廬山蓮宗寶鑑 2.27

2.27

The Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra's 'Bhadrapāla Chapter' says: "Those who seek unsurpassed bodhi should cultivate the buddhānusmṛti-dhyāna-samādhi. A verse says: 'If a person concentrates on recollecting Amitābha Buddha, it is called the unsurpassed, profound, and wondrous dhyāna; when one visualizes and sees the Buddha with utmost sincerity, that is the unarisen and unceasing Dharma.'" The Zuochan sanmei jing says: "When a bodhisattva sits in dhyāna, they do not think of anything; recollecting only one Buddha, they attain samādhi. When beginners practice, they inevitably suffer from the two afflictions of torpor and distraction, and must rely on remedies." The Rentian baojian says: "Whenever cultivating dhyāna-concentration, enter a quiet room, sit upright, and count the inhalation and exhalation of breaths: count from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and from a hundred to thousands and ten thousands. This body is steadfast and this mind is quiescent, equal to empty space, needing no anxious restraint. Continuing like this for a long time, a single breath naturally abides, neither exiting nor entering; at that time, one feels this breath rising from the eighty-four thousand pores like steaming clouds and rising mist. The various ailments from beginningless time are naturally eliminated, the various obstacles naturally vanish, and one naturally attains clear awakening. It is like a blind person suddenly gaining eyes: at that moment, seeing thoroughly, they have no need to seek someone to point out the road." Now, in this mind-gathering buddhānusmṛti, if one wishes to quickly accomplish samādhi, counting the breaths is paramount as a method to remedy torpor and distraction. Whenever wishing to sit, first visualize one's own body within a halo of light, silently contemplate the tip of the nose, and visualize the incoming and outgoing breaths. With each breath, silently recite 'Namo Amitābha Buddha' once, skillfully regulating the breath so it is neither slack nor hurried. Mind and breath depend on each other, following the coming and going; this can be practiced whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, without letting it be interrupted. Constantly and intimately maintain this practice until one enters deeply into dhyāna-concentration, where both breath and thought are forgotten, and this very body and mind become equal to empty space. With prolonged and thorough practice, the eye of the mind opens, and samādhi suddenly manifests before one: this is the Mind-only Pure Land.