欲心不贪外事，专念佛。
[If] wishing [your] mind [to] not crave [after] external matters, focus [only upon utmost sincere] mindfulness [of Amitā(bha)] Buddha[‘s name – Āmítuófó].
不能专，要他专。
[If] not able [to] focus, [you must] will it, [i.e. your mind, to] focus.
不能念，要他念。
[If] not able [to be] mindful, [you must] will it [to be] mindful.
不能一心，要他一心等。
[If] not able [to be] wholehearted, will it [to be] wholehearted.
亦无奇特奥妙法则，但将一个死字，贴到额颅上，挂到眉毛上。
[There is] also no special [or] mysterious Dharma [principle], only with [the] one word [of] ‘death’, ‘pasted’ up upon [your] forehead, hanging up upon [your] eyebrows.
心常念日，我某人从无始来，直至今生，所作恶业，无量无边。
[With the] mind constantly mindful, ‘I, so-and-so, from beginninglessness, up till this life, [of] those created evil karma, [it is] immeasurable [and] boundless.
假使恶业有体相者，十方虚空，不能容受。
If evil karma has physical form, [all of the] ten directions’ empty space, [is] not able [to] contain [or] receive [them].
宿生何幸，今得人身，又闻佛法。
[With] which past life’s [good] fortune, [have I] now attained [this] human body, also [able to] hear [the] Buddha’s teachings?
若不一心念佛求生西方，一气不来，定向地狱镬汤炭剑树刀山里受苦，不知经几多劫。
If not wholeheartedly mindful [of] Buddha [to] seek birth [in the] Western [Pure Land, with] one breath not coming, [I will] definitely towards hell’s cauldrons boiling [with] coal, sword forests [and] knife mountains within [go, to] receive suffering, not knowing passing [of] how many kalpas…’
净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
复邓伯诚居士书二
Second reply letter to layperson Dèng Bóchéng
Notes: With the truly urgent problem of impending death, that is ever more pressing as the days go by, with it able to happen at any time, there is no reason not to wholeheartedly focus upon mindfulness of Āmítuófó.
If you seem unable to do so, you must simply will yourself to do so, with even greater determination, having liberation from the cycle of birth and death as the sincere motivation.
As your chosen subject of mindfulness is the only thing you can truly control, there is no reason to falsely imagine that you cannot wholeheartedly focus upon mindfulness of Āmítuófó, due to distractions such as pain, fear and worry.
The next time you feel unable or unwilling to wholeheartedly focus upon mindfulness of Āmítuófó, remember the keywords above – ‘不能念，要他念’. As slightly rephrased, ‘As I am not mindful enough, I must be more mindful.’ According to the Buddha’s teachings, as this can be done, it should be done.
Namo Amituofo : Translation & notes by Shen Shi’an
专念偈
未能专念？
要更专念！
还未专念？
更要专念！
Verse On Focused Mindfulness
Yet able to have focused mindfulness?
Have more focused mindfulness!
Still yet able to have focused mindfulness?
Have even more focused mindfulness!
