十大修学助念之利益
[8] Top Ten Great Benefits Of Practising Support-Chanting
What Is Support-Chanting?
Support-chanting (助念) is the practice of Niànfó (念佛) with the dying or deceased, after offering essential words of guidance, on how to be mindful of the name of Āmítuófó (阿弥陀佛), with deep Faith (深信) and sincere Aspiration (切愿), to be received and guided by him to reach his Pure Land. It is ideally practised once in the dying phase (临终助念), seamlessly to commonly eight hours or so, after the end of life (往生助念).
It is also further practised as much as possible within 49 days after passing, in case the consciousness of the deceased has yet to be reborn, who can still be directly guided and benefited then. For detailed steps on offering guidance and support-chanting, as taught by the Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng (净土宗十三祖印光大师), do see purelanders.com/now. Below, as summarised, are 10 great benefits of practising support-chanting.
[1] Filial Piety
Support-chanting helps us to express filial piety in the ultimate way in this lifetime, to gratefully repay the immeasurable kindness of our present and past ‘mother sentient beings’ (如母众生), who are all sentient beings, as all had been reborn as our loving parents before. As a compassionate practice offering timely wisdom on how to handle pain, death and rebirth, it offers hope for those who might otherwise be lost during their most fearful and confused moments.
[2] Affinity
Support-chanting helps to create and strengthen the karmic affinity of family and friends of the dying or deceased with Āmítuófó and his Pure Land too. Relevant Buddhist courses and study materials for more systematic and comprehensive learning can be introduced to those interested as well.
[3] Others
Support-chanting helps other unseen beings who might be around too, with the offering of similar guidance and meritorious virtues (i.e. merits). This goes beyond just helping the single seen dying or deceased person, with his or her seen family and friends. (As there will be direct mindful protection of all Buddhas during sincere support-chanting, there is never need for any fear.)
[4] Sincerity
Support-chanting helps our personal Niànfó practice to focus and grow in sincerity as it is practised for others who genuinely need our help there and then. As Great Master Yìnguāng taught, support-chanting ‘cultivates your field [of] blessings, [and] grows your good roots. In reality, [this is the] path for benefiting oneself, [and] not for others only.’ (培自己福田，长自己善根。实为自利之道，不徒为人而已。) It is with sincere Niànfó too, that we ourselves will reach Āmítuófó’s Pure Land in good time.
[5] Bodhisattva Practice
As support-chanting helps others and ourselves (indirectly) to reach Āmítuófó’s Pure Land, which is the expressway to Buddhahood, it is direct Bodhisattva practice. As Great Master Yìnguāng taught, ‘Accomplishing one person’s rebirth [in] Pure Land is the same as [to] accomplish one sentient being [to] become [a] Buddha. [Of] this kind [of] meritorious virtues, how can [they be] conceivable?’ (成就一人往生净土，即是成就一众生作佛。此等功德，何可思议？) Support-chanting creates great merits for furthering the Bodhisattva path too, one-seventh of which can be dedicated to others, while retaining six-sevenths personally. With the power of synergy during group support-chanting, even more merits are created together, with one another, for supporting one another, both the dying and living.
[6] Impermanence
Support-chanting helps to remind us of our own impending deaths, which we easily forget, so as to be more sincere and diligent in our daily personal practice. As we are also dying now as we speak, although over a longer period of time, support-chanting for others is support-chanting (via group cultivation) for ourselves too. It also reminds us to share the Pure Land teachings with family and friends, with a greater sense of urgency, as they too will face death.
[7] Confidence
Support-chanting helps us to gain more confidence in helping others and ourselves during life’s most crucial last moments and beyond, both with and without others’ help.
[8] Inspiration
As Great Master Yìnguāng taught, support-chanting helps to ‘cultivate your own causes [for birth in] Pure Land, [and] inspire those of same conviction [in] Faith.’ (培自已之净因，启同人之信向。) Such inspiration is especially powerful when there is co-witnessing and sharing of personal experiences with auspicious signs from support-chanting, which can increase the Faith of all present, and even others, with verbal and written testimonials.
[9] Reciprocation
Support-chanting helps to create and increase our direct pure karmic causes and conditions, for others to be able to practise support-chanting to aid us when it is our time to depart. As Great Master Yìnguāng taught, ‘[If you are] willing [to] support others [to have] pure mindfulness [for] rebirth [in Pure Land, you will] also attain [the] reward of others’ support-chanting [for you].’ (肯助人净念往生，亦得人助念之报。)
[10] Popularisation
Support-chanting should be continually popularised by our continual practice, as it is one of the most important spiritual practices, for offering the most precious help to one another. As Great Master Yìnguāng taught, ‘With this [taught], gradually, [with] what difficulty, [with] one another familiar [with support-chanting, will it not] become a common practice?’ (以此久而之之，何难相习成风乎哉。)
十大各人念佛障碍
[1] Top Ten Personal Niànfó Practice Obstacles
https://purelanders.com/2022/11/02/top-ten-personal-nianfo-practice-obstacles
引导临终者往生净土之十大障碍
[2] Top Ten Obstacles When Guiding The Dying To Reach Pure Land
https://purelanders.com/2022/11/02/top-ten-obstacles-when-guiding-the-dying-to-reach-pure-land
十大丧礼助念挑战
[3] Top Ten Wake Support-Chanting Challenges
https://purelanders.com/2022/11/02/top-ten-common-wake-support-chanting-challenges
十大念佛共修挑战
[4] Top Ten Niànfó Group Cultivation Challenges
https://purelanders.com/2022/11/02/top-ten-nianfo-group-cultivation-challenges
十大佛学班挑战
[5] Top Ten Buddhist Class Challenges
https://purelanders.com/2023/01/17/5-top-ten-buddhist-class-challenges
十大以弥陀圣号助念的原因
[6] Top Ten Reasons For Using Āmítuófó’s Name When Support-Chanting
https://purelanders.com/2023/02/15/6-top-ten-reasons-for-using-amituofos-name-when-support-chanting
十大对净土教理的误解
[7] Top Ten Misconceptions About The Pure Land Teachings
https://purelanders.com/2023/02/20/7-top-ten-misconceptions-about-pure-land-teachings
十大修学助念之利益
[8] Top Ten Benefits Of Practising Support-Chanting
https://purelanders.com/2017/11/25/10-reasons-to-practise-support-chanting-for-the-dying-deceased
十大念佛利益
[9A] Top Ten Benefits From Mindfulness Of Buddha
https://purelanders.com/2019/04/19/does-mindfulness-of-buddha-only-benefit-last-moments
十大念佛之今生利益
[9B] Top Ten Benefits From Mindfulness Of Buddha For This Life
https://purelanders.com/2018/07/21/ten-great-benefits-in-this-present-life-from-mindfulness-of-buddha
十大秽土与净土难易之分别（一）
[10A] Top Ten Difficulties In This Defiled Land Vs Ease In That Pure Land (1)
https://purelanders.com/2012/01/17/ten-comparisons-of-the-suffering-of-samsara-vs-the-bliss-of-pure-land
十大秽土与净土难易之分别（二）
[10B] Top Ten Difficulties In This Defiled Land Vs Ease In That Pure Land (2)
娑婆十难与净土十易
Sahā World’s Ten Difficulties And Pure Land’s Ten Easinesses
https://purelanders.com/2023/02/20/ten-great-easinesses-in-pure-land
十大净土法门兴起之因缘
[11] Top Ten Great Causes And Conditions Giving Rise To The Pure Land Dharma Door
https://purelanders.com/2020/03/05/ten-great-causes-and-conditions-giving-rise-to-the-pure-land-dharma-door
十大临终念佛障碍
[12] Top Ten Obstacles Of Mindfulness Of Buddha When Approaching Death
https://purelanders.com/2022/02/26/when-approaching-lifes-end-with-ten-matters
《净土十要》
[13] The Pure Land Tradition’s Ten Essentials
https://purelanders.com/shiyao
《净土十疑论》
[14] The Treatise On Ten Doubts About Pure Land
https://purelanders.com/shiyi
《普贤菩萨十大愿》所启发之《至心念佛偈》
[15] ‘Verses On Mindfulness Of Buddha With The Sincere Mind’ As Inspired By ‘Universal Virtue Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows’
https://purelanders.com/2021/11/20/verses-on-mindfulness-of-buddha-with-the-sincere-mind
《十大碍行》/《十不求行》(跋)
[16] (Afterword On) ‘Practices With Ten Great Obstacles’ Or ‘Ten Kinds Of Non-Seeking’
https://purelanders.com/shi
十念记数法与晨朝十念法
[17] The Method Of Ten Recitations With Counting & The Method Of Early Morning’s Ten Recitations
https://purelanders.com/2019/08/31/the-method-of-ten-recitations-with-counting-n-the-method-of-early-mornings-ten-recitations
十信
[18] The Ten Faiths
https://purelanders.com/2012/06/25/the-ten-faiths-%e5%8d%81%e4%bf%a1
十大阿弥陀佛如此受欢迎的原因
[19] Top Ten Reasons Why Āmítuófó is So Popular
阿弥陀佛第十七愿的意义
Significance Of Āmítuófó’s 17th Vow
https://purelanders.com/2011/12/10/top-ten-reasons-why-amituofo-is-so-popular-significance-of-the-17th-vow-of-amituofo
十大陀罗尼被（往生被）须知
[20] Top Ten Facts To Know About The Dhāraṇī (Rebirth) Blanket
https://purelanders.com/2023/02/25/top-ten-facts-to-know-about-the-dhara%e1%b9%87i-rebirth-blanket
