Who Reciting Buddha’s Name?

Ask: The dharma scriptures are written that people reciting Buddha’s name sometimes wonder themselves: “Who really recites Buddha’s name?.” What does that question mean?

Answer:

The question “Who recites Buddha’s name?” is for those who have firmly practiced Buddhism and practically applied to reflect their inner thought. The novices are not likely to apply that approach. At first, Buddha recitation is for the purpose of grasping wandering mind which not only misses someone or gets enraged with another but also thinks of something else, etc. without stopping. If those are adept at reciting Buddha’s name and able to control wandering thoughts, they can take one step further that is to wonder themselves: “What is the one reciting Buddha’s name?” or “Who recites Buddha’s name?.” That is a deep introspection of Buddha recitation into the root of the mind. It is suggested to reconsider your mind who recites Buddha’s name. Body is composed by the four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, so we should eat, drink, breathe, wear every day, which means continuing relying on four outer elements to build up and prolong the great four inner elements’s survival. The time being hit by traffic accidents or having occupational risks or diseases and then taking an exhalation without an inhalation is that the four components are immediately disbanded.

Although the body with four great elements and five maras itself would be disbanded and broken into pieces, but the nature of mind or clarity of awareness is intact and not being broken. That is the real owner of the body, which people miss out and look for temporary one outside. The main purpose of the practitioners is to turn back to reflect their own mind in order to search for the truth, a priceless treasure they unintentionally lost for a while, so the question “Who really recites Buddha’s name?” is used as a means to discover the truly bright mind without birth or death which is the innate nature. It is the method of Buddha recitation to find the source.

 Thích Minh Thành