom”), then whatever you chant holds no distinction. In wisdom light chant heaven and earth—chant people and self—chant all beings within the universe… entering non-discriminative wisdom where every moment is equal!
Chanting with wisdom saves each moment; chanting with consciousness leads each moment into pitfalls. Practitioners everywhere should turn consciousness into wisdom regardless of what they chant. Enter non-discriminative wisdom for liberation at every moment! With single-mindedness—with an equal heart—with great wisdom free from discrimination—chanting either Buddhas’ names or any mantra/character/note will align with Buddhist intention. Entering great dharani total retention method aligns equally with all supreme Buddhas. Thus let us chant with wisdom—not through consciousness! Let us chant mantras through wisdom—not through consciousness!
3.
Practitioners everywhere must cultivate without departing from awareness; leaving awareness behind does not constitute practice. With thoughts arises hellish suffering; without thoughts there can be no pain. Ultimately speaking—all issues regarding practice boil down simply to questions regarding thoughts versus awareness. Therefore whether it’s chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name or practicing sitting/standing/walking/lying down—the crux remains centered on “awareness” versus “thought.”
Thousands practice diligently yet point towards a common path; thousands upon thousands think yet all think towards awareness. Those who think focus on awareness while those who are aware focus on thinking. Regardless whether practicing sitting/standing/walking/lying down—or whether chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name—or holding onto mantras—all diligent practices converge back towards one’s own vast sea of enlightenment; countless chants return straight back towards one’s true nature which embodies wondrous essence. Remembering those who dug wells while drinking water—and remembering those who maintain mindfulness while holding onto their chants! A drop of water’s kindness should repay like gushing springs; thus mindful remembrance ought always repay true enlightenment.
To think with awakening is called right mindfulness; thinking while being aware constitutes right awakening. Awareness and thought must never separate—they converge at Buddhist teachings on right mindfulness/right awakening! Awareness reflects upon thoughts whilst thoughts reflect upon awareness—the Buddhas together reside within this mutuality! Regardless whether invoking Buddhas’ names—or invoking mantras—do not forget mindfulness during invocation nor forget singularity during mindfulness! One singular thought accompanies one singular awakening—in every place there exists Buddhahood returning! One singular awakening evokes one singular thought—as Tathagata returns here across this shore! One single call evokes one single awakening—that constitutes right mindfulness leading towards right awakening! One single awakening responds back toward one single call—that constitutes right awakening giving rise toward right mindfulness! Awareness reflecting upon thoughts mutually supports each other—in such ways liberation cannot occur nor can Buddhas allow it!
Thought equals awareness—and awareness equals thought—in my Buddhist path both coexist equally as awakened contemplation! Those who awaken contemplate their own minds whilst those contemplating focus upon their own awakened understanding—in such ways both become intertwined leading toward Bodhi heart’s proper cultivation path! By lifting up just one single notion awaken from dreams merging into vast oceanic enlightenment realm—in this oceanic realm allow waves of thoughts shimmer brightly—all remain equal neither arising nor ceasing! Cultivate thusly—and act accordingly!
by Taiwan Fearless Tathagata Ya Great Perfection Meditation Center