What Is the Buddha-Recitation Samādhi State?

Question: The master tells us to recite "Namo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha" three times before sitting in meditation. After I recite it, whether sitting down or rising, the Buddha's name automatically arises in my mind. It's not that I need to recite it many times; my mind just automatically recites it. What is happening here?

Answer: This is the initial state of Buddha-recitation samādhi, which is a state of meditative concentration. Recitation has become unified and continuous—reciting without deliberate effort, automatically reciting from the manas (mind root). It does not require prompting by the manovijñāna (consciousness mind) and can function without it. Manas can recite the Buddha's name automatically on its own, or it can recite together with manovijñāna. When manas recites alone, the meditative concentration is deep; when reciting together with manovijñāna, the concentration is shallower. This may also be a result of the Buddha's blessing. Generally, people have scattered minds and insufficient faith, making it difficult to attain this state of Buddha-recitation samādhi.

Some people mistake the state where isolated manovijñāna perceives various Buddha realms as Buddha-recitation samādhi. In reality, this is a spiritual response, not true Buddha-recitation samādhi. While such responses also manifest good roots, they differ from samādhi. Buddha-recitation samādhi typically lasts longer—twenty or thirty minutes, or even several days and nights. The Buddha's name automatically arises in the mind, its sound lingering like an echo, continuously audible, as if resonating for three days. The body and mind feel light and joyful. One might feel the body floating in the air—tall, light, and ethereal, with no sense of obstruction, no heaviness of the body.