End-of-Life Mindfulness Has Two Key Points

I believe end-of-life mindfulness has two key points: first, you must learn to recite the Buddha’s name properly. Reciting the Buddha’s name is the foundational practice, whether you are at home or in the intensive care unit. The very first thing you must do when the end of life arrives is to bring the Buddha’s name to mind. If you are unable to bring the Buddha’s name to mind when that moment comes, you will be lost. Do you understand? Being able to recite the Buddha’s name at the end of life means you have formed a deep karmic affinity with the Buddha’s name—this is the only way it is possible, because people are almost always in a severely weakened state as they approach death. The end of life is the greatest suffering of all illnesses. Imagine whatever illness you may be suffering from, multiply that pain by two, and that is roughly what the final hour of life feels like. It is the most severe affliction of all, because your mind is scattered and confused at the end of life, and your loved ones may only cause you additional distress. Right? So when the end of life comes, what is the very first thing you must do? Bring the Buddha’s name to mind. Why are some people able to bring the Buddha’s name to mind at the end of life, while others cannot? Let me explain this to you. Problems with your practice almost always stem from flawed views, which create blind spots in your understanding. Many people who recite the Buddha’s name only prioritize finishing their set number of recitations, rather than reciting the name well. They rush to complete their quota of repetitions, and as they do, the Buddha’s name only passes fleetingly through their mind without taking root. Think of it like this: some people seem to have a wide circle of friends, but not a single true confidant. When they run into trouble, they have no one to turn to. Our relationship with the name of Amitabha Buddha is exactly the same. You may recite the name thousands of times, but not a single repetition is truly useful. Why? Because your view is wrong. The desire to rack up as many repetitions as possible is a view that will harm you for your entire life. Let me share a correct view with all of you: a single recitation of the Buddha’s name is truly all that is needed. Amitabha Buddha’s very body is the Dharma realm itself; even a single recitation of his name holds full, complete power. Just one recitation at the end of life is enough. You do not need countless repetitions of the name. Think of it this way: when building a house, of course more money is better, since it can be saved and accumulated over time. But for the Buddha’s name, you rely on a single recitation to be reborn in the Pure Land at the end of life. Do you understand? So if you wish to recite the Buddha’s name properly, the first step is to correct your view. Have you all heard the proverb "bite off more than you can chew"? That is exactly what happens to people who recite the Buddha’s name. They hold wrong views themselves, yet they still guide others. Look at the Pure Land tradition: people often ask each other, "How many times do you recite the Buddha’s name a day?" Everyone ends up developing wrong views, right? Everyone starts competing over the number of repetitions, and in the end, not a single person recites the name well. Do you still remember the parable I shared with you earlier? When a herd of cattle is running across open grassland, you can’t tell which cows are strong and which are weak just by looking, right? But when they cross a river, their true strength becomes obvious. Right? You need to think about this now: when you reach your final hour, how many repetitions of the Buddha’s name will be strong enough to carry you across the threshold of life and death? How many will actually help you break through the barrier of birth and death? Now, I am not saying it is bad to recite the Buddha’s name while doing chores like mopping the floor—it is certainly better than letting your mind wander into idle, deluded thoughts. But if you settle for "better than daydreaming" as the standard for your recitation practice, you are finished. What this means is that you must have some solid, reliable repetitions of the Buddha’s name to serve as your foundation, and you can pair these with other repetitions you do while your mind is scattered—when you are driving, walking, or doing walking meditation. But if you do not have even one strong, steady recitation to act as the lead cow of your herd, you are in serious trouble! Right? So the first priority is to learn to recite the Buddha’s name well, not to rack up as many repetitions as you can. Shall we all correct this view first? The second key point: what does it mean to recite the Buddha’s name well? (A student replies: "Focus your mind single-pointedly, and entrust yourself wholly to Amitabha.") First, attend to the sound of your recitation. Follow it closely with your full attention. Second, visualize the sound as the full, complete manifestation body of Amitabha Buddha. Believe that he will definitely be able to rescue and deliver you. Those are the only two steps. First, make sure you can clearly hear the sound of your own recitation. Second, transform that sound in your mind into the full, complete manifestation body of Amitabha. Those are the only two requirements. If you can do these two things—focus your mind single-pointedly, and entrust yourself wholly to Amitabha—then you have recited the Buddha’s name perfectly. Never prioritize racking up as many repetitions as possible. Some people advocate reciting 100,000 repetitions of the Buddha’s name a day, and I strongly oppose this. If you recite 100,000 repetitions in a day but none of them are effective, they are worthless. Those 100,000 useless repetitions are worth less than a single effective recitation from anyone else. I recommend a daily practice of 1,000 repetitions of the Buddha’s name. Start your practice with this number. Do 500 in the morning and 500 in the afternoon. Sit down, turn off your phone, first bow to the Buddha, then sit and recite with your mouth slightly open, in a 3-4-3-4 cadence. Then use the five-point counting method. Recite 10 sets of 50 repetitions each in the morning to reach 500 total, and another 10 sets of 50 repetitions in the evening for another 500. What about the rest of your time? You can exercise, you can recite while you go about your daily activities—just make sure you have at least 1,000 solid, reliable repetitions of the Buddha’s name each day. I set a modest, accessible standard: start with 1,000 perfectly steady, unwavering repetitions of the Buddha’s name. Think of these 1,000 repetitions as the final sprint you need when you cross the Ganges River at the end of life—that last burst of effort to break through to the other shore. Right? You can recite countless times, but if you have not a single solid, reliable repetition to rely on when the moment comes, what good is that? It is like having friends: you can have a wide circle of acquaintances, but you should have at least a few true, close friends you can count on, right? That is exactly what I mean. So I recommend that starting today, once you return home, begin by reciting 1,000 repetitions of the Buddha’s name, focusing single-pointedly on taking refuge! Recite every single repetition of the Buddha’s name with solid, steady focus. Then visualize that sound as the full, undivided manifestation body of Amitabha—this complete manifestation cannot be split or separated. Even a single recitation of the Buddha’s name is fully sufficient. You must believe that one single recitation is all you need.