Hearing of Amitabha Buddha, uphold and recite His Name | by Venerable Jingben
Many people think that learning Buddhism is difficult—one must read sutras, recite mantras, meditate, and practise various Dharma methods. It all seems too demanding. But in truth, the Pure Land path is the simplest and most direct approach: reciting the Buddha’s Name alone ensures deliverance.
Even without understanding a single word of the sutras or grasping their profound meanings, simply being able to recite “Namo Amituofo” is sufficient. Some may wonder, “Can merely reciting the Name lead to rebirth in the Pure Land?” The answer is: Yes. The Amitabha Sutra clearly teaches: “Hearing of Amitabha Buddha, uphold and recite His Name.”
It is like a child who knows nothing, yet calls “Father” every day—the father is still joyful and cares for the child throughout life. In the same way, by reciting “Namo Amituofo,” the compassionate father Amitabha Buddha watches over the practitioner, and all the Buddhas of the ten directions extend their support. It is truly that simple.
In real life, even gravely ill individuals—some who previously did not believe in Buddhism—have started reciting the Name in critical moments and received great benefit: some recovered, while others passed peacefully and were reborn in the Pure Land. If reciting the Name were ineffective, what other method could those immobilized by illness possibly practise? Meditation, mantra recitation, visualization—none of these are within reach. Only Buddha-recitation remains possible: when one can chant, one chants; when chanting is not possible, simply listening suffices. Even listening to the Name brings accomplishment and the power of Amitabha’s deliverance. Does this not prove that reciting the Name alone is fully sufficient?
“Hearing of Amitabha Buddha, uphold and recite His Name” is a golden teaching spoken by the Buddha Himself—not a single word is untrue. With faith and recitation, liberation is assured.
⧉ Excerpt from Venerable Jingben’s Lecture on Pure Land Sutras and Commentaries
⧉ Pure Land Buddhism ⧉
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｜Namo Amitabha Buddha｜
