Signless Buddha Mindfulness

In this Dharma-ending age, Buddhist practitioners, especially those from the Chan and Pure Land traditions, tend to compare and argue about the superiority of their respective practice methods.

Some Chan practitioners think that most Pure Land practitioners seek the truth outside themselves, beseeching blessings from Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and recite Buddha’s name without collecting their mind inwards to explore their intrinsic Buddha- nature. On the other hand, Pure Land practitioners consider their Chan counterparts arrogant and ignorant of the fact that the practice of Buddha-mindfulness can benefit practitioners of all capacities. All of these comments arise from a lack of in-depth understanding of the teachings in the Chan and Pure Land. Sadly, these misunderstandings have led to conflicts within Buddhist communities in the form of verbal or written attacks, which have invited scorn and ridicule from outsiders and driven prospective Buddhist learners away. This issue should be taken seriously, since undermining other people’s wisdom-life constitutes a transgression of grave consequence.

Master Hongyi (弘一大師) said it well: “Not yielding to the ancients is ambitious, not yielding to the contemporaries is narrow-minded.” We should refrain from passing subjective judgment before we thoroughly understand other people’s practice method, and we should not criticize until we have a chance to study and put into practice their teachings. Only when we have reached a certain level within our actual practice can we venture to comment in private, provided our intent is well-natured.

Many eminent contemporary Buddhist masters and monastics have advocated “the dual practice of Chan and Pure Land” on the grounds that the two traditions are compatible and complementary. But some find this perplexing, as they believe that Buddha-mindfulness should be practiced by either vocal or mental recitation of the sacred name of Buddha or visualization of the Buddha’s image, whereas the “gateless gate” of Chan is entered by abandoning all signs and characteristics—the so-called “terminating the path of language and ceasing all workings of the mind.” So how could the two possibly be compatible with each other and be practiced in combination?

It is very understandable for novice Buddhist practitioners to have such a question. However, digging deeper, one will realize that all Dharma-doors are compatible with one another there is no difference in their objectives. In fact, it can be said, all practice methods work toward the training of meditative concentration, and all fruitions lead to the realization of pure land. Although the Buddha Dharma is said to contain as many as eighty-four thousand methods of cultivation, each and every one of them converge upon the training of meditative concentration. Sufficient power of meditative concentration enables practitioners to contemplate the four noble truths, the noble eightfold path, the twelvefold chain of dependent arising, the four foundations of mindfulness, and the knowledge of the ultimate truth, thereby they would be able to enter the stage of Chan contemplation, which will bring them to eliminate afflictions or even attain direct realization of the Buddha- nature.

For those who practice Buddha-mindfulness, this is the course of cultivation to realize one’s Buddha-nature while in this world. The same path is also followed by those who are born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and bring with them all their karma. They will hear Buddha’s teachings after their lotus flowers unfold and subsequently attain the acquiescence to non-arising (Note 2). Essentially, the objective of all practice methods is to develop meditative absorption.

In a broad sense, all eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors, including those of the Pure Land tradition, are methods to cultivate meditative concentration. A person who has practiced and realized any one of these Dharma-doors will have also realized, to a greater or lesser extent, the Mind-Only Pure Land. If one has reached the stage of adept (Note 3), one would be able to dwell securely in nirvana, which is the true and ultimate pure land. Alternatively, a person who has reached the stage of adept can also choose to take rebirth in any one of the three types of Buddha’s pure land, namely, the Land Inhabited by Both the Ordinary and the Saints, the Land of Expedients and Remainders, and the Land of True Reward and Adornment.

When one reaches the Buddha Ground, one will dwell in the Land of Eternality, Quiescence and Brightness. Unlike the three realms mentioned above, it is not a pure land created by Buddha through transformation but rather the true and ultimate Mind- Only Pure Land. In summary, Chan contemplation and samādhi training are the means; attainment of the pure lands, the fruition. This understanding should conclude on all disputes between the Chan and Pure Land traditions.

For a disciple of the Three Jewels, this world offers an environment that is challenging but conducive to speedy progress in the training of meditative contemplation, while the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss provides an easy, impediment-free setting. Practitioners who have mastered signless Buddha-mindfulness can achieve rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in one single lifetime. Yet compared to those who cultivate the Buddha Dharma in this world, those who go to the Pure Land have to spend an exceedingly long time to arrive at the state of ultimate liberation. Since this subject is outside the scope of this book, a discussion is not included here.

Note 2. Acquiescence to non-arising (S. anutpādakṣāntika; C. wusheng ren 無生忍): the attaining of partial or ultimate realization of liberation is both considered acquiescence to non-arising.

Note 3. Adept (S. aśaikṣa; C. wuxue 無學): On the Path of Liberation, a practitioner who has attained complete liberation is called an adept because he or she has nothing more to learn, while a practitioner who has yet to perfect his learning is called a learner (C. xueren 學人).

A Chan practitioner who has attained ultimate liberation is able to rely on the non-abiding mind to fulfill the Six Kinds of Mindful- ness, namely the mindfulness of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, generosity, precepts, and the virtuous qualities of celestial beings. Among the Six Kinds of Mindfulness, whether the first and foremost Buddha-mindfulness or the other five, all of them are Pure Land practices in essence. In addition, a Chan practitioner who has attained ultimate liberation can see Buddha-nature almost perfectly; thus he can access Buddha’s insights and thereby realize the Mind- Only Pure Land. From both perspectives, Chan and Pure Land share a common ground.

Throughout the history of Buddhism, many Chan masters have advocated the practice of Buddha-mindfulness for the reason that prostrating to the Buddha and Buddha-mindfulness are effective preparatory expedients for Chan contemplation. At the same time, many Pure Land monasteries encouraged the practice of contemplative Buddha-mindfulness. The illustrious Chan master Yongming Yanshou (永明延壽; 904–975), for one, promoted the all-unifying ideology of “Principle, Pedagogy, Chan, and Pure Land.” Another prominent example is Changlu Zongze (長蘆宗賾; ?–1107), also known as master Cijue (慈覺大師), who attained enlightenment through Chan but espoused the dual practice of Chan and Pure Land. Indeed, while master Cijue authored the ten- volume Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries [1] for the Chan school, he was an even more prolific writer for the Pure Land tradition. In his A Condensed Account of Pure Land, [2] he proposed that “although Buddha-mindfulness and Chan contemplation both seek their own tenets, the principle and objective are the same. Just like there are many rivers and mountains, yet the clouds and the moon above them are the same. And it can be said that a horse can be tethered to any willow and one can get to Chang’an through the gates of all households.” [3] The most well-known exponent of combined practice is no doubt Chan master Yunqi Zhuhong (雲棲 袾宏; 1535–1615) of the late Ming Dynasty, reverently referred to as master Lianchi (master Lotus Pond; 蓮池大師) by practitioners of Buddha-mindfulness. The inscription on his stupa reads,

With an alms bowl and a walking stick, [the master] journeyed extensively to seek out every mentor. North in Mt. Wutai he was blessed to see light shining from Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and in Fu’nü, he joined the masses in battling demons. In the capital, he consulted master Xiaoling Debao, who said to him, “Huh! You travelled three thousand miles to seek my teaching, what teaching do I have?” So he took leave to Dongchang. On his way, upon hearing drum beats from a firewood house, he suddenly attained awakening. After that he wrote a verse:

For twenty years, there was doubt about this matter,

Three thousand miles of journeying led me to encounter the extraordinary;

Burning incense and throwing spears seem like dreams,

The contention between Buddhas and demons about right and wrong is plainly insignificant.

Thus all doubts evaporated as he awakened to the Dharma of non-attainment. . . . At first, when the master started his journey of seeking, he benefited from the practice of contemplative Buddha-mindfulness. When he got to this point, he established the Pure Land tradition and fervently promoted it to assist practitioners of all capacities. He composed the Commentary on the Amitābha Sūtra,[4] a work of a hundred thousand words, in which he harmonized phenomena and principle by ascribing the objective of all practices to the Mind-Only. Moreover, he recalled his reading of the Recorded Sayings of Gaofeng[5] and said that it was the sharpest instrument for Chan contemplation and that no one could surpass its author’s genuine, adamantine achievement. He kept the book with him wherever he went. During that time the Master was thinking about compiling the teachings of Lushan Huiyuan and Yongming Yanshou, and so he further compiled the apt sayings and vital exchanges of prior Chan luminaries and edited them into a book called Whip for Spurring Students Onward through the Chan Barrier Check Point.[6] He had printing blocks carved for both [the Chan Whip and the Recorded Sayings of Gaofeng] in order to show the key of Chan contemplation and to highlight the fact that the dual cultivation of Chan and Pure Land is not something outside the one Mind.[7]

According to the inscription, Yunqi Zhuhong first honed his skill by way of contemplative Buddha-mindfulness and later on gained insight into the “principle” via Chan contemplation. Because of this, he proposed a combined practice of Chan and Pure Land and wrote the Commentary on the Amitābha Sūtra, a work of a hundred thousand words held in high regard by Pure Land practitioners. As for the other acclaimed work of his, Whip for Spurring Students Onward through the Chan Barrier Check Point, it is said that “through-out his entire life, he kept it in his sack when he was on the road and on his desk when he was not. One glimpse of it sufficed to embolden and inspire him, impelling him to press forward in his cultivation.” [8] Indeed, throughout his life, Yunqi Zhuhong urged himself to work hard toward the state of ultimate liberation in accordance with the teachings in Whip for Spurring Students Onward through the Chan Barrier Check Point. This monumental work has received paramount plaudits from Chan practitioners of later generations.

Yunqi Zhuhong advocated the joint practice of Chan and Pure Land based on his insights of a Chan master. Not only did he promote Buddha-mindfulness through name recitation, calling it the “abiding within phenomena,” he also espoused the practice of contemplative Buddha-mindfulness using the interrogative “Who is bearing the Buddha in mind?” regarding it as the “abiding within principle.” What this eminent Pure Land patriarch taught was precisely a synthesis of Chan and Pure Land. Chan master Yong- ming Yanshou, who came before Zhuhong, was an exponent of this dual practice as well. Based upon his cultivation and realization as a Chan master, Yongming Yanshou, too, understood very well that Chan and Pure Land are interconnected, because the objective of all Dharma-doors boils down to the cultivation of meditative concentration, and all achievements of Dharma cultivation are essentially of the Pure Land.

[1]Chanyuan Qingqui 禪苑清規.

[2]Jingtu Jianyaolu 淨土簡要錄.

[3]CBETA, T47, no. 1973, 318c4-6:  是故念佛參禪各求宗旨。溪山雖異雲 月是同。可謂處處綠楊堪繫馬。家家門首透長安。

[4]Mituo shuchao 彌陀疏鈔.

[5]Gaofeng yulu 高峰語錄.

[6]Changuan cejin 禪關策進.

[7]CBETA, J33, no. B277, vol. 25, 194b12: 即單瓢隻杖遊諸方。遍參知識。 至伏牛。隨眾煉魔。入京師。參遍融笑巖二大老。皆有開發。過 東昌。忽有悟。作偈曰。二十年前事可疑。三千里外遇何奇。焚 香擲戟渾如夢。魔佛空爭是與非。乘悟併消。歸無所得……初師 發足操方。從參究念佛得力。至是遂開淨土一門。普攝三根。極 力主張。乃著彌陀疏鈔十萬餘言。融會事理。指歸唯心。又憶昔 見高峰語錄。謂自來參究此事。最極精銳。無逾此師之純鋼鑄就 者。向懷之行腳。唯時師意併匡山永明而一之。更錄古德機緣中 喫緊語編之。曰禪關策進。併刻之。以示參究之訣。蓋顯禪淨雙 修。不出一心。

[8]Changuan cejin 禪關策進. CBETA, T48, no. 2024, vol. 1, 1097c25-26.

Most Pure Land practitioners practice Buddha-mindfulness by reciting Buddha’s name with a scattered mind. They may think that they are being mindful of Buddha, but their minds are unfocused and constantly giving way to deluded thoughts. The more serious kind of practitioners will quickly return to the recitation of Buddha’s name as soon as they realize that their minds have drifted off. As for the most conscientious practitioners, they will not only mentally recite Buddha’s name but also bear a thought of Buddha in mind during their practice. Eventually, they will advance to the stage of signless mindfulness of Buddha, in which the thought of Buddha persists but Buddha’s name no longer arises, and they will be able to carry out such signless mindfulness of Buddha alongside daily activities. They are essentially “reciting Buddha’s name till there is no name to be recited,” as a common saying goes. This level of meditative concentration corresponds to the beginning practice of Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness.

At this stage, a practitioner achieves undisturbed one-pointed absorption by abiding in a continuous pure thought of Buddha free of image or name. As the mindfulness of Buddha goes on continuously, he will experience Dharma-joy accompanied by remarkable physical and mental serenity. By now this Pure Land practitioner will also be able to contemplate Chan by guarding and contemplating huatou (or gong’an). This goes to show that the practices of Pure Land and Chan can be seamlessly woven together.

After mastering the Dharma-door of signless Buddha-mindfulness via the aids of prostration to Buddha and name recitation, a Pure Land practitioner must acquire knowledge of meditative concentration and carefully read the Śūraṃgama Sūtra if he or she seeks to cultivate the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi. On top of this, he needs to carry out signless mindfulness of Buddha amidst all daily activities as well as during regular, daily meditation sessions. Once he has eliminated his hindrances in terms of phenomena and principle, he will be able to gradually enter deep into the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi and thereby realize the many kinds of Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi (Note 4).

Some practitioners of Buddha-mindfulness or mantra recitation chant a Buddha’s name or a specific mantra during everyday life and set aside one or two hours at a fixed time each day for meditation. They join their palms or make a hand seal[1] while chanting Buddha’s name or a mantra. Initially, they listen to their own steady-paced chanting with unbroken mindfulness. As their proficiency in meditative concentration improves, their scattered mind will unify with the recitation and reach a state of serenity and imperturbability.

Upon reaching this stage, a practitioner with sufficient knowledge of meditative concentration would continue the chanting but stop paying attention to the sound of Buddha’s name or the mantra. He would as a result slowly slip into a trance, wherein the perception of time and space disappears. During this time, although oral recitation goes on, his mind has already settled into a state of deep mental absorption, and he is unaware of entering into this state until he has exited it.

In some cases, a practitioner goes from the oral chanting of Buddha’s name to silent mental recitation accompanied by mindful self-listening. He then ceases the mental recitation altogether when his mind becomes unified and settled in the continuous thought of Buddha, eventually slipping into a state of mental absorption. But regardless of which of the above routes one takes, one can only enter this state of mental absorption if and only if one possesses sufficient power of meditative concentration and a sound understanding of its cultivation. At this level, Pure Land practices cross over into Chan.

The scenarios I have described above are limited to the practice of meditative concentration and the state of “one-pointed absorption within phenomena.”[2] As for “one-pointed absorption within principle,” [3] as the term itself suggests, it is a state that corresponds with the direct perception of one’s intrinsic Buddha- nature (self-nature). As the saying goes, “The Western Pure Land is not even an inch away and the Buddha is none but one’s self-nature.” This spontaneous realization of the intrinsic Buddha, which is the state of the Mind-Only Pure Land, is what one awakens to in Chan. In truth, by no other means can one attain this realization except through the combined practice of Chan and Pure Land. Whether one directly realizes the ultimate truth through the contemplation of a huatou, a gong’an, a sharp prod,[4] or contemplative Buddha-mindfulness, the nature of this process is Chan and nothing but Chan. There are many different ways to activate Chan, but what one attains upon Chan awakening and how one contemplates and realizes the “principle” are nonetheless identical. Therefore, complementary and mutually reinforcing, Chan and Pure Land should not be divorced into two separate traditions.

In the Commentary on the Amitābha Sūtra, Chan master Yunqi Zhuhong explains how to attain awakening by way of Buddha-mindfulness as follows:

Experiential investigation refers not just to the mindfulness of Buddha upon hearing the chanting of his name but also an instantaneous introspection and examination of the origin of this chanting. During its consummation, experiential investigation results in sudden correspondence to one’s fundamental mind. While this mind [that investigates] can be called existent, the mind that can recollect is empty of any inherent nature and the Buddha being recollected is not apprehensible. While this mind [that investigates] can be called non-existent, the mind that can recollect is always pristine and aware, and the Buddha being recollected is clear and distinct. If this mind is said to be both existent and non-existent, then the concepts of the presence and absence of thought will vanish. If it is said to be neither existent nor non-existent, then the concepts of the presence and absence of thought are both retained. Non-existence entails permanent quiescence, not non- existence entails permanent illumination. [To the contrary,] as the one mind is not “both existent and non- existent” nor “neither existent nor non-existent,” it is therefore neither quiescence nor illumination and yet both quiescence and illumination. Being the only mind, it is void of verbalization and conception, and completely eludes description. Having witnessed this truth, one is said to have achieved one-pointed absorption within principle. [The witnessing of this truth] leads to wisdom, as it illumines the illusory; it encompasses samādhi, as it illumines the inherent emptiness of the illusory and the illusory would be naturally subdued. This illumination not only subdues the illusory but can also shatter it.[5]

In the Anthology of the Teachings of Yunqi Zhuhong, one also finds the following teaching:

It is unnecessary to differentiate the words “contemplation” and “doubt.” Doubt is just another expression of contemplation; both refer to direct experience and investigation. Simply guard the huatou “Who is bearing the Buddha in mind?” following the principle of achieving awakening. The ancients said, “When one guarding a huatou, one should not speculate and force an interpretation, nor should one discard all aside. One should simply keep guarding it.” This is the key.[6]

The excerpts above are master Yunqi Zhuhong’s instruction on how to practice Buddha-mindfulness through contemplation or experiential investigation. The whole process—beginning with the contemplation of “Who is bearing the Buddha in mind?” and ends upon the moment of awakening—clearly illustrates the intimate relationship between the practices of Chan and Pure Land.

Whether one realizes the True Mind through Buddha-mindfulness or Chan contemplation, the nature of the process itself is essentially that of Chan; whether one realizes the True Mind through Buddha-mindfulness in this world or upon hearing the Dharma teachings of the Buddha and bodhisattvas in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the essence of the realization is also nothing but Chan. In either case, the state that one realizes upon awakening is completely the same.

[1]S. mudra; C. yin 印.
[2]C. shi yixin 事一心.
[3]C. li yixin 理一心.
[4] “Sharp prod” is the translation of the Chinese term jifeng 機鋒. A sharp prod is a pedagogical device Chan masters use to help students to attain awakening to the True Mind.
[5] CEBTA, X22, no. 424, vol. 3, 661c12-22: 體究者，聞佛名號，不惟憶念； 即令返觀，體察究審，鞫其根源。體究之極，於自本心，忽然契 合。若言其有，則能念之心，本體自空；所念之佛，了不可得。 若言其無，則能念之心，靈靈不昧；所念之佛，歷歷分明。若言 其亦有亦無，則有念無念俱泯。若言非有非無，則有念無念俱 存。非有則常寂，非無則常照。非雙亦，非雙非，則不寂不照， 而照而寂。言思路絕，無可名狀， 故唯一心。以見諦故，名理一 心也。言慧者，能照妄故。兼定者，照妄本空，妄自伏故。又照 能破妄，不但伏故。
[6] Anthology of the Teachings of Yunqi Zhuhong (Yunqi fahui 雲棲法彙).

Note 4.Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi (C. nianfo sanmei 念佛三 昧): There are numerous kinds of Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi. For details please refer to the section “Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi (Nianfo sanmei pin 念 佛 三 昧 品 )” in the Mahā-vaipulyamahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra (Dafangdeng dajijing 大方等大集 經; T13, no. 397, vol. 43), the Bodhisattva-buddhānusmṛti-samādhi Sūtra (Pusa nianfo sanmei jing 菩薩念佛三昧經; T13, no. 414), and the Mahāvaipulya-mahāsaṃnipāta-bodhisattva-buddhānu-smṛti-samādhi (Dafangdeng daji pusa nianfo sanmei fen 大方等大 集菩薩念佛三昧分; T13, no. 415), all of which are found in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Division of the Taisho Tripiṭaka. Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhis usually refer to the mindfulness of the three bodies of Buddha: emanation-body, reward-body, and Dharma-body. Signless Buddha-mindfulness is one way to attain Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi; particularly, it is one of the numerous ways to attain Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhis through the mindfulness of Buddha’s Dharma-body. The various samādhis one attains by means of signless Buddha-mindfulness are also called the Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhis.

Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness is a method to develop meditative concentration and thus a direct and effective way to accomplish the Pure Land practice (Note 5).

Most Pure Land practitioners practice Buddha-mindfulness by invoking Buddha’s name. They recite a Buddha’s name either orally or mentally until no discursive thoughts arise in mind except the name of Buddha, a state of mental absorption referred to as “one-pointed absorption within phenomena.” This same course of practice applies to mantra chanters as well.

The twenty-five “Dharma-doors for perfect mastery” ex- pounded by the twenty-five bodhisattvas in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra are all geared toward the training of meditative concentration. Each of them enables the practitioner to directly perceive the Buddha- nature, attain “one-pointed absorption within principle,” or even the state of ultimate liberation by realizing the emptiness of the five- aggregates—hence the appellation “Dharma-doors for perfect mastery.” Among these twenty-five methods, the twenty-fourth is the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha- mindfulness put forth by Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta. In his illustration of this Dharma-door, Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta makes no reference to the recitation of Buddha’s name anywhere. He uses the words “recollect” and “be mindful of” throughout the description of his choice method and never once mentions the “reciting” or “chanting” of Buddha’s name. Toward the end, the Bodhisattva states that one can “enter samādhi” by “reining in all six sense faculties and abiding in one continuous pure thought.”

Why is there no mentioning of the recitation of Buddha’s name? Because the recollection and mindfulness of something are not contingent upon the presence of names, images, or sounds. If there are names and sounds, one would be reciting and chanting Buddha’s name instead. This is the reason that Bodhisattva Mahā- sthāmaprāpta’s explanation of his method of Buddha-mindfulness makes no reference at all to the recitation of Buddha’s name, only the recollection and mindfulness of Buddha.

During oral recitation of Buddha’s name, the tongue has to move to produce sound. At the same time, the muscles of the chest and abdomen have to expand and contract to enable exhalation and quick inhalation, which means that the body and the nose are both active. When one listens attentively to one’s own chanting, the ears are involved. Since the five sense faculties—visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile—are all fully engaged in this process, the mental faculty[1] has to participate in the process as well. What this means is that when one is chanting Buddha’s name, one cannot possibly “rein in all six sense faculties,” let alone “abide in one continuous pure thought.”

When a practitioner recites Buddha’s name silently in mind while being mindful of Buddha, although his five sense faculties are not engaged, the mental faculty still needs to partake in the process nonetheless. This is because when one is repeatedly reciting Buddha’s name in mind, one is continuously bringing forth a few simple but distracting thoughts. For instance, if one practices with Buddha  Amitābha,  then  with  each  mental  recitation  of the Buddha’s name, four syllables, which are four thoughts, are being continuously generated in one’s mind. Insofar as there are four thoughts recurring in the mind, the mental faculty is not being held in an unstirred state. When the mental faculty is not being held in continuous, one-pointed focus, one is not “reining in all six sense faculties and abiding in one continuous pure thought.”

“Abiding in one continuous pure thought” connotes the one thought held in mind being of a pure nature. Thoughts about worldly matters are not pure thoughts, even thoughts about virtuous acts or the Buddha Dharma are not considered pure either. In terms of the cultivation of meditative concentration, any thoughts that come with language, symbols, or images are considered deluded and impure. The recollection and mindfulness of Buddha can only be deemed pure if the thought of Buddha is free of these “signs.” Only when one can bear such a pure thought of Buddha in mind without interruption can one be considered as “abiding in one continuous pure thought.” If this pure thought is dropped and picked up again and again, one is not “abiding in one continuous pure thought” but merely bearing a pure thought intermittently, even if the interruption lasted only one or half a second. Essentially, to “enter samādhi,” one needs to be able to not only “rein in all six sense faculties” but also to “abide in one continuous pure thought.” The fulfillment of these two conditions specifically points to a state free of any signs. Here’s a passage from the The Jewel-Heap Sūtra[2] that illustrates my point:

Signlessness refers to the absence of a body and its designation, the absence of words and letters, and the absence of appearances and manifestations.[3]

All practitioners who cultivate Bodhisattva Mahāsthā- maprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha- mindfulness ought to understand this concept thoroughly. The word “signless” refers to the absence of a physical body, the absence of any establishment of thoughts and logic, the absence of any knowable and perceivable characteristics that originate from the physical body, such as language, words and letters, and sentences, and the absence of any visible or perceivable expressions of meaning.

To explain in more detail, in this physical world that we inhabit, there are humans, all kinds of other sentient creatures, insentient organisms, and life forms whose existence lies in a murky zone between sentient and insentient (not counting celestial beings, demigods, hell beings, and hungry ghosts). A wide range of physical differences is apparent among people and among individuals within all sentient and insentient species. These differences all stem from the existence of a physical body. There would be no expressible characteristics if there were no physical form; the absence of expressible characteristics is, therefore, the absence of signs.

Other than expressible characteristics, all behavior, symbols, thoughts, and principles in this physical world are predicated on the existence of the physical body. Without a body or the expressible characteristics associated with it, there would not be any behavior, symbol, language, thought, principle, and so forth to speak of. This is true for the human world as well as the heavenly abodes of the desire realm (Note 6), which is regarded as heaven or the kingdom of god(s) in non-Buddhist religions. Moreover, every form of linguistic expressions in this physical world, including the communicative signals of animals, is also predicated upon the existence of the physical body. Language allows communication between members of the same species or even between members of different species. Words give rise to thoughts which in turn create logic and principles. Literature, theology, science, art, metaphysics, and so on hence emerge and evolve. Furthermore, the existence of the physical body is also the root cause of greed and disputes, which necessitate the establishment of guidelines to settle disagreements. Over time, these guidelines develop into laws.

All in all, the generation, continued presence, and evolution of languages, words, terminology, thoughts, and principles come into being as a result of the establishment of the physical body. They exist for one and one purpose only: to communicate; if there were no physical body in the first place, there would be no need to communicate. Again, this is true both in our physical world and in the six heavenly abodes of the desire realm.

For this reason, most Buddhas manifest their attainment of Buddhahood in the human world rather than in the heavens of the desire realm. Celestial beings (the various kinds of heavenly beings and their lords) residing in the heavens of the desire realm are very difficult to enlighten because they are deeply attached to the pleasures of the five senses. As for human beings, it would be difficult for Buddhas to guide them into the Buddha Dharma if Buddhas do not manifest themselves in the human world. When a Buddha manifests his attainment of Buddhahood in the human world, he can be seen and heard by humans, and, at the same time, celestial beings of the realms of desire and form can also come down and pay homage to the World-Honored One in the human world if they are inclined to the learning of the Dharma. In short, all Buddhas attain Buddhahood in the human world because it is a world in which they can manifest themselves in physical body and infuse their teachings using languages, words, terminology, thoughts, principles, etc.—the instruments derived from the physical body.

The above explanations illustrate that signlessness describes the absence of a body and its designation, the absence of language, words and letters, and the absence of any expression of meaning. In Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s teaching of the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness, “recollecting and being mindful of Buddha, reining in all six sense faculties, and abiding in one continuous pure thought” also refers to a signless mental state that is absent of those forms mentioned above and therefore cannot be shown to others. Unless one verbally explains or physically demonstrates what this mental state of Buddha- mindfulness is through the use of one’s body, it is impossible for another person to comprehend its meaning and the way to achieve it. It is this realization of the mental state of signless mindfulness of Buddha that is the real objective of Bodhisattva Mahāsthāma- prāpta’s Dharma-door.

[1]The mental faculty (S. manendriya/ manas; C. yigen 意根), is one of the six sense faculties (S. indriya; C. gen 根). Unlike the first five sense faculties, it is a mental entity unassociated with a physical organ. The sense faculties and their corresponding sense objects are essential conditions for the arising of the first six consciousnesses (S. vijñāna; C. shi 識 ); the mental faculty is so translated as it is required for the arising of the mental consciousness (S. manovijñāna; C. yishi 意識). It should be noted that in addition to being a sense faculty, the mental faculty is also known as the manas-consciousness, which is the seventh consciousness in the Yogācāra’s doctrine of eight con- sciousnesses, in which context it is also called the “afflicted manas” (S. kliṣṭamanas; C. mona shi 末那識).

[2]S. Ratnakūṭa Sūtra; 大寶積經.

[3]CEBTA, T11, no. 310, vol. 4, 23a21-22: 言無相者，所謂無身及身施設， 無名無句亦無示現。

Note 5. Most practitioners who practice Buddha-mindfulness through the recitation of Buddha’s name would be intimidated by the notion of samādhi training. They do not know that name recitation is actually one of the many methods to develop meditative concentration. In Vol. 4 of the Commentaries on the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Buddha Amitāyus, we can find the following statements:

To single-mindedly recite the name of Buddha Amitābha while walking, resting, sitting, or lying down, and abide in such mindfulness continuously in every thought regardless of the length of time, is the deed of right concentration.

一心專念彌陀名號，行住坐臥、不問時節久近、念念不舍者，是名正定之業。[Guan wuliangshoufo jing shu 觀無量壽佛經疏. CBETA, T37, no. 1753, vol. 4, 272b6-8.]

Buddhist patriarchs throughout history have explained extensively the critical importance of samādhi cultivation. The following words by master Huiyuan ( 廬山慧遠; 334–416), the founding patriarch of the Pure Land, found in the preface of the Huiyuan fashi wenchao paiyin liutong (慧遠法師文鈔排印流通), prove the significance of samādhi training for Pure Land practitioners:

On to the twenty-eighth day of the seventh lunar month in the fifteenth year (year of Gengyin) of the Taiyuan reign period, [Huiyuan] formed a group with one hundred and twenty-three practitioners, comprised of both monastics and lay Buddhists, who sought rebirth in the western pure land by practicing Buddha-mindfulness. All participants experi- enced auspicious signs near the end of their lives and all achieved rebirth in the Pure Land. The success of these participants . . . was owed to the teachings of the Venerable Huiyuan as well as their own diligent effort and support for one another. These one hundred and twenty-three people were only the earliest participants of the practice group. Throughout the remaining thirty or more years of the master’s life, the number of people who were able to practice
the pure Dharma, attain samādhi, and take rebirth in the Pure Land with his help were uncountable.

至太元十五年庚寅七月二十八日，（慧遠） 與緇素一百二十三人結社念佛，求生西方。此諸人等、於臨終時皆有瑞應，皆得往生。良由諸人……蒙遠公 開導、及諸友切磋琢磨之力，故獲此益。此係最初 結社之人，若終公之世三十餘年之內，蒙其法化而 修淨業、得三昧而登蓮邦者，何可勝數。[Master Yin Guang 印光法師, “Jin lianzong chuzu Lushan Huiyuan fashi wenchao 晉 蓮 宗 初 祖 廬 山 慧 遠 法 師 文 鈔 .” In Yinguang fashi wenchao xubian 印 光 法 師 文 抄 續 編 (Taipei: Hwa Dzan Pure Land Teachings Propagation Foundation, 2010), 482.]

In addition, the Appendix of Huiyuan fashi wenchao (慧遠法師 文鈔) says:

The master had lived in the mountains for three decades, during which he never set foot in the mundane world but occupied himself with diligent practice of the Pure Land. In the first eleven years, he cleared his mind and tied his thoughts to the Buddha and thrice saw the sacred appearance [of Buddha Amitābha]. Being a modest and prudent person, he did not mention anything to other people. In one of the seventh lunar month during the subsequent nineteen years, he was at the eastern shrine alcove of the Prajñā Terrace one evening, and, upon exiting samādhi, he saw Buddha Amitābha’s body filling up the void flanked by Bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. There were also embodiment Buddhas in the halo surrounding Buddha Amitābha. The master also saw fourteen streams of radiant water flowing from top to bottom, all of which were preaching the truth of sufferings, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. The Buddha said to him: “I have come to console you with the power of my original vows. You will be born into my land in seven days.”
師居山三十年，迹不入俗，唯以淨土克勤於念。初 十一年，澄心繫想，三覩聖相，沈濃不言。後十九 年七月晦夕，於般若臺之東龕，方從定起，見阿彌 陀佛身滿虛空，圓光之中有諸化佛，觀音勢至左右 侍立。又見水流光明分十四支，流注上下，演說苦 空無常無我之音。佛告之曰︰我以本願力故，來安 慰汝，汝後七日當生我國。 [Donglin shiba gaoxian zhuan 東林十八高賢傳. CBETA, X78, no. 1543, 115a14-20.]

According to these accounts, the one hundred and twenty-three participants of the practice group founded by the first patriarch of Pure Land were able to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, because they received master Huiyuan’s teachings and improved their practice through diligent practice and support from one another. As for master Huiyuan himself, he practiced Buddha- mindfulness by quieting thoughts and contemplating with one- pointed focus, whereby he saw the Buddha three times and received advance notice of his rebirth in the Pure Land seven days before his passing. He had a vision of the Buddha after he came out of a samādhi of Buddha-mindfulness.
These accounts of master Huiyuan demonstrate that while it is possible to attain rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss by reciting Buddha’s name, the primary application of this method is to rid the mind of discursive thoughts and its tenacious habit of grasping at sensory objects. After practicing name recitation as an expedient method for some time, Pure Land practitioners should move on to master Huiyuan’s method of “quieting thoughts and contemplating with single-minded focus,” which can be mastered swiftly by way of signless Buddha-mindfulness. A person who has mastered master Huiyuan’s method not only can take rebirth in the Pure Land but also at a higher level and grade. Aspiring prac- titioners should definitely not be content with rebirth in the lowest or middle grade.
Master Shandao (善導; 613–681) writes in his Commentaries on the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Buddha Amitāyus:

In the true mind, one contemplates, observes, and yearns for Buddha Amitābha, as well as the direct retribution and the circumstantial retribution, as vividly as if they were right in front of one’s own eyes.

又真實心中，意業思想、觀察、憶念彼阿彌陀佛及 依正二報，如現目前。[Guan wuliangshoufo jing shu 觀 無量壽佛經疏. CBETA, T37, no. 1753, vol. 4, 271a21-22.]

Obviously, how is it possible to achieve this without the power of meditative concentration? Shandao further remarks:

One should become mentally close and intimate [with the thought of Buddha], yearning for and recollecting [the Buddha] continuously, such is the uninterrupted practice.

心 常 親 近 ， 憶 念 不 斷 ， 名 為 無 間 行 也 。 [Guan wuliangshoufo jing shu 觀無量壽佛經疏. CBETA, T37, no. 1753, vol. 4, 272b10-11]

In other words, all practices of Buddha-mindfulness invariably require the power of meditative concentration. The author strongly advises all practitioners who seek rebirth in the Pure Land with a higher grade to strengthen their Pure Land practice with training in meditative concentration.

Note 6. Heavens of the desire realm: The mundane world is classified into three types of existence, or realms: desire realm, form realm, and formless realm. The desire realm consists of the physical world and the six heavenly worlds—from the lowest heavenly plane, the Heaven of the Four Kings, up to the highest one, the Heaven of Comfort Gained Through Transformation of Other’s Bliss. The desire realm is so named as all sentient beings born into it exhibit gender characteristics and possess sexual desire. The form realm is comprised of a total of eighteen heavens, where sentient beings who have attained the first to the fourth absorption, or noble disciples who have attained the third fruition of the Path to Liberation, reside. Inhabitants of the form realm have a genderless physical form and do not conduct sexual behaviors. The formless realm is the dwelling of sentient beings that have attained the four formless absorptions. Inhabitants of the four heavens of the formless realm exist in a purely mental state devoid of any physical attributes.

The amount of time it takes to master signless Buddha-mindfulness depends entirely on how well one understands its underlying concepts and on whether one practices accordingly. Practitioners who have thoroughly understood the content of this book and practice accordingly could accomplish this Dharma-door in roughly two to six months. Those who are of a sharp capacity or already possess sufficient power of in-motion meditative concentration can master it the moment they hear it.

On September 3, 1991, I started lecturing on this practice method to thirty practitioners at two locations: the Chan center of a financial institution in Taipei and the Chan hall of Mr. and Mrs. Chen in Shipai (Taipei). Of the thirty practitioners, two accomplished this practice of signless mindfulness in six weeks and more people continued to have success after them. Among those who have accomplished this Dharma-door, those from the Shipai group accounted for a larger share. They owed their success to their putting of what they had learned into actual practice. Although this group of practitioners started learning the Buddha Dharma relatively late and hence took a longer time to understand this practice, their faith and diligence enabled them to accomplish it within three months. Later on, a few people mastered the practice in three months after listening to the recording of my lectures and reading my essay “On Signless Buddha-Prostration and Buddha-Mindfulness.” So, within the last quarter of that year [1991], a total of nine people mastered this Dharma-door. Some had attended my lectures but had yet to become skilled in signless Buddha-mindfulness. I found that the reason for their lack of progress was a dislike of the entrance expedients of this Dharma-door, namely, prostration to Buddha and recitation of Buddha’s name. As a result, they did not go through with the actual practice.

In the summer of 1989, I presented my short essay “On Signless Buddha-Prostration and Buddha-Mindfulness” as a gift to several lay practitioners of Chan at a Buddhist monastery. Some of them were uninterested in the prostration practice and left the essay at the monastery. Sometime later, a person with abundant roots of virtue received a newsletter from this monastery and gladly found my essay between the pages. He read it with great delight, practiced accordingly, and became proficient in signless Buddha-mindfulness. Because of his proficiency in signless Buddha-mindfulness, he was able to contemplate huatou and was constantly seized by the “sense of doubt.” He was the first person who had mastered signless mindfulness of Buddha simply by reading a short article.

As for regular practitioners of the Pure Land, I urge you to read this book carefully and patiently. Please do not give up trying this Dharma-door simply because the mental state of signless mindfulness seems unimaginable or extremely difficult to achieve. As mentioned earlier, those who had mastered this Dharma-door were mostly Pure Land practitioners who used to recite Buddha’s name, and their success is a clear and unmistakable indication that Pure Land practitioners share a strong affinity with this Dharma- door taught by Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta. If you have already attained proficiency in the reciting of Buddha’s name, this would be a perfect method for you, and you would enjoy great advantage over those who have never practiced recitation. Once you have mastered this Dharma-door and can maintain your proficiency, you will be confident about gaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of your life.

As of today (February 5, 1992; the second day of the first lunar month), twelve among the thirty practitioners from the two aforementioned practice groups have mastered signless Buddha- mindfulness. Six of them have entered the stage of huatou contemplation, among whom four are constantly seized by the sense of doubt. Out of these six people, only one was originally a Chan practitioner; the other five were all practitioners of name recitation.

As for the other six people who have not started to contemplate Chan but are continuing on their practice of signless Buddha-mindfulness, they, too, were originally practitioners of name recitation. Now, some of them plan to continue their practice of signless Buddha-mindfulness for the rest of their lives in order to enter deep into Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door in the hope of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Others would like to continue to strengthen their power of in-motion meditative concentration via prostration to Buddha with signless mindful-ness before they are ready to embark on Chan contemplation. Still others choose to practice contemplative Buddha-mindfulness. Among these six practitioners, most of them are seized by the sense of doubt from time to time. Thus, they have turned their practice to contemplative Buddha-mindfulness and hence have occasionally entered the stage of Chan observation. I urge all Buddhist practitioners to look into this practice, as their examples demonstrate that the power of in-motion  meditative concentration acquired through signless Buddha-mindfulness is highly useful for both Chan and Pure Land practitioners. As for the rest of the students who have not mastered signless Buddha-mindfulness, they have developed sufficient faith in this Dharma-door and are committing themselves to its practice. All of them are making good progress at the moment.

In short, whether you are a Pure Land or a Chan practitioner, so long as you are willing to acquire a sound understanding of the practice steps and essential knowledge of signless Buddha-mindfulness by reading this book and to put what you learn into consistent daily practice, you could accomplish this Dharma-door within two to six months. On the contrary, without due diligence and continued practice, it is impossible to achieve proficiency.

Why is Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door of Buddha-mindfulness a practice based on signlessness?

To make sure that practitioners can attain the state described in this Dharma-door via correct practices, I will first lay down the fundamental knowledge essential to its practice before going into the various expedient means that aid its cultivation. Please patiently pay close attention to these sections and try to acquire a complete and thorough understanding of its underlying principles to avoid wasting time and effort practicing incorrectly.

Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door of Buddha-mindfulness should be cultivated through mental recollection rather than oral recitation. At the congregation of the Śūraṃgama Sūtra Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta spoke at the request of the Buddha about his Dharma-door for mastery in the following words:

I remember when, as many eons ago as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, a Buddha called Infinite Light appeared in the world, who was succeeded by eleven Tathāgatas in that same eon. The last one was called the Buddha Whose Light Surpasses that of the Sun and Moon. That Buddha taught me the Samādhi of Buddha-Mindfulness.

Suppose a person focuses his mind on another person but the latter always forgets him, they will not take notice of or recognize each other when they meet. Suppose two people think of each other and their yearning for each other grows deeper with each life, then life after life they will be together like a form and its shadow, and will never be apart.

The Tathāgatas of the ten directions have compassions and pity for sentient beings, and always think of them like a mother yearns for her child. If the child runs away, of what use is the mother’s regard? But if this child yearns for his mother in the same way that she yearns for him, then life after life they will not be far apart. If sentient beings recollect and are mindful of Buddha, certainly they will see the Buddha now or in the future. They will never be far from the Buddha, and their minds will spontaneously awaken to the True Mind without employing skillful means.

A person who has been near incense will bear its fragrance; it is the same in the case above and is called the adornment of fragrant light.

On the causal ground, I entered the acquiescence to non-arising with a mind that yearns for Buddha. Now in this world I gather all those who yearn for the Buddha and bring them back to the Pure Land. The Buddha asks about perfect mastery. I would select no other method than this: rein in all six sense faculties and abide in one continuous pure  thought  to  enter  samādhi.  This  is  the foremost method.[1]

In this passage, Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta states that he had been cultivating the Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi taught by Buddha Light Surpassing the Sun and Moon incalculable eons ago. Though he was already a final-stage Bodhisattva at the congregation of the Śūraṃgama Sūtra he continued to practice this method and used it to help sentient beings gain rebirth in the pure lands of various Buddhas. In this short description of the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness, the words “yearn for” appear throughout the text, while there is no mention of name recitation. Evidently, his Dharma-door has nothing to do with the recitation of Buddha’s name. This is the first point that I would like to clarify and emphasize.

The Buddha expounded the Śūraṃgama Sūtra to teach sentient beings the ways to attain ultimate liberation by realizing the emptiness of the five aggregates through the cultivation of the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi. Therefore, in this sūtra the Buddha first elucidated and explored the nature of the True Mind and demonstrated seven futile attempts to locate it. The World- Honored One then asks the twenty-five bodhisattvas to describe their chosen ways of cultivating the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi and invited Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī to comment on those methods. Lastly, the Buddha delineated the boundaries of the five aggregates and explained the state of realizing their emptiness.

If Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door were that of Buddha-mindfulness through the recitation of Buddha’s name, then the cultivation objective would be to achieve undisturbed one-pointed mental focus based on faith, vows, and action such that one can attain rebirth in Buddhas’ pure lands. It would be entirely unnecessary for the Buddha to start his discourse on the nature of the True Mind, and to elaborate at great length the delineations of the five aggregates of form, sensation, perception, formation and consciousness[2] as well as the state of realizing their emptiness. Yet, the Buddha not only delivered discourses on these subjects with abundant explanations and illustrations but also exhorted bodhisattvas to discern and distinguish the aberrant states induced by māras.[3] The presence of these materials suggests that Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door is a Pure Land practice based on samādhi training rather than on the recitation of Buddha’s name. This is the second point I would like to clarify and emphasize.

In the sūtra, Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta says, “I entered the acquiescence to non-arising with a mind that yearns for the Buddha.” This means that the Bodhisattva used a method that stills the mind to a one-pointed absorption directly by way of bearing the Buddha in mind until he was able to “rein in all six sense faculties and abide in one continuous pure thought.” As such, the Bodhi- sattva was able to enter deep into the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi and hence attained the acquiescence to the non-arising of dharmas. These attainments are impossible to achieve by means of the recitation of Buddha’s name, unless one switches from Buddha-mindfulness through the recitation of Buddha’s name to the signless recollection of Buddha. This is the third point that I would like to make.

Let me elaborate on the three points above in greater detail:

1. Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta says, “Tathāgatas of the ten directions are mindful of sentient beings as a mother yearns for her If the child runs away, of what use is the mother’s regard? But if the child yearns for his mother in the same way that she yearns for him, then life after life they will not be far apart. If living beings recollect and be mindful of Buddha, certainly they will see Buddha now or in the future. They will never be far from Buddha.”
   Note that the words “yearn for” recur in this passage and that the analogy of a mother and her son missing each other is used to illustrate the yearning. Suppose you left home as a youth and have been separated from your mother for decades, when you yearn for your mother, her name does not appear in your thought and you do not repeat the word “mother” in your mind all the time. Instead, the longing for your loving mother is a wordless thought of her. Similarly, if you are a parent who misses your children who are studying or living abroad, you miss them in a lingering thought rather than constantly repeating their names in your mind. Or when young couples are in love, they sorely miss each other day and night incessantly when they are apart. Again, they do not repeat each other’s names in their minds but simply think about each other constantly. Sometimes, they are so deeply absorbed in the thought of their lover that they become oblivious to the external world. Such wordless yearning is the essence of Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness.
   When we hold the thought of one Buddha or one bodhisattva in mind without name, sound, or image but with only a single pure thought, we are essentially “reining in all six sense faculties and abiding in one continuous pure thought.” Given how direct and simple this method is, why would one insist on practicing the more complicated method of name recitation? This is why throughout the description of the Dharma-door of Buddha-mindfulness, there is not a single word about chanting Buddha’s name but rather repeated emphasis on the yearning and mindfulness of Buddha. Understandably, if this Dharma-door employs the recitation of Buddha’s name, there would have been explicit references to it, as in the Amitābha Sūtra, among others, which states clearly that one can take rebirth in the pure land by single-mindedly chanting Buddha’s name for a particular number of days or single-mindedly chanting Buddha’s name for a certain number of thoughts at the end of one’s current life. Thus, “recollection” and “mindfulness” are the crux of this Dharma-door.
   If a virtuous, knowledgeable Buddhist teacher interprets this Dharma-door as that of the recitation of Buddha’s name, he must be using it as an introductory means. When the time is right, he will certainly introduce his students to the cultivation of signless Buddha-mindfulness, the essence of Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door of Buddha-mindfulness. Practitioners who cultivate this Dharma-door with solid skill in the recitation of Buddha’s name can quickly subdue their six sense faculties, experience Dharma-joy, and practice signless mindfulness with merriment.

2. Secondly, in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra, the Buddha delivers an extensive discourse for the Venerable Ānanda and the others to elucidate and explore the nature of the True Mind in the so-called episode of “the seven futile attempts to locate the True ” After making the disciples understood the inherent emptiness of the unreal minds, the Buddha orders the twenty-five adept bodhisattvas to recount their respective ways of mastering the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi. Then, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the number one in wisdom and the teacher of seven Buddhas of the past, comments on which of these twenty-five methods is most suitable for sentient beings in this world and concludes that it is Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty. Then, the Buddha expounds the “four clear and definitive instructions on purity” and went into great detail about how, during the cultivation of the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi, to delineate the domain of the form-aggregate and realize its emptiness. The same instructions were also given with respect to the delineation of the other four aggregates of sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness. Subsequently, the Buddha taught the disciples how to discern and distinguish the aberrant states induced by māras.
   If the Śūraṃgama Sūtra’s teachings were on how to attain rebirth in the countless pure lands of Buddhas through the recitation of Buddha’s name, then there would have been no need for the Buddha to deliver a lengthy discourse on these profound teachings. The World-Honored One would have simply talked about the magnificence of the pure lands and how to achieve rebirth there by way of vow-making and reciting Buddha’s name with one-pointed focus. The absence of these contents shows that all twenty-five Dharma-doors set forth in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra are ways to cultivate the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi. Among them, the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness is considered second best to the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty for samādhi cultivation and Chan initiation. This Dharma- door, therefore, is the direct way to cultivate the ultimate, Mind-Only Pure Land via samādhi training.
   Before the industrial revolution, people enjoyed a simple livelihood in agrarian societies. They started off to the fields at dawn and returned home at dusk. Free time was abundant except during the harvest season, and the population was fairly sparse. A few miles outside the town, the bustling noise was replaced by the sounds of the countryside. In this kind of living environment where one can find seclusion under the trees or alongside a brook, the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty is certainly the perfect way of cultivation. However, our modern life today cannot be more different from that kind of agrarian living. Many people leave for work before daybreak and work a hectic schedule until late at night. You can hardly find a quiet spot even if you go deep into the mountains. It is no longer possible to cultivate the Dharma-door of the ear faculty given both the scarcity of time and our living conditions. Moreover, if one has mastered both the Dharma-doors for perfect mastery through the ear faculty and Buddha-mindfulness, one will see that neither method is superior to the other, since their ultimate goal is identical. Personally, I find the latter a more straightforward practice method than the former, especially for modern people who are deprived of the bucolic sounds of nature.
   The Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty depends on the ear’s function to receive sound. One starts by listening to sounds attentively in meditation to keep one’s mind from grasping external states, until the sounds simply pass through one’s ears without being retained. As one’s mind turns inward and becomes quiescent, one advances from “entering the flow” to the “extinguishing of sensory objects.” In other words, the hearer is no longer chasing the source of the sounds— sounds are simply sounds, the hearer remains the hearer who is settled in the quiescent internal state of an unstirred mind. At this point, one is said to have reined in the ear faculty and retreated to the mental faculty. In other words, the listening to sounds only serves the purpose of eliminating distraction. Eventually, all cultivation methods pertaining to the cultivation of inner knowledge and meditative concentration have to get to the mental faculty, which is the root of the mental consciousness. Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty is well suited for the agrarian lifestyle. But our time is different. Our modern living environment is crowded and noisy while tranquility and the sounds of nature are hard to come by. Only on weekends are people free to escape from the cities, but to their dismay all waterfronts and beautiful woods are packed with people. Everywhere one goes there are lots of people and noises; nowhere can you find a peaceful place for meditation. When one finally arrives at home after putting up with traffic jams and foul air, one is again greeted by doorbells and phones ringing; neighbors’ barking dogs;  vendors shouting through megaphones; honking cars; roaring scooters; sirens of fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars . . . and, on top of that, one has to entertain visitors or pay visits back to them. When one can finally sit down on the meditation mat, the phone may go off again.
   In such a stressful and chaotic environment, one is fortunate if one can spare an hour every day for meditation. Nobody can afford the luxury of four, five, or even eight or nine hours of daily meditation. Without adequate and uninterrupted time for practice as well as a quiet environment, how is it possible to cultivate the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through the ear faculty? For today’s Chan and Pure Land practitioners, an ideal practice method is one that can be carried out during any kind of activity, regardless whether one is in stillness or in a state of physical activity. This method of signless mindfulness of Buddha fits the bill perfectly. More importantly, since it works directly with the mental faculty, its mastery equips one with the ability to maintain mindfulness of Buddha under any circumstances. Even when one is constantly moving around amidst all kinds of sensory stimulation, the pure thought of Buddha can be held without disruption. This ability is what the Chan masters meant by “riding the sounds and capping the forms.” This level of in-motion meditative concentration allows one to continue the cultivation of the Great Śūraṃgama Samādhi, take rebirth in the pure lands of Buddhas, or practice Chan contemplation in daily life.

3. Thirdly, the scriptural passage on the Dharma-door of Buddha-mindfulness describes the recollection and mindfulness of Buddha with one’s mind, and, in the end, it says, “rein in all six sense faculties and abide in one pure continuous thought to enter samādhi.” The words bear no reference to Buddha-mindfulness through the recitation of Buddha’s name whatsoever. For example: “If sentient beings recollect and are mindful of Buddha, certainly they will see the Buddha now or in the future. They will never be far from the Buddha . . . . On the causal ground, I entered the acquiescence to non-arising with a mind that yearns for the Buddha.” These words characterize a practice method directly within the mind. The first quote speaks about yearning for the Buddha instead of chanting the Buddha’s name. In the second, Bodhisattva Mahāsthā- maprāpta says that he realized the acquiescence to non- arising of dharmas with a mind that yearns for the Buddha.
   In practice, it is very difficult for a person who recites Buddha’s name constantly in the mind to enter a state of samādhi. Every single recitation of Buddha’s name is comprised of several distracting thoughts and syllables. When one tries to keep Buddha’s name going constantly in the mind, it is impossible for him to enter samādhi. If the practitioner has minimal mental disturbances and the correct understanding of samādhi cultivation, he will abandon Buddha’s name when discursive thoughts no longer emerge. He will then maintain or abide in the one pure thought of Buddha without being attached to it, and his mind will gradually enter samādhi. Still, compared to the mindfulness of Buddha, this cultivation process is more roundabout and less direct.
   As for people who choose to chant Buddha’s name aloud with a focused mind in a sitting posture, they will have even more difficulty entering a state of samādhi. Practitioners with minimal mental disturbances may be able to enter samādhi, that is, a state of mental absorption, while chanting the name of Buddha continuously, provided they are able to detach from the mindfulness itself when discursive thoughts stop arising in the mind and that they can let the oral chanting continue at a moderate pace while single-mindedly holding the thought of Buddha in mind without clinging to it. However, compared to the previous method, this course of practice demands an even higher level of meditative concentration and therefore is even harder to achieve. Thus, it is much easier and straightforward to enter samādhi by recollecting and being mindful of Buddha, which is a method that can be quickly mastered without harming the balance of your internal energy.
   The mindfulness of Buddha works directly with the attention of the mind, that is, the mental faculty, rather than going through the tongue or the ear faculty first. “I would select no other method than this: rein in all six sense faculties and abide in one continuous pure thought to enter samādhi. This is the foremost method.” As the words of Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta indicate, this Dharma- door of Buddha-mindfulness does not rely on any sign but is rather a Pure Land method based on samādhi cultivation. Practitioners have to abandon image, language, and name to directly yearn for Buddha with the mind. Only when this pure thought of Buddha is held without interruption can one’s practice be considered “reining in all six sense faculties and abiding in one continuous pure thought.” If any other thought or Buddha’s name crops up in the mind, then one is no longer “abiding in one continuous pure thought.” By maintaining this continuous and uninterrupted pure thought of Buddha, one can eventually enter samādhi. Those with the sharpest faculty can even attain the state of ultimate liberation—the ultimate, Mind-Only Pure Land—by realizing the emptiness of the five aggregates. Such is the essence of Bodhisattva Mahāsthā- maprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness.

In conclusion, Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door is a method of signless mindfulness of Buddha and a way to cultivate the Pure Land through samādhi training. Please do not reject this method with the supposition that most Buddhist teachers regard and teach this Dharma-door simply as a method of name recitation. Many Buddhist teachers, including the ones you may have studied under, use the method of name recitation as an introductory expedient to ease their students into signless Buddha-mindfulness. They will proceed to teach the profound principles of “perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness,” such as the practice of signless mindfulness, when they see that conditions are ripe to do so, and thus they will be perfecting the enormous merits of propagating this incredible Dharma-door.

[1]CBETA, T19, no. 945, vol. 5, 128a22-b7: 我憶往昔恒河沙劫，有佛出世 名無量光，十二如來相繼一劫，其最後佛名超日月光，彼佛教我 念佛三昧。譬如有人，一專為憶一人專忘，如是二人若逢不逢、 或見非見，二人相憶二憶念深，如是乃至從生至生，同於形影不 相乖異，十方如來憐念眾生如母憶子，若子逃逝雖憶何為？子若 憶母如母憶時，母子歷生不相違遠，若眾生心憶佛念佛，現前當 來必定見佛去佛不遠，不假方便自得心開，如染香人身有香氣， 此則名曰香光莊嚴。我本因地以念佛心入無生忍，今於此界攝念 佛人歸於淨土。佛問圓通，我無選擇，都攝六根，淨念相繼得三 摩地斯為第一！

[2]In Buddhism, “consciousness” is the translation of the Sanskrit word vijñāna, which denotes awareness, perception, discernment, or a mind entity that can discern the characteristics of a perceived object. A sentient being possesses eight forms of consciousness: the five sensory consciousnesses (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile), the sixth mental consciousness (S. manovijñāna; C. yishi 意識), the seventh manas-consciousness (S. manas; C. monashi 末那識), and the eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness, also known as the ālaya-consciousness (S. ālayavijñāna; C. alaiye shi 阿賴耶 識) and the tathāgatagarbha (lit. matrix-of-Buddhahood; C. rulaizang 如來 藏), is the fundamental cause of all phenomena. Here, the “aggregate of consciousness” refers collectively to the first six of the eight consciousnesses. What most people regard as the mind is either the consciousness aggregate as a whole or the mental consciousness alone, since its wide range of functions, such as discrimination, deliberation, recollection, and analytical thinking, are most familiar to us.

[3]While the word māra literally means “maker of death” in Sanskrit, in Buddhist literature its meaning is not limited to an evil being. Other than deva māra, or māra the divinity, which refers to the most powerful celestial being of the highest heaven of the desire realm, who is evil in the sense that he tries to prevent sentient beings from moving up to higher realms of existence or attaining liberation from the three realms, there are also the māra of the aggregates, the māra of the afflictions, and the māra of death. The “aberrant states induced by māras” refers to internal or external factors associated with these four kinds of māras that obstruct one’s practice of meditative concentration or even one’s cultivation of the Bodhisattva Path.

Chan master Daoxin (道信禪師; 580–651), the fourth patriarch of the Chan school, says,

Expel the mind of three poisons, the clinging and grasping mind, and the perceiving and observing mind. Bear the Buddha in mind continuously in every moment. Suddenly the mind will become lucid and tranquil without any objects to attend to. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: “The one without thought is the one that bears the Buddha in mind.” What is the one without thought? The mind that bears the Buddha is called the one without thought. . . . Why so? Because consciousness is without form, and Buddha is without form or appearance.[1]

These words of Chan master Daoxin are meant to eliminate or reduce practitioners’ attachment to physical forms, names, sounds, and deluded thoughts.

Ordinary people cannot realize the Buddha-nature primarily because they are obstructed by the “three poisons” of greed, aversion, and ignorance. They therefore crave visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile stimuli, or in a more worldly sense, money, sex, fame, food, and sleep. They often fail to defer to their superiors or respect their subordinates, and fly into a rage when things don’t go their way. When they lack adequate wealth, power, or physical strength to compete with their opponents, they resort to backstabbing and secret retaliation. If they have an edge over others, they openly take advantage of others’ weaknesses. All such physical, verbal, and mental acts of greed and aversion stem from ignorance. Consequently, people are not able to see the reality of all phenomena but rather regard the material world as real and develop attachment to it. Unable to see the absolute emptiness and sublime existence of the self-nature, they cling to the illusory five aggregates as their real self and engage in actions that produce all kinds of karma. The better sort of people seek rebirth in the heavenly realms by doing virtuous deeds, the average sort pursue the rewards of fame and fortune in this life through wholesome acts, and the lowest sort prey upon others using brute force or cunning schemes. Thus, their minds are constantly grasping at something and their every thought is tainted with greed, aversion, and ignorance.

If one has realized one’s self-nature and does not regress from this realization, one should be able to observe the inherent Buddha- nature characterized by absolute emptiness and sublime existence. Upon this realization, the feeling of the body, mind, and physical world as being real abruptly disappears and one’s attachment to them will not arise. As a result, the three poisons will naturally lose their power and one will be able to abandon unwholesome acts.

Being an ordinary, unenlightened person, one should contemplate the impermanence of the body, mind, and physical world, and reflect on the fact that these transient phenomena are brought about by conjunction of causes and conditions and hence will eventually disintegrate and perish. If a practitioner constantly reflects upon impermanence in relation to everyday events and deepens this reflection during sitting meditation, he can reduce his attachment to the physical world, body, and mind as well as family, fame, wealth, and so forth. The power of the three poisons will lessen and the mind’s habitual tendency to grasp at sensory objects will be weakened. It will then be much easier for the practitioner to rest his mind in the correct mindfulness of Buddha.

In this impure world of five turbidities, it is extremely rare to find a person who seeks liberation from cyclical birth-and-death within the three realms by way of the various Buddhist Dharma- doors, such as samādhi cultivation, Chan contemplation, and Pure Land practices, and at the same time dedicates the merits of his cultivation toward all sentient beings and assists them to achieve the same goal. Unfortunately, among the many practitioners, only a few are able to master and succeed in their practice. Lacking correct views while keen on receiving “sympathetic response”[2] from Buddha, most practitioners tend to constantly perceive and observe external states during their practice. This tenacious habit of the mind hinders practitioners of Buddha-mindfulness, Chan contemplation, and samādhi cultivation from reaching undisturbed, one-pointed focus.

In the following paragraphs, I will give a brief explanation, from coarse to subtle, of the mind’s habitual tendencies of perceiving and observing so that practitioners can establish a correct understanding of this subject and apply it in their practice. I urge all practitioners to read and reflect upon these paragraphs carefully.

Hoping to receive extraordinary signs or visions, some Pure Land practitioners constantly watch out for unusual signs during their practice. Whenever they detect any signs such as special light, sounds, fragrances, or mental and physical serenity, their minds will cling to them and begin to fluctuate. Because of this, it is extremely difficult for them to achieve one-pointed concentration. Occasionally, some practitioners are able to chant Buddha’s name to a point where no distracting thoughts arise in their minds. While they feel the urge to drop the Buddha’s name and settle into a state of mental absorption upon reaching this stage, they hesitate to do so due to a deficient understanding of samādhi cultivation. The vexing indecision of whether to continue with or leave behind the Buddha’s name keeps them from reaching a single-minded focus.

At this juncture, a practitioner with adequate knowledge and roots of virtue will abandon Buddha’s name and move on to dwell in the state of the signless mindfulness of Buddha. If he does not rejoice in this achievement but keeps his mind from stirring even when he experiences a connection with Buddha (for instance, in the form of a ray of light, the smell of a fragrance, or the experience of mental and physical serenity), and if he can consistently achieve this day in and day out, he will eventually be able to hold a signless thought of Buddha whether he is in physical motion or in stillness. Over time, the mastery of signless Buddha-mindfulness will enable him to see the “mind of the [initial] sudden awareness”[3] and gradually attain the various kinds of Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi. All these attainments are preconditioned on the ability to abandon the coarse form of perception and observation.
In a nutshell, the three poisons, and the mind’s habitual tendencies of clinging and grasping, and perceiving and observing are pitfalls that all practitioners of Buddha-mindfulness should stay away from.

The three poisons of greed, aversion, and ignorance are harmful to samādhi practitioners in the exact same ways as described above. As for Chan practitioners, a small number of them consider themselves as having a superior capacity and scorn practitioners of the Pure Land tradition. They think that Pure Land practitioners are of inferior capacity and seek rebirth in the Buddhas’ pure lands because of limited faith and Dharma knowledge. The truth is that there are many Pure Land practitioners with a sharp capacity who can practice mindfulness of Buddha to the point where their minds are rid of all thoughts, including the thought of Buddha, and settle into a firm and stable state of mental absorption.

A small percentage of Chan practitioners not only despise Pure Land practitioners but also feel superior to Chan practitioners of their own groups or other practice centers. They are filled with conceit and are unwilling to listen to others’ ideas or experiences. Apart from the three poisons, these people are also plagued by arrogance, a mentality that aggravates aversion and malice. Arrogance is extremely detrimental to the cultivation of Chan and meditative concentration. Unless it is eliminated, one will constantly compare oneself with others and one’s chance of achieving mental focus or of seeing Buddha-nature is next to impossible—like an ordinary person wishing he could walk on the moon.

The conscious mind’s habitual tendencies of clinging and grasping hinder the cultivation of meditative concentration for both novice and seasoned practitioners. The untrained mind of beginners tends to be easily distracted by sounds during their practice of mindfulness. When they finally become aware of their scattered mind, it has already wandered through a long train of thoughts. They still have a long way to go before they can achieve mental absorption. On the other hand, experienced practitioners tend to preoccupy themselves with thoughts about the Buddha Dharma or the feeling of physical and mental serenity during their practice. Their minds cannot stay focused but constantly give in to the tenacious tendencies of clinging and grasping. They too have difficulty achieving mental focus.

There are different ways to rid the mind of its tendencies to cling to sensory objects. One highly effective method is the signless Buddha-mindfulness introduced in this book. It can be practiced whether one is in stillness or in physical motion, and it can be picked up fairly easily by way of two introductory expedient means: prostration to Buddha with signless mindfulness and recitation of Buddha’s name.
Moreover, the mind’s tenacious tendencies of perceiving and observing not only afflict practitioners of meditative concentration but also Chan practitioners in the following ways:

1. Breath-counting is a common technique used by samādhi practitioners to focus the mind continuously upon a single object. In the beginning, when the mind is scattered, one counts each breath in a one-to-ten cycle repeatedly. Once the mind is trained to stop clinging and grasping, one can switch from breath-counting to simply keeping one’s attention on the breathing until the mind is unified with the breathing. By this time, the coarse form of perception and observation will have been overcome. A knowledgeable practitioner would then use a subtler form of perception and observation to discerningly select one of the many favorable mental states that arises from the unified mind and settle in it. If he is able to dwell in this state over an extended period of time, his mind will become more focused and discerning. Thereupon, he should gradually abandon the subtler form of perception and observation in order to enter the state of access concentration.[4] Once he is able to enter the access concentration and becomes proficient in it, he can attain the first absorption[5] with clear perception and observation when he has overcome the dispositional hindrances. The first absorption comes with the meritorious qualities of pleasurable physical touch, known as “the bliss of one-pointed perception and observation.”
   However, in the steps described above, if the practitioner is still attached to the mind’s perceiving and observing tendencies and is unwilling to abandon them in the later stage of the practice, he will not be able to reach the stage of access concentration. Without sufficient power of meditative concentration to enter the state of access concentration, he can never attain the first absorption, let alone the second, third, or the fourth absorption.
   In conclusion, to achieve a deeper level of concentration, one ought to first abandon the coarse form of perception and observation in order to sustain mental attention upon one single object. Then, one should arouse the subtler form of perception and observation in order to abide in a finer and subtler mental state. After one is able to abide in the finer and subtler mental state with ease and competence, one should again abandon this subtler state so as to enter access concentration and eventually the first absorption. The same techniques and process apply to the cultivation of the second, third, and fourth absorptions as well as the four formless absorptions.
   A practitioner with a sound understanding of the perceiving and observing tendencies of the mind can enter samādhi and attain all levels of meditative absorptions by moving from the coarse to the subtle form of perception and observation and eventually abandoning the subtle form altogether. On top of that, he knows how to cast off the illusive states generated by the six forms of consciousness and keep his mind unstirred. Conversely, if a practitioner cannot overcome the perceiving and observing tendencies of the mind, he will be deluded by the various illusive states brought forth by the six forms of consciousness. This would give māras the opportunity to lead him astray from his practice. As a result, he may falsely proclaim that he has realized some noble states or the various levels of meditative absorptions and consequently fall into evil destinies despite efforts toward a higher existence. Or, he may attract the company of pestering ghosts and spirits and hence be unable to focus his mind or enter deeper into the profound states of Buddha.
2. The abandoning of perception and observation is even more important for Chan practitioners. If perception and observation persist interminably, practitioners will not be able to develop an integrated and pervasive level of meditative concentration. As a result, the “sense of doubt” either fails to arise or is simply not strong enough, and it will be impossible for one to enter the stage of “seeing the mountain as not being a mountain, viewing the water as not being water,” (Note 7) let alone breaking through the mass of doubt to achieve awakening to the Buddha-nature.
   Wuyi Yuanlai (無異元來; 1575–ca. 1630) of Mt. Bo was a prominent Chan master of the late Ming Dynasty and the author of General Discourse on the Core Essence and Its Teachings.[6] He was an eminent monk who demonstrated both doctrinal and instructional excellence. His work Monk Boshan’s Exhortations for Chan Contemplation[7] has been handed down for generations and has guided Chan practitioners in honing their skills. In his book, Wuyi Yuanlai amply illustrates the faults of the perceiving and observing tendencies of the mind. He also exhorts that “one should not let the mind await awakening.” Should a Chan practitioner passively wait for awakening when the sense of doubt arises, he will not be able to enter the stage of “seeing the mountain as not being a mountain.” Without this level of meditative concentration, it is exceedingly difficult for a person to realize the True Mind and see the Buddha-nature on his own. He would have to rely on the guidance and goading of a virtuous and knowledgeable mentor skilled in both doctrinal understanding and instructional expedients. However, such a mentor is extremely hard to come by.
   Additionally, Wuyi Yuanlai also stresses the following:

During practice, focus only on the unbroken sense of doubt and keep no other thoughts. . . . The presence of any other thoughts, no matter how fine and subtle, will hurt your wisdom-life . . . . What I mean by “other thoughts” include not only thoughts of mundane affairs, but also any wholesome, Dharma-related issues apart from the investigation of the mind. In fact, not only matters of the Buddha Dharma, any apprehending and abandoning, clinging and relinquishing of the mind is considered “other thoughts.”[8]

Why is this so vital in Chan contemplation? Precisely because the tenacious tendencies of constant perception and observation is a serious impediment to Chan contemplation. It causes one to frequently drop the huatou. As a result, the sense of doubt will fail to arise, making it impossible for one to even contemplate Chan.
For the same reasons stated above, Pure Land practitioners should also eliminate the three poisons, the mind’s habitual tendencies of clinging and grasping, perceiving and observing in order to maintain unbroken mindfulness. The objective is to bring the mind to undisturbed one-pointed focus, wherein it is lucid and quiescent, attends to and grasps at nothing—be it the image or the name of Buddha, the sound of Buddha’s name, or even the thought of mindfulness itself.

In his writing, Chan master Daoxin cites the Mahā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra to explain this point: “‘The one without thought is the one that bears the Buddha in mind.’ What is the one without thought? The mind that bears the Buddha is called the one without thought.” What Daoxin is saying here is that, no matter which Dharma-door you use you should practice with the ultimate truth as the fundamental basis—without clinging to the concept of a self in relation to the form-aggregate, or the aggregates of sensation, perception, formation, or consciousness; without the arising of the three poisons; without the clinging and grasping, perceiving and observing tendencies of the mind; and without attachment to any mundane or supramundane phenomena—so that you can realize the mind that does not apprehend any object. This mind is the “one without thought.” The pure, lucid, and tranquil mind that attends to no object is the mind of true Buddha- mindfulness, the state of “one-pointed absorption within principle,” and the state of “Buddha-mindfulness in ultimate reality.” In his book, A Discourse on Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi in the Avataṃsakasūtra,[9] lay Buddhist Peng Erlin ( 彭二林) describes such a state in these words:

Knowing that all Buddhas and one’s own mind are like dreams; that all Buddhas are like images and reflections, with one’s own mind being the water; that the forms of all Buddhas and one’s own mind are both illusive; that all Buddhas and one’s own mind are like echoes. In this way I know and am mindful of all Buddhas, as all Buddhas I see originate from my true mind.[10]

A person who reaches the state of “one-pointed absorption within principle” must have cultivated Chan and Pure Land concurrently and passed through the stage of contemplative Buddha-mindfulness. He has directly perceived the “original face” of the one “who is bearing the Buddha in mind” and will not regress from this realization. He can see his intrinsic Buddha-nature at all times with the mind’s eye and will never regress from this direct perception no matter how much time has passed. This accomplishment is not only beyond the reach of most Pure Land practitioners but also rarely achieved by Chan practitioners. As Chan master Huangbo Xiyun (黃孽希運; d. 850) said: “Out of tens of thousands of practitioners, only three, or maybe five, can pass through this gate.”[11] Therefore, there is no reason for Chan practitioners to scorn Pure Land practitioners or underestimate this Dharma-door of signless Buddha-mindfulness.

Signless Buddha-mindfulness can actually be practiced at many different levels ranging from simple to profound. At the introductory level, it enables one to attain “one-pointed absorption within phenomena,” a state not at all easy to reach for an average Chan practitioner. At the advanced levels, it not only leads to the realization of “one-pointed absorption within principle” but also the attainment of ultimate liberation and even to the stages of Virtual Enlightenment and Sublime Enlightenment.

Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s discourse on the Dharma- door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness starts right off with this statement: “Dharma-prince Mahāsthāmaprāpta, together with fifty-two fellow bodhisattvas, arose from their seats and prostrated at the Buddha’s feet.” In the grand assembly of the Śūraṃgama Sūtra, there were countless bodhisattvas who had been practicing Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness. These bodhisattvas were represented by the fifty-two bodhisattvas who accompanied Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta to prostrate themselves at the Buddha’s feet before he explained this Dharma-door. Why were there fifty-two and not some other number of bodhisattvas accompanying Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta? Because the number fifty-two carries a profound meaning with it. It alludes to the fact that this Dharma-door can be practiced at various levels, from simple to profound, and that it can be learned by practitioners of all capacities—including unenlightened novice bodhisattvas at the beginner’s level and bodhisattvas at the ten Faith stages as well as the Three Stages of Worthiness,[12] bodhisattvas at the noble stages (from the first to the tenth Ground), and even bodhisattvas at the stages of Virtual Enlightenment and Sublime Enlightenment, who are about to attain Buddhahood. The fact that innumerable bodhisattvas cultivate this Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness underscores its incredible efficacy and marvelousness.

The steps detailed in this book can help a person who initially practices sign-dependent mindfulness of Buddha with a scattered mind to reach the stage of “one-pointed absorption within phenomena,” that is, proficient signless Buddha-mindfulness. Insomuch that this level of Buddha-mindfulness equips one with the power of in-motion meditative concentration, it affords one the ability to hold in mind a pure and signless thought of Buddha continuously at any time during one’s frantic modern life. When one has acquired this level of in-motion concentration, one can easily achieve the same level of mental focus during sitting meditation as well. As for whether a practitioner can advance to the stage of “one-pointed absorption within principle,” it depends on a number of factors: 1) merits and wisdom one has accumulated over previous lifetimes, 2) one’s causes and conditions as well as karmic retributions, and 3) whether one can overcome circum- stantial hindrances and eradicate dispositional hindrances to carry on one’s practice with due diligence.

Practitioners who have gained preliminary success in the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness (the equivalent to achieving signless mindfulness of Buddha to the point of “one-pointed absorption within phenomena”) can take rebirth as they wish in either the Land of True Reward and Adornment or the Land of Expedients and Remainders in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss when they pass away. This, however, excludes those who are still attached to their possessions in the mundane world and are unwilling to forgo their family, riches, and careers, or those who fail to accord with the specific vows of Buddhas (Note 8). Those with sufficient roots of virtue, stocks of merit, and skillful means can take rebirth in any Buddha’s pure land if they deepen their cultivation to reach the stage of “one-pointed absorption within principle.” They can as well choose to dwell in the Mind-Only Pure Land if they do not wish to be reborn in a Buddha’s pure land. Moreover, practitioners who have achieved “one-pointed absorption within phenomena” by having mastered signless Buddha-mindfulness can certainly take rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Alternatively, they can also elevate their level and grade of rebirth in the Pure Land by furthering their practices. This will allow them to return sooner to the Sahā world[13] to liberate and deliver sentient beings from suffering.

Chan practitioners not keen on entering deeper into the Dharma-door for perfect mastery through Buddha-mindfulness can use this practice as a stepping stone in their cultivation and discard it after use—although this method is incredibly valuable. They can take advantage of this method as if it is a boat that ferries one across the river and becomes useless once the shore is reached. Once a Chan practitioner has acquired the ability of in-motion meditative concentration through this Dharma-door, he will be able to guard the huatou or contemplate the gong’an. He can then engage in Chan contemplation with solid competence. A committed Chan practitioner who has yet to develop the ability to guard the huatou should not give up on this effective and ingenious training of in-motion meditative concentration simply because of personal dislike of its preparatory expedients—prostration to Buddha and recitation of Buddha’s name. He can always return to Chan cultivation once he has acquired the power of in-motion meditative concentration, which is highly conducive to Chan cultivation. So why not take advantage of it? Last but not least, this Dharma-door is best practiced when one is in physical motion. All it takes is ten to twenty minutes of prostration to Buddha each morning and evening. Nothing can be more convenient for busy Buddhist learners of the modern world.

Before trying out this seemingly ordinary Dharma-door and its practice methods detailed in chapter 4, please think through what I have explained thus far with respect to its foundational knowledge and understand its core concepts. The mastery of signless Buddha-mindfulness is guaranteed as long as one follows the methods and steps with due diligence. This Dharma-door can not only help secure one’s rebirth in the pure land but can also provide one with the specific skill essential for Chan contemplation or contemplative Buddha-mindfulness. What greater joy is there?!

[1]Record of the Masters and Disciples of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (Lengqie shizi ji 楞伽師資記). CBETA, T85, no. 2837, 1287a9-14: 摒除三毒心、攀緣 心、覺觀心。念佛心心相續，忽然澄寂，更無所緣念。大品經云: ‘ 無 所 念 者 ， 是 名 念 佛 ’ ， 何 等 名 無 所 念 ？ 即 念 佛 心 ， 名 無 所 念。……所以者何？識無形、佛無形、佛無相貌。

[2]C. ganying 感應.

[3]Mind of [the initial] sudden awareness: S. aupanipātika-citta; C. shuaier [chu]xin 率爾[初]心.

[4]Access concentration: Alt. neighborhood concentration, or threshold concentration; S. upacārasamādhi; C. weidaodi ding 未到地定.

[5]Eight progressive levels of (meditative) absorptions (Alt. [meditative] concentration, S. dhyāna; C. chan/ chanding/ jinglu 禪/禪定/靜慮) can be attained by Buddhist or non-Buddhist practitioners, but the non-Buddhist paths do not bring forth insight into the ultimate reality. The first four levels of absorptions are associated with the form-realm and the next four higher levels with the formless-realm. Together they are referred to in Chinese as “sichan bading 四禪八定.” The first absorption is one of the four levels of mental absorptions that correspond to the form-realm.

[6]Zongjiao tongshuo 宗教通說.

[7]Boshan heshang canchan jingyu 博山和尚參禪警語.

[8]Boshan heshang canchan jingyu 博山和尚參禪警語. CBETA, X63, no. 1257, 758a23-758b5: 做工夫。 著不得一絲毫別念。…… 若有絲毫別 念……此傷乎慧命……余云別念。非但世間法。除究心之外。佛法中 一切好事悉名別念。又豈但佛法中事。於心體上取之捨之。執之 化之。悉別念矣。

[9]Huayan nianfo sanmei lun 華嚴念佛三昧論.

[10]Huayan nianfo sanmei lun 華嚴念佛三昧論. CBETA, X58, no. 1030, 715b13-16: 知一切佛及以我心。悉皆如夢。知一切佛猶如影像。自心 如水。知一切佛所有色相。及以自心。悉皆如幻。知一切佛及以 己心。悉皆如響。我如是知。如是憶念。所見諸佛皆由自心。

[11]Guzunsu yulu 古尊宿語錄. CBETA, X68, no. 1315, 23a4- 5: 此門中千人萬 人。祇得三箇五箇。

[12]Three Stages of Worthiness (C. sanxian wei 三賢位 ): the ten stages of Abiding (C. shizhu 十住), Practice (C. shixing 十行), and Dedication (C. shi huixiang 十迴向) on the Bodhisattva Path.

[13]Sahāloka (C. suopo shijie 娑婆世界), literally the “world of endurance” in Sanskrit, is the world system we inhabit and a Buddha-field overseen by Buddha Śākyamuni.

Note 7. Seeing the mountain as not being a mountain, viewing the water as not being water: This verse describes the experience of Chan contemplation. Dwelling in a sense of doubt, a Chan practitioner contemplates so intensely and single-mindedly that he is oblivious to his surroundings. He sees and hears nothing despite healthy eyesight and hearing. For example, when he contemplates Chan as he walks home, he will pass by his own house without noticing it. When he contemplates Chan as he sits still, he will not see or hear anyone passing in front of him. He will only blink his eyes and start to see and hear again after he has come out of this state. It is at this point that he would realize that he had been in a state of “seeing the mountain as not being mountain,” which is also referred to as the “dark barrel” or “mass of doubt.”

Note 8. The specific vows of Buddhas: All Buddhas share the Four Vast Vows universally. The specific vows refer to the vows that past and present Buddhas made for sentient beings while they were in the causal ground. As they are different from the Four Vast Vows and vary from Buddha to Buddha, they are called specific vows.