Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Namo Amitabha Buddha.....



Tomorrow, Boxing day; Lunar month 11th, 17th day is the anniversary of Buddha Amitabha....
Who is Amitabha Buddha? The Tathagatha who is the Buddha of Limitless Light and Life. Amitabha resides in the west, His pure land is the Pureland of Sukhavati (Joyous Light). Amitabha is one of the 5 ancient Buddhas of the past, present and future. In Mahayana, Amitabha is usually seated on the right position. Sakyamuni, the original teacher sits on the centre, Bhaisajya Guru, Medicine Master Buddha is on the left of Sakyamuni, Amitabha on the right.

Amitabha, the Teacher, Host of the Western Pureland Sukhavati has two foremost disciples, Avalokiteshvara and Maha Stamaprapta. Arya Avalokiteshvara known to all as Guan Shi Yin Pusa, the eternal mother (and father) of compassion, helps Amitabha by guiding devotees to the Pureland. How does one create a connection with Amitabha? Very simple. Just recite His name.

Does reciting His name eradicates your karma? No. Karma is karma. When the causes and conditions are ripe, What ever positive and negative karmic seeds sown will ripen and take effect. The recitation of the Name creates new karmic seed, positive karmic seeds that will help a devotee to focus his or her mind onto Amitabha. By reciting His name, the devotee is actually doing a kind of meditation, this is because Amitabha's name is used as a main point to focus. Like meditation practices, the practitioner needs to use an object to focus his/ her mind so her that the devotee can gather his/ her thoughts on 1 object. This is the same with Buddha name recitation. Using the buddha's or bodhisattva's name as an object of concentration. How wonderful and inconcievable Buddha Sakyamuni's dharma is!

What I like about this Dharma door is that you dont' need to be adept in Buddhist doctrines like a scholar or an expert in the Dharma. Just practice reciting His name in your scheduled time, Observe the 5 precepts and make an effort to do well in the 10 virtuous deeds. With steady practice, the devotee will be able to 'see' Amitabha and obtain wonderful responses. This will then reinforce their faith in the Dharma. Cool isn't it.



His Dharani for uprooting karmic fetters can be recited so that your karmic fetters can be minimized. But that doesn't mean you don't have to undergo your karmic suffering. We all have to undergo them one time or the other. Here is the Dharani. I hope you will sincerely recite it and may this Dharma door help you to leap out of Samsara and you will see Amitabha Buddha and dwell in his Pure land.

Uprooting Karmic Fetters and obtaining rebirth in Pureland Dharani

NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA

NAMAH ARYAMITABHAYA TATHAGATAYA

ARHATE SAMYAK-SAMBUDDHAYA.

TADYATHA: OM AMRITE AMRITODBHAVE AMRITA SAMBHAVE

AMRITA GARBHE AMRITA SIDDHE AMRITA TEJE AMRITA VIKRANTE

AMRITA VIKRANTA GAMINI AMRITA GAGANA KRITIKARE

AMRITA DUMDUBHI SVARE SARVARTHA SADHANE

SARVA KARMA KLESHA KSHAYAM KARE SVAHA!


Shorter Version

Om Ami Dewa Hrih!


2 comments:

Abidin said...

I have an intention to print some posters about amitabha buddha with size of A3 or A4. Print the image on alt carton 305 gram. We will print about 10,000 sheets. Those posters are to be distributed for free to the children so they will get to know amitabha buddha and will appreciate the buddhas, then they will pray for them. I have a favor to ask: can we buy the image with high resolution and good quality? If you couldn't supply, would you recommend us when we can buy a sharp and high quality image of amitabha buddha or other buddha images?
I'm in Jakarta, Indonesia

Mervin Lee said...

Dear Sir,

This is very good of you to spread the Dharma. Perhaps you can check with the Dharma printers in JKT and they can help you to find a very good quality image of Amitabha Buddha. I do not have any contact of printers in JKT, But I can get some friends to help touch up a poster of Amitabha Buddha if you can't source the right image. do email me personally: hwml28@gmail.com

Sabbe Satha Bhavantu Sarva Mangalam!