Changlu Zongze's Zuochanyi:
This one teaching of meditation is our most urgent business. If you do not practice meditation and enter dhy�na, then when it comes down to it, you will be completely at a loss. Therefore, to seek the pearl, we should still the waves; if we disturb the water, it will be hard to get. When the water of meditation is clear, the pearl of the mind will appear of itself. Therefore, the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra says, ''Unimpeded, immaculate wisdom always arises dependent on meditation." The Lotus Blossom Sūtra says, "In a quiet place, he practices the control of the mind, abiding motionless like Mt. Sumeru." Thus, transcending the profane and surpassing the holy are always contingent on the condition of dhy�na; shedding [this body] while seated and fleeing [this life] while standing are necessarily dependent on the power of sam�dhi. Even if one devotes himself to the practice his entire life, he may still not be in time; how then could one who procrastinates possibly overcome karma? Therefore, an ancient has said, ''Without the power of sam�dhi, you will meekly cower at death's door." Shutting your eyes, you will end your life in vain; and just as you are, you will drift [in saṃs�ra].
“但尤è¦�者,令身安ä½�如须弥山,令心寂é�™æ¾„清,ä¸�为外境所牵,éš�处å�¯ä¿®ã€‚”
这是强调è§�定行三者当ä¸ï¼Œæœ€é‡�è¦�的是è¦�使身体安ä½�如须弥山ä¸�动摇。å��å¾—ä½�,心就定了;心ä¸�定,就å��ä¸�ä½�。心ä¸�定,象猴å�å�œæ¥žå�œæ¥žè·³ï¼Œä½ 肯定是å��ä¸�ä½�çš„ã€‚ä½ å¿ƒçœŸå®šäº†ï¼Œèº«ä½“å®‰ä½�å¦‚é¡»å¼¥å±±ä¸€æ ·ä¸�动摇,这是打å��ä¸æœ€é‡�è¦�的一ç�€ã€‚所以我们常常问:打å��æ—¶å€™ï¼Œä½ èƒ½ä¸�动å�—?还ä¸�能ï¼�é‚£ä½ è¦�注æ„�了,è¦�慢慢锻炼,ä¸�å�¯å¿ƒæ€¥ï¼Œå�ªè¦�有æ�’心地å��下去,慢慢就ä¸�动了。所以,我们å†�三强调,手å�°ä¸�å�¯æ•£å•Šï¼�脚实在麻得熬ä¸�ä½�了,æ‰�ç¨�动一下,但ä¸�å�¯ä¹±åŠ¨ï¼Œè¿™æ˜¯åˆ�å��。慢慢地脚也ä¸�è¦�动,一上座就一点ä¸�动,ä¸�动æ‰�容易入定,如果在座上动æ�¥åŠ¨åŽ»çš„怎么能入定?所以那些手里拿ç�€å¿µç� 在念佛的人,å†�怎么念也ä¸�得定。他å�£å¿µé˜¿å¼¥é™€ä½›ï¼Œæ‰‹åœ¨æŽ�念ç� ï¼Œè¿™æ ·åŠ¨æ�¥åŠ¨åŽ»ï¼Œä»»ä½ å†�怎么念也定ä¸�进去。å†�åŠ ä¸Šä¸€é�¢å¿µä½›ï¼Œä¸€é�¢è®ºäººæ˜¯é�žï¼Œé‚£å°±æ›´ä¸�能得念佛三昧ï¼�è¿™æ ·å�念佛也能生西方æž�ä¹�世界?太便当了å�§ï¼�æ‰€ä»¥ï¼ŒèŽ²æ± å¤§å¸ˆå�¹æ›°ï¼š“念佛者多,生西者少,何也?念佛心ä¸�痛切故,å�£è™½å¿µä½›ï¼Œå¿ƒä¸èƒ¡æ€�乱想,以æ¤ä¸�得往生。”憨山祖师亦云:“å�£å¿µå¼¥é™€å¿ƒæ•£ä¹±ï¼Œå–‰å’™å–Šç ´äº¦å¾’然。”
“令心寂é�™æ¾„清,ä¸�为外境所牵,éš�处å�¯ä¿®ã€‚”身安ä½�å¦‚é¡»å¼¥å±±ä¸€æ ·ä¸�动摇,令心寂é�™æ¾„清如一æ�¯æ²¡æœ‰ä¸€ç‚¹æ³¥æ²™çš„æ¸…æ°´ä¸€æ ·ï¼Œå¦‚æ¤æ–¹ä¸�为外境所牵扰。心真的寂é�™æ¾„清了,外é�¢çš„一切境界都动摇ä¸�äº†ä½ ï¼Œéš�æ—¶éš�地都å�¯ç”¨åŠŸä¿®è¡Œã€‚真æ£å¾—大定者,心真寂é�™æ¾„清了,å�¯åœ¨å�—京路上修;尽管车水马龙,心里一点也ä¸�动摇。但是åˆ�用功的人是å�šä¸�到的,那就è¦�找个清净地方去用功。所以上é�¢è¯´æ‰¾ä¸ªæ¯”较清净的地方,放下万缘去用功,å�šåˆ°å�Žé�¢ï¼Œå°±éš�æ—¶éš�处都å�¯ä¿®äº†ã€‚è¿™éš�处å�¯ä¿®çš„功夫是è¦�å�‡ä»¥æ—¶æ—¥çš„,ä¸�是è¦�求大家马上就å�šåˆ°ã€‚现在è¦�求大家在寂é�™å¤„,è¦�能把心马上放下æ�¥ã€‚寂é�™å¤„心放ä¸�下æ�¥ï¼Œå–§é—¹å¤„怎么办?
ä¸�ç®¡ä½ ä¿®ä»€ä¹ˆæ³•ï¼Œç¦…å®—ã€�密宗或净土宗,心都è¦�放下æ�¥ã€‚ä¸�è¿™æ ·å�šæ€Žä¹ˆèƒ½æˆ�é�“呢?å�ƒä¸‡ä¸�è¦�象现在有些修净土法门的人,他们说我ä¸�è¦�这个,我横竖是借阿弥陀佛的他力接引,ä¸�è¦�自力的,我们å�ªè¦�阿弥陀佛ã€�阿弥陀佛,念它å��å�£æ°”,阿弥陀佛就把我拉上西方æž�ä¹�世界了。唉ï¼�这是把å��念法弄错了。å��念法是用气摄心,å�¸ä¸€å�£æ°”念“阿弥陀佛ã€�阿弥陀佛……”,å†�å�¸å�£æ°”心别动,念“阿弥陀佛ã€�阿弥陀佛……”ï¼Œè¿™æ ·å¿µå��次,用以锻炼,摄心ä¸�动,除情ã€�爱而往生西方净土。他们ä¸�晓得å��念法是专为世间事忙而没功夫打å��的人用气摄心而设的。摄心ä¸�动å�Žï¼Œå°±è¦�把这个境界ä¿�ç�€ã€�ç…§ä½�,在事上去锻炼,任何事情æ�¥éƒ½ä¸�动,ä¸�能一走出门就忘掉了。所以è¦�用功,ä¸�用功净土难生啊ï¼�ä¸�是马马虎虎ã€�懒懒散散就能生西的啊ï¼�”
å��念法是用气摄心,å�¸ä¸€å�£æ°”念“阿弥陀佛ã€�阿弥陀佛……”,å†�å�¸å�£æ°”心别动,念“阿弥陀佛ã€�阿弥陀佛……”ï¼Œè¿™æ ·å¿µå��次,用以锻炼,摄心ä¸�动,除情ã€�爱而往生西方净土。
Therefore this is the special dharma door recommended by Buddha Shakyamuni on the unsurpassed vow of Buddha Amitabha. All methods of Shakyamuni must eliminate "dust" completely except the Pureland Amitabha as attested above for rebirth to Pureland with "dusts" brought along, to attain Bodhicitta.
the é�—æ•™ç»� THE DISCOURSE OF THE TEACHING BEQUEATHED BY THE BUDDHA. 縱æ¤å¿ƒè€…,喪人善事;制之一處,無事ä¸�辦。是故當勤精進,折ä¼�æ±�心。Which means that practitioners can base on the singelemindedly of chanting Buddha Amitabha name to realize and actualize Bodhicitta as that of various expendiency methods in
禅宗�密宗. It is in line with the teaching - The Lotus Blossom Sūtra says, "In a quiet place, he practices the control of the mind, abiding motionless like Mt. Sumeru."
I used to recite Amituofo with beads in the past. Starting from few months ago, I recite without using beads after listening to Master Chin Kong's advice, I feel that I can concentrate better, less wondering thoughts and can recite longer. Some friends said that they need beads to count the number of times, I feel that it is not necessary. One shifu said recite Buddha's name is not like clocking mileage, the more the merrier. Recite with full concentration is more important.