(Why We Should Nianfo Wholeheartedly)
A chat between some Purelander friends…
J: My Mum saw a little boy crying in the market. Passers-by told him to stop crying. One wanted to give a sweet to comfort him. When my Mum appeared, she told him, ‘You must cry, and cry loudly!’ Others gave her a strange look then. Next, she said, ‘You must cry loudly, so that your Mum will hear you and come back for you!’ So he cried with all his might, and his Mum appeared shortly!
S: This is amazing reverse psychology, opposite of conventional so-called wisdom! (Makes good material for a short story. You should start compiling your Mum’s wisdom!)
W: We ever taught a nephew and niece to scream for us if they are lost! If not, how do we look for them?
S: No one else is going to cry for you. It is like Nianfo practice (of mindfulness of the name of Amitabha Buddha – ‘Amituofo’). Even group cultivators and support-chanters are just there to support, to encourage you to do your own Nianfo! They cannot do it for you. You have to Nianfo as sincerely, earnestly, wholeheartedly as possible with the right Faith and Aspiration to connect to Amituofo, to create a link to him, for him to be able to guide you to his Pure Land. Like the boy’s Mum, Amituofo is already always on standby, waiting for the child to connect.
J: Also, those who told the boy not to cry were as if those who tell us not to Nianfo! Once again, it is proven that the majority is not aways right. Following conventions seems safe and sensible, but they are not always the most effective methods for problem-solving.
S: This reminds us of the following teaching by 大势至菩萨 (Great Power Arrived Bodhisattva) in《大佛顶首楞严经大势至菩萨念佛圆通章》(‘The Great Buddha Crown’s Śūraṅgama Sūtra’s Section On Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva’s Perfect Penetration With Mindfulness Of Buddha’) –
譬如有人，一专为忆，一人专忘。 如是二人，若逢不逢，或见非见。二人相忆，二忆念深，如是乃至，从生至生，同于形影，不相乖异。十方如来，怜念众生，如母忆子，若子逃逝，虽忆何为？子若忆母，如母忆时，母子历生，不相违远。若众生心，忆佛念佛，现前当来，必定见佛。去佛不远，不假方便，自得心开。
For example, [there] are persons, [with] one focused in recollecting, [and] one person focused [on] forgetting. Thus, these two persons, if encountering [each other, is as if] not encountering [each other], or [if] seeing [each other, is as if] not seeing [each other]. [If these] two persons recollect each other, [with the] duo’s recollection [and] mindfulness [being] profound, thus, and even from life to life, similar to form [and] shadow, [they will] not depart from each other. [The] ten directions’ Thus Come [Ones, are] sympathetically mindful [of] sentient beings, like [a] mother recollecting [her] child. If [the] child runs away, although [there is] recollection, what [would it be] for? [The] child, [if] recollecting [the] mother, like when [the] mother recollects, [the] mother [and] child, passing through life, [will] not be far apart [from] each other. If sentient beings’ minds, recollect [Amitābha] Buddha, [or are] mindful [of the] Buddha[‘s name: “Āmítuófó” (阿弥陀佛)], manifesting [in the] present [or in the] future, [they] will definitely see [the] Buddha, [with the] Buddha not far away. Not needing skilful means, [by] themselves attaining awakening [of their] minds.
Related Article:
哭泣的小孩
https://purelanders.com/2016/12/21/%e5%93%ad%e6%b3%a3%e7%9a%84%e5%b0%8f%e5%ad%a9
