To express their gratitude for the Buddha Amitabha's vast and infinite compassionate vow to save all beings in the ten directions of the world, amidst the solemn atmosphere of the chanting of the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra, hundreds of Buddhists, male and female, gathered with a unified mind to recite the sutra.
In the Pure Land great sutra (Volume 265) - the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra explains, "When we recite the Buddha's name, each phrase of 'Amitabha Buddha' corresponds to the entire Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra. A Buddha name phrase is a sutra, and a sutra is condensed into a Buddha name phrase. Our minds become the Buddha's mind, our aspirations become the Buddha's aspirations, our virtues become the Buddha's virtues, and our happiness becomes the Buddha's happiness."
The Buddha Amitabha, after countless eons of practicing the bodhisattva path, became the Buddha of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He attained perfect enlightenment and has spent the last five eons using his powers to help sentient beings. In the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra, the sixth chapter, the Buddha says,
"I implore the World-Honored One to listen with compassion. If I attain the Unsurpassed Bodhi and become a Buddha of the Highest Order, then in the Buddha's realm there will be limitless virtue and dignity beyond imagination, with no hells or ghostly realms of any kind. If any beings, from the three evil paths or even the hells, are born in my land, and hear my teachings, then all of them will achieve supreme and perfect enlightenment, without any suffering or distress. Only then will I have become a Buddha. Otherwise, I will not attain enlightenment."
In the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra, chapter 47, it is said, "Without having accumulated past virtuous deeds, one cannot understand this Dharma." This means that if one has not practiced virtuous deeds in the past, he or she cannot hear this Dharma. Even if one hears it, he or she will not understand or believe it. "By invoking the name of the Buddha, all sins are destroyed," which means that reciting the Buddha's name can eliminate heavy sins from past lives.
The sutra also states that a single recitation at the moment of death can eliminate eighty eons of heavy karma. All Buddhist teachings are good, but why do we emphasize this particular one? Because if we understand one sutra, we understand all sutras. If we attain one Dharma, we attain all Dharmas. If we want to have faith, we must study the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra.
With deep gratitude and respect, all Buddhists and monks recite the Forty-Eight Great Vows of Amitabha Buddha to save all sentient beings. They all believe that "The Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra is our heart, and our heart is the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra. Our heart is the Unsurpassed Bodhi."
After more than three hours of chanting, all the merit is dedicated to the Seven Patriarchs, all beings with whom we have karmic connections, both positive and negative, and to all four classes of beings in the Six Realms, from countless past lives to present-day afflictions, with the hope of being liberated from the cycle of birth and death and being reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
On the occasion of Buddha's Parinirvana Day, may all of us vow to practice the path of Enlightenment and cultivate our minds towards ultimate bliss. Let us learn how to think and live like the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Holy Assembly of Dai Tung Lam Hoa Sen, so that our minds may be enlightened under their guidance. Then, let us bring that enlightenment back to our homes as a stable refuge, and manifest the blessings of being born as humans, studying the Dharma, hearing the teachings, and transmitting the Right Dharma. May our lives be peaceful and prosperous, with less suffering, and may we be liberated by the support of the Three Jewels, both now and in the future.
