念从心起，声从口出，音从耳入。行住坐卧，均如是念… 大声、小声、心中默念… 犹有声相… [注：卧时，为不伤气，只应默念。]
With chanting [the name of ‘Amituofo’], from the [sincere] mind arising, its sound from the mouth exits, and its sound from the ears enter. When walking, standing, sitting or lying down, with all chanting thus… be it loudly, softly, and even in the mind silently chanting… there is still sound’s [mental] form [for listening attentively to]. [Note: When lying down, to not harm breathing, there should only be silent chanting.]
《大势至念佛圆通章》云：‘都摄六根，净念相继，得三摩地，斯为第一。’
‘Great Power Arrived Bodhisattva’s Section On Complete Penetration With Mindfulness Of Buddha’ says, ‘[to] gather in [the] six [sense] roots, [with] pure mindfulness [of the Buddha’s name – “Amituofo” in continuous] succession, [to] attain samadhi [i.e. meditative concentration], this is [the] foremost [method].’
念佛… 摄耳谛听，即都摄六根之法。以心念属意根，口念属舌根，耳听则眼不他视，鼻不他嗅，身必不放逸懈怠，故名都摄六根。
Mindfulness of the Buddha[‘s name – ‘Amituofo’]… that gathers in the ears with attentive listening, is the method to gather in the six roots. With the mind that is mindful belonging to the root of mind, with the mouth that is chanting belonging to the root of tongue, with the ears listening, also with the eyes not seeing other things, with the nose not smelling other things, and the body certainly not heedless or lax, thus is this named ‘to gather in the six roots.’
摄六根而念，则杂念渐息，以至于无，故名净念。净念能常相继不间断，便可得念佛三昧。…
Gathering in the six roots with chanting, thus will stray thoughts gradually cease. To such an extent as to be without any, thus is this named as ‘pure mindfulness.’ With pure mindfulness able to constantly be in succession, without interruption, thus is this able to attain Samadhi From Mindfulness Of Buddha…
吾人随分随力念。虽未能即得三昧，当与三昧相近。… 即欲速得，则或致起诸魔事。
We should, according to our part and according our ability chant. Although yet able to immediately attain samadhi, we will be closer to samadhi… If immediately desiring to swiftly attain it [i.e. due to greed], this thus might cause the rise of many demonic matters.
– 净土宗十三祖印光大师
（复徐志一居士书）
– Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yinguang
(Reply letter to layperson Xu Zhiyi)
