Today is the second day of the Buddha Recitation Session. Yesterday you didn't know what the recitation of "Namo Amitabha Buddha" was all about, and so I explained it to you. By now, each of you should know how to apply effort in reciting the Buddha's name. When reciting, don't sing too loudly or it my injure your energies. However, if you recite too quietly, it's easy to doze off and lose your vitality. When you are napping, you can't recite. If you can't recite, then "Namo Amitabha Buddha" will not be present in your heart. So it is necessary to recite out loud so that your ears hear the sound clearly and distinctly, and your mind contemplates the sound clearly and distinctly.
Don't waste even a single second. At all times be mindful of your Buddha Recitation. Say "Namo Amitabha Buddha" with sincerity and concentration.

Your mindfulness should be uninterrupted. Continue reciting at all times without a break. Last night I explained the first of the four techniques of recitation, "contemplating by thought." Today I will continue with the second, "contemplation of an image Buddha Recitation."
When you contemplate using thought, it is not easy to expand the measure of your mind. Amitabha Buddha's Dharmabody is so large that it is difficult to encompass it in thought. You must enlarge the capacity of your mind, and that is not easy to do. As an alternative, you may set up an image of Amitabha Buddha and while facing the image, recite the Buddha's name. Look closely at the white hair-mark between the Buddha's eyebrows. The white hair-mark will emit a great light which will travel to the end of space throughout the Dharma Realm, so that all places receive the illumination. Within Amitabha Buddha's light appear limitless Buddhas and countless Bodhisattvas. This is the method called "contemplation of an image Buddha Recitation." The third is "holding the name Buddha Recitation" in which one repeats the six-syllable vast name, "Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo," that is, "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

This technique is divided into audible recitation and soundless recitation. Here in the Dharma assemble we practice audible recitation. When the bell is rung everyone recites "Namo Amitabha Buddha" in unison, making a grand, melodious sound. Soundless recitation refers to the period when we sit in silence while single-mindedly reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha." This is called "silent recitation," or "vajra recitation."
Of all the Dharma-doors in Buddhism, Buddha Recitation is the easiest one to cultivate, as it

Receives the beings of the
three dispositions,
And gathers in both the intelligent
and the dull.

Living beings are of three dispositions: a superior disposition, that is, people with wisdom; a mediocre disposition, that is, people of average intelligence; and an inferior disposition, that is, people who are very stupid. This method benefits both the young and the old, and works for both the intelligent and the dull. Intelligent people are those with wisdom and dull people are the stupid ones. People with wisdom who recite the Buddha's name can easily gain a response. People who are stupid who recite will also find it easy to gain a response. Therefore the recitation of "Namo Amitabha Buddha" on the one hand saves effort and on the other costs nothing. It's the most convenient Dharma-door of all. Not only is it convenient, it is the most expedient of all expedient methods, the shortest of all short cuts, the most wonderful of all Dharma-doors. Some people may say, "What's the significance of the phrase "Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo?" Its significance is profound and vast. Its wonder cannot be exhausted in speech, nor can its advantages.

When the Buddha dwelt in the world, that era was called the Orthodox Dharma Age. At that time, the Buddha taught the Dharma and there were genuine Arhats and great Bodhisattvas; the sages were dwelling in the world. The Dharma-image Age followed next, after the Buddha entered Nirvana. During this period people who cultivated the Way were few; those who were attached to external appearances were many. People stressed the creation of Buddha images and many were made, but genuine cultivators were few in number.

After the Dharma-image Age, came the Dharma-ending Age. The Orthodox Dharma Age lasted for one thousand years. The Dharma-image Age lasted another one thousand years. That's two thousand years in all. The Dharma-ending Age endures for ten thousand years. We are now living in the Dharma-ending Age. What does the phrase "Dharma-ending" mean? It means that the Dharma has nearly come to an end and is bout to disappear. The "disappearance" of the Buddhadharma involves the disappearance of belief in the Buddha. In the Dharma-ending Age, living beings' faith in the Buddha is not firm.
When the Buddha dwelt in the world, people's faith was so firm that if you held a person at knife-point and threatened his life saying, "Don't believe in the Buddha or I'll murder you," he would rather die than surrender his belief. That's how solid in faith the people were during the Orthodox Dharma Age.

In the Dharma-image Age, things were different. If a person believed in the Buddha and someone said, "If you believe in the Buddha, I'll kill you," he'd say "Fine. I won't believe in the Buddha." People would change their minds because their faith was not firm.

Now, in the Dharma-ending Age, you don't even have to threaten a person with death. You just have to say, "Don't believe in the Buddha," and they quickly reply, "Okay, fine." You don't have to threaten them, just tell them to quit believing and they will. It's very difficult to promote faith. Calculate it for yourself: How many people are there in the world? Among the entire human race, how many people believe in the Buddha? You can lecture the Sutras to these believers every day and they will still waver between doubt and faith. You can conduct a small experiment. Try this. Invite a person out to a movie. He'll accept on the spot and away you go. Then try asking him to a Sutra lecture. He will say, "Ohh...sitting there for two hours is nothing but suffering and tedium. It's not half as much fun as a movie!" That's the Dharma-ending age for you. You needn't threaten them with death. You can simple say "If you believe in the Buddha, I'll bow to you three times." And what do you think happens? They snap, "Since you believe in the Buddha, go bow to yourself if you want to bow. Why bow to me?" In the Dharma-ending Age it is difficult to believe in the Buddha. People may believe for a while but then they retreat. They may believe for two and a half days, but before the third day rolls around, they turn back and say, "I'm tired of Buddhism." Tired. See? That's the basic make-up of people in the Dharma-ending Age. Grab somebody by the ear and tell him face-to-face, "Don't talk so much!" and he'll continue to talk, talk, talk too much! That's the way it is. If you tell them not to do something, they insist on doing it. If you tell them to do something, they will insist on not doing it. That's the way beings are in the Dharma-ending Age.

In this age, the Dharma will disappear. The first Sutra to disappear will be The Shurangama Sutra. That is why those who study the Buddhadharma should first investigate The Shurangama Sutra. As long as someone understands this Sutra the Buddhadharma will not become extinct. As long as there is someone who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the demon kings, the heavenly demons and those of externalist teachings will not dare come into the world to play their tricks and to make trouble. The Shurangama Mantra is the most miraculous mantra for helping the world. The Shurangama Sutra is the primary
Sutra which protects and supports the Orthodox Dharma.

The Shurangama Sutra will disappear first, and then no one will be able to recite the Shurangama Mantra, because it is too long. For example, many among us have been studying it for over a year and still can't recite it. Basically, the Shurangama Mantra should take six months to learn. The Sanskrit "Shurangama" is transliterated into Chinese as leng yen, and those who study it are said to be "leng", that is, in a daze, for half a year while memorizing it. Here, we have people who have been "leng" for on, two, and even three years, and still have not come out of their "daze."
The Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra will be the first to disappear. The last Sutra to disappear will be The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra.

When The Amitabha Sutra has become extinct, only this six-syllable vast name "Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo," will remain in the world. It will live another one hundred years and ferry limitless living beings across the sea of suffering. After one hundred years the six-syllable vast name will lose two syllables and only "E Mi Two Fwo" will remain for another hundred years and then they will disappear. At that time people will be undergoing extreme suffering. They will have no blessings at all. Their food will have no nutritive value, even the natural foods. No matter what one eats, it will be harder to swallow than horse manure. Why? Because the people will have no blessings. When the Buddha was in the world the water had more food value in it than our present day milk has. Why does today's water lack nutritive properties? It's because now the people don't have such great blessings.

At that time, people will be as tall as dogs. When their suffering reaches its peak, things will start getting better, and the eon will begin to "wax." We are presently in an eon of "waning." This means that every one hundred years the average lifespan of human beings decreases by on year and their average height by one inch. When it has decreased to the point that an average lifespan is ten years, and an average height is ten inches, about the size of our present-day dogs, people will have sexual desire as soon as they are born and they will also be able to commit murder. That's how rotten they will be. But at that time, the eon will begin to was, and every hundred years people's lifespans will increase by one year and their height will increase by one inch. When the average lifespan has reached eighty-four thousand years--would you call that a long life?--it will begin to decrease once again. When the average lifespan has waned to eighty thousand years, the next Buddha, the Venerable Maitreya, will appear in the world. Whoever wants to meet him at that time should work hard right now.
We are now conducting a Buddha Recitation Session. We chant "Na Mwo E Mi Two Fwo" from morning till night. It is said,

Supreme, profound, wondrous Dharma
Is hard to meet in a million eons.
I see it, accept, hear and uphold it,
And I vow to understand the Tathagata's
true principle.

Supreme, profound, wondrous Dharma/ It may look to you like Buddha Recitation is very easy, yet this method is quite rare and hard to find. You should all think about it: In America alone, how many people understand the Dharma-door of Buddha Recitation? Many people will say, "Buddhists sit in Zen meditation." Others say, "Cultivate the Secret School. It's fantastic. It's a secret." Very few truly understand how to recite the Buddha's name. In America such a Dharma assembly has simply never been held before. This is the very first time that the deep, deep, and wonderful Dharma has been explained in the countryside. You might say our Dharma assembly is unprecedented in the history of this country. And what is more, people have come from the four directions to attend, including such distant places as San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. This demon-states real sincerity. If they were not sincere, they would not have come all this way. They'd be at the movies instead, or out dancing, drinking, playing cards, shooting a few holes of golf, water-skiing, ice-skating, or whatever. However, these people have abandoned such pleasant diversions to chant "Amitabha" in the mountains.

Is hard to encounter in a million eons/ Although it is hard to meet, you have now encountered it.
It see it, accept, hear and uphold it/ Now you have met with the Buddhadharma and know how to recite the Buddha's name.
And vow to understand the Tathagata's true principle. Vow to understand the true principles of the Dharma-door of the Pure Land.

You are all sincere and today I am very happy. Why? Because you have evoked a response and stopped the rain. It didn't rain last night and it didn't rain today. That's two days. This proves that you are earnest in your recitation. If it rains tomorrow, you've retreated. But if it doesn't, then you will have created three dry days. If it doesn't rain for a whole week, that will be conclusive evidence of genuine effort on your part.

Since you are all so earnest, I will tell you what I've been doing. In the last few days I have negotiated and signed a contract with the mosquitoes. It says, Mosquitoes are not allowed to bite participants in the recitation session. Should they feel compelled to bite someone, they shall bite me first. This applies equallyto all those attending, regardless of whether or not they are my disciples. Mosquitoes are not allowed to make trouble for anyone.

So they will bite me first because it doesn't matter if the mosquitoes drink a little of my blood; I want to give it away. After this, if anyone is bitten by a mosquito, please report it to me. If bitten by one mosquito, tell me. If two bite you, announce, "I've been bitten twice!" and I'll take it up with them.

After all they did sign a contract and if they don't live up to it, I just might take them to court! Someone is thinking, "If one does bite me, I won't dare mention it. If I do, Dharma Master, you will say I'm not reciting sincerely." Well, if you don't tell me, you'll just cheat yourself. It's none of my business. Do as you please!

Disciple: Master, just as the subject of mosquitoes came up, one flew by my ear and I believe it is still biting me.
The Master: Oh? Very well, you can take it to Buddhahood. Tell it, "I vow that you will become a Buddha first."