The Pure Land Buddha-Recitation Method

The Nature of the Pure Land

The Pure Land refers to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, a realm of supreme purity and absolute Goodness. Yet, we must also realise that this Pure Land is not merely a distant destination. It is a realm that exists within your own heart and mine—a true self-nature that is eternal and indestructible.

To reach this realm, you must treat your heart-fields as a garden that requires constant care. You must sow the seeds of the Dharma with diligence and irrigate them with the waters of sincerity. Use your compassion and the Six Perfections as fertiliser to help the sprouts of your practice grow strong and resilient. Furthermore, you must be diligent in weeding out the invasive growth of ego-attachment, wrong views, and self-centredness. Only when these weeds are cleared can the landscape of your heart become a reflection of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When you reach this state of an awakened being, the Western Pure Land will naturally manifest within your heart.

In Sync with the Buddha

The practice of Pure Land Buddha-recitation is a process of bringing your heart into complete alignment with Namo Amituofo. This means you must share the same vows as Namo Amituofo and engage in the same Buddha-actions. You must strive to ensure that not a single second passes where you are separated from the Buddha-heart, the Buddha-vow, or the Buddha-actions.

The most effective way to achieve this is through the continuous chanting of the Holy Name Namo Amituofo. By keeping the Buddha-name present in your mind at all times, you stabilise your heart and clarify your intention. This constant recitation is the path that leads you directly toward becoming an awakened being. Within the emptiness of this awakening, the mind becomes vast, clear, and peaceful, and the Pure Land is revealed to be ever-present within that stillness.

The Necessity of Diligence

Even when you reach a state where you have forgotten the distinction between yourself and others—a state of chanting where there is no chanting, and no-thought becomes the very essence of your practice—you must remain vigilant. Until you have fully realised your true self, you must continue to be cautious and disciplined.

You must never disregard the importance of your relationship with your karmic creditors. It is essential that you continue to perform the work of repenting, dissolving karma, and conducting Chao Du to resolve past grievances. If you neglect these duties, you risk the manifestation of karma at the final moment of your life. Such obstacles can create significant barriers to your rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, remain humble, stay diligent, and never cease in your efforts to leave suffering behind and find true happiness.

These teachings were recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.