Disheng's Buddha-Recitation Experience (2026-02-03)

Disheng: To be precise, I have not yet realized the meditative concentration of recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti-samādhi), but during this period, when I sit in meditation at night, the Buddha's name keeps echoing in my mind, and it continues even after I get up from sitting; when reading Master's books, I also find it hard to stop. It is the same right now. Last night I was "disturbed" by it until three o'clock before I fell asleep. When I got up in the morning, without any hesitation, I went straight to reciting the Buddha's name. I am thick-skinned; before Master Ruyuan established the group for the meditative concentration of recollection of the Buddha, I often bothered Master Ruyuan, asking about the practice of reciting in the mind and listening with the mind. At that time my mind was restless and agitated; after reciting the Buddha's name for a dozen or so minutes, the manas could hardly bear it, and I thought that this state of meditative concentration was truly out of reach.

The turning point came on that day when I was troubled by desires for men and women, feeling that this kind of sensation was suffering, and I could not even calm my mind in meditation. Having no other choice, I shamelessly asked Master Shengru how to counteract it. The Master told me to read the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. After reading it, I was somewhat frightened at first, but a few days later, I made up my mind to recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra. As I recited it, I began to frequently repent before the statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. I don't know which day it was, but I found I could recite the Buddha's name for an entire afternoon. Then, following Master Ruyuan's guidance, I recited in the mind and listened with the mind. As I listened, the sound of the Buddha's name began to "play automatically" in my mind. My faith increased accordingly. Recently, especially at night, the sound of the Buddha's name in my mind would not stop; even without deliberately listening to it, it lingered in my mind, and my mind of grasping at objects also decreased. In the last few days, the sound of the Buddha's name no longer ceases. When I am not working, I just foolishly listen to the Buddha's name, and my mind has fewer of those scattered thoughts.

My repentance was done with a sincere heart. I acknowledged that since beginningless kalpas I have committed many heinous karmic offenses, as well as the various wrongdoings created in this life, and with a deep sense of guilt and remorse, I sincerely repented before the solemn sacred statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. As time went on, I found that the sacred statue became more and more lifelike; the Bodhisattva's compassionate gaze seemed to see through everything about me. At times I even knelt with a fearful heart, reciting the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra to repent of my karmic offenses.

I followed the Master's teachings, and then saw written in the Master's book: beginners in Buddhism must recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra, for doing so will bring the blessings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma-protecting deities, and eliminate karmic obstructions. I will also forward today's content to those elders who pressure me to marry and have children, who hope I will have many relatives and dependents. The "worldly task" of this life of mine is to be turned over and done with; I have no interest in it whatsoever. The world is full of suffering, but I prefer to replace the suffering of worldly greed, hatred, and delusion with the "suffering" of cultivation.

I wanted to watch a sports game via live video streaming, but I was afraid it would delay my recitation of the Buddha's name. So I decided to test whether, while watching the video, my manas would continue reciting the Buddha's name. The whole game was very exciting; no matter how thrilling the process was or how full of suspense, the Buddha's name hung in my mind like a strand of hair, without interruption. Even now, without deliberately listening for it, the sound of the Buddha's name continues to be recited ceaselessly—it simply cannot be stopped.

Assessment: It is no exaggeration to say that Disheng's progress has been astonishingly rapid—it is almost breathtakingly fast. The reason is that his resolve for cultivating the Path was too intense, his repentance too sincere, and the effect too good, so much so that his karmic obstructions were eliminated, and afterward the skill of reciting the Buddha's name arose naturally. Repentance that is merely a superficial formality, without a sincere heart, has no blessing power and no effect. Sincere repentance eliminated the karmic obstructions, and the mind became pure; thus he felt that the statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was vivid and lifelike, with a compassionate gaze. This is a phenomenon seen through the transformation of the mind; it is what his own mind invoked and manifested. It demonstrates that all dharmas are created by the mind alone; states arise from the mind—when the mind transforms, everything transforms.