To Understand Buddhism - APPENDIX

APPENDIX I: THE TEN RECITATION METHOD

The Ten-Recitation method is a simple, convenient, effective way to practice Buddha Name Recitation. It is especially suitable for those who find little time in the day for cultivation. Practicing this method helps us to regain mindfulness of Buddha Amitabha and brings us peace and clarity in the present moment.

The practice begins first thing in the morning when we wake up. We sit up straight and clearly recite Buddha Amitabha s name ten times with an undisturbed mind, aloud or silently to ourselves. We repeat this process eight more times for the rest of the day. Altogether, we do one round of ten recitations, nine times a day, every day as follows:

1.Upon waking up

2.Before starting breakfast

3.After finishing breakfast

4.Before work

5.Before starting lunch

6.After finishing lunch

7.Before starting dinner

8.After finishing dinner

9.At bedtime


Altogether, this method is practiced nine times daily. The key is regularity; disruption of this crease in his/her purity of mind and wisdom.

Diligent practice of the Ten-Recitation Method, together with unwavering belief and vows, can ensure fulfillment of our wish to reach the Western Pure Land of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. We hope everyone will practice accordingly.

Namo Amituofo!

Glossary

Aeon. 1,334,000,000 years. Often expressed as the time it would take for a mountain of solid

rock of ten cubic leagues to wear down if the tip of a heavenly maiden s delicate tunic

brushed against it every hundred years. A fantastically long period of time.

Affliction. Condition or cause of pain, distress and suffering which disturbs the body and

mind.

Alaya Consciousness. (Sanskrit or Skrt). Our store consciousness, the thought database from

all our past and present lives, good or bad.

Amitabha. The name of the Buddha of the Western Pure Land, primarily meaning Infinite Life

and Light. Called Amituofo in Chinese.

Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi (Skrt). Highest, proper and complete enlightenment.

Arhat (Skrt). One who has reached self-realization, a state in which one possesses no erro" neous perceptions, views, speech or behavior.

Asuras. Quarrelsome, half-gods.

Attachments. Fixed to certain ideas or objects.

Bodhi mind (Skrt). The great compassionate and sincere mind, with every thought to attain

complete self-realization for self and other.

Bodhisattva (Skrt). One who helps others to reach realization after achieving their own.

Buddha (Skrt). One who has reached perfection in both self-realization and helping others

to reach realization.

Delusion. False beliefs, wrong views.

Deva. Heavenly Beings or gods

events, phenomena, everything; 3) Duty, law, doctrine. Dharma Ending Age. The Dharma Perfect Age began with Buddha Shakyamuni s demise and lasted five hundred years, during which Enlightenment was often attained. The Dharma Semblance Age began after that and lasted one thousand years, during which Enlighten" ment was seldom attained. The Dharma Ending Age that we are now in began after that and will last for ten thousand years during which Enlightenment will rarely be attained. Dusts. Metaphor for all the mundane things that can cloud our self-nature. Eight Afflictions. Absence of embarrassment and shamefulness, and the presence of jeal" ously, stinginess, misdeeds, drowsiness, sleep and agitation. Eighth Ground Bodhisattva. There are ten levels or grounds of a Bodhisattva s enlightenment, which summarize the most important steps in a Bodhisattva s path right before attaining Buddhahood. Some say it is at this level that Bodhisattvas reach the stage of Non-regression, the level at which they will never retreat from the Bodhisattva-path. Five Deadly Offenses. Murdering one s own father, murdering one s own mother, causing a Buddha to bleed, killing a Bodhisattva or an Arhat and disrupting the unity of the Sangha. Five Desires. Wealth, lust, fame, food-drink, and sleep. Five Guidelines. Following: 1) The Three Conditions; 2) The Principles of Harmony; 3) The Three Learnings; 4) The Six Paramitas or Principles and 5) Samantabhadra Bodhisattva s Ten Great Vows. Five Pure Land Sutras and One Sastra. (1) The Buddha Speaks of the Infinite Life Sutra of Adornment, Purity, Equality and Enlightenment of the Mahayana School, (2) The Amitabha Sutra, (3) The Visualization Sutra, (4) The Chapter of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva s Conduct and Vows, (5) The Chapter on the Perfect Complete Realization of Great Strength Bodhisat"

Bodhisattva s Report on the Way to Reaching the Pure Land.

Four Universal Vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. (1) Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow

to help them all; (2) Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them all: (3) Ways to practice

are boundless, I vow to master them all: (4) Enlightenment is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

Good Fortune. Happiness, intelligence, wellbeing, prosperity etc.

Good roots. Good qualities or seeds sowed by a good life to be reaped later.

Hungry Ghost. One of the three lower realms. Hungry ghosts wander in a limbo-like state in

which they can find no satisfaction for their desires, especially but not exclusively, for their

hunger or thirst. One is reborn here if he or she has extreme greed.

Karma (Skrt). Law of Cause and Effect, results from thought, speech and behavior.

Karmic Result. The natural reward or retribution brought about by the Law of Cause and Ef" fect (Karma).

Mahayana (Skrt). One of the two major branches of Buddhism. Bodhisattva path of helping

all sentient beings to attain universal liberation.

Merits. The great benefits (wealth, intelligence, etc) of the human and celestial realms;

therefore, they are temporary and subject to birth and death. Virtues, on the other hand,

are attained from one s pure mind and enable one to transcend birth and death and lead

to Buddhahood. An identical action, e.g. charity, can lead either to merit or virtue, depend" ing on the mind of the practitioner, whether he or she is seeking ordinary rewards (merit) or

transcendence (virtue).

Mindfulness of Buddha. Initially the mind remembers the Buddha and does not forget. After

further cultivation, one constantly contemplates the Buddha.

Nine Realms. All ten realms minus the Buddha realm.

reached until the eighth of the ten grounds of a Bodhisattva.

Phenomena. Things, events, happenings, everything.

Prajna-Wisdom (Skrt). Intuitive wisdom.

Pratyekabuddha (Skrt). One who attains his enlightenment alone, independent of a

teacher, with the objective of attaining Nirvana for him/herself.

Precepts. Rules set up by Buddha Shakyamuni to guide his students from erroneous thoughts,

speech and behavior.

Pure Land. See Western Pure Land.

Pure Mind or Purity of Mind. The mind without discrimination or attachments.

Retribution. Karmic punishment from erroneous thought, speech or action.

Saha world (Skrt). Refers to our solar system, filled with suffering and afflictions, yet gladly

endured by its inhabitants.

Samadhi (Skrt). Meditative absorption. Usually denotes the particular final stage of pure

concentration and contemplation. There are many degrees and types of Samadhi.

Sangha (Skrt). Group of four or more peoples who properly practice the Buddha s teaching

together, especially The Six Principles of Harmony.

Sanskrit (Skrt). Language of ancient India.

Sastra (Skrt). Commentary on sutras primarily by Bodhisattvas.

Self-Nature. Our original, true self that we still have, but is currently covered by deluded

thoughts.

Sentient being. A living being that is self-aware and that can experience feeling or sensation.

Eight Sufferings. As human beings, we undergo the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and

death. We do not attain what we seek, suffer hardships, are parted from our loved ones and

Sharira (Skrt). Relics that remain after cremation indicating the person had attained some degree of purity of body and mind. Six Paramitas or Principles. Giving, self-discipline, patience, diligence, deep concentration and wisdom. Six Principles of Harmony. 1) Share the same viewpoints or goals. 2) Observe the same pre" cepts. 3) Live and practice together harmoniously. 4) Not quarrel. 5) Experience the inner peace and happiness from practicing together harmoniously. 6) Share benefits harmoni" ously. Six Realms. Three upper realms are heavens, asuras and humans. Three lower realms are animals, hungry ghosts and hells. Six Senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and mind object. Six Sense Objects. Form, sound, scent, taste, texture and mind object. Six Sense Organs. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind. Sutra (Skrt). Teaching by the Buddha, initially given verbally, later compiled and written down by the Buddha s students. Ten Directions. North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, above and below. Ten Good Conducts. No killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, abusive language, bear" ing tales, seductive words, greed, anger or ignorance. Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. 1) Pay respect to all Buddhas. 2) Praise  Thus Come One. 3) Make offerings extensively. 4) Repent of Karmic obstacles. 5) Be joyful over others meritorious deeds. 6) Appeal to the Buddha to turn the Dharma wheel. 7) Re" quest the Buddha to reside in this world. 8) Constantly be a diligent follower of the Buddha s Ten Realms. Six realms plus those of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas and Sound-hearers. Three Conditions. The First Condition includes: Being filial to one s parents, Being respectful to one s teachers, Being compassionate and not killing any living beings and Following the Ten Good Conducts. The Second Condition includes: Following the Three Refuges, Observing the precepts, laws and customs, and Conducting oneself in a proper and dignified manner. The Third Condition includes: Generating the Bodhi mind, Deeply believing in the Law of Cause and Effect, Reciting and upholding Mahayana sutras and Encouraging others to ad" vance on the path to Enlightenment. Three Learnings. Self-discipline, deep concentration and wisdom. Three Poisons. Greed, anger and ignorance. Three Refuges. We take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are returning from our deluded state of mind and relying upon an awak" ened, understanding mind. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we are returning from de" viant views and relying upon proper views and understanding. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we are returning from pollution and disharmony and relying upon purity of mind and the Six Principles of Harmony. Transliteration. To represent (letters or words) in the corresponding characters of another al" phabet, so the original sound is retained. Virtues. See Merits. Way Place. Usually called a temple, a place where Buddhist practitioners come to practice. Western Pure Land. World created by Buddha Amitabha. An ideal place of cultivation, those who are born there are no longer subject to reincarnation.


Dallas Buddhist Association 515 Apollo Road Richardson, TX USA Tel:972.234.4401 Fax: 972.234.8342 Website:http://www.amtb-dba.org

The Pure Land Learning Center 21730 Stevens Creek Blvd. #202 Cupertino, CA USA Tel: 408.255.5258

Amitabha Buddhist Society (Singapore) No. 2 Lorong 35 Geylang, Singapore 387934 Republic of Singapore Tel: (65) 744-7444 Fax: (65) 744-4774 Website:http://www.amtb.org.sg

The Singapore Buddhist Lodge 17-19 Kim Yam Road Singapore 239329 Republic of Singapore Tel: (65) 737-2630 Fax: (65) 737-0877 Website:http://www.amtb1.org.sg

Amitabha Buddhist Association of Queensland 11Toona Place Calamvale, Brisbane Queensland 4116 Australia Tel: (07) 3273-1693 Fax: (07) 3272-0677

Taiwan Website:http://www.amtb.org.tw USA Website:http://www.amtb-usa.org