The power of reciting Buddha's name

Last night I attended a Dharma talk. The talk was about five precepts and how we can help ourselves and children to observe these five precepts in the Western world. Then someone asked the nun what makes the nun change her initial practice from Zen meditation to preaching the pure-land and reciting Buddha's name. She told us this wonderful story about how she came to pure-land teaching. Here is her story: She met a nine years old girl who had terminal cancer. Her mother wanted to poison her so she could die quicker since she had another three children to feed. When the nun heard this, she went to visit this family. She saw the girl was in pain. She helped her to repent and taught her to recite Buddha's name. Within the same day, the girl passed away in peace. The nun said in this situation, how could she taught the little girl meditation. This is so true. When we have a healthy body and mind, meditation is the best way to understand ourselves and purify our mind but when it comes to young children and old people, recite Buddha's name is the best way to transform our trouble mind to become calm and at ease.

This it funny though, this nun is coming from Zen meditation to pure-land practise and I am from pure-land practice to Zen meditation. You may ask why? I hardly could recite Buddha's name with one point mind. I was quite frustrated that I couldn't calm my mind. I was looking for a method which I could calm my mind so I could recite Buddha's name better. So here I am in zen meditation. This is very true to me that once I practise meditation, I can recite Buddha's name with a one pointed mind. Don't get me wrong though, meditation is the best way to understand ourselves and purify our minds but when it comes to the crunch, reciting Buddha's name is the best way to transfer our fear, doubt mind into a peaceful mind. Maybe my practise is not skilful enough in meditation therefore when I was in pain, my equanimity was weak. I used recite Buddha's name to divert my attention away from severe pain. It worked every time. I love the combination of meditation and recite Buddha's name.

My mother asked can she recite Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva? Sure, why not? I have heard a story about an old woman she recited Om Mani Padme Cow instead of Om Mani Padme Hum. She still got the benefit of purify her mind as long as we willing to practise, recite Buddha's name is also a way of meditation. It doesn't matter we recite Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva or Om Mani Padme Hum, I think we will achieve the same result – purify our mind. There are so many benefit of recite Buddha's name. We can transform our suffering (such as trouble, worry and fear) mind into a calm and peaceful mind. We have better control our mind than just letting it run loose. We have no time to talk about other people's affair or thinking about our past or future. Buddha's teachings have psychic power over our transformation of our mind, speech and body/actions.