What are the benefits of Buddha Name chanting?
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The Buddha told us that "everything arises from our mind". In other words, the environment is a reflection of our thoughts. Normal human beings have discriminating and wandering thoughts, afflictions, attachments, greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance. Increasingly, these thoughts affect our lives and shape our world, from disagreements in our family to disasters in our country, and chaos in our world.
Thoughts of ignorance cause disasters from wind such as tornadoes and typhoons, thoughts of agitation, earthquakes, thoughts of greed, floods, those of anger, fires. These disasters will continue to increase in frequency and severity if nothing is done to neutralize them.
How then, does chanting "Amituofo" enable us to restore our mind to purity, equality, awakening, and peace?
When our minds are at peace, the environment will in turn reflect serenity and tranquility. Our thoughts create waves. In the sixties, westerners referred to this as "vibrations". What we did not understand was the breadth that these "vibes" had. We simply thought of them on an interpersonal level. But the strength from this kind of thought wave is amazing: peaceful and compassionate thoughts are able to neutralize the turbulent thought waves such as greed, anger, and ignorance. Thus having many Buddha Name Chanters in a region will bring peace, stability, prosperity and happiness to that area.
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Beautiful water crystals
Left: water crystals of tap water from Tokoyo; Right: after receiving messages of love and appreciation |
Just recently, a Dr. Emoto and his colleagues published their findings on water crystals. They proved that "Human beings' conscious minds can change the shape of water crystals." Thus, from the same principle, we know that human consciousness has the ability to alter its environment.
Example one
On the 2nd of February 1997 at 2 p.m., a glass of Tokyo tap water was sitting on Dr. Emoto's office desk. Five hundred Hado instructors across Japan had been requested to simultaneously visualize the glass of water. They were to wish for the water to be clean and to think "thank you very much." Afterwards, photos of the microscopic water crystals showed their beautiful patterns. This experiment proved that human thoughts can have joint influence on matters regardless of how far apart the individuals are.
Example two
At Fujiwara Dam located at Minakami-cho, Gunma Prefecture in Japan, another experiment was conducted on "Purifying Water with Inspiring Words." The experiment held by Reverand Kato Hoki, the chief priest of Jyuhouin Temple, Omiya City, was a great success and its results were astounding. Before the experiment, the shape of the microscopic water crystals was jagged and irregular. After an hour of praying, people observed the water slowly turning clear and clean. Photos were taken again and this time, they revealed beautiful water crystals. All those present was surprised and moved by the experiment.
These two scientific experiments proved what the Buddha said in the sutras: "Everything is manifested from the mind. All causes and effects, as vast as the universe, as small as a dust particle, are formed by the all-knowing mind because everything in this world and beyond contains an all-knowing and all-capable true nature." This is the principle underlying the teaching that when we pray with utmost sincerity, we can create unimaginably positive real world responses.
Source: www.chinkung.org
Photo source: http://www.amtb.org.tw/pdf/water.pdf |
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