Sincerely recite Buddha’s names, seek refuge and pay homage
【Explanation of the Confession to the 35 Buddhas Practice - Notice 8】
By Teacher Zhen-Ru, 15/12/2017
With reference to the book “Explanation of the Confession to the 35 Buddhas Practice”, page 194, from L7:
Beholding the Buddha’s name is, in fact, to rely on the Buddha. Through sincere recitation of Buddha’s name, we seek Buddha’s blessing in redeeming and eliminating one’s negative karmic forces. So during this process, note, how should we maintain our focus? You have to set the right motivation from the start. Recite the Buddha’s names with one-pointed focus and then prostrate as we are paying homage to the 35 Buddhas. I am unsure of your visualisation. But at the very least, one should visualise all 35 Buddhas in the space around us. As you are all aware, Master Tsong-Kha-Pa was able to see the 35 Buddhas during one of his secluded practices. Many lineage masters had also written and explained about the 35 Buddhas Repentance. How much negative karmic accumulations can be eliminated? How much negative karmic accumulations can be eliminated? From which scriptures can we find this being mentioned - this is a question that I have also asked. It is said that Master Atisha had found it in a scripture and henceforth, passed it down. The scripture indicated that it is possible to eliminate an immense amount of negative karma and afflictions simply by reciting the names of the 35 Buddhas. One will benefit enormously from reciting each Buddha’s name during the 35 Buddhas repentance session. When you prostrate, if you do not recite the Buddha’s name at the same time, you will lose out in gaining the immense merits. Thus, my preference is for all to recite each name of the 35 Buddhas during your repentance session.
How shall one recite the names of the 35 Buddhas? Could you recall if you have experienced an instance of sudden danger when you were young? Let me cite a simple example. Imagine you were five years old and a Tibetan mastiff, taller and bigger than you, was in hot pursuit, with the danger of devouring you. Whose name would you be calling out instinctively? Mother! It is the same when we recite the Buddhas’ names. With thoughts of painful misery and suffering at the moment of death, we asked who could come to our rescue? If Buddha is our only saviour, and we seek refuge from him when we are strongly compelled by thoughts of suffering, such is how you can recite the names of the 35 Buddhas. There are yet others who feel the unimaginable merits of Buddha, they recite the Buddhas’ names with great admiration, respect and emanate joyously. These are the 2 ways of reciting the 35 Buddhas’ name in different circumstances, depending on your preference, you can recite with thoughts of seeking for help from Buddha or thoughts of joyous admiration of the Buddha.
To cite an example, it is only a matter of time when we will meet the Lord of Death. Sooner or later, this moment will arrive. No one can defy this, doctors or otherwise. At this moment of death, there is no one who could help you, except the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. So pray to them with an unwavering heart. This is just when you are at the face of death, not in the miserable realms yet. I have recently reminded you to contemplate on the death and impermanence of life. Many consequently begin to fear death which we should be. However, it was mentioned in the Lamrim that the miserable realms have more dire situations. How dire? It is so dire that the individual suffers the misery of live and death repeatedly for ten thousands of lives. So it is not just about facing the suffering of death once, but also the pain and suffering that are experienced when one is alive or dead - repeatedly life after life. It is so painful that one would rather be dead than alive.
【三十五佛忏讲记—预告 8】虔诚称名，求救礼赞
参考书本位置：《吾愿无悔：三十五佛忏讲记》第 194 页第 7 行起
实际上持佛名号是在修一个依止力，透过自己虔诚地称诵佛的名号，请求佛陀的加持来灭我的罪业。所以这样的过程，注意，怎样能够专心？就是你事前要安立好，持佛名号就是要专心称诵佛的名号拜下去，因为我们是礼三十五佛。不知道大家观想力如何，但是至少面前虚空中好像三十五佛就在，大家都知道杰仁波切在闭关的时候是亲见三十五佛的，也有很多的大德写过三十五佛忏的解释。能灭多少罪、能灭多少罪，我也去问过这种说法来自于哪一部经典，据说是阿底峡尊者在佛经里边找到的，阿底峡尊者传下来的。在这个解释中，只是称诵佛名就可以灭这么大的罪。拜的时候如果你不同时称诵的话，就会损失很多机会，所以我还是比较倾向大家能够称诵佛名。
其实说称诵，请问何谓称诵？我不知道小的时候大家有没有经历突然遭遇到危险？举个简单例子，假如你五岁的时候，突然遇到一只藏獒在后面追你，那狗可能比你还高，好像要把你吃了的样子，这个时候我们通常会大喊什么？妈妈！有的时候那就是称诵。前面思惟念死，等待我们的可能是恶趣的痛苦，那么想一想谁能救我？如果只有佛陀能救，那我们所感受到的就是被可怕的苦逼力逼迫着的一个求救，其实求救的一个呼喊就是称诵佛名，也有这种念法。还有的人是觉得佛陀的功德实在太不可思议了，称诵的时候用一种赞美、礼敬，“我太崇拜您了！”发出那种难以想像的欢喜心和尊崇的心拜下去。这个都是不一样的状态下称诵的佛名，所以就看看你思惟哪一条，欢喜礼赞的也可以，求救命的那种也是可以。
举个例子，因为我们都有一个死主在等待，或迟或早我们都会遇那个时刻，将在医生和任何人都没有办法的状态下面对死主，这种时候谁都没有办法，就只能求佛菩萨，所以用那样的心来拜佛。而且那只是面对死主，还不是面对恶趣，最近我提醒你们作念死无常的这种思惟，很多人想想之后就开始害怕死，死是应该害怕的，但在《广论》里边说更可怕的实际上是恶趣。恶趣有多惨？肯定是千生万死地重复，所以不是经历一次死亡的问题，是活着的时候也很苦痛、死的时候也很苦痛，有的时候还生不如死。