The temple is an important place for Buddhism, and it is also the place where all those who believe in Buddhism are looking for a solemn pure land.
Therefore, whether the temple is located in a remote village or a noisy city, there is always incense and Sanskrit sounds.
Stepping into this secluded world of Buddhism, we often hear those devout practitioners often chanting the phrase "Nam no Amitabha".
Therefore, I was also curious, what is the deep meaning of this sentence "Nan Wu Amitabha"?
But when you understand its Chinese meaning in depth, you will find that this familiar Buddha name is not only a mantra for Buddhist disciples, but also a spiritual refuge.
And these six words have been misread by many people for many years.
1、
Buddhism was introduced to China from India, around the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
At first, it was relatively low-key, but in the last years of the Western Jin Dynasty, Buddhism suddenly became famous in the circle of wealthy scholars, and since then the atmosphere of worshipping Buddha in the upper class of the Central Plains has become a common practice.
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism was even more popular, and Buddhist temples were also blooming everywhere. The number is huge, although the atmosphere in which Buddhism is preached is not bad at all. But Buddhism in the North and the South has taken a very different path.
Buddhism and scripture in the north are allied, focusing on precepts and meditation, and putting practice first, while Buddhism in the south joins hands with metaphysics, emphasizing righteousness and theory.
After the Sui Dynasty unified the world, Buddhism in the north and south also shook hands and made peace, opening a new chapter in the practice of attaching equal importance to theory and practice.
As Buddhism took root in the Central Plains, so did the demand for Buddhist guidance among believers. In the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism ushered in its highlight moment, but there were many versions of the various schools of doctrine within it, and there were constant disputes, and no one could claim to be orthodox, nor could they prove that others were sideways.
In this time of confusion, in order to promote Buddhism, in order to completely solve doubts about the teachings of Buddhism.
Xuanzang stepped forward and was determined to go to India, the birthplace of Buddhism, to seek the true scriptures to settle this dispute over Buddhism.
In the first year of Zhenguan, Xuanzang set out from Chang'an, and without getting the customs clearance order, he violated the ban on leaving the customs at that time, secretly crossed the Yumen Pass, and embarked on a 10,000-mile journey to India to seek Buddhism and scriptures alone.
However, this road is not a smooth road, in "Journey to the West", the Tang monks and apprentices went through eighty-one difficulties to arrive, and Xuanzang's road to learn scriptures" is also frightening step by step.
You have to learn a foreign language on the road to communicate with the locals; You have to understand the local customs, so as not to accidentally break the taboo; You have to always be on guard against war and banditry, because it is not a peaceful place outside of Datang.
He traveled through the vast desert, traveled all over the countries in the Western Regions, traveled more than 50,000 miles, and spent three full years before finally arriving in Tianzhu, which is now northern India.
After arriving in India, he visited the six holy places of Buddhism one by one, and also worshipped Master Jiexian as a teacher at Nalanda Monastery, and studied with him for five years. After that, he traveled all over the world and preached the Dharma.
In the spring of the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, Xuanzang returned to China with 657 Buddhist scriptures, and returned to Chang'an four years later.
During his lifetime, Xuanzang translated 74 Buddhist scriptures and 1,335 volumes, which not only enriched the Buddhist literature of Middle-earth, but also provided important materials for later scholars to study the history, culture and teachings of Buddhism.
2、
Chanting the Buddha is an exclusive practice book for Buddhists, or a practice method of reciting the name of the Buddha.
Reciting the Buddha wholeheartedly can help you stay away from lust, free you from troubles, and even ascend to the Buddha kingdom after death.
Theravada Buddhism recites Buddha and refers to thinking about Shakyamuni Buddha.
But Mahayana Buddhism is different, they think that there are too many Buddhas, so there are many Buddhas to read, but the most popular of them is the sentence "Nan no Amitabha".
But you know what? Not all people who believe in Buddhism understand what "Nam no Amitabha" means.
Some old people have been religiously reading it for decades, and they don't even know what this sentence means.
"Amitabha Buddha" is an abbreviation of the Sanskrit word Amitabha Buddha, which refers to the largest Buddha in the Western Elysium of Buddhism.
The word "nam-no" actually means a deep meaning of respectful worship, and it also represents the sincerity of taking refuge, which can be understood as the devotee's single-minded submission to the Buddha.
"Amida Buddha" is interpreted in Chinese, "A" means "nothing", "Mitabha", which corresponds to "quantity", and the word "Buddha" means "enlightenment".
On the whole, it is the supreme state of immeasurable awareness, which means the great wisdom and enlightenment of omniscience and omniscience.
Therefore, "Nam no Amitabha" is a technical term in Buddhism, which means "to return to Amitabha". We can also call Amitabha Buddha "Buddha Amitayus" or "Buddha of Amitayus".
And reciting the phrase "Nam no Amitabha" is "chanting Buddha".
In the past, someone asked the Sixth Patriarch Master, what are the benefits of reciting Buddha?
The Sixth Patriarch replied: Reciting this sentence "Nan Wu Amitabha" contains the faith of sentient beings and Amitabha Buddha's action to help sentient beings in these six words.
The Buddha does not forget sentient beings, and sentient beings do not forget themselves.
"All sentient beings originally become Buddhas", reciting Buddha is to become a Buddha with the heart. Every time you recite "Amitabha", it is like worshipping all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and the Third Worlds in your heart, and its merits are immeasurable and incredible.
The significance of Amitabha Buddha in the Sutra of Amitayus is great, and it is boiled down to the forty-eight vows, including the vows of the Dharma body, the vows of the Pure Land, and the vows of sentient beings.
He made a vow to attain the Western Elysium, and the purpose was to save all sentient beings.
I hope that all sentient beings will be able to attain birth and death, go out of the Three Realms, be born in the Pure Land, and become a Buddha in this life, and have the same immeasurable lifespan, immeasurable light, and immeasurable and perfect life as him.
Although the Sutra of Amitayus is a subtle commentary on the forty-eight vows, it is actually only an abbreviated version. If you want to have a more profound understanding, you have to go to the "Dafang Guang Buddha Huayan Sutra", because it is the detailed instruction of the "Amitayus Sutra".
There is no end to the road of exploring Buddhism, although the "Dafang Guang Buddha Huayan Sutra" is broad and far-reaching, but the French spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha in the 49 years is a fine explanation of the "Dafang Guang Buddha Huayan Sutra".
Therefore, every time you recite "Nam no Amitabha", it is equivalent to reciting all the Dharma that Shakyamuni Buddha said in the 49th year.
3、
Amitabha Buddha, referred to as Amitabha Buddha, is the core of the belief of the Mahayana Pure Land sect, and its status is self-evident.
He is also revered as Amitabha Nyorai. Those who come are those who understand the truth, so Shakyamuni also got the name of Shakyamuni. In Buddhism, the title of Nyolai is the top, the supreme.
Legend has it that Amitabha Buddha made 48 grand vows when he became a Buddha through practice, and the strength of his ambition and the breadth of his wish are breathtaking.
He vowed that if none of these wishes were fulfilled, he would not become a Buddha. Among them, the eighteenth vow is particularly moving, called "reciting the Buddha's death".
It is to send all the friends who chant the Buddha, whether they are virtuous or foolish, to the Pure Land of Bliss.
The Buddhist scriptures say that there is a Pure Land of Bliss in the West, where all beings have no suffering, and only happiness is receiving.
And Amitabha, who lives in the Pure Land of the West, is the king of that Pure Land, and the Pure Land is his territory, his kingdom.
Therefore, the six words "Nam no Amitabha" have become VIP tickets to Elysium.
As a result, there is a saying that as long as the mouth says, "Nam no Amitabha", Amitabha Buddha will escort anyone to the Pure Land of Bliss.
However, then again, not everyone can become a Buddha after death.
Therefore, the matter of crossing to the other side will be extremely difficult even for monks who have practiced for many years.
Therefore, when the believers cross to the other side, they will recite the words in their mouths: "There is no Amitabha Buddha in the south, there is no Amitabha Buddha in the south." They believe that as long as they recite "Amitabha" in their hearts. It is equivalent to entrusting their body and mind to Amitabha.
According to the teachings of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, ordinary people recite Amitabha Buddha 10,000 times, and if the cultivation is correct, then the "leading Buddha" Amitabha Buddha will personally go out and open a VIP channel for him to go straight to the Elysium.
4、
People who believe in Buddhism often say: There is no Amitabha Buddha in the south. Under the blessing and guidance of Amitabha Buddha, you can smoothly reach the other side and walk towards the world of bliss.
Everyone is convinced of Amitabha's vows, so the six words "Nan no Amitabha" are not only a respectful title for Amitabha, but also a mantra for Buddhists to practice devoutly. Naturally, I don't stop thinking about it.
But the Void Mage once revealed a little secret: this spell used to be traling, but now it seems to be ineffective? The key is that the pronunciation is not accurate!
As we all know, the word "Nanwu" is derived from the Sanskrit word Namas.
In ancient times, there was a man named Yang Zhizhi, who recorded a scene in "Luoyang Jialanji Yongning Temple", saying, "(Bodhidharma) sang 'Nanwu' and clasped his palms for days.
However, if the word "Nanwu" is pronounced as "nánwú", it is a big mistake.
When Buddhism flourished, it was the time of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Tang Dynasty.
At that time, the Chinese language was not the ancient language of the Central Plains, or the legendary Tang Yayin, and the "Wu" at that time read "Mo", so "Nanwu" was a direct transliteration of the pronunciation.
In the Tantric scriptures, there is also a translation of "Nama", which also means refuge, and everything is on par with the Buddha.
Therefore, if you want to pronounce it accurately, the word "Nanwu" can be read in Cantonese and Hakka, and the taste will be right.
Let's talk about the "Ah" in "Amitabha", you have to open your mouth, the resonance from your throat to your chest, that momentum, leverage.
The foreign name of "Amitabha" is now Amita, and the Buddha is Buddha, who was translated as "Bodhisattva" in the early years, and each era has its fashionable translation.
Finally, I have to remind you that "there is no Amitabha Buddha in the south", but don't pronounce it as "Oh" Amitabha, just try the pronunciation.
I realized that when I read "Ah", my mouth is open, as if I am smiling, but "Oh", my mouth is shrunk, my voice sinks, and I feel that people are falling. Whether it is his recognition of the perception or the moral of it, it is not very good.
Epilogue:
Venerable Miao Hui said that the Buddha lacks nothing and doesn't care about your incense, but he cares about your heart.
"Nam no Amitabha" is not only a mantra for Buddhists, but also a practice secret with profound meaning. These six words not only mean to return to Amitabha Buddha, but also entrust the infinite faith and expectations of believers.
To recite these six-character mantras sincerely is to pray that all the world will be blessed by Amitabha Buddha and go to the other side of the soul.
Source: China National Knowledge Network "Starting from the pronunciation of "Nan Wu Amitabha Buddha" Meng Wanchun