【Mindfulness of Death】- Why the thought of reciting Buddha’s name does not arise?

Then under this condition, you prepare for this life; and after preparing for this life, you passed away in the end. What is left? Non-virtuous karma! These things in the present are useless;, only non-virtuous karma remains which will send you to the three miserable realms. This is why it tells us here: We must contemplate and say “Today I will die, today I will die!”

Pay attention! This is not just a principle. It is something for you to practice. If you practice till the teaching is rooted in your mind, the thought would arise: “I will die today, I will die today!” at that time you are on the right track. Because it has the correct concept in here: when you are mindful of death, you would discard everything; and what do you do with the rest of the time? Of course, recite Amitabha quickly. Now people might wonder: “Ah ya, why am I distracted when I recite the Buddha’s name, why the thought does not arise?” Sigh! Because you have not learnt the correct method, of course the thought will not arise when reciting.

SOURCE 来源 :

39B 13’10” Vol 5 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P228 L8
English Lamrim Vol 1 P154

日常师父法语📡39B 13’10”手抄稿第5册P228 L8

念死无常 : 为何念佛念不起来？

你忙现在的，忙了现在的，最后两脚一伸，什么？恶业、恶业！眼前这些东西是一点用场都没有，只有恶业、恶业，这个恶业把你送到三恶道去。这个是所以为什么这地方告诉我们：我们必定要思惟，说今天一定死，今天一定死！

注意哦！这个地方告诉我们，就是说，不是一个道理，你要如法地去修，等到你修到心当中，你就生起了：哎呀，今天一定要、今天一定要死！那个时候对了。因为这里你有一个正确的概念，当你想到死了以后，你所有的什么事情都丢掉了，剩下来干什么？哎呀，赶快一句阿弥陀佛。所以大家现在说：“哎呀，我念了这个佛啊，心里面为什么老散乱，念不起来啊？”唉，阿弥陀佛！它正确的方法你没有学到，当然念不起来。