Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

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Wannabuddha
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Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Wannabuddha »

I follow traditional Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, and my only major practice is nianfo. However, I also sometimes do breathing meditation for calming purposes. I find it much easier to focus on the breath than on a phrase, whether that phrase is spoken aloud or thought internally. When speaking or thinking the phrase "Namo Amitabha", I find that one part of my mind manufactures the sound, while the bigger part of my mind wanders to other thoughts. But if I focus on the breath, it is easier to be one-pointed.

So my question is this: Can I use my breath as my personal "name" for Amitabha? Can I simply focus on my breath and treat the breath as a signifier for Amitabha, in just the same way that diverse phrases like Namo Amitabha, Namu Amida Butsu, Namo Emituofo, all refer to the same Buddha? As long as I personally know that I have assigned this meaning to my breath, would this practice function the same as traditional oral or mental nianfo involving words?

If I could do this, I could combine my breathing meditation and Buddha recitation into one combined practice, and also perhaps achieve more one-pointed recitation. But is this a valid method?
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Shinjin »

It's good to do if it helps you calm your mind but that's not the goal of Pure Land practice. I would not abandon oral recitation or replace it as my primary method for birth in Sukhavati.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

Why not link recitation with your breath? Breathe in Namo exhale Amitabha (Amituofu, etc) with a small relaxation as you exhale.

Even in theravadha shamatha you often use thinking like "breathing in" and "breathing out". So why not do it with nianfo?

Sorry not pure lander, just offering my two cents. Best of luck.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by DewachenVagabond »

Frankly I think it would defeat the purpose. As Khonchok Thrinley said, it would be better to just link the recitation with the breath. This is a traditional way of combining the two, and instructions can be found in Taming the Monkey Mind
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Wannabuddha »

Thanks for the replies. After some experimenting with this method, I found it to be too psychically taxing. I was simultaneously focusing on the breath and trying to hold the concept of Amitabha Buddha in my mind, and this was too much of a strain. It is easier just to inwardly auralize the Name in synchronization with the breath.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Zhen Li »

Wannabuddha wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 12:09 am Thanks for the replies. After some experimenting with this method, I found it to be too psychically taxing. I was simultaneously focusing on the breath and trying to hold the concept of Amitabha Buddha in my mind, and this was too much of a strain. It is easier just to inwardly auralize the Name in synchronization with the breath.
There are so many ways to do nianfo.

If while breathing you think of Amitabha, then it is nianfo. You can use the breath as a reminder to think of him. But the breath itself is not the nianfo.

Recitation is simply easier because you don't need to worry about imagining a form or characteristics.
Könchok Thrinley wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:38 pm Why not link recitation with your breath? Breathe in Namo exhale Amitabha (Amituofu, etc) with a small relaxation as you exhale.
This is really useful. It can allow you to continue performing nianfo all day. You can potentially recite around ten thousand a day this way.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by 明安 Myoan »

:good:

In a similar vein, my priest has suggested:
* reciting a syllable of nembutsu with each step
* reciting a syllable with each object I touch in the kitchen while I cook (a very busy time!)
* feeling my pulse and thinking "NA-MU... A-MI... DA-BU..." with the rhythm. I do this as I fall asleep now.

I also like Yangthang Rinpoche's advice:
When you are on a street, or in a market, or in a shop, and etc, when you see a beautiful flower or anything beautiful, or hear any pleasant sounds, or smell any fragrant scent, whatever pleasant things that you perceive, you can offer it to Buddha Amitabha by visualizing. This is the best way to complete the accumulations for rebirth in Buddha Amitabha's pure land. Moreover, this method does not cost your time or money, and it help you complete the accumulation for being born in pure land. So why not try it?
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Zhen Li »

明安 Myoan wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:36 am

In a similar vein, my priest has suggested:
* reciting a syllable of nembutsu with each step
* reciting a syllable with each object I touch in the kitchen while I cook (a very busy time!)
* feeling my pulse and thinking "NA-MU... A-MI... DA-BU..." with the rhythm. I do this as I fall asleep now.

I also like Yangthang Rinpoche's advice:
When you are on a street, or in a market, or in a shop, and etc, when you see a beautiful flower or anything beautiful, or hear any pleasant sounds, or smell any fragrant scent, whatever pleasant things that you perceive, you can offer it to Buddha Amitabha by visualizing. This is the best way to complete the accumulations for rebirth in Buddha Amitabha's pure land. Moreover, this method does not cost your time or money, and it help you complete the accumulation for being born in pure land. So why not try it?
These are great suggestions. I have been doing the nembutsu with each step for a few years. Back when I was practising Chan I used it to maintain awareness of each sense door: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Now I replace those with the nembutsu.

When doing Pure Land visualisation as per the contemplation sūtra, one thing which always stuck with me (more than the sun) was the water. Imagining the water in the pond from which my lotus arises, but especially the soft lapping sound of the water in the pond quickly brings up feelings of devotion and the entire vision of the Pure Land—not in abstract but from the perspective of one arising in the lotus. So, bringing to mind the sound of lapping water has been quite effective in this regard—I am not sure if anyone will feel the same way.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Zhen Li -- thanks for sharing about the water. There are some nice passages in the Pure Land Sutras about water:
Larger Sutra wrote:“Inside and out, to right and left, are bathing ponds. Some of them are ten yojanas in length, breadth, and depth; some are twenty yojanas; others, thirty; and so on, until we come to those measuring a hundred thousand yojanas in length, breadth, and depth. They are full to the brim with the water that possesses the eight excellent qualities, clear, fragrant, and tasting like nectar.
“There are golden ponds with beds of silver sand; silver ponds with beds of golden sand; crystal ponds with beds of beryl sand; beryl ponds with beds of crystal sand; coral ponds with beds of amber sand; amber ponds with beds of coral sand; agate ponds with beds of ruby sand; ruby ponds with beds of agate sand; white jade ponds with beds of purple-gold sand; purple-gold ponds with beds of white jade sand. Others are composed of two to seven jewels.

...

The water comforts the body and refreshes the mind, washing away their mental defilements. Clear and pure, the water is so transparent that it seems formless. The jewel sand shines so brightly that even the depth of the water cannot prevent its brilliance from being seen. The rippling water forms meandering streams, which join and flow into each other. Their movement is peaceful and quiet, neither too fast nor too slow, and their ripples spontaneously produce innumerable wonderful sounds. One can hear whatever sound one wishes. For example, some hear the sound ‘Buddha,’ some hear the sound ‘Dharma,’ some ‘Sangha,’ others hear ‘tranquility,’ ‘emptiness and no-self,’ ‘great compassion,’ ‘pāramitā,’ ‘ten powers,’ ‘fearlessness,’ ‘special qualities,’ ‘supernatural powers,’ ‘non-activity,’ ‘neither arising nor perishing,’ ‘insight into the nonarising of all dharmas,’ and so on until the various sounds of the wonderful Dharma, such as ‘the sprinkling of nectar upon the head of a bodhisattva,’ are reached. As one hears those sounds, one attains immeasurable joy and accords with the principles of purity, absence of desires, extinction, and reality. One is in harmony with the Three Treasures, the Buddha’s powers, fearlessness, and special qualities, and also with supernatural powers and other methods of practice for bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. Not even the names of the three realms of suffering are heard there, but only nirvanic sounds of bliss. For this reason, that land is called ‘Peace and Bliss.’
Also, the fascinating visualization in the Contemplation Sutra, of a great expanse of water turning like ice into beryl or lapis lazuli, forming the ground of the Pure Land visualized.

A similar effect for me happens when I hear wind chimes -- the sutras say when the wind blows through the jeweled trees of Sukhavati, the branches and ornaments make exquisite music which teaches the Dharma. Sounds very interesting :thumbsup:
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Patacelsus »

Originally nembutsu was mindfulness practice in general, and was not specific to spoken words. In fact, in the very beginning, mindfullness practice was most commonly a visualization. The point here isn't saying words, the point here is mindfullness of Amitabha.

What?

So someone who can't speak words will not be saved by Amitabha? Will someone who has never had use of their eyes be cut off because they cannot visualize a thing not seen?

As a follower of Ippen, I can only dismiss such notions. Mindfullness of Amitabha is what you're after. If you must use your breath in meditation for things other than reciting the name, then just breathe and summon the image of Amitabha, thereby continuing your mindfullness practice uninterrupted. Images, words, these are just forms. If mindfullness practice isn't the point, then these forms are worse than empty, they are hollow.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Zhen Li »

Patacelsus wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:30 am Originally nembutsu was mindfulness practice in general, and was not specific to spoken words. In fact, in the very beginning, mindfullness practice was most commonly a visualization. The point here isn't saying words, the point here is mindfullness of Amitabha.

What?

So someone who can't speak words will not be saved by Amitabha? Will someone who has never had use of their eyes be cut off because they cannot visualize a thing not seen?

As a follower of Ippen, I can only dismiss such notions. Mindfullness of Amitabha is what you're after. If you must use your breath in meditation for things other than reciting the name, then just breathe and summon the image of Amitabha, thereby continuing your mindfullness practice uninterrupted. Images, words, these are just forms. If mindfullness practice isn't the point, then these forms are worse than empty, they are hollow.
The question at this point is what does mindfulness mean?

Surely it is bringing to mind. The Sanskrit (smṛti) means remembrance, which also has the meaning of bringing to mind, but in English, we think of it with a strictly temporal sense (remembering something we encountered in the past).

The advantage of using words is that it allows you to bring Amida to mind without the difficulty of having to visualise or maintain concentration. It is also highlighted specifically as a key method in the Contemplation sutra. Saying words mentally can also be hard for some people, so making it mechanical helps. But yes, if it is just saying words without cognising that it is Amida's name, then that is not the point, as you suggest.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Patacelsus »

Zhen Li wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 1:02 am Saying words mentally can also be hard for some people, so making it mechanical helps.
The original visualization was of Amitabha in the Pure Land, literally, the visualization of that. Later words were substituted, just as likely for the reasons you give.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Zhen Li »

Patacelsus wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:14 am
Zhen Li wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 1:02 am Saying words mentally can also be hard for some people, so making it mechanical helps.
The original visualization was of Amitabha in the Pure Land, literally, the visualization of that. Later words were substituted, just as likely for the reasons you give.
It would be hard to substantiate the idea that there was a substitution of words for visualisation. Especially since the name is explicitly referred to in the shorter sūtra and contemplation sūtra. These are two different practices, but both count as recollection/mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by Patacelsus »

Zhen Li wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 4:27 am
Patacelsus wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:14 am
Zhen Li wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 1:02 am Saying words mentally can also be hard for some people, so making it mechanical helps.
The original visualization was of Amitabha in the Pure Land, literally, the visualization of that. Later words were substituted, just as likely for the reasons you give.
It would be hard to substantiate the idea that there was a substitution of words for visualisation. Especially since the name is explicitly referred to in the shorter sūtra and contemplation sūtra. These are two different practices, but both count as recollection/mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha.
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

One can inhale while thinking, “namo” and exhale thinking “Amitabha” (or use whatever version of the name you are used to).
One can also, when walking, say or think one syllable with each step.
A few years ago in Taiwan, I saw a woman standing on a stairway between two escalators, shouting “na no omito fo” as loud as she could over and over again. You probably don’t need to do this.
But, I guess it shows, whatever works for you…
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Re: Can I use my breath in place of Amitabha's name during nianfo?

Post by 明安 Myoan »

On the subject of chanting practice and mindfulness of Amida Buddha --

Ippen said not to worry about one's state of mind or degree of faith, that "Namu-Amida-Butsu" itself is born.
Honen Shonin wrote that the Three Minds (sincerity, faith, aspiration) arise naturally from continuous nembutsu practice.
Master Shantao wrote that the Five Right Practices (revolving around the Pure Land Sutras) bring one into close intimacy with Amida Buddha.
Something comes along when the form aspect of Amida Buddha's name and these teachings meet one's religious aspiration.

Honen compared the Buddha's name to the word "house": it includes the rafters, beams, walls, nails, and so on, without naming them individually.
Shantao taught that when we chant the Buddha's name vocally, our speech joins with the actions of our body and mind (Three Gates), and we become very close to Amida Buddha; that the Buddha is aware of our intention and shines his light on us.
So vocal recitation specifically is strongly encouraged (see end of post with an explanation from Honen).
My priest calls it "the voice and heart resonating together."

However, Patacelsus raised a good point, about the inner aspects of chanting practice, mindfulness of Amida Buddha, because the voice can't always be used, and we leave the mouth and voice behind when we leave the human body behind.
Further, Honen wrote that our chanting shouldn't make us a nuisance to others, that if we want to guard our sincerity, we should sometimes not give any outward sign of our nembutsu.
So silent (mental) nembutsu is a necessary and frequent aid for anybody with a chanting practice. ("Taming the Monkey Mind" covers these aspects in-depth).
There is a distinction made by Honen between silent nembutsu and visualizing or contemplation practices, however.

Here is the quote regarding uttering/remembering:
Honen Shonin, Senchakushu p. 39 BDK Edition wrote:It may be asked, “In the sutra it says ‘think of [me] ten times,’ while in [Shan-tao’s] interpretations it says ‘utter ten times.’ How should we understand the meaning of ‘think of’ and ‘utter’?” I should say in answer that “think of” and “utter” are really one thing. How do we know this? The Meditation Sutra, in expounding to the lowest level of the lowest class of beings, says:
If we utter “Namu Amida Butsu” with uninterrupted voice while thinking [of him as few as] ten times, then, because we utter the Buddha’s Name, with each repetition our sins accumulated during the births and deaths of eight billion kalpas are removed.
Now, according to this passage, it is clear that “utter” means “think of” and “think of” is the same as “utter.” Moreover, it is said in the Candragarbha Sutra, “With a great thought [of the Buddha] one sees a great Buddha; with a small thought one sees a small Buddha.” Master Huai-kan’s interpretation of this is, “‘a great thought’ means uttering the Nembutsu in a loud voice, and ‘a small thought’ means uttering the Nembutsu in a soft voice.” Thus we know that “think of” is the same as “utter.”
Honen and Shantao, of course, frequently praise the efficacy, ease, and benefits of chanting Amida Buddha's name. There are too many quotes to share here.

:reading:
Namu Amida Butsu
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