“After the one thought-moment in which, realizing the transience of birth-and-death in our own flesh, we once genuinely and directly entrust ourselves through saying Namu-amida-butsu, the self is no longer the self. Then, as our hearts are Amida Buddha’s heart, our bodily actions Amida Buddha’s actions, and our words Amida Buddha’s words, the life we are living is Amida Buddha’s life.
I do Shikantaza every day. My day is basically as good as my morning meditation. It gives me confidence and clarity.
What’s your technique? (I know you told me but I forgot). And what does it do for you?
I practice shikantaza and nembutsu, and throughout the day, I mentally recite in my mind whenever I remember it. I’ve found that these two practices are complementary, which is also a widely practiced combination in mainland Buddhism. Nembutsu plays a role in connecting with the Pure Land of Amitabha and my own Buddha Nature at the same time. Shikantaza, on the other hand, embodies realization itself and, in a more Chan/Zen sense, the here and now Satori (practice of no-practice).
You may wonder why I practice both the Pure Land and Chan. The answer is that Chan points to our inherent nature, but it doesn’t mean that after truly realizing emptiness we instantly attain the same level of enlightenment as a fully realized Buddha, not even higher grades Bodhisattvas. Therefore, for me, the Pure Land serves as a kind of assurance for continuing my practice even after this body dissolves.
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What are the immediate effects?
Of which one? Anyway, for example, being more focused and seeing things clearly for sure, not being bothered too much about things (although it always depends of course) However none of these practices exist for the sake of immediate results, their just consequential and transient too
Immediate results are a better motivator than a happy story, surely.
Well, it is for me anyway. And I suspect that it is for most of us.
